Transcript Chapter 4, Section 1 Classical Greece and Rome

Chapter 4, Section 1
Classical Greece and Rome
Classical Greece
• Classical Greece
means ancient Greece
• Greece flourished
from 800 B.C. to 400
A.D.
• Western culture was
greatly influenced by
ancient Greece and
Rome
The Golden Age of Greece
• Greece reached its “Golden Age” in the 400’s
B.C.
• During this time, Greece began ruling by a
democracy
• Greece has been called the “cradle of
democracy” because we can trace the
beginnings of our political system to this
time.
The Golden Age of Greece
• Athens: home of the world’s first democratic
constitution
• All free males over the age of 20 had the right
to vote and speak freely
The Golden Age of Greece
• Athens had many great
philosophers.
• The most well known were
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
• Socrates and Plato studied
human nature.
• Aristotle wrote powerful works
dealing with politics, literature,
and ethics.
Socrates
The Golden Age of Greece
Plato
Aristotle
The Golden Age of Greece
Conflict
• During this time, Sparta and Athens wanted to
expand their boundaries
• Sparta – ruled by few nobles and disliked change
• Athens – open to democracy and new ideas
• The two city states were constantly fighting.
• Sparta finally defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian
War.
• This greatly weakened Greece.
The Golden Age of Greece
• 300’s B.C. Phillip II of Macedonia
and his son, Alexander the Great
invaded the northern border of
Greece and easily conquered all
of it.
• Alexander went on to create an
empire that included Greece,
Egypt, Persia and eastward to
India.
• His empire quickly fell apart
after his death, but he is credited
for spreading Greek culture.
The Rise of Rome
• Rome was settled some time
around 1000 B.C.
• By 700 B.C. it had evolved
into a major city-state that
dominated much of the
Italian peninsula.
• Italy was more easily invaded
so they developed a strong
army.
• Rome started out as a
monarchy, but changed to a
republic (people choose their
leaders).
The Rise of Rome
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The Roman Republic
Rome was led by two consuls
(individuals elected by the
people of Rome).
The consuls reported to the
Senate.
The members of the Senate are
members for life, and they
must own land.
This is guaranteed by Roman
Law, the foundation for Roman
Law is the Twelve Tables.
The Rise of Rome
The Roman Empire
• 264 B.C. to 146 B.C. wars
transformed the Roman
Republic into the Roman
Empire.
• People whose countries were
conquered by the Roman
Empire were given citizenship
and equality under Roman
Law.
• Rome began trading with
places as far as India & China.
The Rise of Rome
• Under the empire, Senators
lost their power to emperors
(absolute rulers).
• Supporters of the Senate
killed the great Roman
general, Julius Caesar for
trying to become the first
emperor.
• This led to a civil war between
Caesar supporters and Senate
supporters.
• Caesar’s nephew became the
first emperor.
The Rise of Rome
• Caesar’s nephew was
named Octavius but
he became known as
Caesar Augustus.
• He initiated a period
of peace and
prosperity known as
the Pax Romana,
which lasted almost
200 years.
The Rise of Rome
• Jesus of Nazareth was born in
Palestine, which was under
the rule of Caesar Augustus.
• Jesus carried out his
teachings during the Pax
Romana.
• Christianity spread over the
Roman world.
• Emperors, Constantine I and
Theodosius, Christianity
became the official religion of
the Roman Empire.
The Rise of Rome
• After the period of the Pax Romana, the Roman Empire
began to decline.
• Emperor Constantine I moved the capital from Rome to
Constantinople on the Black Sea.
• Plagues were killing people.
• In the A.D. 400’s Rome’s northern defenses crumbled leaving
it open for attack
• A group of Germanic people came to rule much of Rome,
Italy and Europe.
• The Eastern Roman Empire did not fall to the Germans, it
continued on for another 1,000 years.