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Standard 10.1: Students Relate Western Thought to Ancient Greeks, Ancient Romans, Early Judaism, and Early Christianity Mesopotamia http://www.clt.astate.edu/wnarey/Bible%20a s%20Literature%20documents/INT_FA.JPG Mesopotamia, located in the Middle East is believed to have given shape to one of the first civilizations. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers ran through this area and a fertile area for some of the first farming to occur between the rivers. This area is also called the fertile crescent. http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/ancient_he brews/pages/landof.htm The Hebrews The Hebrews occupied Mesopotamia, along with other people. This is written in their sacred text, the Torah. They were different from the other civilizations because they were monotheistic, they believed in only one god. About 2,000 B.C., the Hebrews migrated into a region known a Canaan. The Hebrews were nomads, move around from place to place. Most herded animals rather than farmed in Canaan. Hebrew Slavery According to the Torah, many Hebrews went down into Egypt because there was a famine in Canaan and they had no food. Fearing their rising numbers, the Pharaoh enslaved the Hebrews and used them for harsh labor. Exodus In 1200 B.C., a man named Moses, who had been raised by the Pharaoh, helped the Jews gain their freedom to leave. They wandered the Sinai Peninsula for 40 years. During this time a set of laws were created by god, according to the Torah, and given to Moses. http://www.christianshirts.us/christian_tshirts/Ten_Commandments_Lg.jpg Kingdom of Israel The ten commandments were laws that set the foundation of their religion and their culture. The Hebrews eventually settled in Canaan again and established a kingdom. King David united all Jews in Jerusalem under the kingdom of Israel. His son, Solomon, built the first Temple after he became King. Conquering Israel The Kingdom of Israel was strong until the death of Solomon. After his death, the kingdom was divided into two, Israel and Judah. This weakened their civilization and they ended up being conquered by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and eventually the Romans. Greece http://www.aroundgreece.com/images/new-greece-map.jpg Greece consists of a large mainland at the southern edge of the Balkans and about 3,000 islands in the Aegean Sea, including their largest island Crete. Greece is considered apart of Europe and is located at the north eastern edge of the Mediterranean. http://www.artsales.com/ARTistory/Ancient_Ships/images/Greek_20.gif The Minoans The earliest known Greek civilization were the Minoans. They were sea traders. They traded with the Egyptians and the Mesopotamians were they gained new ideas and technology. The Minoans reached their height between 1750 B.C. and 1500 B.C. They vanished around 1400 B.C. believed to have been destroyed by some natural The Mycenaeans http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/topicpict/t pict/trojan.jpg The Mycenaeans were another great civilization of Greek sea traders. They thrived between 1400 and 1200 B.C. They were best remembered for the Trojan War. Homer, the famous poet, described this conflict in both the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Greeks valued courage and honor which Western culture still The City-State When the Mycenaeans began to decline, the Greeks took a step backward and mostly lived in small farming villages until city-states began to emerge. City-states often warred between each other for land but they shared a common culture. They spoke the same language, they practiced the same religion, and most were skilled sailors. These Greek sailors spread the Greek culture along the Mediterranean. The Greek Polis The Greeks evolved around 750 B.C. when the Polis was created. The Polis was a Greek city-state built on two levels. On a hilltop stood the acropolis, or hilltop city where temples were dedicated to Gods and Goddesses. On flatter ground below lay the walled main city with its marketplace, theater, public buildings, and homes. A Greek Polis (Athens) Greek Politics Originally, the ruler of a Polis was a king or queen. This type of government is called a monarchy. Eventually power shifted to landowning nobles, which resulted in an aristocracy. At his time a middle class evolved, made up mostly of merchants, artisans, and farmers. These people eventually challenged the nobles and a democracy, or a government where people vote, evolved (At first, only landowning males could vote). This Sparta and Athens During this time, the Greek city-state of Sparta took root. Spartan