Midterm 2

Front 1

Henotheism/Monotheism

Back 1

Abraham practiced henotheism, worshipping only one god but recognizing the existence of other gods. Monotheism, the belief of only one god existing, arose from the defeat of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and the God Alone movement

Front 2

Covenant

Back 2

the foundation of the Hebrew nation is a covenant (an agreement) originally between Abraham and his god. Later Moses changed this into a covenant between Israelites and the God of Moses

Front 3

God of Moses

Back 3

the formless and lawgiving god that entered a covenant with the Israelites

Front 4

God of the Prophets

Back 4

the universal god who judged the ethics and sincerity of Jews

Front 5

God Alone movement

Back 5

movement that arose from the defeat of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah that called for a change from henotheism to monotheism

Front 6

Upanishad

Back 6

philosophical treatises that were composed from the Rig Veda due to the coming of written Sanskrit and the increasing power of the warrior class. Took away the Brahmins monopoly on religion, which diminished their role in society, transformed the Vedic religion and caused the emergence of Jainism and Buddhism

Front 7

Brahma/atman

Back 7

Brahma is the serene and tranquil world being that breaths out atman (souls) into the material world and reborn until reabsorbed by Brahma

Front 8

Karma/dharma

Back 8

Karma is the desire for either good or evil that binds us to the material world. Dharma is accepting an individual’s assigned role in life

Front 9

Jainism

Back 9

religion that drew on the Upanishad and called for absolute passivity and nonviolence in order to escape karma

Front 10

Siddhartha Gautama

Back 10

the Buddha who believed anyone from any caste could reach nirvana through following his path

Front 11

Confucius (Kong Fuzi)

Back 11

Chinese philosopher who started a cultural golden age, which produced the foundation of Chinese philosophy. Promoted education, moral behavior, and the performance of ritual

Front 12

The shi

Back 12

intellectuals who replaced family as the government officials in Qin China

Front 13

The Five Classics

Back 13

Confucian document that stressed moral recital, personal character, and political responsibility while holding office. Considered a threat by the Qin emperor

Front 14

Laozi

Back 14

“Old Master,” the founder of Daoism who stressed doing nothing and accepting the natural order. Similar to modern day libertarians

Front 15

Daodejing

Back 15

The Book of the Way and Its Power, compilation of Laozi’s teachings

Front 16

Legalism

Back 16

philosophy that humans are naturally evil and required moral education and authoritarian control

Front 17

Shang Yang

Back 17

Qin minister who used the legalist philosophy to make Qin the dominant state. Divided the state into districts and appointed an authoritative ruler for each

Front 18

The Olmecs

Back 18

the first complex society in Mesoamerica located in central Mexico

Front 19

Maya warfare

Back 19

the Mayans were obsessed with warfare due to their obsession with blood in rituals. Ended up being their downfall

Front 20

Maya calendar

Back 20

part of Mayan ritual. As a result the Mayans became experts at mathematics and astronomy

Front 21

Teotíhuacán

Back 21

largest city-state in Mesoamerica. Located in central Mexico, this city would become the center of the Mayan and Aztec civilizations

Front 22

Sahel/Sudan

Back 22

Two regions of sub-Sahara Africa. Sahel is the coast south of the Sahara where some of Africa’s great commercial cities arose. The Sudan is the savanna between the Nile and the Red Sea where many of West Africa’s kingdoms emerged including Nubia

Front 23

Nubia

Back 23

Kingdom in the Sudan with the highest cultural development that greatly borrowed from Egypt

Front 24

Kush and Meroe

Back 24

Kush was the most important state in Nubia containing the capital, Kerma. Meroe was the kingdom most important in Nubia after Kush declined

Front 25

African iron smelting

Back 25

significant for the Nok culture of the Sudan who were the first to smelt iron in West Africa

Front 26

Age gradations/big men

Back 26

Age gradations were social groups derived from age in Bantu cultures. Big men were the leaders of the extended household communities that formed village settlements in African rainforest

Front 27

Bantu Migrations

Back 27

waves of rapid population movement from West Africa into eastern and southern Africa during the first millennium CE that brought advanced agricultural practices to these regions and absorbed most of the preexisting hunting-and-gathering populations

Front 28

the polis

Back 28

city-states in Ancient Greece comprising a distinct form of government and ethos

Front 29

Sparta as polis

Back 29

Sparta was a military state with an oligarch form of government. Could be described as a utopia, succeeded in eliminating internal strife through rigorous social discipline, military organizations, eliminating money, and cutting itself off from external influences

Front 30

Hoplite/phalanx

Back 30

Hoplites were Greek infantrymen. Phalanx was the standard block-like configuration in which the hoplites fought

Front 31

Athenian as polis

Back 31

polis characterized by democracy, a high importance on citizenship and ethnic superiority

Front 32

Athenian Empire

Back 32

Athenian imperialism arose from war with Persia and the start of the Delian League, a voluntary league for the common defense of Greek city-states. The League overtime became dominated by Athens who changed it from voluntary to compulsory

Front 33

Peloponnesian Wars

Back 33

great conflict between Persia, Athens, and their allies. While Sparta technically won the conflict, both city-states’ resources were destroyed as a result

