Download Classical Civilizations

CLASSICAL
CIVILIZATIONS
CHINA, GREECE, ROME
RECAP
• We have completed our unit of study on the Neolithic
Revolution and Early River Civilizations.
• Let’s take some time to review the big ideas from this
unit;
• Before the Neolithic Revolution, people were hunters and
gatherers.
• The Neolithic Revolution was when people learned to farm and
domesticate animals
• The major impact of the Neolithic Revolution was that it
allowed people to stop being nomadic.
• Since people were no longer moving they settled in one place.
• Therefore the Neolithic Revolution led to the beginning of
civilization
WHY DID EARLY CIVILIZATIONS
DEVELOP ALONG RIVER VALLEYS?
• Floods left behind Fertile Soil which was good for
farming
• The river provided a source of water for irrigating
crops
• The river could be used for transportation of people
and goods
• The rich fertile land of the river valleys created a
favorable geographic location for early civilizations.
CLASSICAL CHINA
• China was the most isolated of all the ancient
civilizations.
• China’s culture developed separately from the
civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India.
• China’s geographic features are what caused the
civilization to be isolated; high mountains to the
west and southwest, Gobi Desert to the north, and
Pacific Ocean to the east.
• Last unit we spoke about the Shang Dynasty ruling
over much of land around the fertile river valley
formed by the Yellow River.
ZHOU DYNASTY
• By 1100 BC , the Zhou Dynasty overthrew the Shang
Dynasty.
• The Zhou Dynasty told the people that the gods
had become angry at Shang cruelty and now had
chosen the Zhou to rule.
• This right to rule was called the Mandate of Heaven,
a divine right to rule (Power came from the Gods).
• From that time on, each new dynasty would claim
the Mandate of Heaven.
• The Chinese later expanded this idea to explain the
dynastic cycle, or the rise and fall of dynasties..
DYNASTIC CYCLE
GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMY
• Feudalism
• The Zhou kings granted control of large areas of land to their
supporters.
• This system was known as feudalism, where local lords
controlled their own land but owed military service to the ruler
in times of war.
• Economy
• The economy grew under the Zhou.
• The Chinese began to use iron tools, helping them produce
more food.
• Irrigation projects also helped with the increase in crops.
• Trade expanded by the creation of roads and canals.
• The Chinese were also one of the first civilizations to use money,
which helped the development of trade.
ADMIT SLIP 10/2
• What is the Dynastic Cycle?
• What did we learn yesterday about the Zhou
Dynasty?
QIN DYNASTY
• Just like the Zhou Dynasty claimed the mandate of
heaven and overthrew the Shang Dynasty, a new
dynasty called the Qin Dynasty overthrew the Zhou
Dynasty.
• We learned that the dynastic cycle is the process
by which new dynasties replace old dynasties.
QIN DYNASTY
• The Qin Dynasty now claimed to have the mandate
of heaven, lead by the great Shi Huangdi, or “Great
Emperor”.
• After conquering the Zhou empire, Shi Huangdi
centralized his power:
• He abolished the old feudal states and divided the country
into military districts, each ruled by an appointed official.
• He standardized measurements.
• He created national coins.
• He promoted uniformity in Chinese writing.
• He repaired canals and walls
GREAT WALL
• Shi Huangdi’s greatest achievement was the
construction of the Great Wall.
• The wall was built to keep out invaders.
• Thousands of workers worked for years to build the
wall.
http://www.greatwall-of-china.com/51-90/the-great-wallof-china.html
HAN DYNASTY
• The dynasty that would overthrow the Qin Dynasty
and claim the mandate of heaven was the Han
Dynasty.
• Liu Bang, a peasant, took control of China after the
Qin Dynasty.
• The Han Dynasty was one of the longest lasting
dynasties in Chinese history spanning over 400
years.
HAN SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT
• Government was strengthened during the Han
Dynasty:
• Emperor Wudi established a civil service system
• The examinations were based on the teachings of
Confucius.
• High government positions were not just given to family
members, but earned through high scores on these difficult
examinations.
• Wudi also strengthened the economy by building up roads
and canals.
HAN SOCIETY AND GOVERNMENT
• Confucianism
• Confucian values dominated Han society and the overall
way of life.
