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Download Chapter 4: Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean
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Chapter 4: Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean: Greece and Rome AP World History I Classical Civilization -Mediterranean shore line -800 bc- 476ad Persia • By 550 BCE, Cyrus the Great had established a massive empire from the Middle East to India • Mesopotamia successor • Preserved local customs (cuneiform) • Tolerant- empire diverse in languages and cultures • Development of Zoroastrianism Persian achievements 1. Darius (after Cyrus)- worked hard to centralize laws and tax collection 2. Infrastructure- roads reduced travel time, simplified commerce and troop movement 3. Inns provided rest stops This would help Middle East connect to central and eastern Asia Zoroastrian -Zoroaster religious leader -monotheism -individual salvation through the free choice of God over evil - battle: good vs evil -”House of Song” vs eternal pain Persian empire was toppled by Alexander the Great -Greek educated conqueror -Impressed by Persian political structure -Persian language and culture survived in NE ME Persian Empire Greece • RVC ME and Africa spread to some islands near Greek Peninsula • Crete- Egyptian influence • Greeks were an indo-European people who took over the Balkan Peninsula by 1700 BCE • Early kingdom of Mycenaeans (S Greece) around 1400s – Kingdom in Homer’s epics about the Trojan War • Rapid rise in Greek Civilization from 800 BCE to 600 BCE Indo/European Migrations Greek Development • City-state concept, rather than a single political unit. • Trade and economy flourished • Alphabet based off of Phoenician alphabet Greek Development • City-state celebrations (Olympic games) • Athens and Sparta become the two most powerful city-states • Sparta – Strong military aristocracy dominating a slave population • Athens – Strong commercial, intellectual, and artistic state (also with slaves) Athens and Sparta • Both city-states cooperated between 500 and 449bc to defeat a huge Persian invasion • After this, Athenian and Greek civilization in general reached its zenith- more colonies spread • In Athens, Pericles sets the model for democratic negotiation Peloponnesian War • 431-404 BCE • Athens v. Sparta • Sparta technically wins, but both city-states are so weak that ambitious kings from Macedonia soon conquer the cities. – Philip II of Macedon – Alexander Greece at Peloponnesian War (Athens and Sparta colors are backwards!) Hellenistic Empire • Alexander expands Greek influence beyond the peninsula, to… – – – – Asia Minor Egypt Middle East India • Short-lived…Alexander dies at 33 after 13 years of conquest. Hellenistic Period • Greek Art and Culture merge with other Middle Eastern forms during this time period. – Trade flourished – Important scientific centers were established like Alexandria, in Egypt Hellenistic Empire Greek Politics • Politics comes from “polis,” Greek for “city-state.” • Citizens felt that the state was theirs…rights and responsibilities – Participation in the military too • Diversity in political forms – Unlike China’s elaborate bureaucracy Greek Politics • “demos” = “the people” – Democracy • General assemblies in which all citizens could participate – Direct democracy…not elected representatives. – Met every 10 days – Only a minority were active participants Greek Politics • The most widely preferred political framework centered on aristocratic assemblies • Sparta: Singularly militaristic aristocracy • Other city states were aristocratic, but not necessarily bent on the impact of the military • Aristocracy comes from Greek terms, meaning “rule of the best” Rise of Rome • Last phase of Classical Med. Civ • The Roman state begins around 800 BCE as a local monarchy in central Italy. • Aristocrats drive out monarchy in 509 BCE and the Roman Republic was born – Extends influence over the Italian peninsula -Strong military -3 Punic Wars 264-146 bc - Carthage (North Africa) - Hannibal- Carthaginian General (not this guy) -brutal/bloody -salt to harm agriculture -Roman Empire-Greece to Egypt -Politics in Rome unstable -Civil Wars -Julius Caesar 45 bc took power -Grandson Augustus Caesar 27 bc -Marcus Aurelius 180 ad -Empire now Spain, North AfricaGermany (p87) -Decline of empire Rise of Rome • Roman conquest spread quickly during the Punic Wars from 264 to 146 BCE. – Fought armies of the Phoenician city of Carthage under leadership of Hannibal – Romans seize the entire western Mediterranean along with Greece and Egypt Punic Wars Rise of the Roman Empire • Politics in Rome grew unstable • Julius Caesar takes power in 45 BCE – Following his assassination, Augustus Caesar takes power in 27 BCE • 200 years of peace, known as Pax Romana through the reign of Marcus Aurelius in 180 CE. Pax Romana • Empire maintains great vigor • Spreads peace throughout the Mediterranean world • Expansion of trade, culture, arts, architecture, etc. Roman Empire Provinces of the Roman Empire Roman Empire • Slow, decisive fall, lasting over 250 years, finally falling in 476 CE • Emperor Constantine adopts Christianity as official religion in 313 CE to attempt to unite empire • Specifically in the western half of the Roman Empire, effective government became local. • Invasions from nomadic peoples from the north • Loyalty of non-Roman army recruits were suspect