Ancient & Medieval History Exam – Flashcards
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prehistory
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the time before writing was developed
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archaeology
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the study of past societies through analysis of what people left behind
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artifacts
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objects made by humans
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anthropology
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the study of human life and culture through analysis of artifacts and fossils
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fossils
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rocklike remains of a biological organism
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hominid
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a human-like creature that walked upright
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Olduvai Gorge
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archaeological site in East Africa where an ancient skeleton was found
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Australopithecus
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"southern ape", early type of human that flourished in eastern and southern Africa
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Homo habilis
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"handy human"
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Homo erectus
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"upright human"
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Homo sapiens
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"wise human"
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Homo sapiens sapiens
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"wise wise humans", one of two descendants of homo sapiens
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Neanderthals
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one of two descendants of homo sapiens
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Paleolithic Age
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"old stone age"
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Neolithic Age "
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"new stone age"
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Neolithic revolution
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the shift between hunting and gathering food to systematic agriculture
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systematic agriculture
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domesticating animals and growing food on a regular basis
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first hominids to make fire
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homo erectus
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Nomads
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people who moved from place to place to survive
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Mesolithic age
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'middle stone age"
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Mesoamericans
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inhabitants of present-day Mexico and Central America
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artisans
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skilled workers who made goods to trade with neighboring people
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copper
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the first metal to be used in making tools
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culture
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the way of life
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civilization
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a complex culture in which large numbers of human beings share a number of common elements
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monarchs
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kings or queens who rule a kingdom
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fertile crescent
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an arc of land from the Mediterranean sea to the Persian gulf
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Mesopotamia
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the land "between the rivers"
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Sumerians
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creators of the first Mesopotamian civilization
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Polytheistic
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belief in many gods
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city-states
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basic units of civilization
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ziggurat
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a massive stepped tower
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theocracy
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government by divine authority
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Cuneiform
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"wedge shaped" system of writing, using a reed stylus and lay tablets
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the epic of Gilgamesh
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an epic poem that describes the tale of a legendary king named Gilgamesh
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Sargon
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leader of the Akkadians who overran Sumerian city states and set up the first empire in world history
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empire
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a large political unit or state, under a single leader that controls many peoples or territories
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Hammurabi
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ruler of Sumer and Akkadia, created a strict code of law
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patriarchal
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a society dominated by men
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King Menes
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united upper and lower Egypt into one kingdom and created the first dynasty
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dynasty
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a family of rulers whose right to rule is passed on within the family
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pharaoh
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"great house" or "palace", the king of the Egyptian monarchy
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bureaucracy
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an administrative organization with officials and regular procedures
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vizier
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steward of the whole land
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ka
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believed to be the spiritual body of human beings
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mummification
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the process of slowly drying a dead body to prevent it from rotting
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Hyksos
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a group of people from western Asia who used horse-drawn chariots to overwhelm the Egyptian soldiers, and became rulers of Egypt
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Hatshepsut
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one of the first women to become pharaoh
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Akhenaten
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originally Amenhotep, pharaoh of Egypt, father of Tutankhamen
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Hieroglyphics
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"sacred writings" or "priest carvings"
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hieratic script
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a simplified version of hieroglyphics
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Indo-Europeans
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a group of people who spoke a language derived from a single parent tongue, including Greek, Latin, Persian, Sanskrit and Germanic languages
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Hittites
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the first Indo-Europeans to use iron
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Phoenicians
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a group of people who spoke a Semitic language and who invented an alphabet that led to the Roman alphabet that we use today
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King David
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the ruler of what came to be Israel
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King Solomon
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David's son who expanded the government and army and encouraged trade
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Chaldeans
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a group of people who defeated Assyria, conquered the kingdom of Judah, and completely destroyed Jerusalem
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monotheistic
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believing in one God
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Assyrians
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Semitic speaking people who used iron weapons to create an empire that included Mesopotamia, parts of Plateau of Iran, parts of Asia Minor, Syria, Israel, and Egypt
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Nebuchadnezzar II
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Chaldean king who rebuilt Babylon as the center of his empire
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Persians
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Indo-Europeans who lived in what is today southwestern Iran
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Darius
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sought revenge on Greece, which led to Persian defeat
