History Greece, Maya, Inca, etc Test Questions
An independent political unit consisting of a city and its surrounding territory
A city-state is
Collecting payments from weaker states
A tributary empire exercises power by
A political agreement between three Mexica city-states
The Triple Alliance was
Discipline and strength
What characteristics were most valued in Spartan society?
A smaller political unit within an empire
What is a province?
It concentrated wealth in the hands of a few elites and forced others to go into debt slavery.
How did the wealth gain through maritime trade affect Athenians?
Athens was a unified empire but problems with diplomacy caused friction with Sparta.
Before answering the following question, re-read this section of the article: "Though the Greek city-states were unified to some extent in the face of an external threat, as that threat waned, conflicts between the city-states made a resurgence. Following the [Persian] wars, Athens emerged as the supreme naval power in Greece. It formed the Delian League, ostensibly to create a cohesive Greek network among city-states to ward off further Persian attacks. Under the leadership of Pericles, Athens grew so powerful that the Athenian Empire could effectively dictate the laws, customs, and trade of all her neighbors in Attica and the islands of the Aegean. The might of the Athenian Empire encouraged an arrogance in the policy makers of the day which grew intolerable to the other city-states. When Athens sent troops to help Sparta put down a Helot rebellion, the Spartans refused the gesture and sent the Athenian force back home in dishonor, thus provoking the war which had long been brewing. Later, when Athens sent their fleet to help defend its ally Cocyra (Corfu) against a Corinthian invasion during the Battle of Sybota in 433 BCE, their action was interpreted by Sparta as aggression instead of assistance, as Corinth was an ally of Sparta." Based on the information provided, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?
Many of the other nearby city-states were located on small islands or coastal peninsulas; a strong navy could quickly project power into those places and cut off support.
Before answering the following question, re-read this section of the article: "Though the Greek city-states were unified to some extent in the face of an external threat, as that threat waned, conflicts between the city-states made a resurgence. Following the [Persian] wars, Athens emerged as the supreme naval power in Greece. It formed the Delian League, ostensibly to create a cohesive Greek network among city-states to ward off further Persian attacks. Under the leadership of Pericles, Athens grew so powerful that the Athenian Empire could effectively dictate the laws, customs, and trade of all her neighbors in Attica and the islands of the Aegean. The might of the Athenian Empire encouraged an arrogance in the policy makers of the day which grew intolerable to the other city-states. When Athens sent troops to help Sparta put down a Helot rebellion, the Spartans refused the gesture and sent the Athenian force back home in dishonor, thus provoking the war which had long been brewing. Later, when Athens sent their fleet to help defend its ally Cocyra (Corfu) against a Corinthian invasion during the Battle of Sybota in 433 BCE, their action was interpreted by Sparta as aggression instead of assistance, as Corinth was an ally of Sparta." Though the Greek city-states were unified to some extent in the face of an external threat, as that threat waned, conflicts between the city-states made a resurgence. Following the [Persian] wars, Athens emerged as the supreme naval power in Greece. It formed the Delian League, ostensibly to create a cohesive Greek network among city-states to ward off further Persian attacks. Under the leadership of Pericles, Athens grew so powerful that the Athenian Empire could effectively dictate the laws, customs, and trade of all her neighbors in Attica and the islands of the Aegean. The might of the Athenian Empire encouraged an arrogance in the policy makers of the day which grew intolerable to the other city-states. When Athens sent troops to help Sparta put down a Helot rebellion, the Spartans refused the gesture and sent the Athenian force back home in dishonor, thus provoking the war which had long been brewing. Later, when Athens sent their fleet to help defend its ally Cocyra (Corfu) against a Corinthian invasion during the Battle of Sybota in 433 BCE, their action was interpreted by Sparta as aggression instead of assistance, as Corinth was an ally of Sparta. End of reading passage. Why might being a strong naval power have aided Athens in controlling many of its neighbors?
Spartans felt their troops were better trained and they had no need for inferior Athenian troops. Spartan leaders felt that the revolt was theirs to put down, and that the offer of help was a condescending insult.
