Greece and Rome: Vocab

1. Monotheistic Religion- a religion with one god 

2. Polytheistic Religion - a religion with many gods 

3. Representative Democracy - the public participates in government decisions

4. Direct Democracy - the government makes its own decisions

5. Theocracy - a form of government that gets its power from religion

6. Monarchy - a government having a single ruler (king)

7. Aristocracy - a government of a small group of noble, landowning families

8. Oligarchy - a government ruled by few powerful people

9. City-States - a city and its surrounding region controlled by a central government

10. Polis - A Greek city-state

11. “Golden Age of Athens” - flourishing of culture, art, and philosophy in Athens

12. Pericles - Athenian soldier and leader, in power from 461-429 B.C.

13. Aristocrat - Upper class

14. Classical Art - an art form that portrays an ideal sense of beauty 

15. Drama - a written work that is usually displayed on stage

16. Comedy - Light hearted Drama with humor/ making fun of situations 

17. Tragedy -  Serious drama with themes like love, hate, war, betrayal

18. Philosopher - ”Lovers of Wisdom”.  Great thinkers that question big ideas in search of the truth.

19. Socrates - Greek philosopher that questioned Moral character and searched for the meaning of truth and Justice

20. Plato - Philosopher and student of Socrates.  Questioned the perfect order for society.

21. Aristotle - Philosopher and student of Plato. Questions the nature of the world and human belief, thought, and knowledge.  Develops the rules of logic and the basis for the scientific method.  Teaches Alexander the Great.

22. Peloponnesian War - war between Athens and Sparta

23. Phalanx - a food solder-fighting formation

24. Persian War - Allied Greek city-states and the Persian Empire fought in 499 - 449 BC. They fought over trade routes in the Mediterranean and Persians wanted to take over Greece. Greece ended up winning the war and they defeated a major empire (launched the career of Pericles)

25. Alexander the Great - comes to power at the age of 20 and dies at the age of 32. Expands the Roman Empire. Student of Aristotle

26. Hellenistic - a new hybrid culture that develops in the area conquered by Alexander the Great

27. Ptolemy - an astronomer, incorrectly placed the Earth at the center of the solar system

28. Euclid - mathematician, invented geometry, proofs 

29. Archimedes- Greek mathematician, physician, engineer, astronomer, and inventor

30. Roman Republic - a form of government where power rests with the people who have a right to vote for their rulers  

31. Romulus and Remus - two men who built Rome- wolf statue guys

32. 753 BC - when Rome was founded

33. 509 BC - created the Roman Republic

34. Patrician- wealthy landowners who held most of the power 

35. Plebeian - common farmers, artisans, and merchants, the majority of the population 

36. Tribunes - government assembly that protected the rights of the plebeians from being abused by the patricians 

37. The Twelve Tables- a set of written laws created in 451 BC

38. Consuls- commander of the army and direct the government (only served for 1 year at a time )

39. Senate - (made up of aristocrats and plebeians) was the legislative and general administrative branch of the government. Democratic were elected, made laws 

40. Dictator- elected in time of crisis (war) had absolute power to make laws and command the army 

41. Roman Legions - 5,000 soldiers, each on horseback, and divided into smaller groups of about 80 men. ( Punic Wars 264 - 146 B.C.)

42. Julius Caesar - part of the 1 triumvirate, he was stabbed and killed by his “friends”, because people thought he would have too much power,........

43. Triumvirate - a group of 3 rulers 

44. “The Ides of March”-  When Julius Caesar died on March 15, it was associated with misfortune and doom.

45. Pax Romana - Roman peace

46. The 5 Good Emperors - Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, Marcus Aurelias 

47. Augustus - Octavian, the founder of the Rome Empire

48. Civil Service - A person unemployed, in the public sector by a government department

49. Jesus - Son of God, came down from Heaven to save us from sin, Romans eventually crucified him.

50. Christos - greek word for savior 

51. Jewish Rebellion - first rebellion within the Roman Empire (66-70 AD), destruction of the temple complex, the western wall is all that remains

52. Diaspora - dispersal  (Jews were driven out of their  homeland and spread)

53. Formation of Israel - formed to help Jews after World War II as a safe space to go after the Holocaust 

54. Constantine - was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity.

55. Diocletian - Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305…

56. The Causes of the Fall of the Roman Empire - economic weakness, disruption of trade, military weakens, decline in loyalty to the empire, decline in the ability of the emperors, outside invaders attacking the empire   

57. 476 AD- the fall of the Western Roman Empire

58. Germanic Invaders - Rome falls to these people in 476 AD, Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, Huns

59. Principles of the Roman System of Law - equal government and equal say in government. They wanted justice and equality for all of the citizens 

60. Constantinople-Istanbul - The two capitals of the split Rome Constantinople (eastern capital): 330 AD-1453 Istanbul (western capital): 1453-2025 

Byzantine Empire - This is when Constantinople ruled over the eastern half of what remained of the Roman Empire until 1453