Ancient Civilizations

Ancient Civilizations SOL Review

Paleolithic Era • Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, Homo Sapiens. • Nomadic, hunters and gatherers • Clans, oral communications giving each group an identity • Paleolithic Era; control & use fire, used animal hides for clothing, constructed simple tools and weapons.

Mesolithic & Neolithic Eras • Domesticated animals constructed advanced tools, made pottery wheels, and began weaving. • Most importantly, the Neolithic Revolution, the use of seeds to grow and maintain a surplus of food, resulting in the building of civilizations.

Ancient River Valley Civ.-Egypt 3500-1069 BC • Nile River, current flowing north and the winds blowing south. Annual flooding left silt on the land.. Hieroglyphics were written on the papyrus culled from the Nile Delta. • Egypt united under Menes (Narmer), who built the first capital at Memphis.Later the capital was moved to Thebes. • Three periods of Egyptian history; Old, Middle, and New (Empire) Kingdom. • Famous rulers; Rameses, Akhenaton, Hatshepsut, Thutmose.

Mesopotamia-”the land between two rivers.” • Located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, oldest civilization in history.(4500-2300 BC). • Sumer & Babylon the most famous civilizations. • Sumerian innovations; cuneiform, sun dial, ramp, arch, ziggurats, the epic poem about Gilgamesh,… • Babylonian innovations; first empire, Hammurabi and the Code of Laws, ziggurats • Other peoples; Jews, Persians, Assyrians, Chaldeans and Phoenicians

Indus Valley- 4000 BC-1800 BC) • Located in the Northwest portion of the Indian subcontinent. Protected by the Hindu Kush (Khyber pass) and Himalayan mts. • Main cities; Harrapa and Mojenjo Daro, excavations show central planning of cities, trade with the Fertile Crescent • Cities disappeared after being overwhelmed by the Aryan invasion.

Shang China – 1700-1100 BC • The Shang developed around the Hwang Ho river valley. • Famous for their bronze artifacts, oracle bones, and writing system. • Defeated by the Zhou in 1100 BC

Quiz #1 1.Groups of early humans were nomadic., this means? A. frequently moving from place to place B. no written language C. are farmers. 2.Human ancestors developed into homo sapiens approximately A. 1-4 million years ago B. 100,000 to 400,000 years C. 1,000 to 4,000 years ago

Quiz #1 continued 3. Hieroglyphics are associated with • Egypt, B Mesopotamia, C Indus Valley 4. The first alphabet was developed by: • Egyptians, B. Babylonians, C. Phoenicians 5. Cuneiform was a: • Egyptian burial, • B. Sumerian writing, C. Religious practice of the Hebrews

Ancient Greece

Greece • Cradle of western civilization, located on a peninsula between the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. • Early influences were the Egyptians and the Minoans (isle of Crete) • Mild climate promoted outdoor activity, leading to a lot of social contact. End result conscientious civil life, seen both in their political and social philosophies. • Three periods of history; Heroic, Hellenic, and Hellenistic eras. (Mycenaean & Ionians first wave of Indo-European invaders Heroic Age), After the Dorians invade, the Hellenic Age will emerge.

Greece continued • Geography; lots of mountains.Most Greeks lived in the fertile valleys between the mountains. • As a result of limited water supply: (no major rivers and most of the rain came in the winter)there were few places to grow fruits and vegetables and insufficient grass for grazing large herds of animals. • With the limits on food production, Greece could only sustain small populations. (never more then 2 million people in Ancient Greece.)

Greece continued • There was no river system to unify. Lots of natural harbors added to a mild climate saw the Greeks make their living by fishing, trading, and piracy. • Greeks were also great colonizers, they needed the resources from outside of Greece to supplement what little they grew in Greece. • The Greeks utilized the resources they had, long coast lines and excellent harbors to build their cities around the Aegean, the Ionian, and the Black Seas, the seas united them!

