Period 2Classical Civilizations

600BCE-600CE

Differences from early civilizations

• 1. Size and political strength - could more easily control large areas of land

• 2. Complex cultures - religions emerge and art and literature flourish

• 3. Better written records - sophisticated forms of writing

• 4. More complex long distance trade - new trade routes• 5. Contact between nomads and sedentary people• 6. Direct influence on modern civilizations

Three Areas

• 1. Mediterranean*• 2. Indian subcontinent• 3. East Asia

• *Mediterranean– Greece, Persia, Rome

Greece

• Geography– Land travel difficult

Brief History

• Minoans controlled area by 1600 BCE

• Replaced by Mycenaeans who were often at war

• Invasions and attacks hurt Mycenae leads to dark era until 800BCE

• Isolation until Phoenicians made contact and traded with Greeks

• Trade brings prosperity

Political Development

• Greek city-states (or polis) begin to develop

• Major city-state was Athens; rival = Sparta• All sorts of governments were adopted • In Early Athens, an oligarch named Solon

(6th century BCE) set up laws that could be revised; rather than passed down

• About 510 BCE Cleisthenes further experimented with democracy

Political Development

• Athens "Town Meeting" - all free males called on to make decisions (no women or slaves)

• Early Sparta• Highly militaristic society• Emphasis on self-discipline,

obedience and physical fitness– Clip from 300; 7-9 on M&M

Minoans

Mycenaeans

Sparta

Athens

Ancient Greece – Polis

Economic Characteristics

• Trade was most important in economy• Invention of coins• Farmers = part-time soldiers• Hoplites - armored soldiers who fought in close cooperation together• Colonies were established for surplus, tribute and trade

– Greece - Ionia, Marsalia (Marseille)

Social distinctions

• Citizen and non-citizen• Sparta, there was theoretical equality

– Simple clothing and no jewelry and were frugal

• Sparta maintained self-sufficiency; leery of trade

• Athenians had no disdain for luxuries• Almost 30% of the population was

enslaved (but generally well treated)

Women

• Spartan women were free and equal with men

• Women expected to be physically fit

• Men were at war so women ran Sparta

• Athenian women were confined to the home

• No political rights and could not own property or businesses

Bronze statue of girl running

Cultural Characteristics

• Polytheistic– Zeus and Hera– Poseiden, sea– Athena, wisdom and war– Apollo, sun

• Most educated Greeks did not take the gods very seriously

• Emphasis on secularism to seek answers to dilemmas of life

Philosophy - "love of wisdom"

• Greek philosophers invented "natural law"

• Socrates - emphasis on rationalism, ability of humans to reason

• Plato - Socrates student; allegory of the cave

• Aristotle - Plato's student

Plato

More Cultural Advancements

• Greeks developed: Drama, Lyric poetry, "Classical" architecture (Acropolis)

• Cultural achievements by classical era Greeks are part of Hellenic culture (hellas = Greece)

Persia

• Geography• Rose in Iran; between major trading areas

Afro-Eurasia in 350 BCE

Persian Empire

Persian Empire (558-332 BCE)• Founded by Cyrus the Great• Darius I (521-486 BCE)

– Balanced central administration & local governors

– Divided government into 3 districts ran by satraps

– Built the Royal Road– Fought Persian Wars (500-479

BCE)• Led to the decline of the

Persian Empire

Persian Empire• Persian Society

– Women worked in textile manufacturing

– Government used slaves to complete public works projects

• Persian Economy– Government coined money– Facilitated trade from Greece to India

• Persian Religion– Zoroastrianism

World in 350 BCE

Brief History• Organized under Cyrus the Great and

expanded eventually to the Mediterranean

• Cyrus created strong political system• Subjects allowed to keep local laws

and customs• Local governors (called satraps)

collected tribute and provided for soldiers

• Major city - Persepolis; court created there

History continued

• Athens was expanding in Anatolia and so was Persia, under Darius I

• Major war at Marathon (490 BCE) which the Greeks won

• Battles continued; the Persian Xerxes was weakened in 480 BCE at Thermopylae

• "east" vs. "west"

Persian Wars• Contributed to Persia's decline and

Athens as the premier city-state of Greece

• Athens formed alliances– Delian League under leader Pericles

• Athens attacks Corinth, who is Sparta's ally

• Peloponnesian War (431-404BCE) between Sparta and Athens

• Sparta eventually won but Greece was vulnerable to attack

Kingdom of Macedon

• King Phillip II (359-336 BCE) transformed Macedonia by building a powerful military

• Poised to expand his empire after uniting most of Greece under his control, he was assassinated

• His 20 year old son, Alexander took over

Alexander the…. Who?• Defeated Anatolia, Egypt (greeted

as pharaoh), Persia• Conquered land between the

Adriatic Sea and Indus River• Never lost a battle• Becomes known as

Alexander the Great• Hellenistic Age follows because of

spread of Greek culture• Hellenistic synthesis refers to

blending of cultures, creation of cosmopolitan societies connected by trade and Greek culture

Important WarsPersian Wars

• Ionian Revolt - 499 BCE -Greeks upraise on Persian rule

• Xerxes - 480 BCE - launches massive army (300,000?)

