History 116 Exam I Spring 2015 Full Name: Print this first page to submit with your Scantron. This exam has five sections; be sure to complete ALL of them! Section I - Matching From the list below, write the letter of the correct term for the description, definition, or related idea in the space provided. Yes, there are several more terms than descriptions or definitions. A. Zoroaster B. Logos C. Polytheism D. Ideograms/logographic signs E. EL F. YHWH G. The Nile River H. Hammurabi I. The Tigris and Euphrates J. Darius is/are in Mesopotamia. Sumerian had over 700. A truth which speaks to tangible, practical matters. Attempted to fit the punishment to the crime. I am who I am (Isness, or exisence). On the back of this page, write your answers to the Short Answer Extra Credit and hand this in with your Scantron. Be sure your NAME is on both!!!
Page 2 Choose the best answer from those given. Mark the corresponding bubble on your Scantron. DO NOT make any other marks on the Scantron!! 1. After the retreat of the glaciers, what kind of terrain covered the area we call the Fertile Crescent? a. Sandy desert b. Scrub desert c. Heath d. Moors e. Savannah 2. All of the following are believed to be developments of the Paleolithic Age except a. the utilization of tools. b. origins of religious and decorative art. c. social system with rough equality between the sexes. d. the controlled use of fire. e. the regular production of food through agriculture. 3. The term "civilization" refers to human societies which develop, amongst other features. a. an urban focus and a distinct religious structure. b. have art and music. c. trade and manufacturing. d. Social stratification based on economic power e. All of the above. 4. Which below did NOT likely come with the creation of sedentary societies? a. Slavery b. Stratification of society c. War d. Easier living 5. In agrarian societies, an economic surplus is food which is a. not wanted or needed. b. used to support a non-agricultural elite. c. used to supplement the diets of hard-working farmers. d. used to feed a growing population of farmers. e. used to feed foreign prisoners taken in war.
6. The physical environment of the Mesopotamians generally led to a. an optimistic outlook emphasizing the secular life. b. a pessimistic outlook and loathing of religion. c. a pessimistic outlook with an emphasis on satisfying demanding gods. d. an optimistic outlook with a belief in providing for benevolent gods. e. profound apathy and lack of any material accomplishments. Page 3 7. The written script of thousands of years of Mesopotamian civilizations was a. Aramaic. b. Hieroglyphics. c. Cuneiform. d. Cyrillic. e. Hieratic 8. Contrary to what scholars used to believe, most linguists today think that languages change over time, usually from to. a. More complex to less complex. b. Less complex to more so. c. Monosyllabic to polysyllabic d. More elegant to less elegant. 9. Early writing systems usually started as what? a. Pictograms: each symbol represented something concrete like a fish b. Ideograms: each symbol represented something abstract like faith c. Phonetic symbols: each one represented a sound, which were strung together to form words d. Alphabetic symbols: each one representing a consonant. e. None of the above. 10. Which of the following statements concerning the practice of Mesopotamian religion is NOT accurate? a. Mesopotamians constantly sought intimate contact with the gods. b. Mesopotamians believed that the role of mortals was to serve the gods and feed them through sacrifice. c. The gods were believed to act much as humans did, but with much more power and immortality. d. Temples controlled a vast portion of the cities' economic resources. e. Mesopotamian gods were integral parts of stories such as The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Page 4 11. Tales of violent floods, usually caused by the anger of the gods or wars between the gods, were common in Mesopotamia. Why? a. The rivers flooded yearly bringing life-giving nutrients to the soil b. The rivers flooded violently, often wiping out struggling early communities. c. There were no rivers, and people wished there were. d. None of the above. 12. The Epic of Gilgamesh teaches that a. the gods are benevolent and care greatly for their people. b. a wish fulfilled is not always a good thing. c. human life is difficult and immortality is only for the gods. d. a periodic flood is necessary to cleanse the world. e. immortality is guaranteed for the believing worshippers. 13. Which of the following statements best applies to the status of women in Mesopotamian society? a. Women exclusively controlled offices in the priesthood. b. Divorce laws applied equally to men and women. c. Punishments for adultery were light compared to those for men. d. Woman had political but no religious rights. e. The woman's role was to be in the home and subservient to her husband. 14. Ma at is an Egyptian term referring to. a. war and conflict. b. temple worship. c. divine incarnation. d. harmony and justice 15. In what way below was Egyptian religion unlike Sumerian? a. Egyptian religion focused on death while Sumerian focused on life. b. Egyptian religion did not require human sacrifice and Sumerian did, in elaborate rituals. c. Egyptian gods considered humans their children who need protecting, while Sumerian gods looked at humans as their slaves, who existed to serve them. d. Egyptians worshipped cats and the Sumerians considered them vermin.
