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Justinian

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Justinian I(c. 482 - 14 November 565), commonly known as Justinian the Great, was Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565. During his reign, Justinian sought to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost western half of the historical Roman Empire. One of the most important figures of Late Antiquity and the last Roman Emperor to speak Latin as a first language, Justinian's rule constitutes a distinct epoch in the history of the Eastern Roman Empire. The impact of his administration extended far beyond the boundaries of his time and domain. Justinian's reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized restoration of the Empire.

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Mandate of Heaven

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Chinese belief that said that heaven would grant an emperor power only as long as its rulers governed justly and wisely. Originated with the Zhou Dynasty (1100-256 BCE)

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Qin Dynasty

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221 -206 BCE. The dynasty was short lived, but was best known for unifying China after the Warring States period and connecting the separate fortification walls that eventually became the Great Wall of China. The empire was well organized, centralized and territorial. The dynasty's first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, standardized laws, currencies, weights, measures, and writing system, and refused to tolerate any dissent from his subjects (legalism)

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Han Dynasty

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201 BCE - 220 CE. During this dynasty the Chinese developed paper, very accurate sundials, and calendars. It also developed the civil service system based on the teachings of Confucius; this ensures that government officials will be highly educated and great communicators. To ensure great candidates, they established a rigorous civil service examination. During this dynasty, Buddhism spread and trade thrived along the Silk Road to the Mediterranean.

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Confucianism

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Sophocles

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496-406 BCE. One of the most famous Greek writers of tragedies; author of Oedipus Rex (Antigone is one of three stories).

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Shinto religion

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The earliest Japanese religion. The Japanese worshipped the kami (natural spirits and forces). Shinto believers want to become part of the kami by following certain rituals and customs. Shintoism also stresses obedience and proper behavior. The Yamato clan maintained that the emperor was a direct descendent of the sun goddess.

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Nirvana

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The Buddhist state of enlightenment and perfect peace and tranquility.

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Moche

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A pre-Inca culture that flourished on the coast of Peru in the 1st to 7th centuries C.E.

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Aristocracy

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The highest class in certain societies, especially those holding hereditary titles or offices. A form of government in which power is held by the nobility.

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Judaism

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The monotheistic religion originally practiced by the Hebrews, and maintains that Hebrews are God's chosen people and that if they adhered to his rules, he would preserve them forever. The Jewish Bible, called the Torah, consists of the first five books of the Old Testament. It is not only a religious practice, but a set of customs as well. One of the first monotheistic religions.

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Patricians and Plebeians

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Patricians: The patricians were the upper class, the nobility and wealthy land owners. Plebeians: The plebeians were the lower class. Nicknamed "plebs", the plebeians included everyone in ancient Rome (except for the nobility, the patricians) from well-to-do tradesmen all the way down to the very poor.

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Bantu migration

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Movement of people out of central Africa; they spread agricultural techniques and displaced the hunters and gatherers they encountered; they also spread the bantu language; Bantu languages belong to the Niger-Congo language family, and there are more than 400 of them (with over 100 million speakers), of which Swahili, Xhosa, and Zulu are the most important.

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Caste System

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First used in ancient India by Aryans, it was used to divide society into separate groups called castes. These castes are, in order from top to bottom: Brahmins (priest class, considered closest to the gods), warriors, landowners, and peasants. Below these castes were the "untouchables", or outcasts. Movement between castes was allowed in the early days of the system, but over time mobility became restricted and you could only rise between castes when you died and were reincarnated.

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Pax Romana

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Means Roman Peace. The long period of 200 years of relative peace and prosperity in the Roman Empire from 27 BCE - 180 CE. Established by Caesar Augustus and ended in 180 CE with the death of Marcus Aurelius. Rome became the capital and arts center of the western world. During this period, literature, architecture, and science reached new heights. Also, many distinct ethnic groups within the Roman Empire were able to maintain their individual cultural identities.

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Constantine

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Roman emperor from 312-337 CE; established second capital of the Roman Empire in Constantinople (formerly the Greek city of Byzantium); Made Christianity the official religion of the empire in an attempt to unify the empire spiritually. Upon his death the empire divided again. Constantinople was the center of the thriving eastern half, and Rome was the center of the declining western half.

