Transcript Document

• The Persians, a group of
Indo-European speaking
tribes from Inner Eurasia,
arrived on the Iranian
plateau sometime between
1500 and 1000 BCE.
• In the mid 6th century
BCE, Cyrus II, the leader
of the Achaemenids, which
was one of these Persian
tribes, successfully
conquered a rival group,
the Medes, seizing control
of upper Mesopotamia.
Thus the first Persian
empire began.
The four-winged guardian figure
representing Cyrus the Great,
a bas relief found at Pasargadae,
on top of which was once
inscribed in three languages the
sentence "I am Cyrus the king,
an Achaemenian.”
Zoroastrianism is the ancient, preIslamic religion of Persia.
It survives there in isolated areas but
more prosperously in India, where
the descendants of Zoroastrian
Persian immigrants are known as
Parsis, or Parsees. In India the
religion is called Parsiism.
Founded by the Persian prophet
and reformer Zoroaster in the 6th
century BCE, Zoroastrianism
contains both monotheistic and
dualistic features. The concepts of
one God, judgment, heaven and
hell likely influenced the major
Western religions of Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam, and spread
throughout the Persian empire and
beyond.
Zoroaster (a.k.a. Zarathustra)
Modern Zoroastrian Temple in Iran
Manuscript
portion of the
Zend Avesta,
the Zoroastrian
scripture.
• Regions into which the Persian empire expanded under Cyrus:
o Anatolia
o Syria
o Babylon
• Later Achaemenid rulers would expand into Egypt and take
control of Silk Road routes in central Asia – stretching to the Indus
River Valley.
The
Persian
Empire
at its
height
was the
largest
the world
had ever
Political Structure/ Government Administration
The vast Persian Empire was the most culturally diverse empire that had
ever existed. It linked the east with the west and ruled cities where
people of every class and culture rubbed shoulders and ideas. It was a
huge crucible of cultural and social cross-fertilization. To rule it, the
Persians had to invent new administrative tools. It was Darius I who,
building on the administrative systems inherited from the Assyrians
and Babylonians, reorganized the empire. He established twenty
provinces (called satrapies), each with its governor, military commander,
and treasurer, who reported separately to the king. In addition, there was
a separate system of inspectors known as the King’s Eyes or the Kings
Ears. These inspectors had their own armies and could move against even
a military commander if necessary. The system was so effective in
preventing rebellion, corruption, and harsh rule that it was copied
again and again, even in modern times. /
Info from the website “World History for Us All”
http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/
The Mediterranean Region
•One of the three main centers of classical
civilization
•Centered first in Greece, then Rome, but also
influenced by Persian, Egyptian, and other
Middle Eastern cultures
•Had some limited trade contacts with China
and India (for example, during Han and Gupta
empires)
India and Greece Articles
Things to focus on and take notes over:
•Be sure you can define caste and territorial sovereignty.
•Be sure you can explain how these systems developed in India
and the Greek city-states
•What does the article say about the Vedas, Brahmanas, and
Upanishads?
•What was the Greek polis?
•What were the limitations of the Polis?
•T-chart or Venn Diagram comparing classical Greece and India
may be helpful
•What does Aristotle say about the development of the Polis?
How and why did it develop according to Aristotle’s historical
record?
Ancient Greece
Early People of the Aegean Sea
•
The Minoans: (2000-1400 B.C.E.) A very advanced
civilization centered on the island of Crete. The Minoans
traded with Egypt and Mesopotamia, and had an economy
based on the sea.
•
The Mycenaeans: (1400 B.C.E. – 1200 B.C.E.) An IndoEuropean group who conquered most of the Greek
mainland and many Aegean islands including Crete.
- The Mycenaeans absorbed much of Minoan culture, and
also traded with Egypt and Mesopotamia.
-They lived in city-states ruled by kings.
-They may have been involved in a war with the Kingdom of
Troy (Trojan War) around 1250 B.C.E.
