Deck 4: The Greek World Expands,400–150 B.C.E

Question 1

During the Corinthian War (395-387 B.C.E.),Sparta fought against:

A) an alliance comprised of Athens, Syracuse, and Thebes.
B) an alliance comprised of Athens and Corinth.
C) Macedonia, under the leadership of Philip II.
D) an alliance comprised of Syracuse, Croton, Argos, and Thebes.
E) an alliance comprised of Athens, Argos, Corinth, and Thebes.

Answer 1

an alliance comprised of Athens, Argos, Corinth, and Thebes.

Question 2

Philosophy after Socrates continued to pursue his interest in the world through an investigation of:

A) the inner workings of the human mind to the exclusion of the natural world.
B) the natural world in which we live with no regard for human actions.
C) human actions as they affect other people.
D) both the natural world and human actions.
E) the effect human beings had on the natural world.

Answer 2

both the natural world and human actions.

Question 3

One of Plato's philosophical concerns was:

A) to explain change.
B) the doctrine of ideas.
C) to establish a just society.
D) the problem of evil.
E) political life in the context of free will.

Answer 3

to establish a just society.

Question 4

By the fourth century B.C.E.,Greek plays:

A) concentrated wholly on the subject of war.
B) concentrated solely on the subject of love.
C) had become increasingly satirical.
D) were full of political and social critiques.
E) had become milder and less political.

Question 5

Hellenistic sculpture is best described as:

A) realistic and alive.
B) highly abstract.
C) impressionist.
D) idealized and dignified.
E) expressionist.

Question 6

Social and political crises occurred in many Greek city-states during the fourth century B.C.E.due to:

A) Greek experimentation with different political systems.
B) constant warfare with Persia.
C) rising food prices, stagnant wages, and high unemployment.
D) religious warfare between Greek city-states.
E) increasing Roman dominance of the area.

Question 7

The _________ War represented the beginning of the end of the political dominance exercised by the Greek poleis.

A) Athenian
B) Corinthian
C) Spartan
D) Theban
E) Mycenaean

Question 8

The fourth century B.C.E.in Greece witnessed a confused political terrain,with many attempting to discover a direction for the Greeks; among these was _________ ,who believed that the Greeks could rediscover their lost unity by an invasion of Persia.

A) Xenophon
B) Thales
C) Pythagoras
D) Meno
E) Isocrates

Question 9

Whereas Plato conceived of politics as a means toward living the good life,Aristotle regarded politics as:

A) an end in itself.
B) irrelevant to the true purposes of human life.
C) a hindrance to contemplation, which is the true end of life.
D) an essential attribute of being human, in which both women and men should participate.
E) a dangerous pursuit for anyone in which to engage.

Question 10

Why couldn't the Greek city-states unite during the fourth century B.C.E.?

A) The Macedonians would not permit it.
B) The independent temper of Greek political life made unity impossible.
C) The Greek economy was too weak to support an empire.
D) Unity was unnecessary because the Greeks were not threatened by any foreign enemies.
E) There existed an almost perfect balance of power between Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and Thebes.

Question 11

As outlined in the Republic,Plato's ideal form of government is best described as a(n):

A) democracy.
B) republic.
C) aristocracy.
D) meritocracy.
E) tyranny.

Question 12

In the fourth century B.C.E.,the Greeks of the poleis considered Macedonians to be:

A) as Greek as they were.
B) excellent warriors.
C) barbarians.
D) the heirs to the Greek city-state.
E) skilled craftsmen.

Question 13

Alexander the Great is said to have taken two books with him on his conquest of Persia; one was Homer's Iliad and the other was:

A) Plato's Republic.
B) Aristotle's Politics.
C) Euclid's Elements.
D) Xenophon's Anabasis.
E) Heraclitus's The Fire Next Time.

Question 14

Why didn't Sparta benefit more from its victory in the Peloponnesian War?

A) Sparta had no interest in an empire.
B) Persia quickly defeated Sparta.
C) Sparta alienated the other Greek cities by trying to dominate them.
D) Sparta was a land power with no navy.
E) Sparta was defeated the following year by Thebes.