Page 5 16. Which statement below best characterizes the Egyptians? a. The Egyptians were obsessed with death, as evidenced by the pyramids and the mummification of the elite. b. This excessive focus on death and its rituals indicates a culture almost universally pessimistic about life. c. The pyramids, grave goods, and mummification are likely indications that Egyptians considered life a good thing and wanted to continue it in the afterlife. d. None of the above. 17. In the film, Ancient Egypt: Life and Death in the Valley of the Kings, it is stated that the literacy rate in the village is higher than that of most of Egypt. Given the village s purpose, why would that be? a. As pyramid builders, they d have to be able to read building plans. b. As a scribal school complex, most residents were teachers. c. As the home of a priestly temple, most children were destined for the priesthood. d. As tomb builders, they d have to be able to read excavation plans and designs. e. All are false; they weren t any more literate than anyone else in Egypt. 18. Also in the film, Ancient Egypt: Life and Death in the Valley of the Kings, what turned out to be such a treasure trove for Egyptologists, although it never served the purpose the villagers themselves hoped for? a. Tombs the villagers were building - none of them were ever used. b. The pyramid they were building - the country was invaded and the Pharaoh never got buried properly. c. The papyrus the villagers were processing burned in the library at Alexandria. d. The village well never struck water and became a garbage dump. e. The next Pharaoh razed the village to the ground in the hopes of erasing the memory of his predecessor. 19. The Egyptians used their writing. a. Only to write hymns to the gods b. To write self-help books on doing better in life c. Only for sacred writing. d. Only for records of temple goods.
20. Which of the following is not true of Egyptian social life? a. Women had many equal legal rights with men. b. Marriages were based on love and personal attraction. c. The upper classes devoted much time to entertainment. d. The wife's primary role in the family was to produce children. e. Polygamy was the rule. Page 6 21. In dealing with geography and geology, which statement below is NOT true about Egypt? a. The annual flooding of the Nile River brought fertile silt to the river bed. b. The vast deserts which surrounded Egypt kept it from falling easy prey to its neighbors for much of its existence. c. Egypt contained large amounts of iron ore under the sand, which enabled them to be pioneers in the Iron Age. d. The Nile s floods were regular and comparatively gentle which meant they developed no terrible flood story. e. All of the above 22. The ancient Egyptians are notable for the relative freedom Egyptian women enjoyed. This included what below? a. Open marriages b. Equal punishment for men and women for adultery c. Reigning queens as often as reigning kings (pharaohs). d. Divorce and property rights. e. Warrior women; they were the inspiration for the Greek Amazons. 23. The decline of the Hittites and Egyptians around 1200 B.C. a. brought an end to Near Eastern civilization. b. created a power vacuum which allowed several small states to emerge and temporarily flourish. c. allowed the Persians under Cyrus the Great to immediately establish an empire. d. was caused by Assyrian conquest. e. was caused by the conquests of David and Solomon.
24. Monolatry is characterized by what, below? a. Exclusive worship of one god, while admitting the existence of others. b. Gods who require human sacrifice. c. The worship of many gods, who may or may not interact with humans directly. d. Worship of one god, to the total exclusion and denial of the existence others. 25. Solomon's most revered contribution to the Hebrew society was to a. centralize royal power along the lines of Mesopotamian despotism. b. divide the Hebrew tribes into two separate political kingdoms. c. decentralize royal power and spread it among the 12 Hebrew tribes. d. construct the Temple, the symbolic center of the Hebrew religion and society. e. receive the Ten Commandments from God. 26. The land of Canaan is located where? a. North of Syria. b. North of Lebanon. c. The lower two thirds or so of the Levant. d. On the banks of the Red Sea. e. On the Greek mainland. 27. Some of Solomon s practices were less admirable. These include what? a. Forcing the tribes of the north to work as free labor on his massive building projects. b. Raising taxes quite high, but extra excessively in the north. c. Seducing his top general s wife, which caused rebellion among that man s tribespeople. d. A an B. e. B and C 28. Forbidding marriage to outsiders, refusing to eat pork, and other practices accomplished what for Hebrews in Babylon? a. Made them blend in with the larger Babylonian society. b. Kept them safe from the plagues and diseases which ravaged the rest of Babylon. c. Showed the Emperor that they were willing to die before assimilating. d. Kept them from losing their Hebrew culture and beliefs in the face of the appealing Babylonian culture. Page 7
29. The words of the Hebrew prophets a. promoted universalism by stating that all nations would one day worship the God of Israel. b. proclaimed that Israel would rise again from the ashes of conquest. c. advocated social justice by condemning the rich for mistreating the poor. d. encouraged a separation between Jews and non-jews. e. all of the above 30. The Phoenicians' contributions to the ancient Near East included all below EXCEPT a. the founding of the colony of Carthage. b. a simplified alphabet and system of writing. c. the establishment of trading stations throughout the Mediterranean. d. their defeat and destruction of the Hebrew's Twelve Tribes. e. distribution of Egyptian papyrus throughout the Mediterranean. 31. Where below is it NOT likely the Phoenicians reached? a. Britain. b. Southeast African coasts. c. Spain. d. North Africa. e. Russia. 32. The Assyrians were and are still famous for: a. Their masterful oral tales transmitted to us through famous poets. b. How cruelly the Egyptians treated them when they conquered Assyria. c. An enduring tradition of truth and justice in government. d. How cruelly and brutally they treated their defeated enemies. 33. Which of the following statements best describes the Assyrian government? a. a limited monarchy, where the king's power was checked by an assembly. b. a theocracy, where the priests of the temple had the real power. c. an aristocracy, with the landed nobility possessing political power. d. an oligarchy, with the aristocracy having the major say in government. e. the king's power was highly centralized and absolute, with an extensive bureaucracy Page 8
34. All of the following helped make Assyria an efficient military machine except for a. iron weapons. b. terrorist actions. c. humane treatment of prisoners. d. superior, diversified tactics. e. ruthless leaders. Page 9 35. The principal economic basis of Assyrian society was a. heavily irrigation-based farming. b. agriculture based on farming villages. c. international trade. d. sea-based commerce. e. manufacturing of luxury items. 36. The founder of the Persian Empire, who defeated Babylon and freed the Jews from captivity in 539 B.C., was a. Cyrus the Great. b. Artaxerxes. c. Cambyses. d. Nebuchadnezzar II. e. Solomon. 37. Darius accomplished all of the following EXCEPT a. building a canal that linked the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea. b. conquering Egypt. c. creating a Persian province in western India. d. conquering Thrace. e. built a new Persian capital at Persepolis. 38. The Persian Empire's system of satrapies allowed for a. subject peoples to play a dominant role in civil administration. b. a sensible system of collecting tribute based on an area's productive capacity. c. noble offices to be filled by election rather than hereditary means. d. widespread corruption by the satraps, who acted without the king's knowledge. e. the enforcement of religious uniformity throughout the empire.
