Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and Medieval History Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering core terms, historical figures, social structures, and political systems from Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and the Middle Ages.

City state (Polis)

political unit Ancient Greek Early Roman

Aristocracy

For gov of elite families or system ruled by king e group of elite

Democracy

A political system where power is held by citizens; athens used it

Monarchy, Oligarchy, Tyranny

Greek government rule by a king, rule by a few, and rule by a leader who took power,

Philosophy

A method of thinking based on logic rather than religion.

Hellenism

Alexander the Great mix of Greek culture ame ideas.

Republic

Roman shstem over 17 citizens no power

Senate

Central gov body of room, council of elderss 300 patricians

Popular Assembly

assembly where ordinary citizens had voting rights but not rly power

Patricians

The hereditary upper class of wealthy landowners in Rome.

Plebeians

Ordinary Roman citizens who, despite having voting rights, lacked political power.

Pax Romana

Roman Empire peace allowed flourish of culture

Migration period

People moved across Europe causing breakdown of society forgetting of culture and many wars

Christianity

Religion official of Rome and spread through Europe

Serfdom

A system where peasants were bound to farm land and performed labor for the nobles in exchange for protection.

Feudalism

Social systek granting land for exchange of military

Vassals

Nobles received land and promised cavalry for king

Guild System

Craft people and merchants controlled trade in medieval cities

Julius Caesar

Roman general who fought a civil war before being assassinated in $44\,\text{BCE}$ after becoming 'dictator for life'.

Augustus (octauun)

The first Roman Emperor who took control of the military, reformed taxes, and established the Pax Romana.

Charlemagne

A Medieval king whose conquests helped stabilize and unify large parts of Corsic.

Pope

Head of the Catholic Church who claimed independent political power, often placing the church above kings and emperors.

Three Estate theory

The belief that society was divided into three groups ordained by God: those who pray (clergy), those who fight (nobility), and those who work (peasants).

Heretics

People didn’t believe in Christianity

Parliament

A political body that began to emerge toward the end of the Middle Ages.

Crusades

A series of $9$ holy wars intended to take control of the Mediterranean, which resulted in a major exchange of medical and scientific knowledge from the Arab world.

The Plague

A Late Middle Ages epidemic.

The 4th Estate

The three estates with the added inclusion of burghers or city dwellers.

Hanseatic League

League North German cities that dominated trade in the North and Baltic Seas.

Alexander the Great

A Macedonian king who created the largest empire of the ancient world and spread Greek culture through Hellenism.

Socrates

Famous Greek philosopher who focused on logic and the pursuit of knowledge.