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Individuals:
Sargon- ruler of Akkade. First mentioned king in history to create a multiethnic,
centrally ruled empire. Ruled when the empire was very wealthy. Famous for his
conquests of Sumerian city-states. Royal court of Kish.
Naram-Sin- grandson of Sargon. Ruled the empire at the height of its power. First
Mesopotamian king to claim divinity for himself
Hammurabi- King of Babylon. Wrote a legal code for his people (on a stele), political
propaganda. Empire controlled all of Mesopotamia.
Hatshepsut-New Kingdom. Queen during the 18th dynasty. Reign was long and
prosperous. Established trade networks that had been disrupted during Hyksos
occupation. One of the most prolific builders in ancient Egypt.
Akhenaten- (1352-1356 BC). New Kingdom. Tried to form a monotheistic religious cult
for the sun god Aten. Known as Amenhotep IV
Ramses II- Buildings. Peace treaty with Hittites. Burial tomb in valley of the Kings
(1184-1153 BC) Egypt’s greatest, most celebrated pharaoh.
David- reign began in 1000 BC. Second king of the 12 tribes. Defeated Philistines. Great
unifier. Monotheism. Also remembered as a great musician and poet.
Nubuchadnezzar II-greatest Neo-Bab. king (605-562 BC). Conquered Judah and
Jerusalem; Deported the Israelites. Known for massive building structures (2 wonders of
the world).
Cyrus the Great- Persian king. Expanded his empire so it included most of Asia.
Respected the cultures and religions of the lands he conquered. Defeated Babylonians,
allowed Israelites to return. Allowed local religions/cultures to thrive. Established
satrapies.
Darius I- usurped the throne in 522 (522-486 BC). Extended Cyrus’ empire. Fabricated
his lineage to connect him to Cyrus. Persia became the first superpower
Solon- Greek (Athenian) statesman and lawmaker. Credited for having laid the
foundations for Athenian democracy. New law code, established council (Boule, 400
members) and assembly (foreshadow of future democracy), freed slaves and abolished
debts. Broke the stranglehold of hereditary aristocracy and established a state were all
citizens were equal under the law.
Peisistratus (546-528 BC). Athenian tyrant. Marched into Athens w/ Athena. Kept
Solon’s reforms. Sons continued on the tyranny. Repaired temple to Athena (Acropolis).
Patrons to the arts. Panathenaic festival
Cleisthenes-archon; overthrew Hippias. Council of 500. Created new tribes (Demes),
ostracism. Planned for a fairer society that was implemented and sustained during a time
of war. ”Father of Athenian democracy”
Pericles- (495-429 BC) Dominated Athenian politics during period between Persian and
Peloponnesian Wars. Active participant in the Assembly Elected general (strategoi) 15
years in a row. Helped restore the Acropolis and build Parthenon. Turned the Delian
League into an empire.
Alcibiades- young aristocrat. Pelo. War. Supporter of Athens trying to conquer Sicily.
Defected from Athens to Sparta and back to Athens. Threat to stable democracy. Refused
to return to help the Athenian navy unless revolution of 400  creation of council of 400
(oligarchic).
Lysander- Spartan naval commander, had many victories (imp. b/c Sparta is a LAND
POWER). Led decisive naval battle that forced Athens to surrender in Peloponnesian
War. Exploited power for himself. Encouraged cult worship of himself. Lost Persian
support and credibility when he backed a failed (Persian) political coup.
Demosthenes- (384-322 BC) greatest Athenian orator. Rhetoric & argument. Advocated
for war against Philip II of Macedon. Did not want Athens to enter into an alliance
w/Phillip.
Philip II- Takes over Greek mainland. Destroyed Olympus. Battle of Chaeronea.(360336 BC). Father of Alexander the Great. Married wives of different ethnicities for
stabilization of empire…proved to be a problem when it came to Alexander’s legitimacy
to rule as king.
Darius III- Persian king during the time of Alexander the Great. Lost to Alex. Murdered
by Bessous. Greek war of revenge ended with his death. Motive for Alexander to go after
B.
Ptolemy I-appointed governor of Egypt after A’s death. Consolidated his power and
maintained power by obtaining Alexander’s body. Established a cosmopolitan empire,
surrounding the city of Alexandria.
Places:
Uruk- urban settlement. Also known as Sumer. Different architectural styles, connected
to many trade routes (4000-3000BC)
Ur- city in Sumer, elaborate tax structure. Epic of Gilgamesh. Ziggurats. Site of city
marked by the Great Ziggurat of Ur. Earliest stages of village settlement in southern
Mesopotamia. Location favorable for trade.
