History Alive: The Ancient World

Glossary

Teal words are defined in the margins of History Alive! TheAncient World.
Red words are key concepts in the chapter introductions.

Abraham the leader who led the Hebrews from aristocrat a member of the most powerful class in
Mesopotamia to Canaan ancient Greek society

achievement an accomplishment Ark of the Covenant the chest containing theTen
Commandments, written on stone tablets, that
acropolis the hill above a Greek city on which tem- the Hebrews carried with them during their
ples were built wanderings after their flight from Egypt

agora a marketplace in ancient Greece art human creations intended to express beauty
and convey messages
agriculture the business of farming
artifact an object made or used by people in the
Akkadian Empire a Mesopotamian empire past

Alexander the Great the ruler of a vast empire from artisan a craftsperson
Macedonia to India in the 300s B.C.E.
ascetic a person who gives up worldly pleasures
alliance an agreement between nations to work
together for common interests Ashoka an Indian king who used Buddhist values
to unify India from about 269 to 232 B.C.E.
ally a country or group that joins with another
for a common purpose, such as to fight against assembly a group of citizens in an ancient Greek
a common enemy democracy with the power to pass laws

alms goods given to the poor Assyrian Empire a Mesopotamian empire

ancestor worship honoring ancestors through ritu- astronomy the study of stars and planets
als, such as offering food and wine to the dead
B
ancient history the study of the distant past, from
the earliest humans through the first great Babylonian Empire a Mesopotamian empire
civilizations
baptize a ritual by which a person is welcomed into
anesthetic something that takes away the feeling a religion
of pain
bas-relief a sculpture in which the image projects
anthropologist a scientist who studies human out from a flat surface
development and culture
biped a two-footed animal
appoint to choose someone to fill an office or a
position blasphemy a disrespectful act or statement against
God
aqueduct a pipe or channel that brings water from
distant places Brahman in Hinduism, the one supreme power, or
divine force, that everything is a part of
arch an upside-down U- or V-shaped structure that
supports weight above it, as in a doorway Brahmanism an ancient Indian religion in which the
Brahmins (priests and religious scholars) are the
archeologist an expert who studies the past by dominant class
examining objects that people have left behind
Buddha a man originally named Siddhartha
archer a person who shoots with a bow and arrow Gautama who lived in India from about 563 to
483 B.C.E. and began the religion of Buddhism
architecture the art of designing buildings
Buddhism a religion of India begun by Prince
Siddhartha, or the Buddha

396 Resources

Glossary

bureaucracy a form of government in which a few culture a characteristic of civilization that includes
people rule many others the beliefs and behaviors of a society or group
of people

calligraphy the art of fine handwriting cuneiform writing that uses wedge-shaped
capability skill characters
capital a city that is the center of government
cuniculus an irrigation system invented by the
Etruscans

caravan a group of people traveling together

caste a class, or group, in Hindu society daily life the factors of everyday existence,
including religion, recreation, housing, food
cavalry soldiers who ride on horses and drink, and education

census an official count of the population or number Daoism a Chinese philosophy that emphasizes
of people living in an area living in harmony with nature

chariot a two-wheeled vehicle pulled by a horse David the Hebrew king who established Jerusalem
as a holy city
Christianity the religion based on the life and
teachings of Jesus Christ delta an area of sediment deposited at the mouth of
a river
citadel a fortress built to protect a city
democracy a form of government in which the
citizen a member of a democracy, who has certain ruling power is shared by all citizens
rights and responsibilities

city-state an early city that was like a small, descendant a daughter or son, granddaughter or
independent country with its own laws and grandson, and so on
government
dharma one of the basic beliefs of Hinduism that
civilization a culture marked by developments in stands for law, obligation, and duty
arts, sciences, government, and social structure
disciple a person who helps spread the religious
civil servant a person who works for a government teachings of another

civil war a war between regions of the same dome a half-round or hemisphere-shaped roof
country
domesticate to train a wild animal to be useful
clan a large group of friends and family to humans

climate the average weather conditions at a drama the art of writing, acting in, and producing
particular place plays

colonist a person who lives in a colony dynasty a family or group that rules for several
colony a settlement in a distant place generations

compass an instrument for determining direction

Confucianism a Chinese philosophy that economy a system of managing the wealth of a
emphasizes proper behavior community or region

consul one of two chief leaders in the Roman edict a command that is obeyed like a law
Republic
education a system of learning
covenant an agreement or promise

