EUROPE - The adventure of discovery

CLASSICAL WORLD

  700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 100 200 300 400 500

-753Founding of

Rome

499 BC to 500 AD-600

Classical Greece -337

 -559

Persian Empire -331

-509

Roman Republic -27

-500 Celts 43

-55

Roman Britain 410

1

the Barbarians 450

27 Roman Empire 475

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•farming communities sprang up in southeast Europe around 6000

BC

•they had also developed in the north by 4000 BC

•on Atlantic coasts, they started building mounds, henges & stone

circles from around 4000 BC (examples: Stonehenge - Avebury - Carnac)

•the oldest of these are in Ireland

•there are many fine examples in England, Scotland & Brittany

•leading up to 500 BC, the Celts dominated Europe

•most advanced civilisations were Mycenae in Greece & Etruscans in

Italy

Europe up to 500 BC

The eruption of Santorini& the destruction of

the Minoan Civilisation

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• independent ‘city-states’ (‘polis’) grew up

• surrounding mountains provided protection

• they built encircling walls and a fort (‘acropolis’) was built on a high place inside

• Athens & Sparta were the two most important of many

• each had own customs, laws & forms of government

• they tended to expand towards Black Sea & Africa

• they were very competitive with each other

• they fought hard for freedom, especially against the Persians

• they were traders, sailors & adventurers

• also philosophers: influenced many faraway cultures

• built philosophies based on observation, reason & discussion

Classical Greece – 600 to 337 BC

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•they triumphed at Battles of Marathon & Salamis around 480BC

•from 431 they spent over 25 years fighting each other in the

Peloponnesian War

•Sparta feared the growth of Athenian power, so the city-states never

became a united country

•city-states united to fight off the Persians

•disunity resulted in invasion by Philip II of Macedonia, father of

Alexander the Great They gave us language, architecture, philosophy

and democracy …..

A biography ofAlexander the Great

Classical Greece – 600 to 337 BC

More photos of Ancient Greece

The Elgin Marbles

The Parthenon one / two / three

(the importance of the Battle of Marathon)

• sons of freemen went to school• girls were taught weaving & household skills by mothers• at 6 or 7, boys learned reading, writing, music, dancing & athletics• they wrote on wax tablets, using a stick called a ‘stylus’

•a new Greek colony is established•Inside the city wall will be a marketplace, temples, law

courts, houses, workshops and council chambers

EUROPE - AD 1

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•legend has it that Rome was founded by local tribespeople who camped on

Rome's 7 hills

•the people were Sabines and Latins; Romulus was their first King

•they were influenced by their neighbours the Etruscans and traders from

Greece & Carthage

•the Etruscans, from Etruria, lived in city-states emerging around 800 BC

•they were farmers, metalworkers, seafarers & traders, and liked music,

games & gambling

•they were greatly influenced by the Greeks and worshipped Greek Gods

The Founding of Rome - 753 to 509 BC

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•early Rome was ruled by Kings, who

formed armies to defend Rome

•the kings had disputes with the

patricians, the leading families

•the patricians were more representative

of a changing, more urbanised Rome

•they eventually overthrew the monarchy

in 509 BC, leading to the Republic

•this was the first republic in the world

The Founding of Rome - 753 to 509 BC

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•Rome was run in the 5th century BC by ‘patricians’ (lords, the ruling class)

•there was a struggle between Patricians and Plebians (ordinary people)

•this led to the writing of a legal code and the Roman Republic

•Rome embarked on wars that led to their control of all the Italian peninsular

•Rome clashed with Carthage over trade in the Mediterranean, leading to the

Punic Wars lasting 60 years

•Rome established new cities, organisation and prosperity, giving conquered

peoples Roman citizenship if they cooperated

•by 44 BC they ruled France, Spain, Europe south of the Danube, Anatolia &

Northern Africa

The Roman Republic – 509 to 27 BC

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EUROPE - The adventure of discovery

The Roman Empire – built on military power

the sad story of Hannibal & Carthage

one two

•in 100 BC, friction arose between patricians and plebians again

•power struggles between generals led to civil war

•in 44 BC, Julius Caesar became Emperor for Life, but alarmed Republicans assassinated him, and the Republic collapsed

•Romans chose dictatorship to chaos, and Octavian gradually took control

•under him, trade extended as far as East Africa, India & China

•the Empire expanded and built roads, towns and cities

•Emperors relied more on the army than on the people

•most Emperors chose their successors; some were deposed by soldiers

•from 100 AD, Rome was ruled by strong Emperors: Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius & Marcus Aurelius

•by 117 AD, the Empire had grown too large; soldiers could no longer be paid with booty, slaves and land taken from those conquered

•the last conquests were in Britain, Syria, Palestine & Egypt; most conquered people adapted to Roman life

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The Roman Empire – 27 BC to 475 AD

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Pompeii

The Romans great builders of antiquity

The Romans were master bridge- builders, not only for transport of people and goods, but also for water.

They built magnificent aquaducts all over theirEmpire, and some are

still in use today.

The Romansgreat builders of antiquity

some famous monuments

•Fast communications, meaning good roads, were one of the Romans’ greatest assets in the conquest and control of their Empire. •Most of their roads were straight, and many

of the routes they followed can still be seen to this day.

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The Roman Empire, 2nd century AD

EUROPE - The adventure of discovery

The Roman Empire – built on military power

EUROPE - The adventure of discovery

The Roman Empire – built on military power

EUROPE - The adventure of discovery

The Roman Empire – built on military power

The Battle of Alesia - 52 BC