Download Chapter 4-5 Classical Greece and Rome AP World History, Mr. Cofield

Classical Rome and the
end of the Classical Era
Unit 1 Section 9
TYWL: How were ancient civilizations and empires able to development, grow
and create a lasting impact?
How has conflict and innovation influenced political, religious, economic and
social changes in medieval civilizations?
Question of the Day 4
How did geographic features influence the
diffusion and settlement of both the Phoenician
and Greek traders?
1) Both had access to the Mediterranean Sea.
2) The monsoon winds made ocean travel
easier.
3) The arid climate encouraged migration.
4) Russia′s rivers provided ease of travel.
Early Roman History
The Punic Wars 264-146 BCE
 Rome vs Carthage
 Rome victorious
The Civil Wars 133-31 BCE
 Julius Caesar
victorious –feared
becoming dictator
assassinated by
fellow senators.
Decline and Fall of Rome
 “barbarian invasions”
after 180 CE
 Economic decline
 Corruption
 Christianity
Christianity
 Jewish religious
beliefs
 Jesus
 Paul
 Roman persecutions
Division of the Empire
 Emperor Diocletian 284-305 divided the
Empire into East & West
Emperor Constantine I (306-337)
 Legalized Christianity w/ the Edict of Milan
313
 Est. new capital at Byzantium, renamed
Constantinople
 Eastern Roman Empire eventually
became the Byzantine Empire
Council of Nicaea 325
Meeting of Church
leaders called by
Emperor
Constantine to
determine true
Christian belief.
Nicene Creed written
to summarize basic
Christian beliefs.
Final Division of the Church
 Western Christians followed the Roman
Catholic Church under the Pope’s
leadership.
 Eastern Christians followed the Eastern
Orthodox Church under the leadership of
the Byzantine Emperor and the Patriarchs.
Fall of the Classical Empires
 All three Empires faced economic decline,
corruption from within, and other
weaknesses.
 Most importantly, all three suffered from
invasions of pastoral nomadic people,
especially the . . .
Hsiung-nu (aka the Huns)
Northern Europe
 Christian missionaries
from Rome brought
the new religion to the
north using the
Roman road system.
Polynesian and Oceanian
Migrations
Africa
 “The Dark
Continent”??
 Desertification led
to Bantu migrations
 Iron technology
 Ethiopia, Kush, Axum
under Christian,
Egyptian influence
 Center of trade and
caravan routes
Cross cultural Trade in the PostClassical Period
 Trade occurred among Europeans, but Europe
was too backwards to be too involved in cross
cultural trade
 Missionaries and Merchants carried cultural
changes along trade routes.