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Classical Mediterranean. Ideas, Institutions, Values: 800 B. C. E. - 476. Classical Mediterranean. Source of Western Civilization Loose Concept Classical Heritage (Ancient Greece and Rome) + Barbarian (Germanic) Invasions + Christianity.
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Classical Mediterranean Ideas, Institutions, Values: 800 B. C. E. - 476
Classical Mediterranean • Source of Western Civilization • Loose Concept • Classical Heritage (Ancient Greece and Rome) + Barbarian (Germanic) Invasions + Christianity. • Best defines Western Europe and the United States Today. • Because of recent “success” of Western Civilization, it is a term that stirs controversy
Classical Heritage • Ancient Greece • Ending of Dark Ages/Age of Homer • Emergence of Polis • Governmental Forms: aristocracy, monarchy, oligarchy, tyranny, democracy • Emergence of Athens and Sparta
Athens • 700 B. C. E.—Athens established • King and Council of Nobles (Areopagus). • 621 B. C. E.—Draco established first Constitution—protected property on pain of death. • 594—Solon elected Archon and introduced Democracy and expanded rights of common people—Nobility rescinded these when Solon died.
Athens 2 • Commoners chafe under Aristocracy and support Peisitratus, who is a Tyrant, claiming to serve common people. (560-527 B. C. E.) • Nobles oust Peisitratus’s sons • Cleisthenes introduces a more democratic Constitution in 508 B. C. E. • Demes elect council of 500—Demes done geographically, which displaces power of some nobles. • Concept of Ostracism introduced.
Sparta • Slaveholding society dominated by warrior aristocracy. • Government is a military oligarchy • All facets of human life regulated by state • Spartans make up only 10% of population of polis—they, and no others, have political rights.
Events drive Greek Civilization • Persian Wars (490-479) “Hellenes fight better than slaves” • Golden Age of Athens under Pericles (460-430 B. C. E.) • Peloponnesian War (431-404 B. C. E.)—The Suicide of Greece • Philip of Macedon conquers Greece (339 B. C. E.) • Hellenic Age (750-323 B. C. E.); Hellenistic Age (323-31 B. C. E.) • Greek Cities conquered by Roman Empire.
Features of Greek Civilization • Concept of Arete • Individualism • Architecture (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian) • Rational Thought—phenomena have natural causes • Philosophy (natura rei)
Greek Philosophy • Socrates (470-399 B. C. E.)—eternal truth is knowable; Socratic method. • Plato (427-347 B. C. E.)—Theory of Ideas; the Republic; Plato’s cave. • Aristotle (384-322 B. C. E.)—Philosophical Realism; syllogism
Rome (753 B. C. E.-476 A. D.) • Romans dominated by Etruscans until 509 B. C. E. Source of Rome’s hatred of monarchy. • Roman Republic (509 B. C. E.-27 B. C. E.) • Republic dominated by struggles between Patricians and Plebians and by expansion. • Plebians were needed to serve in army—source of political power. • Law of the 12 Tables (449 B. C. E.) “Dura lex, sed lex.” • Tribunes of the People—VETO • Hortensian Law—287 B. C. E.
End of Roman Republic • Punic Wars weaken Plebian position. • Murder of Tiberious and Gaius Gracchus undermines Roman Constitution. • Civil Wars (100 B. C. E.-27 B. C. E.) – optimates struggle with champions of the people. • Caesar Augustus wins Civil Wars and effectively ends Republic (27 B. C. E.-14 A. D.)
Roman Expansion and Decline • Senate reduced to “town council” • Command of Army – “imperator” –is essential. • Empire Continues to Expand until Emperor Hadrian (117-138) • Civil Wars follow murder of Commodus in 192 • Political Order not established until Diocletian (285-305) • Constantine (305-337) centers empire in east • Battle of Adrianople (378) • Barbarians sack Rome in 410 • Odovacar exiles Romulus Agustulus in 476.
Importance of Rome to Western Civ. • Institutions—Senate • Law—juris prudence—concept of precedence and equity • Stability—Pax Romana (27 B. C.-180 A. D.) “Civis Sum Romanum” • Latin language • Ciceronian Address • Emergence of Christianity
Christianity • Messianic Judaism • Struggles with Macedonians and Romans • Jesus of Nazareth • Role of Paul • Persecution • Edit of Toleration, Edict of Milan • 395—Xianity is official religion of Empire • Emergence of Papacy
Matt. 3: 7-10; Luke 3: 7-9