Roman Politics • In the Roman Republic, the constitution guaranteed that citizens would gather in periodic assemblies – To elect magistrates entrusted with the will of the common people • Legislative body was the SENATE Roman Politics •Senate was comprised of mostly aristocrats •Two consuls shared primary EXECUTIVE power •In times of crisis, the senate could choose a dictator to hold emergency powers •Cicero, a Roman Senator, engaged in political theory by writing on the issues of political ethics, duties of citizens, and importance of incorruptibility. •Represents Confucianism, but with less hierarchy and obedience, or bureaucratic virtues. •During the Empire, the Roman senate became rather meaningless. Roman Law • By 450 BCE the Roman Republic introduced its form of codified law, the Twelve Tables of Roman Law. – Restrain the upper classes from arbitrary action against the lower – Subject all citizens to common legal principles. – LAW takes over characteristics of families, fathers, or landlords – Common sense doctrine… Roman Law • With citizenship in the Roman empire came full access to Rome-appointed judges and uniform laws. – Property rights – commerce The Roman State • Placed great premium on military service/conquest • VAST PUBLIC WORKS – Roads/harbors (military/commerce) – Stadiums – Public Baths – Gladiator contests – Theaters – Aqueducts Roman Coliseum Roman Aqueducts Roman Theaters Roman Religion • Government sponsored official religious ceremonies etc, but were tolerant of different strains – Attacked Christianity, but only because they didn’t put they allegiance to the state first • In difference to China and India, the Romans did not create a “great world religion” Greco/Roman Religion • Christianity was aided by the Romans, but was not a product of Rome. • In Greco/Roman Religion, there was a complex system of gods and goddesses – Names different, but organization the same… Greco/Roman Religion • Zeus or Jupiter: preside over the gods • Apollo: Sun • Neptune: Oceans • Mars: War • Venus: Love/Beauty • Other gods were patrons of other human activities. • Gods were depicted as human Greco/Roman Religion • Gods did not necessarily elevate people to higher planes of spirituality, they merely regulated life… – Lack of spiritual passion – Leaves a sense of dissatisfaction • Leads to the development of philosophy as a separate form of thinking and behavior regulation Greco/Roman Philosophy • Philosophers like Aristotle and Cicero urge moderation an balance in human behavior. – Stoics emphasize inner moral independence, strict discipline of the body, and personal bravery… – Will mix with Christianity later… Greco/Roman Philosophy • Philosophy emphasized the power of individual rational thought… – Socrates (b. 469 BCE) encouraged pupils to question conventional wisdom • Rational inquiry – Plato (student of Socrates) suggests that human reason could understand the absolutely true, good, and beautiful. Greco/Roman Intellectualism • Not necessarily scientists…but emphasis on rational thought – Try to find balance in the universe…try to explain everything – Theories…some wrong…about the motions of the planets, elemental principles of earth, fire, air, and water. – Impressive work in Geometry (Pythagoras’ theorem) Greco/Roman Intellectualism • Ptolemy: produced an elaborate theory of how the sun revolves around the earth – Geocentric theory (Hellenistic) – Contradicts middle east thought of the time Roman Intellectualism • More practical than the Greek… – Engineering achievements • Roads, aqueducts • Arches Greco/Roman Literature • Music/Dance festivals • Greek Drama – – – – Comedy and tragedy Sophocles: Oedipus Rex Homer: Iliad and Odyssey Virgil: Roman Poet Greco/Roman Aesthetics • Greek artists excel in ceramic work • Roman painters decorate the homes of the wealthy • Greek columns develop three different ornamentations… – Doric – Ionic – Corinthian Greco/Roman Aesthetics • Roman architects adopt the Greek themes and use engineering skill to build upon them. – Romans learn how to add domes to rectangular buildings – Empire adopts a taste for massive monuments and public buildings – Demonstration of the empire’s size and strength The Greco/Roman Economy • Substantial portion of the population were farmers (not in the cities!) – Poor soil conditions – Conversion of economy to market economy because of the wholesale production of olives and grapes. – Required substantial capital • Conquered territory to get access to grain producing fields – Sicily and Northern Africa The Greco/Roman Economy • Trade with civilizations outside of the Mediterranean was less profitable… – Goods were inferior to Asian (China/Indian) goods • Most traders were foreigners from the middle east, or descendants of Phoenicians and Lydians. • Merchants had higher status in Rome (forming class underneath landed Patricians) • Merchants fare better in the Mediterranean than they did in China Greco/Roman Slavery • Aristotle produced elaborate justifications for the use of slavery – Athens used slaves for housekeeping and in silver mines – Sparta uses slaves in agriculture • Rome expands use of slavery, also as tutors for children • Neither Greece or Rome were particularly interested in technological innovations. – Slave reliance impacts this… • The Mediterranean world lags behind India and China in technological innovation, which accounts for its trade imbalance with Asia
