Early Civilizations:
Mesopotamia &
Egypt
Unit 1, SSWH 1 a and b
Civilization’s 5 Characteristics
1.Advanced Cities
2.Specialized Workers
3.Complex Institutions
4.Record Keeping (scribe &
Cuneiform)
5.Improved Technology p.19-20
Mesopotamia
• Location: Modern day Iraq & Iran
Means: Land between 2 rivers
(Tigris & Euphrates)…is located in
the Fertile Cressant
• Ziggurat—tiered, pyramid like
structure that served as the center of
community (more than a temple)
p. 30 -32
• Culture: Cuneiform—Wedge
Shapes…this was the writing system
Epic of Gilgamesh—recorded stories
of history
• Economy: Bartering system
Cultural Diffusion—Spreading
culture through trade (Obsidian
Jewlery)
• Politics: Priests 1st leaders
Dynasties—Lengthy ruling families
City States—City which dominates
region
Law: Hammurabi’s Code – 282 written
laws, created to unify the community
(govt responsible for society) p.36- 37
• Religion: Foundation of Society
The people worship many gods
(Polytheism)
Each City had its primary God of worship
but all were given respect
A dark bleak outlook on the afterlife…they
did not make elaborate preparations
Egypt: Religion
• Polytheistic: believed in 2,000 + gods
• Ra (sun god) & Osiris (god of the dead):
IMPORTANT
• Afterlife: prepared for it (saved
money, food, clothes, etc.
• Pyramids: Tombs built for Pharaoh
• Pharaoh believed they were a god
Egypt: Politics
• Pharaoh: ruler of Egypt, a king
• Theocracy: govt based on
religious belief…Pharaoh is a
god & ran the country
p.44 -56
Monotheism, Trade,
& Writing
Unit 1, SSWH 1 c, d, and e
Monotheism: Belief in 1 god
• Founder of Judaism: Abraham
• Key Beliefs
Hebrews: worshiped Yahweh
(God) Monotheism
Created a covenant (promise)
Exodus from slavery (Egypt)
• Sacred Writings
10 Commandments (rules that
regulate behavior, influenced laws)
Torah: Jewish sacred writings
p.57-61
• Impact on Society
Ethical Monotheism—moral
system of belief that established
norms within society
Zoroastrianism
• Founder: Zoroaster p. 42
• Worship Ahura Mazda
• Earth is a battle ground,
fight between good & bad
• Judged on how well you fought (all
fight)
• Believe in good & bad, afterlife –
similar to Christianity, Judaism, & Islam
Trade Spreads Culture
• Mediterranean trade connected
people from all over (sea & land
routes)
• Minoans “Good Sailors” – lived on
Crete, loved the outdoors p. 114-115
• Traded pottery, weapons, metal, art,
architecture, & figurines
• Influenced Greece & Rome
• Phoenicians “Best Sailors” –
no country, lived all over
(created cities where they
traded)
st
• 1 people to sail
out of Med. Sea
• Greatest Legacy: Phonetic
Alphabet/Symbols p. 34
Writing
• Pre-history: time period before the
invention of writing
• Pictures: 1st type of writing
• Invented to keep records
(Mesopotamia)
• Cuneiform, Hieroglyphics, &
Phonetic Symbols – early forms of
writing p.33,34,54
CUNEIFORM HIEROGLYP PHOENICIA
HICS
N
ALPHABET
WHERE MESOPOT
AMIA
WHAT
MOIST
WRITING
CLAY
MATERIALS TABLETS &
REEDS
WHY
KEEP
RECORDS
EGYPT
ALL OVER
PAPYRUS
PAPYRUS
KEEP
RECORDS
KEEP
RECORDS
Indian Leaders
and Religions
Unit 1, SSWH 2 a and b
Maurya Empire
• Chandragupta Maurya killed the
king
• He creates empire (2,000+ miles),
united north India – divided
empire into 4 provinces
• Cruel to subjects
p. 84-86
Emperor
Asoka
• Ruled for 37yrs., greatest ruler
• Warrior King with Army of Elephants
• Massacre at Kalinga causes him to
convert to Buddhism
• Buddhist, ruled “peace to all beings”
• Improved road system (increased
trade, communication, & travel)
•Subjects treated fairly:
toleration, nonviolence
•Fall of Empire: after his
death, people fought
for land & power p.