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Satrapies
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Persian provinces
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Satrap
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governor or "protector of the kingdom"
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The Royal Road
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stretched from Lydia to Susa, the Persian empire's capital
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Minoan Civilization
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a civilization established on the island of Crete, named for King Minos, discovered by Arthur Evans
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Mycenae
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a fortified site on the Greek mainland discovered by Heinrich Schliemann
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Tholos tombs
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tombs built into hillsides for the members of the royal families
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Homer
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a poet who created the Iliad and the Odyssey
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epic poem
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a long poem that tells the deeds of a great hero
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arete
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honor and excellence, won in a battle or contest
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polis
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the Greek word for city-state, and community of people who shared a common identity and common goals
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acropolis
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a fortified area on top of a hill in the center of the polis
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agora
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an open area in the polis that served as a market and where people could assemble
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hoplites
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heavily armed infantry soldiers, or foot soldiers
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phalanx
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a shoulder to shoulder formation of soldiers which protected the hoplites in battles
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tyrants
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rulers who seized power by force from the aristocrats
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aristocrats
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people who were of high social standing becoming rulers
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democracy
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government by the people or rule of the many
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oligarchy
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rule by the few
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Sparta
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a Greek city-state
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helots
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servants of the Spartans
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ephors
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5 men who were elected and responsible for education of youth and conduct of all citizens
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Draco
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a politician who created new laws to penalize debtors into slavery
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Solon
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a reform-minded aristocrat who cancelled the slavery penalty for debtors
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Xerxes
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Darius' successor of the Persian empire who vowed revenge and attacked Greece
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Delian League
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A defensive alliance against the Persians formed by the Athenians, part of the Athenian empire
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Pericles
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creator of direct democracy, expanded the involvement of Athenians in their government
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ostracism
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the Athenian practice of banning people they considered dangerous
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Peloponnesian League
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Sparta and its supporters, who later declared war on the Delian league
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Olympus
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the highest mountain in Greece
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Oracle
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a sacred shine where a god or goddess revealed the future through a priest or priestess
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Philosophy
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an organized system of thought
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Philip II
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turned Macedonia into the chief power of the Greek world, was assassinated before his planned invasion of Asia
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Alexander the Great
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built Alexandria as the Greek capital of Egypt, freed the Ionian Greek cities of Asia Minor from the Persians and defeated a large Persian army
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Hellenistic Era
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an age that saw the expansion of Greek culture to the non-Greek world
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republic
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the leader is not a monarch and some citizens have the right to vote
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patricians
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wealthy landowners who became Rome's ruling class, and one of two groups in Early Rome; forbidden to marry plebeians
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plebeians
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less wealthy landowners, farmers, artisans, and merchants, and one of two groups in Early Rome; forbidden to marry patricians
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Consuls
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two consuls ran the government and led the Roman army into battle
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Praetors
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praetors were in charge of civil laws that applied to Roman citizens
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Roman Senate
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a group of about 300 patricians who served for life and eventually gained power over Roman law
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Carthage
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founded by the Phoenicians around 800 BC on the coast of North Africa, later became a Roman province called Africa
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Hannibal
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the greatest Carthaginian general
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Triumvirate
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a government by 3 people with equal power
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Crassus
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the richest man in Rome, and 1/3 of the first triumvirate
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Pompey
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a successful war hero and 1/3 of the first triumvirate
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Julius Caesar
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1/3 of the first triumvirate, a military hero, later became a dictator and was assassinated in 44 BC.
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dictator
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absolute ruler
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Octavian
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Caesar's heir and grandnephew, part of the second triumvirate, later awarded the title of Augustus, and rebuilt the systems of military and government
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Antony
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part of the second triumvirate, allied with the Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII, and both later committed suicide
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Pax Romana
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a period of peace and prosperity in Rome that lasted for almost 200 years (the Roman Peace)
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Virgil
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the most distinguished poet of the Augustan Age
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Horace
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a friend of Virgil's, another prominent Augustan poet
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paterfamilias
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the dominant male in a family
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Spartacus
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a gladiator who led a slave revolt which led to the crucifixions of 6000 of his followers
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insulae
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apartment blocks that the poor lived in, usually poorly built and often collapsed
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laity
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regular church members
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clergy
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church leaders
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Constantine
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the first Christian emperor
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Theodosius the Great
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under his ruling, the Romans adopted Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire
