Download A Global View: Empires of the Ancient World The large empire of

I.
A Global View: Empires of the Ancient World
a. The large empire of India, China, Europe and the Americas had many things in common.
i. Most empires were built through military conquest
ii. They were almost all ruled by hereditary leaders (royal families)
iii. Imposed universal legal codes
iv. Built large cities, canals, and highways
v. Developed and spread religion by conquest and trade
vi. Used military to protect trade routes
II.
Eastern Empires
a. In India, the Maurya dynasty united the states along the Ganges in about 300 B.C.
i. The Hindu faith continued to flourish
ii. After about 500 B.C., many Hindu’s begin following the Buddha and converting
to Buddhism
b. The Shi Huangdi unified the states of Eastern China around 200 B.C.
i. China remains unified, by the Han and later dynasties, for most of the rest of its
history
ii. The Chinese began following the teachings of Confucius and Buddha
III.
Classical Civilizations of Europe
a. The earliest European civilizations developed near the Mediterranean Sea
i. Greeks and Romans
1. Greek civilization was composed of independent city-states
2. Romans constructed a huge empire that spread over 3 continents
ii. Minoans and Mycenaeans were the earliest Mediterranean cultures
1. They gave way to the Greek city-states
iii. City-states traded with many different civilizations
iv. Athens developed a new form of government called democracy
1. Democracy = government run by the citizens of the city-states
v. Greeks developed art, science and philosophy that will lay the foundation for
Western civilizations
vi. Roman civilization was built on Greek civilization (learned a lot from Greeks)
vii. Rome develops a new form of democracy called representative democracy
1. representative democracy = citizens choose representatives to make
decisions for them
2. Representative body in Rome was called the Senate
viii. After Augustus Ceasar, Rome becomes controlled by a series of emperors
ix. Jesus Christ is born during Augustus Ceasar’s reign
1. Christianity spreads throughout Roman empire
2. Christianity survives the fall of the Roman empire and becomes the
foundational religion of most European cultures
IV.
American Civilization
a. Civilizations emerged across the Atlantic in the Americas
i. Began as hunter/gathers
ii. Later settled into farming villages
iii. As they settled, religious centers emerged
iv. Later city-states and empires are created
b. Mayan civilization develops in Mexico/Central America
i. Mayans were organized into city-states
ii. Built large, step-pyramid temples
iii. Mastered complex mathematics
c. Inca empire develops in Peru
d. Aztec empire develops in Mexico
V.
Looking Ahead
a. Civilizations in China, India, Greece and Rome forged cultural legacies that still influence
us today
i. Empires of Europe, Asia and the Americas served as models for generations to
come
VI.
Empires of India and China
a. Hinduism and Buddhism
i. Two major religions in ancient India
ii. Hinduism
1. All Hindus share certain basic beliefs
2. Believe everything is part of unchanging, all-powerful spiritual force
called Brahman
3. No single founder of Hinduism and no one holy book
4. Goal is to live life good enough to achieve union with Brahman
5. Believe in reincarnation, or rebirth of the soul in another body (human
or animal)
a. Allows Hindus to work towards union with Brahman over
several lifetimes
iii. Buddhism
1. Emerged in about 500 B.C.
2. Urged people to seek enlightenment through meditation instead of the
priests, many gods and rituals of Hinduism
3. Founded by Siddartha Gautama (known as Buddha, or “enlightened
one”)
a. Taught that desire causes suffering
b. Said to overcome suffering people had to rid themselves of
desire
c. Wanted people to follow “Eightfold Path”
d. Final goal of Buddhism is to achieve nirvana, or union with the
universe and release from the cycle of rebirth
e. Like Hindus, Buddhist also believed in reincarnation
b. Powerful Empires of India
i. The Maurya dynasty was the first empire of India (321 B.C.)
ii. Asoka Maurya was the most honored emperor of the Maurya dynasty
1. Converted to Buddhism
2. Ruled by moral example
3. Led to peace and wealth throughout the empire
4. Set up the spread of Buddhism throughout Asia
iii. After Asoka’s death, rivals battle for power throughout India
iv. India became a center of world trade
1. Made contact with civilizations in Africa, the Middle East and Central
and Southeast Asia
v. Gupta dynasty reunites India about 500 yrs after the Maurya dynasty
1. Bring about a “golden age” of peace and achievement
vi. Most Indians during this time were peasants
vii. The caste system governed every part of life – including where people lived and
how they earned a living
1. Even though the caste system was unequal, it provided a stable social
order
c. Philosophy and Religion in China
i. The most influential philosopher in China was Confucius
1. Brilliant scholar that took little interest in religious matters
2. Concerned with social order and good government
3. Taught harmony came when people accepted their place in society
4. Believed in filial piety, or respect for parents above everything else
ii. Confucius ideas took over life in China and eventually spread to neighboring
countries
iii. Another philosopher, Hanfeizi, taught that social order came from strict laws
and punishments
1. Ideas became known as legalism
2. Many Chinese rulers believed this was the best way to maintain order in
society
iv. Daoism arose around the same time as Legalism
1. Sought to live in harmony with nature
2. Didn’t like government; believed it was unnatural
d. Strong Rulers United China
i. After the Zhou dynasty, the Shi Huangdi Dynasty unified China; built strong
governments and the Great Wall
ii. After the Shi Huangdi, the Han dynasty takes power (206 B.C. to 220 B.C.)
