Integrated Humanities I: Exam 1

Integrated Humanities I

Exam 1 Review Sheet

The exam will consist of short answers and one essay question. I will give you some choices between questions. 

From your class notes:

Know the five characteristics of civilizations that we discussed in class.

1.     Organized states: administration

2.     Writing (recording history, government(laws), money, literature)

3.     Organized religions

4.     Advanced trade

5.     Advances in building construction

Be able to explain the major themes of the Gilgamesh epic.

-       Fear of death/mortality: Gilgamesh’s quest for immortality was sparked by the death of his friend and his own fear of death

-       Mortals are not all-powerful and despite his efforts, Gilgamesh cannot avoid death

-       The gods are in control of the mortals’ fate

Be able to compare the Babylonian creation account to the creation account in Genesis.

-       Babylon

o   God/gods: barbaric, warlike, and not all-powerful, they can die, master of man

o   Creation: made from the dead body of Tiamat, constellations of the likeness of the gods

o   Humanity: truly savage, serving the gods, made of blood and bones

o   Sin was always in their world because of chaos. Marduk had to kill Tiamat to get rid of her cosmic chaos

-       Genesis

o   God/gods: all-powerful, relational, just

o   Creation: perfect, created from nothing, dependent on man

o   Humanity: flawed/sinful, made in the image of God, made for partnership(man/woman)

o   Sin entered the world because man fell in the Garden by eating from the Tree of Good and Evil after the snake deceived them

How does Hebraic monotheism differ from ancient polytheistic religions? How are these differences expressed in the Book of Jonah?

-       Hebraic monotheism worships one personal, all-powerful God (Yahweh). God is moral and just. Yahweh is righteous, merciful, and involved in human affairs with a moral purpose. God is for ALL people.

-       Polytheistic religions had multiple gods who were limited in power and only had authority over certain aspects of life. They were morally flawed, selfish, unjust, and unpredictable. Over a singular nation/people

-       Differences in Jonah: Yahweh’s universal authority, unlike polytheistic gods tied to specific nations. He desires repentance over rituals and shows consistent justice and mercy. While pagan gods were unpredictable, Yahweh’s compassion extends to all people, including Nineveh, demonstrating His sovereign and moral nature

Know the characteristics of Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations.

-       Mycenaean: tombs, warrior culture, tholos, cities surrounded by giant walls, wrote in Linear B script, a culture of trade and worship

-       Minoan: palaces(complexes for living, storage, and redistribution), redistributive economic system, writing Linear A, records, trade, no walls around the city and relatively peaceful

What was life like in Greece during the Dark Age?

-       Fewer settlements, loss of knowledge of writing(linear b), drop in cultivation, smaller population, reliance on pasturing animals, habitations, art decline

What characterized rule during that time?

-       Aristocracy(rule of the best): born into the family, display wealth(buy fine goods and finance celebrations), cement social bonds by buying gifts, give gifts to inferiors to win support, and offer expensive sacrifices to the god

-       The aristocracy could be lost

-       Councils alongside aristocracy

Be able to explain Greek Colonization and its importance during the Archaic Age.

-        They colonized because there was a population shortage, food shortages, and because they were helpful in trade

-       It also spread the Greek language, culture, politics, literature, and philosophy

How did Sparta become a military state? What were its characteristics?

-       They were conquered by Messenia

-       Phalanx and Hoplites(basic Greek warrior)

-       Boys spent like in the barracks from age 7-30

-       It was similar to a democracy and the people ruled from the Council of Equals

Be able to list and explain the four stages in the political development of Greek city-states.

1.     Monarchy- rule by king

2.     Oligarchy- rule by the elite… overthrow the monarch and rule by their own interest

3.     Tyranny- rule by an autocrat… appeals to the people, empowers the vote in assembly, very popular, and could abuse power

4.     Democracy- rule by the people

Be able to explain the agricultural crisis and Solon’s reforms in response. Who was Pisistratus?

-       Athens faced an agricultural crisis due to land inequality, where poor farmers fell into debt slavery to wealthy landowners. In response, Solon enacted reforms (c. 594 BC), canceling debts, ending debt slavery, and redistributing political power based on wealth rather than birth. Pisistratus later became a tyrant of Athens, ruling with popular support by stabilizing the economy, promoting public works, and aiding small farmers

The Persian War: Its beginnings, Darius, Xerxes, Marathon, Themistocles, Thermopylae, Salamis

-       Beginning: Athens pledges loyalty to Persia, but then rebelled against Persia and joined with Greek rebels

-       Darius I(Persian king): invaded Greece and was defeated at Marathon

-       Xerxes: king after Darius and pledges to conquer Greece

-       Themistocles: Athenian general

-       The Battle of Thermopylae: Lyonides(king of Sparta) lost to Persia because they were betrayed and outnumbered

-       Salamis: Themistocles helped to win because of navy