Transcript THE CLASSICAL MEDITERRANEAN WORLD

THE ANCIENT
MEDITERRANEAN
WORLD
I. Persia (550-330 B.C.E.)
• Combination of many early Mesopotamian cultures
• Divided into 20 provinces
– Each province allowed the locals to keep their original
language, laws, and religion
• Satraps – local governors – controlled the provinces
– Main job was to collect taxes
• Trade & communication helped by an intricate system of roads
– Royal Road ran 1,677 miles and spanned over half of the
empire
– Birthplace of Zoroastrianism, an
early monotheistic religion
– Cyrus the Great – most famous
Persian king
II. Greece
• Greek civilization began to flourish
around 800 B.C.E., peaking around
400 B.C.E.
• Organized into city-states
• Polis – Greek word for city-state
• Typically types of government:
• Tyrant– one absolute ruler, obtained power through popularity
• Aristocracy – rule based on hereditary ruling class (nobility)
• Monarchy – one ruler, usually a king
• Oligarchy – power is in the hands of a few, usually the wealthiest
• Two city-states came to dominate: Athens & Sparta
• Athens was a commercially successful and prided itself on
intellectual and cultural achievements
• Pericles was greatest ruler
• Favored direct democracy – rule through vote by the people
• Ordered construction of the Parthenon
II. Continued…
• Sparta was a strong military aristocracy
• Dominated surrounding city-states through
force
• Not as commercially powerful, depended on network of slaves
• Eventually, Sparta and Athens would come to war over control of
Greece – Peloponnesian Wars
• Greatly weakened Greece as a whole, allowed Philip II of Macedon to
invade (around 350 B.C.E.)
• Alexander the Great continued quest of his father, succeeded in
conquering Greece, Egypt, Persia, and beyond (died 323 B.C.E.)
• Empire only lasted briefly, but influence would last centuries
• Hellenistic Period – Greek culture fused with Persian, Egyptian
culture
• Spread influence of Greeks well beyond Greece
• Established important centers of trade and intellect, such as
Alexandria, Egypt
III. Rome
• Two phases of ancient Roman history: Republic & Empire
• Republic founded 509 B.C.E.
• Representative government – citizens (free-born males) vote for
leaders
• Social groups
• Patricians – landowners,
aristocrats
• Plebeians – farmers, artisans,
merchants (could vote, but not
hold office)
• Slaves – captured during military campaigns, mostly agricultural
work
• Twelve Tables – first written Roman laws
• Prevented laws from being misinterpreted
• Became centerpiece of Roman Republic
III. Continued…
• Political structure of Roman Republic
• Senate – originally 300 members, made up of landowning
aristocrats
• Consuls – two officials elected by Senate
• One commanded army, one directed government workings
• Limited to one year, couldn’t be elected again for 10 years
• One consul could veto (override) another
• Dictator – elected in times of crisis, absolute power over laws and
military
• Limited to six months
• Growth of the Empire
• Began conquering territories
around Mediterranean by
264 B.C.E.
• Punic Wars – series of battles
between Rome and Carthage
III. Continued…
• Collapse of the Republic
• As the empire grew, the republic weakened
• Social unrest, military disorder, civil war
• Economic problems
• Huge gap between wealthy elite and rest of society
• Landowners lived on huge estates, depended on slaves
• By 100 B.C.E., about a third of the population were slaves
• Cities were overrun by unemployed farmers, artisans
• Problems in the military
• More reliance on mercenaries, loyal only to commanders
• Made possible for a commander to force themselves into position of
power
• Rise of the emperors
• Julius Caesar
• Successful politician and general, declared himself governor of Gaul
(France) in 58 B.C.E.
III. Continued…
• Rise of the emperors
• Julius Caesar (continued…)
• Many Roman senators feared Caesar’s popularity and power, demanded
he return to Rome
• Struggle between Caesar and his enemies ensues, Caesar triumphs
• Elected dictator in 46 B.C.E., dictator for life in 44 B.C.E.
• Those loyal to the idea of the Republic feared Caesar’s power
• Assassinated in 44 B.C.E.
• Civil War
• After death of Caesar,
power is juggled between
three men
• Octavian, Mark Antony,
Lepidus
• After series of battles for
control, Octavian declared
first emperor
• Takes title, “Imperator Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus”
• Oversees beginning of longest period of Roman prosperity, called “Pax Romana” –
Roman peace
IV. Rise of Christianity
• Prior to the 1st century C.E., Mediterranean World was melting
pot of religious ideas and practices
• Mix of polytheistic beliefs (Greeks, Romans) and monotheistic
(Judaism, Zoroastrianism)
• Neither Greece or Roman religious
traditions became lasting traditions
• Where did Christianity come from?
• Jewish kingdom of Judea was taken over by
Rome in 63 B.C.E.
• Over the years, Roman law became more
oppressive, many Jews believed a messiah
would restore the kingdom
• Many believed that to be Jesus
• Popularity of Jesus was a concern to both Roman and Jewish leaders
• Disrupted local leadership, teachings were often considered
blasphemous
• Arrest was ordered and sentenced to death by crucifixion (a common
death penalty)
IV. Continued…
• Why/how did Christianity become popular?
• Pax Romana made it easy and safe to travel – ideas travel with
people
• Common languages – Greek and Latin
• A belief system that ignored wealth, status, nationality
• Reaction by Roman government
• For first couple of centuries, seen as opposition to Roman law and
culture
• Thousands crucified, burned, tortured for punishment and
entertainment
• Eventually, grew popular enough to be
officially accepted
• 312 C.E. – Emperor Constantine wins
battle, credits Christian god
• Edict of Milan – Christianity becomes
approved religion
• 380 C.E. – Emperor Theodosius makes
Christianity official religion, thinking it
would being order to the empire