39. Which of the following statements concerning the Persian kings is FALSE? a. As he was considered a god, the king held the power of life and death over all subjects. b. The Great Kings tended to become greedy and hoard their treasuries. c. Events like the "king's dinner" were meant to demonstrate the luxurious power of the king. d. The king's palace demonstrated the international flavor and wealth of the empire. e. The Persian kings were relatively tolerant in matters of religion. 40. What part of Zoroastrianism made its believers focus on personal responsibility and influenced the conduct of the Persian government? a. The elaborate requirements for sacrifices. b. The struggle between good and evil. c. The fact that neither Ahriman nor Ahuramazda cared what humans did. d. Its total focus on the here and now. 41. Which of the following statements concerning Zoroastrianism is false? a. It was both dualistic and monotheistic in nature. b. It had few followers outside the Persian Empire. c. It did not include a final judgment or a last judgment among its beliefs. d. Its supreme deity was Ahuramazda. e. Eventually, it regressed into a type of polytheism. 42. The most tolerant and efficient of the Near Eastern empires was the a. Egyptian. b. Assyrian. c. Chaldean. d. Persian. e. Babylonian 43. Which of the following statements is most accurate regarding Homer? a. He wrote true-to-life histories of the Trojan War. b. He was a well-documented 8 th century BCE poet c. He wrote pure folktales which had no bearing on Greek life. Page 10 d. His poems the Iliad and the Odyssey tell us much about Greek society and beliefs.
44. Homer's Iliad points out the a. honor and courage of Greek aristocratic heroes in battle. b. exalted position of women in Greek society. c. absolute abhorrence of violence by the Greeks. d. Greeks' rejection of slavery. e. superiority of the military phalanx over the aristocratic cavalry. Page 11 45. Which of the following is true of Greece from the eighth century B.C.? a. It was a period of social cohesion and great Greek empires. b. The Greeks' colonization efforts in the Aegean and Black Seas came to an end. c. The polis evolved into the central institution in Greek life. d. It was a period of incessant warfare. e. It was the Golden Age, dominated by Socrates, Plato, and Pericles. 46. The polis differed from other ancient cities how? a. It was a provincial, not a city, designation. b. It had no political powers. c. It was a self-contained political unit. d. It s a lovely myth. 47. Athenian democracy included: a. All residents of Athens. b. All citizens of Athens. c. All male citizens over the age of 30 in Athens. d. Only the heads of a few aristocratic families. 48. was largely responsible for the development of Sparta s celebrated warrior culture? a. Worries about invasion by Persia. b. Devastating raids by neighboring poleis. c. Holding onto a massive conquered territory. d. Fear of servile (slave) insurrection.
49. In Spartan culture, women. a. Were considered mostly only good for bearing children and running the household. b. Were trained in arms and fought side-by-side with their men. c. Held complete control of children until they reached adulthood. d. Were able to own property and engage in business. Page 12 50. Early Greek philosophy attempted to a. eliminate diversity from the world. b. explain the universe on the basis of rational, unifying principles. c. undermine traditional aristocratic Greek society. d. turn all Greeks away from the world and toward contemplation. e. replace the gods and religion in the lives of the Greeks with pure reason. 51. Which of the following phrases best describes the social situation of most Greek women? a. Women were kept under strict control, cut off from formal education, and were always assigned a male guardian. b. Women were afforded equal rights with men in city politics. c. Women were often allowed to participate in public life, especially through jury service. d. Women were not allowed to participate in any religious festivals. e. Women exercised in the nude except in Sparta and took part in the Olympic Games. 52. Which below was MOST central to not only Greek politics but social structure and selfidentity? a. Moira or fate. b. The Agora. c. The family. d. The polis.