1. Huge advances in trade, government, technology and arts
2. Silk road links China and Mesopotamia via trade routes
VII.
Ancient Greece
a. Early People of the Aegean
i. Minoans
1. Traders who set up outposts around the Aegean Sea
2. Shared cultural traits with Egypt and Mesopotamia through trade
(cultural diffusion)
3. Civilization hit its height at about 1600-1500 B.C.
4. Died out due to natural disasters by about 1400 B.C.
ii. Mycenaeans
1. Dominated most of Greece and Crete from about 1400-1200 B.C.
2. Most famous for Trojan War
3. Also gained cultural aspects by trading with Egyptians and
Mesopotamians
b. The Rise of Greek City-States
i. Greeks spread their ideas and culture via trade
1. For centuries Greeks lived in small farming villages
2. Later became skilled sailors and traders
ii. After 700 B.C., the Greek world expanded and evolved
1. Created early city-states known as polis
2. Greeks built structure known as acropolis on high points within citystates
3. City-states were often dedicated to particular Greek gods or goddesses,
and acropolis served as a temple to these Gods
iii. Governing City-States
1. Most city-states ruled by monarchy, or royal family (kings)
2. Later city-states came under the control of small groups of rulers known
as an oligarchy (aristocracy)
3. Aristocracy = rule by a small, powerful group of wealthy businessmen
iv. Sparta and Athens
1. Sparta was a warrior society
a. Spartan boys were trained from an early age for the military
b. Men were often at war, so women ran the city-state in their
absence
2. Athens was a democratic society
a. Citizens ran the government, but only male, landowners were
considered citizens
v. Victory and Defeat in the Greek World
1. Persian empire (from modern day Iran) threatened Greek city-states
a. City-states of Greece united for a short time to defend against
the Persian invasion
2. After the Persian War, Athens thrives under the rule of Pericles
a. Greek statesmen who ruled from 460-429 B.C.
b. Democracy and culture flourished during this time in Athens
c. Developed a direct democracy
i. Where a large number of citizens could vote on day to
day issues in Athens
vi. The Glory that was Greece
1. Greeks believed in the power of the human mind
a. Greek artists, writers and philosophers denied that events were
caused by God
b. Philosophers and teachers develop new ideas about truth,
reason, justice and government
i. People develop styles of art and architecture that
reflected these new ideas
ii. Important Greek philosophers included Socrates, Plato
and Aristotle
vii. Alexander and the Hellenistic Age
1. Greek city-states warred among themselves, while King Phillip of
Macedonia built a large army
a. Phillip eventually conquers all of Greece
2. When Phillip dies, his son Alexander becomes the ruler of Macedonia
and Greece
3. Alexander’s conquest spread Greek culture throughout the
Mediterranean, the Middle East and into India
a. As empire spread, Greek culture blended with Egyptian, Persian
and Indian cultures to form Hellenistic civilization
b. Art, science, math and philosophy flourished
c. Would later influence Roman and Western civilization
VIII.
Ancient Rome and the Rise of Christianity
a. Roman World Takes Shape
i. The Etruscans ruled most of Italy until they were overthrown by the Romans in
509 B.C.
ii. Romans decided they didn’t want to be ruled by a monarch (king)
1. Romans set up a republic, or a gov. where people choose the leaders
2. Republic is representative democracy = choosing leaders to make
decisions for the people
3. Most powerful people in the Roman government were patricians, or
wealthy land-owners
a. At first , were the only people who could be elected into the
gov.
4. Eventually the plebians, or common people, are allowed to serve in gov.
iii. Rome’s armies expanded Roman power across Italy
1. By 270 B.C., Rome controlled all of Italy
2. Rome’s success is partly due to it’s well disciplined army
3. Generally treated defeated enemies with mercy
iv. By 133 B.C., Roman power reached from Spain to Egypt.
b. From Republic to Empire
i. Military success led to great wealth in Rome
1. New wealth led to corruption and self-interest in gov.
2. Attempts at gov. reform led to civil war for nearly 100 yrs.
3. Octavian, a powerful Roman general, restores order to Rome and gains
absolute power
a. Rules Rome from 31 B.C. to 14 A.D.
b. Took the name “Augustus Caesar”
c. Ended the 500 yr old republic
d. Rome was now an empire
ii. Augustus laid the foundation for a stable gov.
