Global History Test 2 Vocab

Front 1

Republic

Back 1

a form of government in which power rests with the citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders

Front 2

Patricians

Back 2

the wealthy landowners who held most of the power in Ancient Rome

Front 3

Plebians

Back 3

the common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the population of Ancient Rome

Front 4

Tribunes

Back 4

representatives who were elected by an assembly of plebians, and they protected the rights of the plebians from unfair acts of patrician officials.

Front 5

Consuls

Back 5

two officials who were like kings since they commanded the army and directed the government

Front 6

Senate

Back 6

the aristocratic branch of Rome's government that had both legislative and administrative functions in the Republic

Front 7

Dictator

Back 7

a leader who had absolute power to make laws and command the army

Front 8

Legions

Back 8

military units that were made up of foot soldiers and soldiers on horseback, and were divided into groups of 80 men called centuries

Front 9

Punic Wars

Back 9

a series of three wars between Rome and Carthage, and resulted in the destruction of Carthage and Rome's dominance over the western Mediterranean

Front 10

Hannibal

Back 10

a brilliant military strategist who wanted to avenge Carthage's earlier defeat

Front 11

Julius Caesar

Back 11

a military leader who ruled Rome with two other men until he defeated them

Front 12

Triumvirate

Back 12

a group of three leaders

Front 13

Augustus

Back 13

the title "exalted one" that became Octavian's name when he became an unchallenged ruler of Rome

Front 14

Pax Romana

Back 14

a period of peace and prosperity throughout the Roman Empire lasting from 27 BC to AD 180

Front 15

Diaspora

Back 15

the disposal of Jews from their homeland in Palestine

Front 16

Constantine

Back 16

the Roman emperor who was fighting three rivals for leadership of Rome in AD 312 and believed that God helped Rome win the battle, which convinced him to accept Christianity

Front 17

Inflation

Back 17

a drastic drop in the value of money coupled with a rise in prices

Front 18

mercenaries

Back 18

foreign soldiers that were hired to fight for money

Front 19

Diocletian

Back 19

a strong willed army leader

Front 20

Constantinople

Back 20

the city of Constantine

Front 21

Attila

Back 21

a powerful chieftain who united the Huns and terrorized the Roman Empire

Front 22

Greco-Roman Culture

Back 22

the mixing elements of Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman culture

Front 23

Pompeii

Back 23

a Roman town which was covered by a thick layer of ash that killed many of its residents in AD 79

Front 24

Virgil

Back 24

the poet who wrote the famous epic called the Aenid of the legendary Aeneas

Front 25

aquaducts

Back 25

a pipeline or channel built by the Romans to carry water to cities

Front 26

Han Dynasty

Back 26

a Chinese dynasty that ruled for over 400 years, and is divided into two parts

Front 27

Centralized government

Back 27

a government in which the central authority controls the running of the state

Front 28

civil service

Back 28

government jobs that civilians obtained by taking examinations

Front 29

assimilation

Back 29

the process of making conquered peoples part of Chinese culture

Front 30

Liu Bang

Back 30

the first emperor of the Han Dynasty and he established the policy of a centralized government

Front 31

Xiongnu

Back 31

fierce nomads known for their deadly archery skills from horseback

Front 32

Han Wudi

Back 32

the emperor of China who ruled from 141 to 87 BC and was called the Martial Emperor because he adopted the policy of expanding the empire through warfare

Front 33

Confucian bureaucracy

Back 33

the Chinese government that included 18 different ranks of civil service jobs which were obtained by taking exams that tested Confucianism ideas

Front 34

Sima Qian

Back 34

lived from 145 to 85 BC and was called the Grand Historian for his work in compiling history of China from the ancient Dynasties to Wudi

Front 35

Records of the Grand Historian

Back 35

a book of Chinese history written by Sima Qian

Front 36

History of the Former Han Dynasty

Back 36

a book of China's history written by Ban Biao

Front 37

Wang Mang

Back 37

a Confucian scholar and member of the court and took the imperial title for himself and ended the Former Han Dynasty

Front 38

Silk Roads

Back 38

caravan trails that crossed Asia where valuable trade goods were carried