Transcript Classical* Culture

Cultural Diffusion
Spread of
ideas,
customs, or
technology
from one
culture or
people to
another.
Persian Empire
-Royal Roads/postal
system
-Satraps
-Religious toleration
Geography of Greece
Mountains made it
difficult for unity
among Greeks and
led to the
formation of citystates like Sparta
and Athens. The
sea was and still is
their vital link to
the world.
Greek polis
Greece was divided into city-states or
Poleis.
Minoans of Crete
Inhabitants of the Island of Crete, whose rulers lived in the
Palace at Knossos which had important frescoes of Minoan life.
They were a sea-going culture or thalassocracy. By 1400 BC,
they were destroyed by a volcanic eruption.
Athens
An aristocracy
dominated by
noble
landowners.
Solon reformed
Athens into the
world’s first
democracy
with limited
rights.
Sparta
•A nation of warriorsoldiers in Southern
Greece that was ruled by
kings and a council of
elders.
From childhood, all
Spartans were prepared
to be soldiers or support
the warrior culture.
Oligarchy
•Rule by a few,
usually wealthy,
people.
•Sparta was ruled
by more than one
king.
Delian League
A military and economic
collaboration of Greek
city-states.
Peloponnesian Wars
•Wars between Athens and
Sparta from 431 BC to 404 BC
•Sparta won
Socrates
• encouraged his students to examine
their lives.
•"An unexamined life is not worth
living"
•Wrote Politics
•Condemned to death by Athenians
Plato
•Great works: The Allegory of the Cave and The Republic
in which he emphasized the importance of reason.
•Theory of forms
Aristotle
•Was the teacher of
Alexander the Great and
promoted learning and
reason as the guiding
forces of life.
•Rejected the Theory of
Forms
Euclid
His “Elements” were the
foundation of Geometry
Pythagorus
Pythagorean Theorum - The
sum of the areas of the two
squares on the legs (a and b)
equals the area of the square
on the hypotenuse (c).
Contributions to philosophy,
science and mathematics.
Parthenon
Eratosthenes
Calculated the
circumference of the
Earth
Archimedes
Alexander the Great
Took the throne of Macedonia when his
father, Phillip was assassinated – built
the Hellenistic Empire.
Hellenism
Blending of Eastern and
Western cultures because
of the conquests of
Alexander the Great. The
city of Alexandria in Egypt
was the heart of the
Hellenistic Empire.
Geography of Rome
Seven Hills of Rome –
the Palentine Hill was
the most important.
The Punic Wars
“Carthage must be
destroyed,” was
the cry of Cato the
Elder in the Senate
of Rome. Carthage
was a rival of
Rome during it’s
empire. Hannibal
Barcus tried to
defeat the empire
but came up short
when a war of
attrition was
fought at the gates
of Rome.
Twelve Tables
• Roman Law Code
• Included, Habeas
Corpus, right to
confront accuser, &
judicial review
Roman Republic
Government by elected representatives –
limited government.
Patricians
Upper class landholders of
Rome
Plebians
Farmers, merchants, artisans
and traders made up the bulk
of Roman citizens.
Senators
Dominated
Roman
government
and elected
Consuls or
leaders to
supervise
business and
the military.
Emperor
The Roman Emperor was committed to establishing control over
foreign lands and people. Called princeps (first citizen).
Roman Empire
Led in the beginning
by Octavian
(Augustus); ushered
in a period of justice
and peace.
What labor systems provided the
workers for Classical Empires?
The Romans provided workers by enslaving the
people they conquered. Although it was
outlawed by Cyrus the Great in Persia, it was still
present there as a source of labor. The Han
dynasty also utilized slavery as a source of labor.
Julius Caesar
Defied the Senate by
crossing the Rubicon
saying, “the die is
cast.” He was
assassinated in the
Senate of Rome.
Emperor Augustus
Ushered in the Pax Romana – time of peace.
Pax Romana
Greek and Roman
Mythology
Very similar, but Greek gods were believed to
interfere in the daily lives of citizens.
What techniques did Classical empires
create to administer their territories?
China developed the best communication lines
throughout the kingdom – messages could be
easily sent and received. Rome built the greatest
infrastructure, consisting of roads, aqueducts,
and cities. All three empires relied on violence
and military threat to maintain order to some
degree, Persia most notably. Standardized taxes
were levied on citizens to raise revenue
The remarkable growth of early Christianity
reflected the new faith's appeal particularly
to…
• the lower classes, urban
populations, and
women.
Emperor Diocletian
Split the Roman Empire into
the East and Western Empires.
The Eastern Empire flourished
while the Western Empire fell
to barbarians and entered the
Dark Ages.
Paul of Tarsus
• Principal figure in
spreading Christianity
• Started many churches
in the Mediterranean
• Wrote 14 of 27 books of
New Testament
Describe the gender and family
structures of Classical Era empires
• In China, family structures were based on Confucianism,
which was based on relationships within a family. Typically
fathers were at the top of the family, their sons were
second, mothers were third and the son’s wives were the
lowest in the family. For the most part, men dominated in
the family structure in China. In China, loyalty to the family
was considered to be very important.
• In Persia and Rome, gender played a greater role than
family structure. Men performed jobs and left the home to
earn wages. Women stayed home and took care of family
and chores. Women married at a young age, some in their
teens to men who were in their twenties.
• Roman family was best described as Paterfamilias