Political and cultural changes and continuities in the Roman civilization from 100 CE – 600
CE
Continuities:
 Political:
 Roman laws were based on the Greek’s foundation of democracy. During the Roman
Republic, a constitution was developed which denoted laws about the Senate,
separation of powers, and checks and balances. Greco-Roman laws and ideas were
preserved for many years to come; in fact, Roman law has remained the foundation of
European law to this day.
 Centralized government remained in the eastern portion of the Roman Empire
(Byzantine Empire)
 A Senate similar to the one found in the Roman Republic also remained in
Constantinople (capital of Byzantine Empire) because Constantine decided to move
the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Constantinople
 Cultural:
 Preservation of the Latin language throughout the nation
 Preservation of the Greek language in the East
Changes:
 Political:
 At first, the Roman emperor was considered to be the protector of the Republic,
but this title was diminished by 600 CE, when the Empire became an absolute
monarchy. By then, the Emperor was not the protector of the Republic, in fact, he
was now considered above the law.
 Religion and politics became closely tied together; absolute religious monarchism
was the main form of government in Europe until the Enlightenment period.
 Cultural:
 Transition from a Pagan to Christian culture; Constantine’s embrace of
Christianity made it official religion of the empire as he legalized it around 300
CE with the Edict of Milan
 Lack of culture in the Western portion of the Roman Empire by 600 CE. In 100
CE, the Roman Empire was at the height of the Pax Romana which oversaw the
creation amazing architecture and art. After the split of the Roman Empire into
the West and the Byzantine Empire, the West certainly lacked the same culture
found in 100 CE. The reason for this change is because of the change found in the
government. The strong central government in 100 CE allowed citizens to pursue
art and learning. However, with the collapse of the Western empire, people
became concerned with survival and did not have time for art and culture.
Europe’s Trade 400 - 1600
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Followed decline of Roman Empire
Centralized government disappeared
Population and trade declined
Invasion of Germanic tribes
Relied on local resources instead of export
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Constantinople: capital of the Byzantine Empire situated between Europe and Asia,
therefore having access to trade in the Silk Roads
Political Stability Restored
Crusades improved trade relations with Eastern and Western countries
Banking: movement of goods
– Emergence of powerful banking families e.g. Medicis in Italy and Fuggers in
Central Europe
Creation of markets
Rise in cities and urban populations
Guild system
Trade routes: Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea, and English Channel
Hanseatic League dominated Baltic trade
Products
Growth of interregional trade of luxury goods
Crusaders imported perfumes, pearls, Egyptian paper, linen, groceries, spices
Received rare metals (e.g. gold) in bars in return
Spices, textiles, and jewelry from the East
Raw material from the Baltic e.g. timber and fur
England prospered from wool trade
Evaluate the political changes and continuities over time in WESTERN AND EASTERN
EUROPE during the period 600 to 1450.
Continuities
 Ruler or dominant authority:
Feudalism – King at the top of hierarchy
Holy Roman Empire : Vladimir passed throne to Yaroslav, division of empire leads to
political turmoil -> Mongols take over
 Byzantine Empires become Christian monarchs; Byzantine empire fell but later new
monarchs take over
Changes:
 Amount of religious support for king
 Priests and churches want to create Christendom – single community where church
dominates kings
 Excommunication of rulers for not agreeing with pope
Pope Gregory VII proposed a list of claims to Emperor Henry IV but the emperor defied
the reforms.
 Church has political power of its own.
 Great Schism: patriarch and pope excommunicate one another
 Division of church into Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox = division of support
Cultural and Intellectual Changes (1450-1750)
1450-1540
-God was the answer to everything (relied on the Church to tell them what was right or
wrong)
-The majority relied on traditional and spiritual beliefs to explain everyday occurrences
1540s-1700s
-Scientific Revolution began
-Intellectuals challenged old ideas (Galileo, Descartes, Bacon, Newton)
-Galileo:
-Scientific Method
-Observation, mathematics, and objective reasoning
-All subjective qualities (aesthetics, emotions, spirit, passion, color, smell, etc.)
were not included; only the quantifiable is matter
-Built a telescope to observe more closely (new ideas about the movement of the
planets rejected intellectual synthesis of biblical authorities)
-Descartes:
-Reductionism
-Radical doubt
-Bacon:
-Only that which is useful to man is significant
-People began to question the Bible  decreased the influence of the Church
1700s-1750
-Enlightenment began
-A frame of mind, in which individuals who embraced it drew inspiration from various
sources and promoted the ideas differently
-Influenced to question conventional ideas and practices
-Faith in progress  lead on to foster political and social revolutions after the 1750s
Continuity
-All of the intellectuals throughout this period were persistent in gaining influence and
spreading their ideas regardless of the group of people they represented (beginning- Church
(Martin Luther, who objected the Catholic Church and began the Protestant Reformation, endScientific Revolution/ Enlightenment thinkers)
Accelerating Global Change and Realignments, c. 1900 to Present

Western European trade relations with the rest of the world, and especially with its
colonies, weakened.
