Greece - Rome - Silk Road
  • Ancient Greece was the birthplace of democracy - which means that everyone in the society gets an equal vote.
  • It was also famous for the great battles between Athens (which was a democracy) and Sparta (which was a military dictatorship).
  • Athens experienced a "golden age" of culture because they excelled in government (the first democracy), sports (the first Olympics), Architecture (those building with the pillars), and the arts (sculpture, theater, literature, philosophy).
  • Rome was the largest civilization in the world.
  • At its peak there were 70 million people in the Roman empire, 1 million lived in the city of Rome.
  • There are often Regents questions which ask about Roman roads.
  • The Romans had a great system of roads to transport goods, information, and soldiers around the empire.
  • There are often Regents questions about Roman law, which was a very advanced system of law that greatly influenced the US legal system.
  • The Silk Road was a road that connected China to the middle east and to Europe.
  • The Chinese were the only people in the world who knew how to make silk.
  • Silk was traded on the Silk Road but it also spread ideas and culture between China and the Middle East.


Sample Regents Questions:

1) Which ancient civilization established the basis of western democracy?

1.  Phoenician
2.  Egyptian
3.  Sumerian
4.  Greek





2) The Ancient Romans’ most significant contribution to Europe has been in the area of

1.  economics
2.  poetry
3.  drama
4.  law





3) The Silk Road was important because it allowed for the

(1) exploration of China by the Roman Army
(2) development of agriculture by the nomadic people of Central Asia
(3) movement of Chinese armies through Southeast Asia
(4) exchange of goods between Asia and the Middle East






Answers: 

1) - 4
2) - 4
3) - 4