Download WORLD HISTORY Greece and Rome NOTES

WORLD HISTORY
Greer
ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME
APPLICABLE GEORGIA STANDARD(S):
SSWH3 The student will examine the political, philosophical, and cultural interaction of Classical
Mediterranean societies from 700 BCE to 400 CE.
a. Compare the origins and structure of the Greek polis, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire.
b. Identify the ideas and impact of important individuals; include Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and describe the
diffusion of Greek culture by Aristotle’s pupil Alexander the Great and the impact of Julius and Augustus
Caesar.
c. Analyze the contributions of Hellenistic and Roman culture; include law, gender, and science.
GREEK DEMOCRACY, LIFE DURING THE ARCHAIC AGE (C. 750-C. 500 BCE), AND THE
“GOLDEN AGE” OF ATHENS
The Polis Was the Central Political Unit of Greek Society
 It was the fundamental Greek institution as early as the 8th century BCE
 Polis included town, villages, and the surrounding countryside
 These units varied in size, from a few acres to several hundred square miles
 NOTE: It is from the Greek word polis that we get such modern words as politics, politician, and
police!
Power Eventually Passed from Kings to Citizens
 The agora was the center of Greek political, social, and religious life
 All Greek citizens were required to participate in the discussion of public matters
 Only freeborn Greek men were considered citizens (women were not)
 All citizens were required to take turns holding public office (TRUE DEMOCRACY)
 Noble families (aristocracy) controlled most issues
 The polis needed defending, so new citizen armies were developed
 These were called “hoplite” armies
 The Greek phalanx was the most powerful fighting force of its time
 “Phalanx” has a modern usage, e.g. “O.J. Simpson arrived in court surrounded by a
 During this time, there was extensive colonization around the Mediterranean, Asia Minor (modern-day
Turkey), and the Black Sea areas
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NOTABLE GREEK PHILOSOPHERS
A philosopher is one who loves “wisdom” for its own sake
Socrates
 Taught be asking a series of questions (known today as the “Socratic method”)
 Very popular among young adults; almost “rock star” status
 Frequently criticized government and society, to the delight of his audience
 Was seen as subversive and dangerous by political authority
 Was eventually forced to take poison
Plato
 After the death of Socrates, became convinced that citizens could not govern wisely
 Distrusted democracy
 His work, The Republic, put forth the idea that people fell into one of three (3) groups:
 Farmers and artisans
 Warriors
 A philosopher-king who would lead the nation
 The city-state would be ruled by its greatest philosopher
Aristotle
 He had been a student at Plato’s academy
 He believed that truth stemmed logically from other truths
 If A=B, and B=C, then A=C
ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND HIS HELLENISTIC EMPIRE
Alexander the Great
 336 BCE – 20-year-old Alexander succeeded his father as king of Macedonia
 He was curious and academically very bright (and a former student of Aristotle)
 Very skilled in the arts of war; had accompanied his father on military campaigns
 334 BCE – Carried out Philip’s plan to invade Persia
 He quickly assumed control of Asian Minor (modern-day Turkey)
 332 BCE – Alexander’s army marched into Egypt
 While there, he founded the city of Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast
 His empire eventually stretched from Greece to the Hindu Kush into India
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THE LEGACY OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT: WHAT HE LEFT US
Hellenism
 First and foremost in his legacy
 “Hellenism” means to “be like the Greeks” and had a profound impact on western human history
 Greek artists, merchants, and artisans settled in land conquered by Alexander’s army
 New “Greek” cities were built; all followed similar patterns of design
 They contained gymnasiums, theaters, and Greek temples
 Hellenism emerged from a blend of Greek and eastern cultures
 Greek language and Greek ideas spread throughout the non-Greek Near East
Alexandria Prospered Economically and Artistically