Before answering the following question, re-read this section of the article: "Though the Greek city-states were unified to some extent in the face of an external threat, as that threat waned, conflicts between the city-states made a resurgence. Following the [Persian] wars, Athens emerged as the supreme naval power in Greece. It formed the Delian League, ostensibly to create a cohesive Greek network among city-states to ward off further Persian attacks. Under the leadership of Pericles, Athens grew so powerful that the Athenian Empire could effectively dictate the laws, customs, and trade of all her neighbors in Attica and the islands of the Aegean. The might of the Athenian Empire encouraged an arrogance in the policy makers of the day which grew intolerable to the other city-states. When Athens sent troops to help Sparta put down a Helot rebellion, the Spartans refused the gesture and sent the Athenian force back home in dishonor, thus provoking the war which had long been brewing. Later, when Athens sent their fleet to help defend its ally Cocyra (Corfu) against a Corinthian invasion during the Battle of Sybota in 433 BCE, their action was interpreted by Sparta as aggression instead of assistance, as Corinth was an ally of Sparta." What could explain Sparta's rebuke of Athens' offer of troops during the Helot uprising?
It did; basic similarities in religious belief unified Greece.
Before answering the next question, please re-read the following excerpt from this article. "Religion was also an important component in Greek life. In the ancient Greek world, religion was personal, direct, and present in all areas of life. It revolved around myths which explained the origins of mankind and gave the gods a human face. As temples dominated the urban landscape, with frequent city festivals and national sporting and artistic competitions, religion was never far from the mind of an ancient Greek. While the individual may have made up their own mind on the degree of their religious belief and some may have been completely skeptical, certain fundamentals must have been sufficiently widespread in order for Greek government and society to function: the gods existed, they could influence human affairs, and they welcomed and responded to acts of piety and worship. The temple was the place where, on special occasions, religion took on a more formal tone. Gods were worshipped at sacred sites and temples in all major Greek communities in ceremonies carried out by priests and their attendants." How do you think the author would most likely respond to the question "Did ancient Greece have a unified culture?"
Show that ancient Greeks may have found the religion easily relatable.
Before answering the next question, please re-read the following excerpt from this article. "Religion was also an important component in Greek life. In the ancient Greek world, religion was personal, direct, and present in all areas of life. It revolved around myths which explained the origins of mankind and gave the gods a human face. As temples dominated the urban landscape, with frequent city festivals and national sporting and artistic competitions, religion was never far from the mind of an ancient Greek. While the individual may have made up their own mind on the degree of their religious belief and some may have been completely skeptical, certain fundamentals must have been sufficiently widespread in order for Greek government and society to function: the gods existed, they could influence human affairs, and they welcomed and responded to acts of piety and worship. The temple was the place where, on special occasions, religion took on a more formal tone. Gods were worshipped at sacred sites and temples in all major Greek communities in ceremonies carried out by priests and their attendants." The author most likely mentions that Greek religious myths "gave the gods a human face" in order to
". . . certain fundamentals must have been sufficiently widespread in order for Greek government and society to function . . ."
Before answering the next question, please re-read the following excerpt from this article. "Religion was also an important component in Greek life. In the ancient Greek world, religion was personal, direct, and present in all areas of life. It revolved around myths which explained the origins of mankind and gave the gods a human face. As temples dominated the urban landscape, with frequent city festivals and national sporting and artistic competitions, religion was never far from the mind of an ancient Greek. While the individual may have made up their own mind on the degree of their religious belief and some may have been completely skeptical, certain fundamentals must have been sufficiently widespread in order for Greek government and society to function: the gods existed, they could influence human affairs, and they welcomed and responded to acts of piety and worship. The temple was the place where, on special occasions, religion took on a more formal tone. Gods were worshipped at sacred sites and temples in all major Greek communities in ceremonies carried out by priests and their attendants." Which of the author's statements provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
She's arguing that Ancient Greece was composed of many city-states which, despite their geographic proximity, maintained distinct political identities.
Before answering the next question, study this map: A map with city-states What do you think the author's purpose is in including this map?
