Ancient Medieval History Study Guide (Questions and Answers) 2 – Flashcards
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Iron-age technology began, growing cities, increased trades, prominence of merchants, new states and empires, and new connections...many disruptions led to thinking about older outlooks on questions of life
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During the Classical Age, why did these questions about life, human order, and spiritual realms and this world come up?
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a time of disharmony and violence in China
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What was the "Age of Warring States?"
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Focused more on affairs of the world (or state); Credited humankind with the power to understand our world
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What did the Chinese and Greek thinkers focus their ideas on?
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Explored the higher realms and the relationship between God or the gods to humankind
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What did the Indian, Persian, and Jewish intellectuals focus their ideas on?
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belief in more than one god
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What is polytheism?
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What is the purpose of life? How should humankind be ordered? What is the relationship between the human world and the moral or spiritual realms above?
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What kinds of questions were people of the Classical Age faced with?
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relating to existence
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What does existential mean?
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Wanted to figure out how to restore peace and harmony
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Why were scholars focused on the Age of Warring States?
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Language
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What is the heart of culture?
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Legalism, Daoism, and Confucianism
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What are the three most important Schools of Thought?
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the Rig Veda
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What is the oldest religious book known?
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Aryans
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Who were the first to arrive in India?
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Upanishads; were Indo-European ascetics
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Who created Hinduism?
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People needed to go to school to learn rituals; only king could afford high prices of rituals, so close relationship with Brahmins
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How complicated were rituals in Hinduism?
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would allow horse to wander wherever; wherever he stays, the king conquers that land
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What was horse sacrifice?
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Brahmins write new books.
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What happens when religious leaders go to jail?
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the material world; constantly changing; illusion
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What is Samsara?
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life force or soul
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What is Atman?
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actions that determine your form in the next rebirth
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What is karma?
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right action without worrying about all possible consequences
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What is dharma?
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reunion or one with God; perfect
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What is Moksha?
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status
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What is the caste?
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Don't want to be reborn
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Why did the Ascetics want to escape Samsara?
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the bigger the sacrifice, the more violent; the more violent, the longer you stay on earth; vegetarianism is less violent
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What was the Ascetic belief of going to higher realms?
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the largest group of Ascetics
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Who were the Jains?
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Can't be escaped
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What did the Rig Veda say about the cycle of rebirth?
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Brahmin, kshatriyas warriors, Vaishyas, Shudras, outcasts
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From closest to farthest, what groups were close to Moksha?
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color; lightskinned = closer to ascending; darkskinned = farther from ascending
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What does Rig Veda mean?
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atman never changes, unlike Samsara which is constantly changing
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How is Atman opposite of Samsara?
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intensifies the illusion (or maya or Samsara)
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How does alcohol affect maya?
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Men are trained to control their emotions, unlike women who always allow their emotions to rule their actions.
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Why give men more power than women?
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...
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What does Mahabharata mean?
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exterior states were expanding while interior states became smaller
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Why did the Age of Warring States happen?
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Scholar-gentry, merchants, peasants
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(Social Class in China) Who is highest in class or levels of respect? Second highest? Last?
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Scholar-gentry, peasants, merchants
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(Social Class in China) Who is highest in status? Second highest? Last?
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wealth comes from land; scholar hire sharecroppers (peasants) and pay rent in food
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What does gentry mean?
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rebellion by peasants because of positions in class and status
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What was the Yellow Turf Rebellion? Why did it happen?
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tried to reform; take land from rich; give money to peasants; rid of slavery
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What did Wang Mang try to do, but failed at?
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not the same because you can't move up the ranks in democracy
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What is the relationship between social mobility and democracy?
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the Uncarved block; things are best in their natural state
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What is does Pu mean?
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no machines, no writing, no social life, no language
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How radical is Daoism?
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infinite inner natures; nothing has the same inner; don't classify anything, leave in natural state
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What is Inner Nature?
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doing without doing; inspired by pastoralists; minimal effort
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What is Wu Wei?
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Can see inner natures
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Why can Daoist live with Wu Wei?
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empties all knowledge and thought; an empty mind is better than mind with knowledge
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What is the Power of the Empty Mind?
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the ability to combine contradictory religions or beliefs
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What is syncretism? Examples?
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Confucius
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Who was the founder of Confucianism?
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superiors must be moral; then China will follow;
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What was the Confucian answer to the Age of Warring States?
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if emperor has Li, lower class will have Li if emperor isn't moral, peasants won't be moral
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What is the magic of Li?
