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Classical
Civilizations
Greek
(1780 – 133 b.c.e.)
&
Roman
(509 b.c.e. – 476 c.e.)
These societies laid the
foundation for all of Western
Civilization and paved the way
for Modern World History…
Romans…
Greeks…
 509 b.c. –
 1780 b.c. –
476 a.d.
133 b.c.
 Classical
 Classical
Era –
Era –
PAX
HELLENISTIC
ROMANA
AGE
Romans…
Greeks…
 Southern
 Southeastern
Europe
Europe
 Eastern
 Central
Mediterranean
Mediterranean
and Aegean
and Adriatic
Seas
Seas
 Peninsula,
 Peninsula,
mountains,
mountains,
seas, coastal
valleys, rivers,
and islands
seas, rolling
hills and
coastal
Greek
legends…
 Story of
“Europa”
 Story of
King
Minos and
the
Minotaur
Roman
legends…
 Story of
Romulus
and Remus
 Story of
“Horatius”
E
U
R
O
P
A
MINOANS, KING MINOS AND….
…THE
MINOTAUR!
ROMULUS
AND
REMUS
HORITIUS


Mycenaeans –
Minoans –
 1400 b.c. – 1200 b.c.
 1750 b.c. – 1500 b.c.
 Island of Crete
 mainland of
 “Bull”worship
Greece
 Sea traders,
 Warriors,
assimilation
traders
 Frescos
 Fortress city Vanished,
states
possible
 Aryan influence
volcanic
eruption with
 First written
tidal wave or
records
invaders or
 Influenced
both
trojan war
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Blind poet
Sang of heroic deeds
Wrote the Iliad and
the Odyssey
Iliad was about the
Trojan War
Odyssey was about
the trials and
tribulations of
Odysseus
Both stories display
honor, courage and
eloquence (rhetoric)
Basis of
Greek/Classical
learning
Iliad
Odyssey
Achilles
and
Odysseus
Odysseus
Just as a man constructs a wall for some high house,
using well-fitted stones to keep out forceful winds,
that’s how close their helmets and bossed shields lined
up,
shield pressing against shield, helmet against helmet
man against man. On the bright ridges of the helmets,
horsehair plumes touched when warriors moved their
heads.
That's how close they were to one another.
(Iliad 16.213–7, Ian Johnston, translator)

Latins…
Central Italy

Settled along
Tiber River
farmers
Etruscans…
Northern Italy
Settled along the
Arno and Po Rivers
traders
Eventual “Roman”
society
Location, language
alphabet,
engineering,
technology.
Gladiator fights
Greeks
culture
Etruscans
LATINS
Greeks
Greek…
Roman…
“Assimilation” of
the Greek world
“Domination” of
classical world
Tyranny to
democracy
Republic to empire
Loyalty to polis and
culture
Loyalty to Republic
and empire
Jealousy and rivalry
led to intense
competition
Jealousy and rivalry
led to overconfidence and
corruption
“CULTURE”
“SELF-INDULGENCE”

Greek…
 Citizens
 Men only
 Land = voting
privilege
 Aliens
 Commoners/fore
igners
 Protected by
law, no rights
 Limited
influence
 Slaves
 Poor
 Majority of
work
 Backbone of
Greek society

Roman…
 Patricians
 Obscenely rich
 Ruthless to
maintain power and
lifestyle
 Plebeians
 Commoners
 Protected by law
 Wanted rights and
freedom
 “easily swayed”
 Slaves
 Anyone
 Slavery led to
laziness,
contentment and
scandalous
plotting
Farming #1
Dependent on
trade routes,
colonies,
conquest and
assimilation
Colorful
Accessories
Usefulness to luxurious
“tunic” - t-shirt
“chiton” - toga
“humitation” –
cloak/robe
“classical duds”
Celebration of the
Greek Civilization
distraction for the
Roman people
Athletics, music, debate, leisure, art, play,
theater, worship, circuses, sporting events,
shows, “spectacles”…
Olympics
Games of the colosseum
Brought society
together for the
right reasons as a
celebration of the
entire culture
Brought society
together to
encourage
assimilation, but was
manipulated for the
wrong reasons to
push “hidden
agendas” through
political avenues
The Coliseum still ranks as one of the most famous buildings
in the world - nearly 2,000 years after the first stone was
laid.
