Deck 6: Shrinking the Afro-Eurasian World, 350 Bce-250 Ce

Question 1

Which of the following was a model "cosmopolitan" city?

A) Athens
B) Alexandria
C) Persepolis
D) Sparta

Answer 1

Alexandria

Question 2

Which statement about Philip II of Macedonia is correct?

A) He inherited a unified kingdom and neighboring states that had been conquered by his father.
B) He allied with the Greek city-states so that he could draw upon their resources without having to defeat them militarily.
C) He used income from gold mines to finance new military technology and a full-time army.
D) He was killed in battle when his Greek allies betrayed him.

Answer 2

He used income from gold mines to finance new military technology and a full-time army.

Question 3

Which of the following statements about Alexander the Great's conquests is correct?

A) They led to the creation of a unified bureaucracy across the conquered territories.
B) They resulted in the establishment of a long-lasting empire.
C) They destabilized and isolated the conquered regions.
D) They exposed Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Mesopotamia to a money-based economy and the cultural ideas associated with the Greek city-states.

Answer 3

They exposed Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and Mesopotamia to a money-based economy and the cultural ideas associated with the Greek city-states.

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the way that Carthage responded to Hellenistic culture?

A) Carthaginians rejected Hellenistic culture as a rival to their expanded trade system.
B) Carthaginians welcomed Hellenistic culture because it facilitated communication and exchange.
C) Carthaginians adopted Hellenistic culture as part of their rivalry with Rome.
D) Carthaginians adopted Hellenism only after they became convinced that they must do so in order to expand their trade routes into the western Mediterranean.

Question 5

What did the circulation of money in the Mediterranean basin and Europe do?

A) It permitted societies to import cultural items from elsewhere in the Mediterranean region.
B) It caused gold to become scarce, raising prices significantly.
C) It became a specialized occupation of the Greeks, as other societies did not develop their own process of coinage.
D) It led borderland people to outlaw the use of coins to try to maintain control over their barter economies.

Question 6

When Alexander the Great withdrew from the Indus Valley, which empire established itself in the political vacuum?

A) the Seleucid Empire
B) the Bactrian Empire
C) the Mauryan Empire
D) the Parthian Empire

Question 7

Which of the following statements about the Seleucid Empire is correct?

A) The Hellenic population was confined to the capital city of Kandahar.
B) Greek invaders maintained a separate residence and identity from the local population.
C) The Greek population established institutions familiar to them from the polis.
D) The Greek populations quickly adopted the local languages and abandoned the use of the Greek language.

Question 8

What happened in Judea after Alexander the Great's conquests?

A) The ruling elite fiercely rejected Hellenism and any effort to weaken Jewish identity.
B) The Maccabees led a revolt against Hellenistic culture in Judea.
C) The failure of the Maccabee revolt resulted in Judea being declared a province of the Persian Empire and subject to harsh punishments.
D) The Jews in Alexandria were outcasts for their rejection of Hellenistic ideas and practices.

Question 9

What was the reason for the reaction of most of the Jewish people to Hellenism?

A) Hellenism had little lasting impact because of the difference in languages.
B) Many Jews looked to Hellenism as a way to throw off the harsh rule of the Persians.
C) The Jewish people readily embraced Hellenism, as it was their first exposure to a foreign culture.
D) Many Jews rejected Hellenistic culture as immoral and threatening to their monotheistic beliefs.

Question 10

The Kalinga edict asserted which of the following?

A) A oka was destined to rule all of South Asia.
B) A oka intended to rule according to dhamma, respect for all living things.
C) A oka expressed pride in the victory over Kalinga.
D) The Kalinga campaign strengthened A oka's devotion to Jainism.

Question 11

Under Hellenism, ways of thinking changed in response to a more culturally unified world. This was seen especially in what way?

A) a growing concern for the individual, who was now seen as a citizen belonging to the whole world, rather than to a particular city
B) a complete abandonment of local cultures in favor of Greek culture
C) a devotion to the state that superseded all other concerns
D) the development of a political structure that focused on individual cities and the civic identity they promoted

Question 12

What did the political states that emerged following Alexander the Great do?

A) They sought to establish their neighboring societies as tribute states.
B) They became fiercely independent from one another.
C) They formed modest-sized states that could be better regulated.
D) They coalesced into larger units that displayed a uniformity unknown to the city-states.

Question 13

What happened after Alexander the Great's death?

A) His wife, Roxana, ruled for the next decade but could not hold the empire together.
B) Alexander's generals modeled the kingdoms they established on the regional rulers they had defeated.
C) The established kingdoms relied upon councils working with local elites to manage the many modest-sized territories.
D) The opportunities for women to exercise power diminished as the new kingdoms adopted the male warrior ethos of Macedonia.

Question 14

Which Hellenistic philosopher taught that peace of mind could only be obtained by "not caring"?