• Battle of Thermopylae – 300 Spartans lead by Leonidas fight heroically and inspire other Greek hoplites who are better armed that Asiatic infantry to continue to fight Persia

• The Delian League - lead by Athenian generals and navy liberate the Greek city states over the next 20 years

Peloponnesian War

• 100 years are full of polis on polis violence

• 430 BCE – Sparta dominates the land and Athens the sea

• 404 BCE – Sparta buys Persian boats and defeats Athens at sea

• 338 BCE - Macedonians – rough and rowdy (questionable ‘Greakness’), lead by Philip, wins control of Greek city states

• 334 BCE Alexander Philip’s son spreads the Greek Empire

Rome

• heavily influenced by the Greeks• dominates the area for 700 years;

encompassed 2000 years

The legend of Romulus and Remus

• Rhea was married to Mars, the Roman god of war. Rhea had twin sons. She loved her boys, but there were plots afoot by other gods and goddesses to harm her father, herself, her husband, and her children. To protect the boys, she set them adrift on the river, hoping someone would find them. Who would not love such beautiful boys?

• Sure enough, first they were found by a she-wolf who fed them. Then a shepherd and his wife adopted the boys.

• As the twins grew older, they decided they did not want to take care of sheep. They wanted to be kings. They decided to build a city on the shores of the Tiber. They both wanted to be the only king. They quarreled. In a fit of rage, Romulus picked up a rock, killed his brother, and made himself king.

• That’s how Rome started.

Political Development• Etruscans established city-states about

800BCE• One of their earliest communities was

called Rome (509 BCE)– *Romulus and Remus

• 509 BCE - Rome gains independence and declares itself a republic, or state without monarch

• Republic lasted until 31BCE when Augustus becomes emperor

• Republic government not a democracy

Political Development• Senate - aristocrats • General Assembly -

Plebeians (90%)• Two consuls were elected

from the Senate– one-year terms

• Plebeians eventually were allowed representatives called tribunes

Political Development

• Julius Caesar, patrician general, challenged the power of the Senate and created a Triumvirate (rule of three) (Crassus and Pompey)

• Caesar was assassinated by senators (44BCE)

• Octavian (Caesar's nephew) won control

• Senate declares him Augustus ("revered one")

Augustus’ Achievements

• Created civil service• Codified Roman law • New courts and legal experts• Built roads and public works • Reorganize the navy• Pax Romana

Women

• Treated as children• First father supervises her, then husband, then

son• However, many women supervised the family

business• Roman literature – vocal and powerful women

Culture

• Legal Innovations• 1) Concept of precedent• 2) Belief that equity should be the goal of the

legal system• 3) Natural law• 4) Interpretation of the law (responsibility of

judges)

Culture

• Imitation of Greek gods– Same god different

name• Zeus = Jupiter, Poseidon

= Neptune, Athena = Minerva, Ares = Mars• No immortality; no

afterlife (most)

Culture

• Spread of Latin as a language

• Engineering - roads and aqueducts

Virgil – Roman poet known for Aeneid

Decline

• Defense of long borders• Class struggles• Epidemics• Second capital city -

Constantinople– Constantine in 4th Century CE

• Germanic invasions; last emperor in 476CE

China• At same time of Rome increasing

influence, China was emerging from • Warring States Period - end of Zhou

dynasty, marked by political turmoil, warlords constantly challenging Zhou

• How to solve problems?

Qin Shi Huangdi

3 Belief Systems Form• 1) Legalism

– humans = evil and only obey authority by force – strict laws, harsh punishments – sacrifice personal freedom for the state

• 2) Daoism – Laozi encouraged people to avoid useless struggles

by following Dao (path) – politics and military lack morality– individual retreat from society; emphasis on

acceptance• 3) Confucianism

– based on hierarchical, harmonious relationships to create orderly society

– 5 relationships key, family at the center

Qin Dynasty• Qin emphasized Legalism– iron weapons to defeat and unite China– king declares himself first "emperor"

• Shi Huangdi, 221-210BCE

Coming from Underground

• Shi Huangdi, the First Emperor of China, created the army to protect him in the afterlife

First Emperor’s accomplishments

• Unified warring states• Network of roads • Linked/extended Great Wall• Single written script• Mass production• Interchangeable parts• Unified law code and currency

Iron Fist• Ruthless• Absolute right of command• Heavy taxation and oppressive policies• Several assassination attempts

– Built covered walkways– Wore disguises – Slept in different places every night

• Obsessed with finding the secret to immortality – Searched for magic elixirs– One such elixir contained mercury and

it’s believed mercury poisoning contributed to his death.

