Download The Classical Era - EHS Faculty Pages

The Classical Era
Unit 2 Introduction
What is the “Classical Era”?
• Roughly 600 BC to 600 AD
• Noted for the development of complex
empires in three key regions in world history:
China, India, and the Mediterranean
• Popularly considered a “golden age” of
culture and learning for these societies
• Witnessed the rise of the religious and
philosophical systems that still dominate the
globe to this day (with one BIG exception)
• First major interregional trade routes
developed during these centuries
Classical China
• Major Empire
– Han Dynasty
• Belief Systems
Developed
– Confucianism
– Daoism (Taoism)
Zhou Dynasty
Era of the Warring States
Qin
Dynasty
Han Dynasty
Classical India
• Major Empire
– Gupta Dynasty
• Belief Systems
Developed
– Hinduism
– Buddhism
Vedic Period
Hinduism and Buddhism
Mauryan Empire
Gupta Empire
Classical Mediterranean
• Major Empire
– Roman Empire
• Belief Systems
Developed
– Judaism
– Christianity
Persian Empire
The Greek World
Roman Republic
Pax Romana
Judaism and Christianity
Interregional Contacts
Interregional
Contacts
Coach Lerch’s Final Thoughts
• The rise of empire in these three
regions contributed to the development
of social, economic, political,
technological, intellectual, and cultural
features that still impact the ideological
descendants of these groups