•The Dorians: Another Indo-European speaking
group who moved south through the Balkan
peninsula to invade Mycenaean lands around
1100 B.C.E.
•The period from about 1100 B.C.E. to 800 B.C.E.
is sometimes referred to as the “Dark Age” of
Greek history because civilization regressed.
-There are no written records; the skill of
writing seems to have been lost.
-Cities were abandoned.
-This is believed to be the period in which
the Greek poet Homer lived; the Iliad and
the Odyssey originated during this time.
Geography shaped the development of Greek civilization.
•Greece is mountainous,
causing people to rely on
the sea for food. This also
led to colonization, as
people sought farmland.
Because the mountains
acted as dividers, Greece
developed into
independent city-states
rather than a large
unified empire.
•The climate is moderate,
which led to outdoor
markets, public meetings,
and theater.
Greek Civilization began
to progress again around
750 B.C.E.
•Population grew and people
began to form city-states, ports,
harbors, and colonies throughout
the Mediterranean.
•Through trade and colonization,
Greek culture and ideas spread
throughout the Mediterranean from
Spain to Egypt.
•As Greek city-states developed,
different government systems
arose. Rivalries between city-states
also arose, the most famous being
between Athens and Sparta.
The Parthenon,
Athens
DORIC
The Doric style
was simple and
sturdy with a
plain top.
IONIC
The Ionic style
was more
elegant and thin
with a curled
top.
CORINTHIAN
The Corinthian
style was very
ornate with a
top that looked
like leaves.
Athens
underground
You can actually
SEE ancient and
medieval remains of
Athens in a busy
subway station.
This early Christian grave was found when the
subway system was built.
View from
the
Acropolis
More subway
artifacts below
Athens
The Persian Wars
•Began in 546 B.C.E. when Persian leader Cyrus II conquered the Greek
city-states located in Ionia.
•In 499 B.C.E. Ionians revolted against Persian rule but were defeated by
Persian leader Darius I.
•A loose alliance of Greek city-states formed and defeated the Persians
at the famous Battle of Marathon.
•The Persians withdrew into Asia Minor, but returned 10 years later under
Xerxes (son of Darius I.)
•A strong alliance of Greek city-states defeated the Persians (Sparta led
the land forces, Athens the naval forces.)
•Effects of the Persian Wars: Athens emerged as the most powerful citystate; the Delian League was formed (which became known as the
“Athenian Empire.”)
•The period following the Persian wars is known as the Golden Age of
Greece/Athens. It is also known as the Age of Pericles (461 B.C.E. – 429
B.C.E.)
•The Greek historian Herodotus wrote a history of the Persian Wars.
The Peloponnesian War
•After the Persian Wars, Athens began to control the Delian League, which
made some other city-states resentful.
•Sparta became the leader of the anti-Athens alliance.
•The Peloponnesian War lasted from 431 B.C. to 404 B.C.
•Athens dominated the early years of the war due to their strong navy.
•Persian aid to Sparta, along with the plague that hit Athens, led to Sparta’s
victory.
•The Greek historian Thucydides wrote a history of the Peloponnesian War.
•Effects of the Peloponnesian War:
1. Athens no longer dominated the Greek world
2. land was destroyed throughout Greece
3. decline in population
4. governments weakened due to disputes and fighting among
the Greek city-states
5. this weakened state made Greece vulnerable to
Macedonian invasion
Philosophy in
Classical
Greece
Socrates
Plato
Aristotle
Philosophy: The use of reason and argument in
seeking truth and knowledge of reality,
especially regarding the causes and nature of
things and of the principles governing
existence, the material universe, and human
behavior.
In classical Greece, there was a tendency to
approach questions about the universe,
creation, the natural world, and human
behavior from a rational, logical perspective
rather than in mythological terms, as in most
classical civilizations.
•The word philosophy is made up of two Greek
words, phileîn, which means to love, and
sophía, which means wisdom.