• Shortly after his death revolts start that lead to the end of Qin

Han Dynasty (206BCE - 220 CE)

• Liu Bang - quickly brought order– strengthened

bureaucracy– Bureaucracy – body

of non-elected government officials

• Forbidden City (only his family, servants, and closest advisors)

Han Political Development• Strong, nonhereditary

bureaucracy• De-emphasized legalism• Emphasized Confucian

values• “Mandate of Heaven" -

emperor had support of the heavens as long as he was a good ruler

Dynastic Cycle/Mandate of Heaven

Economic Activity• Han rulers expanded trade• Threats from the north• Restores and expands Great Wall

Economic Development

• Canals built• Main export was silk – (guarded methods and created monopoly)

Social Distinctions

• Highest social distinction for Shi – (mandarins)

• Shi liked Confucianism• Exam to identify best

candidates for bureaucracy

• Only wealthy had leisure to study for them

Main Social classes

• 1) Scholar-gentry - linked to shi; wealth based on land

• 2) Ordinary, but free, citizens - majority peasants; could be forced to join army

• 3) Underclass - described in many texts are barbarians; shifting cultivators, dependent peasants, slaves

Cultural Developments• artisan class grows

• brush pen• paper• water mills for agriculture• rudders and compasses for

ships• new mining technologies

for iron and copper• society was a patriarchy

Culture and Science

• calligraphy - artistic rendering of written word• mathematics, geography, astronomy were

valued• medicine - blood circulation, acupuncture

invented

Chi

Decline

• Last 200 years were gradual decline• Causes– defense of long borders– rise of nobility lead to competition for

power– corruption in government led to

dynasty losing effectiveness• Dynastic cycle continues• ***comparison Rome and Han,

p.99

Roman Empire

Han Dynasty

CharacteristicsHan China• Well organized

bureaucracy based upon Confucian ideas and education

Roman Empire• Well organized

bureaucracy founded on Roman law and classical learning

Characteristics

Han China• Emphasis on Family

ancestors: patriarchical• Reliance on landed gentry• Engineering

accomplishments: roads, canals, the Great Wall

Roman Empire• Emphasis on family: pater

familias• Reliance on patricians• Engineering

accomplishments: roads, aqueducts, amphitheatres, domes, sewage systems, central heating

Characteristics

• Grand Canal • Roman Roads

Characteristics

• Great Wall • Roman Aqueduct

CharacteristicsHan China• Religion:

Confucianism, Daoism, native gods, intro to Buddhism

Roman Empire• Religion: Emperor as

god, paganism, intro to Christianity

Decline of Han Dynasty

• Infighting among ruling elites• Inequitable distribution of land - tax burden

fell on peasants rather than on large landowners

• Series of peasant rebellions• Generals usurp political power - become

warlords

Decline of Han Dynasty

• 220 CE generals divide empire into three kingdoms.

• Emigration of nomadic peoples into N. China kept country disunited

Decline of Roman Empire

• Internal opposition - barrack emperors• Difficulties in administering vast empire

creates rivalries and divisions of authority• Eastern and Western Empire - capital

moved to Constantinople

Decline of Roman Empire

• Germanic invasions by Vandals, Ostrogoths, and Visigoths

• 476 Odacer deposes final Western Roman Emperor

• Eastern Roman Empire becomes Byzantine Empire - lasts another 1000 years

Shared Characteristics

• Decline in Morals and Values– Decline in those values that have upheld this

particular society together• Public Health and Urban Decay• Political Corruption• Unemployment and Inflation• Inferior technology• Military Spending

Classical India

• Shiva is the third god in the Hindu triumvirate. The triumvirate consists of three gods who are responsible for the creation, upkeep and destruction of the world. The other two gods are Brahma and Vishnu.

