Dawn of the Empires

1. Dawn of the Empires

2. Mesopotamia • The Akkadians- 2360-2230 B.C.E. • Led by Sargon • Conquered Sumerian City-States

3. The Babylonians • Hammurabi creates Babylonian empire, C. 1770 B.C.E-1500.; most famous for? • Hittites- 1400-1200 B.C.E. • Indo-Europeans • Brought two-wheeled chariot and iron

4. Mesopotamia cont. • The Assyrians-1200-650 B.C.E. warlike culture, known for ruthlessness- mass deportation • How did they create their empire? • superior military organization (professional troops) • Land grants were given in exchange for military service. • At its largest, the military comprised a half-million troops, • - Technology • Iron weapons and superior engineering • Assurbanipal- has library constructed at Nineveh- great source of historical knowledge

6. Egypt • Conquered Nubia to the South (gold), later driven out • Hyksos • New Kingdom expands Egypt into Mesopotamia • Pharaohs- Akhenaten, Hatshepsut, Ramses II • Nubians conquer Egypt, empire declines

9. History of Judaism • Written in the TaNakh • Includes the “Torah” – the first five books of the Bible • Makes up the “Old Testament” of the Christian Bible • Still very much like the original

10. Important events • Adam and Eve (temptation) • Noah and the flood • Abraham and Isaac • Moses and the Exodus (Ten Commandments) • Kings of Judea • Saul, David, and Solomon • Historically accurate

11. Important concepts • Monotheistic • Covenant (promise/agreement) with God– “Chosen People” • Promised Land- called Canaan – present-day Israel and Palestine • Concept of a “Messiah” • View of God – Caring, but demands obedience; rewards and punishes • Many miracles; God dialogues with humans • Jews represent an ethnic community and a religion • Small number of followers but large role in history

12. experience of women in Israelite society • Women could not initiate divorce • could be punished by death for having extramarital relations • Women could not inherit • Women were expected to rear the children and work in agriculture, herding, or outside the family for wages.

13. Diaspora • Scattering of people – Jews spread throughout the world, but maintained tight-knit communities

14. The Persians (Achaemenids) • Cyrus II (558-529 B.C.E.) • Satrapies (provinces) • Kept some local rulers; respected conquered cultures • Cambyses II (529-522 B.C.E.) • Tried to extend empire too far • Maybe crazy

15. Persians cont. • Darius I (522-486 B.C.E.) • Like Cyrus II • Local administrators • Standardized laws, money and taxes • Why were the Persians successful rulers? • willing to adapt to local circumstances, to learn from those with experience, and to utilize the skills of non-Persians- continued Mesopotamian traditions • Centralized or decentralized?

16. Religion in Persia • Zoroastrianism • Good V. Evil • You will be rewarded or punished after death • Monotheistic • Not official religion

17. Persian Empire under Darius

18. The Phoenicians What does this map reveal about the Phoenicians?

19. The Phoenicians • Occupied string of cities along the eastern Mediterranean coast. • What was the purpose? • Find valuable resources • (raw materials) • Resting place for merchant fleets • Maintain a trade monopoly

20. The Phoenicians • What were they famous for? • Made glass from sand & purple dye from a tiny sea snail. • Invented the alphabet that ours is based on (spread to Greeks and then Romans)

21. The Greeks (Hellenistic Culture)

22. Beginnings • Minoans (2500-1400 B.C.E.)- Island of Crete • Traders, not fighters – economically well-connected

23. Mycenaeans- Trojan War • Like Minoans, civilization based on trade

25. Greek City-States • Geography? – tons of cultural diffusion • Why city-states? What does geography have to do with it? • Built around hills • Bottom- houses • Middle- Agora (market) • Top- Acropolis (i.e. The Parthenon)

27. The Olympic Games (776 BCE) • Held to honor Zeus (100 oxen) • Trade and wars stopped during games • Only men who spoke Greek were allowed to participate -later included Greek colonies • Individual events rather than team • Women were not allowed • Bragging rights; political alliances

28. Review of Governments • monarchy: [‘single ruler'] A government in which a king or queen exercises central power (chosen by birth; hereditary) • aristocracy: ['best-rule'] noble land- holding families (hereditary distinction) • oligarchy: ['few-rule'] small group of business elites like, merchants, farmers and artisans (wealth distinction) • Theocracy- rule by a religion (not common in Greece)

29. Athens • Why Athens? • Naval technology • Economy – coins; lydians • Origins of democracy • Tyrants to Aristocrats

30. Greek Democracy • Only male citizens could vote • Assemblies chosen by lottery (allotment) – wealth? • Expected to participate – Don’t be an “idiotes” • Discussion; majority rule • Generals and financial officials were elected • Large slave population in Athens- only 1/3 of adults could vote • Solon (630 B.C.E.)- council of 400

31. Sparta • Two kings • Large slave population • Leads to militaristic culture • Strongest army in Greece • Banned the use of coins to maintain equality among its citizens

32. The Persian Wars • Athens aid Ionian rebellions • Persians attack Greece • City-States (Athens, Sparta et al.) ally themselves • Defeat Persian and new king (Xerxes I)- 479 B.C.E. • Thermopylae • Hoplites and Phalanx • Marathon

34. Athenian Culture • Golden Age under Pericles (Classical Period) 495- 429 B.C.E. • Historians- Herodotus (father of history); Thucydides • Philosophers- Socrates (date?), Plato, Aristotle • Drama- Sophocles, Oedipus Rex

36. “…the unexamined life is not worth living.”- Socrates

37. Socrates- put on trial

38. Plato- Philosopher-Kings

39. Aristotle- Science and govt.

40. Women • Second-class citizens • Could not vote or hold office • Could not own property • Not educated • Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle argued that men were superior to women (Misogyny?) • Spartans gave women property rights and education, but no political rights

41. The Peloponnesian War(ends, 404 B.C.E.) • Between Athens (and allies) and Sparta (and allies) • Athens- too much power (empire?) • Sparta wins

42. Peloponnesian War

43. Alexander the Great • Macedonia, in northern Greece, conquers city-states • Leader, Phillip II dies • Son, Alexander, takes over • Conquers most of known world; biggest empire in history to that time • Spreads Greek culture- most significant result of Al the Great

44. Empire of Alexander the Great

45. Explain what is meant by the Hellenistic Age • The Hellenistic Age was a period that followed the conquests of Alexander • lasting from about 323 to 30 B.C.E. • During the Hellenistic Age, Greek culture acted as the dominant influence • northeastern Africa and western Asia • The Hellenistic Age boasted new forms of science, art, and scholarship. • The city of Alexandria in Egypt epitomized the Hellenistic Age through its art and architecture, its great library, and its cosmopolitan culture. • Long after Greeks ceased to exert any direct political control on those areas, their culture remained a powerful influence.