Transcript A Geographic Review of the Classical Civilizations of Greece and

A Review of the Classical
Civilizations of Greece and
Rome
Classical: a period marked by
vast contributions to arts and
sciences
Before Classical Greece & Rome…
►
Minoans
 Island of Crete in
Aegean Sea
 Empire based on
trade
 Palace complex at
Knosses
 Advanced building &
art
 Sudden &
catastrophic collapse
► Mycenae


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
Powerful monarchs
Fortified palaces
Warrior aristocracy
Homer’s Illiad and
Trojan War
After the Minoans and Mycenaeans…
►
►
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Dorians invaded Mycenae from north causing many Mycenaeans to flee
to Asia Minor-Dark Ages
The Ionian city states were established on coast of Asia Minor
Greeks became known as Hellenes after this point in time
After the Dark Ages…
► Prosperity
increased
which resulted in
population growth
► Population growth
resulted in not
enough land to
raise crops such as
wheat and barley to
feel the larger
population
What Could They Do?
Greek city-states decided to start colonies to raise the crops (mainly wheat)
they needed
► Colonies were established all around the Mediterranean and Black Seas. These
colonies would then send back wheat and barley to the mainland.
►
But Wait! There’s More!
► As
more colonies were
established (about
250!) more land
became available in
Greece for cash crops
► Olives and grapes
were the most
important cash crops
in Greece
► The production of cash
crops increased trade
And That’s Not All…
► Since
plenty of food was now available and
with trade increasing, many people were
able to specialize, becoming craftsmen and
artisans
► More craftsmen and artisans meant more
products available for trade…and this also
increased trade!
Greek City-states
► City-state-polis
► Athens
 Limited & direct
democracy
► Sparta
 Warrior society
The Ionians (and Cyrus the Great)
Started It!
►
►
Greek city states in Ionia (Asia Minor) revolted against
Persian rule
Mainland Greeks sent help but were defeated by the
Persians
Battle of Marathon
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Persian king, Darius I,
decided the Greeks needed
to be punished for helping
the Ionians revolt
He sent ships and men to
Marathon, about 26 miles
from Athens
Athenians outnumbered
20,000 to 10,000, but
defeated the Persians
Battle of Thermopylae
►
►
Spartan King Leonidas with
300 Spartans and about
7,000 other Greeks held
the Persians off for three
days at this mountain
pass.
After the Greeks were
betrayed, Leonidas sent
the other Greeks back
while he and the 300
Spartans stayed to hold
the pass as long as they
could
Battle of Salamis
► After
the Persians
defeated the Greeks at
Thermopylae, the
proceeded to Athens.
► Athenians had already
deserted the city.
► Persian and Greek
navies met at Salamis
where the Persians
were defeated
And Now, They Fight Each Other…
The Peloponnesian War
began after Athens formed
the Delian League and
became very powerful
under Pericles
► Sparta formed an alliance
against Athens and even
allied with Persia to defeat
the Athenians in 404 BCE
► The war lasted 25 years
►
Greek City States Defeated by
Philip I
► By
the end of 25 years
of fighting the Greek
city states had
weakened each other
► This allowed King
Philip of Macedon to
conquer them
► Philip planned on
attacking Persia but
was assassinated
before he could do so
Alexander Creates an Empire
► Philip’s
son, Alexander, picked up where Philip had
left off
► He conquered Persia and created the largest
empire know up until that time
Hellenism
► As
Greek culture
spread with Alexander
and his army it was
adopted and blended
with Egyptian, Persian,
and Indian cultures
► The blending of these
cultures resulted in the
Hellenistic Era
Greek Contributions
► Philosophers:
 Socrates
 Plato
 Aristotle
Socrates
► Believed
in individual’s
ability to reason.
► “The unexamined life
is not worth living.”
► Questioned authority,
which led him into
trouble.
► Accused
and
convicted of
corrupting
Athenian youth by
teaching them to
question and think
for themselves.
► Sentenced to die
by drinking a
poison.
Plato
►A
student of Socrates.
► Wrote The Republic.
► Distrusted
democracies.
► Believed an ideal state
included “philosopher
kings” at the top,
followed by warriors
and the masses at the
bottom.
Aristotle
►A
student of Plato.
► Wrote Politics.
► Determined that monarchies,
aristocracies, and
constitutional governments
were best forms of
governments.
Rome’s Beginnings
► Rome
began as several villages established by the
Latins
► Latins were conquered by Etruscans in 680 BCE
► The Etruscan king was overthrown by Latins in
500 BCE, who swore that they would never again
be ruled by a king.
► Latins established a republic. At first, the
patricians held most power in government, but
eventually the plebians gained rights.
Rome Expands
Expansion successful
because:
Skillful diplomacy
► Well-disciplined army
► Generous to defeated
enemies
►
Roman Republic 500 BCE-31 AD
Punic Wars
► Rome
attacked
Carthage’s colony in
Sicily, beginning a long
period of
confrontations
between the two
superpowers of the
Mediterranean
Rome Continues to Expand
► 264-241
BCE-1st Punic
War against Carthage
► 218-202 BCE-2nd Punic
War-Hannibal invades
Italy through Alps
 Battle of Cannae-40,000
Romans wounded/died
 Romans attack
Carthage to get
Hannibal out of Italy
Carthage Destroyed
► 149-146-3rd
Carthage
Punic War-Rome totally destroys
Civil Wars 82-31 BCE
►
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100 BCE-Growing gap
between rich and poor, but
Rome continues to expand
44 BCE-Rome controls the
Mediterannean-called
“Mare Nostrum” or “our
sea”
 Julius Caesar assassinated
 1st and 2nd Triumvirates
battle for control in civil wars
(Marcus Antony, Cleopatra,
Octavius)
The Empire Begins
►
31 BCE-End of the Republic when Octavius declares
himself “Augustus” or “Honored One”
Roman Empire 31 AD-476 AD
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41-54 AD-Claudius adds Britain
98-117-Empire is at it’s largest during rule of Trajan
Pax Romana 96-180 AD
► 96-180-Pax
Romana
 Ends with death of Marcus Aurelius
Roman Contributions:
►
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Cicero-philosopher,
statesman
Had great influence on
ideas on justice, law and
liberty found in American
founding documents
Proposed natural law, that
human nature included
reason which could be
used to discover justice
which was the basis of
law.
► Cicero
believed that civic virtue was
important and he worried that the loss
of virtue was the source of Rome’s
difficulties.
More Contributions…
► Engineering:
roads,
bridges, aqueducts
► Rule of law (12
Tables), justice
Beginning of the End
► 300
years of slow
decline
► 293 AD-Diocletian
divides empire
► Constantine
builds a
new capital and names
it Constantinople
► The eastern half of the
empire remains strong
and continues to
flourish
► The Western half of
the empire, however,
struggles
Fall of the Roman Empire
► Economic
causes
 Large empires are expensive
 Declining population (wars, invasions, plague)
 Fewer people meant higher taxes (costs were
not going down)
 Many lost land and moved to cities
 “Bread and circuses”
Economic Woes
►
Social causes
 Lost values of loyalty and duty
 Many non Romans in government and military
 Wealthy less interested in providing leadership
► Political
causes
 Empire too large
 Capital moved to Constantinople
 Civil War (cost money and lost lives)
► Military
causes
 Invasions of Vandals, Angles and Saxons, Huns,
Visigoths
► The
Visigoth leader, Odoacer, overthrew the
emperor and proclaimed himself king in 476 AD