WORLD HISTORY
NOTES: EMPIRES
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Transition from civilization to empire
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Egypt
o
o
Overrun by nomadic Hyksos – 1640-1570 BC
Use Hyksos technology & techniques to fuel
own quest to spread New Kingdom
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Nubian kingdom of Kush from south conquers Egyptians
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Assyrians fall to Chaldeans in 612 BC (Neo-Babylonians)
o One thousand years after Hammurabi
o Nebuchadnezzar restored Babylon’s grandeur
(Hanging Gardens)
o Advances in math & astronomy
o Collapsed after Neb’s death
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Persians
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Mesopotamia conquered by Assyrians
o Glorified militarism – world view demanded
conquest
o Technology advocated siege
o Tortured & relocated captives
o Art (portraying brutality) & libraries
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Chaldeans conquered by Persians (more later)
“China”
o
o
Dynasties built around the feudal system were
long lasting … Zhou lasted 800 years
Used various ruling styles:
 Confucius (500 BC) called for harmony
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o
Relationships
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Respect
Wisdom
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Use of a bureaucracy
Daoism
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Natural order is important
Legalism
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Efficient & harsh gov’t
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4000 miles of uniform roads
Short reign as son was less able
Peasants revolted & Han Dynasty
established
Power insures harmony
Qin Huangdi used legalism to unify China after
the Zhou
 Won a “civil war”
 Expanded power – took new lands
 Seized property – burned books
 Autocracy
 Centralization of power brought
advances
Increased agricultural product.
Began Great Wall project
1
Countered Assyrian force with tolerance & diplomacy
Indo-European people
Cyrus – military genius
o 550-539 BC
o Won a lot … Indus River to Anatolia
o Kind to conquered people
o Honored local religions – (returned Jews to
homeland)
Following rulers combined Persian rule with local selfgovernment … Persian king is KING, but “you” can be incharge here – pay your taxes
Cambyses (Cyrus’ son) took empire to Egypt – not as
tolerant – faced rebellions
Darius followed – had been member of Royal Guard
o Returned stability
o Well organized administration … divided empire
into provinces (centralized power)
 Satraps ruled locally & remained loyal
 The Royal Road connected the empire
o Standardization … tolerance
Religion was monotheistic … Zoroastrianism
o Zoroaster was the teacher
o Focused on the struggle between good & evil
Empire lasted over 200 years
WORLD HISTORY
NOTES: EMPIRES
o
Greeks
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Impacted significantly by geography
o Water … short distances to coast & numerous
islands – many were sailors – connected to
other societies to get necessities - trade
o Land … mountainous – divided the people –
loyalty was localized – land less arable – smaller
populations
o Weather … temperatures led to outdoor
activities
Mycenaeans – 2000-1100 BC
o Kings / monarchy
o Trojan War
Dorians – by 1150-750 BC
o Less advanced
o Mythology – time of Homer (Illiad & Odyssey)
City-states became the fundamental political unit by 750
BC … most less than 10,000 people
o 50-500 sq. miles with an acropolis
o Governed by: monarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy,
tyrants, democracy
o Athens
 Power between rich & poor
 Evolved to democracy with limited
citizenship
 Dracos – harsh legal code –
621 BC
 Solon reformed more – 594 BC
 Cleisthenes brought Council of
500 by 500 BC
o Sparta
 Excluded geographically
 Built itself into a military state –
conquered neighbors by 725 BC
 Governed by a council & executive
 2 kings ruled military
 Social order very defined – men in
military till 60 – families separated
 Didn’t value the arts
Greeks vs. Persians
o New kind of army emerges with iron (stronger &
cheaper) – “all in” attitude
o The phalanx emerges as a tactical force
o Greeks & Persians both claimed the Anatolian
Peninsula
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2
Great battles at Marathon & 10 years later at
Thermopylae (300)
o Persian war brought great confidence to the
Greek city-states
 Athens as leader of the Delian League
began to control the others – all about
the $$$
Pericles’ leadership in Athens known as the Golden Age
(461-429 BC)
o Strengthened democracy – stronger Athens –
glory to Athens
o Arts & architecture advanced (classical) … the
theater emerged
More war … Greeks vs. Greeks … Athens vs. Sparta …
navy vs. army … Peloponnesian War
o Athens safe inside walls until the plague struck
o Truce after 10 years … 6 yrs later, Athens
attacked ally of Sparta
o By 404 BC, Athens was destroyed & empire gone
Age of philosophers after Peloponnesian War … many
questions … time to think about values
o Socrates – absolute standards – question to find
answers – (left)
o Plato – perfect government – idealistic – The
Republic – order – (right)
o Aristotle – questioned EVERYTHING – method
for arguing – logic …
WORLD HISTORY
NOTES: EMPIRES
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Romans
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Rome’s beginnings
o Legend: twins Romulus & Remus raised by
wolves & built city on 7 hills along Tiber River
o Fact: 1000-500 BC three groups emerged on
Italian Peninsula
 Latins, Greeks, Etruscans
 City grew on a river on a peninsula …
 City ruled by kings – Etruscan king by
600 BC
Roman Republic
o Society divided between patricians & plebeians
…
o Done with king by 509 BC – bad experience
o Law found in Twelve Tables by 451 BC
 Protected plebes
 Spread as control of Rome spread
o Leadership
 Consuls …
 Senate …
 Dictator …
o Army was highly valued by society – divided into
legions – skilled & organized
o Power
 Expanded thru trade & conquest – all
of Italy by 252 BC
 Treated conquered ppl leniently …
 Conflict with Carthage … Punic Wars …
3 between 264-146 BC
 1st – 23 yrs – Rome won
 2nd – 218-202BC – Carthage
had Hannibal & almost won
 3rd – 149-146BC – Carthage
destroyed
Roman Empire
o Coincided with a lot of discontent – especially at
the lower levels of population
 Economy … attempts to reform by
tribunes – Senators angry – civil war
 Army changed … soldiers once loyal to
Rome … promises by generals made the
ranks loyal to men
o Julius Caesar – military commander – great
success in Gaul
o
o
o
o
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3
Created 1st Triumvirate with Crassus &
Pompey
 Brought order … and jealousy
 JC called home
JC returned to Rome WITH the army (think
invasion) … ceased power
 Was a reformer & power grew
 Fear led to his assassination
 Who’s in charge now?
