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World Civ
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Empire | comes from Latin word "Imperium," two strategies for maintaining: let them keep part of their culture and earn their trust, or force them out of fear (skin/impale people who don't do what they're told) |
Imperium | means power and authority |
Assyrian | eventually conquered both the Medes and Persians, forcing them to pay tribute although never completely subjugating them |
Siege warfare | |
Deportation | moving people groups instead of killing them |
Impalement | way of frightening people so they won't rebel |
Nineveh | Assyrian capital, destroyed by exes and Chaldeans, library here as one of the best-known in the world, city burned to the ground, library reconstructed, and clay tablets found |
Ashurbanipal | boasted that he could read and write telling that many kings/emperors couldn't read/write, created the Royal Library of Nineveh |
Indirect rule | keep rulers in place, but they have to answer to new overthrowing power |
Ashur | |
Herodotus | Greek historian, born in Halicarnassus, "Father of History," "The Histories" |
Xenophon | Greek soldier, historian, mercenary, writings on the history from the 4th century (Cyropaedia and the education of Cyrus) |
Cyrus the Great | rise to power in 559, conquered Lydia and Babylon, unified the tribes of Persia under the Archaemenid house |
Cyrus Cylinder | written in cuneiform, found in Babylon |
Massagetae | a nomadic people of Scythian origin in northwestern India, were contemptuous of Persian ideals and indifferent to Persian control, resisted Cyrus' rule |
Scythian | nomadic warriors from Central Asia, who invaded Iran through the passage between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains |
Tomyris | queen of Massagetae, knocked Cyrus off his horse in battle and severed his head with a single blow of her sword |
Cambyses | Cyrus' son, invaded Egypt, bringing the Nile Valley under Persian control |
Babylonian Captivity | |
Persepolis | "Persian city," the most visually striking of all Persian cities due to its walls paying homage to Cyrus or Darius |
Darius | conquered Egypt, ruled empire at its peak, divided empire into provinces, widely viewed as an illegitimate heir to the throne |
Standardization | monetary unit |
Satrapy | provincial governship dividing the Persian Empire into 20 provinces |
Satrap | governor who oversees satrapies, "the eyes and ears of the Great King" |
Royal Road | one large road that is divided into different stages with checkpoints with guards, establishes a sense of safety |
Qanats | ancient underground irrigation system, transport water from source to cities, evaporate up |
Zarathustra | also known as Zoroaster, Persian religion based on his teaching, perceived Ahura Mazda as the universal god of light who had created human beings and given them free will to choose between right and wrong |
Magi | scholar-priests who guarded the temples and compiled Zoroaster's ideas in the Avesta (a sacred text) |
Zoroastrianism | dualist religion of the world, based on the teaching of Zarathusthra, one good god and one bad god, gave divine sanction to the ambtions of Persian emperors |
Ahura Mazda | the good god of the Zoroastrianism religion |
Angra Mainyu/Ahriman | the bad god of the Zoroastrianism religion, Ahura Mazda's malignant twin that was banished from paradise but still sought to influence human behavior as lord of the forces of darkness |
Ionian Revolt | started the fall of the Persian Empire in 499 BC |
Persian Wars | Greeks started invading Persia in 492 BC, Persia and Greece always had conflict, Persia sometimes lost battles but never lost wars |
Marathon | battle here was the first time the Persians were defeated (490 BC), Persians outnumbered Greeks 2:1, but the Persians lost 6,000 of their 20,000 men while Greece only lost 192 men |
Thermophylae | 360 Spartans held out against more than 10,000 Persians, the Spartans died to the last man |
Peloponnesian War | 431-404 BC, rival alliances led by Athens and Sparta clawed at one another and left the Greek mainland open to intervention and invasion |
Macedonian | a new threat to Persian power arising north of Greece, led by Philip II |
Cycladic | |
Minoan | named after minotaurs and Minos |
Crete | |
Knossos | in Crete |
Sir Arthur Evans | discovered Palace of Knossos |
Minos | mythical Cretan ruler, fought his brothers for the throne of Crete, pray he make sacrifice to Poseidon who sends him a bull but Minos sacrificed horse & kept the bull, Poseidon made Minos' wife lust after bull and had intercourse with it and got pregnant |
Minotaur | half man, half bull |
Santorini | |
Linear A | Minoan writing system, not deciphered |
Linear B | Mycenaean writing system, deciphered by Michael Ventris (Proto-Greek), early form of Greek |