Front 34

Cosmopolitan cities

Back 34

multicultural cities that emerged in Hellenistic culture and in which a new urban culture arose. Alexandria in Egypt was the model cosmopolitan city of the Hellenistic world

Front 35

Aśoka Maurya

Back 35

the third king of the Mauryan Empire who brought the empire to its height. Was a devout Buddhist who built stupas and claimed the right to rule through dhamma

Front 36

Bodhisattvas

Back 36

in Mahayana Buddhism, enlightened demigods who were ready to reach nirvana but delayed so that they might help others attend it

Front 37

Dharma

Back 37

a set of moral regulations that applied to all–including the priestly Brahmans, Buddhists, members of other religious sects, and even the Greeks

Front 38

Milinda/Menander

Back 38

a Yavana king who believed the Buddha was a god

Front 39

Stupas

Back 39

dome monuments marking the burial site of relics of the Buddha

Front 40

Mahayana Buddhism

Back 40

school of Buddhist theology that believed that Buddha was a deity, unlike previous groups that had considered him a wise human being

Front 41

Kushan Empire

Back 41

nomadic empire in south Asia during the time of Alexander’s empire. Culture contained both Greek and Hindu influences, and introduced equestrianism to India

Front 42

Sogdians

Back 42

a people who lived in central Asia’s commercial centers and maintained the stability and accessibility of the Silk Road. They were crucial to the interconnectedness of Afro-Eurasian landmass

Front 43

Periplus of the Erythraean Sea

Back 43

book describing the whole world of commerce of the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean

Front 44

Palmyra

Back 44

Roman trading depot part of the Silk Road

Front 45

The Red Eyebrows

Back 45

peasants who painted their foreheads to imitate demon warriors and revolted against Han China. These peasants revolted due to natural disasters and were inspired by Daoism

Front 46

Qin Shihuangdi

Back 46

the first Qin emperor, defeated the remaining Warring States and unified them under a centralized empire

Front 47

“Burning of the Books”

Back 47

Qin Shihuangdi ordered the burning of books (excluding technical books) after standardizing Chinese script. Confucian works were viewed as especially dangerous

Front 48

Han Wudi

Back 48

Han emperor who brought economic prosperity and expanded the empire using legalist principles

Front 49

Imperial university

Back 49

college for classical scholars who would the shi, government officials

Front 50

Paterfamilias

Back 50

the head of a Roman family who had absolute power over his wife and children

Front 51

Regnum

Back 51

power in one person’s hands. Romans distrusted Regnum; this distrust led to the assassination of Julius Caesar and later emperors to maintain power behind the scenes and not hold official office

Front 52

Libertas

Back 52

liberty; preferred by Romans and the reason the Roman Republic was an oligarchy that divided power up

Front 53

Patricians

Back 53

city people who dominated political offices and were patrons of plebeians

Front 54

Plebeians

Back 54

farmers who rose in status and became the equites through war. Social tension between the equites and the patricians led to civil wars

Front 55

The Principate

Back 55

the Roman Empire; the emperor did not have an official office and had the title Princeps (first man of state)

Front 56

Roman allies

Back 56

after Rome conquered a city, the local elites were left in control and the city was an ally who had to follow Rome’s foreign policy and provide foot soldiers

Front 57

Colonia

Back 57

percent of land of a conquered city that was settled by Roman veterans. Caused intermarriage and Romanization

Front 58

Optimates

Back 58

political party defending the patrician dominated senate

Front 59

Populares

Back 59

political party favored senate membership of equites

Front 60

Pax Romana

Back 60

peace after the civil wars brought by Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar

Front 61

Imperium

Back 61

power that generals held to discipline troops. Julius Caesar claimed imperium to justify political power

Front 62

Res publica

Back 62

constitutional government that was created by the Augustinian Constitution

Front 63

Messiah/Christos

Back 63

the Messiah was the one Jewish prophets foretold would restore God’s kingdom. Jesus’ followers saw him the Messiah and called him Christos (the anointed one in Greek

Front 64

Paul of Tarsus

Back 64

follower of Jesus who, after Jesus’ death, traveled and preached, to both Jews and non-Jews, Jesus’ divinity (his resurrection). Reason for Christianity moving beyond a Jewish movement

Front 65

Jewish Christians

Back 65

Jews who believed Jesus to be the messiah

Front 66

Catholic Christians

Back 66

non-Jews who believed Jesus to be god (that he resurrected) and formed a network that became the foundation for the Catholic Church

Front 67

Donatists

Back 67

members of Christian movement in North Africa who survived persecution, opposed Constantine’s conversion to Christianity and did not forgive Rome for persecution

Front 68

Conversion of Constantine

Back 68

Constantine converted to Christianity and made it legal to practice. Did not make Christianity the state religion; that would come later

Front 69

Augustine’s City of God

Back 69

work that argued two Romes: the doomed earthly city and a heavenly true spiritual city. Key to the debate between a small church of “true believers” and an official church

Front 70

Council of Nicaea

Back 70

council created by Constantine to define Catholic Christianity and to define heretical Christians