Mesopotamia - Geography
Standard 6.2 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush, in terms of:
1. The location and description of the river systems, and physical settings that support permanent settlement and early civilizations.
Why is Mesopotamia called Mesopotamia and what else is it called?
Meso = middle
To north = mountains
To east = mountains
To south = Persian Gulf
To west = desert
Also known as the "Fertile Crescent"
Where is Mesopotamia located?
Parts of the modern countries of Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, Iran
Covers the river valleys of the Tigris & Euphrates Rivers (rivers too shallow for large boats
Traditional Garden of Eden
What is the geography of Mesopotamia like?
600miles long
Hot, dry, doesn't rain
Alluvial valley = broad, flat, no internal barriers
Highest points are the buildings in the cities
Benefits = annual yet unpredictable flooding renews soil's fertility
Unpredictable because based on snow melt, not rain (little vs. lots of snow, fast melt vs. slow melt)
Challenges = flooding a constant threat, disastrous to cities & farms, leads to starvation
Few internal barriers lead to constant warfare for good farmland and water
Drought prone, relied on irrigation, little rain, water from distant mountains
Salinization = irrigated land leaches salt to surface, makes soil useless
How did the Mesopotamian people respond to their geography?
Sedentary villages become cities
Collective action needed to build dams, irrigation canals, walled cities
Excess food let some people do jobs other than raising food = professionals
Craftspeople, military, priesthood, education
Elsewhere, people had to move often, this set civilization's development back or slowed it
Mesopotamia - Economy
Why do we study the Mesopotamian economy?
Mesopotamia is where agriculture (farming) first started in the entire world
How did agriculture change how people lived?
Originally nomadic (wandering0) hunters and gatherers with low populations and no spare time
With farming: time outside growing season used for socializing, inventing, building
Food surplus led to division of labor - stoneworkers, potters, weavers, leather, metal, merchants
Staying in one area makes building worthwhile
Need organizational skills for collectively building irrigation systems
Desirable land and water makes them subject of attack by neighbors and nomads
Excess food traded for imported goods, trade routes set up, ideas traded also
Copper, tin, wood, salt, gems, weapons, armor
Marketplaces make trade easier
Who controlled the Mesopotamian economy?
Temples and palaces had the organization
Donations to churches and taxes to king made them rulers
Control and building of city-states
What technologies helped Mesopotamia te the area?
Wheel - wheeled carts - pulled by domesticated animals that could pull heavy loads of construction materials
Writing - about 3200 BCE
First to keep t of possessions, temple donations, taxes, buying & selling
Spread throughout region
Cuneiform (cuni = wedge)
Coins - easier to transport
Had a value other than the value of the metal
First in Lydia
Mesopotamia - Political System
How were people organized in Mesopotamia from the very early times?
4000 - 23-00BC farmers always needed irrigation so cooperation & community required building canals
Farmers liked living in cities for protection from nomads & thieves
Loose confederation of city/states, each about 100 square miles
Originally small group of leaders
Built temples, palaces, & market places
Priests and royalty controlled the money
As cities grew, how did the political system change?
2700 - 2500 BC great cities of Sumer, Lagash and Ur grew until territories overlapped
Led to wars over land, water, slaves, food, metals, trade goods
New war technology = 2-wheeled chariots pulled by horses
Entire populations killed or put into slavery
War winners completely destroyed losing cities, pulling down walls,
Led to great kings
Who were some of the Great Kings of this time?
Gilgamesh = Sumerian king, 1/3 man, 2/3 god
"He who knew everything", hero
written about in epic poem
Hammurabi = 6th king of Babylon
Great leader,
Power independent of priesthood & temple
Promoted trade, built canals, reorganized tax system
Pulled various laws together and published "Hammurabi's Code"
Purpose of code was "to cause justice to prevail… to destroy the wicked…to further welfare of people"
What came after the Great Kings?
1100-612 BC Assyrians = militaristic society since constant warfare
Eventually weakened by internal revolts + war with outsiders,
Invaded by others
612 - 538 BC = New Babylonia (Chaldeans) king Nebuchadnesser
Destroys Temple of Solomon and puts Jew into slavery
Mesopotamia - Social Structure
What were the social classes?
King
Priests
Palace officials
Free people dependent on nobility
Commoners = free citizens, protected by law
Slaves (prisoners of war, criminals, debtors), not enslaved for life
What did household look like?
Men had absolute power over households
Women had few rights
Women were protected by their dowry
Sickness caused by evil spirits, cured by magic
What was school like for Mesopotamian children?
Only rich went to school
Usually only the boys
Learned to write cuniform (wedge) alphabet on clay tablets with stylus
Memorized 600+ symbols
Learned writing, math, botany, linguistics,
What were some inventions from this time period (4,000 PC - 500 BC)?
Writing
Mathematics used base 60 system
Developed place value, unlike Roman numerals
Time = 60 seconds/60 minutes/24 hours
Calendar = 7 day weeks, 30 day months/12 months
Degrees = 360 degrees/60 minutes/60 seconds
Seasons = Zodiac
Square roots
Mesopotamia - Religion
What was the religion like during the time of the Sumerians?
4000 - 2300 BC
Many gods divided into warring factions struggling to control Earth
god of wind, god of rain,… storms, water, wisdom
gods worshipped because they were powerful
People needed to please and calm the gods
Supplied gods with food sacrifices at the temples
What were early temples like?
Ziggurat = stepped mound
Steps to heaven
Mud-brick temples
Shrine at top
Largest building in city
Center of city activity
Built to honor gods
What religion came later?
About 500 BC
Zoroastrians
Monotheistic
God wants to enlist the goodness of humans to struggle against evil
Life judged by action (good vs. bad)
All get to heaven eventually
Where to we read about Sumerian religion these days?
Bible story of the Good Samaritan
Helped a man at the side of the road when the Jewish priests just walked on by
4. The significance of Hammurabi's Code
What did H. do?
Pulled together traditions and laws that were shared by many Mesopotamian people
When was H's Code written?
About 1750 BC
1,000 years before Ten Commandments by Moses
Why did he write them down?
Needed because of complexity of urban setting dependent on rural farmers
H's code not the only one, best known since it survived almost complete
Why is it important?
Considered first written laws
Influence much of ancient world by spreading along trade routes
What were the distinctive features of H's Code?
1. Administration of just ice is unequal
Social class determines punishment
Recognized three classes: rulers, free, slaves
2. Law of retaliation
Reciprocal punishment
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
3. Administration of justice was semi-private
Individuals and families responsible for enforcing the code
Now in USA, government enforces the criminal codes, State vs. Jones
1/21/07
Stone Age Lecture Notes
Creatures Before Humans
Explain evolution - theory
birds onto islands
moths in sooty England
Earth = 5 billion years old
1st - