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ANCIENT GREECE & ROME — TEST STUDY MATERIAL

GREECE

Greek Geography:
Mountains and seas isolated communities from one another, which led to the creation of independent city-states.

Polis:
A Greek city-state. Each polis had its own government and laws.

Athens:
Athens used direct democracy, meaning citizens directly voted on decisions.

Greek Democracy:
Citizens participated directly in government by voting.

Alexander the Great:
Alexander spread Greek culture through conquest.

Hellenistic Culture:
Hellenistic culture was a blend of Greek traditions with local traditions from places such as Egypt, Persia, and India.

Greek Influence Today:
Ancient Greek ideas continue to influence architecture, democracy, philosophy, literature, and language.

Greek Myths:
Greeks created myths to explain nature, human behavior, and things they did not understand about the world.

ROME

Roman Republic:
The Roman Republic used a system of government that was different from the direct democracy of Greek city-states.

Greek Polis vs. Roman Republic:
A Greek polis was an independent city-state, while the Roman Republic developed a larger system of representative government.

Julius Caesar:
Julius Caesar gained enormous political and military power, threatening the balance of power in the Roman Republic. His rise helped lead to the transition from Republic to Empire.

Augustus:
Augustus became Rome's first emperor and brought greater stability to Rome. His rule began the Pax Romana.

Pax Romana:
A long period of relative peace and stability throughout the Roman Empire.

Roman Roads:
Roman roads connected different parts of the empire. They helped the military move quickly and also supported trade, travel, communication, and the spread of ideas.

Roman Aqueducts:
Aqueducts transported water to Roman cities and helped support the population and infrastructure of the empire.

Twelve Tables:
The Twelve Tables were written Roman laws. Writing laws down made the legal system more predictable and helped prevent laws from being kept secret.

Rule of Law:
The idea that everyone, including leaders, must follow the law.

Roman Religion:
Romans believed in many gods. Roman religion was heavily influenced by Greek religion, and Roman gods were often connected to Greek gods.

Roman Legacy:
Greek and Roman ideas influenced modern government, democracy, republics, architecture, philosophy, literature, law, and language.

CHRISTIANITY

Growth of Christianity:
Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire because of factors such as Roman roads, communication networks, and the message of Christianity.

Roman Roads and Christianity:
Roman roads allowed people and ideas to travel throughout the empire. This helped Christian teachings spread from one region to another.

Message of Christianity:
Christianity's message of compassion and salvation helped attract followers.

Constantine:
Constantine changed the status of Christianity within the Roman Empire by making Christianity legal.

Edict of Milan:
The Edict of Milan allowed Christians to practice their religion legally. This helped Christianity grow on a much larger scale.

FALL OF ROME

Causes of Rome's Decline:
Rome's decline was caused by multiple economic, military, political, and social problems rather than one single event.

Disease:
Pandemics and disease weakened the population and contributed to problems within the Roman Empire.

Political Problems:
Political instability and struggles for power weakened the Roman government.

Military Problems:
Military challenges and threats from outside groups weakened the empire.

Economic Problems:
Economic difficulties contributed to the weakening of Rome.

Why Rome Declined:
It is inaccurate to blame the fall of Rome on only one event. Multiple problems contributed to the empire's decline over time.

IMPORTANT CAUSE-AND-EFFECT CONNECTIONS

Greek Geography → Independent City-States:
Mountains and seas separated communities, making it difficult to unite Greece under one government.

Alexander's Conquests → Hellenistic Culture:
Alexander's conquests spread Greek culture into Egypt, Persia, India, and other regions, where Greek traditions mixed with local traditions.

Roman Roads → Growth of the Empire:
Roads improved military movement, trade, communication, and travel.

Roman Roads → Spread of Christianity:
Roads allowed Christian missionaries and ideas to travel throughout the Roman Empire.

Written Laws → Fairness:
Writing laws down made laws more predictable and prevented people in power from secretly changing or interpreting laws.

Constantine's Legal Changes → Growth of Christianity:
Making Christianity legal removed major legal barriers to practicing the religion and allowed it to grow more openly throughout the empire.

Multiple Problems → Fall of Rome:
Economic, political, military, and social problems combined over time to weaken the Roman Empire.

Barbarian Invasions → Collapse of the Empire: Increased pressure from invading tribes, particularly the Visigoths and Vandals, led to significant territorial losses and eventual collapse of central authority.