•The Sophists were traveling teachers in
classical Greece. They generally taught
rhetoric, logic, and how to win favor in the
political world.
•Socrates was such a teacher in Athens, (d.
399 B.C.E.) although classical sources claim he
never accepted monetary payment, and he
often criticized the Sophists.
•Socrates taught by asking questions and
challenging students to examine their own
views and beliefs. He said we should question
everything, even government, institutions,
teachers, and ourselves.
•Socrates never wrote down any of his
teachings or ideas; all we know of his life
comes from his students, including Plato, who
wrote about Socrates in The Apology.
The Words of Socrates (according to his students)
“The unexamined life is not worth living.”
“I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing,
and that is that I know nothing.”
“True wisdom comes to each of us when we
realize how little we understand about life,
ourselves, and the world around us.”
“To find yourself, think for yourself.”
“He is richest who is content with the least”
“What you cannot enforce, do not command.”
"Employ your time in improving yourself by other
men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what
others have labored hard for."
"May the outward and inward man be at one."
“The Death of
Socrates” painted by
Jaques- Louis David
in 1787 C.E.
In 399 B.C.E. Socrates was condemned to death by a jury of
Athenian citizens. His questioning of the government and
powerful people within Athens led him to be charged with
“corrupting the youth of the city and interfering with religion.”
He died by drinking poisonous hemlock juice.
Socrates' student Plato was born to an
aristocratic family in Athens. After the death
of Socrates, Plato carried on much of his
former teacher's work and eventually
founded his own school, the Academy, in
385 B.C.E.
The most famous of Plato's works is a
dialogue called The Republic, which is one of
the most influential works in Western
philosophy. Essentially, it deals with the
central problem of how to live a good life.
Plato examines this theme by addressing
questions such as:
•What is justice in the state?
•What would an ideal state be like?
•How should the citizens of a state be educated?
•What kinds of arts should be encouraged?
•Who should do the governing and for what
rewards?
•What is the nature of the soul?
P
L
A
T
O
Aristotle (384 B.C.E. – 322 B.C.E.) was
born in Macedonia, but spent 20 years of
his life in Athens, at Plato’s Academy.
Around age 38 he became tutor to the
son of the King of Macedon, who would
later be known as Alexander the Great.
Aristotle was a philosopher and a
scientist. He wrote a great deal of
literature on many topics, including
political science, ethics, physics, biology,
and religion.
He came back to Athens with
Alexander's approval in 335 B.C.E. and
established his own school, the Lyceum,
spending most of the rest of his life
engaged there in research, teaching, and
writing.
A
R
I
S
T
O
T
L
E
Athens and Sparta
.
The population in both Athens and Sparta began to
increase during the 8th-7th centuries B.C.E. This
caused political and economic strain as both citystates dealt with the need for more land and food to
support their populations. In both city-states, a
growing underclass provided challenges to the ruling
elite.
Sparta
Athens
•
•
•
•
•
Attica
Leadership maintained order by
considering the interests of
various groups. This pattern
led to the formation of the
world’s first democracy.
Citizenship was limited to adult
males – who were not slaves
A series of reforms provided
rights, representation, and
more opportunities to the lower
class citizens; by the 5th
century B.C.E. Athens would
reach it’s height as a
democratic city-state.
The golden age of Athens, when
the Parthenon was built, lasted
from 460 B.C.E. to 429 B.C.E.,
during the reign of a leader
named Pericles.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Peloponnesus
Conquered people became helots, or
servants of the Spartan State.
1. helots could form families, but not leave
the land on which they worked to produce
food for Sparta
2. By the 6th c. B.C.E. the Helots
outnumbered citizens by about 10:1.
Due to the constant threat of rebellion,
Sparta devoted most resources to
maintaining a powerful military.
Spartans discouraged distinctions based on
wealth and social class.
Honor and distinction in Sparta was based
on military and athletic achievements and
talents.
