| A | B |
|---|
| Abraham | Founder of Judaism; seen as prophet by all 3 monotheistic religions. |
| acropolis | the elevated portion of a Greek city-state |
| Aeschylus | Greek playwright, wrote tragedies |
| Agricultural Revolution | the shift from a nomadic life to a settled life when people learned to domesticate plants and animals |
| Alexander the Great | had empire from Greece to India; Macedonian, spread Hellenistic (Greek) culture, defeated Persia |
| Allah | The Islamic name for God. |
| Angles and Saxons | Germanic invaders who migrated to and settled in England |
| Animism | Belief that spirits inhabit everything; Tribal/indigenous religions of North Africa |
| Aphrodite | GREEK goddess of love and beauty |
| Apollo | GREEK goddess of sun, music, poetry |
| apostles | people who carried the words of Jesus throughout the Roman Empire |
| aqueducts | Roman structures that transported water |
| Arabic | The language of Islam and the Middle East. |
| Arabic numerals | Counting and number system; originated in India that Arabs spread to all the cultures that they encountered; number system used around the world today. |
| archaeology | the study of early people through the examination of their physical remains |
| Archimedes | most famous Hellenistic scientist, and he provided the foundation for modern physics |
| Aristotle | Greek philosopher tutored Alexander the Great, created the Lyceum, and focused on a logical study of everything |
| Artemis | GREEK goddess of hunt, light |
| artifacts | man-made object, archaeologist use this evidence of prehistoric and ancient cultures |
| artisan | a skilled craftsman trained in a specific field (potters, blacksmiths, weavers, etc) |
| Aryans | invaders to India via the Hindu Kush Mountains and Khyber Pass who created a rigid class structure |
| Asoka | Indian ruler who adopted Buddhism and sent missionaries to Asia |
| Athena | GREEK goddess of wisdom |
| Athens | Greek city-state known for culture, Parthenon located there |
| Augustus Caesar | First emperor of the Roman Empire; nephew of Julius, his rule started Pax Romana |
| Axum | East African kingdom and trade center near present-day Ethiopia, it was a Christian area surrounded by Islamic territory |
| Aztecs | Indigenous people of the Valley of Mexico who built causeways and cities; practiced human sacrifice; and were conquered by the Spanish in 15 |
| Babylon | empire/city in Mesopotamia, led by Hammurabi, Hanging Gardens of Babylon |
| Bantu | Root language in Africa that eventually spread east and south as the people migrated in search of arable land |
| barter economy | the exchange of one set of goods or services for another without using money |
| Battle of Tours | The halting of the Muslim advance into France by Charles Martel, King of the Franks, in the year 7 |
| Behistune Rock | carvings on huge cliff in Iran that helped decode cuneiform |
| Black Death | The bubonic plague that quickly spread through Europe in the mid 14th century, killing 1/3 to ½ of the population; it was carried by black rats and fleas |
| Bosporus Strait | Narrow strip of water that separates the continents of Asia and Europe. |
| Boyars | Russian nobles |
| Buddhism | a religion that began in ancient India that focused on the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path to reach enlightenment |
| bureaucracy | a system of managing government through departments that are run by appointed officials, started in Zhou Dynasty of China, used in Persia and elsewhere |
| Bushido | “Way of the Warrior;” Code of behavior of the Japanese warrior that stressed bravery, loyalty, and honor. |
| Byzantine Empire | another name for the Eastern Roman Empire, Eastern Orthodox Church, Constantinople is capital |
| carbon dating | the scientific process of determining the age of fossilized material by using radioactivity to test for trace amounts of organic matter |
| Caste System | a hereditary, rigid social hierarchy brought to India by the Aryan invaders |
| Charlemagne | Frankish ruler who united the Franks into one empire; crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD; also known as the Father of Europe. |
| Charlemagne | Frankish king, "Father of Europe", made Holy Roman Emperor by pope, revived Greek and Roman culture, education in Europe |
