Four-Part Vocabulary

1. Polytheism
Definition: Believing in more than one god or higher power
Support fact: the ancient Greeks were polytheistic
Interesting fact: The ancient Egyptians worshipped over 3000 gods

2. Monotheism
Definition: Believing in one god or higher power
Support fact: Christianity is monotheistic
Interesting fact: The word ‘monotheism’ was derived from the Greek, who were polytheistic

3. Cuneiform
Definition: One of the earliest known forms of written expression
Support fact: Cuneiform was used by the Sumerians about 3000 BC
Interesting fact: They were written on clay tablets using reeds as a writing utensil

4. Hieroglyphics
Definition: It is a Greek word that translates to ‘sacred carving.’
Support fact: It is what the Egyptians and a few other civilizations used as a writing system
Interesting fact: Egyptians had more than 2000 different characters used in their hieroglyphics

5. Hammurabi’s Code
Definition: the best persevered ancient law code (from ancient Babylon)
Support fact: The laws are inscribed on a long slate of stone, numbered 1-282
Interesting fact: The code is considered the first example of a legal system

6. “Golden Age”
Definition: the highest age in the Greek spectrum of Iron, Bronze, Silver and Golden ages
Support fact: The Golden Age was a time of peace, stability, and prosperity. In other words, a utopia.
Interesting fact: In Christianity, the Golden Age refers to Heaven

7. Mandate of Heaven
Definition: a Chinese philosophical concept that gives the current Chinese ruler the power to be God
Support fact: It was first used in the Zhou Dynasty to overthrow the Shang Dynasty
Interesting fact: The Mandate of Heaven is very similar to the European Divine Right of Kings

8. Patriarch
Definition: The highest ranking Bishop
Support fact: Pope Benedict XVI is the current patriarch in Rome
Interesting fact: There are patriarchs in many different parts of the world

9. Polis
Definition: A city-state
Support fact: They originate from ancient Greece and into Rome
Interesting fact: The latin equal to ‘polis’ is ‘civitas’ which sounds a lot like ‘city’

10. Republic
Definition: A state/country where the people have impact on the government
Support fact: the USA is a republic
Interesting fact: In political science, a republic is said to be the ideal government