Covering 7.5 acres, this architectural marvel was a
declaration of Empirical power, engineering ingenuity, and
human achievement.
Seating around 50,000, its purpose was entertainment,
spectacle, and death…
Officially known as the Flavian Amphitheatre,
the Coliseum was commissioned by the 9th
Roman Emperor Vespasian.
It stands beneath the Oppian hill surrounded
by three more of Rome's famous seven hills:
Coelian, Esquiline and Palatine.
It was built on the site of an artificial
lake within the grounds of Nero's
Golden House. This decadent palace had
previously covered nearly a quarter of
the entire city.
Vespasian's intention was to give a piece
of the Empire back to the Roman people.
Work began in AD75, and took just 5
years to complete.
Once finished, a celebration began that lasted
100 days. During this frenzied carnival, over 5,000
animals were slaughtered and the entire floor
of the Coliseum was flooded for a mock sea
battle.
It set the tone for a century of similar epic
events.
The Emperor Trajan held a festival that lasted
for more than three months. 11,000 Jews,
Christians, slaves, and gladiators lost their
lives, and as many as 5,000 wild animals imported
from Africa and Asia were slain.
In fact, experts believe that the Roman's quest
for lions, elephants, and hippopotamuses
actually caused their disappearance from some
parts of Africa.
The Coliseum was a triumph of design and engineering.
At its heart stood the arena: a wooden stage covered in a 15cm
layer of sand. This was to
soak up the blood from the
endless parade of murderous
entertainment.
The Coliseum's perimeter wall
was divided into 80 entrance
arches, known as vomitoria.
Four of these were designated
solely for Emperors and
dignitaries.
Above, two further tiers
repeated the arches, creating
a network of vaults like a
honeycomb. The walls were
covered in shiny white marble
with painted stucco ceilings.
The forth level - devoid of
arches - was designed to house
an awning to shade the audience.
Just as regimented order was crucial to Rome's
military success, architects planned new buildings
with strict rules of scale and balance.
The width of the Coliseum walls exactly equaled the
overall width of the arena, 48.5 m (158 ft). This
measurement also equaled the height of the fourstorey external facade.
Archaeologists believe there would have been floor
plans drawn to scale, perspective drawings, and
detailed 3-D models. Essentially, the structure
would have been designed using the same methods as
modern architects.
Only by using these planning methods could the
Roman architects achieve the precise proportions
that they envisioned.
Two-thirds of the Coliseum have been lost to the ravages of
time. Historians have evidence of the coliseum’s
construction that included the following:
A network of drains built beneath the Coliseum diverted
the streams from nearby hills and valleys to Rome's main
sewer to allow the coliseum to be flooded for mock naval
battles.
Concrete (*) was used for the foundations of the oval
perimeter walls, arches and for the inner circle of the
arena. the amphitheatre had a prominent position as a
result of being built on a man-made hill of rubble and dirt.
A system of winches and pulleys were incorporated into the
coliseum and were used to release animals, gladiators, or
scenic props onto the arena via trapdoors.
Gladiatorial performances symbolized the Roman
Empire's military might.
The gladiatorial tradition was a fixture of Roman
culture (adopted from the etruscans) and lasted for
around 700 years.
These professional combatants usually fought to the
death.
The first ever mention of gladiators dates back to 264
BCE. Theses were slaves who were made to fight to the
death at the funeral of a distinguished aristocrat,
Junius Brutus Pera.
For some who had been forced into slavery, becoming a
gladiator was the first step on the road to freedom.
They were paid each time they fought. If a gladiator
survived three to five years of combat they were freed.