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Glossary

Egyptian civilization a society of people who lived golden age a time of great prosperity and
in the northeast corner of Africa from around achievement
3100 B.C.E. to 350 C.E.
gospel an account of the life and teachings of Jesus
embalm to treat a dead body with preservatives Christ
to prevent it from decaying
government the people or groups that rule a
empire a large territory in which several groups particular region
of people are ruled by a single leader or
government granary a place to store grain

engineering the science of building structures and Greco-Roman having the characteristics of Roman
the like art with a strong Greek influence

environmental factors the water, topography (shape Greek contribution influence from the Greeks that
of the land), and vegetation (plant life) of an area affects us today, as in the areas of language, gov-
or region ernment, medicine, mathematics and science,
architecture, entertainment, and sports
Etruscans inhabitants of Etruria, a land just north of
the Palatine Greek culture the features of Greek society,
including religion, architecture, sculpture, drama,
execute to kill philosophy, and sports

exile living away from one's native country Greeks inhabitants of Greece
Gupta Empire an empire that flourished in India
Exodus the departure of the Hebrews from Egypt
from about 320 to 550 C.E.
expansion the process of becoming larger, such as
of an empire H

famine a severe shortage of food Han dynasty the Chinese dynasty that ruled from
about 206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E.
fertilization the process of adding fertilizer, or plant
food, to soil Hebrew civilization a society of people (ancient
Israelites) who lived to the northeast of Egypt, in
feudalism a system of government based on Canaan, from about 1800 B.C.E. to 70 C.E.
landowners and tenants
Hellespont the long, narrow body of water between
Europe and Asia in present-day Turkey

gentile non-Jewish hieroglyph a symbol used in hieroglyphics, a sys-
tem of writing developed in about 3000 B.C.E.
geographer an expert who studies and creates maps
of Earth's natural and humanmade features Hinduism India's first major religion

geographic region an area of land that has its own historian an expert who studies and records the past
geographic characteristics
hominid a prehistoric human
geography the physical features of an area
human sacrifice a person who is killed as part of a
religious ritual

geometry the branch of mathematics involving I
points, lines, planes, and figures
immortal able to live forever
glacier a huge mass of ice that slowly slides over a
land area Indus-Sarasvati civilization a society of people who
settled in the Indus River valley in India and were
gladiator a person trained to fight another person to known for their advanced culture; also called the
the death for public entertainment Harappan civilization

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Glossary

industry a business that manufactures a particular strict obedience to laws
product, such as silk
levee a wall of earth built to prevent a river from
irrigation system a means of supplying land with flooding its banks
water
lodestone a type of iron ore
isolated community a settlement that is separated
from other settlements by features such as moun- logograph a written character that represents a word
tains or oceans
longitude a measure of how far a place on Earth
is from an imaginary line that runs between the
North and South Poles on the globe

Jesus Christ a man who lived from about 6 B.C.E. M
to 27 C.E. and upon whose life and teachings
Christianity is based Macedonia an ancient kingdom north of Greece

Jewish beliefs the basis of Judaism, such as maize a type of corn
the belief in one God and the importance of
following theTen Commandments Mandate of Heaven a power or law believed to be
granted by a god
Jewish Diaspora the scattering of the Jewish
people to many lands Mauryan Empire an empire that flourished in India
from about 322 to 187 B.C.E.
Judaism a major world religion that was founded by
the Hebrews medicine the science of healing the body and
preventing disease
K
merchant a person who makes money by selling
kandake a powerful female leader who co-ruled goods
Kush with her husband and sons
Mesopotamia in ancient times, the geographic area
karma in Hinduism, the belief that how a person located between theTigris and Euphrates Rivers
lives will affect their next life
Messiah a savior that many Jews believed had been
Kush civilization a society of people who lived along promised by God
the Nile, south of Egypt, from about 2000 B.C.E.
to 350 C.E. Middle Kingdom a period in ancient Egyptian

