Download Unit 1: The Ancient World

Unit 1:
The Ancient World
GRECO/ROMAN CIVILIZATION - LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS OF
GRECO/ROMAN CIVILIZATIONS - THE FALL OF ROME
The Middle Ages:
Time period between Classical Rome and the Renaissance.
400 C.E. – 1450 C.E. In European history
The “Dark” Ages: The Early Middle Ages are sometimes
called the “Dark” because they appeared less “enlightened”
than the ancient Greco – Roman or Renaissance (“rebirth”)
periods, and because documentation of the period is often
sparse and unreliable.
I. Greek Civilization
A. A series of city-states begin to develop rich cultures circa 600 BC
◦ 1. Athens: seat of learning, philosophy, artistic and literary greatness; Athenians also value freedom of
thought and expression
◦ 2. Sparta: a military-oriented society; stressed physical fitness and military/ obedience to one’s society
B. Achievements of Greek Civilization
1. Great literary achievements:
◦ Epic poems by Homer (the Iliad & the Odyssey)
◦ Birth of theatre (dramas, comedies, tragedies)
◦ An enduring mythology tells of the origins of the world and offers morals for proper living
2. The birthplace of democracy
◦ Athens developed a government based on active participation of all citizens
◦ Decisions based on the will of the majority
◦ The concept of citizenship and devotion/patriotism to your city/country
3. Birthplace of philosophy in the western world
◦ Socrates (Father of logic), Plato, Aristotle search for wisdom and truth in themselves
and in their fellow men
◦ Sought to better the human condition through use of logic
◦ Philosophy means “love of wisdom”
4. Art, Sculpture: emphasized realism, and the grace and
beauty of the human form; architecture – Greek style
commonly used today on govt buildings, college campuses
5. Physical fitness, athleticism emphasized, glorified
◦ 776 BC: first Olympic games held
6. Scientific, mathematical advancements
◦ Euclid: the father of geometry
◦ Archimedes: calculated the value of pi, developed the lever
◦ Erastosthenes: concluded that the Earth had a
circumference of 24,662 miles (only 200 miles off!)
7. The first study of history
◦ Herdotus: the father of history; the first to attempt to
gather the stories of the past together and present them as
history
C. Greek Civilization Spreads
1. Conquests of Alexander the Great (356-323BC)
spreads Greek culture throughout the world
2. 149 BC: the Greeks are conquered by the
Romans, who adapt the Greek civilization to their
own and build on it – Hellenistic Culture
II. Roman Civilization
A. Rome rose from a small village on the
Tiber River in central Italy (ca. 800 BC)
◦ 509 BC: Rome overthrew their Etruscan
rulers, became Independent
◦ Slowly expands its borders over the
centuries by conquest/trade
◦ For five centuries, Rome is a republic
(government of Elected officials)
◦ 14 BC: Augustus is crowned as Rome’s first
emperor (republic ends)
◦ 120 AD: Roman emperor at its height
◦ 300s-400s: a slow decline
◦ 476 AD: the fall of Rome
The Roman Forum
Roman Forum Ruins
B. People of Rome
a. Rome was divided up into several different groups who struggled
for power
b. Patricians: wealthy landowners who held most of the power
c. Plebeians: the common farmers, artisans, and merchants;
majority of pop.
d. Tribunes: elected representatives who protected the
rights of the plebeians from patrician officials
e. Consuls: two officials with limited power and one year terms; one controlled the
army the other directed the government
f. Dictator: in times of crisis, the republic could appoint a leader with absolute power
to make laws and control the army; power lasted for 6 months
g. Legions: military units made up of 5,000 soldiers
B. Roman Achievements
1. Government systems, offices
◦ A republic; citizens elected to various offices for a term of years, public affairs
◦ A legislative branch to make laws (Senate)
◦ an executive branch to run the affairs of the state
◦ a judicial branch to administer Roman courts
2. A world-wide network of trade
o goods moved along established trade routes by land and sea
o Western Europe, north Africa, much of Asia, including China
o Use of money (gold and silver coins) replaced the less efficient barter systems of exchange
3. Latin: the language that became the basis for many modern languages
o French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian are today the Romance Languages, direct
offshoots of Latin
o Much of English also of Latin origin
4. Grand architectural styles
o Temples, domes, aqueducts
5. Christianity’s origins:
o Began as an offshoot of Judaism in the Roman province of Judea, ca.
30 AD
o Early Christians persecuted by Rome in savage games
o 313 AD: Emperor Constantine ends persecutions grants religious
tolerations to Christians
o 380 AD: Emperor Theodosius makes it the official religion of the
empire
o Centered in Rome, the Roman Catholic Church grows in power as the
empire goes into decline