Giza-pyramids located there.
Valley of the Kings- burial site of Egyptian royalty (specifically those in the New
Kingdom [16th-20th dynasties]). Many pyramids. Revolutionized burials. Located outside
of Luxor.
Kalhu (Nimrud)- ancient Assyrian city located on the Tigris. Large palace and ziggurat.
Babylon- single ruling dynasty. Taken over by Assyrians in 7th century. Nebuchnezz. Two
of the seven wonders of the world. Alexander died here (323 BC) earlier in his life he was
welcomed as a liberator when he invaded Asia.
Persepolis- spiritual center of the Persian empire. A lot of treasure. Conquered by
Alexander.
Knossos- Palace on Crete. Used by both Minoans and Mycaneans. Linear A and Linear
B script found there.
Mycenae- capital of Mycanean empire. War culture as compared to the Minoans
Lefkandi- Greek settlement. Ancient site w/remains going back to 2000 BC. Trading city
w/ Phoenicians. Burial of leader w/ wife and team of four horses (status symbol).
Mycanaean war-chieftains.
Olympia- Olympic games. Temple to Zeus. Destroyed by Phillip
Delphi- oracle. Religious center. Believed to be the center of the world.
Corinth- Neighbors to Sparta. First Greek tyranny (Cypselid and Periander). Dominated
pottery, shipbuilding. Allied with Sparta. Fighting during Corinthian war. Many trade
routes surrounding it. Corinthian League
Thebes- Rival city to Athens. Located in Boetia. Defeated Spartans at battle of Leuctra,
but lost to the Macedonians during battle of Chaeronea.
Syracuse- city in Sicily. Defeated Athenian forces when they tried to invade. Had many
resources and a well-defended harbor. Tyrant= Dionysius.
Alexandria- Capital of Ptolemaic kingdom. Intellectual center of the Hellenistic world.
Library contained over half a million volumes. Museum attracted intellectuals from all
over the region. Kept the Greek culture alive and intact.
Events/Battles/Treaties:
Battle of Qadesh- Egyptians (Ramses II) and Hittites. Inconclusive  Egyptian Hittite
Treaty; two sides viewed the treaty very differently…Egyptians considered themselves
much better off than Hittites
Battle of Marathon- Persian forces attacked Greek mainland w/help from Hippias.
Greek victory (Athenians).
Battle of Thermopylae- Persian military victory, Greek moral victory (betrayed by
another Greek). Small Spartan force against huge Persian army. Took place in a narrow
pass.
Battle of Plataea- Greek victory during Persian Wars (479 BC). Persian forces led by
Mardonious after Xerxes returned to Persia. Land battle.
Battle of the Eurymedon- land and water battle between Delian League and Xerxes.
Greek victory. Greek forces led by Cimon. Left Persians w/out any offensive forces in the
Aegean.
Thirty Years’ Peace- Peace treaty between Athens and Sparta in 446/445 BC.
Recognized each other’s allies and promised not to interfere with their allegiances.
Peace of Nicias- Peace treaty between Athens and Sparta during Peloponnesian War.
Made in 421 BC and each side agreed to give up the territories it had taken. Really tense,
eventually broke down…
King’s Peace- see “Koine eirene”
Battle of Leuctra- (371). Thebes destroyed Spartan forces. Battle came as a result of
Spartan hostilities in ThebesSecond Athenian League. Led to the demise of Spartan
dominance in Peloponnese.
Battle of Chaeronea- Athenians (led attack) and other Greek cities v. Macedonians.
Phillip’s forces annihilated Greeks, occupied Thebes, series of reforms. Last time Greeks
were independent until AD 829. Phillip officially disbanded the Second Athenian League,
created the League of Corinth (Greeks and Macedonians into one army for Macedonian
military control).
Battle of Gaugamela- Macedonians v. Persians. Macedonian victory. Darius flees and
Alexander is welcomed as a liberator in Babylon. Continues his conquest into Asia. Fall
of the Persian Empire.
Documents:
Sumerian King List- listed Sumerian kings. Became a political tool. Early kings
recorded as ruling for as long as 1000 yrs…mythical. Includes Gilgamesh.
Turin King List- papyrus list of Egyptian kings. Lists 20th dynasty-17th
dynasty…corresponds to Manetho’s list.
Pentateuch- First five books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers
and Deuteronomy). Tells of the early history of the Israelite people. Not enough
corroborating textual evidence showing nomadic movements (Exodus…).