Question 15

Aristotle argued that good conduct is virtuous conduct and that virtue resides in aiming to:

A) separate the mind from the body and its pursuits.
B) live a contemplative life in seclusion.
C) act moderately in all things.
D) involve all people (men and women) in the political life of the polis.
E) respect the will of each individual.

Question 16

The Theban Sacred Band was:

A) an elite military unit composed entirely of male couples.
B) the priestly caste of Thebes.
C) a group of helots committed to overthrowing Sparta.
D) a religious orchestra active in early Greek drama.
E) the royal house of Thebes.

Question 17

Philip II of Macedon's early success had much to do with his:

A) early experiences in the Athenian Navy.
B) reorganization of the Macedonian Army.
C) understanding of the Persian phalanx formation.
D) single-minded desire to conquer Athens and subject it to one-man rule.
E) army being so very much larger than that of any of his enemies.

Question 18

Xenephon's book,the Anabasis,provided Alexander with information about the:

A) structures of Athenian government.
B) history of the Trojan War.
C) basics of Macedonian military strategy.
D) culture of Persia.
E) genealogy of the kings of Macedonia.

Question 19

Alexander the Great founded a great empire that might be described as a:

A) political empire.
B) scientific empire.
C) hereditary empire.
D) military empire.
E) cultural empire.

Question 20

Aristotle believed that:

A) the only true reality lies in unchanging ideals.
B) only matter exists, and so ideals are the creation of human minds.
C) ideals shape matter toward specific purposes.
D) the human mind cannot understand the order of the universe and so should concentrate only on human concerns.
E) only real phenomena can be investigated in order to understand the world in which we live.

Question 21

The _________ taught that the only reason one should be good is to increase one's own happiness.

A) Epicureans
B) Stoics
C) Theban Sacred Band
D) Aristotelians
E) Neoplatonists

Question 22

Macedonian military reforms under Philip II most closely resemble earlier such reforms undertaken by:

A) Thebes.
B) Sparta.
C) Athens.
D) Persia.
E) Egypt.

Question 23

All of the male rulers of Macedonian Egypt took the name:

A) Antigonus.
B) Alexander.
C) Ptolemy.
D) Seleucus.
E) Ramses.

Question 24

Macedonian rule in Egypt was characterized by:

A) ethnic assimilation between Greeks and Egyptians.
B) social welfare policies designed to improve the lot of the poor.
C) commercial isolation.
D) a revival of ancient traditions associated with the pharaohs.
E) ethnic cleansing by the Macedonians.

Question 25

The _________ believed that the cosmos is an ordered whole in which all contradictions are resolved for ultimate good.

A) Epicureans
B) Stoics
C) Skeptics
D) Aristotelians
E) Neoplatonists

Question 26

Although historians believe that early accounts of Alexander's life by Plutarch and Arrian are reliable,they also find them problematic because they:

A) were written four hundred years after Alexander lived.
B) were written by Greek historians who did not appreciate Alexander's genius.
C) were written by Alexander's enemies.
D) were based on Persian accounts of Alexander's feats.
E) only survive today in fragmentary form.

Question 27

Why did autocratic rulers in the Hellenistic world encourage manufacturing industries?

A) Manufacturing trade goods slowed the development of harbors, roads, and canals, thus preserving their power.
B) Manufacturing distracted local and foreign rivals from aggressive military campaigns.
C) Manufacturing increased international trade revenues and therefore taxation and tariffs.
D) Manufacturing brought in exotic goods that were previously unavailable in the ancient world.
E) Manufacturing trade goods increased the development of harbors, canals, and ship design.

Question 28

What similarities did Stoicism and Epicureanism share?

A) a desire to explain the meaning of human existence
B) the presumption of an orderly, purposeful universe
C) a tendency toward escapism and political disengagement
D) a belief in the transmigration of the psyche
E) an assumption that knowledge could be gleaned through sense perception

Question 29

Alexander the Great is a difficult figure for historians to evaluate because:

A) so many legends grew up around him during his lifetime.
B) his military victories are so well known.
C) he died young and without a clear heir.
D) he did not actually accompany his armies on their far-flung campaigns.
E) nothing was written about him during his lifetime.

