Social Studies 3/18/2026

What is a city-state?

separate + independent community

What is a longship?

a ship with ores and a sail used by the Vikings.

What is Pagan?

a religion where people believe in more than one god.

What is Renaissance?

a period of artistic and intellectual activity

Which civilizations influenced Southern Europe?

Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome

What is Greek and Roman culture often called?

Classical culture

During the ------ Ages (A.D. --- to ----), Christianity and classical ideas helped shape a new European civilization.

Middle Ages, 500 to 1500 A.D.

---- and --------- were common during the middle ages.

Wars and invasions

The ------- of Northern Europe were skilled sailors and explorers whose voyages changed the history of Europe and North America.

Vikings

Because Greece had many --------- and ---------, people formed small independent communities called ----------.

Mountains and Seacoasts/city-states

Each language had its own ----------, but they shared the same -------- and -------.

Government/ language and culture

What are two powerful Greek city-states?

Athens and Sparta

The Greek city-states were rivals but united against the ------- Empire.

Persian Empire

After the Persian Wars, ------ became the most powerful city-state.

Athens

Athens became famous for Philosophers such as --------, -----, and ---------.

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Athens became famous for the first ---------.

Democracy

Athens became famous for Greek art and ideas that later influenced the ----- civilization

Roman civilization

Wars weakened the Greek city-states, allowing the kingdom of ------- to rise.

Macedon

Macedon's king --------- --- -----, conquered lands.

Alexander the Great

Which lands did Alexander the Great conquer?

Asia Minor (Turkey), Persia, Egypt, and Greece

Although Alexander the Great died at --, he spread ----- culture throughout his empire.

died at 33, spread Greek culture

Roman began as settlements along the ----- River.

Tiber River

These settlements eventually grew into the city of ----.

Rome

Rome first developed a government known as the ----- --------.

Roman Republic

Leaders called ------- were elected each year.

Consuls

By --- B.C., Rome controlled the ------- Peninsula.

275 B.C./ Italian Peninsula

Later, the leader ------ ------ seized control of Rome.

Julius Caesar

After Julius', his adopted heir -------- -------- became the first Roman emperor.

Octavian Augustus

In A.D. ---, Emperor ----------- moved the capital from Rome to --------- (later called Constantinople).

In A.D. 330/ Emperor Constantine/Byzantium

The Western Roman Empire fell in A.D. --- when ------ invaders took control of Rome.

A.D. 476/German invaders

Beginning in the ---s A.D., warriors from ----------- began raiding parts of Europe.

700s A.D./Scandinavia

These warriors were known as the -------.

the Vikings

Vikings traveled in ships called ---------.

Longships

The Vikings explored far across the ------- Ocean.

Atlantic Ocean

What countries did Vikings establish settlements in?

Iceland and Greenland

Around the year ---- A.D., Viking explorer ---- -------- reached North America.

1000 A.D./Leif Eriksson

Vikings originally followed a ----- religion with many gods.

Pagan religion

Over time, many Vikings converted to ------------.

Christianity

During the Middle Ages, many ancient writings were ---- or ---------.

lost or destroyed

In the ----s, interest in Greek and Roman learning began to grow again in the city of --------, Italy.

1300s/Florence, Italy

Poets such as ----- and -------- helped inspire this renewed interest.

Dante and Petrarch

After the Byzantine Empire fell in ----, scholars brought ancient manuscripts to Western europe.

1453

During 1453, the -------- ----- was invented in Germany.

Printing press

The time period around the 1450s became known as the -----------.

Renaissance

Artists and thinkers such as -------- -- ----- studied nature and classical ideas.

Leonardo da Vinci

By the ----s, Europeans wanted to trade with ----- and -----.

1400s/China and India

Prince ----- of Portugal encouraged sailors to find sea routes to Asia.

Prince Henry

In ----, explorer ----------- reached the cape of Good hope.

1488/Bartholomew

After 1488, ----------- -------- sailed west in 1492 and reached the -------/-----------.

Christopher Columbus/Americas or Caribbeans

The exchange of goods between Europe and the Americas became known as the --------- --------.

Columbian Exchange

Christianity became strongly connected with ------.

Europe

The western branch became the ----- -------- Church.

Roman Catholic

The eastern branch became the ------- -------- Church.

Eastern Orthodox

Muslim forces called the ----- invaded Spain in the ---s.

Moors/700s

In the ----/----s, the ideas of ------ ------ helped spread the Protestant Reformation.

1500s-1520s/Martin Luther

Many countries in Northern Europe adopted forms of -------------.

Protestantism

In the ----s, many European countries experienced major political changes.

1800s

Italy became a united country in ----.

1870

During the ----s, Europe was involved in both ----- Wars.

1900s/World Wars

During World War 2, Italy sided with ---- -------.

Nazi Germany

After World War 2, several countries became --------- governments.

Democracy governments

Since ----s, many countries in Northern and Southern Europe have worked together as members of the -------- -----.

1990s/European Union