In the English language, spartan is an
adjective which implies simplicity,
frugality, severity, and sternness.
This Fresco is titled “The School
of Athens,” and was created by
an Italian Renaissance artist
called Raphael. It shows the
romanticized view of ancient
Greece that Renaissance
Italians held.
Statue of the goddess
Athena, the patron
goddess of Athens.
She was the goddess
of war and wisdom.
SPARTA
A Spartan
depiction of
Ares, the god of
war
Leonidas, the
most famous
Spartan ruler
and general.
A Spartan Warrior.
Spartan women held
more rights than most
women of the ancient
world. They received
education, and could
participate in athletic
events. Often, when
Spartan men were away
fighting wars, women
ran things at home. This
was considered
“scandalous” by ancient
standards.
After the Peloponnesian
War, Greece was conquered
by the Macedonians.
Alexander
the Great
The Empire of Alexander the Great
•Macedonia is located north of Greece on the Balkan Peninsula. The
Macedonians were greatly influenced by Greek culture
•Philip II, who became king of Macedonia in 359 B.C., wanted to unite the
Greek city-states under Macedonian rule.
•Philip II also wanted to destroy the Persian Empire.
•By 338 B.C. Philip had conquered most of Greece, but was assassinated in
336 B.C.
•Philip’s son Alexander attacked Persia in 334 B.C.
•Alexander quickly acquired Phoenicia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the rest of
the Persian Empire – his empire stretched to the border of India – the largest
empire to date.
•Alexander wanted to create an empire which blended the best of Greek
and Persian culture.
•Alexander died in 326 B.C., and his empire was divided into three domains,
each controlled by one of his former generals:
1. Ptolemy – Egypt, Libya, part of Syria
2. Seleucus – Syria, Mesopotamia, Iran, Afghanistan
3. Antigonus – Macedonia, Greece
Hellenism
•
Hellenism refers to the blending of Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and North Indian
cultures which resulted from Alexander’s empire.
•
Alexandria, Egypt became a center for Hellenistic culture.
*large harbor with a famous lighthouse (one of the seven ancient wonders)
*the world’s first museum
*a center for science and research
•
Hellenistic Philosophy:
*Cynicism (cynics criticized materialism)
*Epicureanism (avoid joy and pain, live simply)
*Stoicism (reason over emotion)
•
Hellenistic science:
*Aristarchus – said the Earth revolves around the sun
*Eratosthenes – estimated the Earth’s circumference
*Euclid - wrote The Elements of Geometry
*Archimedes - developed the compound pulley
*Hippocrates - advanced medicine and set ethical standards for doctors
Early Rome
•Neolithic cultures formed as early as 5000 B.C.E.
•Indo-European groups migrated into the area between 2000
B.C.E. – 1000 B.C.E.
•The Greeks first came into contact with Italian peoples
around 900 B.C.E.
•The Etruscans ruled northern Italy from 900 B.C.E. to 500
B.C.E
• other Italian peoples included the Latins (ancestors of the
Romans), Oscans, and Umbrians.
•Social classes began to form (plebeians and patricians).
• Eventually, the Latins took control from the Etruscans, and
Rome became a republic in 509 B.C.
•Beginning with the Republic and ending with the fall of the
Western Roman Empire, Roman civilization lasted about 1000
years.
•The first 500 years – the Republic
•The second 500 years – the Empire
•The first part of the Republic was characterized by a struggle
of plebeians against Patricians. The plebeians wanted a voice
in government.
•In 450 B.C. the plebeians gained some rights when the
Twelve Tables, a written law code, was created.
“The Making of an Empire”
National Geographic article on the Roman Empire.
Focus on the following when taking notes to prepare for the
article quiz:
•How did the Roman empire develop, and what characterized
the Roman government, economy, and society?
•In what ways did Roman civilization influence the
development of western civilization?
•The article makes comparisons between the Roman Empire
and the modern day United States. Make a list of these
similarities.