Mycenae | first well-organized Greek civilization on the Greek peninsula |
Iliad and Odyssey | Homer's epic poems written allegedly in the eighth century BC |
Troy | a city in what is today western Turkey, Iliad takes place here |
Hector | fought Achilles for revenge |
Achilles | warrior hero, fought Hector for revenge |
Trojan War | Odysseus was one of the Greek heroes of this war |
Heinrich Schliemann | fascinated with mythology |
Michael Ventris | deciphered Linear B writing system, published a book documenting Mycenaean Greek that he deciphered |
Dorian Invasion | number of European people groups invading |
Greek Dark Ages | a chaotic era during which the Greeks evolved from Mycenaean monarchy to a political form more suited to regional isolation imposed by terrain 1100-750 BC |
Homer | Greek poet that wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey |
Archaic Age | 850 BC, overpopulation and shortage of land suitable for farming prompted many Greeks to colonize Sicily, Italy, France, and North Africa |
Polis | “city-state” referring to a city, its people, and the surrounding countryside |
Colonization | colonies built from 750-650 BC |
Agora | marketplace and gathering place, center of the Polis |
Polybius | distinguishes between a number of different forms of government, it's a cycle |
Monarchy | one-man rule, could be king, duke, etc., most prominent in ancient world |
Kingship | king becomes ruler |
Tyranny | the illegal seizure of power (usually in time of emergency) by someone who had no right to do it |
Aristocracy | few families ruling with common good in mind |
Oligarchy | rule by a select few, number of people rise up and overthrow families of aristocracy |
Democracy | rule by the entire body of citizens |
Ochlocracy | one leader distinguishes himself to create order again |
Athens | chose a limited democracy in which all adult male citizens enjoyed the right to cast votes that counted equally |
Sparta | created a society organized along militaristic lines and entrusted power to an oligarchy |
Phalanx | organized military formation of hoplites |
Hoplite | Spartan soldiers |
Hoplon | most prized possession of the hoplite, 3 ft. sield with wooden core |
Panoply | whole armor of the hoplite |
Agoge | Spartan training and education |
Krypteia | in order to complete agoge, you must kill a slave in a field |
Spartiates | free-born Spartan men, have to have completed agoge, must have done military work, not supposed to do manual labor |
Mothakes | not full Spartans/citizens, could fight in the war, could not hold political office |
Perioikoi | master of helots, in charge of economy, not allowed to work in military, not Spartan citizens |
Helots | outnumbered Spartans 7:1, did all the work, treated poorly |
Lycurgus | legendary lawgiver who may have lived in the seventh century BC |
Double Kingship | bloodline, equal in authority, similar to consuls in Rome, efforts to make sure one king doesn't become too powerful |
Ephors | chief overseers, first in line in foreign policy, make decisions, completed agoge and military, elected annually by Spartan citizens, oversee the two hereditary kings |
Apella | lower house, all Spartan citizens who vote by shouting, don't debate, elect Gerousia for life |
Gerousia | part of legislative party, higher house, 28 60+ Spartan citizens, elected for life, repair laws, supreme legal institution |
Athenian Democracy | rich landowners form council called areopagus. wealthy families dominate politics and gained more money |
Solon | one of the first great law makers, a poet, reformed democracy and the Athenian state, banned enslavement for debt and guaranteed basic rights to everyone |
Pentakosiomedimnoi | first property class, "500 measures," produce at ;east 500 medimnol |
Hippeis | "horseman," 300-499 medimnol |
Zeugitai | 200-399 medimnol |
Thetes | 100-299 medimnol, poor farmers, still part of assembly but no office |
Peisistratos | 6th century, 527-528 BC |
Cleisthenes | divides Attica into 3 areas (Athens city, the coast, and inland) |
Trittyes | there were 30 of these in the 3 geographical groupings |
Boule | council of 500 |
Heliaia | regular civil cases, no lawyers/cross-examination |
Ecclesia | legislation, citizens have done 2 years service |
Archons | board of ten officials that administered the polis, handling all military and legal issues |
Areopagus | crimes of murder, all former archons |
Pericles | Athenian aristocrat who was repeatedly elected to the highest positions in government, made Greece an economic and commercial power |
Trireme | much smaller than Spartan, used to steer better |
Delian League | Athens forms this leadership for trade and defensive purposes, met on island Delos |
Peloponnesian League | formed by Sparta bc they felt threatened by Athens' League growing in power, Sparta attempted to minimize conflict by persuading neighboring states to join |