Ancient Greece
2.1 Roots of Democracy
• Greek city -states develop because of physical
features isolating the people
• Early governments were monarchies and
oligarchies
• Tyrants seized power in 650BC, not all were
harsh rulers
• Democracy develops under the rule of Solon
and Cleisthenes
What ideas did we take from the
Greeks?
• Assembly – represented the people, approved
laws proposed by the council
• Council - wrote laws
• Citizens had the right to vote- direct
democracy
• Court system
• Paying government officials
2.2 Classical Greece
• Under the rule of Pericles, Greek culture had
a period of wealth and power known as the
Golden Age
• Democracy, architecture, philosophy, and
science were developed
• Greek culture spread because of Alexander
the Great, who loved everything Greek
Classical Greece- Why did Western
cultures copy the Greeks?
• Democracy – people wanted an active role in
government
• Philosophy- people were interested in learning
and wanted to search for the truth and happiness
• Mathematics- geometry could be used for
building and weapons
• Medicine – illnesses could be treated
• Architecture- used building techniques that are
still used today
2.3 The Republic of Rome
• Romans expanded on the idea of democracy
and formed a government known as a
Republic
• They developed a class system were both the
wealthy( patricians) and common citizen(
plebeians) could participate in government
• Strong belief in duty- Citizenship?
Ideas we used for modern
democracies
• Legal code
• Citizenship
• 3 branches of government
– Judicial ( eight judges)
– Executive ( consul)
– Legislative ( Senate and the Assembly)
• Elected officials
• Written rights and responsibilities( 12 tables)
• Checks and balances
2.4 The Roman EmpireAccomplishments
• Technology
– Road system
– Arch
– aqueducts
• Language
– Latin becomes the base for many languages
including the romance languages
2.5 The Middle Ages
• After the fall of the Roman Empire , numerous
kingdoms rule the land
• The church had great influence during this
time period
• Feudal system developed to provide
protection for each kingdom and to establish a
class system
Influence of the Roman Catholic
Church
• Church was the center of each kingdom
– Cared for the sick
– Provided education
– Preserved books and writings
– Collected taxes
– Made laws with the help of the king
– Waged wars in the name of religion( Crusades)
The Feudal System
• King- controlled vast amounts of territory and
gave some to Lords in exchange for loyalty
• Lords-nobleman who controlled land and gave
some to vassals in return for loyalty and
security( knights)
• Vassals- most served as knights and leaders of
the armies
• Serfs- farmers who worked for the Lords