A) Diogenes
B) Zeno
C) Stoicho
D) Epicurus

Question 15

What was Koine Greek?

A) the common Greek language that became the international language of the Hellenistic world
B) the Greek silver coin that became the standard currency of the Mediterranean basin
C) the model of the Greek marketplace that served as the center of civic life
D) the Greek catapult that was central to the military success of the growing territorial states

Question 16

What was one of the major results of Alexander the Great's military campaigns?

A) establishing an empire supported by political and military institutions
B) smashing the barriers that had separated peoples on the eastern and western ends of Southwest Asia
C) preventing Syria and Mesopotamia from trading in commodities from the Mediterranean basin
D) preventing a massive redistribution of wealth

Question 17

What was one of the ways that Alexander the Great introduced institutional stability to Afro-Eurasian trading systems?

A) Alexander created a large empire with uniform laws and institutions that lasted for hundreds of years.
B) Governments under Alexander's control did not plunder cities but instead actively promoted trade.
C) Alexander required all merchants and caravans to agree to a trade contract forbidding unlawful competition.
D) Alexander's army defeated the major central Asian nomadic groups such as the Xiongnu, creating a new stability along the trade routes.

Question 18

What was the Egyptian Queen Berenice an example of?

A) the potential for expanded political roles of women in the kingdoms Alexander's conquests had created
B) the dangers of opposing Alexander's armies, as evidenced by her public execution
C) the powerlessness of women in the political world of the Greek polis
D) the increasing importance of women as merchants on the Silk Road

Question 19

Who taught that living a good life required understanding the rules of the natural order and being able to control one's passions?

A) Diogenes
B) Plato
C) Zeno
D) Epicurus

Question 20

Which of the following about Hellenistic culture is correct?

A) It did not spread outside of the Mediterranean basin.
B) It was attractive to ruling elites for its powerful modes of thinking and behaving.
C) It was broadly embraced by Jewish populations, who merged it with a monotheistic religion.
D) It was rejected by the inhabitants of Rome, for it conflicted with their militaristic culture.

Question 21

Which of the following about Chinese silk is correct?

A) It served mainly as a cloth for summer due to its light nature.
B) It was a luxury commodity because its poor durability made it too fragile for use by those who undertook physical labor.
C) It was made from the fibers of hemp plants.
D) It was used as currency in China's diplomatic and military activities.

Question 22

Who were the most powerful of the nomadic people from the Asian steppe?

A) Yuezhi
B) Xinjiang
C) Xiongnu
D) Kushans

Question 23

In Mahayana Buddhism, what were the enlightened demigods who helped individuals obtain nirvana called?

A) asvaghosas
B) kushans
C) amithabas
D) bodhisattvas

Question 24

What happened as trade expanded following Alexander the Great's conquests?

A) Traders traveled across the entire Silk Road to sell their products in distant lands.
B) The effectiveness of new land routes inhibited the development of maritime commerce.
C) The early culture/societies of Egypt and Mesopotamia lost their preeminence as sources of innovation and knowledge.
D) Southeast Asia, especially the islands of Indonesia, remained disconnected from the trade networks linking Afro-Eurasia.

Question 25

What did the Kushan dynasty do?

A) It undermined the Hellenistic influences in central Asia.
B) It undermined the local cultural traditions in central Asia.
C) It stabilized the trading routes through central Asia.
D) It adopted urban life and abandoned nomadic symbols such as equestrian culture.

Question 26

In what way does the "Parthian shot" epitomize the military of pastoral nomads?

A) It showed the effectiveness of the Chinese rockets borrowed by the Parthians.
B) It showed the highly mobile horseback fighting style that was so effective on arid plains and deserts.
C) It showed the advantages of Parthian siege engines in capturing caravan cities on the Silk Road.
D) It showed that the Parthians had assimilated the style of warfare common to Greek and Persian armies.

Question 27

Which of the following about the Indian Ocean trade is correct?

A) It involved longer stays at sea than voyages in the Mediterranean Sea.
B) It provided an ideal body of water in which to develop maritime trade due to its calm waters.
C) It included the main Mediterranean exports of slaves, porcelain, and spices.
D) It had the city of Athens as its key transit point between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean.

Question 28

The nomadic horsemen of central Asia had what crucial advantage when interacting with other peoples?

A) They developed superior bridles and yokes to aid horses in transporting goods.
B) They had unique knowledge of the mountain passes through which trade goods flowed.
C) They developed political ties with dozens of local kings who allowed them to carry trade goods.
D) Because of their mobility, they had acquired resistance to many diseases.

Question 29

What was the most desired commodity in long-distance trade?

A) spices
B) ivory
C) silk
D) gold

Question 30

Which statement about the Mahayana School of Buddhism is correct?