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Augustus Caesar

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63 BCE-14 CE. Name given to Octavian (grandnephew of Julius Caesar). He ultimately rose to power and became emperor, ending Rome's existence as a republic. Under his reign, Rome became an empire with a common coinage system, rule of law, and secured travel for merchants.

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Axum and Ethiopia

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Christian kingdoms that developed in the highlands of Ethiopia.

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Monsoons

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Seasonal winds crossing Indian subcontinent and southwest Asia; during summer they bring rains.

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Daoism

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1) Daoism Practiced by some in China from 500 BCE to the present. It is a belief system based on the abstract concept that there is an eternal principle governing all the workings of the world. This Dao is passive and yielding; it does not do anything, but accomplishes everything. It coexists with Buddhism, Confucianism and Legalism in China.

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Julius Caesar

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Roman general responsible for the conquest of Gaul; brought army back to Rome and overthrew the republic; assassinated in 44 BCE by conservative senators (et tu Brutus).

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Dharma

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The caste position and career determined by a person's birth; Hindu culture required that one accept one's social position and perform occupation to the best of one's ability in order to be reincarnated into a better life.

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Chandragupta Maurya

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First emperor to unify India into one state. Ruled from 322-298 BCE. Founded Mauryan Empire.

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Byzantine Empire

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Eastern half of the Roman Empire following the collapse of the western half of the old empire; capital in Constantinople. Spoke Greek. Its brand of Christianity became an entirely separate branch known as Orthodox Christianity.

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Hinduism

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The common religion of India, based upon the religion of the original Aryan settlers as expounded and evolved in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad-Gita, etc., having an extremely diversified character with many schools of philosophy and theology, many popular cults, and a large pantheon symbolizing the many attributes of a single god. Buddhism and Jainism are outside the Hindu tradition but are regarded as related religions.

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Hellenistic Period

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The culture associated with the spread of Greek influence as a result of Alexander the Greats conquest.

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varnas

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Is the term for the four broad ranks into which traditional Hindu society is divided. It was introduced into India during the Aryan migration. The four varnas (chatur varna) are, in order of precedence, 1.The Brahmins: priests and scholars. 2.The Kshatriya: kings, governors and soldiers. 3.The Vaishyas: cattle herders, agriculturists, artisans and merchants. 4.The Shudras: labourers and service providers. They are then subdivided into thousands of jatis.

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Alexander the Great

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died 323 BCE. Son of Philip of Macedon; successfully conquered Persian empire prior to his death; attempted to combine Greek and Persian cultures; spread Greek culture throughout the Mediterranean, Persia and India.

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Shiva

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Hindu god of destruction and reproduction; worshipped as the personification of cosmic forces of change.

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Justinian

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Also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine/Roman Emperor from 527-565 A.D. During his reign, Justinian tried to revive the Empire's greatness and reconquer the lost provinces of the Western Roman Empire. Established a unified law code and made Greek the official language of the Byzantine Empire. He also emphasized Christianity and fought to extinguished Greco-Roman paganism.

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Legalism

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Practices by some in China, specifically during the Qin dynasty. It was based upon the belief that peace and order could only be obtained through a centralized government, harsh punishment, and unquestioned authority. Legalists did not trust in human nature to sustain a viable society without harsh regulations. They prized farming and military as the two most worthy professions.

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Yellow Turbans

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Was a peasant revolt that broke out in 184 AD in China during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty. The rebellion, which got its name from the colour of the scarves that the rebels wore on their heads, marked an important point in the history of Taoism due to the rebels' association with secret Taoist societies.

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Confucianism

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Practiced in China from 400BCE onward. It is a social and political philosophy, which maintains that when people live up to their social obligations, society will be orderly and predicable. It focuses on three values: ren (humanity, kindness), li (courtesy, respect, deference to elders), and on the formation of junzi, or educated, socially conscious people who are willing to put the greater good ahead of personal gain.

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Mauryan Dynasty

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Dynasty established in Indian subcontinent in 4th century BCE following the invasion of Alexander the Great.

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Sanskrit

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The sacred and classical Indian language.

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Christianity

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Originated with Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish teacher who claimed to be the Son of God. Roman and Jewish leaders crucified Jesus in 30CE. and his followers maintained that he rose from the dead to the heaven. Christianity was based on this event and the Old and New testaments. Christians believe that Jesus dies in exchange for forgiveness of their sins and that human beings should practice love and service to him and others.

