Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

The following texts are the property of their respective authors and we thank them for giving us the opportunity to share for free to students, teachers and users of the Web their texts will used only for illustrative educational and scientific purposes only.

All the information in our site are given for nonprofit educational purposes

The information of medicine and health contained in the site are of a general nature and purpose which is purely informative and for this reason may not replace in any case, the council of a doctor or a qualified entity legally to the profession.

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

CHAPTER 4: Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean: Greece and Rome
CHAPTER SUMMARY
The civilizations of Greece and Rome rivaled those of India and China in cultural richness and their effect on world history. Their institutions and values reverberated in the later histories of the Middle East and Europe and Europe’s colonies around the world. The study of classical Mediterranean civilization is complicated because it includes Greek and then Roman political, social, and economic institutions, which were sometimes shared but often unique.

The Persian Tradition. Greeks and Romans had contacts with and were influenced to some degree by the large Persian Empire and its descendants. The Persians absorbed many of the attributes of earlier Mesopotamian societies. Zoroastrianism, an early monotheistic religion, came from within the empire. After being toppled by the Greek leader Alexander the Great, another empire arose—the Sassanid—during Rome’s imperial era.

Patterns of Greek and Roman History. The rise of the dynamic city-states of classical Greece began around 800 B.C.E., reaching a high point in the 5th century B.C.E. with the leadership of the Athenian Pericles. The next major era came under the expansionist Alexander, who briefly united Greece and the Persian Empire. The legacy of the combination of the two civilizations was called Hellenism. Rome’s development as a republic began as Hellenism waned. As Rome gained more territory by challenging regional powers and lesser developed cultures, it grew into an empire.

Greece. The Greeks were an Indo-European people who took over the Greek peninsula by 1700 B.C.E. From 800 to 600 B.C.E. Greek civilization rose to prominence rapidly with the creation of strong
city-states. Each city-state had its own government, typically either a tyranny of one ruler or an aristocratic council. Sparta and Athens came to be the two leading city-states. Sparta represented a strong military aristocracy, while Athens was a more diverse commercial state that was proud of its artistic and intellectual leadership. During the 5th century Pericles dominated Athenian politics, creating a democratic political structure where each citizen could participate in government. Political decline soon set in for the city-states as Athens and Sparta vied for control of Greece during the Peloponnesian Wars. Afterwards the city-states were conquered by Philip II of Macedon and then his son Alexander the Great, who extended the Macedonian Empire throughout the Middle East and Egypt. Although this empire did not last long beyond Alexander’s death, the Hellenistic period, as it is called, saw the merging of Greek art and culture with other Middle Eastern forms and had influence well beyond the end of the empire.

Rome. The Roman state began as a local monarchy in central Italy around 800 B.C.E. Roman aristocrats succeeded in driving out the monarchy in 509 B.C.E. The new Roman republic gradually extended its influence over the rest of the Italian peninsula. Roman influence widened during the three Punic Wars, from 264 to 146 B.C.E., during which Rome fought and defeated the armies of the Phoenician city of Carthage. The politics of the Roman republic grew unstable as victorious generals sought even greater power while the poor of the city rebelled. In 45 B.C.E. Julius Caesar ended the traditional institutions of the Roman state. Caesar’s grandnephew, Augustus Caesar, seized power in 27 B.C.E. and established the basic structures of the Roman Empire. For 200 years the empire maintained great vigor, bringing peace and prosperity to the entire Mediterranean world. Then the empire suffered a slow fall that lasted
about 250 years until invading peoples from the north finally overturned the government in Rome in
476 C.E.

Greek and Roman Political Institutions. Greece and Rome featured an important variety of political forms. Both tended to emphasize aristocratic rule but there were significant examples of democratic elements as well. Politics was very important in the classical Mediterranean civilizations and offered similarities to Confucian values, yet the variety of political forms reminds the historian of India. There was no single Greek political style, but democracy is the most famous. Classical Mediterranean political theory involved ethics, duties of citizens, and skills, such as oratory. Governments supported an official religion, but tolerance of other faiths was the norm. The exception, Christianity under the Roman Empire, occurred because Christians refused to place state first in their devotion. The greatest political legacies of the Mediterranean cultures were an intense loyalty to the state, a preference for aristocratic rule, and the development of a uniform set of legal principles.

In Depth: The Classical Mediterranean Civilization in Comparative Perspective. The three great classical civilizations of China, India, and the Mediterranean lead historians to espouse a variety of comparisons. Similarities include that each developed into an empire; each relied primarily on an agricultural economy; and each supported the development of science, but for different reasons. All three civilizations emphasized clear social strata with the elites considerably distanced from the masses. Differences included social mobility, with India’s the most restrictive and Rome’s the most fluid, comparatively. In addition, each civilization developed a different cultural “glue” that held society together, with the Mediterranean’s emphasis on devotion to the state for the good of the whole (“civic duty”), while India promised reward for good behavior through reincarnation, and Chinese Confucianism promoted obedience and self-restraint as a good unto itself, with the result being peace and prosperity. Over time, Indian and Chinese social structures survived better than those in the Mediterranean because of the introduction of Christianity into the latter’s culture.

Religion and Culture. The Greeks and Romans did not create a significant world religion. Their religions derived from a complex set of gods and goddesses who were seen as regulating human life. Both Mediterranean and Indian religious lore reflected the common heritage of Indo-European invaders. Greco-Roman religion tended toward an of-this-world approach with lessons that illustrated human passions and foibles but offered little in regard to modeling ethical behavior. Thus, separate models of moral philosophy were developed, by such men as Aristotle and Cicero, who like Confucius, taught the importance of moderation and balance in human behavior. Socrates taught his followers to question conventional wisdom by using rational inquiry. In the sciences, Greek work in geometry and anatomy was especially important. The greatest Roman contribution to the sciences was in engineering. In the arts and literature, the Greeks had few equals, particularly in sculpture, architecture, and plays. The Romans mimicked but rarely surpassed the Greek innovators in these fields.

Economy and Society in the Mediterranean. Most Greeks and Romans were self-sustaining farmers, but there was also a great deal of commercial agriculture, which in turn fueled their establishment of an empire. There was also extensive trade. Slavery was an important economic and social institution in the Mediterranean civilization. The family was a tight social structure, with men in firm control; however, women were often active in business and sometimes controlled property. Overall, the status of women in the Mediterranean world was better than in China.

Toward the Fall of Rome. The fall of Rome differed from China’s and India’s declines. For instance, no single civilization rose to replace Rome, although several smaller governments claimed to be its inheritor. In addition, Rome’s fall was fragmentary, collapsing in the western empire long before the eastern side did.

Global Connections: Greece, Rome, and the World. The Greeks set up a widespread colonial and trading network, peaking with Alexander, but it did not last. The much bigger world of the Romans was well aware of the Asian, African, and northern European world outside its realm. Chinese goods were traded in the city of Rome itself, but interest in the Middle Kingdom seems to have been strictly out of a desire for material goods, rather than because of China’s technology or system of governance.

KEY TERMS
Cyrus the Great: Most famous Persian emperor, who controlled land and peoples across the northern Middle East and into northwestern India.

Pericles: One of the most famous Greek political figures, he dominated Athenian government in the 5th century B.C.E. He ruled through wise and clever means. Even he was not able to prevent war between Athens and Sparta.