Generally, the Gladiator's social standing was little
higher than a slave. However, some gladiators
reached superstar status for their skills in combat.
In fact, there's evidence that Roman women from the
ruling classes idolized these stage warriors. The
mother of the Emperor Commodus, is believed to have
had a crush on the gladiator Martianus.
Historians have also learned from graffiti found in
Pompeii that the Thracian fighter, Celadus, appears
to have been the superstar of his day!
“Suspirum et decus puellaru”, reads the inscription.
Literally, the sigh and glory of the girls - or Celadus
makes the girls scream!
Gladiators trained together in a garrison-like
environment, and often traveled around parts of
the empire in troupes. One of the finest preserved
examples is the Gladiator Barrack in Pompeii, where
excavations have revealed armour, weapons, and
helmets.
These academies were privately owned, but were
adopted by the state to prevent them turning into
private armies which could threaten the Empire.
Gladiators would have trained in much the same
way that athletes do today, with rigorous exercise
and carefully controlled high-energy diets. They
would have learned deadly skills with an array of
weapons, including daggers, swords, nets, and
chains.
Gladiators fought each other in pairs.
In some of the mighty imperial celebrations there
were sometimes as many as 5,000 battling duos. On
an average day, however, there might have been as
many as 100 clashing pairs.
There were various disciplines of gladiators who
would have been armed and armoured differently.
Generally, a heavily armoured man would have
been pitched against a gladiator who fought
practically naked.
Some of the more common combatants were:
Secutor - wearing leather armou
on the left leg, elbows and wrists,
he carried a large shield and a
sword. He also wore a heavy helmet
and visor.
Thracians - carried a small
square shield that barely
covered the torso. He was
armed with just a dagger.
Murmillo - protected by a long
heavy rectangular shield, covering
his body from shoulder to calf.
He also had a large crested helmet
and a short dagger.
Retiarius - the most
vulnerable of all gladiators,
he fought almost naked. His
only protection was a leather
shoulder cover, a net, and a
trident.
The premise was that lightly armored fighters
compensated their defenselessness with speed,
agility and the freedom to attack.
The defeated gladiator was usually slain by the
victor. The loser would ceremoniously grip the
thighs of his conqueror, who would ram his
sword into the fallen gladiator's neck.
Of course, the audience could always grant
mercy to those gladiators who put up a valiant
fight…
Wealthy had lavish
urban apartments with
extravagant country
villas; fancy
Common people lived in
crowded, dirty, fireprone city apartments,
necessity
Cities were filthy
Outdoor importance
Clay, brick, concrete
building materials
Simple furnishings and
basic necessities
Marriage sacred,
but many
scandalous
affairs
Harsh child
rearing
Arranged
marriages
Male-dominated
Women “invisible”
“inferior” in
public
ran the
household
Pedagogue (tutor)
usage
Boys – formal studies
of all core
subjects…
Mornings – lectures
Afternoons - athletics
Pedagogues
Girls – taught at home
of womanly skills…
Preparation for
military, political,
religious, business
or artistic
lifestyle
Arts and
Architecture
…
Monarchy (King/Queen)
Tyranny/Oligarchy/Aristocracy…
Good/Bad, Reforms, Dictators
Democracy (Government by the people)
Direct vs. Representative
United States of America…
3 Branches of Government
Executive (President,
VP/enforce the laws)
Legislative (Congress/make
the laws)
Judicial (Courts/interpret
the laws)
Check and Balances (equality
to all)
Greek
Ten Generals (elected military
leader/chief executive)
Popular Assembly (all citizens
with an elected official/law
and decision maker)
Council of 500 (500 wealthiest men)
The power and
might of Greek
politics was
based not on
one’s political
abilities, but
based on their
ambitions, needs,
influence,
power, position
in society,
wealth, military
and social
connections;
amongst other
things…
Roman
Assembly of Centuries
(chief executive/military
leader)
Assembly of Tribes (represented
the people/elected for public
interest)
Senate (300-900 men/wealthy,
powerful, influential)
The power and
might of Roman
politics was based
not on one’s
political
abilities, but
based on their
ambitions, needs,
influence, power,
position in
society, wealth,
military and
social
connections;
amongst other
things…
Honored all gods
and goddesses
for a variety of
reasons.
