Global 9 – Final Exam Review – Civilizations / Culture

1. Global 9 – Final Exam Review – Civilizations / Culture River Valley Civilizations – First civilizations developed in river valleys with generally mild climates. Yearly floods deposited fertile soil, allowing people to grow surpluses of food. • Mesopotamia: along the Tigris and Euphrates – sailboat, wheel, sundial, irrigation, earliest known legal system (Code of Hammurabi) • Egypt: along the Nile – mathematics, astronomy, medicine, sculpture, architecture, hieroglyphic writing, protected by desert • Indus Valley Civilization: along the Indus – Harappa & Mohenjo Daro grid planned cities, dependence on monsoons – later: beginning of Hindu religion & caste system, Sanskrit writing • First Chinese Civilization: along the Huang He (Yellow River) – silk making

2. Other Ancient Civilizations • Hebrews – (Jews, Israelites) founded Judaism, spread monotheistic religion, created Israel, Bible, Ten Commandments • Phoenicians – first known alphabet, founded network of trading cities such as Carthage

3. The Greeks – mountains separated the city-states which developed their own form of government and system of laws. • Sparta: totalitarian organization based on military needs. The Spartans grew powerful through conquest. • Athens: first democracy; citizens voted on issues of the day. Citizenship was limited to certain Athenians, and was denied to many. The Athenians grew powerful through trade. • Golden Age – art, architecture, philosophy, drama, mathematics and science flourished during Athens' Golden Age (Pericles, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle)

4. Rome – Republic that became an empire, conquered the Mediterranean world and much of Europe. Romans adopted Greek culture and learning which preserved much of it • Law: Twelve Tablets, Code of Justinian • Government: Assembly and Senate which was adopted by later societies. • Pax Romana (Roman Peace) ensured stability. • Architecture: developed first domed structures, built stadiums, public baths, road system (Appian Way) and aqueducts (water supply) throughout their empire • Punic Wars: series of three wars with Carthage in North Africa

5. Rome’s long term impacts • Codified Roman law became the basis for European law • Latin language became the root of most European languages • Preserved much Greek and Hellenistic learning • Architecture became the model for later societies • Legalized Christianity, and later it became the state religion. • Established the foundations of western culture (government, literature, technology & religion)

6. Hellenistic Culture – the mixture of cultures (cultural diffusion) created by the conquests of Alexander the Great • Philip of Macedon used revolutionary battle formations, cavalry attacks & bribery to conquer and unify the divided Greek city-states. When Philip was assassinated his son Alexander became the king. • Alexander the Great completed Philip’s dream of a great empire. Alexander’s empire was the largest in history up to that time. Conquests included most of the Persian Empire, to Egypt and to the Indus River