| Chivalry | Code of honor for feudal nobles and knights during the Middle Ages |
| Christianity | a monotheistic religion that centers on Jesus as the messiah |
| city-state | a political unit ruled by an independent ruler that included a city and its surrounding lands and villages |
| civilization | cities, complex social institutions , advanced technology, specialization (division of labor), written language, calendars |
| civil laws | rules that address private rights and matters, different than criminal law |
| Code of Hammurabi | the first example of a king’s collection of written laws and punishments (carved in stone pillars in Babylon) |
| colony | a territory settled and ruled by people from a distant land (Greece needed these) |
| Common Law | Laws based upon customs and judge’s decisions rather than upon written codes. (becomes the standard in England), Henry II promoted this law. |
| Confucianism | a Chinese belief system that focused on respect, proper relationships, and filial piety (respect for elders) |
| Constantine | Emperor who headed new eastern roman empire, renamed Byzantine Empire, built Constantinople, founded Eastern Orthodox church |
| Constantinople | the city on the Bosporus Strait that became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (today it is known as Istanbul) |
| Crusades | Christian holy wars from the late 11th century to the late 13th century; campaigns that attempted to reclaim the Holy Land (Jerusalem) from the Muslims |
| cultural diffusion | the spread of ideas, customs, and technology from one people to another through migration, trade, and warfare (also known as enculturation) |
| cuneiform | Sumerian and Mesopotamian writing that used wedge shaped marks made on clay tablets |
| Cyrillic Alphabet | St. Cyrill and Methodius adapted the Greek alphabet to translate the Bible into the Slavic language; it is now the alphabet of Russia. |
| Czar | Russian rulers (kings), Ivan the Great was one of the first |
| Dark Ages | The earliest part of the Middle Ages that began in 476 AD with the fall of the Western Roman Empire; a time of chaos, instability, invasion, and a lack of safety and order in Western Europe. |
| Delian League | a group of Greek city-states in alliance with Athens at the end of the Persian Wars |
| delta | a triangular area of marshland formed by the deposits of silt at the mouth of some rivers, Nile Delta is where Nile flows into the Mediterranean. |
| democracy | type of government that originated in Greece and involved active citizen participation and rule by the people |
| Diana | ROMAN goddess of hunt, moon |
| diaspora | the forced migration or scattering of a group of people |
| Dome of the Rock | important Muslim mosque in Jerusalem, built on top of old Jewish temple |
| Draco | Greek TYRANT, harsh law code |
| dynasty | a ruling family (Ex. Han Dynasty, Carolingian (Charlemange's) Dynasty, Egyptian dynasties |
| Eastern Orthodox Church | Christian church started in Constantinople, has patriarch instead of pope, spread to Russia, spoke Greek in services. |
| East/West Schism | In 1054, the Christian church split into two groups, the Roman Catholic Church in Rome, and the Eastern Orthodox Church in Constantinople. |
| Egypt | a civilization along the Nile River in northeastern Africa where pyramids were built |
| Eight Fold Path | the actions that one must take to reach enlightenment, according to Buddhism |
| empire | a large area of territory that was controlled by one ruler or king |
| Erasmus | Northern Renaissance writer; The Praise of Folly |
| Euclid | Greek mathematician |
| exodus | escape of Jews from Egypt to Holy Land, led by Moses, name given to escape of any large group of people. |
| Ferdinand and Isabella | Unified Spain, kicked out (expelled) Muslim Moors. |
| Fertile Crescent | a great arc of land from the Persian Gulf to the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea (from the present-day nations of Iraq to Israel) |
| Feudalism | A system of government during the Middle Ages where a greater lord granted land and some power to lesser lords in exchange for loyalty, service, and military assistance. |
| Fief | Land granted by a feudal lord to a noble. |