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Originally, Western Europe dominated trade patterns and was protective about them.
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The West needed trade routes, as they were an important part of their economy.
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The West managed to get some of these trade routes through imperialism.
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World War II was the main factor in the weakening of the West’s control of trade
routes.
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Since they had to focus on rebuilding their own economies, they had to focus less on
their colonies and trade routes with other nations

The decolonization process was a key moment for colonies, as it allowed several
nations to take back some trade routes.
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Despite losing some power over trading routes, they still maintained a role in trade,
such as with Britain and India.
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Western Europe continued trading since trading was still an important part of them.
Impact of Religion on Eastern Europe during 1450’s to Present
- Religion in Eastern Europe served as a tool that reflected the policies of its time. Religion
became a weaker force over time but was primarily used to prevent outside influence and as
another tool a ruler could use to extend his power over people.
Impact of Industrialization
- Industrialization resulted in closer international ties and stronger economies between
countries as a result of the increase in trade of raw goods being imported and manufactured
goods being exported by industrialized countries. Socially, industrialization helped to create
factory jobs with poor working conditions to support a growing urban population. As a result of
growing discontent from these poor conditions, policies would be passed to improve these
conditions but would not radically change the government themselves in these countries.
Analyze how Eastern Europe’s relationship to global trade patterns changed from 1750 to
the present.
Continuities
 Trade with Western Europe
 Reliance on agriculture
Changes
 Illegal activity of women sex trade
 Trade route increase
 Merchant carriers and tariffs
 Balkan and Eastern Route for sex trafficking trade
Western Europe: Impact of religion (1450- present day)
Religion plays a very important role in Western Europe’s history. Before 1450 or during
the Dark Ages, it was a force that helped unify the people of Western Europe because of the
harsh conditions they were in during those times. However, as time goes on, the impact of
religion starts to weaken. It cannot influence the many aspects of the people’s lives as it once did.
For example, the church could help pass a law or policy that benefitted itself but now, there a
separation of political affairs and religious ones. One reason for the decline is that people started
to speak out against the church because of all the corruption within. Also, other faiths emerged
and challenged the existing ones and the conflicts that occurred slowly diminished the power and
impact that religion had. In addition, ideas based on science and logical thinking did not support
what the church believed in. These new scientific ideas focused on what could be seen, analyzed,
or deduced rather than what was written in the Bible or what the Catholic Church declared to be
true. All these events casted religion aside and empowered other ideas or concepts. Despite the
fact that the impact that religion had decreased, it can still unify people under one commonality.
Nationalism in Eastern Europe(1750s to the Present)
 Nationalism toppled empires. The diverse population of empires like
the Ottoman Empire and the Austrian Empire led to their downfall.
 It gave ethnic groups a sense of unity. With the rise of Nationalism,
Macedonia, Bosnia, Crete Albania, Serbia, Romania and Greece
pushed the Ottomans back into the Middle East in the early 20th century.
 This sense of unity among majority ethnic groups resulted in conflict
and repression of ethnic minorities.
 The Young Turks, nationalists that revolted in a coup oppressed Greek
and Armenian minorities in the Ottoman empire.
 The Young Turks supported centralization and Turkization of ethnic
minorities, they achieved this by oppression of minorities. After the
defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan Wars, the Turks hired a
German general to improve their military. Nationalism contributed to
belligerence in Eastern Europe
 Nationalism culminated in the start of World War 1.
 The assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the archduke of Austria by a
radical Serbian nationalist was the result of rising tensions between the
two nations.
 The two have always been at odds: Austria Hungary was an empire
with a diverse population whereas Serbia was the typical Baltic state,
with a primarily Slavic population.
 Nationalism has led to the destabilization of oppressive government in
Eastern Europe
 This trend is easily seen with the overthrow of oppressive regimes in
Eastern Europe.
 The dissolution of the Soviet Union is a parallel to the dissolution of
the Ottoman Empire and shows how nationalism breaks oppressive
empires.