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Gupta Dynasty

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Hindu dyansty established in 320 C.E. by Chandragupta I in Bihar. At one stage it ruled most of the north of the Indian subcontinent, but it began to disintegrate toward the end of the 5th century.

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Coptic Christian

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Christian sect in Egypt later tolerated after Islamic takeover. Still exists today.

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Gurus

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Originally referred to as Brahmans who served as teachers for the princes of the imperial court of the Guptas.

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Buddhism

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A religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE), has no supreme being. Instead, it adheres to the Four Noble Truths, which are that: all of life is suffering; suffering is caused by desire; one can be free of this desire; the Eightfold path frees one of desire. All of this is in pursuit of nirvana, or perfect peace and harmony. Importantly, this religion was not dependent of the caste System.

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Ashoka

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An Indian Emperor of the Maurya Dynasty who ruled almost all of the Indian Subcontinent from 269 BC to 232 BC.

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Punic Wars

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Wars fought between Rome and Carthage (between 264 - 146 BCE) to establish dominance in the western Mediterranean; won by Rome after three separate conflicts. Rome then burnt Carthage to the ground and spread salt on its fields so no crops could ever grow there again.

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Senate

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Assembly of Roman aristocrats; advised on policy within the republic.

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Mayan Civilization

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Dominated southern Mexico and parts of Central America from 300 BCE - 800 CE. Their civilization was a collection of city-states ruled by the same king. They constructed pyramids, used hieroglyphics, developed a complex calendar system, and built tremendous cities. Their belief system was tied to their agricultural lifestyle: They believed the gods created humans from maize and that gods maintained agricultural cycles in exchange for sacrifices and bloodletting rituals.

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Vedas

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The most ancient Hindu scriptures, written in early Sanskrit and containing hymns, philosophy, and guidance on ritual for the priests of Vedic religion. Believed to have been directly revealed to seers among the early Aryans in India, and preserved by oral tradition, the four chief collections are the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda. From 6th century BCE

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Direct Democracy

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When people participate directly in assemblies that make laws and select leaders, rather than electing representatives.

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Cyrus the Great

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Established massive Persian Empire by 550BCE; sucessor state to Mesopotamian empires

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Peloponnesian war

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431-404 B.C.E; Between Athens And Sparta For Dominance Of Southern Greece; Resulted In Spartan Victory But Failed To Achieve Political Unification Of Greece.

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Teotihuacan

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Site of classical culture in central Mexico; urban center with important religious functions; supported by intensive agriculture in surrounding areas; population as high as 200,000.

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Paul

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3-67CE. One of the first Christian missionaries; moved away from insistence that adheres of the new religion follow Jewish law; use of Greek as language of the church (not Latin, which was for the upper class); responsible or spreading Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.

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Reincarnation

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The transfer of the soul into a new body after the physical body decays.

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Syncretism

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The blending or attempted blending of different religions, cultures or schools of thought.

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Silk Road

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A major trade route over land from China to the Roman Empire. The road took months to travel, and pastoral communities along the route provided shelter and supplies to traveling merchants in exchange for payment. Several diseases were also carried along the Silk Road (and similar trade routes), including smallpox and measles.

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Roman Republic

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510 - 47 BCE. Featured an aristocratic Senate, a panel of magistrates, and several popular assemblies. Representatives were voted in to office by Roman citizens. Rule of law.

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Jesus Christ

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Jesus Christ was born in the town of bethlehem at around 4 B.C.E. Jesus founded Christianity after being considered the incarnation of God. He was killed at around 33 B.C.E by the Romans. They crucified him on a cross. Three days later after his burial, he was resurrected. His life is record in the New Testament.

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Roman Republic

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510 - 47 BCE. Featured an aristocratic Senate, a panel of magistrates, and several popular assemblies. Representatives were voted in to office by Roman citizens. Rule of law.

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Polynesia

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Islands contained in a rough triangle whose points lie in Hawaii, new Zealand and Easter Island.

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Tang Empress Wu

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Tang Empress Wu, born Wu Zetian, was a Chinese sovereign, who ruled officially under the name of her self-proclaimed "Zhou dynasty", from 690-705. She is the only woman to rule China in her own right.

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