The Greek Polis • When the Warrior Kingdoms of the Hellenic Ages fell to the Dorian Invasions, Greece entered into the “Dark Age” • As trade recovered, and coins replaced barter, powerful city-states emerged. (Athens, Sparta, Thebes…) • Greece’s geographical barriers made it difficult for Polis’s to unite under one government, instead they competed for the limited resources of the mainland, and established colonies abroad

The Greek Polis-Continued • The two most famous Greek City States were Athens (Democracy) and Sparta. (Oligarchy) • In Athens, all free males eventually were accorded citizenship giving them access to all avenues of political power. Citizens only made up 20% of the population, foreigners, slaves, and women were not allowed to participate in the government. • Sparta used it’s military to control all aspects of life. The Spartans were afraid of their Helots (hereditary slaves) and used a militaristic system of government to keep them under control. Spartans did have an assembly, but it was controlled by a few elders, thus making it an oligarchy.

The Greek Polis-Continued • Each Polis had three groups; citizens (adult males), free people,Metics (no rights, foreigners who sometimes lived for several generations in this classification.), and slaves. (Sparta’s were called helots). • Important areas in each Polis were the ; Acropolis (location of the temples) and the Agora (marketplace) where all public business was transacted, including politics. • Key people in developing Athenian Democracy are Draco, Solon, and Cleisthenes. • Hoplites (soldiers), Phalanx (military formation)

Persian and Peloponnesian Wars • Persian Wars began when the Athenians aided their “cousins” in Asia Minor in their rebellion against the Persians. • Greek Persian Wars, Athens and Sparta lead the fight. Great battles are; Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis • At Marathon, the Athenians surprise Darius’s force and win in an upset! • Thermopylae is where the Spartans win fame for their heroic three day stand

Persian and Peloponnesian Wars • The Athenians win fame again when they defeat Xerxes forces in a naval battle, effectively ending the Wars. • There are many long term effects of the wars, but one very significant one is that Athens emerges as a major power (Delian League) and Sparta is embittered over their efforts not being more greatly appreciated. End result… • The Peloponnesian War; the 20 year struggle between Athens and Sparta, along with their allies to control Greece. This war ends the “Golden Age” of Greece as well as the Golden Age of Athens.

Greece VIP’s • mythology, Zeus, Athena, Poseidon… • Homer’s epic poems; the Iliad & the Odyssey.Heroes included; Achilles, Hector, and Odysseus. These stories and heroes will be referenced in all forms of western literature, even up to the 21st century.

Alexander the Great • Father – Philip of Macedon • Tutor – Aristotle • Before dying at 33, he defeated the mighty Persians • He is responsible for the Hellenistic (fusion of Greek with near Eastern cultures) philosophy which will dominate the Mediterranean region for centuries. • Great Philosophies of the time were; Stoicism, Cynicism, Epicureanism. India

Rome • Geography, snug in the middle of the Italian peninsula, the Alps to the north protected them from invasion by the land. ( with a notable exception). The seas protected as well, and helped to put the Romans at the crossroads of Mediterranean trade. (Look at map) • Roman mythology very similar to Greeks, from whom the Romans borrow much. • Socially and politically, the Patricians and the Plebeians were the major players.

Rome

Rome • Government, after getting rid of the monarchy, they devised a representative republic, made up of two groups. (the Senate and the Assembly) The Twelve Tables was their legal code, and posted in the Forum. • Important officials were the;consuls, tribunes, and the senators. • Octavian Caesar, after a series of civil wars, ends the Republic and creates the Empire. • Mark Antony, Octavian Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, Diocletian, and Constantine, all great Romans (Know them for the SOL)

Roman-Punic Wars

Punic Wars • Rome fights three of them. Most famous adversary is Hannibal of the Alps. War initiated over Sicily and control of trade. When over, after three conflicts, Rome controls the Western Mediterranean in 146 BC • First Punic War ends with Rome developing a fleet of ships and negating that Carthaginian advantage. • 2nd Punic War is fought when Hannibal attempts to avenge the earlier Carthaginian defeat. Eventually, he is outmaneuvered and defeated at the battle of Zama • Famous Romans in this war are; Scipio Africanus (Zama), Cato the Elder, the catalyst for the 3rd Punic War. (“Carthage must be destroyed!”)