53. In classical Athens, male homosexuality a. became an important subject in many tragic plays. b. was practiced and tolerated in part as a means by which mature men instructed young males about the masculine world of politics and patronage. c. after initial toleration became increasingly subject to moral and philosophical attack as a threat to the aristocratic family. d. was a practice only associated with actors and priests, never gaining public acceptance. e. was totally outlawed, and practicing homosexuals were publicly executed. 54. The immediate cause of the Persian Wars was a. a revolt of the Ionian Greek colonies in Asia Minor. b. the Ionian invasion of Persia. c. the capture of the Persian queen by Aristagoras of Miletus. d. the Persian defeat of Sparta. e. the ambition of Athens to take over Ionia. 55. The battle of Thermopylae a. Was a definitive victory for the Spartans and their allies. b. Is a myth; much like the War at Troy, it may have happened, but the centuries have obscured the truth so we don t really know what happened. c. Cost the Spartans and their allies their lives for no reason. d. Was fought by the Spartans alone, with no other Greek aid. e. Was a heroic delaying tactic which succeeded in its larger aims. 56. The Peloponnesian War resulted in a. the consolidation of Pericles' power. b. the unification of the Greek city-states under Thebes. c. the defeat of Athens and the collapse of its empire. d. Athenian control of Sicily. 57. Philip II planned to defeat the Greek cities by a. buying their submission. b. undermining their morale with propaganda. c. breaking up their hoplite formations with cavalry. d. wearing them down by pinprick attacks. e. destroying their walls with heavy cannons. Page 13
58. In establishing his empire, Alexander the Great a. saw himself as a descendant of Greek gods and heroes.. b. combined Greek and Persian practices to allow its administration.. c. allowed intermarriage between his soldiers and native Persian women.. d. a and c e. a, b, and c Page 14 59. Alexander the Great's troops rebelled when he made the decision to invade and capture a. Arabia. b. Pergamum. c. India. d. Cochin. e. Bactria. 60. Despite doubts about many of the specifics, which of the following can be said to be true about Alexander the Great? a. He was a brutal conqueror who left a wake of destruction behind him. b. The people he conquered uniformly resented him. c. He was a true Greek along the lines of Cleisthenes, Demosthenes and Pericles. d. The world he created died with him. e. His conquests allowed the spread of Greek culture both geographically and through time. f. the defeat of Sparta, leading to its permanent decline. Section 3 - Thematic 61. Which one of the following is NOT considered part of the Judeo-Christian heritage in West Civilization? a. monotheism. b. law. c. morality. d. social justice. e. revenge.
62. The concept of Mythos means what? a. A type of truth and thought which deals with the here and now. b. Rule by the few. c. Something that s widely accepted, but not true - a falsehood. d. It s actually the god Mythos, the little-known brother of Portos and Mycos. e. An idea of Truth which is not physical or evidentiary, but speaks to the human condition. 63. One idea below seemed to slowly develop in ancient peoples religions over time; what was it? a. That the gods cared about justice for and between humans as well as proper ceremony and ritual. b. That the best way to keep the gods favor was increasingly bloody sacrifices. c. That the female deities, who governed fertility - both human and agricultural - were the most powerful of the gods. d. That writing should be held sacred to the gods - using it for practical purposes defiled it. e. That attempting to render social justice a priority in human society only led to weakness and misery. 64. Which below is most true? a. Sedentary, agricultural society was easier by far than a hunting-and-gathering or semi-nomadic lifestyle. b. It took hundreds if not thousands of years before humans hit on the idea of forced labor once they became sedentary and agriculturally-based. c. In the early civilizations, most of society was roughly equal in status. d. It seems fairly clear that social status was based on economic power after sedentary life took hold. e. Writing began in Sumer for the purpose of writing prayers to their gods. 65. is not one of the six main characteristics of civilization : a. Political and military structures (i.e. Some kind of army and bureaucracy) b. An urban focus - towns, cities - those are the center. c. The development of writing. d. Artistic and intellectual activity displayed. e. Polytheism - a belief in many gods. Page 15
Page 16 Section 4 - Multiple Choice Extra Credit 66. What below best characterizes the Persian Empire of the 4 th century BCE? a. Its cruel and repressive policies. b. A weakening of trade ties across Asia. c. An almost constitutional-type monarchy, with councils of nobles being able to veto the King s decisions. d. A series of roads linking the provinces and facilitating communication. 67. Sedentary communities led to all of the following EXCEPT? a. Decrease in infant mortality b. Development of political leadership c. Reduction in population d. Expansion of agriculture e. All of the above. 68. For which ancient culture below do we rely on documentation and yet have doubts about some of it? a. Sumerians b. Spartans c. Egyptians d. Hebrews Section 5 - Short Answer Extra Credit In just a sentence or two, answer the following on the back of the sheet you hand in for your matching - please print LEGIBLY! 69. If you had to travel back in time, which of the societies you read about in these chapters would you most like to live in and why? Use specifics. 70. What surprised or interested you the most of everything you learned in this section and why?