Classical India• Before the fall of Mohenjo-Daro

and Harappa, Aryans migrate into Indian sub-continent from their home north of the Black Sea

• By 1000 BCE Aryans settled between Himalayan foothills and Ganges River

• By 500 BCE, migrated to Deccan plateau

• Interacted with native Dravidians

Caste System

• Caste - social class of hereditary and usually unchangeable status

• Aryans used the word "varna" (Sanskrit for "color") to refer to social classes

Caste• Brahmins - highest social class; priests and scholars• Kshtriya (roughly pronounced shatria)- warriors and

government officials• Vaishya (roughly pronounced vice-ya)- landowners,

merchants, artisans• Shudra - common peasants and laborers

• During classical era, caste system becomes more complex– subdivided into jati, or birth groups, each with own

occupations, duties and rituals

Early Religion and Culture• 1500-500BCE = Vedic Age

• “Vedas" - religious texts that were passed down from generation to generation of Aryans– Rig veda was most important

• Over the years, Aryan and Dravidian beliefs blended, as reflected in a body of works called Upanishads

• The Upanishads spoke of a universal spirit, known as Brahman, which was eternal and unchanging– central belief was through reincarnation, atman (human spirit) could

join the universal spirit as long as human behaved ethically– these beliefs come to be known as Hinduism

Traditional Goals

• Dharma -Virtue• Artha - Gain wealth and success• Kama - Find pleasure• Moksha - seek enlightenment

Karma

• Indian tradition that deeds performed in past and present determines what will happen in the next life cycle

Story of India

• Video Episode 1 - start with 25:00 Sanskrit, end with 43:05 (Mahabharata)

Buddhism

• Begins in the classical period• Siddhartha Gautama was born a prince– did not claim to be a god, but elevated to that

status by followers

• Episode 2 - 3:00-14:32, Buddhism

Buddhism

• Embraced by traders and merchants; spread

• Confucianism and Buddhism link with government

Mauryan Dynasty• Despite jati, geographic,

language, cultural differences, the Mauryan Dynasty comes to rule– Almost 300 years

• Located along Ganges River trade routes

• Chandragupta Mauryan was founder of the dynasty

Ashoka• Ashoka was his grandson

and greatest ruler of Mauryans

• Huge military was dominant and destroyed Kalinga, trampled people

• Elephant Army• Shocked by the violence of

this battle, he turned to Buddhism

Rock Edicts

• Ashoka’s Rock Edicts• "Wheel of Law" is a symbol

that has represented dharma

Collapse

• After Ashoka’s death, attacks from borders drove India into regional kingdoms for more than 500 years

Gupta Empire• 4th century BCE• Founder - Chandra Gupta• Smaller and less powerful than Maurya• Show map here

Expansion of Trade Networks and Communication Patterns

• Silk Road• Xi'an in China to the eastern Mediterranean• 2nd century BCE, Zhang Jian made his way to Tarim basin where he

discovered "heavenly horses“• http://virtuallabs.stanford.edu/silkroad/SilkRoad.html• Chinese started to trade silk for horses• Tarim basin was connected by trade routes to the west• http://www.amnh.org/ology/features/silkroadmusic/music.php

SILK ROADPRODUCTS

• From China - peaches, apricots, cinnamon, ginger, silk

• From the West - alfalfa, grapes, pistachios, sesame, spinach

• Inventions in any one place made it to all the places

• Stirrup

• Pastoral nomads of Central Asia• Provided protection, insured smooth operation

• Christianity and Buddhism spread

INDIAN OCEAN

MARITIME SYSTEM

• Trade all the way back to Ancient Egyptians

• 1) Southeastern China to Southeast Asia• 2) Southeast Asia to the eastern coast of

India• 3) Western coast of India to the Red Sea

and the eastern coast of Africa

• PRODUCTS• Ivory from Africa, India and Mesopotamia• Frankincense and myrrh from southern

Arabia• Pearls from the Persian Gulf• Spices from India and Southeast Asia• Pottery from China

Frankincense and Myrrh for personal, religious, medicinal use

INDIAN OCEAN MARITIME SYSTEM

Sahara Trade

Routes

• 1st century BCE, camels introduced

• Demand for Salt• Extensive routes connected the

Sahara to Indian Ocean and Silk Road

MAJOR MIGRATIONS

200-600CE

• Huns• Attila organizes attacking army• Invaded Hungary, Balkans, Gaul, northern Italy• Defense of Gupta frontiers from the Huns led to its collapse

• Germanic People• Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Franks, Angles, Saxons, Vandals• Fought amongst themselves• Rome falls, kingdoms spring up

• Bantu• Desertification• Migrated to sub-Saharan Africa• Spread languages, knowledge of iron, agricultural techniques• Gradual, not fast and aggressive like Huns or Germanic

• Polynesians• Gradual migration• From mainland Asia to Fiji, Tonga, Samoa• Double canoes, triangular sails