Unit 3 & 4Classical Empires- Israel, Persia, Greece & Rome

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Quizlet:

Concept Questions

1. What caused the classical empires to develop and what effects did this development have on civilization?

2. What were the major accomplishments of the civilizations of Israel, Persia, Greece and Rome during the “Classical Era”?

3. What are the historical origins and central beliefs of Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Christianity?

4. What factors contributed to the rise and fall of the Roman Empire?

Persian Religion•Zoroastrianism•Zoroaster• First to establish monotheism•God of Truth and Light (Ahura Mazda)•God of Evil and Darkness (Angra Mainyu)• Fight for possession of souls• Avesta – holy writings

• People will be judged on their choices in life• Fiery pit or Paradise•Closely tied to beliefs of Christianity, Judaism and Islam•Spread into India (Parsi sect) • Largest group today

JudaismTorah – 1st 5 books of the BibleAbraham – father of Hebrews, chosen by GodMonotheism – ours is the one and only GodCovenant with Abraham• His descendants will inherit the earth• Father of Judaism, Christianity and Islam• God’s protection in exchange for keeping the Commandments• Basis for civil and religious laws

Moses – survived slaughter, “let my people go”• Known for high morals/ethics• Delivered people out of slavery in Egypt• Wanders for 40 years in search of the promised land

Israel

Christianity- in Roman Empire

Jews in Judea under Roman rule• Principles of spiritual equality lead to the concept of legal

equality• Popular with the poor and the peasants

• Birth of unalienable rights (life, liberty and property) – following the 10 Commandments

• Local control given to Jewish court• Jews persecuted for not worshipping Roman gods

Jesus = a Jew who @ 30 began ministry• Apostles: his disciples• Hailed by supporters as the Messiah

• Fulfills Jewish law, salvation through faith, love thy neighbor, trinity

• Executed for challenging authority of Roman emperor and Jewish church leaders

• Separation of church/state – “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.”

• Paul: missionary – never met Jesus• Peter: 1st Pope – spread teachings of Christ

Christianity: A World Religion

Early Christian Church:Hierarchy of power:

Pope (1st – Peter)

CardinalsBishops

• Priests

Constantine: 313 – Edict of Milan –named Christianity an approved religion380 – Theodosius made it the official religionHeresy – any belief contradictory to church

Links to Judaism & Christianity:

Allah is same God of Christians & JewsSee Qur’an as same as Torah & Bible

Qur’an was final book and Muhammad was final prophet

All 3 religions believe in heaven, hell, & day of judgmentMuslims trace ancestry to Abraham, same as Jews & Christians (Isaac, Ishmael/Hagar)Christians & Jews are “people of the book” & Shari’a law required toleration

Persia (present day Iran)• Trade: farming and minerals• Royal Road – connected the empire with a

system of communication and was used to promote trade

• Standard system of weights/measures/coins• postal system

• King Cyrus – military genius • Conquered people allowed to keep their local customs & religions• governed conquered people with kindness and tolerance

• – reason for success• Cyrus cylinder – history of his conquests

• Cambyses – son of Cyrus• Expanded territory to include Egypt• Scorned Egyptian religion• Died after 8 yrs. left Persia fragile and full of revolts• Darius• After settling revolts, expanded into India, but could not conquer

Greece• Unified provinces, expanded the road system, standardized money• Satraps – assigned governor to each province, tax collector & army

leader

Mycenaean Civilization Develops

• Trojan War : Homer’s Epic s The Iliad, The Odyssey - 1200 BC

• Heinrich Schliemann: archaeologist found Troy 1870

• Greek Culture declinesDorians defeated Mycaneans

• Dark Ages of Greece• Greeks created Myths• gods lived on Mt. Olympus:

• Zeus & Hera, etc…• polytheism

Warring City-States

• City States• Polis – with acropolis

• Tyrants: powerful leaders who took control• Rivals: Sparta vs. Athens

• New Kind of Army• Army recruits from • merchants, artisans, small farmers – used cheap

iron weapons

• Foot soldiers formed a: phalanx

Greek Political structures

• Monarchy- • State ruled by a king• Hereditary, rulers claim divine right• Practiced in Mycenae

• Aristocracy –• State ruled by nobility• Hereditary & land ownership• Social status and wealth support rulers’

authority• Practiced in Athens (594 bc)

Political Structures

• Oligarchy –• Rule by a small group of citizens• Based on wealth• Ruling group controls military• Practiced in Sparta

• Direct Democracy• Ruled by its citizens• Based on citizenship• Limited to men• Majority rule Practiced in Athens (461bc)

Sparta builds a Military State

• Oligarchy• Peloponnesian Peninsula• Conquered people: • Helots (serfs)• Education: military training for boys, women

managed homes and trained in sports• Powerful army, little individual expression

Persian Wars

• Darius, Persian king, attacks• Battle of Marathon: Greeks win

• Persian King Xerxes attacks• Battle of Thermopylae - defeat of Spartan Leonidas

(300)• Naval Battle of Salamis: Athens navy won • Battle of Plataea Spartans won

Democracy & Greece’s Golden Age

• Pericles’ 3 Goals for Athens:• Believed all people in society have a role to play – civic responsibility, equal treatment under the law• 1. Strengthen Athenian Democracy• paid public officials, increased their number

• 2. Hold & Strengthen the empire• built largest navy

• 3. Glorify Athens• beautified the city, Parthenon

The 1st Olympic Field

• Revival: 1896, Athens

Classical Art

Spartans vs. Athens @ Peloponnesian war

• Athens lost because:• Plague– 430 BC: killed 2/3 of population, even

Pericles• Athenian navy defeated 413 BC & totally

destroyed

Alexander the Great: The Empire

• King Philip of Macedonia conquered Greece• Alexander took over 336 BC @ 20• Defeated the Persians & Darius III in 3

battles in Anatolia

• After his death, • Empire divided into 3 parts

The Hellenistic Period:

• Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria:• Synthesis of Greek, Egyptian, Middle Eastern, &

Oriental cultures• Trade & Cultural Diversity:• trade & culture centers: Alexandria, Egypt• Astronomy: Ptolemy – incorrectly said earth was

center of solar system• Erathosthenes calculated size of the earth (off -1%)• Mathematics & Physics:• Euclid: geometry• Archimedes: value of pi & lever; pulley

Hellenic Plays/ Philosophers

• Tragedy: serious dramas about common themes• Sophocles

• Comedy: satires• Histories: Herodotus – father of history• Thucydides – non-bias historical writing

• Philosophers• Socrates: “socratic method” • Plato: The Republic • Aristotle : arguing using logic

Realism in Sculpture:

• Statues to honor gods, heroes, everyday life• Largest: Colossus of Rhodes – bronze 100’

tall- 1 of 7 wonders of ancient world• More realistic & emotional than classical

sculpture

• Architecture – continues to influence Rome and even today

Roman History & Christianity

• A Mediterranean • Empire

Beginnings of Rome:

• Latins – 1500 BC• Romulus & Remus myth = 753 BC• Traditional Greek Gods w/ Roman names

Early Republic• Republic: govt. in hands of citizens who vote with elected

representatives (tribunes)• Twelve Tables – system of laws• Often separated classes (ie, patricians & plebians could not

marry)• Separation of powers (executive, legislative, judicial)• Checks and balances• veto

• Patricians & Plebeians• Indirect democracy - representatives

• Senate: upper branch of legislature• *dictator: absolute power• *legion: 5,000 heavily armed foot soldiers

• Women – greater freedoms and influence• Could often inherit so enjoyed some economic independence

• Roles as teachers and administrators in Christian communities• Barred later as men dominate the Church

Rome creates an Empire

• Rome conquers Italy by 265 bce• Tolerant treatment of conquered =• Always created allies• Some were allowed to vote as citizens• Latins were given full citizenship

• Trade rivalry with Carthage for control of Mediterranean - wine, olive oil caused:• The Punic Wars • Rome vs. Carthage

War with Carthage: Punic Wars

• Series of 3 wars:• 1st: Rome won Sicily

• 2nd: Hannibal of Carthage was defeated by Roman Scipio

• 3rd: Cato: “Carthage must be destroyed”

• Lesson of Punic Wars: • Don’t mess with Rome!

The Republic Collapses:• Corruption in government• Instability• Too large to govern effectively• Invasions from barbarian tribes• Social inequality (rich/poor gap)• High taxes inequality in landownership

(peasant revolts)• Latifundia – aristocratic farming estates

• Decline in morals and values (bread/circuses)• Unemployment/inflation• 1/3 of population is slaves• ¼ of population is unemployed

• Decline of cities

Civil War• Julius Caesar – control • of army = & stability• Triumvirate: Caesar, • Crassus & Pompey ruled • Gaius Julius Caesar reforms:• absolute ruler – total power• Power struggle with Senate for control of the

government•

Death of Julius Caesar: “et tu, Brute?”

• c. March 15, 44 BC = Caesar assassinated• Civil wars = Octavian wins & is crowned: Augustus Caesar 31 bc

• Octavian becomes Caesar Augustus, 63-14 BC: BEST ruler

• 45 years of rule = 207 yrs peace! • Or Pax Romana “Roman peace”• After him: armies chose leader until 2nd century

Pax Romana

• Increased trade (agriculture) & commerce: Silk Road to Asia

• Growth of the arts & sciences• Roman Law=Justinian Code

• *all persons equal under the law

• *accused persons guaranteed trials

Decline of the Empire• Military upheaval – invasions• Hired mercenaries – hired foreign soldiers• Political decay: indifference of the people• Emperors attempt reform: • Diocletian – 284 – absolute dictator• Divided empire: Greek speaking (Cyrillic alphabet,

Orthodox religion) vs.

• Latin speaking (phonetic alphabet, Catholic religion)

• Rome’s economy declines: Inflation• Disruption of trade• decline of urban centers (shirt of population)

• Rise of feudalism• Decline of knowledge and learning

• loss of central government

Invaders overrun the Empire• Germanic Invasions:• *408 =Alaric (Visigoth) destroyed Rome• *452 Huns- Attila (fierce Mongol nomads)• *476 Odoacer –sacked Rome

• Rome Falls in 476 –end of Western Roman Empire….but Eastern half continues!

The End of the Empire

• Instability, short reigns, civil wars• Diocletian, 284-395:Western-• ***Divided the Empire!• Constantine, 306-337: Eastern -transferred

capital to Byzantium & renamed it Constantinople- *empire lasted until 1453 Turks

• *converted to Christianity

Roots of Western Civ.

• Historical writing:• *Livy, 59 BC, History of Rome• *Plutarch, 100, biographies of Greek &

Romans• *Tacitus, 55-120, wrote about life among the

Germanic barbarians• *Virgil: epic writer - Aeneid

• Greco-Roman Culture • Romanization - the spread of Latin language & the

Roman way of life• Romance Languages: Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian,

Romanian

• Roman numerals (we use Arabic) 2004 = MMIV

Vesuvius Erupts & destroys Pompeii

Ruins of Pompeii

Frescoe from Pompeii

aqueduct

Appian Way

Trajan’s Tower

Hadrian's Wall: Northern England

Troy

• Conquered by the Romans, too!• German: Heinrich Schliemann wrote• its history.

Byzantine Empire: All Rome doesn’t collapse…only the WEST!