| Five Pillars of Faith | The basic beliefs or duties of Muslims that focus on the statement of faith, prayer, charity, fasting during Ramadan, and a pilgrimage. |
| fossils | old organic (once living) substances that turned to stone, archaeologist use these to study ancient man |
| Four Noble Truths | basic beliefs of Buddhists that focus on ending suffering or desire by learning to control desire to reach enlightenment |
| Franks | A Germanic tribe from the area of the Rhine River who dominated western Europe after the collapse of Rome |
| Ganges River | an important river in northeastern India where the Aryans eventually settled |
| Germanic Tribes | Invaders to Europe during the Middle Ages |
| glaciers | large sheets of ice that spread across northern Europe and America |
| Great Royal Road | an important infrastructure for trade and transportation across the Persian Empire from the cities of Sardis to Susa |
| Great Wall | a line of defense built to protect northern China from invasion |
| Great Zimbabwe | Southeastern African trading kingdom that encountered merchants from the Middle East and Asia and is identified by a large fortified enclosure. |
| Greek Fire | a secret weapon of the Eastern Roman Empire; it was a chemical substance that burned on water |
| Griot | Highly trained speakers and entertainers in West Africa who memorized the oral traditions. |
| Gupta Empire | India’s golden age with contributions in many areas |
| Hajj | The Arabic word for the pilgrimage to Mecca. |
| Han Dynasty | Golden Age of Ching, centralized government, civil service system , Silk Road, papermaking, confucianism |
| Hannibal | General from Carthage who crossed the Alps (with elephants) to invade Rome during Punic Wars |
| Hebrews | the first monotheistic people; they lived in the area in Southwest Asia (Middle East) around the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea (present-day Israel) |
| Hellenic | associated with Greek culture |
| Hellenistic Age | period of time when Alexander the Great conquered Greece and Persia and resulted in the blending of Greek, Macedonia, Persian, and Asian cultures |
| Henry II | English, king, established Common Law |
| Hera | GREEK goddess, Queen of Gods, wife of Zeus |
| Herodotus | Greek historian |
| hieroglyphics | Egyptian form of picture writing that used papyrus, ink, and a stylus |
| Hijra | Muhammad’s flight from Mecca to Medina (year 1 in the Islamic calendar) |
| Himalayas | tallest mountains that form a natural barrier for India’s northern region |
| Hindu Kush | mountains northwest of the Indus River |
| Hinduism | a religion that arose in India that combined Dravidian (indigenous Indian) and Aryan beliefs and also believed that one god was represented in many different forms |
| Hippocrates | Greek medicine, Hippocratic Oath "Do no harm" |
| Homer | Greek poet, wrote the epic poem, The Odyssey |
| hominids | name of humanlike species before homo sapiens |
| Homo-sapiens | early humans who emerged in Africa 100,000 to 400,000 years ago |
| Huang He | the Yellow River in eastern Asia where the Shang civilization arose (first permanent Chinese settlement) |
| Hugh Capet | Unified France during Middle Ages, made Paris capital |
| Humanism | A philosophy of the Renaissance that focused on the individual. |
| Hundred Years’ War | A conflict that occurred from 1337-1453 between France and England over land and the wool trade; France wins |
| Icons | A religious image typical of Byzantine art. |
| Incas | Indigenous people of western South America (Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Ecuador) who used terrace farming and built the city of Machu Picchu. |
| Indus River | the location of India’s first civilization and the ancient cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro |
| Indus Valley | Indian civilization that began in northwestern India near the Hindu Kush Mountains and the Khyber Pass (now the nation of Pakistan |
| Islam | The third monotheistic religion to arise in the Middle East; it began in Mecca with the actions of Muhammad. |
| Italian Renaissance | A period of rebirth (of Greco-Roman culture) that began in the 1300s. |
| Ivan the Great | Founder of Russia, freed Russia from Mongols, 1st Czar (Tsar) |