1. Instituted economic reforms
2. Helped empire recover from a long period of civil war
3. Began a 200 yr period of peace known as Pax Romana, that would last
until the reign of Marcus Aurelius
a. Roman emperors brought peace, order, unity and prosperity to
the lands that made up the Roman empire
b. People were able to move easily within the empire, spreading
ideas and knowledge
c. The Roman Achievement
i. Rome acted as a bridge between the civilizations of the East and West
1. Borrowed and transformed Hellenistic (Greek) culture
2. Blend of cultures was called Greco-Roman culture
a. Greatly admired Greek culture
b. Borrowed Greek ideas about art
c. Roman architects and engineers improved upon Greek designs
i. Like the arch and dome
3. Rome becomes known for its engineers
a. Build roads, bridges, aqueducts, and harbors throughout the
empire
4. Rome’s greatest legacy was its commitment to law and justice
a. Legal system fostered unity and stability throughout the empire
b. Became the foundation for legal systems throughout the
Western world
d. The Rise Christianity
i. Christianity sprang up in Roman held lands in the Middle East
1. Modern day Israel
2. Leading figure is Jesus of Nazareth
a. Born around 4 B. C. in Bethlehem
b. Was considered by some to be the promised Jewish messiah
ii. Jesus taught new beliefs to the Jews
1. Referred to himself as “son of God”
2. Taught that his mission was to bring salvation to Jews and non-Jews
alike
iii. Jews and Romans believed Jesus was a dangerous troublemaker
1. Thought he would lead a revolt against Jewish and Roman leadership
2. They executed Jesus to prevent an uprising
3. Followers claimed that Jesus was resurrected and ascended to heaven
iv. First Christians were former Jews
1. Few Jews accepted that Jesus was the messiah
2. For a while, they remained a small group within Judaism
v. The apostle Paul, sets about spreading Christianity throughout the Roman
empire
1. Paul, a Jew from Asia Minor (Turkey), set to work to spread the new
faith
2. At first, Rome persecuted the Christians
3. Christians organized into an underground church
4. Eventually reshape Roman beliefs
a. Roman emperor Constantine makes Christianity the official
religion of Rome after receiving a vision on the battlefield
e. The Long Decline
i. Turmoil rocked the Roman Empire after the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180
A.D.
ii. Eventually the empire splits in two:
1. In the Western part (Western Europe and Italy) there is corruption,
poverty, unemployment and declining morals
a. Germanic peoples begin to take territory from the Romans
b. Foreign invaders march into Italy in 476 A.D. and take over
Rome itself
2. The Eastern Roman Empire (Turkey, Eastern Europe and Russia)
continued to prosper under Emperor Constantine and other emperors
a. Becomes known as the Byzantine Empire
b. Endures for 1,000 more years
IX.
Civilizations of the Americas
a. Civilizations of Middle America
i. The Maya
1. Mayan civilization begins in Central America
2. Comes into existence after the Olmec civilization
3. Cleared rain forest to grow corn to feed cities
4. Had social classes like the civilizations of Egypt, the Middle East and
India.
5. Civilization divided into city-states and each city-state had a chief
6. Built pyramid type temples for worship and burial
7. Developed a pictograph writing system and an accurate calendar
ii. The Aztecs
1. Aztecs conquered most of Mexico after the decline of the Maya
2. Had about 30 million people by 1500 A.D.
3. War brought Aztecs extreme wealth and power
a. Aztec made the people they conquered pay a tribute to them
b. Used gold to turn their capital city into a magnificent city
4. Developed a complex social hierarchy
a. One ruler, or emperor, at the top
b. Large class of priests performed rituals and sacrifices needed to
please the many Aztec gods
c. Conquered peoples also provided human sacrifices to Aztec
gods
5. When the Spanish arrived, they found many allies among people ruled
by the Aztec
iii. The Inca
1. Began in South America
2. In about 1400 A.D. the Inca civilization started in the Andes mountains
in Peru
3. Rapidly conquered other peoples and formed an empire that stretched
2,500 miles from the Andes to the Pacific
4. Established a centralized government in Peru
a. Ruled by a god-king
b. Powerful class of priests
c. Emperor had absolute power over empire
i. Ran an efficient government from the capital of Cuzco
ii. Chain of command reached every village
iii. Officials kept records on knotted strings called quipus,
noting dates and statistics
5. Worked to unite the people they conquered under one empire
a. Imposed a common language and religion
b. Created one of the greatest road systems connecting all points
of the empire
i. More extensive than those of the Roman empire
6. In the 1500s, civil war broke out in the Incan Empire
a. Weakened the Incan Empire just before the Spanish invaders
arrived
b. Peoples of North America
i. The Anasazi
1. Civilization began in the American southwest
2. Built large villages of stone and adobe brick
a. Spanish would call these villages pueblos
3. Kiva was at the center of village life
a. Underground chamber used for religious rituals
4. In the mid 1100s A.D. the Anasazi started building villages into the side
of cliffs
a. Offered protection from raiders
5. By the 1200s A.D., the Anasazi are forced to flee cliff dwellings
6. Their traditions lived on among the Hopi and other pueblo Indians
ii. The Mound Builders
1. Farming cultures emerged near the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys
around 1000 A.D.
2. The Hopewell people left behind giant mounds in many different shapes
3. Objects found suggest the Hopewell traded with others as far as the
Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes
a. Used rivers as means of transport and trade
4. Hopewell were replaced by Mississippians in about 800 A.D.
a. Mississippians grew crops
b. Built large towns and ceremonial centers
c. Their greatest center was Cahokia, in present day Illinois, which
housed as many as 20,000 by about 1100 A.D.
d.