 Several (11) cities named “Alexandria” were founded throughout Alexander’s empire
 The Alexandria in Egypt is the one history remembers
 Very beautiful city, with broad avenues, palaces, and statues of Greek gods
 Famous for its museum, library, zoo, art galleries, and botanical gardens
 Became a center of learning and culture
Science and Math
 Large body of astronomical knowledge grew from Alexandria’s celestial observatory
 Archimedes was a notable Hellenic mathematician
 Numerous new maps of the known world were created
 Based on expanding knowledge of math, physics, and other hard sciences, there was an “industrial
revolution” of sorts throughout various places in Alexander’s empire
Hellenism in Decline
 By 150 BCE, Rome was growing and becoming stronger
 Greeks arts, science, literature and government continued to survive through the growth of Rome
 The ideas of the Greeks and Romans are the bases of much western thought, today
ORIGINS: THE PEOPLE WHO BECAME “THE ROMANS”
Latins, Greeks, and Etruscans were the people who became “Romans”
 Romans borrowed their religious ideas and were polytheists
 They kept the Greek gods and stories, but gave the gods different names
 Romans overthrew their kings and established a republic (C. 509-264 BCE)
 Citizens now able to participate in their own government within the Republic
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LIFE IN ROMAN SOCIETY
Romans Highly Valued Family Ties
 “Ways of the fathers” – Emphasized loyalty, strength, and discipline (gravitas)
 Family was the heart of Roman society
 The Roman family was ruled by the paterfamilias (the oldest male in the family)
o He controlled all the family property
o He could also sell family members into slavery or kill them without penalty
o Usually acted as the family’s protector and public spokesman
 Roman women managed the household
o Unlike Greek women, they were citizens and could own property and testify in court
o Often advised their husbands on business/political matters
Society was Divided Into Classes
 The patrician class was the privileged class (aristocracy; nobles)
 The plebeian class was the lower class and consisted of merchants, farmers, and artisans
o Plebeians could vote, although they had less political power than the patrician class
 Birth alone determined one’s social class in Rome; intermarriage between classes forbidden by law
Rome Built a Mighty Army
 All male citizens, both patrician and plebeian, were required to serve in the army (or navy)
The Roman Republic Spread Its Power
 Romans ruled themselves as a republic for about 500 years
 The first written Roman code of laws was the Twelve Tables
o Twelve Tables were on display for all Romans in the forum
ROME ACHIEVED A BALANCED GOVERNMENT
By 275 BCE, Rome Was Part Monarchy, Part Aristocracy, Part Democracy
Office of Consul
 Consisted of two elected officials, instead of a king
 They had the power of life and death in war and great peacetime powers
o Both served one-year terms, had to wait ten (10) years between terms; Each had veto power
Senate
 Comprised of 100 patricians; appointed by birthright
 They held most of the political power for a very long time in the Republic
Assembly
 Members were democratically elected by the plebeian class
Office of Dictator
 A dictator was appointed to rule in times of crisis (i.e. war); power ran for six (6) months
 While in power, the dictator had absolute power to make laws and command the army/navy
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THE RISE OF JULIUS CAESAR
Julius Caesar Was One of History’s Ablest Generals
 He was not a cruel ruler, by the standards of his day
 Julius Caesar was not an overly moral man
 He was seemingly kind and generous; inclined to forget grudges/turn enemies into friends
o He could be utterly ruthless
o He was a proud and vain man (and afflicted with epilepsy, which he tried to hide)
Caesar’s Rome
 By the end of the 2nd century BCE, the Roman Republic was the only remaining Mediterranean power
 146 BCE – Carthage had been completely destroyed by Roman forces
 Roman power was acknowledged and begrudged throughout the Mediterranean world
o No kingdoms/tribes in contact with Rome could match its power
o They had no hope of uniting against it
 Greeks were astonished by the growth of Roman power and influence