Alexander the Great: Extended the Greek Empire begun by his father into the Persian Empire, all the way to India. From a political standpoint, his efforts were largely in vain, but Greek cultural contributions to the area cannot be overstated.

Hellenistic period: After Alexander’s death, Greek art, education, and culture merged with those in the Middle East. Trade and important scientific centers were established, such as Alexandria, Egypt.

Punic Wars: Series of wars (264-146 B.C.E.) between the Roman republic and the Phoenician colony Carthage over dominance of the Mediterranean. Carthage’s great general Hannibal was ultimately unable to stop the Romans, who conquered Greece and north Africa, including Egypt.

Julius Caesar: Dictator of the Roman republic who effectively ended the republic and, with his successor Augustus, transformed it into an empire.

Diocletian and Constantine: Strong emperors toward the end of the Roman Empire who tried with some success to reverse the tide of its ultimate fall. Constantine moved the capital away from Rome and allowed freedom of worship for Christians.

Greek city-states: “Politics” comes from the Greek word for city-state. Though united in language and religion, the Greeks held differing forms of government, from monarchies to oligarchies to aristocratically controlled democracies.

Senate: The most important legislative body in the Roman republic, composed mainly of aristocrats.

Consuls: The two men who shared executive power in the Roman republic, but in times of crisis the Senate could choose a dictator with emergency powers.

Cicero: Roman writer and senator who expounded on the value of oratory in political discourse.

Socrates: A leading figure in the development of classical Mediterranean philosophy. He encouraged his students to question conventional wisdom. His work symbolized the Greco-Roman emphasis on the power of human thought.

Plato: Socrates’ greatest pupil, who suggested that humans could approach an understanding of the perfect forms of truth, good, and beauty that he thought underlay nature.
Aristotle: Student of Plato who developed logic and scientific reasoning in the Western sense. He stressed the value of moderation in all things.

Stoics: Adherents of this Greek philosophy emphasized an inner moral independence cultivated by strict discipline and personal bravery.

Sophocles: Athenian dramatist who specialized in psychological tragedies, such as Oedipus Rex.

Iliad: Greek epic poem attributed to Homer but possibly the work of many authors; defined gods and human nature that shaped Greek mythos.

Doric, Ionic, Corinthian: Three forms of Greek columns that represent what is still known as
classical architecture.

Battle of Marathon: (490 B.C.E.) In this battle, the Persians who have invaded Greece are defeated on the Plain of Marathon by an Athenian army led by the general, Miltiades.

King Xerxes: (486 – 465 B.C.E.) Persian king who invaded Greece in retribution for earlier Persian defeats by the Greeks; his forces were defeated by the Greeks in the battles of Salamis and Plataea.

Themistocles: Athenian leader who advocated for an Athenian navy during the Persian Wars; this led to the defeat of the large Persian fleet at the Battle of Salamis by the Athenian navy.

Battle of Thermopylae: (480 B.C.E.) Battle in which Spartan king Leonidas and his army of 300 Spartans and 700 Thespians refused to surrender to the numerically superior Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae; they were annihilated to the man but allowed the other Greek armies to prepare for the Persian invasion.

Zoroastrianism: Persian religion developed by the prophet Zoroaster around 600 B.C.E. in which is taught that life is a battle between the opposing forces of good and evil, with humans having to choose between the two.

Olympic Games: Festival and athletic contests held at Olympia in honor of Zeus in which all Greek city-states sent representatives.

Peloponnesian Wars: (431 – 404 B.C.E.) War which involved Athens and its allies against Sparta and its allies; Sparta ultimately won the war but a majority of the Greek city-states are weakened considerably by the fighting.

Philip II of Macedon: (359 – 336 B.C.E.) King of Macedon who defeated a combined army of Thebes and Athens to become the ruler of the Greek city-states; father of Alexander the Great.

Alexandria: Seaport in Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea which was founded by Alexander the Great and became the center of Hellenistic culture.

Roman Republic: (510 – 47 B.C.E.) The balanced constitution of Rome; featured an aristocratic Senate, a panel of magistrates, and several popular assemblies.

Carthage: Ancient city-state in north Africa founded by the Phoenicians and destroyed by the Romans in the Punic Wars in 146 B.C.E.

Hannibal: Carthaginian general who led troops into Italy during the Second Punic War; he was defeated at the Battle of Zama in 202 B.C.E. by the Roman general Scipio.

Augustus Caesar: (63 B.C.E. – 14 C.E.) Grandnephew of Caesar who restored order to Rome after a century of political chaos; he assumed the title Augustus and instituted a monarchial government in which the emperor was dictator, chief military general, and chief priest; first emperor of Rome.

Polis: Greek word for city-state.

Tyranny: A government based on the rule of an absolute ruler.

Direct democracy: A government based on the rule of the vote of the people.

Aristocracy: A government based on the rule of the best of the society.

Twelve Tables: (c. 450 B.C.E.) Roman law code developed in response to the democratization of the Roman republic.

“Mystery” religions: Religions often imported from the Middle East which featured secret rituals and fellowship and a greater sense of contact with the divine.

Herodotus: Greek historian called the “Father of History” who wrote an account of the Persian Wars in the Histories.

Pythagoras: Hellenistic mathematician who developed many basic geometric theorems which are still in use in geometry today.

Galen: Hellenistic physician and writer who wrote many medical treatises that formed the basis of modern medical practice.

Euclid: Hellenistic mathematician who produced what was long the world’s most widely used
compendium of geometry.

Ptolemy: Hellenistic astronomer who produced an elaborate theory of the sun’s motion around
the Earth.

Sappho: (born ca. 612 B.C.E.) One of the great poets of the ancient Greeks; her poetry developed the complexities of the inner workings of human beings and love.

Vergil: (70 – 19 B.C.E.) One of the greatest of the Roman poets during “Golden Age” of Latin literature; patronized by Augustus; author of the Aeneid.

Source : http://edublogs.misd.net/khall87/files/2013/10/ch_4_summary_notes-tynxjz.doc

Web site link: http://edublogs.misd.net/khall87/

Google key word : Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary file type : doc

Author : not indicated on the source document of the above text

If you are the author of the text above and you not agree to share your knowledge for teaching, research, scholarship (for fair use as indicated in the United States copyrigh low) please send us an e-mail and we will remove your text quickly.

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

Chapter 4
Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean: Greece and Rome

I. Introduction
A. Mediterranean culture
1. Greece slowed Persian empire, set up a few colonies, but…
2. Rome known for empire
3. New institutions/values that would remain in western culture
4. “our own” Classical past
a. U.S. Constitution
b. buildings in the U.S.
c. founders of the philosophical tradition
d. Socratic method
B. Greco-Roman history
1. more dynamic, but less successful
* We can clearly recognize the connections and our own debt without adhering to the notion that the Mediterranean world somehow dominated the classical period.
2. Complicated – passed through two centers
a. Rome preserved many of Greek achievements
C. Rome vs. Greece
1. Mighty empire vs. inept/Greek city-states
2. Mastered engineering vs. scientific thought
3. western Europe – Greco Roman vs. Eastern Europe – Greek influence
4. Shared
a. political ideas
b. common religion
c. artistic styles
d. economic structures

II. The Persian Tradition
A. 550 BCE Cyrus the Great – massive Persian Empire across Middle East
1. Tolerant of local customs
2. Advanced iron technology
3. Zoroastrianism
4. artistic lifestyle
5. Conquered by Alexander the Great
6. Persian language and culture survived into the 20th century