land bridge a piece of land connecting two history that lasted from about 2000 to 1800 B.C.E.
continents
migrate to move from one geographic region to
language spoken and written words used to another
communicate thoughts, ideas, and feelings
millet a type of grain
Latins people from the ancient country of Latium,
an area in what is now the country of Italy mirage an image of something that isn't really there,
such as water
latitude a measure of how far a place on Earth is
from the equator missionary someone who tries to persuade others
to believe in his or her religious teachings
law a legal system
legacy a contribution of one culture to another Mohenjodaro one of the first great settlements
Legalism a Chinese philosophy that emphasizes in India and a center of the Indus-Sarasvati
civilization

monarch a single ruler who holds all the power in a
country or empire

monarchy a form of government in which the ruling
power is in the hands of one person

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Glossary

monastery a home for monks Paleolithic Age the first period of the Stone Age,
monk a holy man who devotes his life to religious called the Old Stone Age, from about 2 million
years ago to around 8000 B.C.E.
practice
monotheism the belief that there is only one god papyrus a tough water plant used to make paper
monsoon a strong wind that brings heavy rain to and rope in ancient times

southern Asia in the summer parable a simple story that explains a moral or
Moses a Hebrew leader who led his people out religious lesson

of slavery in Egypt and brought Judaism its fun- Parthenon the temple honoring the goddess Athena,
damental laws, theTen Commandments built on the acropolis above Athens
multiple gods in Hinduism, the many gods and
goddesses that represent the various qualities patrician in the Roman Republic, a rich man who
of Brahman, the one supreme god held power
mural a wall painting
mutton meat from sheep peasant a person who does farmwork for wealthy
myth a traditional story that helps to explain a landowners
culture's beliefs
Peloponnesian War conflict between Athens
N and Sparta (and other city-states) from 431 to
404 B.C.E.
Neo-Babylonian Empire a Mesopotamian empire
Neolithic Age the later part of the Stone Age, called Peloponnesus the peninsula forming the southern
part of the mainland of Greece
the New Stone Age, from 8000 to 3000 B.C.E.
New Kingdom a period in ancient Egyptian history Persian Empire at its height in the 400s B.C.E., the
largest empire the world had ever known, ruling
that lasted from about 1600 to 1100 B.C.E. over land in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia
nirvana an ideal state of happiness and peace
nomad a person who moves from place to place Persian wars the conflict between Persia and the
Greek city-states between 499 and 479 B.C.E.
with no permanent home
pharaoh an ancient Egyptian leader
oasis a place where water can be found in a desert
Old Kingdom a period in ancient Egyptian history philosophy a theory or set of values by which
one lives; the search for wisdom or knowledge
that lasted from about 2700 to 2200 B.C.E.
oligarch one of several people who rule a country or physical feature an aspect of the land, such as
mountains, plateaus, and rivers
empire together, sharing the power
oligarchy a form of government in which the ruling pictograph a symbol that stands for an object

power is in the hands of a few people pilgrimage a journey to a holy place
ore a mineral mined for its valuable uses
plague a terrible disaster affecting many people and
Palatine one of the seven hills in ancient Rome thought to be sent by God as a punishment

plateau a flat area of land that is elevated, or raised,
above the land around it

plebeian one of the common people; in the Roman
Republic, a person who had no say in govern-
ment

prefect a high official in ancient Rome

prehistoric before written history

priestess a female priest

400 Resources

prophet a person who speaks or interprets for God Sanskrit an ancient language of India
to other people
sarcophagus a large stone coffin
province a territory that is part of a country or an
empire science knowledge of the physical world