• Spelled out proper behavior for all parts of society.
• Men were thought to be superior to women.
• Women were not allowed to take civil service examinations,
therefore unable to participate in government.
• Contributions
• Technology- wheel barrow, fishing reel, and rudder to turn
boats.
• Science- acupuncture to relieve pain and treat illness,
herbal remedies, and anesthesia.
• Art- artists created jade and ivory carvings
CLASSICAL INDIA
• The subcontinent of
India includes three
major geographic
regions
• Northern Plain- fertile land
watered by Indus River
• Deccan Plateau- dry and
sparsely populated
• Coastal Plains- flat land
along east and west
coasts where farming,
fishing, and trading can
occur.
ARYAN INVASION
• A group of warriors known as the Aryans had
invaded India from Europe and Asia.
• Early Aryans built no cities and left few artifacts.
• Most of what is known of the Aryans comes from a
book of sacred writings called the Vedas.
• The Vedas portrayed the Aryans as fierce warriors
who loved food, music, and chariot racing.
• The Aryans began to build cities, however by 500
BC a new civilization began to emerge in India.
MAURYAN EMPIRE
• Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan
Empire by gaining power in the Ganges River
Valley.
• With his strong military he was able to conquer
much of the Indian Peninsula.
• Chandragupta was a vicious leader who believed
through military conquests he could intimidate his
enemies.
• From 321 BC to 185 BC, the Maurya Dynasty ruled
over the first united Indian Empire.
WELL ORGANIZED GOVERNMENT
• The Maurya Dynasty set up an efficient bureaucracy
and a strong government with its capital at Pataliputra.
• A bureaucracy is a system of managing government
through departments that are run by officials.
• Officials collected taxes and oversaw the building of
roads and harbors, which helped trade flourish.
• Other officials managed government owned factories
and shipyards.
• Maurya rule was extremely harsh however;
• Chandragupta was suspicious of his enemies, so he
directed a secret police force who reported on crime,
corruption, and dissent within his empire.
ASOKA
• Chandragupta’s grandson Asoka ruled differently.
• He was horrified by the brutality of a campaign to
conquer the Deccan plateau, Asoka rejected
further military conquests.
• He turned to Buddhism, hoping to rule by moral
example rather than by violence.
• Asoka’s rule united his diverse people and brought
peace and prosperity
• After his death, however, his empire declined and
rival kingdoms once again competed for power.
MAURYA CONTRIBUTIONS
• The capital at Pataliputra was one of the largest
and richest cities of its time.
• The capital had schools and a library; learning was
highly advanced.
• One of the longest lasting contributions of the
Maurya Dynasty was the spreading of the Buddhist
religion by means of missionary activity.
ROME
• Geographic Setting
• Rome is located near the center of Italy, a peninsula
located in the Mediterranean
• Unlike the geography of Greece, Italy’s geography helped
its people unite.
• Lack of mountains presented fewer natural barriers,
allowing trade with neighboring cities
• Fertile plains allowed for the growing of crops, which
supported a growing population
• In addition, the location of the Italian peninsula helped
Romans to move easily through the lands of the
Mediterranean.
EARLY ROMAN REPUBLIC
• The Romans established a new form of government called
a republic
• In a republic, government officials are chosen by the
people.
• The most powerful governing body was the Senate.
• People who were elected to be in the Senate were called
Senators.
• Senators were members of the landholding upper class
known as the patricians.
• The Senators would then elect two consuls who supervised
the business of government and commanded the armies
• The plebeians were the farmers, merchants, artisans, and
traders made up most of the population and had little
power
ROMAN EMPIRE
• By 270 BC, Rome had conquered all of Italy including;
Carthage, Macedonia, Greece, and parts of Asia Minor.
• This expansion led to a widening gap between the rich and
poor, and the Roman Republic soon gave way to the Roman
Empire.
• Other problems within Rome led to a shakeup of the republic,
and the emergence of a new political system.
• Out of this period of chaos, Julius Caesar came to power
• Caesar made new military conquests that expanded the
borders of the Roman Empire, and instituted new reforms that
improved the government of the Roman Republic
• With growing popularity however, Caesar had many enemies
within the government.
