Final Review, Part 2

Rome was founded as a Republic in 753 BCE.

It expanded to include the entire Italian peninsula by 264 BCE and eventually created an empire (a country with several territories that are separate from its original territory).

At its height, the Roman Empire existed on 3 continents: Europe, Asia and Africa

The Empire was centered around the Mediterranean Sea

The Mongol Empire began when Genghis Khan united the many tribes of Mongols that lived on the Asian steppes north of China.

The Mongol army was a formidable force that swept across Asia on horseback, conquering several large, wealthy civilizations.

Because the Mongols brought the Silk Road trade routes under their control, trade between different parts of their empire increased.

However, the Mongols did not force their culture on any of the conquered civilizations. They chose to learn from them and take the best ideas and technology from each.

Pope Pius X called for a Crusade (Holy War) to take the Holy Land (present-day Israel/Palestine) back from Muslim control.

There were many different Crusades. All failed except the first.

While the Crusades did not take the Holy Land back under Christian control, they did help establish permanent trading relationships between Europe (especially Italy) and the Middle East.

The first recorded outbreak of the Plague was in China in 1333.

By 1347, it had traveled through trade networks and reached southern Italy.