III. Patters of Greek and Roman History
A. Greece
1. Crete – showed Egyptian influence by 2000
a. Monumental architecture
2. 1400 Mycenae – kingdom Trojan War
a. Indo-Europeans destroyed until 800 – Dark Ages
3. Rise from 800-600 strong city-states
a. tyrant or aristocratic council
b. divided by mountains
1. unified government difficult
2. trade developed
c. written language came from Phoenician alphabet
d. regular celebrations
1. athletic competitions – Olympic games
e. Sparta/Athens rose to the top
1. Sparta – military tradition dominated slves
2. Athens – commercial state, slaves, artistic/intellectual leadership
3.
4. 5th century – Democracy in Athens
a. Pericles - most famous political figure
1. No official position, but influence/negotiation
b. each citizen participated
c. eventually Spartan/Athenian war weakens both sides
1. Peloponnesian Wars – weakened Greece
a. Philip II of Macedon came down and took over
b. Alexander the Great then kept going to Persia
1. 13 years of conquests – 33
2. Successor kingdoms ruled for centuries
3. Hellenistic period – Greek art/culture merges
4. Trade flourished
5. Scientific centers – Alexandria
6. Greece decline, but legacy carries on
B. Rome
1. Started under control of monarchy in 800 – defeated in 509
2. Roman republic expanded
a. Always fear of invaders, keep extending boundaries
b. Across Sicily, conflict with Carthage
1. Leads to Punic Wars – 3 of them
a. Bloody defeat by Hannibal – through Gaul
b. 3rd Punic War – salted fields – agriculture
3. Republic replaced by powerful generals
a. Caesar first to “Cross the Rubicon” – 45 BCE
b. August Caesar takes over in 27 BCE – after rivalry following assassinat
1. Pax Romana – basic structure for Roman Empire
a. Until 180 CE Marcus Aurelius – peace to Medit. World
b. Empire expanded to Britain
c. Gradual fall until 476 when invaders took over
1. economic deterioration – trade loss
2. population loss – declining birth rates
3. government less effective – couldn’t take care of empire
4. unable to take over more land to finance empire
5. too spread out – undefendable
4. Diocletian Reforms
5. Constantine – 313 adopts Christianity
6. After the fall
1. Governments became local in Western Europe – can’t control/order
2. Roman armies needed foreign recruits – why are we fighting again?
IV. Greek and Roman Political Institutions
A. Introduction
1. Politics crucial – polis – Greek city-state – similar to China
a. “Good life” included political service, military
2. Did not try to administer local regions
3. Unlike China, never had single set of political institutions/bureaucracy/emp
4. Like India diverse forms
a. Monarchy – not preferred – tried to abolish
b. Individual strongman – tyranny – quite common – some effective
B. Greece – demos – the people
1. General assemblies – all vote – direct democracy – not a republic
2. Executive officers chosen by lot – similar to jury duty
3. ½ citizens – slave/foreigners – women excluded > 25% participate
4. Negatives of democracy – Peloponnesian Wars
a. Lower class citizens want power – recommend stupid military choices
5. Most preferred – aristocratic assemblies – aristocracy – rule of the best
C. Rome
1. Constitution – relied on aristocracy – election of magistrates
2. Senate – held executive offices – two consuls shared power – public speaking
a. Dictator during emergencies
3. Ample political theory – Cicero main guy
a. Political ethics
b. Duties of citizens
c. incorruptible service
d. key political skills – oratory
e. Diff. than China – not so much on hierarchy, obedience, bureaucracy
4. Roman Empire – preserved Senate – relatively useless
5. Local autonomy prevailed – accept times like Jewish rebellion 63 CE
a. tolerance local customs, religion
6. Strong military organization
7. Well-crafted laws – Twelve Tables 450 BCE – restrain upper class
a. Rules, not personal whim, should govern people
b. regulated property, commerce
c. similar to Chinese bureaucratic structure
8. Focused on law courts, military force
a. Not so much on commerce, but…
b. Rome…roads, harbors – military transport, commerce
c. Public baths, stadiums – “bread and circuses”
9. Supported official religion – civic festivals, but not imposed
a. Religions tolerated as long as didn’t conflict with state
1. Problem w/ Christianity, state not first
D. Key elements
1. Localism, political focus, diversity of political systems, aristocracy, law
2. Lacked specific individual rights, instability showed system was flawed

V. Religion and Culture
A. Religion
1. Christianity spread, but not a product of Christian/Roman Culture
2. Greco-Roman religion – nature > gods and goddesses
a. Different names/interacted w/ mortals/whims/soap opera
b. Patrons of nature/human activities
c. god stories used to illustrate human passions/foibles – literature
d. lacked spiritual passion – lower class attracted to “mystery religions” M. East
e. Upper class – didn’t allow for method systematic inquiry
3. Many thinkers/philosophers searched for explanations/model for ethical behavior
a. Aristotle – Golden Mean – balance
b. Stoics – moral independence – discipline/personal bravery
c. Socrates – question – accused of undermining – poison
d. Plato – understand three forms – True, Good, Beautiful
e. Importance – human ability to think, not human spirituality
f. Similar to Confucianism, but more skeptical and focused on abstract questions
B. Rational inquiry
1. Few inventions, many theories, classification
a. Many theories wrong
b. Some geometry, anatomy, incorrect astronomy
2. Romans more practical – engineering – roads/aqueducts
C. Art and literature – far more important
1. Official religion inspires artist expression – temples, statues
2. Realistic depiction of human form
3. Poetry, music, dance – not as preserved
4. Drama – comedy and tragedy – trilogy – focused on human flaws
a. Sophocles – Oedipus complex
b. Not just for upper class
c. Romans known more for athletic performances – charioteers/gladiators
5. Greek literature – epic tradition – Homer – Iliad/Odyssey – links mythology/history
6. Sculpture – heroic/realistic tradition
7. Architecture – columns – Doric, Ionic, Corinthian – classical architecture
a. Rome – dome/stadium – heavily adorned public buildings/monuments

VI. Economy and Society
A. Tendency for large landowners to squeeze out small farmers > feudalism later
1. Much tension comes from farmers trying to keep independence, get out of debt
2. Difficulty in farming – geography, topography
a. Forced olives, grapes – but these need capital, patience – 5 years – landlord
3. Commercial agriculture led to need for empire
a. Supervised grain trade, public works, storage facilities
b. Manufactured products less advanced – exported animals/skins, metals
B. Merchants – better in Mediterranean than China, but ambiguous
C. Slavery – key component – agriculture – from military expansion
1. Free farmers couldn’t compete w/ slave/tenant labor
2. Hurt technological innovation – behind India/China in production technology
D. Tight family structure – women inferior/diff. laws – not as bad as China, but infanticide
E. Not the period of “human race was most happy or prosperous” – idealized in Western world
1. Urban achievements not everything

VII. The Fall of Rome – fell in parts, not all at once
A. No central religion
B. Classical Mediterranean life not fully carried on

VIII. Global connections
1. Outsiders as barbarians
2. Alexander the Great expanded
3. some Romans saw Greek literature/philosophical focus as a waste of time
4. Rome expanded to Germanic tribes – trade/war
a. Tolerant of local customs, but built Roman monuments
5. Believed there was little to learn from beyond their own borders