• He was eventually murdered by two senators who plotted his
assassination in the Senate chamber.
JULIUS CAESAR
PAX ROMANA
• After the murder of Julius Caesar, his grandnephew
named Augustus became ruler.
• Augustus ruled with absolute power
• This officially marked the end of the Roman
Republic, and the beginning of the Roman Empire.
• The 200-year peace that began with the rule of
Augustus is know as the Pax Romana, or Roman
Peace.
• During this time, the Roman Empire spread stability
over a large area of the world.
ROMAN CONTRIBUTIONS
• Law
• A system of laws was Rome’s greatest achievement.
• It applied to all people and created a stable Roman Empire.
• Many of its basic principles- including equality under the law,
the right of the accused to face one’s accusers and mount a
defense, and the idea of being considered innocent until
proven guilty- are the basis for systems of justice today.
• In 450 BC, the plebeians demanded written laws, saying that
they could not know what the laws were if they were not
written down.
• These written laws came to be know as the Laws of the Twelve
Tables.
• The laws were inscribed on 12 tablets and displayed in the
marketplace for all to see.
ROMAN CONTRIBUTIONS
• Art and Architecture
• The Romans borrowed many Greek concepts in the arts and
architecture
• They used Greek style statues in their homes and public
buildings
• Roman buildings were mighty and grand instead of simple and
elegant
• Roman writers used the Latin language, which united the
empire, to write great poetic, historical, and philosophical
works.
• Engineering
• The romans built excellent roads, bridges, harbors, and
aqueducts.
• Aqueducts were bridge-like stone structures that carried water
from the hills to the cities.
• The Romans also improved the arch and the dome.
THE RISE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
The two most important factors that enabled Rome
to become one of the most powerful empires in the
world were its strong government and profitable
trade.
• Military Power
• The Romans were able to conquer neighboring provinces
partly because of its strong, well-disciplined army.
• They also treated conquered peoples well, allowing them to
keep their own governments and customs.
• In return, conquered lands were required to supply soldiers
for the Roman army and pay taxes to Rome.
http://romanmilitary.net/strategy/struct
ure/
THE RISE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
• Strong Government
• We learned that Rome was founded as a republic, however
when Rome was at its peak, it was an empire.
• Emperor Augustus, who ruled the Roman Empire for 17
years, brought stability to Rome.
• Augustus started the 200 year period of Roman peace,
known as the Pax Romana
• He instituted a civil service system, like the Han Dynasty in
China, that supplied well-trained and well-educated
government officials.
• During this time, the Roman legions (military) maintained the
road system, and guarded the borders.
THE RISE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
• Economy and Trade
• Roman expansion allowed the empire to take over
prosperous trade routes throughout the Mediterranean.
• The Mediterranean served as a natural highway for trade.
• In addition, the Romans built miles of fine roads that
promoted trade and brought wealth into the empire.
• Grain from the Nile Valley, ivory and gold from Africa, spices
and gems from India, and silk from China via the Silk Road
flowed in to the empire.
• Under Augustus, the tax system was reformed, and new
coins were issued to make trade easier.
GLOBAL TRADE ROUTES
• Silk Road
• Opened by the Han Dynasty
• Linked China and lands as far west as Mesopotamia
• Silk and other Chinese goods moved west, while products from the
west like muslin, glass, and new foods flowed into China.
• Silk Road stretched 4,000 miles, and most goods were trade at various
markets along the way
• Roman Trade
• During the Pax Romana, Rome experienced plentiful trade
• They received grain from Egypt; ivory, gold, and lions from Africa; and
cotton and spices from India, and Silk from China via the Silk Road.
• http://www.history.com/shows/mankind-the-story-of-all-ofus/videos/mankind-the-story-of-all-of-us-the-silk-road
• http://history.howstuffworks.com/7249-china-silk-road-video.htm
FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
• The Roman Empire expanded from its initial location
in central Italy.
• The powerful Roman military first took over the entire
Italian peninsula.
• By 44 BC Roman power extended throughout the
Mediterranean, from Spain to parts of Asia Minor.
• To the North, the Roman Empire spread to what is
now France as well as into parts of Great Britain.
