Ancient World History SOL Review Guide
Part One
Directions: Answer the questions in bullet-point format, with as much information as possible. You can
use the terms listed under each topic to help you answer the questions!
Section One: Early Man
Terms: Paleolithic, Neolithic, Homo sapiens, archaeologist, carbon dating, nomadic, hunter-gatherer, agricultural
revolution, domestication of animals, Stonehenge
Questions:
1. What is the difference between the Paleolithic and Neolithic eras?
2. How did systematic agriculture and the domestication of animals lead to permanent settlements?
Section Two: River Valley Civilizations
Terms: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus River Valley, Huang He River Valley, Code of Hammurabi, caste system, Hebrews,
cuneiform, hieroglyphics, Phoenicians, Phoenician Alphabet, pictographic writing, silt, specialization of labor, ziggurat,
pyramid, fertile crescent
Questions:
1. What were similarities all of the river valley civilizations shared?
2. How did the rise of agriculture contribute to the specialization of labor?
3. What evidence is there that the Egyptians had a strong belief in the afterlife? How did this belief
contribute to the development of the Egyptian civilization?
4. How did the flooding patterns of Egypt and Mesopotamia differ? What was the impact of this
difference on each of the civilizations?
5. What was the social hierarchy in the Indus River Valley civilization? How do we know this? How
did the caste system later develop?
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Ancient World History SOL Review Guide
Part Two
Directions: Answer all of the questions and define the terms you DO NOT know.
Part 3: World Religions
Terms: Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Abraham, Moses, Torah, Ten Commandments, Exodus,
Promised Land, Jerusalem, monotheism, polytheism, moksha, reincarnation, Vedas and Upanishads, Brahman, Siddhartha
Gautama, Eightfold Path, Four Noble Truths, nirvana, Jesus, Paul, persecution, New Testament, Gospels, Mohammad,
Mecca, Medina, Five Pillars
Questions:
1. Explain the relationship between nature and the early river valley religions.
2. Compare and contrast the Hindu belief in moksha to the Buddhist belief in nirvana.
3. What is the relationship between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?
4. How and where did each of the religions spread?
5. What was the impact of Christianity on the Roman Empire?
6. Explain the split in the Christian Church between Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox.
7. Explain the split in Islam between the Shi’a and Sunni Muslims.
Section 4: China, India, Persia
Terms: Pictograms, hieroglyphics, cuneiform, alphabet, mandate of heaven, Zorastrianism, Asoka,
Questions:
1. What are some characteristics of the Persian Empire?
2. Describe the Mauryan Empire (who led the empire and what contributions did the empire make).
3. Describe the Gupta Empire and its contributions.
4. Who was Qin Shi Huangdi and what are his contributions?
5. Describe the Silk Road.
6. Describe the Great Wall of China (who built it and why was it built).
7. Describe the concepts of Yin and Yang.
8. Describe the three Chinese philosophies and what they were in response to - - - Confucianism,
Taoism, and Legalism.
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Ancient World History SOL Review Guide
Part Three
Directions: Answer all of the questions and define the terms you DO NOT know.
Section 5: Classical Greece
Terms: city-states, polis, Hellenistic Culture, colonization, mythology, Athens, Sparta, monarchy, aristocracy, tyranny,
democracy, Persian Wars, Peloponnesian War, Golden Age, Delian League, Peloponnesian League, Pericles, Aeschylus,
Sophocles, Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides, Phidias, Archimedes, Hippocrates, Euclid, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato,
Aristotle, Draco, Solon, oligarchy, Parthenon, Alexander the Great, Phillip II (King of Macedon), arête
Questions:
1. Explain the importance of geography on Greek political and social development.
2. Describe the beliefs and role of Greek mythology in the ancient civilization. What are examples of Greek
mythology in contemporary American culture?
3. Describe the social structure and citizenship in ancient Greece.
4. Describe the four major battles in the Persian Wars. What were the outcomes of the Persian Wars on the
Greeks?
5. Describe the causes, major events, and outcomes of the Peloponnesian Wars.
6. Describe the role of Pericles in the Golden Age of Greece.
7. Explain the philosophies of the three Greek philosophers (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle), also identify the writings
of each.
8. Draw and describe the features of the three types of Greek columns (Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian)
9. Describe the characteristics and spread of Hellenistic Culture.
10. Explain the rise and fall of Alexander the Great.
Section 6: Classical Rome
Terms: patricians, plebeians, Senate, Consuls, Twelve Tables, Punic Wars, Carthage, Hannibal, Scipio, Julius Caesar, Marc
Anthony, Augustus Caesar, Tribunes, First Triumvirate, Pax Romana, Constantine, Diocletian, Constantinople, Pantheon,
Colosseum, Forum, Roman Roads, aqueducts, arches, bridges, Ptolemy, Virgil
Questions:
1. Explain the role of geography on Roman political and social development.
2. Describe the origin and beliefs of Roman mythology. Explain how Christianity impacted the Roman Empire.
3. Describe the social structure and citizenship in ancient Rome. Be sure to discuss the role of slavery.
4. How did the Roman Republic become more democratic over time?
5. Explain how each of the following were causes of the decline and fall of the Roman Republic. Slavery, land
ownership, civil war, inflation.
6. How did Julius Caesar transition the Republic into Imperial Rome? Why was he assassinated?
7. Describe Rome during the time of the Pax Romana.
8. Explain how each of the following were causes of the decline and fall of Imperial Rome.
a. Size:
b. Mercenary army
c. Inflation
d. Civil war
e. Invasions
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Ancient World History SOL Review Guide
Part Four
Directions: Answer all of the questions and define the terms you DO NOT know.
Section 7: Byzantine Empire
Terms: Justinian, Justinian’s Code, Hagia Sophia, Greek Orthodox Christianity, Great Schism, Pope, Patriarch, icons,
Cyrillic alphabet
Questions:
1. Explain why Constantinople was in a good location.
2. What were Justinian’s achievements as emperor of the Byzantine Empire? (Hint: “re-”)
3. Explain the differences between the Eastern and Western Christian Churches following the Great Schism.
4. When did Constantinople fall? And who conquered it?
Section 8: Islamic Empires and the Crusades
Terms: Sunni, Shi’a, Battle of Tours, Dome of the Rock, Arabic Alphabet, Arabic Numerals, Pope Urban, Saladin
Questions:
9. Explain the Sunni – Shi’a division within Islam.
10. What are the five pillars of faith?
11. What is the importance of the Battle of Tours? Who won? Who led the victorious forces?
12. What were the Crusades? What were the effects of the Crusades on Europe?
Section 9: Trade Patterns
Directions: On the map provided on
the bottom of this sheet, identify the
TRADE ROUTES and the GOODS (as well
as technology and ideas) EXCHANGED
along each.
1. Silk Road
2. Indian Ocean trade network
3. Trans-Saharan trade routes