| Jerusalem | Holy city to Jews (first temple built there), Christians (Christ killed there), Muslims (Dome of the Rock) |
| Jesus of Nazareth | founder of Christianity (with Peter/Paul), seen as Son of God (and God) by Christians, crucified by Romans |
| Joan of Arc | French girl who led French knights to victory in 100 Years War, burned at the stake by English |
| Judaism | first monotheistic religion, developed by Hebrews (Jews) in Jerusalem, Abraham is founder |
| Julius Caesar | Roman general, tried to seize power, assassinated |
| Juno | ROMAN goddess, Queen of the Gods, married to Jupiter |
| Jupiter | ROMAN god, King of the Gods |
| Justinian | Byzantine emperor, created law code called Justinian's Code, built Hagia Sofia |
| Justinian’s Code | Law Code of Byzantine Empire, created by Emperor Justinian |
| Kaaba | The most sacred shrine of Islam located in Mecca. |
| karma | a Hindu belief that a person’s actions and behavior determine how that person will be reborn in his or her next life |
| Khyber Pass | Aryans used this path of invasion into the Indus Valley |
| King John | English king, forced to sign Magna Carta (1215), limiting by law the power of the king |
| Kush (Nubia) | a civilization that existed south of Egypt on the Nile River |
| Latin | the root language for the five Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Romanian) |
| Leonardo da Vinci | Renaissance write, wrote the Prince, how an absolute ruler should rule, ends justify the means |
| Machiavelli | Wrote The Prince which established guidelines for rulers. |
| Magna Carta | In England in 1215, King John was forced to sign this Great Charter which limited the power of the king and recognized the basic rights of the nobility. |
| Magyars | Invaders from Central Asia who settled in what is present day Hungary |
| Mandate of Heaven | in China power from the gods that allowed a ruler to rule |
| Manorial System | The economic system in Europe during the Middle Ages based on large estates owned by lords and worked by serfs that were self-sufficient. |
| Marc Anthony | Roman, assassinated Julius Caesar, lover of Cleopatra, killed by Octavian (Augustus Caesar) |
| Mayas | The indigenous people of the Yucatan Peninsula who built cities in the jungles like Chichen Itza and Palenque. |
| Mecca | Located in Saudi Arabia, it is the holy city for Muslims |
| Medina | Second holiest city of Islam; Muhammad fled here during the hijra |
| Mesopotamia | city-states and civilizations that arose between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (now the nation of Iraq) where the first known laws were recorded and the wheel was invented |
| Michelangelo | Italian Renaissance sculptor/artist – sculpture David and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel |
| Middle Ages | The period of time in Europe from the fall of Western Rome in 476 AD until the Renaissance (1300s) when feudalism served as the basic system of order. |
| Minerva | ROMAN goddes of wisdom |
| monarchy | type of government where the ruler’s position is hereditary |
| monotheism | the belief in one god |
| mosaic | a design made with colored glass and tiles |
| Moses | Jewish prophet and leader, Ten Commandments, led Hebrews out of Egypt during Exodus |
| Mosque | A Muslim place of worship |
| Muhammad the Prophet | Founder of Islam, known as the "The Prophet", born in Mecca, fled to Medina |
| mummification | Egyptian process of preserving a dead body |
| mythology | a belief system that Greeks and Romans created to explain the natural world |
| Neolithic Age | (New Stone Age) developed agriculture, domesticated animals, used advanced tools, made pottery, developed weaving skills |
| Nepal | the place where Buddhism originate (once part of India) in the Himalaya Mountains |
| Niccolo Machiavelli | Wrote The Prince which established guidelines for rulers. |
| Nirvana | the state of spiritual enlightenment for a Buddhist |
| nomads | hunters and gatherers who moved from place to place (migrated) in search of food |
| Norman Conquest | William the Conqueror led the Normans (invaders from northern France) into England and successfully conquered it at the Battle of Hastings in 10 |
| Northern Renaissance | Mixed humanism with Christianity, England, France, and the German area. (Erasmus, painter Brueghel, Shakespeare) |