IX. Classical Mediterranean in Comparative Perspective
1. China, India, Medit. All have agricultural economy, empires
a. Secular Medit. similar to Confucian
2. Politics don’t speak of deference, bureaucratic training
3. Greeks more into theory
4. Each had social hierarchy and laws to justify/protect upper class
a. Aristocracy – India – priests, China – bureaucrats, Medit. – aristocrats
5. Social mobility
a. India’s caste – little
b. China – few talented bureaucrats could move up
c. Medit. – some non-aristocrats could move up, military
6. Lowest class
a. India – untouchables
b. China – “mean people”
c. Medit. – slavery
a. Farmers/property important – but scorned manual labor > slavery
7. United by different reasons – social unrest, rebellions in all
a. India – Hinduism
b. Medit. – military force, local authorities
c. Chinese – Confucianism – obedience, self-restraint
8. China/India more successful in convincing poor of legitimacy of class structure
a. Medit. focused on aristocracy, tried to give some political rights to others

Source : http://www.mrburnett.net/apworldhistory/stearnschapternotes/StearnsChapter4.doc

Web site link: http://www.mrburnett.net/

Google key word : Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary file type : doc

Author : not indicated on the source document of the above text

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean: Greece and Rome

McKay – Chapter 5 – The Legacy of Greece and Chapter 6 – Hellenistic Diffusion

The civilizations of Greece and Rome rivaled those of India and China in cultural richness and their effect on world history. Their institutions and values reverberated in the later histories of the Middle East and Europe and Europe’s colonies around the world. The study of classical Mediterranean civilization is complicated because it includes Greek and then Roman political, social, and economic institutions, which wee sometimes shared but often unique.

The Persian Tradition

Greeks and Romans had contacts with and were influenced to some degree by the large Persian /empire and its descendants. The Persians absorbed many of the attributes of earlier Mesopotamian societies. Zoroastrianism, an early monotheistic religion, came from with in the empire. After being toppled by the Greek leader Alexander the Great, another empire arose – the Sassanid – during Rome’s imperial era.

Movie clip - Alexander the Great.asf

Patterns of Greek and Roman History

The rise of the dynamic city-states of classical Greece began around 800 B.C.E., reaching a high point in the fifth century B.C.E. with the leadership of the Athenian Pericles. The next major area came under the expansionist Alexander who briefly united Greece and the Persian Empire. The legacy of the combination of the two civilizations was called Hellenism. Rome’s development as a republic began as Hellenism waned. As Rome gained more territory by challenging regional powers and lesser developed cultures, it grew into an empire.

Movie Clip – Ancient Rome’s influence.asf

Greek and Roman Political Institutions

Greece and Rome featured an important variety of political forms. Both tended to emphasize aristocratic rule but there were significant examples of democratic elements as well. Politics was very important in the classical Mediterranean civilizations and offer similarities to Confucian values, yet the variety of political forms reminds the historian of India. There was no single Greek political style, but democracy is the most famous. Classical Mediterranean political theory involved ethics, duties of citizens and skills, norm. The exception, Christianity under the Roman Empire, occurred because Christians refused to place state first in their devotion. The greatest political legacies of the Mediterranean cultures were an intense loyalty to the state, a preference for aristocratic rule, and the development of a uniform met of legal principles.

Movie clip – Rome’s Political Tactics.asf

In Depth: The Classical Mediterranean Civilization in Comparative Perspective

The three great classical civilizations of China, India, and the Mediterranean lead historians to espouse a variety of comparisons. Similarities include that each developed into an empire; each relied primarily on an agricultural economy; and each supported the development of science, but for different reasons. All three civilizations emphasized clear social strata with the elites different reasons. All three civilizations emphasized clear social strata with the elites considerably distanced from the masses. Differences included social mobility, with India’s the most restrictive and Rome’s the most fluid, comparatively. In addition, each civilization developed a different cultural “glue” that held society together, with the Mediterraneans’ emphasis on devotion to the state for the good of the whole (“civic duty”), while India promised reward for good behavior through reincarnation and Chinese Confucianism promoted obedience and self-restraint as a good unto itself, with the result being peace and prosperity. Over time, Indian and Chinese social structures survived better than those in the Mediterranean because of the introduction of Christianity into the latter’s culture.

Religion and Culture

The Greeks and Romans did not create a significant world religion. Their religions derived from a complex set of gods and goddesses who were seen as regulating human life. Both Mediterranean and Indian religious lore reflected the common heritage of Indo-European invaders. Greco-Roman religion tended toward an of-this-world approach with lessons that illustrated human passions and foibles but offered little in regard to modeling ethical behavior. Thus, separate models of moral philosophy were developed, by such men as Aristotle and Cicero, who like Confucius, taught the importance of moderation and balance in human behavior. Socrates taught his followers to question conventional wisdom by using rational inquiry. In the sciences, Greek work in geometry and anatomy were especially important. The greatest Roman contribution to the sciences was in engineering. In the arts and literature, the Greeks had few equals, particularly in sculpture, architecture, and plays. The Romans mimicked but rarely surpassed the Greek innovators in these fields.

Movie clip – Rome’s Infrastructure.asf
Movie clip – Roman Inventions.asf

Economy and Society in the Mediterranean

Most Greeks and Romans were self-sustaining farmers, but there was also a great deal of commercial agriculture, which in turn fueled their establishment of empire. There was also extensive trade. Slavery was an important economic and social institution in the Mediterranean civilization. The family was a tight social structured, with men in firm control; however, women were often active in business and sometimes controlled property. Overall, the status of women in the Mediterranean world was better than in China.

Movie clip – Slavery in Roman Empire.asf
Movie clip – Slave rebellion – Roman Empir.asf

Toward the Fall of Rome

The fall of Rome differed from China’s and India’s declines. For instance, no single civilization rose to replace Rome, although several smaller governments claimed to be its inheritor. In addition, Rome’s fall was fragmentary, collapsing in the Western empire long before the Eastern side did.

Global Connections: Greece, Rome, and the World

The Greeks set up a widespread colonial and trading network, peaking with Alexander, but it did not last. The much bigger world of the Romans was well aware of the Asian, African, and northern European world outside their realm. Chinese goods were trading in the city of Rome itself, but interest in the Middle Kingdom seems to have been strictly out of a desire for material goods, rather than because of China’s technology or system of governance.

Key terms

Cyrus the Great
Pericles
Alexander the Great
Hellenistic period
Punic Wars
Julius Caesar
Diocletian and Constantine
Greek city-states
Senate
Consuls
Cicero
Socrates
Plato
Aristotle
Stoics
Sophocles
Iliad and Odyssey
Doric, Ionic, Corinthian

Source : http://osx.lps.org/manila/tbayne/GreeceandRome.doc

Web site link: http://osx.lps.org

Google key word : Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary file type : doc

Author : not indicated on the source document of the above text

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

Chapter 4 Overview
Stearns
Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean: Greece and Rome

Classical past- govt., architecture, philosophy

The Persian Tradition

Classical Mediterranean civilization- rise of city-states in Greece. Expansion of Hellenistic Period. Rome emerged as separate republic. Roman expansion led to a decline of republican forms and rise of a great empire
Persians in the Middle East
550BCE- Cyrus the Great- Persian empire from Middle East to northern India

Tolerant of local customs
Advanced iron technology
Developed Zoroastrianism

Patterns of Greek and Roman History

City-states in Greece- around 800BCE- high point in 5th c. BCE (Golden Age of Athens)
Greek values spread during Hellenistic Period begun by Alexander the Great
Greek rise and decline, Hellenism, Roman Republic, Roman Empire