A) It rejected the divinity of the Buddha.
B) It was primarily adopted by a sect of Buddhist monks in the mountains of Nepal.
C) It was worldly and accommodating.
D) It emphasized that life was filled with suffering.

Question 31

Which of the following shows the extent to which King Menander mingled Greek and Indian influences?

A) Greeks planted crops that were familiar to them, such as vineyards and olive orchards, while Indians planted lentils and rice.
B) Indians rejected Indian patron deities and began to sacrifice to Greek gods.
C) Menander's policies forbade any but Greek or Indian merchants to trade in the Indian Ocean region.
D) One of Menander's coins showed an inscription in Greek on one side and in the local Prakrit language on the other.

Question 32

Which of the following was one of the effects of the Hellenistic influence on Buddhist art?

A) the recurring use of militaristic imagery
B) the exclusive use of Greek-style clothing on figures
C) the presentation of the Buddha and bodhisattvas in realistic human form
D) the depiction of the Buddha as an ornately dressed prince

Question 33

Which of the following about the city of Petra, carved out of rock cliffs by the Nabateans, is correct?

A) It lasted only a few decades because of the lack of water.
B) It reflected the influence of Nubian architecture.
C) It was not accessible by camel caravan.
D) It was a caravan center for the incense trade.

Question 34

In the first few centuries BCE, Arab sailors took advantage of which new maritime technology?

A) New weapons such as catapults were used to protect merchant ships from pirates.
B) Stern-post rudders were used to guide ships.
C) Knowledge of monsoon winds facilitated trade in the Mediterranean Sea.
D) large ships called dhows that were rigged with triangular sails to capture the wind

Question 35

Which statement about the spread of Hellenism in South Asia is correct?

A) It resulted in Buddhism adopting some aspects of Hellenistic thought.
B) It was fiercely resisted by Buddhist monks, who saw Hellenism as militaristic and immoral.
C) It was resisted by political leaders, who based their claims to legitimacy on religious principles.
D) It was promoted by political leaders, who saw it as a way to undermine the power of religious leaders.

Question 36

What was a similarity of Hellenism and Buddhism?

A) They were spread by conquering armies.
B) They were distinct and isolated cultures.
C) They spread into Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.
D) They radiated out from their origins along trade routes.

Question 37

Which of the following is correct about Buddhist art?

A) It imposed South Asian artistic norms on diverse populations.
B) It adopted styles from the diverse populations that produced it.
C) It focused on severe images of the suffering of life.
D) It emphasized closed monasteries, where monks lived in seclusion.

Question 38

What two areas did the Silk Road connect?

A) China to the Mediterranean
B) South Asia to China
C) Central Asia to the Mediterranean
D) South Asia to Central Asia

Question 39

Which of the following characterized Buddhism in its spread to the west along the Silk Road?

A) Buddhism made little gain in the Iranian plateau, largely because of the influence of Hellenism.
B) Buddhist monks began to translate Buddhist texts into Greek.
C) Buddhism spread rapidly in China, gaining large numbers of adherents.
D) Buddhism was unable to dislodge Zoroastrianism from its dominance on the Iranian plateau.

Question 40

Which of the following reflects Chinese society around 300 BCE?

A) Independent farmers increasingly submitted to serfdom for protection against invading armies.
B) Merchants lost power to the military.
C) Trade was closely regulated by the emperor, who exercised a monopoly on the taxation of commerce.
D) Power shifted away from the agrarian elite and into the hands of traders and financiers.

Question 41

Analyze the economic changes that were set in motion by Alexander the Great's conquests.

Question 42

One of the most significant acts of Alexander the Great was to confiscate the wealth of Persian kings and release it into the money economies of the Mediterranean city-states.

Question 43

How did Alexander the Great's conquests alter the political landscape of the Afro-Eurasian world? What types of political regimes emerged in the wake of Alexander?

Question 44

Hellenistic Greek culture was universally accepted throughout the Mediterranean world and Southwest Asia.

Question 45

Gandharan and Mahayana Buddhist art are known for their differing applications of Hellenistic influences on religious traditions.

Question 46

The revolution in navigational techniques and knowledge dramatically reduced the cost of long-distance shipping and multiplied the number of ports around large bodies of water.

Question 47

In what ways did Buddhist beliefs and practices change during the first few centuries BCE? What were the factors that shaped these changes?

Question 48

The Mauryan Empire established the tradition in South Asia of small kingdoms with strong administrative organization.

Question 49

Compare and contrast the influence of Hellenism in Carthage, Judea, and Bactria. What aspects of Hellenistic culture had broad appeal to each of these cultures/societies?

Question 50

"The horse-riding nomads of Inner Afro-Eurasia made long-distance trade possible." Construct an argument in support of this statement, addressing the role of these nomads and their effects on populations in South Asia, China, and central Asia.