Freshmen Midterm Review Sheet
Know the Basic Ideas of these Religions
Hinduism
Buddhism
Polytheism
Christianity
Know your geography
Study the Geography of each civilization. Learn the main features, why is its geography important?
Be able to find the location of the events and empires in each chapter on a blank map of the Eurasia and
Africa.
TO STUDY USING THIS MIDTERM REVIEW SHEET BELOW WRITE AT LEAST A SENTENCE OR TWO ABOUT EACH
TOPIC.
Chapter 1 Toward Civilization
Paleolithic Era – life style, tools, beliefs
Neolithic Agricultural Revolution
Artifacts
Historians
Chapter 2 First Civilizations: Africa and Asia
River valley civilizations
Nile River
Pharaohs
Hieroglyphics
Pyramids
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Cuneiform writing
Hammurabi
Ziggurats
“Carriers of Civilization”
Hittites
Hebrews
Chapter 3 Early Civilizations and Empires In India and China
“Mandate of Heaven”
Yellow River
Confucianism
Buddhism
Taoism
Legalism
Hinduism
Great Wall
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
Caste system
Civil Service Exam
Silk Road
Chapter 4 Ancient Greece
City-states
Geography
Democracy/ direct democracy
Common Culture
Athens
Sparta
Age of Pericles
Alexander the Great
Chapter 5 Ancient Rome and Christianity
Roman law
Punic Wars
Republic
Emperors
Pax Romana
Christianity
Eastern Roman Empire/Byzantine Empire
Summary Review
Introduction
History is the study of written records. Before there was writing is called pre-history. Archaeologists,
anthropologists and even historians study artifacts to learn about the past. The Neolithic Age is the first
agricultural revolution. Man started to plant crops, domesticate animals, use copper for tools, and build
permanent settlements.
Egypt
Ancient Egypt was on the Nile River. Egyptians were polytheistic. They worshipped gods of nature, Amon-Ra
(Sun god), Osiris (Nile god). They mummified their dead to preserve them for the afterlife. Scribes in Egypt
recorded important events using hieroglyphics. They built huge tombs called pyramids. The three basic
periods of Egyptian history are: The Old Kingdom, The Middle Kingdom, The New Kingdom.
Ancient Middle East
Mesopotamia is the cradle of civilization. There are two rivers in Mesopotamia: the Tigris and the Euphrates.
Sumerians were the first civilized peoples. They built stepped pyramids called Ziggurats to worship their many
gods.
Hammurabi was the Babylonian king who made the first written law code.
The Assyrians were cruel and used iron weapons. They had a great library at Ninevah.
The Persians conquered a large Empire. Cyrus the Great, the Persian Emperor, treated conquered peoples
with TOLERANCE. The Persians used the Great Royal Road.
The Phoenicians were great sailors and traders (purple dye). They are known as the "Carriers of Civilization"
because of their alphabet. Phonetics.
The Hebrews were monotheistic. Moses gave them the Ten Commandments.
India
India is a large peninsula. There are three regions of India: the Coastal Plains, the Northern Plains and the
Deccan Plateau. The rainy season is called the Monsoon season. Indian civilization begins in the Indus river
valley( Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro). They were conquered by the Aryans in 1500 B.C. The Caste System
develops as Hinduism develops. The Caste System had strict rules about interaction between the different
castes. Perform your Dharma, get good Kharma be reborn into a higher Caste! Buddhism (founded by
Siddhartha Guatama) also comes from India. The basic ideas of Buddhism are found in the 4 Noble Truths.
During the Moghul Empire, started by Tamerlane, Akbar the Great was known for his religious tolerance.
China
Chinese civilization begins in the Yellow River Valley. They worshiped their ancestors who could influence the
gods. The Zhou Dynasty was ruled with the Feudal System. Wu Wang justified his seizure of the power by
using the idea "the Mandate of Heaven". Confucianism begins during the Zhou Dynasty. Confucian beliefs
include, respect for your elders (filial piety) and the Five relationships. Confucianism becomes the "Heart of
chinese traditions". The Qin Dynasty ruled through the ideas of Legalism. Shi Huang Di (Qin Emperor) builds
the Great Wall of China to protect China from Nomadic invaders.
Greece
Greece is a mountainous peninsula. The Greeks developed city-states (small independent cities) because of
the mountains. Minoan civilization was on Crete. Myceneaens fought the Trojan War. The story of the Trojan
War is told in the Iliad and the Odyssey orally retold by the blind poet Homer. Sparta was a military state.
Athens was a democracy where only the adult men could vote. Sparta was a city state where their lives were
devoted to military training. The Greeks fought the Persians and beat them twice. Greece begins it's Golden
Age. Herodotus wrote his history during this time.
Pericles rules Athens and the Delian League and they fight the Peloponnessian League. Sparta wins. Alexander
the Great conquers the Persian Empire and spreads Greek culture which begins the Hellenistic Age.
Rome
Rome was located on the Tiber River in Italy. Romans owe much to the Latins and the Etruscans. The Romans
establish a Republic in 509 B.C. A republic is when citizens elect their leaders who represent them. There are
300 Senators in the Roman Senate. Rome fought Carthage in the Punic Wars and gained control of the
Western Mediterranean. Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus ruled in the 1st Triumvirate. Caesar set the
foundations for the Roman Empire. Augustus is the first emperor. During his reign the Pax Romana, a 200
year period of peace and prosperity, begins. Rome becomes corrupt and is invaded by Germanic tribes.
Constantine is the first Christian Emperor. He builds Constantinople in modern day Turkey. Christ is born
during the Roman Empire. Peter, His apostle, brings Christianity to Rome. Roman Law says, " innocent till
proven guilty". Rome collapses in 476 A.D. The Eastern half flourishes under the name Byzantine Empire.
Byzantine Empire:
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