boys trained for military service and girls exercised regularly. In Sparta men were preoccupied with war so women gained responsibility in running the family estates. Athens became one of the most powerful city-states. Under the leadership of Pericles from 460 B.C. to 429 B.C. democracy and culture flourished in Athens. A large number of male citizens took part in the day to day affairs of government. Greek Philosophy Although the Greeks were polytheistic and believed in many gods, they were one of the first civilizations to challenge the argument that all events were caused by the gods. Rather, they began to study the causes of events. Philosophers and teachers, like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle developed new ideas about truth, reason, justice, and government. King Philip of Macedonia While many Greek citystates warred among themselves, King Philip of Macedonia built up his army. He was eventually able to take over all of Greece. When he died , his 20 year old son, Alexander took over Greece. http://www.myclassiclyrics.com/artist_biographies/Alexander_the_Great_Biography.jpg Alexander the Great For 12 years, Alexander ruled Greece and expanded their empire through out the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and to the outskirts of India. Alexander conquered the Egyptian and Persian Empires which earned him the name Alexander the Great. Art, science, mathematics and philosophy flourished during this time due to the blending of cultures. Alexandria, in Egypt, became the center of learning in the Mediterranean for centuries to come. The Italian Landscape http://geography.about.com/library/cia/it-150.gif Italy is a peninsula that looks like a boot. It juts out into the Mediterranean Sea towards North Africa. Italy is located right in the middle of the Mediterranean and Rome is in the middle of Italy. This location helped the Romans expand through Italy and then through the lands around the Mediterranean. Roman Beginnings The Roman ancestors were the Latins who migrated into Italy around 800 B.C. The Romans shared the Italian peninsula with other peoples. There were Greek colonists and the Etruscans, whose ideas they adapted. The Romans learned the alphabet from the Greeks and learned to use the arch in building and engineering techniques for the the Etruscans. The Early Republic The Romans Drove out the hated Etruscan king in 509 B.C. This date is considered the founding of the Roman state. Determined never again to be ruled by a monarch, the Romans set up a new government in which officials were chosen by the people and they called it a republic. A republic, Romans thought, would keep any individual from gaining too much power. The Republic Takes Shape http://www.sbceo.k12.ca.us/~vms/carlton/senate.jpg In the early republic the governing body was the senate. Its 300 members were all patricians, members of the landholding class. Each year, the senators elected two consuls who supervised government business and commanded the armies. The Republic Takes Shape Consuls could one serve for one term. Since their term was limited, Rome had a system of checks on the power of government. In the event of war, the senate might choose a dictator, or ruler with complete control of the government. This emergency rule lasted for six months. As Rome grew, it elected other officials to oversee finances, justice, city government, and religious matters. Class Equality in the Government Eventually, plebeians, the farmers, merchants, artisans, and traders began to force their way into politics. By 450 B.C., plebeians forced the government to write out the laws for Rome and put them in the marketplace. Plebeians Gain Power In time, the plebeians gained the right to elect their own officials, called tribunes, to protect their interests. The tribunes could veto, or block, laws that they felt were harmful to plebeians. Eventually, plebeians gained positions as consuls and then as senators. Expansion in Italy As Rome’s political system evolved at home, its armies expanded Roman power across Italy. By about 270 B.C., Rome occupied all of Italy. Rome’s success was due to skillful diplomacy and it efficient army. Rome generally treated its defeated enemies with justice. Conquered peoples had to acknowledge Roman leadership, pay taxes, and supply soldiers for the Roman army. Rome let them keep their customs, money, and local government. http://classics.furman.edu/~rprior/imgs/RCU4/4-001.jpg Expansion of Roman Culture http://craigr.com/images/Bath%20Roman%20Baths.jpg Rome posted soldiers throughout the land. They also built a network of allweather military roads to link provinces to Rome. As trade increased