Download File - Mr. Neadel`s AP World History

Name____________________________________________________________
Per.______
Robert W. Strayer
Ways of the World: A Brief Global History
Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources
Chapter Four, First Empires, 500 B.C.E.-500 C.E. (pp. 143-150)
The Big Picture:
 Is the United States the new Roman Empire?
 The United States invited comparison with the Roman Empire
 Supporters of a dominant role for the United States argue that Americans must face up to their
responsibilities as “the undisputed master of the world” as the Romans did in their time
 Empire has been a source of metaphors and “lessons” about personal morality, corruption,
political life, military expansion, and much more
o Earliest empires show up in the era of the First Civilization (Akkadian, Babylonian, &
Assyran)
 What exactly is an empire?
o Term reserved for larger and more aggressive states, those that conquer, rule, & extract
resources from other states and peoples
o Associated with political and cultural oppression
 The Eurasian empires (Persia, Greece under Alexander / Rome, China during Qin & Han /
India during Mauryan & Gupta) shared a set of common problems
 Why have these and other empires been of such lasting fascination to both ancient & modern
people?
o Because they were so big, creating looming presence in their respective regions
o Armies and their tax collectors were hard to avoid (were so bloody)
o Conquest and the violence were hard to avoid
o Easily grab our attention
 Empires have also commanded attention simply because they were important
o Large numbers of people before 20th Century lived out their lives in empires
o Imperial states brought together people of different traditions & religions
o Stimulated the exchange of ideas, cultures, & values
 Ex: Roman Empire was arena which Christianity was transformed from Judaism
Empires & Civilizations in Collision, The Persians and the Greeks:
 Classical era witnessed second-wave civilizations
 These civilizations did not directly encounter one another
 Great exception lay in the Mediterranean world & in the Middle East
o Where Persian Empire & Greek civilization experienced interaction & clash
The Persian Empire
 500 BCE, Largest & most impressive of the world’s empires was Persians
o Homeland lay on the Iranian plateau
 Persians constructed an imperial system that drew from the Babylonians & Assyrian empires
 Under leadership of Cyrus & Darius, Persian conquests reached from Egypt to India
 Persian Empire centered on cult of kingship
o Ruling by the will of the great Persian god Ahura Mazda
o Kings were absolute monarch, more than willing to crush rebellion
 What held empire together?
o An effective administrative system placed Persian governors (Satraps) in each of the
empire’s 23 provinces
o System of imperial spies (Eyes and Ears of the King) represented a further imperial
presence in the far reaches of the empire
o Policy of respect for the empire’s many non-Persians
o In Egypt & Babylon, Persian kings took care to uphold local religious cults in effort to
gain the support of their followers and officials
 The infrastructure of the empire included:
o System of standardized coinage
o Predictable taxes levied on each province
o Newly dug canal linking the Nile with the Red Sea-Expanded commerce
o Royal Road (1700 miles in length) facilitated communication & commerce across
empire
o Imperial Persian postal system adopted same motto as the United States postal system
 The immense wealth and power of the Persian Empire were reflected in the construction of
elaborate imperial centers, particularly Susa and Persepolis
The Greeks
 Sharper contrasts than that between Persian Empire governed by absolute monarch & small
city-states of classical Greece which allowed popular participation in political life
 Called themselves the Hellenes, the Greeks created a civilization
 Total population of Greece was just 2-3 million (fraction of the Persian Empire)
 Greek civilization took shape on a small peninsula
 Hundreds of city-states were quite modest in size (500-5000 male citizens)
 Each of these city-states was fiercely independent & in frequent conflict with its neighbors
 Despite Greek cultural identify, it did little to overcome the political rivalries of larger citystates (Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Corinth)
 Like the Persian, the Greeks were an expansive people that took form of settlement rather than
conquest & empires
o 750-500 BCE- Greek settlements established around the Mediterranean
 Most distinctive feature of Greek civilization and the greatest contrast with Persian
o Lay in the extent of popular participation in political life that occurred within at least
some of the city-states
o Idea of citizenship- free people running the affairs of the states was so unique
 Early in Greek history, only the wealthy had the rights of full citizenship (Speaking, voting,
holding public office, & fighting in army
o Middle and lower class gradually obtained these rights
 In many places, benevolent rulers (tyrants) emerged for a time with support of poorer classes to
challenge wealthy
 Sparta vested most political authority in Council of Elders
o Council composed of 28 men over the age of sixty, derived from wealthy provided
political leadership for Sparta

In Athens, political participation achieved its most distinctive expression
o 594 BCE- Reforming leader named Solon emerged to push Athenian politics in a more
democratic direction
o Debt slavery was abolished, access to public office was opened to a wider group, & all
citizens were allowed to take part in the Assembly
o The Assembly where all citizens could participate, became the center of political life
o Athenian democracy was direct, rather than representative