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force by law will never work; education is key
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What is Confucius' belief on law?
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right action supported by the right emotion
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What is Li?
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bowing to parents or superiors
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What is an example of reverence or respect in Confucianism?
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Be moral out of shame, and will strive to be moral With law, people will do things out of fear
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Why does Confucianism believe shame is good?
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mankind is moral and genuine
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What is the Confucian view of mankind?
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the Analects
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What books contained Confucius' ideas?
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Superiors and citizens needed education to be moral
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Why was Confucianism focused on education?
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filial piety; to honoring one's ancestors and parents; family before state; if citizens are immoral, it is the superior's fault
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What was the highest level of priority in Confucianism? What does it mean?
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Ancestral worship = extension of filial piety Promotes filial piety and discipline in children
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What is the relationship between filial piety and ancestral worship?
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children pray to ancestors through ritual
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What happens during ancestral worship?
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a person who doesn't believe or disbelieve in God; don't believe in magic, gods, or spirits; just doesn't know anything about it
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What is an agnostic?
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poetry, music, ethics, rituals, and history (PERHM)
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What are the Five Classics?
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many states run by vassal amount of kings and armies, but still pledge authority to king
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What is feudalism?
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because of the peasant revolt against the Qin Dynasty
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How did the Han dynasty inherit and unify China?
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the Silk Road
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What great feat was accomplished during the Han dyn.?
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Broke its isolation; connected to India and Roman Empire
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What did the Silk Road do to China?
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Wui Di; wanted horses from the Huns
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Who was the founder of the Silk Road? Why was it built?
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don't want uneducated or peasants to vote; let experts on Confucianism govern
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Why didn't Confucianism believe in democracy?
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if leader wasn't virtuous, then citizens can rebel; winner becomes new ruler
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What was the Mandate of Heaven?
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scholars, aristocrats, and merchants should be suppressed; the power of strict laws and rules - large punishments for small offenses
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What was the Legalist answer to the problem of disorder?
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mankind is selfish and corrupt; only the state could restore harmony
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What was the Legalist view of mankind?
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Trust Law, not Men Useful and Useless - peasants, Serfs, poor = Useful - aristocrats, scholars, merchants= Useless
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What are the Legalist Principles?
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the Qin dynasty
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What dynasty was created out of Legalism?
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Shi Huangdi
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Who was the ruler of the Qin dynasty?
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the Great Wall was built
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What great feat was accomplished during the Qin dynasty?
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Do what is good for your country, not your family; Believes he must force China into being patriotic
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What is patriotism? What does Shi Huangdi think of patriotism?
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1. Burned Confucian books. 2. Unified systems of Weight, Measures, and currency 3. Force aristocrats in capital to spy on them
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What were the Qin dynasty's specific policies?
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frees the Surfs and doesn't tax them
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How does the Qin dynasty treats the Serfs?
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peasants were upset because they would now have to pay taxes
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Why was there a revolt once the Qin dynasty crashed?
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Builds a 56 sq. kilo. tomb for himself thought this would grant him immortal life
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What did Shi Huangdi do that didn't express patriotism?
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Exterior states were increasing in size, conquering other cities, while the interior states were stuck in middle. Balance of Power thesis
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(Age of Warring States) Why were exterior states expanding while interior states were minimizing? What thesis does this relate to?
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No. Confucius believes that uneducated should not vote for officials. Ask Confucian experts to govern because peasants don't know about Confucian books.
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Does Confucianism believe in democracy? Why?
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Social Mobility
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Is it possible to move from one class to another in a democracy? What is this called?
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To amplify voices; To change roles quickly; To show audience what emotions were being felt because the amphitheater was humongous and facial expressions wouldn't have been visible
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Why did ancient Greek actors wear masks?
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Outlawed debt slavery; Cleared peasantry debt
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What were some of Solon's reforms?
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Alexandria in Egypt
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Where was the center of Greek learning in the Hellenistic Age?
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Deadly warfare from the Dorian invasions caused the Mycenaeans to lose their language and intellect.
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What caused the Dark Age in ancient Mycenaean history?
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The population was increasing, causing overcrowding.
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Why did Greek city states establish so many colonies between 700 BCE and 500 BCE?
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Dionysus
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To whom was the annual Athenian drama festival dedicated to?
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Unifying the city states because they were always waging war on one another
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What was the Achilles Heel of Greek culture?
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Aristocracy - Tyranny - Democracy
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Name the phases of evolution for Greek government.
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Hellenistic League
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What Macedonian league was created to conquer Persia?