Question 30

Although he died in _________ ,Alexander was buried at _________ .

A) Ecbatana; Aigai in Macedonia
B) Babylon; Aigai in Macedonia
C) Alexandria; Memphis in Egypt
D) Hydaspes; Alexandria in Egypt
E) Babylon; Memphis in Egypt

Question 31

The ultimate aim of the military and political policies of Philip II was to:

A) conquer the southern Balkans.
B) dominate Athens.
C) conquer the world.
D) invade Persia.
E) create an Adriatic empire.

Question 32

The leading political figure urging Greek resistance to Macedonian expansionism under Philip II was:

A) Xenophon.
B) Socrates.
C) Plato.
D) Isocrates.
E) Demosthenes.

Question 33

To highlight their authority and status in the former Persian empire,Seleucid rulers:

A) spent most of their wealth on expensive building projects and capital improvements.
B) rejected Buddhist traditions and introduced Islamic reforms.
C) minted coins containing practical advice and realistic portraits.
D) used terms in proclamations reminiscent of earlier Mesopotamian rulers.
E) created a special secret police unit to enforce their edicts.

Question 34

The Macedonians were regarded by the Greeks as little more than barbarians,but they did engage in one activity,_________ ,that indicates that they were,in fact,Greek.

A) the dramatic competition in Athens each year
B) the Olympic Games every four years
C) appealing to the Oracle at Delphi before making any political decision
D) joining the Delian League to fight against the Persians
E) speaking the Greek language

Question 35

The Ptolemies of Egypt promoted themselves as heirs of Alexander by:

A) intermarrying with Alexander's family.
B) conquering Macedonia.
C) building an army on the model of Alexander's Great Army.
D) ensuring Alexander's body was buried in Egypt.
E) adopting the manners of the Persian court.

Question 36

Philip II secured the support of many neighboring kingdoms through:

A) wars.
B) marriages.
C) diplomacy.
D) trade agreements.
E) the exchange of hostages.

Question 37

The beginning of the end of Alexander's conquests was his inability to fully subdue:

A) Mesopotamia.
B) Egypt.
C) Parthia.
D) Bactria.
E) Gedrosia.

Question 38

Alexander was aided in his conquest of Egypt by:

A) being proclaimed as the "son of Amun" by the sun god's oracle.
B) turning his attention toward Egypt only after conquering Persia.
C) his mother's family who were members of the Egyptian royal family.
D) a civil war in Egypt between the joint rulers, Cleopatra and Ptolemy.
E) the use of "Greek Fire," recently invented by Archimedes.

Question 39

The most important cultural center in the Hellenistic world was:

A) Memphis.
B) Jerusalem.
C) Constantinople.
D) Athens.
E) Alexandria.

Question 40

The Aetolian and Achaean Leagues differed from previous Greek attempts at political organization between poleis because they:

A) represented a real political unification, with some centralization of government functions.
B) were military rather than true political alliances.
C) required their members to contribute taxation to a common fund.
D) included Macedonian cities.
E) were controlled by the Macedonian royal house.

Question 41

After defeating Darius's armies,Alexander moved his capital to the Persian city of Persepolis.

Question 42

The first individual to predict that one could reach Asia by sailing west was:

A) Aristarchus.
B) Herophilus.
C) Eratosthenes.
D) Euclid.
E) Ptolemy.

Question 43

Galen supported the Hippocratic belief that health occurred when a _________ .His work ensured that this theory influenced medical belief until the nineteenth century C.E.

A) person had no diseases.
B) person had no pain.
C) person had no discernible injuries.
D) person's four humors were in balance.
E) person lived a life of moderation.

Question 44

Hellenistic cosmopolitanism differed from Persian and Roman cosmopolitanism because it:

A) was a product of individualism, not autocracy.
B) did not depend on a shared, common language.
C) was cultural rather than linked directly to a particular imperial power.
D) was restricted to seaports along the Mediterranean coast.
E) was linked directly to the imperial power of the Alexandrian dynasty.