More civil war … 2nd Triumvirate: Mark Antony,
Octavian, Lepidus
 More jealousy … Octavian (JC’s boy)
prevails – names himself emperor …
Caesar Augustus
Early emperors … good & bad
 From Augustus to Marcus Aurelius
(27BC-180AD) – prosperity … Pax
Romana
 Gov’t functioned through an efficient
civil service system
 Trade still centered around agriculture
– shipping grew – infrastructure / road
builders
 Poor leadership: fear, persecution,
murder
Roman culture
 Valued discipline, strength & loyalty
 Farmers dominated – also merchants …
 Many slaves … up to 1/3 of pop. …
property – important to economy …
some valued for skills/knowledge …
most mistreated … revolts put down
harshly
 Gov’t & religion linked
 “borrowed” Greek gods
 Symbols of the state
 Emperors began seeing
themselves as “god-like”
 Rich & poor … wealthy were filthy rich
… poor were kept in order – spectator
events
WORLD HISTORY
NOTES: EMPIRES
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Fall of Rome
o Weakening economy – inflation – less revenue –
higher taxes … discontent
o Military changes … reliance on mercenaries
o Several attempts to reform
 Diocletian (284-305AD) – military
background – limited freedoms – fixed
prices – divided empire bc too big
 Constantine – came next after civil war
– moved capital east – ended
persecution of Christians
o Multiple categories to tell story of Rome’s fall
 Political … became a burden – the best
didn’t want to lead … military
interference with gov’t – civil war …
moving of capital
 Social … declining interest in public
affairs … low confidence in empire –
disloyalty & corruption … conflict b/t
rich & poor … population down –
disease – food shortages – lead
poisoning
 Economic … poor harvests … disruption
of trade … drain on gold/silver …
inflation … high taxes … gap b/t rich &
poor
 Military … northern threats … budget
hits on defense … not enough Romans
in army … decline in patriotism
o Invasions (straw that broke … you get it)
 Huns … Attila … challenged Romans on
the frontier – 453-453 AD
 Vandals, Visogoths & all the
“barbarians”
 Rome sacked … last Roman emperor in
Rome ousted in 476 AD (Romulus
Augustus)
4
WORLD HISTORY
NOTES: EMPIRES
Empires in South Asia
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Empire in East Asia
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South Asia experienced a long period of disunity …
Aryans overtook IRV by 1500BC … multiple small
kingdoms by 600BC … Alexander the Great to IRV by
326BC (short lived)
Mauryan Empire – 321BC – 232BC
Chandragupta Maurya led organized army – united
kingdoms along Ganges & Indus
o 2000 miles of territory by 303BC
o Huge army – high taxes … lavish palaces
o Ruled with a handbook – no really, had a
handbook … harsh policies … spying &
assassinations
o Very bureaucratic – divided provinces
Asoka (son) to throne in 301BC – ruled 32 yrs
o Used war initially …began to follow Buddhism –
seek Enlightenment – unselfish
o Urged religious tolerance
o Road builder
o Died in 232BC … power vacuum with war b/t
peoples – empire failed
Gupta Empire
o Chandra Gupta I (no relation) – king of kings by
320AD
o Conquest through war
o Overcame cultural conflict … North – patriarchal
/ South – matriarchal
o Trade grew … unit follows … 375-415AD
o Internal dysfunction + new invader threats =
empire done by 535 AD
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5
Han in China
o Discontent of Qin rule grew – civil war after his
death
o Lu Bang emerged by 202BC & established the
Han dynasty – lasted 400 years (w/ brief
intermission)
o Kept Qin’s centralized gov’t – had created a
system of loyalty
o Han left the legalism of Qin & embraced the
principles of Confucius
 Lowered taxes & softened punishments
Later Han rulers expanded thru war – conflict with
Xiongnu (horseback raiders of NW China)
o Continued bureaucratic system w/ civil service
approach
Advances in technology, commerce & culture during the
Han
o Paper
o Collar harness (use horses to plow)
o Agriculture continued to be important b/c of
growing population … but manufacturing
increased (monopolized by gov’t) – especially
silk
Culture of the Han unified – largely due to trade –
assimilation
By 220AD, the Han split into 3 kingdoms
Sometimes called “Rome of the East” …