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Alessandro Botticelli’s master work, [BLANK-1], is an example of the Platonic Neo-Classical style common to the Italian Renaissance. The painting represents a quantum leap in quality over prior medieval works with its ability to incorporate a sense of depth, focal points, and a proportionate figure. It also stands as an example of private patronage (rather than church patronage) with its classical, mythical theme. The perfection exhibited by the central figure embodied the Renaissance’s positive view of human qualities (as being nearly divine) rather than the humble medieval view that human beings were lacking in dignity and nearly worthless.

Part 3 Essay Question (40%): Your essay should have an introduction with a clear and specific thesis, a body with evidence, and a conclusion that reinforces your central argument. Select the option you feel the most comfortable with and answer it to the best of your ability. You may find it helpful to write out a brief outline of the essay before you begin writing.Choose ONE (1):What were the major accomplishments of the short-lived Sui Dynasty? How did the two most important accomplishments have a lasting impact on Chinese societies? Aside from the emperor, who formed the ruling class of the Sui Dynasty and how could one become part of that ruling class? What contributed to the decline and fall of the Sui Dynasty?Chart the progression of Frankish tribes from their origins to the successors of Charlemagne’s Empire. Who was Charlemagne and what were his major accomplishments? How did Charlemagne found such an expansive empire in Europe? How was Charlemagne’s Empire divided after his and his son’s death? In what ways did the division of Charlemagne’s Empire mark the rudimentary political boundaries for modern Europe?Trace and analyze the social distinctions in early Muslim societies, particularly during the Umayyad Caliphate. Who comprised the top of the social hierarchy in Muslim societies and what groups of people made up the lower strata? How did Muslims in this era interact with Jews and Christians? What roles did slaves play in Muslim societies? What was expected of women in the Islamic faith; what rights did they have and what restrictions did they face? Describe Muslim marriages.

Key Terms​Anne Boleyn​Artemisia Gentileschi​The Battle of Agincourt​The Battle of Hastings​”The Birth of Venus”​Colonization by France​Colonization by Spain​The Council of Trent​”David”​Elizabeth I​Florence​The Florentine Codex​Galen’s System of Humours​Geography​The Great Famine​Henry V​Henry VII​Instruction in Faith​On the Dignity of Man​The Plantagenet Dynasty​Plenary Indulgences​Pope Boniface VIII​Pope Innocent III​Simony​The Spanish Inquisition​Venice”Vitruvian Man”​​Vlad III​The War of the Roses​Witch Trials

A Pacific society of Polynesian origin developed at [BLANK-1] around 1000 and in its most prosperous period around 1200, reached a population of about 15,000 people. This society raised chickens and farmed taro and sweet potatoes. The people in this region began to erect monuments resembling massive stone heads and they devoted remarkable efforts and resources to this practice, building more than 800. This monument building left a toll on the people and created a considerable amount of environmental stress, as forests were depleted to make the tools needed to move the statues. With the forests gone, resources diminished, bird nesting sites were removed, and the people could no longer construct boats. The population of this area was reduced to a fraction of its former height in the centuries following the destruction of the forests.

[BLANK-1] was a governmental model that developed in Ancient Greece. It typically occurred in periods of distress or unrest, when one man took over all power of the government in a polis. Although this one man held all the power of the government, he was not necessarily cruel or unjust, and sometimes used his power to benefit average citizens.

Part 3 Essay Question (40%): Your essay should have an introduction with a clear and specific thesis, a body with evidence, and a conclusion that reinforces your central argument. Select the option you feel the most comfortable with and answer it to the best of your ability. You may find it helpful to write out a brief outline of the essay before you begin writing.Choose ONE (1):Compare and contrast the civilizations of Ancient Mesopotamia. How did Mesopotamian leaders legitimize their authority and effectively manage their empires? In what ways did these civilizations expand their territories and incorporate new people into their area of rule?Compare the Three Great Religions of Ancient India. What are these religions, what are their major tenets, and how did they help shape Indian civilization? In what ways did Ancient Indian cosmology and the concepts of samsara, karma, moksha, and dharma impact these religions?Compare and contrast Ancient Greece’s two greatest poleis: Athens and Sparta. In what ways were these societies similar and in what ways did they differ? Describe how these city-states came into conflict with one another during the Peloponnesian War.  What issues led to this conflict and which group ultimately emerged victorious?

Muslim societies were polygynist (meaning that one man could marry multiple wives) and the Qur’an specified that a man could marry as many as four wives (in practice, many Muslim elites far exceeded that limit). After the first generation or so of Muslims, many societies borrowed a Persian and Eastern custom of secluding the wives of an elite married man into a secure location called a [BLANK-1]. While the man’s first wife tended to be free of this system, his other wives would remain forever secluded in their women’s quarters. The elite Muslim husband would visit this site for conjugal visits, but aside from his romantic visits, the women would never see another man aside from eunuchs (castrated males) who would guard the women.

While it was not the first known written law, [BLANK-1] of ca. 1755 B.C.E. is the oldest nearly complete system of laws known to historians. It was adopted by a Babylonian king of Ancient Mesopotamia, and gave great insight into daily life in Babylonia (for instance, most of the laws relate to marriage, family, agriculture, and lineage, suggesting what was important in this society). Legal penalties varied depending on one’s class and gender; however, those of the same station were famously promised “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” It provided Babylonia with a more uniform system of laws and served as a way for the king to justify his rule.

Key Term Bank​The 12th Century Renaissance​The Basin of Cuzco​Blood Sacrifices​Bushido Code​Chinese Paper Money​Christian Curses​The Code of Chivalry​Crusader States​Easter Island​Emperor Taizu of Song​Fief​Figure of a Lohan​Human Sacrifice​Itzcoatl​Jizya​The Kamasutra​Khubilai Khan​Lake Texcoco​Lake Titicaca​Marco Polo​Moctezuma II​Peasants​The Pillow Book​Popol Vuh​Serfs​Shakuntala​Sic et Non​The Troyes Fair​The Valley of Mexico​Zakariya Al-Qazwini

An Ancient Indian cosmological concept known as [BLANK-1] was the idea of the reincarnation of souls by the continual process of rebirth. This concept was used by Ancient Indian religions such as Brahmanism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.