Ancient Civilizations (Grade 6) Midterm — Units 5–6

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. How did Greece's mountains affect its history?
   1. A. They led to many independent city-states
   2. B. They blocked all travel by sea
   3. C. They united Greece under one king
   4. D. They created large river valleys for farming
2. How did the philosopher Socrates teach?
   1. A. By asking questions
   2. B. By giving laws
   3. C. By leading armies
   4. D. By writing books
3. Ancient Athens is known as the birthplace of what?
   1. A. Democracy
   2. B. Monarchy
   3. C. Communism
   4. D. Feudalism
4. The Parthenon in Athens was built to honor which goddess?
   1. A. Athena
   2. B. Hera
   3. C. Artemis
   4. D. Aphrodite
5. What was a Greek polis?
   1. A. A warship
   2. B. A temple
   3. C. A city-state
   4. D. An army
6. What happened during the Persian Wars?
   1. A. Greek city-states joined forces against Persia
   2. B. Rome conquered the Greek city-states
   3. C. Macedonia took control of Egypt
   4. D. Athens and Sparta fought each other
7. Ancient Sparta was best known for what?
   1. A. Its strict military training
   2. B. Its plays and philosophy
   3. C. Its direct democracy
   4. D. Its giant pyramids
8. The ancient Olympic Games were held to honor which god?
   1. A. Poseidon
   2. B. Ares
   3. C. Apollo
   4. D. Zeus
9. The Peloponnesian War was fought between which two sides?
   1. A. Athens and Sparta
   2. B. Greece and Persia
   3. C. Rome and Carthage
   4. D. Macedonia and Egypt
10. What did Alexander the Great accomplish?
    1. A. He founded the city of Rome
    2. B. He wrote the first Greek plays
    3. C. He united China under one ruler
    4. D. He built an empire from Greece to India
11. What did Roman aqueducts do?
    1. A. Defended the empire's borders
    2. B. Carried water into cities
    3. C. Held chariot races
    4. D. Stored grain for winter
12. Rome fought the Punic Wars against which rival?
    1. A. Carthage
    2. B. Egypt
    3. C. Persia
    4. D. Gaul
13. Who were the patricians in ancient Rome?
    1. A. Enslaved people
    2. B. Common farmers and workers
    3. C. Foreign soldiers
    4. D. Wealthy landowning families
14. What were the Twelve Tables?
    1. A. Rome's first written laws, displayed in public
    2. B. A list of Roman gods and goddesses
    3. C. The twelve generals who led Rome
    4. D. Twelve temples in the Roman Forum
15. How was the Roman Republic governed?
    1. A. A king ruled with total power
    2. B. Citizens elected leaders to represent them
    3. C. Priests made all the laws
    4. D. An emperor passed power to his son
16. Which was a major cause of the fall of the Western Roman Empire?
    1. A. The invention of the printing press
    2. B. The spread of Buddhism from India
    3. C. Invasions by Germanic groups
    4. D. Attacks by Mongol armies
17. What was the Pax Romana?
    1. A. About 200 years of peace in the Roman Empire
    2. B. A war between Rome and Persia
    3. C. A set of Roman laws for soldiers
    4. D. A famous Roman road to Greece
18. Who became Rome's first emperor?
    1. A. Julius Caesar
    2. B. Constantine
    3. C. Nero
    4. D. Augustus
19. Which modern languages developed from Latin?
    1. A. Russian, Polish, and Czech
    2. B. Spanish, French, and Italian
    3. C. English, German, and Dutch
    4. D. Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian
20. What is Emperor Constantine known for?
    1. A. Legalizing Christianity in the empire
    2. B. Defeating Hannibal of Carthage
    3. C. Building the Colosseum
    4. D. Founding the Roman Republic

Part 2: Written Response

21. Identify two contributions of ancient Rome that still affect us today and explain each.