SAT II World History : Prehistory to 500 C.E.

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #19 : Europe

Which of these conquerors is credited with spreading Greek ideas around the world?

Possible Answers:

Xerxes I

Leonidas of Sparta 

Alexander the Great 

Darius the Great

Julius Caesar 

Correct answer:

Alexander the Great 

Explanation:

Darius and Xerxes were Persian emperors who were more concerned with destroying Greek culture and influence than spreading it. Julius Caesar was a Roman General and then later, briefly, an emperor. Leonidas is the man immortalized in the story of the battle of Thermopylae who lead a small force of Spartan soldiers against the seemingly endless might of the Persian Empire. Of the provided answer choices, only Alexander the Great was both Greek and a conqueror. Alexander the Great lead Greek and Macedonian forces on a massive campaign across North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia that did not end until he reached Northern India. He is often partly credited with the overwhelming influence that Greek culture has had on the world’s languages, cultures, religions, philosophies, and politics. 

Example Question #20 : Europe

Which of these Ancient Greeks is a famous dramatist?

Possible Answers:

Thucydides 

Socrates 

Sophocles

Pericles

Aristotle 

Correct answer:

Sophocles

Explanation:

Of these famous ancient Greek individuals, only Sophocles is famous for his dramatic, specifically tragic, plays. Socrates and Aristotle are both famous for their philosophical and scientific writings and teachings (Socrates taught Plato, who taught Aristotle, who taught Alexander the Great). Pericles was the most famous political figure in Republican Athens. Finally, Thucydides is remembered for his historical writings, particularly his History of the Peloponnesian War, a chronicling of a war that was fought between Athens and Sparta in the fifth Century BCE.

Example Question #21 : Europe

Along with Julius Caesar, which two men made up the First Triumvirate of Rome?

Possible Answers:

Octavian and Marcus Aurelius

Mark Anthony and Augustus Caesar

Scipio Africanus and Pompey Magnus

Pompey Magnus and Marcus Crassus

Octavian and Mark Anthony

Correct answer:

Pompey Magnus and Marcus Crassus

Explanation:

The First Triumvirate of the Roman Empire was formed between Julius Caesar, Pompey Magnus, and Marcus Crassus. The Triumvirate had no legal authority and was formed solely to consolidate the power of these three men against the legal authority of the Roman Senate. Following Crassus' death, a civil war erupted betwen Pompey and Caesar that ended with Pompey's defeat and Caesar assuming the role of dictator of Rome until his assassination ten years later. 

Example Question #22 : Europe

Draco and Solon are credited with __________.

Possible Answers:

promoting women’s rights in nineteenth-century Europe 

undermining the Nazi war effort in Eastern Europe during WWII

helping institute democracy in the Athenian city-state 

discovering the pyramids of Egypt 

inventing the world’s first viable vaccination against polio 

Correct answer:

helping institute democracy in the Athenian city-state 

Explanation:

Draco and Solon are somewhat enigmatic figures in Ancient Athenian history. They were both lawmakers. Draco came first and extended democratic rights to those Ancient Greeks who were wealthy enough to afford armor (not the arbitrary distinction this might seem now, as these were the men who fought for/funded the defense of Athens). However, his laws were extremely harsh - prescribing punishment by death for just about every crime. It is from his name that we get the English word “draconian.” Draco’s legal system did little except pit the poor against the rich in Ancient Greece and so the Athenians turned to Solon to revise the political system in Athens. Although neither Draco nor Solon themselves created the institution of democracy in Athens, their legal codes and political reforms were the foundations upon which the original Athenian democratic society was able to grow. 

Example Question #23 : Europe

The Ancient Greek Thucydides is most famous for __________.

Possible Answers:

his historical writings on the invasion of Troy

his historical writings on the Peloponnesian War

his writings on logic and reason 

his advances in mathematical understanding 

leading the defense of Marathon against the Persian forces

Correct answer:

his historical writings on the Peloponnesian War

Explanation:

Thucydides is probably the most famous classical era historian. He is most famous for his writings on the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta in the fifth century B.C.E. 

Example Question #24 : Europe

Euripides, Sophocles, and Aeschylus are three famous Greek __________.

Possible Answers:

politicians

teachers

tragedians

philosophers 

comedians

Correct answer:

tragedians

Explanation:

Euripides, Sophocles, and Aeschylus are the three Greek tragedians whose work has survived. Sophocles is probably the most famous of the three, although this is somewhat subjective, and he gave us the story of Oedipus. 

Example Question #25 : Europe

Which of these Ancient Greeks is often referred to as the Father of Western Medicine?

Possible Answers:

Socrates

Phillip of Macedon

Pericles

Thucydides

Hippocrates

Correct answer:

Hippocrates

Explanation:

Hippocrates is often considered to be the "Founder of Western Medicine." Among other things, Hippocrates is credited with advancing physiological and anatomical understanding. He also proposed the Hippocratic Oath which continues to influence doctors to this day. 

Example Question #1 : Roman Empire

Which of these men was not part of the First Triumvirate of Rome? 

Possible Answers:

Crassus 

Pompey 

They were all members 

None of them were members 

Caesar 

Correct answer:

They were all members 

Explanation:

The First Triumvirate of Rome was a political alliance between Julius Caesar, Marcus Crassus, and Pompeius Magnus. It was not an official political organization, but rather a secretive organization that sought to engineer the downfall of the Roman Republic. Following Crassus’ death the Roman world was essentially in the hands of two men - Pompey (his anglicized name), who controlled the Senate and Julius Caesar who controlled the armies of Gaul and enjoyed the most popular support. When Caesar crossed the Rubicon he was declared an enemy of the state and Pompey was charged by the Roman Senate with defeating him. Thus ended the First Triumvirate of Rome; when Caesar defeated Pompey in battle and then had him assassinated. 

Example Question #2 : Roman Empire

A Roman Emperor was seen in a pre-Christian religious context as

Possible Answers:

fulfilling a role in worship for select gods.

subordinate only to a chief priest.

the supreme god of the pantheon.

not important to the religion.

the chief priest.

Correct answer:

the chief priest.

Explanation:

The Roman Emperor held a number of different titles, including pontifex maximus, which is Latin for "chief priest". The title was held by Julius Caesar as a pre-Empire designation, but given to his adopted son Octavian. When Octavian became the first true Roman Emperor with the title Augustus, he kept the designation of pontifex maximus, which was passed on to later emperors.

Example Question #3 : Roman Empire

During the first century CE, all of the following were features of the Roman Empire EXCEPT which answer choice?

Possible Answers:

A wealthy class of individuals known as the patricians

The widespread acceptance of Christianity

The prevalence of a polytheistic religion

A system of aqueducts

An expansive network of roads

Correct answer:

The widespread acceptance of Christianity

Explanation:

As Christianity developed during the first century CE, its earliest followers  were persecuted in the Roman Empire. Not until the Edict of Milan in 313 CE was Christianity even legal in the empire. Therefore "the widespread acceptance of Christianity" is the correct answer.

All of the other answer choices were true of Rome during the first century CE as it approached its height in the early second century CE.

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