84-91
Gupta Empire
•Created through marriage,
expands through war
•Chandra Gupta I marries &
takes title “King of Kings”
creating the Empire
• Chandra Gupta II expands territory
and rules during the “Golden Age”
of the Empire
• Peace Agreements are made,
Trade Increase, Art and Religion
flourish
• Hinduism primary religion
• Empire declines, invasions p. 85-
Hinduism
• No founder, collection of different beliefs
• Moksha (liberation from desires)
• Reincarnation: reborn to new lives
• Karma: soul’s good or bad deeds,
determines new life
• Upanishads (text): how to achieve
moksha
• Caste System (social class): strengthened
by religion p.76-78
Pictures of Hindu Gods
• http://college.holycross.edu/projects/himalay
an_cultures/2006_plans/esnyder/h_practice_l
esson_one.html
Buddhism: Siddhartha Gautama
• Enlightenment (wisdom): escape
human suffering
• Reincarnation used to gain nirvana
• Nirvana: perfect understanding, no
pain, no more reincarnations
• Jatakas (text): about Buddha
• Rejects Caste System & multiple gods
of Hinduism p.79-82
Chinese Dynasties
& Beliefs
Unit 1, SSWH 2 c and d
Zhou Dynasty
• Heaven told Zhou to overthrow
Shang p. 94-100
• Controlled masses with feudalism
(given land in return for loyalty)
• Landlords = greedy, fighting starts
• Lots of Technology = improved living:
coined $, cast iron, roads, WRITING
(allowed all people to communicate)
Qin Dynasty: Overthrow Zhou
• Shi Huandgi stopped fighting &
invaders p. 95 -103
• All nobles forced to live in the capital
• Very harsh & repressive, murdered
opposition
• Autocracy: govt based on unlimited
power
Mandate of Heaven
• Divine approval p. 94
• Heaven told Zhou to overthrow
the “bad” Shang leaders
• Leader used it to explain why
things happened: floods,
rebellions, war, new dynasties
Confucius
• Philosopher/educator who helped
fix China’s problems
• To restore order and harmony: need
5 basic relationships
• Education: Key to success – helped
improve govt
• Created Bureaucracy: govt based on
trained people p.96 -98
Family
• Civilization based on the
group, not individual
st
• Loyalty goes to family 1 ,
family is the center of society
• Filial Piety needed: respect
for parents & ancestors p.97
Greek and Roman
Governments
Unit 1, SSWH 3 a and b
Similarities
• In Greece
—Social status determines participation in
govt p.118 -136
—Early Gov’t was strong monarchies
• In Rome
—voting Rights: Land owning male citizens
—Early Gov’t was strong monarchies
Greek
Polis
• Polis: Greek city-state fundamental
political unit
• Origins:
City-state: Greeks were isolated
Early History from Homer’s Epics
Trojan War—Defines Society
Persian War—Unites Greeks
Greek
Govt
• Structure:
Acropolis: citizens gathered to
discuss govt issues
Different types of govt Athenian
govt (most famous): direct
democracy
Democracy: a govt where the
citizens control it
End of Golden Age
• Greece and democracy ended because of
constant military defeats p. 126 -128
• Peloponnesian War—Sparta v. Athens
• Macedonian King invades—Phillip II (his son
is Alexander)
Roman Govt
• Republic: govt in which power rests
with citizens who have the right vote
(representatives)
• Origins
12 Tables: written law code: all
free citizens (males) were
protected by the law p. 151 – 154,
165
• Structure:
Senate composed of Patricains
(land owners)
2 Consuls (executive branch of
Gov’t)
1st Triumvirate (Crassus, Pompey,
& Caesar)
Triumvirate declined: Caesar &
Pompey went to war
Caesar becomes Dictator of Rome
Greek Philosophers
Socrates:
Believed that absolute
standards did exist for truth &
justice
Wanted people to think about
their values & actions p.131
Plato:
Student of Socrates
Believed in a perfectly
governed society
p. 131
Aristotle:
Student of Plato
Questioned the natural world,
human belief, thought, & knowledge
Developed: rules of logic (scientific
method)
Teacher of Alexander the Great
p.131
Political Leaders
Alexander the Great:
Student of Aristotle: taught him all
about Greece
Conquered a large empire
Established several Hellenistic
(blended) societies
Encouraged learning
Julius Caesar:
1st Triumvirate (Crassus, Pompey, &
Caesar)
Triumvirate declined: Caesar &
Pompey went to war
Dictator of Rome
Assassinated by Senators: Caesar had
to much power p. 158
Augustus Caesar (Octavian):
August means “exalted one”
Avenged Julius Caesar’s death
2nd Triumvirate (Lepidus, Mark Antony,
Octavian)
Most able ruler: stabilized the republic,
beautified the city, enduring govt
Pax Romana: peace & prosperity – 207
yrs. p. 159 -160
Hellenistic, Greek,
& Roman
Cultures
Unit 1, SSWH 3 c and d
p. 137 -143
Hellenistic
• Blending of cultures: Greek plus Persia,
India, & Egypt (Greek PIE)
• Alexandria, Egypt: #1 place for trade &
commerce, art, architecture, & education
• Science discoveries: Sun larger than
Earth, planets revolve around Sun
(Heliocentric), old thought Earth center
of universe (Geocentric), circumference
of the Earth
Greeks
• Law—Democracy
• Language—Koine (Common Greek)
becomes the international Language
• Religion-VERY IMPORTANT, taboo if you
didn’t worship/Greek gods: Lifelike (love,
hate) Zeus, Hera, Athena (main gods)
• Legacy-foundation of Greco-Roman
Culture
Romans
• Strength, performance, & solidarity
• Law: innocent, equal treatment, burden
of proof accuser, punishment for actions,
law flexible for interpretation
• Language: from Latin
• Gender: women had few rights, little
education
• Legacy of Rome: Engineering,
architecture, law, & language
Religions in Rome
• VERY IMPORTANT, taboo if you
didn’t worship
• Roman gods: govt & religion were
linked , Jupiter, Juno, Minerva
(main gods)
Christianity
• Gospels: main source of info on Jesus
(founder)
• Apostles spread Jesus teachings: all
people embraced, hope to the
powerless, promised eternal life, &
offered personal relationship
• Good roads (open communication)
helped spread message p. 166-171
Fall of the Roman
Empire
Unit 1, SSWH 3 e
p. 173 -179
Factors of the Collapse
• Economy Weak: slavery down,
disrupted trade, lack of resources,
high taxes, & inflation
• Military: Less disciplined & loyal,
hired mercenaries
• Politics: didn’t care about the
empire, lack of patriotism
Roman Empire Divided
• Diocletian, emperor, can’t rule the
massive empire by himself
• Divides empire to make ruling
more efficient
• Socially:
East: wealthy Greek (Byzantium)
West: poor Latin/Roman
Western Empire Collapses
• Germanic tribes pushed into
Roman lands to flee the attack
from Mongolian Huns
• Military wasn’t strong nor
loyal enough to defend attacks