CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS
500 BC-600AD
UNIT 3
GREECE
• ESTABLISHED OF THE EARLY GREEK CITY-STATE
(POLIS)
• GREEK POLITICAL STRUCTURE INCLUDE
MONARCHY, ARISTOCRACY, OLIGARCHY, AND
DEMOCRACY
• PERSIAN WAR – GOLDEN AGE (DIRECT
DEMOCRACY)
• GREEK ART – IT ESTABLISHED
ORDER,BALANCE, AND PROPORTION
GREECE (CONT)
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GREEK DRAMA
GROWTH OF PHILOSOPY
ALEXANDER THE GREAT (336 BC – 323 BC)
HELLENSTIC ERA BRINGS IN TRADE,
ASTRONOMY, MATHEMATICS, PHILOSOPY AND
ART. ALEXANDRIA IN EGYPT IS THE CENTER OF
THE HELLENSTIC WORLD.
ROME
• ESTABLISHED IN 750 BC ALONG THE TIBER RIVER.
• RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL IDEAS BORROWED
FROM GREEKS AND ETRUSCANS.
• ROMAN REPUBLIC ESTABLISHED IN 509 BC;
VOTING RIGHTS EXTENDED ONLY TO FREE-BORN
MALE CITIZENS.
• ROMAN SOCIETY DIVIDED INTO PATRICIANS
(ARISTOCRACY) AND PLEBEIANS (FARMERS AND
ARTISANS).
ROME (CONT)
• POLITICAL INFLUENCES – EXECUTIVE BRANCH,
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH AND JUDICIAL BRANCH
• LEGAL CODE – TWELVE TABLES(WRITTEN LIST OF
RULES BASED ON THE ROMAN LEGAL SYSTEM)
ALL FREE CITIZENS SHOULD BE PROTECTED BY
LAW.
• JUSTINIAN’S CODE OF LAWS – BYZABTINE LAW
CODE(529 AD) THAT INFLUENCED EUROPEAN
LAWS(ROMAN LAW).
• PHILOSOPHY BASED ON GREEK STOICISM THAT
EMPHASIZES VIRTUE , DUTY, AND MODERATION
ROME (CONT)
• CHRISTANITY DEVELOPS IN THE ROMAN
PROVINCE OF JUDEA AND SPREAD THROUGHOUT
THE EMPIRE BY MISSIONARIES.
• NICENE CODE – WRITTEN IN 325 AD DEFINES
CHRISTIAN BELIEFS.
• LATIN – REMAINS LANGUAGE OF LEARNING
AFTER FALL OF ROME AND BECOMES THE
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC
CHURCH.
• ROMAN LAW BECOMES BASIS FOR LAWS IN THE
WESTERN WORLD.
PERSIA
• PERSIAN EMPIRE FOUNDED BY CYRUS THE GREAT.
• DARIUS DIVIDES THE EMPIRE INTO PROVINCES
THAT ARE PARALLEL TO THE HOMELANDS OF THE
DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITHIN THE EMPIRE – THESE
PEOPLE BY THEIR OWN LAWS WITHIN THE
PERSIAN EMPIRE.
• ROYAL ROADS CONNECTS THE EMPIRE FOR OVER
1500 MILES AND THE USE OD STANDARDIZED
METAL COINS PROMOTE TRADE AND UNIFY THE
EMPIRE.
PERSIA (CONT)
• ZOROASTER ESTABLISHES A RELIGION IN
WHICH PEOPLE’S OWN CHOICES DETERMINE
THEIR FATE.
• ZOROASTRIANISM – MONOTHESTIC WORSHIP
OF AHURE MAZDA AND SACRED WRITINGS
KNOWN AS THE AVESTA; ESTABLISHES EARLY
BELIEFS IN HEAVEN, HELL, AND A FINAL
JUDGEMENT.
INDIA
• ASTRONOMY – EARTH IS ROUND
• MATHEMATICS – MODERN NUMBERS, ZERO,
DECIMALS, VALUE OF PI TO FOUR
PLACES(ARYABHATA)
• SOPHISTICATED MEDICAL GUYIDES AND
COMPLEX SURGERY INCLUDING PLASTIC
SURGERY.
• DEVELOPMENT OF BUDDHISM IN INDIA BY
SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA (530 BC).
INDIA (CONT)
• MAURYAN EMPIRE UNDER CHANDRAGUPA
AND ASOKA (302 BC-232 BC) – BUREAUCRACY,
IMPROVED ROADS, SPREAD OF BUDDHISM.
• GUPTA EMPIRE (300 AD) – CHANDRA GUPTA I,
INDIA’S GOLDEN AGE THROUGH LITERATURE,
ASTRONOMY, MEDICINE, AND MATHEMATICS.
CHINA
• ZHOU DYNASTY (1027 BC – 256 BC) –
MANDATE OF HEAVEN JUSTIFIES ROYAL
AUTHORITY AND ESTABLISHES DYNASTIC
CYCLES; NOBLES RULE THROUGH FEUDALISM.
• PHILOSOPHIES ESTABLISHED UNDER ZHOU –
CONFUCIANISM, DAOISM(ESTABLISHED BY
LAOZI THAT ADDRESS ORDER AND HARMONY)
AND LEGALISM(STRESSED PUNISHMENT OVER
REWARDS).
CHINA (CONT)
• QIN DYNASTY (256 BC – 202 BC) – RULED BY
SHI HUANGDI, WHO USES LEGALIST IDEAS TO
UNIFY CHINA THROUGH AUTOCRACY.
• CENTRALIZED SYTEM OF HIGHWAYS AND
IRRIGATION NETWORKS
• MASS MURDER OF CONFUCIAN SCHOLAR.
• GREAT WALL OF CHINA BUILT.
CHINA (CONT)
• HAN DYNASTY (202 BC – 9 AD) – CENTRALIZED
GOVERNMENT, COMPLEX BUREACRACY, CIVIL
SERVICE JOBS, PROMOTION OF
CONFUCIANISM AND INVENTION OF PAPER.
THINGS TO REMEMBER
• PAUL CONTRIBUTED THE SPREAD OF
CHRISTANITY AS A MISSIONARY. HE TRAVELD
AROUND THE ROMAN EMPIRE CONVERTING
PEOPLE TO CHRISTIANITY.
• THE LEGAL CONCEPT THAT WAS DEVELOPED
BY THE CLASSICAL CIVILIZATION WAS
INDIVIDUALS HAD NATURAL RIGHTS.