Roman expansion problems • After the wars, Roman society is fundamentally changed. Roman soldiers lost their farms, Latifundias (Large estates worked by slaves) are created. Landless citizens go to Rome and become the proletariat (the “mob”). • Eventually, the population of Rome consisted of up to one third slaves as well as the landless citizens. • The Roman Republic is not equipped to rule foreign lands, they end up exploiting the people they govern. This also contributes to political corruption at home.

Rome -Wars of Expansion and Results • . Notable reformers are the Gracchi brothers, Tiberius and Gaius. They attempted to reform land holdings in Roman society and for their efforts received death. • Cicero is a great writer and politician, who fails to end the “slide “ of the Roman Republic. • Later civil wars come, Sulla vs Marius. The 1st Triumvirate; Julius Caesar, Marcus Crassus, Pompey • Caesar, as a result of the Gallic wars, will become the most powerful of the three, a struggle for supremacy will ensue.

Creation of the Empire • Caesar wins the Civil War, but later assassinated by Marcus Brutus, 2nd Triumvirate formed. • Key men are Octavian Caesar, Caesars nephew and heir, and Marc Antony. • After Antony and Caesar split the Roman world, a final war will be fought with Octavian defeating the forces of Antony and Cleopatra. • Octavian is granted the title of Augustus, organizes the empire and the Pax Romana begins.

The Roman Empire

Roman accomplishments • Writers like Ovid, Vergil (Aeneid), the historian Livy • Scientists like Ptolemy and doctors like Galen • The advantages of Roman citizenship brought the Empire together. Roman law developed a standard of justice that applied to all people, which carried over after the fall of the empire. • the Pax Romana (27 BC – 192 AD), roads, aqueducts, the Coliseum… • During the empire a major religion is born, Christianity, and another scattered in the Jewish Diaspora.

Rome continued • The apostles, Peter and Paul(Epistles) spread the faith. Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles. (non- Jews) • Nero begins the persecutions of Christians(64 AD). Constantine ends the persecution with the Edict of Milan(312 AD), and Theodosius makes Christianity the official religion of the empire. • Decline of Rome occurs slowly; political instability (the Barrack Emperors), coupled with plagues, and finally barbarian invasions. (Huns, Vandals, Visigoths..) • Diocletian divides the empire in half, to no avail. Constantine will move the seat of power to Byzantium. (Constantinople)The Western Empire ends in 476, while the Byzantine Empire continues till 1453 AD

Greece and Rome Questions. Greek polis’s had three groups of inhabitants, which group was comprised of adult males, who engaged in commerce? A) citizens B) free people, C) non-citizen Who were the Metics and Helots, and where did they live? Which great leader died during the Peloponnesian War? • Herodotus, B) Zeno, C) Pericles, D)Aristotle? This philosopher ended his life by drinking poison rather then accept ostracism. A) Zeno, B) Plato, C)Sophist, D) Socrates

Quiz on Greece and Rome • The Roman Senate and Assembly were associated with: A) the Republic, B) Empire • The codified Roman laws were called: A) 10 Commandments, B) Twelve Tables • The Punic Wars were fought between Rome and A) Athens, B) Gauls, C) Carthage • This man reorganized the Republic into an Empire: A) Antony, B) Julius Caesar, C) Octavian

Greece and Rome Quiz • Famous Christian missionary, who wrote many of the Epistles: A) Peter, B) John, C) Paul *The Pax Romana ended with his death: A) Julius Caesar, B) Marcus Aurelius, C) Diocletian • This emperor ended the persecution of Chrisitians: A) Constantine, B) Nero, C) Herod • This Roman city’s harbor was known as the “Golden Horn”: A) Rome, B) Byzantium, C) Venice India...

