Unit 3

UNIT 3Classical Civilizations

CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS Define:

Maurya (India)GreeceRomeHan (China)The Fall of

Empires

“Classical Civilization” – Very highly organized civilization that contributed many things to our lives today

B.C. A.D.1

1600

1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

200

400

Greek

Roman

Maurya - India

Han - China

MAURYA CIVILIZATION

Location: Northern India – Indus River Valley

Why we study about Mauryan Civilization: Created a bureaucracy

(system that runs a government)

Ran a centralized government – all cities report to one location, all laws come from one location

Chandragupta Maurya Ashoka

HAN DYNASTY

Location: Eastern China

Contributions to our society: (Han Dynasty)PaperWheelbarrowRudderAcupuncture

GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Built to keep invading army from the north

Before the use of bricks, the Great Wall was mainly built from rammed earth, stones, and wood.

1,387.2 miles Only man made

structure visible from Earth

Silk:- Very popular trade product, soft natural fiber (Chinese law: no silk worms or mulberry bushes could be exported from China)- “Silk Road” was created; connected China with the Middle East

Civil Service Exam:- Must pass a test to get a government job (merit not family)- Based upon the teachings of Confucius

Dynasty System: - A line of ruling families in China- Each ruling family claimed the Mandate of Heaven

Mandate of Heaven: - The belief that families are given the right to rule by the gods

GREECE

Religion:- Polytheistic (the belief in many gods)- Each god controlled some part of the natural world- Titans- Mythology (Prometheus, Hercules, Perseus, The Odyssey, Troy, etc…….)

GREEK HIERARCHY OF GODS

Titans: Chaos, Gaia, Uranus, Rhea, Cronos, etc…

The 12 Olympians: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Ares, Hades, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, & Dionysus

Mythology: Minotaur & the Labyrinth, Prometheus Flame, Medusa and Perseus, 12 Labors of Hercules, The Trojan War, The Odyssey of Odysseus, The 3 Sisters of Fate, etc…

GREEK HISTORY: City States:

Greece is made up of mountainous islands – because of difficulty traveling and communicating; no centralized governments formed

As a result city-states developed, which consisted of a city and its surrounding land

ATHENS Vs. SPARTA: 2 Main City-States, fought against each other in the Peloponnesian War Type of

GovernmentType of Society

Other Information

Athens Direct Democracy –citizens (free men) voted

Educated, Intellectual, Good relations with others

Citizens are men, cultural center

Sparta Dual Monarchy – 2 Kings, Council of Elders

War-like, poor outside relations, warriors

Life is hard, little travel or trade, no change

Alexander the Great: - Took over the “then known world” (Egypt, Persia, & India)

Hellenistic Culture:- A blend of Greek, Egyptian, Persian, and Indian culture (a great example of cultural diffusion)- Created by Alexander the Great

CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR SOCIETY1. Architecture:

- Created “Classical” Architecture- Columns for support (Doric, Ionic, & Corinthian)- Straight lines and basic shapes (triangle, squares, and rectangles- Many of the buildings in Washington D.C. are modeled after Greek architecture (White House, Capital, etc…)

2. Philosophy:- Science of thinking about difficult and important issues- SOCRATES – PLATO – ARISTOTLE: Great Greek Philosophers

3. Democracy:- Type of Government – citizens help decide important issues established in Athens

4. Citizen:- Only free males (no women, slaves or foreigners)

ROMAN EMPIREDevelopment: 1.) Started as

a monarchy (king), 2.) A republic was formed as more people were assimilated into the empire (vote for representatives to make decisions), 3.) Empire (rulers called Caesar), Caesars make all the decisions for the people

Its location: Began in Italy (Rome) – the empire surrounds the Mediterranean Sea and was large enough to unite Europe with the Middle East (trade, common language [Latin], common government)

The “Republic” : Type of government where citizens elect representatives who decide on important issues (laws, taxes, etc…) government in Rome before it became an empire

Pax Romana or “Roman Peace”: Began with Augustus Caesar; 200 years of peace and prosperity (the Golden Age of Rome)

CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR SOCIETY1. Religion:

- Copied Greek religion, just changed the names of Gods2. Literature:

- Continued the Greek tradition of drama, poetry, and novels3. Engineering:

- Architecture – copied Greek “classical” architecture, added round shapes (arch and dome)- Arch: replaced columns for support – stronger than columns, could build larger structures with more open space- Aqueducts – carry fresh water from countryside to cities- Roads – 1.) built first great roadways, 2.) move army quickly, 3.) improved trade across empires

4. Laws:- 1.) Applied to all people within the empires, 2.) basis for our legal system today, 3.) 12 Tables were the written laws of Rome

5. Latin Language:

- Allowed everyone to communicate throughout the empire

- Common language of Europe for many centuries

HOW EMPIRES FALL APART

HAN DYNASTY ROMAN EMPIRE

1. People become corrupt and lazy2. Empires become too big to manage3. Foreign invasions4. Taxes get to high

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

1. What does it mean to call a civilization classical?- Each development many things that our culture still uses; paper, gunpowder, arches, columns, laws, language, science, math, philosophy, etc…- They are the basis for our civilization today!

2. How did the geography cause the rise of city-states in Greece?- Mountains and islands were a barrier to travel and communications which restricted the Greek people from having a centralized government- People were isolated in small communities (cities and surrounding land)

3. Generally, what was the status of women and slaves in classical civilizations?- Not considered as citizens- Inferior to free men- No education- Roles limited – home-centered life

4. How are the contemporary (today’s) democratic governments rooted in classical civilizations?- Maurya: centralized government, bureaucracy- Han: civil service exam- Greece: democracy- Rome: laws, republic