MWH Reading Notes 2 The First Civilizations and Empires

Name:_______________________

Chapter 3 (p. 69)

1. How many languages and dialects are spoken in India today? 2. What river is one of the chief regions of Indian culture? 3. Where is the Indus River valley? 4. How many settlements did archeologists find in the Indus river valleys? 5. Describe Harappa.

6. Who did the Indus valley civilizations trade with? 7. When did the Aryans rise in India? 8. What language did the Aryans develop? 9. What are rajas? 10. What is a caste system?

11. According to Hindu religion, what is Brahman?

12. What is the difference between karma and dharma?

13. List the various names for the founder of Buddhism. 14. What is another word for ultimate enlightenment in the Buddhist religion? 15. How does Buddhism differ from Hinduism?

16. When was the Mauryan Dynasty founded? 17. How did the Mauryan Empire fall?

18. Describe the path and origin of the silk road.

19. How did the Guptas strengthen their power?

20. How did the Guptas fall from power?

21. What are Vedas?

22. What is a stupa?

23. Who was one of the first scientists known to have used algebra? 24. What is another name for the Yellow River in China? 25. What geographical barriers did the Chinese face? 26. What is the earliest Chinese Dynasty? 27. How did the rulers in Shang China communicate with the gods?

28. When did the Zhou Dynasty emerge? 29. What is the Mandate of Heaven?

30. What is Dao?

31. What was one of the most important trade items in China? 32. Who is Confucius?

33. What is Daoism?

34. What is Legalism?

35. How did the Qin dynasty come to power?

36. Why was the Great Wall of China built? Who started the project?

37. How did the Qin dynasty fall?

38. What is one of the most long-lasting dynasties in Chinese history?

39. What technology rose out of the Han Dynasty?

40. How did the Han Empire fall?

Chapter 4 (p. 107)

1. What type of physical feature characterizes Greeces land? 2. Which Bronze Age civilization was established on the island of Crete? 3. What is the first Greek state? When did this civilization reach its high point? 4. What city did Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, sack around 1250 B.C.E.? 5. How did the Mycenaean civilization collapse?

6. Why do historians call the period from 100 to 750 B.C.E. the Dark Age for Greece? 7. What did the Greeks adopt in the 8th Century B.C.E. ? 8. What did Homer write?

9. What is arete? 10. What is a polis? 11. What served as a place of refuge during an attack and sometimes became a religious center for temples and public buildings? 12. What is an agora?

13. What political rights were granted to citizens of the polis?

14. What are hoplites?

15. What is the definition of a tyrant according to the Greeks?

16. What is the difference between an oligarchy and a democracy?

17. Describe Spartan military life.

18. What type of government does Sparta have? 19. What are ephors? 20. When did Athens become a unified polis? 21. What government did Athens have? 22. Who is Cleisthenes? 23. What is the Delian League?

24. Who is Pericles? 25. What is a direct democracy? What polis had a direct democracy?

26. When was the Great Peloponnesian War? Who was involved?

27. What was the outcome of the Peloponnesian War?

28. What type of religion characterized Greece? 29. Who are the Sophists?

30. What did Socrates write? 31. What is the method of teaching by using a question and answer format to lead pupils to see things for themselves by using their own reason? 32. Who was Socrates most famous student? 33. Who is the greatest historian of the ancient world? 34. Who established a school in Athens known as the Academy? 35. Who is Platos most famous student? 36. What is the Parthenon? Who was it created for? 37. When was the Hellenistic Era? 38. Who was taught by Aristotle and became one of the most famous conquerors in history?

Chapter 5 (p. 147)

1. Who were the two most notable groups of people around 800 B.C.E. to settle in Italy?

2. When did the Greeks occupy Italy? 3. The early development of Rome was most influenced by which group of people? 4. What happened in Italy around 509 B.C.E.? 5. Who is Livy?

6. What two social groups was Rome divided into? Describe the status of each. 7. What is Romes first law code known as? 8. Who did Rome struggle with for control over the Mediterranean in 264 B.C.E? 9. What was this struggle called?

10. Who is Hannibal? 11. By the 2nd century B.C.E., what had become the real governing body of the Roman state? 12. Who were the two brothers who brought reforms to the Rome?

13. From 82-31 B.C.E. Rome was characterized by a series of civil wars. Who emerged as victors?

14. What is a triumvirate? 15. Did Caesar lay down his command? 16. How did Caesar die? 17. Who was a part of the second triumvirate?

18. Who was Antony in love with? 19. A.D. 14 became known as the Age of ____ 20. What does the title Augustus mean? 21. Who had the title of Augustus and became Romes first emperor?

22. Which Roman emperor killed his own mother? 23. What does Pax Romana mean? 24. How did the Romans keep a population of one million supplied with water? 25. Who is Virgil? What is his greatest work?

26. Who led the most famous slave revolt in the Roman Empire in 73 B.C.? 27. Which civilization inspired the Roman religion and the Roman gods? 28. The Roman government began persecuting which religious group under the reign of Emperor Nero?

29. Who became the first Roman Christian emperor? 30. Constantine constructed the capital city on the site of the Greek city of Byzantium. What was this city renamed?

31. List the groups of invaders that put pressure on the weakened Roman Empire.