Greece

Crete 2000BCE (Minoan culture)
Mycenae in Southern Greece around 1400BCE
Trojan War in Homer’s Iliad
Rise of Greek civilization 800-600 BCE- creation of strong city-states- each with own govt.
Monarchy- Oligarchy- Tyranny- Democracy
Geography- mountainous terrain prevented unification
Trade important
Alphabet from Phoenecians
Olympic games
Sparta: military, oligarchy, Hellots (slave population)
Athens: slavery, trade, colonies
Reasons for colonization: overcrowding, not enough arable land
5th c BCE Pericles- Athenian politician- ruled w/ negotiation
Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BCE)- Sparta vs. Athens- Sparta won- then Thebes, weakened the Greeks and paved the way for Philip II of Macedon to invade in 338BCE and then Alexander the Great took over.
Spread of Hellenistic culture: Greek=Hellenes
Use of aristocratic assemblies
Aristocracy: Greek meaning “rule of the best”

Rome

Republic 1stc BCE to Empire
Representative democracy- elect officials

Republic

Senate: composed mostly of aristocrats- held most executive offices in Roman State
2 Consuls: ruled jointly- except in times of crisis/ war, then rule by Dictator
Importance placed in ethics, duties of citizens, incorruptible service, and oratory
Key Roman writer: Cicero- emphasized participation in deliberate bodies that would make laws and judge the actions of executive officers
Empire: maintained Senate, but not powerful
Hierarchy of Roman Army- officers had great political power
63CE: forced dissolution of the independent Jewish state after a major local rebellion- temple was dismantled, leaving only the Western Wall in Jerusalem
Legal codes important for administration of empire
Tolerance of local customs and religions and strong military organization
450BCE- Roman republic- introduced 12 Tables:

Purposes: restrain upper classes from arbitrary action and subject all to common legal principles
Roman law: emphasized judges and common-sense fairness

Classical Mediterranean in Comparative Perspective

India/China/Greco-Roman
Each developed empires, relied primarily on agricultural economy
Greco-Roman science emphasized theory more
Each had clear social hierarchy
Roman law as regulation of social life
Access to Roman citizenship
Athens and Rome placed great premium on importance of military conquest.
Rome: Control of masses w/ entertainment “bread and circuses”- cheap food and gladiator contests to prevent popular disorder
Government supported religion w/ gods and goddesses

Ex: Pantheon added gods as Roman Republic expanded

Roman Empire: persecution of Christians (ex: Nero), eventual tolerance and then it was made official religion of Empire
Sparta- extreme militaristic control- even down to raising children

Religion and Culture

Emphasis on philosophy and science an strong artistic tradition
Pantheon of Gods:

Greek	Roman	Function
Zeus	Jupiter	Head God/father
Hera	Juno	Wife of King of Gods
Apollo	Apollo	Regulated sun
Poseidon	Neptune	Oceans
Ares	Mars	God of War
Aphrodite	Venus	Love/Beauty
Athena	Minerva	Goddess of wisdom
Artemis	Diana	Goddess of Hunting

Gods were believed to be flawed and human-like
Development of “mystery cults and religions”
Philosophers- Aristotle emphasized balance in human behavior (ex: felt Middle-class was ideal group to rule)
Stoics: Hellenistic Period: inner moral independence

Strict discipline of body and personal bravery
Influenced Christianity

Athens: Socrates (469BCE) encouraged pupils to question- Socratic Method- accused of corrupting the youth- chose suicide over exile b/c believed in absolute rather than relative truth (contrary to Sophists)
Plato: student to Socrates- human reason could approach an understanding of three perfect forms: absolutely True, Good, and Beautiful

Believed Philosopher-Kings should rule

Geometry: Ex: Pythagorean Theorem
Hellenistic Period: Galen (medical treatises)

Euclid: Geometry
Ptolemy: Geocentric Theory- fixed wisdom in Western Thought

Roman Achievements: great roads, aqueducts, arches
Greek drama: comedy and tragedy
Sophocles: Oedipus Rex- called most perfect example of tragedy by Aristotle

Oedipus is fated to kill his father and marry his mother

8th c BCE: Iliad and Odyssey by Homer
Vergil (Virgil): The Aeneid- sought to link Roman history to mythology w/ Greek forerunner
5th c BCE: Phidias (sculptor)
Greek monumental architecture (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian columns)

Economy and Society in the Mediterranean

Featured commercial agriculture, trade, and slavery. Patriarchal family structure was characteristic
Most Greeks and Romans were farmers
Roman Republic: many tenant farmers forced to work for patrician landholders

Latifundia System
Many small farmers forced to become tenants or move into cities causing overcrowding

Need for grain led to colonization

Soil more suited to grapes and olives

Slavery was key ingredient of the classical economy

Athens: household and silver mines
Sparta: agricultural work (Helots)
Roman: household, mines, agricultural work (part of latifundia system)

Greece and Rome: importance of paterfamilias

Cases of female infanticide

Toward the Fall of Rome

Rome began to decline after 180CE
Fell in some parts more than other (ex: West before East: Byzantines)
Greek historian: Herodotus and Thucydides
Germanic tribes: invasion: disloyalty of outsiders: overexpansion

Chapter 4 Overview
Duiker & Speilvogel

Pericles: Funeral Oration- ideals of democracy and importance of the individual
Early Greece

Geography- mountainous terrain- isolating, sea trading

Minoan Crete

2000-1450 BCE = height
Around 2800 BCE Bronze tools/ weapons
Palace at Knossos
Bull-leapers (gymnasts)
Why did they decline? Invasion?

Mycenaeans

1600-1100 BCE= height
Homer
Invasion by the Dorians?

Dark Age (1100-750BCE)

Migration due to declining population and falling food production
Iron replaced bronze
Adoption of Phoenecian alphabet

Homer

Based Iliad and Odyssey on oral tradition of the Trojan War
“the gods strong and incalculable; that the quality of a man matters more than his achievement, that violence and recklessness will still lead to disaster, and that this will fall on the innocent as well as on the guilty.”
Homer gave an idealized past- cornerstone of education

Greek City-States (c750-500BCE)

Polis= small but autonomous political unit, town and countryside

Acropolis= fortified hill
Agora= market and assembly (AGORAPHOBIC)
Classes w/in polis: Adult males (full political rights), women and children (citizens w/ no political rights), noncitizens (slaves and resident aliens)
New Military- hoplites (heavily armed) Phalanx formation

Colonization (750-550BCE)

Causes: poverty, land hunger, growing gulf between rich and poor, overpopulation and development of trade
Effects: Establishment of colonies, spread of culture throughout Mediterranean region, increased trade and industry

Govt.