Empires were easier to maintain when most subject peoples shared a common sense of cultural and political identity
Before answering the question, consider both passages. "The [Inca] goal was to knit the scores of different groups in western South America—some as rich as the [Inca] themselves, some poor and disorganized, all speaking different languages—into a single bureaucratic framework under the direct rule of the emperor. The unity was not merely political: the [Inca]wanted to meld together the area's religion, economics, and arts. Their methods were audacious, brutal, and efficient: they removed entire populations from their homelands; shuttled them around the biggest road system on the planet, (...); and forced them to work with other groups, using only (...) the [Inca] language, on massive, faraway state farms and construction projects." From: Charles Mann, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus (New York: Vintage Books, 2005), 71. "The Nahuatl word tlamatini (...) meant something akin to "thinker-teacher" (...) [A tlamatini] was expected to write and maintain the codices and live in a way that set a moral example. (...) In what may have been the first large-scale compulsory education program in history, every male citizen of the Triple Alliance, no matter what his social class, had to attend one sort of school or another until the age of sixteen. Many tlamitinime (the plural form of the word) taught at elite academies that trained the next generation of priests, teachers, and high administrators." From: Charles Mann, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus (New York: Vintage Books, 2005), 134-135. Looking at both passages together, which of the following best summarizes the connection between culture and state-building under the Triple Alliance and the Inca Empire?
The Inca wanted to solidify political control by imposing cultural and economic unity
Before answering the question, read the following excerpt. "The [Inca] goal was to knit the scores of different groups in western South America—some as rich as the [Inca] themselves, some poor and disorganized, all speaking different languages—into a single bureaucratic framework under the direct rule of the emperor. The unity was not merely political: the [Inca]wanted to meld together the area's religion, economics, and arts. Their methods were audacious, brutal, and efficient: they removed entire populations from their homelands; shuttled them around the biggest road system on the planet, (...); and forced them to work with other groups, using only (...) the [Inca] language, on massive, faraway state farms and construction projects." From: Charles Mann, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus (New York: Vintage Books, 2005), 71. What does Mann claim that the Inca were trying to achieve?
The Inca relocated peoples from their homes, forced them to work on state projects, and use the Inca language
Before answering the question, read the following excerpt. "The [Inca] goal was to knit the scores of different groups in western South America—some as rich as the [Inca] themselves, some poor and disorganized, all speaking different languages—into a single bureaucratic framework under the direct rule of the emperor. The unity was not merely political: the [Inca]wanted to meld together the area's religion, economics, and arts. Their methods were audacious, brutal, and efficient: they removed entire populations from their homelands; shuttled them around the biggest road system on the planet, (...); and forced them to work with other groups, using only (...) the [Inca] language, on massive, faraway state farms and construction projects." From: Charles Mann, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus (New York: Vintage Books, 2005), 71. Which of the following is evidence to support Mann's claim from the previous question?
Both had bureaucratic institutions and built infrastructure, such as roads
Before answering the question, read the following excerpt. The Han dynasty was contemporaneous [existed at the same time] with the Roman Empire and has often been compared to it. Han and Rome both had strong governments that expanded geographically, promoted assimilation, and brought centuries of stability to the central regions. Both managed to deal with enormous problems of scale, ruling roughly similar numbers of people over roughly similar expanses of land. Both developed bureaucratic institutions, staffing them with educated landowners. Both invested in the construction of roads, defensive walls, and waterworks. Both were threatened by barbarians at their frontiers and often used barbarian tribal units as military auxiliaries. The contrasts between the Han and Roman empires are equally instructive. China was a civilization based much more profoundly on crop agriculture. Not only did animal husbandry play less of a role in agriculture, but cities and commerce played a lesser role in the overall economy. Cultural cohesion was also of a different order in Han China than in Rome. Perhaps because of the Chinese script, it is much easier to talk about a common culture among the elite in Han China than in the Roman Empire. From Patricia Buckley Ebrey, The Cambridge Illustrated History of China (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996, 2010), 85. What similarities have been demonstrated by comparing Han China and Rome?
