Overview of Pre-history to Enlightenment in Western Civilization

Western Civilization

Cultural heritage of Europe that includes Greek democracy, Roman law, Judeo-Christian values, and Renaissance thought.

Neolithic Revolution

Shift from nomadic hunting to farming and permanent settlements (~10,000 BCE).

Mesopotamia

"Land between the rivers" (Tigris & Euphrates), site of early civilizations like Sumer.

Phoenician Contribution

Created the first phonetic alphabet; expert shipbuilders and traders.

Abraham

Spiritual father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Rosetta Stone

Key to decoding Egyptian hieroglyphs; written in Greek, Demotic, and Hieroglyphic.

Hammurabi

Babylonian king known for creating one of the earliest written law codes.

Torah

First five books of the Hebrew Bible; central to Judaism.

Sumerians & Cuneiform

First civilization in Mesopotamia; invented wedge-shaped writing system.

Menes

Pharaoh who united Upper and Lower Egypt.

Sargon

Established the first empire in history, the Akkadian Empire.

Nebuchadnezzar

Babylonian king who rebuilt Babylon and exiled Jews (Babylonian Captivity).

David

Second king of Israel; united tribes, made Jerusalem capital.

Buddhism vs. Hinduism

Buddhism rejects the caste system and focuses on enlightenment; Hinduism includes reincarnation, karma, and caste.

Indus River Valley

Little is known due to undeciphered writing and few records.

Chinese Geography

Isolated by mountains and deserts; led to unique, continuous civilization.

Europe vs. China

Europe fragmented politically; China remained centralized and bureaucratic.

Foot Binding

Practice to restrict women's mobility; symbol of status and beauty in Song Dynasty.

Mandate of Heaven

Divine approval to rule; used to justify the rise and fall of dynasties.

Monsoons

Seasonal winds vital to agriculture and trade in India.

Pyrrhic Victory

A costly victory that comes at such a great expense it's almost a defeat.

Draco

Athenian lawmaker; created harsh legal code.

Geography of Greece

Mountains led to independent city-states (polis); sea encouraged trade.

Athenian Democracy

Direct democracy where citizens voted on laws.

Sparta

Militaristic society; focused on discipline and strength.

Phalanx

Military formation of spear-bearing infantry.

Hubris

Excessive pride; often punished by the gods in Greek myths.

Greek Philosophers

Socrates (ethics), Plato (ideal forms), Aristotle (logic and science).

Greek Architecture

Columns—Doric (plain), Ionic (scrolls), Corinthian (fancy); influenced Western architecture.

Alexander the Great

Spread Hellenistic culture across the Mediterranean and into Asia.

Punic Wars

Rome vs. Carthage; led to Roman dominance of the western Mediterranean.

Roman Republic

Representative government with Senate, Consuls, and Assemblies.

Bread and Circuses

Free food and entertainment to appease the poor in Rome.

Christianity

Religion based on the teachings of Jesus; spread despite Roman persecution.

Latin

Roman language; root of Romance languages.

Roman Law

Foundation for Western legal systems; emphasized justice and rights.

Sacking of Jerusalem

Romans destroyed Jewish temple and suppressed revolts.

Edict of Milan

Legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire (313 CE).

Fall of Rome

Led to political fragmentation, decline in trade and education.

German vs. Roman Law

German law was tribal and personal; Roman law was codified and universal.

Christian Persecution

Early Christians were targeted for refusing to worship Roman gods.

Veni, vidi, vici

"I came, I saw, I conquered" - Julius Caesar.

Julius Caesar

Dictator assassinated in 44 BCE; his death led to the end of the Republic.

Justinian

Byzantine emperor; codified Roman law (Justinian Code), built Hagia Sophia.

Gregorian Chant

Early form of church music; simple, monophonic.

Hagia Sophia

Great church in Constantinople; symbol of Byzantine Christianity.

Charlemagne

Crowned Holy Roman Emperor; promoted education and Christianity.

Abu Bakr

First caliph after Muhammad's death; led early Islamic expansion.

Jihad

"Struggle"; interpreted as inner spiritual struggle or holy war.

St. Patrick

Christian missionary to Ireland.

Clovis

First Frankish king to convert to Christianity.

Sts. Cyril and Methodius

Missionaries to the Slavs; created Cyrillic alphabet.

Monasteries

Preserved knowledge, educated, helped the poor.

Muslim

Follower of Islam.

Sunni vs. Shia Split

Dispute over Muhammad's successor.

Byzantine Empire

Eastern Roman Empire; preserved Greco-Roman heritage.

Sack of Constantinople

1204 (by Crusaders); weakened Byzantine Empire.

Spread of Islam

Through trade, conquest, and cultural exchange.

Feudal System

Hierarchical system based on land and loyalty.

Vikings

Scandinavian raiders who settled parts of Europe.

Manor

Self-sufficient estate of a lord.

Serf

Peasant bound to the land.

Apprentice

Learner of a craft under a master.

Knight

Mounted warrior sworn to protect lords.

Guilds

Trade organizations that regulated quality and training.

Magna Carta

1215; limited the English king's power.

Pope Urban II

Called First Crusade to reclaim Holy Land.

Crusades Consequences

Increased trade, weakened feudalism, strained Muslim-Christian relations.

William the Conqueror

Won Battle of Hastings (1066), became King of England.

Goal of First Crusade

Reclaim Jerusalem from Muslims.

St. Thomas Aquinas

Scholar who blended faith and reason; wrote Summa Theologica.

Gothic vs. Romanesque

Gothic = tall, pointed arches, stained glass; Romanesque = thick walls, small windows.

Reconquista

Christian reconquest of Spain from Muslims.

100 Years War

Led to nationalism, end of chivalry, rise of standing armies.

Schism of 1054

Split between Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.

Renaissance

"Rebirth" of classical learning and arts.

Machiavelli

Wrote The Prince; "better to be feared than loved."

Spanish Defeat of Aztecs

Advanced weapons, disease, native allies.

Syncretism

Blending Catholicism with indigenous religions in the Americas.

Middle Passage

Brutal journey of enslaved Africans to the Americas.

French Colonization

Focused on fur trade and alliances with Native Americans.

Colonial Governments

Varied—Spanish were strict; English had more local control.

Transatlantic Slave Trade

Triangular trade; devastated African societies.

Mulattoes/Mestizos

Mixed-race classes in Spanish colonial society. "Mestizo" generally refers to someone of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry, while "mulatto" often describes someone with both European and African ancestry

Ferdinand Magellan

First to circumnavigate the globe (his crew).

Portugal/Prince Henry

Advanced navigation and exploration.

Jamestown

First permanent English colony (1607); tobacco economy.

Da Vinci

Combined science and art (Mona Lisa, Vitruvian Man).

Renaissance vs. Medieval Thought

Humanism vs. religious focus.

Printing Press

Spread ideas quickly; boosted literacy and Reformation.

Renaissance Effects

Renewed learning, rise of secularism, exploration.

Motivations to Explore

Gold, God, Glory.

Treaty of Tordesillas

Divided New World between Spain and Portugal.

Slave Trade Effects

Depopulation of Africa, plantation labor in Americas.

Columbian Exchange

Transfer of plants, animals, diseases.

Impact of Exploration

Global economy, colonization, cultural exchange.

Mercantilism

Economic policy of accumulating wealth through colonies.

Battle of Lepanto

Naval battle where Christians defeated the Ottomans.

Lutheranism Spread

Northern Germany, Scandinavia.

Martin Luther/John Calvin

Salvation by faith alone (Luther), predestination (Calvin).