| Octavian (Augustus Caesar) | 1st Emperor of Rome; established the Roman Empire by a civil service, enhancing laws, creating a common currency, and providing for safe travel and trade |
| oligarchy | type of government that arose in Sparta where a small group of people ruled |
| onion domes | Uniquely shaped top portion of Orthodox churches in Russia. |
| Paleolithic Era | Old Stone Age- nomadic people invented the first tools, simple weapons crafted from stone, learned to make fire, lived in clans, and developed an oral language and cave art |
| Pantheon | Rome, large domed building, temple to all gods |
| Parthenon | Greece, large columned building, temple to Athena built on acropolis |
| Patriarch | The head of the Eastern or Greek Orthodox Church in Constantinople |
| patricians | powerful nobles of Rome, a minority that held power |
| Patrons | Supporters of the arts during the Renaissance |
| Paul the Apostle | Spread Christianity around the Mediterranean, executed by Nero |
| Pax Romana | a time of peace and prosperity that lasted nearly 200 years during the Roman Empire that began with the rule of Augustus |
| Peloponnesian League | a group of Greek city-states in alliance with Sparta after the Persian Wars |
| Peloponnesian War | conflict between Sparta and Athens from 431 BC to 404 BC that resulted in the eventual downfall of Greece |
| Pericles | extended democracy to include most adult males, rebuilding the Parthenonafter the Persian Wars, and supporting Greek Golden Age of Greek culture? |
| Persia | large empire known for tolerance of conquered people, an imperial bureaucracy, Zoroastrianism, and the Great Royal Road (today the nation of Iran) |
| Persian Wars | conflicts between 499 BC – 449 BC that united Athens and Sparta to gain control of the Aegean Sea |
| Petrarch | Renaissance poet, wrote type of poetry called sonnets |
| pharaoh | an Egyptian ruler |
| Phidias | Greek sculptor |
| Philip II | Father of Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, took over Greece |
| Phoenicia | a seafaring people along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, created the first alphabet, made purple dye from sea snails |
| pictograms | early simple symbols, drawings that represented words |
| Plato | Greek philosopher, established a school called the Academy, wrote the Republic about an ideal society, and taught Aristotle |
| plebeians | the majority of the population in Rome who held little power |
| polis | a city-state in ancient Greece |
| polytheism | the belief in many gods |
| Pope | The head of the Western or Catholic Church in Rome |
| Pope Urban | Roman Catholic Pope, statted Crusades |
| porcelain | a fine pottery from China |
| prehistory | time period before written records, the era before people invented writing systems |
| prophets | spiritual leaders who interpret messages a divine being |
| Ptolemy | Roman scientist, astronomer, believed earth was a center of universe (Ptolemaic system) |
| Punic Wars | conflicts between Rome and Carthage from 264 BC to 146 BC which resulted in victory and expansion for Rome |
| pyramids | large Egyptian triangular stone structures , used as tombs for pharaohs |
| Pythagoras | Greek mathematician; pythagorean theorem (hypotenuse right trianglE) |
| Qin Dynasty | First unified dynasty, led by Qin Shih Huangdi, terra cotta soldiers |
| Qin Shi Haungdi | First emperor of China, built Great Wall, unified China, harsh punishments |
| Quran (Koran) | The holy book for Islam |
| reincarnation | a Hindu belief that a person’s actions and behavior determine how that person will be reborn in his or her next life |
| river valley civilizations | first permanent settlements in the Neolithic Era in Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China, rivers: Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, Indus, Huang He |
| Roman Catholic Church | Largest branch of the Christian Church during the Middle Ages; it provided many services beyond spiritual support. |
| Rosetta Stone | a flat black stone that holds carvings in hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek that provided clues to decode (decipher) Egyptian writing |