Rome and Han China had similar political structures, but there were important differences in their economic and cultural structures
Before answering the question, read the following excerpt. The Han dynasty was contemporaneous [existed at the same time] with the Roman Empire and has often been compared to it. Han and Rome both had strong governments that expanded geographically, promoted assimilation, and brought centuries of stability to the central regions. Both managed to deal with enormous problems of scale, ruling roughly similar numbers of people over roughly similar expanses of land. Both developed bureaucratic institutions, staffing them with educated landowners. Both invested in the construction of roads, defensive walls, and waterworks. Both were threatened by barbarians at their frontiers and often used barbarian tribal units as military auxiliaries. The contrasts between the Han and Roman empires are equally instructive. China was a civilization based much more profoundly on crop agriculture. Not only did animal husbandry play less of a role in agriculture, but cities and commerce played a lesser role in the overall economy. Cultural cohesion was also of a different order in Han China than in Rome. Perhaps because of the Chinese script, it is much easier to talk about a common culture among the elite in Han China than in the Roman Empire. From Patricia Buckley Ebrey, The Cambridge Illustrated History of China (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996, 2010), 85. Which of the following claims could be supported by the comparisons in this passage?
They existed at the same time and had similar political structures.
Before answering the question, read the following excerpt. The Han dynasty was contemporaneous [existed at the same time] with the Roman Empire and has often been compared to it. Han and Rome both had strong governments that expanded geographically, promoted assimilation, and brought centuries of stability to the central regions. Both managed to deal with enormous problems of scale, ruling roughly similar numbers of people over roughly similar expanses of land. Both developed bureaucratic institutions, staffing them with educated landowners. Both invested in the construction of roads, defensive walls, and waterworks. Both were threatened by barbarians at their frontiers and often used barbarian tribal units as military auxiliaries. The contrasts between the Han and Roman empires are equally instructive. China was a civilization based much more profoundly on crop agriculture. Not only did animal husbandry play less of a role in agriculture, but cities and commerce played a lesser role in the overall economy. Cultural cohesion was also of a different order in Han China than in Rome. Perhaps because of the Chinese script, it is much easier to talk about a common culture among the elite in Han China than in the Roman Empire. From Patricia Buckley Ebrey, The Cambridge Illustrated History of China (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996, 2010), 85. Why might historians see value in comparing Han China and Rome?
The tlamatinime encouraged a set of standard cultural values through the public education system
Before answering the question, read the following excerpt. The Nahuatl word tlamatini (...) meant something akin to "thinker-teacher" (...) [A tlamatini] was expected to write and maintain the codices and live in a way that set a moral example. (...) In what may have been the first large-scale compulsory education program in history, every male citizen of the Triple Alliance, no matter what his social class, had to attend one sort of school or another until the age of sixteen. Many tlamitinime (the plural form of the word) taught at elite academies that trained the next generation of priests, teachers, and high administrators. From: Charles Mann, 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus (New York: Vintage Books, 2005), 134-135. Which of the following best explains how the tlamatinime might have helped to maintain the Triple Alliance?
They followed a consistent policy of forming good relationships with the people they conquered, which allowed them to expand the population of their empire
Before answering the question, read the following excerpt. [Rome] was a highly aggressive society, but one that understood a vital political truth: military victory can be secured only by reconciliation with the defeated. Although most empire-builders in the ancient world were cruel and unforgiving, this was not altogether an original insight. Thus, after his conquest of the Persian Empire in the fourth century...Alexander the Great promoted leading [locals] to positions of power in his new administration and insisted on harmony between victor and vanquished...he even forced his soldiers to marry local women. What was remarkable about the Romans was the consistency, over many centuries, with which they pursued their policy. They could see that it enabled them not only to foster consent [grow agreement] to their rule among their former enemies but also to constantly enlarge their population and, by the same token, the manpower available to their armies. From Anthony Everitt, The Rise of Rome: The Making of the World's Greatest Empire (New York: Random House Publishing, 2012), 62. What is Everitt's claim about why the Romans were able to build a successful empire?
Everitt wanted to show there was a historical model for empires pursuing good relationships with the people they conquered
Before answering the question, read the following excerpt. [Rome] was a highly aggressive society, but one that understood a vital political truth: military victory can be secured only by reconciliation with the defeated. Although most empire-builders in the ancient world were cruel and unforgiving, this was not altogether an original insight. Thus, after his conquest of the Persian Empire in the fourth century...Alexander the Great promoted leading [locals] to positions of power in his new administration and insisted on harmony between victor and vanquished...he even forced his soldiers to marry local women. What was remarkable about the Romans was the consistency, over many centuries, with which they pursued their policy. They could see that it enabled them not only to foster consent [grow agreement] to their rule among their former enemies but also to constantly enlarge their population and, by the same token, the manpower available to their armies. From Anthony Everitt, The Rise of Rome: The Making of the World's Greatest Empire (New York: Random House Publishing, 2012), 62. Which of the following best explains why Everitt uses the comparison between Roman policy and that of Alexander the Great?