o They originally considered the Romans “western barbarians”
o The defeat of Greek forces on the Italian Peninsula happened fairly quickly
 Basically, it took the Romans about half a century at fairly low cost
Julius Caesar and the Triumverate
 Sulla, another Roman general and political rival, intended to kill Caesar
o Caesar borrowed money from his friend, Crassus, and bribed Sulla’s soldiers
 Caesar sought governorship of one of Rome’s provinces, as a way to wealth (from plunder)
 Caesar joined forces with Crassus and his own father-in-law, Pompey
o They took control of the government and ruled as the First Triumverate
 Each held the title of “Consul”
o The Senate and Assembly were basically bullied into following their decisions
CAESAR CONQUERS GAUL AND RETURNS TO RULE ROME AS A DICTATOR
Caesar as Consul
 Caesar served one year as consul then appointed himself governor of Gaul (modern-day France)
o He then led his army into Gaul to subdue the Germanic tribes
 49 BCE – With Gaul subdued and Pompey vulnerable in Rome, Caesar led his army back into Italy
44 BCE – Caesar Assumed Absolute Rule of Rome
 Convinced the Senate to appoint him “dictator” for 10 years
 Some senators feared he wanted to become a “king;” Caesar expanded Senate to 900 members from 100
Julius Caesar Was Murdered in the Senate
 March 15, 44 BCE – “Ides of March”
 Caesar was stabbed to death by Senators in a plot led by his “friends,” Brutus and Cassius
 Both had been longtime friends of his
 Many senators had been fearful of Caesar’s new power
 Civil war followed his death
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THE ROMAN EMPIRE
THE REIGN OF AUGUSTUS CAESAR AND THE PAX ROMANA
Julius Caesar’s Grandnephew, Octavian, Assumed Power
 Octavian took the title of Augustus Caesar; Rome no longer ruled as a republic by the Senate/Assembly
 His reign lasted 41 years and a period known as the Pax Romana (Roman Peace)
o Pax Romana was a period of relative peace within Roman Empire (27 BCE-180 CE)
Augustus Caesar Established Sound Government
 He built a very strong military and had the power to tax
 Trade and transportation were encouraged and infrastructure built
o Common coinage was established; extensive road systems were built
o Aqueducts were built to carry water from hills to nearby population centers; Romans were the
first to built with concrete
 Augustus commissioned Greek architects to design temples and other building
 Augustus also established a civil service to maintain roads, bridges, and aqueducts
o A postal system was also established
Important Principles of Roman Law
 Early Roman law (i.e. the Twelve Tables) concerned itself with the rights of Roman citizens
 Romans later came to believe that the law should apply to all people
 Basic legal precepts:
o No person should be judged guilty of a crime until the facts have been determined
o A person charged with a crime should have the right to face his/her accusers and defend
himself/herself before a judge
o If in doubt about one’s guilt, that person should be judge innocent
o Unreasonable and unfair laws should be set aside
 The principles of Roman law have endured long after the Roman Empire ceased to exist!
TRANSFORMATION OF THE ROMAN WORLD
455 CE – Western half of the empire was fought over and controlled by Germanic forces
o Rome was sacked by Vandals
o Germanic military leaders then dominated Europe
o 476 CE – The last Roman emperor lost his throne to a barbarian king
o This was the end of the western half of the Roman Empire
o King Odoacer displaced emperor Romulus Augustulus
o Eastern half of the empire became known as the “Byzantine Empire”
 This empire flourished for another 1,000 years
 Capital of Byzantium was renamed “Constantinople,” in honor of emperor Constantine
 Today, it is Istanbul, Turkey
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TERMS TO KNOW
Polis
Hoplite
Socrates
Aristotle
Alexandria
“Ways of the Fathers”
Plebeian
Consul
Dictator
Pompey
Pax Romana
nobles
phalanx
Socratic Method
Alexander the Great
Hellenism
paterfamilias
Twelve Tables
Senate
Julius Caesar
“Ides of March”
aqueducts
aristocracy
philosopher
Plato/The Republic
Asia Minor
Latins/Greeks/Etruscans
Patrician
forum
Assembly
Carthage
Octavian/Augustus Caesar
agora
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