| Samurai | Japanese warriors hired for protection by wealthy landlords in feudal Japan. |
| scribes | specially trained people who learned to read, write, and keep official records |
| Serfs | A Medieval peasant legally bound to live and work on a specific piece of land. |
| Shang Dynasty | one of first Chinese dynasties, used oracle bones to read future |
| Shia (Shi’ite) | The second largest sect of Muslims who believe that the leader of Islam must be a direct blood descendant of Muhammad. |
| Shinto (Shintoism) | a Japanese religion that focused on honoring nature, ancestors, and worshipping the emperor |
| Shintoism | A religion that began in Japan and focused on the importance of nature, ancestors, and worshipping the emperor. |
| Shogun | Chief military and government office in feudal Japan. |
| Siddhartha Gautama/Buddha | the founder of Buddhism |
| Silk Road | a trade route that connected China and Asia to Rome and Europe |
| Sir Thomas More | Northern Renaissance writer; wrote Utopia about an ideal government, executed by Henry VIII |
| Socrates | Greek philosopher, used a questioning dialogue to seek knowledge, and examine all aspects of life, and was sentenced to death for his actions and beliefs |
| Solon | Greek TYRANT, ended debt slavery |
| Sophocles | Greek playwright, wrote tragedy Oedipus |
| Sparta | Greek city-state known for military training |
| St. Cyril | Created Cyrillic Alphabet (Russian), brought Orthodox Christianity to Russia. |
| Stonehenge | an example of a Neolithic structure (a circle of gigantic rocks) created during the Bronze Age in England |
| subcontinent | a large piece of land that extends beneath a continent (India) |
| Sumerians | civilization in Mesopotamia, invented wheel, cuneiform, lived in city-states, used ziggurats |
| Sunni | The largest sect of Muslims who believe that it is NOT necessary for the leader of Islam to be a direct descendant of Muhammad. |
| Swahili | An African language that developed in Zimbabwe and was known as the language used for trade. |
| Taoism (Daoism) | Chinese religion/philosophy, founded by Lao Tse, a Chinese belief system that focused on harmony with nature, balancing yin and yang, inner peace, and simple life that followed The Way |
| Ten Commandments | Law of Hebrews, "given" to Moses, found in Torah (Old Testament) |
| terra cotta soldiers | clay, lifelike soldiers found in tomb of Qin Shih Huangdi |
| Theodora | Wife of Justinian and Empress of the Byzantine Empire |
| Thucydides | Greek historian |
| Torah | Hebrew sacred text (Jewish); known as Old Testament to Christians |
| Trans-Saharan Trade | Extensive trade networks that crossed northern African and focused on the trade of gold and salt. |
| Tripitaka (Three Baskets or Jewels of Wisdom) | Buddhist sacred texts |
| Twelve Tables | written Roman laws |
| Vassals | A Medieval noble who pledged loyalty and services to a feudal lord in exchange for a grant of land. |
| Vedas and Upanishads | sacred texts for Hinduism |
| Venus | ROMAN goddess of love |
| vernacular | Local languages of a particular area. Books first written in vernacular during Renaissance |
| Vikings | Invaders from Scandinavia who terrorized Europe during the Dark Ages; they also establish trade routes and mixed with Slavs to form Russian people |
| Virgil | Roman poet, wrote epic (long) poem The Aeneid |
| vizier | the chief minister or adviser to the Egyptian ruler |
| West African Kingdoms | The civilizations of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai that were important areas for trade. Traded their gold for salt. |
| Western Roman Empire | Area around the Italian Peninsula that gradually weakened and fell in 476 AD due to corruption and invasion by Germanic tribes. |
| William the Conqueror | First King of England, Norman, brought feudalism to England, unified England |
| Zen | Sect of Buddhism that stresses meditation as a means of enlightenment. |
| Zeus | GREEK God, King of the Gods |
| Zhou Dynasty | bureaucracy, used feudalism |
| ziggurats | structures in Sumer and Babylon (Mesopotamia) similar to a pyramid, but made with clay bricks, with steps and terraces, and were used as temples |
| Zoroastrianism | a Persian religion that focused on good versus evil and has the Zend Avesta as its holy book |