• Rome however grew weak as a result of both
internal problems and external pressures
FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
• Land expansion often helps an empire grow,
however it also can lead to decline. The more an
empire expands, the more difficult it can be to
keep together. Wealth from trade can make an
economy grow, but it can also lead to great class
differences, greed, and corruption.
• Overexpansion, high taxes, and foreign invasion all
weakened the empire.
• The Roman Empire eventually split into two separate
empires.
• Western Empire= Roman Empire, does not survive
• Eastern Empire =Byzantine Empire
BYZANTINE EMPIRE
• The Roman Empire became divided, as Germanic
invaders weakened the western half, the eastern
half of the empire prospered.
• Emperor Constantine built a splendid new capital in
Constantinople, located in the Greek city of
Byzantium.
• The Byzantine Empire, as it came to be called, drew
its name from this ancient city.
• At its height, the Byzantine Empire covered an area
from Rome through southeastern Europe and Asia
Minor, down to Egypt and across North Africa.
PRESERVING AND SPREADING
CULTURE
• The city of Constantinople was on a peninsula
overlooking the Bosporus, a strait connecting the
Black Sea to the Mediterranean.
• The city possessed an outstanding harbor and was
protected on three sides by water.
• From its central location Constantinople controlled
key trade routes that linked Europe and Asia.
• The Byzantine Empire was known for blending
Greek, Roman, and Christian influences and helped
spread them to other regions of the world.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE BYZANTINE
EMPIRE
• The Byzantine Empire
reached its peaked
under the emperor
Justinian .
• Justinian was an
autocrat, which meant
that he was a single
ruler with complete
authority.
• Justinian wanted to
recapture the lands in
the west that were
taken over by the
Germanic Tribes.
JUSTINIAN’S CODE OF LAW
• Emperor Justinian is probably best known for his code of
law.
• Soon after he became emperor, he set up a team of
scholars to gather and organize the ancient laws of
Rome.
• His collection of laws were known as Justinian’s Code.
• His code included Roman laws, legal writings, and even
a student handbook.
• Later emperors continued to update the code.
• By the 1100’s it had reached Western Europe, where it
became the basis of law for both Roman Catholic
church and medieval rulers.
http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/justinianscode.html
ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE
• The Byzantine Empire extended Roman knowledge
of engineering, especially in architecture.
• Justinian launched an impressive building program
designed to make Constantinople a dazzling city.
• One structure that he best known for is the Church
of Hagia Sohia.
• The church includes a huge arching dome,
blending characteristics of Greek, Roman, Persian,
and other Middle Eastern styles.
ART
• Byzantine artists made great contributions to
religious art that influenced styles for many years.
• Icons were holy images of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, or
saints of the Orthodox Christian church.
• More than just a painting, they were supposed to
create a sense that the sacred person was actually
present.
• Mosaics, or pictures formed by inlaid pieces of
stone or other materials, often showed biblical
scenes.
• Beautiful mosaics were created in the interiors of
churches, especially the Hagia Sophia.
http://www.google.com/search?q=justinian's+code&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=mfDzUt6MJ
8yMkAf0jYGQCA&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=930&surl=1&safe=active#q=byzanti
ne+art&safe=active&tbm=isch&imgdii=_
THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHURCH
• The art and architecture of Constantinople reflected the
importance of the Orthodox Christian Church.
• By the time of Justinian, divisions had grown between
the Church in Rome (west) and the Byzantine Church
(east).
• The Orthodox Christian Church, also called the Eastern
Orthodox Church, was the Christian Church of the
Byzantine Empire.
• The Roman Catholic Church, was the Christian Church
of the West
• Over time the two Christian Churches disagreed on
many key issues, resulting in a permanent split called a
schism between the Orthodox Christian Church in the
East, and the Roman Catholic Church in the West.
PRESERVATION OF GRECO-ROMAN
CULTURE
• The Byzantine Empire remained a political and
cultural force nearly 1000 years after the fall of
Rome
• Justinian’s Code preserved Roman law, and the
accomplishments of Roman engineers were
preserved and extended Byzantine architecture.
• Byzantine culture was strongly rooted in Greece,
and the Byzantine Empire is known for preserving
Hellenistic (Greek) culture in the arts, literature,
philosophy, and science.