Monarchy-Oligarchy-Tyranny-Democracy
Tyrants- usurpers of power in a coup d’etat- upheld public works projects to enhance their popularity

Sparta

Peloponnesus- conquered the Laconians and subjected theme to serfdom “HELOTS”- bound to the land
Created a military state to control Laconian and Messenian Helots
Babies judged at birth- defective- left to die
Boys- wet-nursed- taken away at 7 to military barracks- military training- joined army at 20, lived at Barracks until 30-could retire at 60.
Could marry and visit wife at night, but couldn’t get caught
Spartan women unique- had more rights- trained in wrestling and gymnastics to make them strong and bear healthy children- married later
Spartan Govt. (oligarchy)

2 kings- military affairs and supreme priests
Gerousia= council of elders
Ephors= supervised education
Apella= assembly of all male citizens

isolationist
Leader of Peloponnesian League
Spartans valued their strength as justification for their militaristic ideals and regimented society

Athens

Monarchy-Oligarchy (7thcBCE)-Tyranny-Democracy
7thcBCE- political and social discontent- rival factions w/in aristocracy- many farmers sold into slavery when they couldn’t pay debts
594BCE- Solon- reforms- cancelled land debts, outlawed new loans based on human collateral and freed people from slavery
Tyrants: Pisistratus & Clisthenes

Created new Council of 500 chosen by lot

Classical Greece (500-338BCE)

Greece vs. Persia

Ionian colonies revolt against Persians 499BCE aided by Athenian navy
490BCE Persian king Darius attacked Greece Battle of Marathon
Xerxes renewed plans for invasion of Greece
Battle of Thermopolae- Leonidas (Spartan king) 9,000 Greeks and 300 Spartans held off Persians for 2 days
479BCE Persian army defeated at Platea

478-477BCE Delian League founded w/ Athens
“Age of Pericles”- height of Athenian power and the culmination of its brilliance as a civilization
Athens was sacked and burned, Greek naval fleet won decisive victory over Persian navy at Salamis.
479BCE Greeks defeated the Persians at Plataea

Athenian Empire

Athens formed the Delian League

Age of Pericles

Assembly “will of the people”= all male citizens over 18- passed all laws and made financial decisions on war and foreign policy
Direct Democracy
Pericles expanded suffrage: lower-class citizens eligible for public offices formerly closed: state pay for office-holders
City magistrates chosen by lot
“Generals”=directors of policy (10 officials)= elected by public vote
Ostracism- person receiving 6,000 votes could be exiled for 10 years
Used treasury of Delian League to rebuild Athens

The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE)

Sparta v. Athens
Athen’s plan to stay behind walls but plague struck
Athens defeated= walls torn down, navy disbanded, empire destroyed
Interfighting b/w Athens, Sparta, and Thebes weakens the Greek city-states while Macedonia became stronger.

Culture of Classical Greece

Herodotus (484-425BCE) History of the Persian Wars

Central theme struggle b/w Greeks and Persians for greek freedom
Divine intervention in Greek victory

Thucydides (460-400BCE)

Greatest historian of ancient world
Scientific, methodical, and objective account of Pelop. War

Greek Drama

1st were tragedies- suffering of hero (tragic flaw) ex: Hubris

Aeschylus (525-456BCE)

1st tragedian
Oresteia Trilogy- evil acts breed evil acts- Reason Triumphs

Sophocles (496-406BCE)

Oedipus Rex- man is fated to kill father and marry his mother

Euripedes (485-406BCE)

The Bacchae
Critical of view that war was glorious- showed war as brutal and barbaric

Greek Comedy

Aristophanes (450-385 BCE)

The Clouds, Lysistrata
Comic but effective message against the Peloponnesian War (women have sex strike until war is ended)

The Arts: The Classical Ideal

Architecture- the Temple
Doric- Ionic- Corinthian columns
Parthenon- Temple of Athena

Sophists

Wandering teachers
Truth is relative to everyone

Socrates

Socratic Method
Sentenced to death for corrupting the youth of Athens- hemlock

Plato

The Republic
Ideal state: Population divided into 3 groups
Upper-class – Philosopher-Kings
Men and women have same education and equal access to all positions

Aristotle

Student of Plato, tutor to Alexander the Great
Book: Politics: constitutional govt.
Marriage impt for mutual support
Women biologically inferior to men and therefore should be subordinate to men in marriage

Greek Religion

Social and practical
Civic cult necessary for well-being of state
12 Olympian gods (Zeus, Hera, Athena, Apollo, Aphrodite, Poseidon, etc)
Each polis had a patron god
Afterdeath spirits to a gloomy underworld- Hades
Ritual important along w/ prayer and sacrifices
Oracles (at Delphi)

Daily Life

Males part of public life
Slavery common
Limited arable land- trade very important especially for grain
Women as wives, primary duty to have children
Homosexuality accepted

The Rise of Macedonia

Philip II (359-336BCE)- King of Macedonia

Built efficient army and conquered the Greeks
He was assassinated

Alexander the Great (336-323BCE)

Became king of Macedonia at 20
Invaded the Persian Empire
Asia Minor-Syria, Palestine, Egypt- Mesopotamia (Babylon)-Persepolis-Indus River
His troops mutinied at Indus River, forced to turn back
On return trip, Alexander died in Babylon
Legacy: Hero or Villain?

Hellenistic Era “to imitate Greeks”

“Hellenic” culture= Greek culture
Extension of Greek language and ideas to non-Greek world of Middle East
Spreading of Greek language, art, architecture, and literature
Urban centers key for diffusing Greek culture

Non-Greeks restricted from high positions so that Greeks could maintain their dominance

Ex: Alexandria in Egypt

Many Greek colonists moved to the Middle East

Economic and Social Trends

Agriculture
Commerce increased trade between west and east
Key trade item= grain
New opportunities for women
Education for upper class women
Ptolemaic rulers in Egypt= return to kings marrying own sisters

Culture in Hellenistic World

Hellenistic sculptures tried for more emotional and realistic art rather than idealized
Menander (342-291BCE)= New Comedy “Pretty Woman” Stories
Polybus (203-120BCE)= chief historian of Hellenistic Age

A Golden Age of Science

Separation of science from philosophy
Archimedes (287-212 BCE)= famous scientist

Worked on geometry in spheres and cylinders
Pi
Science of hydrostatics
Archimedian screw

Philosophy

Epicurus (341-270BCE)- founder of Epicureanism

Human beings were free to follow self-interest as a basic motivating force.
Happiness was goal of life- pursuit of pleasure
Pleasure= freedom from emotional turmoil, freedom from worry
Remove from public activity
Friendship important

Stoicism- founded by Zeno (335-263BCE)

Happiness, the supreme good, could only be found by living in harmony with the will of God
You could bear whatever life offered
Public service important and noble

Religion in Hellenistic World

Decline in population of traditional Greek Olympian Religion
Mystery cults= individuals could pursue a path to salvation and achieve eternal life by being initiated into a union with a savior god or goddess who had died and risen again.

Duiker & Spielvogel

Chapter 5: The World of the Romans

Similarities b/w Rome and China= empires lasted for centuries, remarkable success in establishing centralized control over their empires, and throughout their empires they maintained their law and political institutions, their technical skills, and their languages.

Location:

Italian peninsula had good arable land & important trade route on Med. Sea
Rome built on 7 hills, easy to defend

Early Rome:

Legend of Romulus and Remus
Influence of Greeks and Etruscans on Early Rome

Roman Republic:

Livy: History of Early Republic
Roman Confederation: Latins=full citizenship, other groups could eventually gain citizenship
Established colonies w/ fortified towns in strategic locations connected by roads
Govt: 2 consuls chosen annually “right to command”-administered govt. and led army into battle.
Praetor- execution of justice and “right to command” when consuls were away
Roman senate: 300 men served for life
Struggle of orders: b/w the plebeians and patricians- result= Council of Plebs
Patricians= aristocratic governing class
Plebeians= majority of population, could vote, but couldn’t hold office
Tribunes= office to represent the plebeians
Eventually pats and plebs could intermarry- new aristocratic class

Roman Conquest in Mediterranean

Punic Wars
Cato “And I think Carthage must be destroyed”
Eventually took over Macedonia and Greece
3 Stages: Conquest of Italy, conflict w/ Carthage and expansion into western Med., involvement w/ and domination of the Hellenistic kingdoms in the eastern Med.