people adapted to Roman customs and beliefs, including adopting their language. http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/learn/images/history/slavery_medieval.jpg Effects of Expansion Victories put them in control of busy trade routes and riches flooded into Rome. As families got richer they began to buy estates and use captured slaves to work their land. This pushed the landless farmers out of business. This new wealth increased corruption and greed and self-interest took over the virtues of hard work and devotion to Rome. http://www.freewalt.com/Assets/images/clip_image002_0002.jpg Attempts at Reform Two young patricians, brothers named Tiberius and Gaius Grachus were among the first to attempt reform. Tiberius called on the state to distribute land to poor farmers. Gaius sought a wider range of reforms, including the use of public fund to buy grain to feed the poor and giving full citizenship to some of Rome’s allies. Eruption of Civil War The brothers, along with thousands of their followers, were killed in waves of street violence set off by senators and their hired thugs for their efforts of trying to reform Rome. The slayings of the Gracchus brothers showed that the republic was unable to resolve its problems peacefully. During the next 100 years, Rome plunged into a series of civil wars. The turmoil sparked slave uprisings and revolts among Rome’s allies. Julius Caesar Out of the chaos emerged Julius Caesar, a commander with great ambition and a determination to make drastic reforms. Caesar dominated politics in Pompey and conquered Gaul, the area that is now France, throughout nine years of battle. Julius Caesar Gains Power In 48 B.C., Caesar crushed rebellious provinces and strengthened Roman power. He returned to Rome and forced the Senate to make him dictator. He soon became absolute ruler of Rome. Between 48 B.C. and 44 B.C., Caesar pushed many reforms through the government. He created a public works project to employ the jobless and gave public land to the poor. The Ides of March Caesar’s enemies worried that he planned to make himself king or Rome. To save the republic they plotted to kill him. On March 15th 44 B.C., as he arrived to the senate his enemies stabbed him to death. The First Citizen Augustus, grandnephew of Julius, avenged the death of Julius and took away the power of the senate. Augustus called himself “First Citizen” rather than King to avoid a backlash. Augustus ruled from 31 B.C. to 14 A.D. and the 500 year old republic came to and end. Rome was now a monarchy. Pax Romana Once Augustus stabilized the government and reformed the economy, a 200 year span of peace began that did not end until Marcus Aurelius in 180 A.D., called Pax Romana(Roman Peace). Corruption, poverty, and unemployment began to rise again after his death. The Empire Falls Eventually the empire split into two parts, east and west. Germanic peoples, like the Visigoths and Barbarians, along the northern borders began to claim territory from the weakened empire. In 476 A.D. Rome was overthrown by foreign invaders. The eastern Roman empire, or the Byzantine empire, continued to flourish under their emperor Constantine, and lasted another 1,000 years. The Birth of Christianity http://www.shroudstory.com/image2/pantocrater.jpg Early in Pax Romana, a new religion sprang up in the Roman held lands of the Middle East. Christianity was founded by a Jew named Jesus. Jesus was born around 4 B.C. in Bethlehem and he was prophesied to be the Messiah, or savior sent be God to lead the Jews to freedom. Christian Beliefs The teachings of Jesus were rooted in the Jewish religion. He believed in one God and accepted the Ten Commandments. Jew preached new beliefs. He called himself the Son of God and taught that his mission was to bring salvation and eternal life to all of God’s children. He extended the Jewish ideas of mercy and sympathy to the poor and helpless to include forgiveness and love for his enemies. The Execution http://www.biblepicturegallery.com/Pictures/GCrucifixion.htm To some Jews and Romans, Jesus was a dangerous troublemaker. Eventually he was executed by form of crucifixion, the Roman form of execution, under the ruling of Pontius Pilate. The Rise of Christianity At first, Christianity remained a sect, or small group, within Judaism. Then, Paul, a Jew from Asia-Minor, began to spread the new faith to non-Jews. Rome persecuted Christians, at first, but they continued to grow in strength and organize a church. Eventually, Christianity became the formal religion of Rome when Emperor Constantine converted in 312 A.D. All Romans were expected to give up polytheism and adopt the teachings of Jesus.