Linear B Tablets- script for writing Mycenaean Greek (an early form of Greek). Many
found on Knossos. Roughly related to Linear A, Minoan script. Confined to
administrative contexts.
Groups/Peoples:
Hyksos- “foreign rulers”. Invaders that took over Egypt during the 12th dynasty (Second
Intermediate Period).
Phoenicians- coastal traders. Maritime people. Use of the alphabet, which was spread
through trade.
Sea Peoples- Sea faring raiders in Mediterranean. Attempted to control/invade Egypt
during 19th dynasty.
Helots- Spartan “slaves” in Laconia and Messenia. Forced to work the land that the
Spartans took away from them. Also used as military forces. Sparta was always nervous
of revolts.
Homoioi- citizen/soldier of Sparta. Means “similar” Achieved this when reached the age
of 30. Used to create military machine. Most heroic action was to die in battle
Concepts/Values/Practices/Rituals:
Ma’at- Political ideology of Egyptian kings. Harmony achieved through justice and right
living.
Kleos- glory, honor.
Arate- “goodness or virtue”. Meaning changes from what it describes (ex. Man v.
animal). Used to describe heroes in Iliad.
Panhellenism- union of Greece in a single political body. Supported by Alexander. Ex.
Olympic games
Logos- words, ideas, discussion.
Episteme-“ knowledge”. Development of western thought. Trying to distinguish between
perceived reality and actual reality. Presocratic/Ionian revolution
Demokratia- democracy. Power of the people. Athens had the first, and largest,
democracy (attainable only because of slave culture). World’s only sustained direct
democracy. Established by Cleisthenes
Elenchus – Cross examination. Socratic method. Questions that lead to the correct
answer.
Koine eirene- King’s Peace, means common peace. Between Persian king (Artaxerxes)
and Sparta. Sparta agreed to acquiesce control of Greeks in Asia, while Persia
guaranteed independence of every Greek city.
Proskynesis- obseiance, prostration of subject before his king. Alexander tried to
implement this in his court, Mesopotamians resented it caused tension with his troops,
while the Persians accepted it. (M, did it for people connected to god. P, kings were
connected to god).
Erastes- the lover. Active role. Generally older… paiderastia (love of boys). Supposed to
bring them together in warfare, specifically for the Spartans.
Eromenos- the beloved. Passive role. Younger boy (10-18), once a man reached a
certain age (25?) he could not fulfill the role of the beloved anymore. “Feminine” role
Objects/Monuments:
Warka Vase- showed the city of Uruk was organized society. Ritual procession w/ larger
figure, signifying a king or religious leader.
Standard of Ur- from royal cemetery. Hollow wooden box. Two panels, one of war, the
other of peace. Representation of Sumerian army
Narmer Palette- expressed unity in Egypt of Lower of Upper regions. Visual evidence
that Narmer was the first Egyptian king. Surreal/mythic creatures.
Cyrus Cylinder- Persian. Cuniform writing. Stress Cyrus’ legitimacy as king to
Babylonian subjects. Royal propaganda, describes Cyrus as a liberator.
Acropolis- Athens. Temple complex to Athena. Religious and defensive center.
Parthenon is built there. Enduring symbol of ancient Greece and Athenian democracy.
Great Alter of Zeus at Pergamum- great sculptural pieces of the Hellenistic Age.
Commissioned by Attalus I, king of Pergamum. Alter celebrated his achievements.
Depicted the gods (Attalid rulers) fighting against the giants (Galatians: Celtic people).
Administrative Terms/Organizations:
Satrapy- Persian regional governor. Capital of satrapy was the former capital of that
conquered area. Developed by Cyrus.
Ephor- Five elected annually. Responsible for maintaining good order and watching
over the king. Introduced business to Assembly and Council of Elders.
Archon- three originally (religious, administrative and cultural leaders). Expanded to
include the remaining nine elected generals.
Deme-subdivision of Attica made by Cleisthenes. Citizenship prior had been based on
family group, now based on membership in a deme. Three demes from different regions
would form a tryttia unity w/in Greek people.
Council of 500- introduced by Solon (Boule), finalized by Cleisthenes. Would meet and
choose topics to be brought up in Assembly. 50 members from each of the ten tribes.
Ostracism- introduced by Cleisthenes. Over 6,000 votes from Athenian citizens would
exile someone for 10 yrs.
Second Athenian Sea League- Group of seventy states that joined together in 378 BC to
counteract Spartan hostilities and power. Thebes was the dominant power. Alliance
ended because Sparta was no longer a threat, yet Athens tried to keep the League
together through force…