Reading Guide

Reading Guide

1. How did geography affect the development of the legend? 

The geography affected the development because it was on seven hills.

2. How did the Etruscans influence the development of Rome? 

They influenced the development of Rome by their writing, architecture, alphabet, and the use of the Arch.

3. Which were the main groups that competed for power in the early Roman republic? 

The main groups were the patricians and the plebeians. 

4. What is the significance of the Twelve Tables in Roman law? 

The significance was that it gave plebeians more protection under Roman law. 

5. What were the causes of the First Punic War?

The causes were them arguing about who was going to take control of Italy and the West Mediterranean. 

6. What tactic did Scipio use to defeat Hannibal?

Scipio attacked Carthage as a tactic to defeat Hannibal. 

7. What was the significance of the Punic Wars for Rome? 

It was to bring Rome dominance over the Western Meditteranean.

Republic: A form of government in which power is in the hands of representatives and leaders are elected by citizens who have the right to vote.

Patrician: In ancient Rome, a member of the wealthy, privileged upper class.

Plebeian: In ancient Rome, one of the common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up most of the population.

Tribune: In ancient Rome, an official elected by the plebeians to protect their rights.

Consul: In the Roman republic, one of the two powerful officials elected each year to command the army and direct the government.

Senate: In ancient Rome, the supreme governing body, originally made up only of aristocrats.

Dictator: In ancient Rome, a political leader given absolute power to make laws and command the army for a limited time.

Legion: A military unit of the ancient Roman army made up of about 5,000-foot soldiers and a group of soldiers on Horseback.

Punic Wars: A series of three wars between Rome and Carthage (264-146 b.c.); 

Democracy and Greece's Golden Age

Reading Guide Part A:

Pericles had three goals for Athens. 

1. How did Pericles strengthen democracy?

Pericles strengthened democracy by paying public officials.

2. What steps did Pericles take to strengthen the empire and glorify Athens? 

Pericles used money from the Delian League treasury to strengthen the Athenian navy. He glorified Athens by buying gold, ivory, and marble. He also built beautiful sculptors surrounding Athens.

The Greeks invented drama. 

3. What themes were common in Greek tragedy? 

Love, hate, war, and betrayal were all common themes in Greek tragedy.

4. What do the themes of Greek comedies suggest about the men and women of Athens? 

It suggested that women had more power over men. 

Greek philosophers search for truth. 

5. What was Plato’s vision of the ideal society? 

Plato's vision was that instead of a democracy, there would be farmers, artisans, warriors, and the ruling class.

6. What is the philosophic legacy of Aristotle? 

The philosophic legacy of Aristotle is that he questioned the nature of the world and human belief.

Terms: 

direct democracy: all decisions are made by the people

classical art: art from the period of time ranging from Neolithic through to the 1st century BC

tragedy comedy: is a literary genre that blends aspects of both tragic and comic forms.

Peloponnesian War: was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens and Sparta

philosopher: a person engaged or learned in philosophy.

Socrates: a person who studies the meaning of life. 

Plato: was an Athenian philosopher in Ancient Greece.

Aristotle: was an Athenian philosopher in Ancient Greece.

Questions:

2. Which of Pericles’ goals do you think had the greatest impact on the modern world? Explain your choice.

I think democracy was the greatest impact on modern choice because that's how we run our government today. 

3. What steps did Pericles take to strengthen democracy in Athens?

He increased the number of paid officials and he introduced democracy. 

4. What were the battle strategies of Athens and Sparta in the Peloponnesian War?

Athen's strategies were to avoid land battles and wait to strike from the sea. Sparta's strategies were to strike from land and to burn the Athenian food supply.

5. Why do you think some Athenians found the ideas of Socrates so disturbing?

Maybe because they had never been asked to look at their own morals.

Culture of the Mountains and the Sea

1. For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance.
• Mycenaean • Trojan War • Dorian • Homer • epic • myth

-Mycenaean were the people who settled on the Greek mainland around 2000 B.C.
-The Trojan War was in the 1200s B.C., the Mycenaeans fought a ten-year war against Troy, an independent trading city located in Anatolia. According to legend, a Greek army besieged and destroyed Troy because a Trojan prince had kidnapped Helen, the beautiful wife of a Greek king.
-The Dorians were much less advanced than the Mycenaeans. The Dorians spoke a dialect of Greek and may have been distant relatives of the Bronze Age Greeks.
-Homer was the greatest storyteller and was a blind man.
-Epics were narrative poems celebrating heroic deeds, sometime between 750 and 700 B.C.
-Greeks developed myths, traditional stories, about their gods.
USING YOUR READING GUIDE NOTES
2. Which of the cultures on your
chart do you think contributed
the most to Greek culture?
Explain.
I think the Minoans contributed the most to Greek culture-
1. sea trade taught them sailing
2. they adapted the Minoan writing system
3. adapted their art which is seen in vases
4. religion, politics, culture
MAIN IDEAS
3. What impact did nearness to the sea have on the development of Greece?
Since the Greeks lived so close to the sea they became excellent sailors. They used this ability for trade because Greece lack natural resources like timber, metals, and farmland. The seaways also linked most parts of Greece together.
4. What aspects of culture did the Mycenaeans adopt from the Minoans?
One of the many things that the Mycenaeans adopted from the Minoans was sea trade. They sent out their traders on boats to trade with different countries. They also adopted their language, writing system, religion, political aspects, and their literature.
5. Why were the epics of importance to the Greeks of the Dorian period?
The Greeks believed that he epics were stories from their past, their history.