Maya
Which civilization shared cultural traits, but was never a unified political state?
Maurya and Achaemenid Persia
Which of the following empires rose due in large part to factors related to political and military leadership?
The distribution of political power and social hierarchy reflected the natural order
Read the passage below and answer the question. "But is there any one thus intended by nature to be a slave, and for whom such a condition is expedient and right, or rather is not all slavery a violation of nature? There is no difficulty in answering this question, on grounds both of reason and of fact. For that some should rule and others be ruled is a thing not only necessary, but expedient; from the hour of their birth, some are marked out for subjection, others for rule....Again, the male is by nature superior, and the female inferior; and the one rules, and the other is ruled; this principle, of necessity, extends to all mankind." From Aristotle: Politics: On Slavery, written c. 330 BCE Aristotle's views are best understood in the context of which of the following ideas in Ancient Greece?
Sparta's empire relied economically less on trade than did Athens's empire
Read the passage below and answer the question. "I suppose if [Sparta] were to become desolate, and [only] the temples and the foundations of the public buildings were left . . . [people would not believe the extent of] her power. Even though [the Spartans] occupy two-fifths of Peloponnese and lead the whole . . . [with] numerous allies beyond . . . because the city is neither built in a compact form, nor is it adorned with magnificent temples and public edifices (but instead is composed of villages after the old fashion of Hellas) there would be an impression of inadequacy. . . If Athens were to suffer the same misfortune, I suppose that any inference would make her power seem twice as great as it is." From: Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War. Which of the following could be used as evidence to support why the cities of Sparta and Athens looked so different, despite both being powerful states?
A network of similar city-states often separated by geographic barriers
Which of these choices best describes ancient Greece?
Men and women had unequal power
Read the passage below and answer the question. "Is there any one thus intended by nature to be a slave, and for whom such a condition is expedient and right? Or, rather, is not all slavery a violation of nature? There is no difficulty in answering this question, on grounds both of reason and of fact. For that some should rule and others be ruled is a thing not only necessary, but expedient; from the hour of their birth, some are marked out for subjection, others for rule . . . Again, the male is by nature superior, and the female inferior; and the one rules, and the other is ruled; this principle, of necessity, extends to all mankind." From Aristotle, Politics: On Slavery, written c. 330 BCE The views expressed in the excerpt are best seen as evidence of which of the following in ancient Greek society?
Athens
Read the passage below and answer the question. "It is clear then that those constitutions that aim at the common advantage are in effect rightly framed in accordance with absolute justice, while those that aim at the rulers' own advantage only are faulty, and are all of them deviations from the right constitutions; for they have an element of despotism, whereas a city-state is a partnership of free men." From Aristotle, Politics Aristotle advocated an approach to governance most similar to the government of which of the following?
Achaemenid Persia
Read the passage below and answer the question. "It is clear then that those constitutions that aim at the common advantage are in effect rightly framed in accordance with absolute justice, while those that aim at the rulers' own advantage only are faulty, and are all of them deviations from the right constitutions; for they have an element of despotism, whereas a city-state is a partnership of free men." From Aristotle, Politics. The description of city-states that Aristotle gives in the passage differs most strongly from the political structure of which of the following?
It benefited from the ability to sustain high levels of food production through unfree labor
Read the passage below and answer the question. "One of the noble and blessed privileges which Lycurgus appears to have secured for his fellow citizens was abundance of leisure. In fact, they were not permitted to take up any menial trade at all. And there was no need for making money, which involves a toilsome accumulation. Nor was there need of busy activity, because people made their wealth wholly unenvied and unhonored. The Helots tilled the soil for them, paying a return which was regularly settled in advance. There was a ban against letting for a higher price, so that the Helots could make some profit. The Helots would thus be glad to do the work for their masters, because the masters would not seek too high a return." From Plutarch's Moralia The description in the passage could best be used as evidence for which of the following claims about the Spartan state?
