World History: Background for
Russia
How the history of Ancient Rome
and Greece affected the growth and
culture of Russia
Ancient Rome
In third grade, you learned about Ancient Rome and Greece.
The Romans take over much of the known world.
By AD 100, the Roman Empire extended over a vast region, controlling the waterways of the
Atlantic coast of Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, all the way to the Black Sea. The Roman Empire
controlled all of the major ports throughout the ancient world. They built the roads that would later
be used to bring not only Roman soldiers, but traders and missionaries to foreign lands.
World Religions Before the Birth of
Christ Around AD 1
• Jewish Religion:
• A revealed religion that
believes in one God.
The Old Testament is
the Holy Book for the
Jewish people.
• Pagan religions:
• These religions can be
found throughout the
world, and followers
believe in many gods.
Christianity comes to the world.
Jesus Christ establishes a new church. Despite persecution by the Roman emperors, Christianity
thrives. The first pope, St. Peter, was crucified upside down and is buried in Rome at the site of St.
Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. You can see Christians in the picture. They are being fed to lions in the
Roman Coliseum to entertain the crowds. Practicing Christianity was against the law until the fourth
century, when Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and legalized the religion.
In AD 284, Emperor Diocletian realized
that the empire was too big to
manage. So, he split it into two
regions: The Eastern Empire and the
Western Empire.
In AD 307, Constantine became emperor. He ruled from
AD 307 to AD 337. Constantine was Rome's first
Christian emperor and he is considered to have been a
strong ruler. He believed that Rome as a city was too
far away from vital areas of the empire to be of value
from a governmental level. Constantine, therefore,
moved the capital of the empire to a new city –
Constantinople.
The Roman Empire was surrounded by barbarian tribes.
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/fall_of_ancient_rome.htm
Constantinople was too far from Rome. The Ostrogoths attacked the western empire via the eastern empire.
The Huns, a fierce tribe from Asia, attacked the western empire. The Franks, Visigoths, and Burgundians all
made large inroads into the western empire.
The glory days of the Roman Army had passed and the Romans were forced into making deals with the
tribes. The Vandals and Visigoths were allowed to live in the Roman Empire as long as they gave a promise
to protect the empire from the Huns.
Vandals, Goths, and Visigoths sack Rome and Rome’s
power declines.
By 476, Rome is in ruins, and the last Roman Emperor is removed by the Goths.
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/fall_of_ancient_rome.htm
Islam is founded by Muhammad during the 7th century.
The Quran is the Islamic Holy Book, and followers of Islam are called
Muslims. Medina, Mecca, and Jerusalem are Islam’s three holiest cities.
The Vikings moved down waterways throughout
Europe and into Asia, sacking villages and
sometimes settling down in new regions.
Viking Routes
The Great Photian Schism (named for Patriarch Photios ) of the 9th Century- it
became official in 1054.
As the western empire lost power, the eastern empire gained power. The Patriarch of Constantinople believed that,
since Rome was weakened politically, the center of Christianity should be moved from Rome to Constantinople. The
East and West enter into the Filioque Debate and the Eastern Orthodox Church breaks away from the Roman Catholic
Church. The Roman Catholic Church taught that the Holy Spirit could be sent by the Father or the Son, but the Eastern
Orthodox Church taught that only the Father could send the Holy Spirit. The term Orthodox means “correct thinking,”
and the Orthodox Church is called that because they believe that their understanding of the Filioque Debate is correct.
Scandinavia includes Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, and Denmark.
The Vikings who came from Scandinavia were also known as Norsemen,
or North Men because they came from “The North.”
The Vikings traveled by ship to villages throughout Europe and Asia, raiding the villages as they went.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Scandinavia
King Olaf of Norway Converts to Christianity.
In 966, King Olaf, of Norway, converted to Christianity, and ordered his people to convert as well.
The Viking raids came to an end. King Olaf had been captured as a child, and spent time in the
court of Prince Vladimir I, grandson of Princess Olga.
Princess Olga, the first female ruler of Russia, converts to Orthodox
Christianity around 959- before the Great Photian Schism between the
Catholic and Orthodox Churches became official.
Princess Olga is considered a saint (very holy person) in the Russian
Orthodox Church.
Princess Olga’s grandson, Prince Vladimir, embraces Orthodox
Christianity. He orders all pagan statues destroyed and all Russians to
be baptized into the church.
Prince Vladimir’s baptism.