Download 2009_Ancient_Europe_Test_-_Study_Guide_(answers)

Excellent European History Study Guide
things you need to know to take this test…
Ancient Greece
 The first democratic government was in Ancient Greece
(specifically—Athens).
 The ancient Greeks honored their gods (and goddesses) by writing
poems, myths, and plays.
 Two important Greek philosophers (a philosopher is a teacher) were
Socrates and Plato.
 The “great” military leader who conquered lands along the
Mediterranean Sea was Alexander the Great.
Ancient Rome
 “Republic” means that every person can vote for someone to represent
them (it’s the same thing as representative democracy). Ancient
Rome had the first representative democracy (est. 509BC).
 Plebeians were ordinary male citizens who could vote, but could not
hold office in the Roman Senate.
 Patricians were from wealthy, landowning families.
 Julius Caesar was a general and military leader who took control of
Rome in 46BC. He was killed two years later, in 44BC. Augustus
was Julius Caesar’s son, who became the first emperor of Rome in
27BC. His rule was known as the Augustan Age, or “Pax Romana”
and he ruled for 40 years. The “Pax Romana” lasted for 200 years.
 Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire under
the rule of Emperor Constantine.
 The greatest contribution of the ancient Romans was their
architecture.
Middle Ages
 The last emperor of Rome was Charlemagne (Charles the Great).
 Under feudalism, peasants (serfs) would pay the knights (vassals) to
protect them from the evil barbarians. The knights would then pay the
wealthy landowners (lords) because they gave the knights the land to
protect (this land was called a fief). The lords would then pay the
king as a way to show their loyalty.
 The Magna Carta was signed in 1215 and this limited the English
king’s power.
 The Bubonic Plague reached Europe in 1347 when sailors came back
from Asia. Fleas carried the plague and they would bite people and
animals, infecting them.
 The Bubonic Plague was also known as the Black Plague. Its
symptoms were coughing up blood, black spots, fever, and swelling.
People & Terms to know:
 The Renaissance was a period of rebirth in culture.
 Leonardo daVinci was an Italian artist whoso famous works include
the The Last Supper, and Mona Lisa.
 Michaelangelo was an Italian artist whose famous works include the
Sistine Chapel ceiling, David, and Moses.
 William Shakespeare is the most famous playwright of all time.
 Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1444.
Maps: You will need to be able to locate the following on a blank map of
Europe: Alps, English Channel, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece,
Ireland, Italy, Mediterranean Sea, Russia, Spain, and Sweden, Ural
Mountains.