Soldiers from other cities served in its military
Read the passage below and answer the question. "The Athenians also made an expedition against the isle of Melos with thirty ships of their own, six Chian, and two Lesbian vessels; sixteen hundred heavy infantry, three hundred archers, and twenty mounted archers from Athens; and about fifteen hundred heavy infantry from the allies and the islanders. The Melians are a colony of [Sparta] that would not submit to the Athenians like the other islanders, and at first remained neutral . . . but afterwards upon the Athenians using violence and plundering their territory, assumed an attitude of open hostility." From Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War, c. 431 B.C.E Which of the following facts from this passage would best serve as evidence that Athens was an imperial state?
The use of violence to maintain political power
Read the passage below and answer the question. "The [Spartan] magistrates dispatched privately some of the ablest of the young men into the country ... armed only with their daggers ... in the night [they] issued out into the highways, and killed all the Helots they could light upon; sometimes they set upon them by day, as they were at work in the fields, and murdered them." From Plutarch, Lycurgus. The actions described in this excerpt are best understood in the context of which of the following in ancient Sparta?
Formation of a democracy
Read the passage below and answer the question. "There was contention for a long time between the upper classes and the populace. Not only was the constitution at this time oligarchical in every respect, but the poorer classes---men, women, and children---were in absolute slavery to the rich. . . The whole country was in the hands of a few persons, and if the tenants failed to pay their rent, they were liable to be forced into debt-slavery and their children with them. . . But the hardest and bitterest part of the condition of the masses was the fact that they had no share in the offices then existing under the constitution. At the same time they were discontented with every other feature of their lives; for, to speak generally, they had no part nor share in anything." From: Aristotle, The Athenian Constitution, c. 4th century B.C.E. Aristotle was commenting on how the government of Athens developed over time. The circumstances described in this passage about Athens most directly contributed to which of the following?
The existence of social hierarchies in centralized states
Read the passage below and answer the question. In this excerpt from an Ancient Greek play, poverty is portrayed as a character. "CHREMYLUS : Now, if Plutus [the Greek god of wealth] became clear-sighted again and drove out Poverty, it would be the greatest blessing possible for the human race. (...) POVERTY: You will not be able to sleep in a bed, for no more beds will ever be manufactured; nor on carpets, for who would weave them, if he had gold? When you bring a young bride to your dwelling, you will have no scents to perfume her, nor rich embroidered cloaks dyed with dazzling colors in which to clothe her. And yet what is the use of being rich, if you are to be deprived of all these enjoyments? On the other hand, you have all that you need in abundance, thanks to me; to the artisan I am like a severe mistress, who forces him by need and poverty to seek the means of earning his livelihood." From: Aristophanes, Plutus, written in Athens in 380 BCE. Which of the following historical continuities is illustrated in this passage?
The existence of specialized labor
Read the passage below and answer the question. In this excerpt from an Ancient Greek play, poverty is portrayed as a character. "CHREMYLUS : Now, if Plutus [the Greek god of wealth] became clear-sighted again and drove out Poverty, it would be the greatest blessing possible for the human race. (...) POVERTY: You will not be able to sleep in a bed, for no more beds will ever be manufactured; nor on carpets, for who would weave them, if he had gold? When you bring a young bride to your dwelling, you will have no scents to perfume her, nor rich embroidered cloaks dyed with dazzling colors in which to clothe her. And yet what is the use of being rich, if you are to be deprived of all these enjoyments? On the other hand, you have all that you need in abundance, thanks to me; to the artisan I am like a severe mistress, who forces him by need and poverty to seek the means of earning his livelihood." From: Aristophanes, Plutus, written in Athens in 380 BCE. A historian studying ancient Athens could best use the contents of this passage as evidence for which of the following?
Create a shared space that helped cement a social identity
The main purpose of the agora was to
A system requiring subjects to provide labor to the Inca state
The mit'a was
a city-state
The polis is another name for
A centralized state that has political control over many territories
What is an empire?
Processes were rarely the same across different empires
What is true about the processes by which empires rose?
Festivals and sporting events
What were some different ways through which religion was expressed in Greece?
When the central state is no longer able to wield power
When are empires considered to have collapsed?
