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Greece
East Asia
South Asia
Hellenism and Rome
Middle-East
100
This legendary Greek thinker was one of the earliest to attempt to understand the universe without looking to mysticism and magic; he saw mathematics as the basic organizing principle.
Who is Pythagoras?
100
This body of ethical and philosophical thought emphasized education, the "proper place" of the individual in social, political and familial hierarchies, and the practice of benevolence and respect in order to maintain harmony.
What is Confucianism?
100
Founded in northern India, this philosophical system, which promised an end to suffering and a path to release, traveled far from its point of origin and became a dominant belief system in many parts of Asia.
What is Buddhism?
100
Begun in the city of Rome and spreading to the Italian peninsula, this system of government involves electing representatives and has been one of Rome's most enduring legacies in the Western World.
What is Republicanism?
100
In 500 BCE, this was the largest and most impressive empire.
What is the Persian Empire? (aka Achaemenid Empire).
200
The tradition of Greek philosophy is best articulate by these three most famous Classical Era thinkers.
Who are Socrates, Plato and Aristotle?
200
Rather than focusing on education and public life, this philosophy emphasized withdrawal into the world of nature, whose principles underly all phenomena in the universe with a balance of Yin and Yang.
What is Daoism?
200
With no clear organized doctrine nor original founders, this wisdom tradition shows a flexibility and adaptability that paralleled the multiculturalism of the subcontinent upon which it developed.
What is Hinduism?
200
Though none of the philosophical and religious systems we've studied originated in Rome, its empire was responsible for the spread of this major world religion.
What is Christianity?
200
The god of this monotheistic religion, Ahura Mazda, provided legitimacy for the kings of the Persian empire.
What is Zoroastrianism?
300
Though of marginal significance to their larger and more powerful neighbor, victory in this 5th century BCE conflict was a great source of pride for the Greeks, and was followed by a flowering of culture and a "golden age."
What are the Greco-Persian Wars?
300
Following the Warring States period, this 3rd century BCE dynasty centralized power and bureaucracy to create a unified Chinese state that has endured to the present.
What is the Qin Dynasty?
300
In India, political and cultural environments (e.g. fragmentation, diversity) contributed to the early establishment of this rigid social hierarchy, first articulated in the Vedas.
What is the caste system?
300
This was the most famous of the cities established by Alexander in conquered lands, and become a bustling commercial and cultural center.
What is Alexandria, Egypt?
300
Born in the Middle East, this enduring religious tradition was permitted to further develop and even thrive under Persian rule
What is Judaism?
400
These separate fundamental political units had cultural commonalities but were independent until they were unified into a single state by in the 4th century BCE, by the father of a famous Macedonian.
What are Greek city-states? (or poleis, singlular: polis).
400
By the middle of the second millennium BCE, the Zhou Dynasty, successor to the Shang, controlled China in name only. The period of conflict lasting from the 5th to the 3rd century BCE is also known as what?
What is the Warring States period?
400
This 3rd century BCE Mauryan Emperor of India converted to Buddhism and spread his codes of moral conduct and governance across his empire via edicts inscribed on rocks and pillars.
Who is Ashoka?
400
During and following Alexander's conquests, these were the primary vehicles for the spread of Greek culture known as "Hellenism."
What are Hellenistic cities?
400
This characteristic of Achaemenid rulers is sometimes attributed to the religion of its rulers, which promoted humane behavior.
What is tolerance of other cultures?
500
This theory that that opinions and actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than on religious belief or emotional response is one of Greece's most enduring legacies.
What is rationalism?
500
This Confucian-based institution and practice, established by Han Emperor Wudi in the 2nd century BCE created a path of entry into the Chinese government bureaucracy. Though heavily favoring the elite, it was theoretically an instrument for social mobility in China, as well as a meritocracy that was unique in the Classical era.
What is the Imperial Academy (or Imperial Exam, or Civil Service Exam)?
500
These sacred texts, compiled approximately between 800 and 500 BCE(?), follow the earlier Vedas and describe the philosophical underpinnings of "Hinduism."
What are the Upanishads?
500
This "cultural ecology" of the Geometric Mentality helps explain the unprecedented cultural mixing that took place during this era.
What is transcontinental?
500
This 6th century event is considered an illustration of the Persian empire's respect for non-Persian cultures, and earned the enduring gratitude of Jewish people of the Classical age.
Cyrus the Great's permission for captive peoples, including Jews exiled in Babylon, to return to their homelands.