Decline and Fall of Roman Republic

Disparity b/w rich and poor
Elite class called Nobiles (nobles)
Latifundia were large plantations using slave labor that forced small farmers out of business. Many farmers moved to cities resulting in overcrowding. Also, membership in the Roman army declined
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus worked for land-reform for small farmers, but both were assassinated.
Marius: general that recruited army by offering land, army swore allegiance to him= more power in the hands of individual generals
Sulla- used his army to seize power in Rome, purge, and strengthen the Senate
Jostling for power by a number of powerful individuals and civil wars generated by these conflicts.
60BCE: First Triumvirate: Julius Caesar, Crassus, Pompey
Crassus dies, Caesar’s forces vs. Pompey’s forces after J.Caesar “Crossed the Rubicon” J.Caesar won
47BCE J. Caesar= dictator 44 BCE Dictator for life
Land reforms, increased senate to 900 members, new calendar, citizenship
March 15th 44BCE “ides of march” Caesar was assassinated
2nd Triumvirate: Octavian, Marc Antony, Lepidus
Battle of Actium, Octavian won and Marc Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide
END of REPUBLIC

The Age of Augustus 31BCE-14CE

Augustus- 1st Emperor

Stable frontiers

Social stratification

Senatorial
Equestrian
Lower classes

Free grain and public spectacles to keep them distracted

The Early Empire (14-180CE)

Augustus-to Stepson Tiberius (Julio-Claudian Dynasty)
Emperors took more power
Nero(54-68): murdered mother “played fiddle while Rome burned”
The Five Good Emperors (96-180)
Trajan 98-117- alimentary program (state funds to assist poor parents in raising and educating their children)
Trajan and Hadrian: Building projects
Large Empire= difficult to defend
Cities were important for the spread of Roman culture, law and the Latin language
Development of towns and cities- based upon agricultural surpluses of the countryside

Culture and Society in the Roman world

conflict over Greek Culture- pervasive, but controversial
Roman Literature
Cattilus “best lyric poet”- letters to Lesbia
Cicero- great prose writer and oratory
Virgil: The Aeneid- moral Rome was on a divine mission to rule the world
Horace: Satires- “follies and vices of his age”
Ovid: Amores: The Art of Love
Livy: History of Rome- human character was the determining factor in history
Seneca- Stoicism
Tacitus: Annals & Historia & Germania= history had moral purpose
Roman Art: realistic sculptures and architecture projects (roads, aqueducts)
Roman Law

450BCE Twelve Tables: 1st code of laws

influenced by Stoicism
Innocent until proven otherwise
People could defend themselves before a judge

Roman Family

Led by paterfamilias (dominant male)
Divorce eventually allowed and became extensive
Legal min age for girls to marry was 12 but 14 was common
Roman women eventually gained more freedom

Roman conquest of Med. Brought drastic change in use of slaves- large #’s of foreign slaves were brought back to Italy

Cato the Elder “cheaper to work slaves to death, and then replace them than to treat them favorably.”
Murder of master by slave could mean the execution of all other household slaves

73BCE Spartacus Rebellion: Led by a Thracian slave- managed to defeat several Roman armies before he was finally trapped and killed in southern Italy-6,000 of his followers were crucified along the Appian Way
Imperial Rome

Gap b/w living conditions for rich and poor
Gladiatorial Games- fought to the death
Trajan- spectacles are necessary for the “contentment of the masses”

The Development of Christianity

Greco-Roman gods
Polytheistic- tolerant of other religions
Jewish background

Divided Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Zealots
Jewish revolt 66-70CE crushed by Romans and Jewish temple in Jerusalem destroyed (Western Wall remained)

The Rise of Christianity

Jesus of Nazareth (6BCE-29CE)
Reassured fellow Jews- did not plan to undermine their traditional religion: fulfill the prophesies
Jesus was crucified
Belief in Jesus’ resurrection became an important tenet of Christian doctrine
Important figure: Paul of Tarsus

Jewish Roman citizen- preached to Jews and Gentiles
Founded Christian communities throughout Asia Minor
Accept Jesus as savior, they could be saved

Early Christians suspicious b/c of their secret meetings

Accused of cannibalism
Christians refused to participate in the worship of the state gods & imperial cult= act of treason= death

Nero- fire in Rome- Christians scapegoated- used as human torches
Christian church created a well-defined hierarchical structure in which bishops and clergy were salaried officers separate from the laity, or regular church members
Christianity- promise of salvation- initiation w/ baptism
New roles for Woman in Christianity
Constantine (306-337) 1st Christian Emperor

Edict of Milan- tolerated the existence of Xty

Theodosius 378-395

Christianity made official religion of Roman Empire

Decline and Fall of Roman Empire

235-284: Roman Empire in continuous Civil War

50 years: 22 Emperors!

Invasions: Persians and Germanic Tribes
Military dependent upon mercenary soldiers and not as loyal
Diocletian 284-305: Divided empire into 4 administrative units
Constantine 306-337 new capital city in Byzantium (Constantinople)

Basic jobs hereditary

Fall of Western Roman Empire

2nd ½ 4th Century- Huns (Xiongnu)-to- Eastern Europe-Visigoths to south and west
410 Visigoths attached Rome
476: Western Roman Emperor Romulus Augustulus deposed- series of Germanic kingdoms
Factors

Christianity’s emphasis on spiritual kingdom
Traditional Roman values declined
Lead poisoning
Plague
Rome hindered technologically by slavery
Didn’t achieve a working political system
Key Factor: INVASION in West

Source : http://www.loudoun.k12.va.us/cms/lib4/va01000195/centricity/domain/4795/chp4overview.doc

Web site link: http://www.loudoun.k12.va.us

Google key word : Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary file type : doc

Author : not indicated on the source document of the above text

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

Chapter 4, Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean: Greece and Rome

Summary:

Key Concepts:

The Persian Tradition:

Founded by Cyrus the Great, the Persian Empire was tolerant of local customs, developed iron technology, organized an effective government and military, developed a new religion (Zoroastrianism), and supported a great artistic tradition.

Patterns of Greek and Roman History:

The rise of the dynamic city – states of classical Greece began around 800 B.C.E, reaching a high point in the 5th century B.C.E., when Pericles governed Athens.
Following the Peloponnesian Wars between Athens and Sparta, decline set in, but a new pattern of expansion occurred under Alexander the Great. Greek values spread widely in the ensuing Hellenistic period.
As Hellenism declined, Rome was emerging as an expanding republic, defeating Carthage in the Punic Wars and later becoming the Roman Empire after the death of Julius Caesar. For roughly 200 years, the Empire enjoyed great power and prosperity.
Despite the efforts of emperors like Diocletian and Constantine, the ensuing 250 years brought a slow but decisive fall.

Greek and Roman Political Institutions:

Greece and Rome featured an important variety of political forms. Both tended to emphasize aristocratic rule, but there were significant democratic elements as well.
In the Greek polis, those who were citizens participated actively in political life. In Athens, the system of direct democracy allowed citizens to shape policy in general assemblies.
In the Roman republic, the Senate was the main legislative body, but under the autocratic empire, the Senate’s influence waned.
Later, Rome added emphasis on law and created the institutions necessary to run a vast and decentralized empire.