DRAWING CONCLUSIONS 

6. How did the physical geography of Greece cause Greek-speaking peoples to develop separate, isolated communities?
Greece is a very mountainous country. It was difficult for people to travel between each community, so this caused people to stay where they were and travel less.

Pyramids on The Nile

1. Describe the geography of Egypt
2. Identify the role of pharaoh in Egyptian culture
3. Describe the cultural and technological achievements of the Egyptians


1. What role do you think the Nile River played in Egypt’s prosperity? Do you think ancient Egypt could have become a majestic civilization without the Nile?

The Nile River provided consistent water source, food, transportation, and fertile soil for Egypt.  No, consistent food and water is necessary for civilization which the Nile gave them.  
2. What were some of the ways Egyptians harnessed the power of the Nile? What was the  primary route of transportation they developed, and what were the techniques ancient Egyptians used to develop them?


Egyptians used the Nile for irrigation and transportation.  The primary route for transportation was to sail upstream (south), and float downstream (north).  They built canals for east/west travel.  
3. How would you describe the power structure of ancient Egypt? What does it mean to describe Egyptian kings and queens as “divine"? What powers did they believe this enabled them?

Ancient Egypt had absolute power meaning they could command major projects to be built, regardless of coast.  They believed that since they were seen as divine, their subjects were devoted to their afterlife.  Pharaohs believed they would be reborn to be like the sun god.
4. What were some examples of the challenges laborers faced in constructing Egypt’s monuments? What do you think motivated them?


They were challenged with feeding, equipping, funding of the workers, and transporting large stones over sand.  They were motivated by the deep-seeded belief in the Pharaoh's divinity.
5. What are some of the connections between Egyptian engineering and the expansion of its empire?

The control of the Nile River allowed for a sustained food source which could feed large armies.  Also building serious forts helped them control Nubia, a big source of gold, which was needed for funding and decoration temples.  

6. Why are Egyptian obelisks considered one of the most amazing architectural feats ever achieved? Do you think they could be constructed today?

They are the most amazing architectural features ever because to chisel out, transport, and stand up right without cracking it seems impossible. It would be difficult for modern people to do but I'm sure it's possible

The Greek City States

1. Define polis, acropolis, demós, monarchy, oligarchy, aristocracy, tyranny.
2. Compare the different models of gov. used in Ancient Greece.
3. Compare lifestyles in the two main city states, Athens and Sparta.


1.The Sparta treated the Messenians very bad, they made them slaves and demanded half of their crops.
2. The Sparta dedicated their society to becoming a strong military after the revolt. 
3. The Athenians avoided major political upheavals by moving their people into a Democracy.
4. Solon outlawed debt, slavery, four social classes, and press charges to initiate economic and political reformation. 
5. The Cleisthenes organized citizens in districts that could submit laws and a council of 500 was randomly chosen.
6. The Greeks had phalanx unlike the Persians.  The Greeks were disciplined and the Persians had lighter armor so poorer people would join.
7. The consequences of the Persian Wars was Athens trading freely and flourishing and the Delian league formed.
TERMS & NAMES 
1. For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance.
• polis • acropolis • monarchy • aristocracy • oligarchy • tyrant • democracy • helot • phalanx • Persian Wars
Polis means the city- state.  The acropolis was like a temple that each individual city-state had at their highest point and each was set up mostly the same.  The Aristocracy were the land owning class of people, AKA the highest class.  The Demos were the average citizens.   A Monarchy is a single ruler; king or queen.  The Aristocracy was also a system of government where the wealthiest were in power.  Oligarchy is two or more rulers.  Tyranny was a system where one tyrant would be appointed to have power in a time of emergency and crisis, usually a small period in time.  Phalanx is a very powerful fighting force in the ancient world where you hold a spear in one hand and a shield in the other.  The Persian Wars were fought between the Persians and the Greeks.
USING YOUR NOTES
2. Which of the events on your time line do you think was the most important for life today? Explain.
The Greeks defeating the remaining Persian army was the most important event for life today because if they hadn't, life now for the Greeks could be far behind how advanced they are todayand they could've gone through a very bad period of loss.
MAIN IDEAS3. How does an aristocracy differ from an oligarchy?
An Aristocracy is made up of nobles and an oligarchy is just powerful/ wealthy people.
4. What contributions did Solon and Cleisthenes make to the development of Athenian democracy?
Solon outlawed debt slavery.  Cleisthenes broke up the power of nobility by organizing citizens into groups based off of where they lived no their wealth.  He also let all citizens to submit laws.
5. How did Athens benefit from victory in the Persian Wars?
Athens became the leader of the Delian League which had grown into at least 200 city-states.