Punic Wars wars fought between Rome and scribe a person who writes
Carthage
scroll a roll of a material like paper or papyrus
pyramid a huge, triangular-shaped monument of
ancient Egypt built around a tomb sculpture the art of creating three-dimensional
figures from such materials as wood, stone,
Qin Shihuangdi the man who became emperor over and clay
a united China from 221 to 210 B.C.E.
seismograph an instrument for detecting
R earthquakes

rabbi a religious teacher who studies and teaches Senate a group of 300 men elected to govern
others about Jewish law Rome in the Roman Republic

reincarnation the belief that a person's soul is settlement a small community or village
reborn into a new body after death
sewer system a network of pipes that disposes
relationship between Egypt and Kush how the of sewage, or waste water
cultures of Egypt of Kush influenced each other
commercially, culturally, and politically shelter a place that provides protection from
weather, such as a house
religion a set of spiritual beliefs, values, and
practices Shang dynasty the Chinese dynasty that ruled the
area around the Huang He from 1700 to 1122
remains a dead body
Renaissance a period of European history around B.C.E.

the 14th century in which there was a rebirth of siege a military blockade and attack on a city to
interest and accomplishments in art, literature, force it to surrender
and learning
republic a form of government with elected leaders Silk Road a network of trade routes that stretched
ritual relating to a ceremony, such as a religious more than 4,000 miles across Asia
ceremony
Rome a city in Italy silt fine particles of rock

Sabbath the seventh day of the week to be used social class a group of society distinguished from
for rest and worship, according to one of the other groups by such things as wealth, property,
Ten Commandments and rights

sacrifice a gift of an animal for slaughter as a way to social pyramid a drawing of a pyramid shape with
honor gods levels showing how social classes are positioned
above and below one another regarding power
samsara in Hinduism, the belief in a continuous and rights in the society

cycle of birth, death, and rebirth social structure the way a society or civilization is
organized

Solomon the Hebrew king who built Jerusalem's
first great temple; son of King David

standardize to make the same

status importance

Stone Age the first period of prehistoric humancul-
ture, from about 2 million years ago to around
3000 B.C.E.

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Glossary

struggle to preserve Judaism the effort of the Jews u
to preserve their religion after being scattered to
many lands in the Diaspora unification of China the merging of Chinese
government and culture that occurred during
stylus a pointed instrument used for writing the reign of Qin Shihuangdi

subcontinent a landmass, such as India, that is of unify to make into a whole
great size but smaller than a continent
y
Sumer an area in the southern part of Mesopotamia,
where cities first appeared vault an arched structure used to hold up a ceiling
or roof
Sumerians ancient people who lived in the
geographic region of Sumer Vedas a collection of Hindu sacred writings

synagogue a place of Jewish worship vegetation the plant life of a place or region

Talmud the collection of ancient Jewish writings that veto to refuse to approve proposals of government
interpret the law of theTorah made by the Senate

technology the use of tools and other inventions for villa a large house in the country
practical purposes
vizier a high-ranking government official
Ten Commandments the ten laws said to be given
to Moses by God w

toga a loose robe worn by men in Rome warfare military struggle between enemies

topography the surface features of a place or region, writing letters, words, and symbols formed on
such as mountains or deserts a surface, using an instrument, to record or
communicate information

Torah the first five books of the Jewish Bible

trade the business of buying and selling or yang one half of the Daoist concept of opposing
exchanging items forces of nature; the opposite of yin

trade route a network of roads along which traders yin one half of the Daoist concept of opposing
traveled forces of nature; the opposite of yang

treaty a written agreement by which two or more
groups agree to be peaceful

tribune an official of the Roman Republic elected by

plebeians to protect their rights ziggurat an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower

tributary a stream that feeds into a larger river Zhou dynasty a line of rulers in China from about
1045 to 256 B.C.E.
tribute wealth sent from one country or ruler to
another as a sign that the other is superior

tyranny a form of government in which the ruling
power is in the hands of one person who is not
a lawful king

tyrant a person who seizes power illegally

402 Resources

Physical Map of the World

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378 Resources

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380 Resources

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Resources 381

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Resources 383

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384 Resources

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386 Resources

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Physical Map of North America

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388 Resources

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Resources 391

Physical Map of South America

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392 Resources

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Resources 393