Religion and Culture:

Greek and Roman culture did not directly generate a lasting major religion, though Christianity arose in the classical Mediterranean context. Greco – Roman religion used epic poems and mythology to explore human foibles and passions.
An emphasis on rationality, especially in philosophy, science, and strong artistic and architectural tradition, permeated classical Mediterranean culture.
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are the most well – known Greek philosophers.

Economy and Society in the Mediterranean:

Greek and Roman societies mirrored many standard social features of an agricultural economy, including a large peasantry and a land – owning aristocracy and dependence on trade and commerce.
Differing versions of the patriarchal family structure existed in both Greek and Roman culture.
Distinctive features included slavery and a slightly less oppressive attitude towards women than was true in classical China.

Toward the Fall of Rome:

Rome began to decline after about 180 C.E. Symptoms were gradual, including loss of territory and economic reversals.
Ultimately, invaders periodically raided Rome until the empire finally collapsed.

Key Terms:

Cyrus the Great:

Pericles:

Alexander the Great:

Hellenistic period:

Punic Wars:

Julius Caesar:

Diocletian and Constantine:

Greek city – states:

Senate:

Consuls:

Cicero:

Socrates:

Plato:

Aristotle:

Stoics:

Sophocles:

Iliad:

Odyssey:

Doric, Ionic, Corinthian architecture:

Battle of Marathon:

King Xerxes:

Themistocles:

Battle of Thermopylae:

Zoroastrianism:

Olympic Games:

Peloponnesian Wars:

Philip II of Macedon:

Alexandria:

Roman Republic:

Carthage:

Augustus Caesar:

Polis:

Tyranny:

Direct democracy:

Aristocracy:

Twelve Tables:

“Mystery” Religions:

Herodotus:

Pythagoras:

Galen:

Euclid:

Ptolemy:

Sappho:

Vergil:

Persian wars:

Roman republic:

Hannibal:

Hellenistic age:

Aristocracy:

Athens:

Sparta:

Chapter 4, Quiz Questions

1) If the Greek genius was politics, the Roman genius was
A) engineering.
B) poetry.
C) science.
D) agriculture.
E) music.

2) The two Mediterranean powers fighting in the Punic Wars were
A) Athens and Sparta.
B) Egypt and the Persian Empire.
C) Macedonia and Crete.
D) Sicily and Ionia.
E) Carthage and Rome.

3) Compared to modern American ideas of democracy, Athenian democracy was distinctive in
A) urging that the state adopt policies to benefit ordinary citizens.
B) separating foreign residents from citizens.
C) naming experienced leaders as military generals.
D) urging that all citizens participate directly in lawmaking and policymaking.
E) electing representatives to govern the city-state.

4) Greek politics resembled Indian politics in
A) the wide interest in diverse political theory.
B) the role of slave labor in providing revenues.
C) the inclusion of women as political leaders.
D) the tendency of regional fragmentation.
E) the use of military rulers.

5) From a Confucian viewpoint, the Roman Empire might have been criticized for placing too much confidence in
A) divine status of the emperor.
B) public works functions.
C) laws rather than trained officials.
D) harsh punishments of criminals.
E) religious conviction.

6) Republican Romans and democratic Athenians would have agreed that all of the following were politically important EXCEPT
A) proper worship of the gods.
B) a strong military.
C) division of powers within the state.
D) splendid public buildings.
E) an involved citizenry.

7) The Senate of republican Rome particularly represented
A) the landed aristocracy.
B) the emperors.
C) the urban workers.
D) the merchants and businessmen.
E) the non-native Romans.

8) Roman emperors tried to prevent popular disorder by
A) dividing the great landed estates.
B) granting the vote to lower-class citizens.
C) abolishing slavery in Rome and the provinces.
D) organizing food supplies and distribution.
E) enlarging the empire through the conquest of Gaul.

9) The Roman Empire
A) tolerated local political and religious diversity.
B) insisted that all inhabitants become Roman citizens.
C) prevented foreigners from trading within the empire.
D) set up a military draft to supply the Roman legions.
E) allowed no political participation from its citizens.

10) The Socratic Method emphasized the importance of
A) faith in authority.
B) laboratory experiment.
C) questioning.
D) harmony.
E) respect for elders.

11) The Greek and Hellenistic approach in science
A) stressed the importance of practical applications.
B) used mathematics to try and explain nature's patterns.
C) heavily influenced China's scientific approach.
D) emphasized the mysterious forces of nature.
E) was purely theoretical.

12) Hellenistic society was known for its advances in
A) medicine and geometry.
B) Latin literature.
C) democracy.
D) religious thought.
E) warfare.

13) Compared to Chinese architecture, Greek and Roman architecture
A) was particularly devoted to government buildings.
B) featured monumental styles.
C) emphasized tall towers and steeples.
D) avoided the use of color and decoration.
E) did not emphasize balance.

14) Greek and Roman agriculture
A) exported grain to Asia.
B) concentrated on vegetables and dairy products.
C) employed only a minority of the population.
D) tended to develop large, commercial estates.
E) ignored grape and olive cultivation.

15) Roman slaves were used for all of the following EXCEPT
A) work in the mines.
B) agricultural labor.
C) household care and tutoring.
D) military service.
E) entertainment.

16) Both ancient Rome and Greece depended on slavery. One result of this dependence was
A) both groups lagged in technological advances compared to the Chinese or the Indians.
B) many wars between the Romans and nomadic groups broke out when the Romans attempted to capture slaves.
C) the development of the idea of democracy, which led to the eventual fall of Rome.
D) the rise of a new social class known as the "metics" in Roman society.
E) a vast improvement in agricultural techniques leading eventually to the split of the Roman Empire.

Essay Questions:
Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean: Greece and Rome

What were the main similarities and differences between Greek and Roman political structures?

What is the significance of the Hellenistic period in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean history?

Write an “intellectual biography” essay on one of the following: Socrates, Plato, Sophocles, Aristotle, Vergil, Cicero.

Compare the main features of the social structure of the classical civilizations in the Mediterranean, China, and India.

In which society-India, China, or the Mediterranean – would you have wanted to be a merchant in the classical period? Explain your choice.

What were the main similarities and differences between the empires of Rome and Han China? Why did Rome’s empire prove less durable?

Early in the classical period, both Greece and India exhibited religions with many gods and goddesses. Why and how did India go on to form a major, durable religion around such phenomenon while Greece did not?

Compare the scientific achievements and approaches of classical India, China, and the Mediterranean.

Compare Greek, Roman, and Confucian ideals.

Source : http://walkerapworld.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/44533479/AP%20Student%20World%20History%20Study%20Guide%20Packet.doc

Web site link to visit: http://walkerapworld.pbworks.com/

Author : Mr. Walker

Google key word : Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary file type : doc

Author : Mr. Walker

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

If you want to quickly find the pages about a particular topic as Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary use the following search engine:

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

McKay – Chapter 5 – The Legacy of Greece and Chapter 6 – Hellenistic Diffusion

The Persian Tradition

Patterns of Greek and Roman History

Greek and Roman Political Institutions

In Depth: The Classical Mediterranean Civilization in Comparative Perspective

Religion and Culture

Economy and Society in the Mediterranean

Toward the Fall of Rome

Global Connections: Greece, Rome, and the World

Key terms

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary

Please visit our home page

Larapedia.com Terms of service and privacy page

Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean Greece and Rome summary