Major Classical Era Empires – Vocab 1

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, people, events, and concepts from lectures on the major classical era empires of Persia, Greece, Rome, India, and China.

Achaemenid Persian Empire

6th-century BCE multi-ethnic empire founded by Cyrus the Great that ruled ~35 million people with a centralized administration.

Cyrus the Great

Founder of the Persian Empire known for military conquest and policies of religious and cultural toleration.

Satrap

Imperially sanctioned local governor in the Persian Empire who enforced the emperor’s laws and collected taxes.

Centralized Administration

A system in which major laws and policies originate from a single imperial authority and are carried out by appointed officials.

Religious and Cultural Toleration (Persia)

Persian policy allowing conquered peoples to keep local customs and religions, reducing rebellion risk.

Polis

Independent Greek city-state characterized by its own government, such as Athens or Sparta.

Athenian Democracy

System of direct citizen participation in government practiced in Athens, lacking a divine monarch.

Peloponnesian War

431-404 BCE conflict between Athens and Sparta that exemplified Greek city-state rivalry.

Phalanx

Close-ranked infantry formation of Macedonian and Greek armies reformed by King Philip II.

Alexander the Great

Macedonian king (r. 336-323 BCE) who created a vast empire from Egypt to India and spread Greek culture.

Hellenistic Era

Period following Alexander’s conquests marked by widespread diffusion of Greek culture and political models.

Hellenistic Kingdoms

States carved from Alexander’s empire by his generals—Ptolemies, Seleucids, Antigonids, etc.—that used centralized governance.

Roman Republic

State (509-27 BCE) ruled by an elected Senate that expanded across the Mediterranean before becoming an empire.

Roman Senate

Governing body of aristocrats in the Roman Republic responsible for laws, finance, and foreign policy.

Punic Wars

Series of three wars (264-146 BCE) between Rome and Carthage culminating in Roman dominance of the western Mediterranean.

Carthage

Phoenician-origin maritime empire in North Africa defeated by Rome in the Punic Wars.

Roman Empire

Autocratic phase of Roman rule beginning in 27 BCE under Augustus, marked by vast territorial expansion and bureaucracy.

Roman Citizenship

Policy granting full legal rights and protections to conquered peoples, fostering loyalty to Rome.

Roman Roads

Extensive network of paved routes facilitating communication, trade, and troop movement across the empire.

Byzantine Empire

Eastern continuation of the Roman Empire, Greek-speaking and centered on Constantinople, lasting until 1453 CE.

Gupta Empire

Indian dynasty (c. 320-543 CE) that unified much of the subcontinent and initiated the ‘Golden Age of India.’

Golden Age of India

Period of cultural and scientific flourishing under the Gupta Empire, including advances in math, astronomy, and art.

Indian Numeral System

Decimal place-value notation, including the concept of zero, developed during the Gupta period.

Warring States Period

Era (475-221 BCE) of fragmentation and warfare among seven Chinese states after Zhou decline.

Mandate of Heaven

Chinese belief that Heaven grants legitimacy to worthy rulers and withdraws it from unjust ones.

Legalism

Chinese philosophy advocating strict laws, harsh punishments, and merit-based administration to strengthen the state.

Qin Dynasty

First unified Chinese empire (221-206 BCE) established by Shihuangdi, known for Legalist governance and state projects.

Great Wall (Qin Sections)

Early fortifications built by mobilized peasants under Qin rule to defend against northern Xiongnu raiders.

Han Dynasty

Chinese imperial dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE) that expanded territory, promoted Confucianism, and inaugurated a golden age.

Confucianism

Philosophical system emphasizing moral virtue, social harmony, and filial piety; adopted as Han state ideology.

Emperor Wu of Han

Han ruler (r. 141-87 BCE) who made Confucianism the official ideology and expanded Chinese borders.

Silk Roads

Intercontinental trade routes linking China and the Mediterranean, facilitating exchange of silk, goods, and ideas.

Xiongnu Confederacy

Nomadic pastoralist power north of China that conflicted with Qin and Han dynasties.

Central Bureaucracy (China)

Hierarchical administrative system with merit-based officials first fully implemented by the Qin and refined by the Han.

Empirical Scientific Thought (Greek)

Greek intellectual tradition stressing observation and logic, laying foundations for later scientific methods.