Question 45

In comparison to classical Greek art,Hellenistic art became:

A) more standardized and predictable.
B) more of a commodity to be bought and sold.
C) more directly an expression of civic pride.
D) more critical of social inequalities.
E) a product of government committees.

Question 46

The complex,busy,and cosmopolitan life of the Hellenistic world led to the popularization of:

A) lighthearted comedies.
B) dark tragedies.
C) historical novels.
D) pastoral verse.
E) pointed satires.

Question 47

Cleopatra VII was the first Ptolemaic ruler to learn the Egyptian language.

Question 48

Central to the Skeptical worldview is the idea that:

A) everything always turns out for the best in the end.
B) the universe is ultimately ordered for human beings.
C) one must suspend judgment concerning everything.
D) material pleasure is the only way to happiness.
E) the contemplative life removed from the world is the only way to achieve happiness.

Question 49

Alexander's successors in Egypt ruled their Macedonian subjects in the same way they ruled their Egyptian subjects,as pharaoh.

Question 50

Herophilus of Chalcedon was an innovative scholar in the ancient Hellenistic world who challenged Aristotle's teachings about:

A) the universe.
B) ethics.
C) the best form of government.
D) the body.
E) plant life.

Question 51

In the Republic,Plato argues for a return to the democratic state.

Question 52

Religious belief in the Hellenistic world was:

A) uniform throughout the successor empires of Alexander.
B) varied and largely based on individual choice.
C) imposed on people by their kings or emperors.
D) absolute and unquestioning.
E) always polytheistic.

Question 53

Aristotle argued that the universe could only be understood by exploring the natural world in which people lived.

Question 54

In portraying the human body,Hellenistic sculptors favored:

A) nudes.
B) noble subjects that pleased their noble patrons.
C) simplicity and naturalism.
D) portraying the gods and goddesses.
E) awkward poses and exaggerated postures.

Question 55

Aristarchus of Samos was unusual among Hellenistic astronomers because he:

A) believed that the earth revolves around the sun.
B) believed that the sun revolves around the earth.
C) used a telescope to make astronomical observations.
D) worked in Alexandria rather than Athens.
E) believed that the moon revolves around the sun.

Question 56

Alexander instituted the ritual of proskynesis to allow his Persian subjects to more easily accept him as their new ruler.

Question 57

Aristotle argued that all members of Greek society ought to participate in democracy.

Question 58

Philip's elite cavalry squad,the Companions,was made up of freed slaves who owed their freedom and position to Philip.

Question 59

The league that influenced Alexander Hamilton,John Jay,and James Madison as a role model of cooperation and unification was the Achaean League.

Question 60

Platonic dialogues are some of the earliest surviving works of Western philosophy.

Question 61

Compare and contrast the rule of Alexander's successors in Egypt,Seleucid Asia,and Antigonid Macedonia.

Question 62

In what ways were the Aetolian and Achaean Leagues a challenge to Antigonid rule?

Question 63

What are the key differences between the Greece of the Hellenistic period and that of the Classical Era?

Question 64

Mystery cults were popular mainly with the elite members of society.

Question 65

What factors accounted for the social and economic crises in the fourth century B.C.E.?

Question 66

In addition to discovering the law of specific gravity,Hippocrates is also credited for the principles of the lever,the screw,and the pulley.

Question 67

How much of Alexander's success did he owe to his father?

Question 68

What changes took place in Greek religion during the third and second centuries B.C.E.?

Question 69

The decline of free civic life in the Hellenistic Age contributed to the decline in philosophical thinking.

Question 70

What was the effect of the fourth-century B.C.E.crisis on art and literature?

Question 71

Aristarchus of Samos's deduction that the earth circled the sun was refuted because it disagreed with the premise that humanity,and thus the earth,was the most important facet of the universe and must be at the center.

Question 72

According to Stoicism,evil does not exist.

Question 73

How did art and literature reflect the political and economic atmosphere of Hellenistic Greece?

Question 74

In what ways did Alexander's city building help create an empire?

Question 75

How did Skepticism differ from Epicureanism and Stoicism?