The gods and
goddesses were
the same as the
Greeks, but with
different names.
Temples and
festivals were
all celebrated
by the entire
Greek
civilization.
State and private
celebrations
were celebrated
by the Romans as
they saw fit.
Each polis had its
own gods and
goddesses.
Each practice of
their religion
was in reference
to their own
selfish needs
and desires.
http://www.crystalinks.com/olympians.html
Greek
“hoplite”
Self-funded
Harsh
Strict
Brutal
Loyalty to
Greece and
polis
Roman
“legion”
Self-funded
Harsh
Strict
Brutal
Loyalty to
Emperor
and money
Roman
Punic Wars (264-146 bce)
Struggle for control
Greek
of Mediterranean
region
Trojan War (1250 bce)
Rome vs. Carthage
Greek economic jealousy
1st Rome defeats
Mycenaean domination
Carthage
2nd Carthage revenge
Persian Wars (479-470 bce)
Greeks vs. Persians
3rd Rome destroys
Carthage
Greek disunity; birth of
democracy
Athenian domination
Civil Wars
Peloponnesian War (431-414
bce)
Sparta vs. Athens
Civil War/jealousy
“who will control
Rome?”
Greed, corruption and
reforms
Triumvirates (rule of 3)
Athens – philosophical
endeavors, democratic
ideals and overwhelming
pride.
Sparta – athletics and warfare,
competitive domination…
“Spartans.”
Olympia – home to the Greek
gods/goddesses, “Olympics”.
Mygera – intellectual
endeavors.
Corinth – cultural and
economic center.
Important Roman cities…
Rome – “all roads led to
Rome”, the only city
that mattered!
Center of all Roman
cultural
life…social,
political, artistic,
economic,
intellectual,
educational,
philosophical,
scientific,
…anything else???
Who’s who in
classical society?
Homer – legendary songs and
stories.
Socrates – “Socratic method”,
question to find truth and
knowledge.
Plato – distrusted democracy,
used reason and ethical
values.
Aristotle – “golden mean”, live
life in moderation,
encouraged strong,
virtuous rulers.
Sophocles/Euripides – wrote
tragedies.
Aristophanes – wrote
comedies.
Herodotus – father of
history, encouraged
research, “idealistic
history.
Thucydides – “truth” in
history.
Pythagoras – mathematical
theorem.
Euclid – geometry.
Archimedes – physics.
Hippocrates – father of
medicine oath.
Virgil/Livy – wrote of
historical, heroic acts.
Horace/Juvenal –
anonymous attacks on
society, “editorials”.
Tacitus – wrote harshly about
Roman leadership, admired
German barbarian simplicity.
Marcus Aurelius – “stoic”
thinker, emphasized duty
and fate.
Galen – medical
experimentation.
Augustus (Octavian) – first
Roman Emperor, created “Pax
Romana”.
Tiberius/Caligula/Claudius/
Nero/Vespasian/Titus/
Domitian/Nerva/Trajan –
interesting Roman
Emperors.
Marc Antony – enemy of
Rome, scandals and
corruption.
Alexander the Great
Greeks were
conquered and
assimilated by the
Romans.
Internal civil
conflicts,
competition and
jealousy led to the
Greeks demise from
the inside out.
Rome collapsed
because of…
Civil conflicts and
foreign wars.
Economic and
social decay.
Barbarian
invasions.
Military failure of
organization,
discipline and
loyalty.
Political
failure…lack of
strong
leadership
Presence of
Christianity…
Classical
Civilizations
Greek
(1780 – 133 b.c.e.)
&
Roman
(509 b.c.e. – 476 c.e.)