Transcript Western Civilization

Classical Mediterranean
Ideas, Institutions, Values: 800 B. C. E. 476
Classical Mediterranean
• Source of Western Civilization
• Loose Concept
• Classical Heritage (Ancient Greece and Rome)
+ Barbarian (Germanic) Invasions + Christianity.
• Best defines Western Europe and the United
States Today.
• Because of recent “success” of Western
Civilization, it is a term that stirs controversy
Classical Heritage
•
•
•
•
Ancient Greece
Ending of Dark Ages/Age of Homer
Emergence of Polis
Governmental Forms: aristocracy,
monarchy, oligarchy, tyranny, democracy
• Emergence of Athens and Sparta
Athens
• 700 B. C. E.—Athens established
• King and Council of Nobles (Areopagus).
• 621 B. C. E.—Draco established first
Constitution—protected property on pain
of death.
• 594—Solon elected Archon and
introduced Democracy and expanded
rights of common people—Nobility
rescinded these when Solon died.
Athens 2
• Commoners chafe under Aristocracy and
support Peisitratus, who is a Tyrant, claiming to
serve common people. (560-527 B. C. E.)
• Nobles oust Peisitratus’s sons
• Cleisthenes introduces a more democratic
Constitution in 508 B. C. E.
• Demes elect council of 500—Demes done
geographically, which displaces power of some
nobles.
• Concept of Ostracism introduced.
Sparta
• Slaveholding society dominated by warrior
aristocracy.
• Government is a military oligarchy
• All facets of human life regulated by state
• Spartans make up only 10% of population
of polis—they, and no others, have
political rights.
Events drive Greek Civilization
• Persian Wars (490-479) “Hellenes fight better
than slaves”
• Golden Age of Athens under Pericles (460-430
B. C. E.)
• Peloponnesian War (431-404 B. C. E.)—The
Suicide of Greece
• Philip of Macedon conquers Greece (339 B. C.
E.)
• Hellenic Age (750-323 B. C. E.); Hellenistic Age
(323-31 B. C. E.)
• Greek Cities conquered by Roman Empire.
Features of Greek Civilization
•
•
•
•
Concept of Arete
Individualism
Architecture (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian)
Rational Thought—phenomena have
natural causes
• Philosophy (natura rei)
Greek Philosophy
• Socrates (470-399 B. C. E.)—eternal truth
is knowable; Socratic method.
• Plato (427-347 B. C. E.)—Theory of Ideas;
the Republic; Plato’s cave.
• Aristotle (384-322 B. C. E.)—Philosophical
Realism; syllogism
Raphael’s School of Athens
Plato’s Cave
Rome (753 B. C. E.-476 A. D.)
• Romans dominated by Etruscans until 509 B. C.
E. Source of Rome’s hatred of monarchy.
• Roman Republic (509 B. C. E.-27 B. C. E.)
• Republic dominated by struggles between
Patricians and Plebians and by expansion.
• Plebians were needed to serve in army—source
of political power.
• Law of the 12 Tables (449 B. C. E.) “Dura lex,
sed lex.”
• Tribunes of the People—VETO
• Hortensian Law—287 B. C. E.
End of Roman Republic
• Punic Wars weaken Plebian position.
• Murder of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus
undermines Roman Constitution.
• Civil Wars (100 B. C. E.-27 B. C. E.) –
optimates struggle with champions of the
people.
• Caesar Augustus wins Civil Wars and
effectively ends Republic (27 B. C. E.-14
A. D.)
Roman Expansion and Decline
• Senate reduced to “town council”
• Command of Army – “imperator” –is essential.
• Empire Continues to Expand until Emperor Hadrian
(117-138)
• Civil Wars follow murder of Commodus in 192
• Political Order not established until Diocletian (285305)
• Constantine (305-337) centers empire in east
• Battle of Adrianople (378)
• Barbarians sack Rome in 410
• Odovacar exiles Romulus Agustulus in 476.
Importance of Rome to Western
Civ.
• Institutions—Senate
• Law—juris prudence—concept of
precedence and equity
• Stability—Pax Romana (27 B. C.-180 A.
D.) “Civis Sum Romanum”
• Latin language
• Ciceronian Address
• Emergence of Christianity
Christianity
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Messianic Judaism
Struggles with Macedonians and Romans
Jesus of Nazareth
Role of Paul
Persecution
Edit of Toleration, Edict of Milan
395—Xianity is official religion of Empire
Emergence of Papacy
Matt. 3: 7-10;
Luke 3: 7-9