| A | B |
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| City-state | The fundamental political unit of ancient Greece around 750 B.C.; fewer than 20,000 residents. |
| polis | A city-stste in ancient Greece. |
| monarchy | Government ruled by a king. |
| aristocracy | A form of government, in which a few of the most prominent citizens rule. |
| oligarchy | A government run by only a few, often the wealthy. |
| direct-democracy | A system of government in which the people participate directly in decision making. |
| citizen | The state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, or national community. |
| dictatorship | A form of government in which the ruler has absolute control over the dialy lives of his subjects. |
| theocracy | A government under the control of a Church or state-sponsored religion. |
| Athens | City-stste in ancient Greece; associated with democracy. |
| Acropolis | A naturally occurring steep hill that is the geographic and cultural center of a city; Athens. |
| Parthenon | temple to Athena at the Acropolis in Ancient Greece. |
| Greek ideal of perfection | Used in the arts (sculpture, architecture, theatre); emphasized balance and symmetry. |
| Discobolous (discus thrower) | Greek sculpture reflecting the Greek ideal of perfection. |
| Western philosophy | Associated with the works of Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato. |
| philosopher-king | Plato's ideal ruler from his work "The Republic". |
| Persian Wars | A series of wars fought in early 5th century bce between Persian Empire and Greek city-states. |
| Sparta | City-state in ancient Greece; associated with militarism and dictatorship. |
| Peloponnesian War | War from 431 to 404 BCE between Athens and Sparta for dominance in southern Greece. |
| Roman Republic | 509-27 BCE The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a republican form of government. |
| Roman Empire | An empire established by Augustus in 27 BC and divided in AD 395 into the Western Roman Empire and the eastern or Byzantine Empire. |
| Punic Wars | A series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 to 146 BC. |
| Twelve Tables of Law | Formed the centerpiece of the constitution of the Roman Republic; included the 5 Common Principles. |
| Five Common Principles | Basic principles of the Roman republic's Twelve Tables of Law. |
| Patricians | Referres to a group of elite citizens in ancient Roman society. |
| Plebeians | A member of the lower or working class of ancient Roman society. |
| Etruscans | The inhabitant of ancient Etruria; influenced the Romans. |
| Ides of March | March 15 inthe Roman calendar; the date that Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. when he was stabbed to death in the Roman Senate. |
| Roman Forum | Part of the centralized area around which ancient Rome developed as a city; gvernment and public buildings are located there. |
| Pantheon | A religious temple to Roman gods; rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian. |
| Coliseum | An elliptical amphitheater in the center of the city of Rome, Italy; the largest ever built in the Roman Empire |
| Circus Maximus | An ancient Roman chariot racing stadium and mass entertainment venue located in Rome. |
| concrete | A roman invention used in the construction of buildings, aqueducts, and harbors. |
| “all roads lead to Rome” | A reference to the importance of Roman trade and Rome as the center of that trade. |
| Roman roads | 50,000 miles spanned the Roman Empire, spreading its legions, culture and immense influence. |
| Pax Romana | "Roman Peace"; period of peace and prosperity at the height of the Roman Empire. |
| Barbarian Invasions | Period of time during the Roman Empire when non-Roman people began to migrate to the empire. |
| ethnocentrism | The belief that one's culture is superior to that of another. |
| cultural diffusion | The spread of customs and traditions from one place to another. |
| Silk Road | Trade route from central China, across central Asia, linking the eastern mediterranean region with Asia. |
| Taklmakan | Desert in western China through which the Silk Road passes; "once-you-go-in-you-never-come-out" |
| Desert | A landscape or region that receives little or no precipitation. |
| Han Dynasty | Imperial dynasty that ruled China (206 BC to AD 220); adopted Confucianism as its official philosophy. |
| Confucianism | The teachings of Confucius emphasizing love for humanity; high value given to learning and to devotion to family. |
| filial piety | Respect for one's parents. |
| civil service exam | official exams for government employees; based on Confucianism. |
| Legalism | Chinese philosophy; strict rules with harsh punishments. |
| Daoism | Ancient philosophy; dualism - yin and yang. |
| acupuncture | A medical treatment used in Chin in which needles are used to redirect interal energy for healing. |
| qi (internal energy) | Chinese belief; a "life force" that flows through the human body. |
| Buddhism | South Asian religion which spread to China along the Silk Road. |
| Socrates | Ancient Greek philosopher from Athens; was tried and executed for "curropting the youth" of Athens. |
| Plato | Ancient Greek philosopher from Athens; a student of Socrates; wrote "The Republic". |
| Aristotle | Ancient Greek philosopher; student of Plato; focused on Science |
| Homer | Epic poet of ancient Greece; wrote "The Iliod" and "The Odyssey." |
| Herodotus | The "father of history" in ancient Greece; wrote "The Persian Wars" - used myth and legend. |
| Thucydides | Wrote "The Peloponesian War"; used interviews and first-hand accounts. |
| Pericles | Athenian statesman whose leadership contributed to Athens' political and cultural supremacy in Greece; promoted democracy. |
| Athena | Goddess of ancient Athens. |
| Julius Caesar | A Roman military general and emperor who ruled from 49 BC – 15 March 44 BC. |
| Caesar Augustus (Octavian) | The first ruler of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from January 27 BC until his death in AD 14. |
| Hadrian | The fourteenth emperor of Rome from AD 117 to 138; rebuilt the Pantheon and constrcuted Hadrian's Wall in England. |
| Qin Shi Huangdi | r of Rome from AD 117 to 138, as well as a SFirst emperor of China during the Qin Dynasty; built the Terra-Cotta Army as part of his tomb. |
| Wu Di | 5th Emperor of the Han Dynasty. |
| Han Fei zi | Chinese Legalist philosopher. |
| Confucius (Kung zi) | Chinese philosopher; emphasized social relationships and proper behavior. |
| Lao zi | Ancient Chinese philosopher. |
| classical civilization | Relating to Greece, Rome, Han Dynasty China. |
