Download The Heritage of the Ancient Greece

The Heritage of the Ancient
Greece
►The
Political System - Democracy, drawing of lots for public
office
→ Liberty and equality, freedom of expression ( to propose
utopias)
LIMITATIONS!
The Cultural influence
* Theatre, literature, art, education,
philosophy, science, sports, judicial power
►The way to think, debate/ dialogue in
seeking knowledge
The collapse of Athens / Greek citystates
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►
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The Peloponnesian War ( 431-404 BC)
→disagreements between Sparta and Athens, Athens
wanted to be the most powerful of all city-states;
challenged Sparta
The result : Athens lost the war; Sparta took over (
Sparta´s military discipline --- plague struck Athens,
democracy showed its weaknesses: Peasants for peace,
Athenians for war, colonies turned against Athens)
Pericles died in 429 BC: a huge impact on Athens
oligarchical constitution introduced; the end of
democracy!
Alexander the Great / Macedonia
conquered Greece 336 BC→
Greek culture and the oriental culture was
united into HELLENISM
- Greek language
- Greek art, science
- Persian / oriental influence
* Monetary system stimulated the trade, the
rise of new towns
►
The Rise, rule and collapse of ROME
► How
was it possible that small group of villages in
Latium could create the Roman Empire?
► What
was the content of the Roman civilization?
The heritage of it for today? Was there somekind
of UNITY throughout the Roman Empire?
► The
fall of the Roman empire; why/ how and the
effects!
The Rise of Rome
►
-
Background
The Etruscans were in rule at Rome in the 7th and 8th c.
The impact on Romans:
- turned the villages into a town,
Forum Romanum was established
- influence on Roman religion
(signs, offerings)
- The Latin alphabet: influence on
European writing
- art of temple building, semi-circular arch..
The Establishment of The Roman
Republic ( 509-31 BC)
► The
Etruscan kings were thrown off from Rome
► Why Rome and The Romans?
- the excellent position by The Tiber
surrounded by the hills, nearby the sea
- The famous Roman roads ; The Roman army,
the quality of legions
( citizen´s army), the Naval power
- attracted by violence ??
The Political System of Rome
THE SENATE – dominated by aristocrats, the
main political power !
THE PEOPLE´S ASSEMBLY ( COMITIA) ,
dominated by the rich, elected public
officials and voted laws
• consuls: always two in charge ( to avoid
dictatorship)
• Public officials; elected for one year
The Social classes
Patrisians – padres / the rich
► Plebeians --- servants/ the poor, the
ordinary people
- The Law of 12 Tables ( 5th c. BC); first
corpus of written law in Europe
→ the Plebs got the right of VETO
( theTribunes of Plebs) on the decisions by
public officials
►
THE CLAIM: TO WHAT EXTENT IS IT
FAIR TO SAY …
► THAT
THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT SYSTEM
WAS A DEMOCRACY?
► P. 66 “ The Roman Constitution”