Robert Ziomkowski - CLEP Western Civilization I - Ancient Near East to 1648

(Answer sheets appear in the back of this book.)

TIME:

90 Minutes
120 Questions

DIRECTIONS : Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by five possible answers or completions. Select the best choice in each case and fill in the corresponding oval on the answer sheet.

1. Sargon of Akkad (c. 23712316 B.C.E.) is best known for
   1. establishing the art of writing among the Sumerians.
   2. spreading monotheism in Egypt.
   3. unifying Mesopotamia by conquering the Sumerian city-states and creating a vast empire.
   4. bringing peace to the ancient Near East by sponsoring a treaty between the Babylonians and the Kassites.
   5. freeing the Hebrews from exile in the Babylonian Empire.
2. All of the following are true of the Minoans EXCEPT
   1. They dominated trade in the eastern Mediterreanean.
   2. Their settlement on the Aegean island of Thera was destroyed by a volcanic eruption.
   3. They built magnificent palaces adorned with frescoes that depicted women leading ritual events and athletes jumping over bulls.
   4. They invented the first alphabet.
   5. Their civilization on the isle of Crete was eventually invaded by the Mycenaeans.
3. The pyramids in Egypt provide evidence of all of the following EXCEPT
   1. ancient techniques of harnessing the flooding of the Nile for agriculture.
   2. belief in an afterlife among the ancient Egyptians.
   3. the sophistication of ancient Egyptian engineering.
   4. the great power of Egyptian kings to mobilize laborers in the service of the royal family.
   5. the exceptional size and splendor of the building projects organized by the Fourth Dynasty.
4. The Iliad of Homer is an epic poem based on
   1. the Dorian invasion of Greece.
   2. a tragic play by Aeschylus.
   3. the war against Troy waged by the Mycenaeans.
   4. the wars between Athens and Sparta.
   5. the wars between Greece and Persia.
5. The Greek polis , or city-state, was all of the following EXCEPT
   1. the basic unit of social, economic, and political organization in ancient Greece.
   2. a force for unity on the local level.
   3. a cause of endemic warfare among the Greeks.
   4. a source of inspiration for the establishment of a classless society.
   5. an institution that prevented unity among the Greeks as a whole.
6. 
   The building shown above is the
   1. Parthenon in Athens.
   2. Pantheon in Rome.
   3. theater of Epidauros.
   4. royal tomb in Mycenae.
   5. palace of Knossos in Crete.
7. Unhappiness is not caused by external events in themselves, but rather by our opinions about external events. It is within our power to change our thoughts about an event, and we can free ourselves from unhappiness by freeing ourselves from desire. Thus, if we no longer desire events to turn out one way or another, we will never be disappointed by them, and we can live a tranquil life, free from worry and unhappiness.

   The outlook on life described above represents the teaching of which Greek school of philosophy?

   1. Epicureanism.
   2. Platonism.
   3. Skepticism.
   4. Aristotelianism.
   5. Stoicism.
8. During the Middle Ages, Constantinople was attacked by all of the following EXCEPT
   1. Arabs.
   2. Mongols.
   3. Turks.
   4. Vikings.
   5. Christians.
9. Medieval Europeans were indebted to the Muslims for all of the following EXCEPT
   1. astrolabes.
   2. paper.
   3. algebra.
   4. the numeral zero.
   5. the moldboard plow.
10. The Frankish barbarians converted to Catholic Christianity during the reign of the Merovingian king named
    1. Pepin the Short.
    2. Clovis.
    3. Charles Martel.
    4. Merovech.
    5. Gregory of Tours.
11. Which of the following did Pope Gregory I (590604) NOT do?
    1. Acknowledge the spiritual primacy of the patriarch of Constantinople.
    2. Send missionaries to England.
    3. Defend Rome from barbarians through diplomacy.
    4. Promote Benedictine monasticism.
    5. Feed the poor of Rome.
12. Philip IV (the Fair) of France did all of the following to increase his revenue EXCEPT