Middle East, Russia, and Medieval Europe • “There is only one God, Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet” The profession of faith is central to the religion, born in the Arabian desert during the 7th century. • AD 622-Hijrah to Madinah, 624-Madinah Compact. • Important points to remember; the Qur’an and the Hadith are books of scripture. The Shar’iah is the body of law. The Muslims live their lives by the 5 Pillars of Islam. (Know them) • Muhammad is succeeded by the Caliphs, Abu Bakr being the first. Later after Ali is killed major split in Islam

Islam continued • After the death of Ali and Husayn, the split in Islam is between the Sunni (followers of the way) and the Shia (Shiites), who believe the Caliphate should only be held by a descendent of Muhammad. • Two dynasties after the 4 Caliphs are the ; Umayyad(whose founder overthrew Ali and placed his capital in Damascus) and the Abbasid(moved the capital to Baghdad). Later the Seljuk Turks take power from the Abbasids and govern as Sultans. (they allow the Abbasids to rule as figureheads) Islam will spread as far west as Spain, and east to China. Two primary ways in which the message of Allah are carried is through the Jihad and Trade.

Golden Age of Islam • Golden Age occurs during the Abbasids reign. • Moving the capital from Damascus to Baghdad they established the House of Wisdom (Ma’mun). Arabic numerals were introduced, Maimonides writes, ibn Sina, and al Rhazes develop their theories. Omar Khayyam composes his quatrains. • Europeans will be introduced to much of this culture during the Christian crusades.

The Byzantine Empire ends in 1453 AD • As the western Empire weakens and falls, the eastern portion of the empire remains strong as a result of the leadership by the capital that Constantine founded, Constantinople. It’s harbor the “Golden Horn” allows it to control trade from east to west. After a few short years it’s culture becomes Hellenistic as opposed to Roman.

Notes on Byzantium • Most famous of the Emperors is Justinian. Accomplishments are; Justinians Code, the building of the Hagia Sophia, and the reconquest of the old empire (Belisarius) • The city was famous for its mosaics, its silk trade, (stolen by Missionaries from the Chinese) and their Icons. • Its religious tradition; the icon controversy, and the split from Rome to form the Greek Orthodox Church.

Medieval Europe up to 1000 AD • Feudalism is the political structure, and manorialism is the economic engine for the times. • Feudalism is a decentralized form of government consisting of lords and vassals, each owing to the other certain obligations.Below the vassals were the serfs, workers bound to the land. • Lands granted to the vassals were called fiefs (manors), many of which were self sufficient.

Feudalism and the Church • The practice of primogeniture begins, where the eldest son gets all. • Chivalry was a code of behavior for the knights of the realm (fighting men) • The Christian Church is the only central authority to be found in Europe, the Pope being the single most powerful figure. • Many noblemen’s sons went into the church, because an elder sibling received all the land. Many Church Bishops, served both a spiritual lord as well as a temporal one.

Middle Ages: Important Europeans • Charlemagne-Holy Roman Emperor, crowned in 800 AD. (displeasing the Byzantines) Viking invasions began at the end of his reign. • Pepin the Short(Charlemagne’s Dad)- gained the title of King for his family, by helping the Pope with the Lombards (Gift of Pepin) • Charles Martel(Pepin’s dad)- Mayor of the Place, defeated the Muslims at Tours (732 AD). Probably began the European military tradition of Knights, with the lands that went with it.

Middle Ages: Important Europeans • Palace schools-called for by Charlemagne, promoting education. Helped to fuel the Carolingian renaissance. Charlemagne’s school employed Alcuin, a great Saxon scholar. • Treaty of Verdun-divided Charlemagne's empire into three parts. • Vikings,Norseman, warriors and raiders who terrorized Europe till 1000 AD. They settled everywhere from England-Ireland-Normandy-Sicily-Eastern and Central Europe. Most famous, Leif Erickson • Otto the Great, rebuilt the Empire and competed with the Papacy for control of Europe.

Russia – Heir to Rome • Rus, Vikings, who settled in Kiev and adopted the Eastern Orthodox Church (Vladimir) • Boyars, Slavic nobles, the Steppes (plains) • Golden Horde, Mongols who dominated Eastern Europe for 200 years, also known as the Tatars • Ivan III, married the niece of the last Byzantine Emperor. Through this marriage claimed the power of Byzantium. • Moscow, the third Rome. The Eastern Church locates here and Ivan takes the title of Tsar.

Ancient Civilizations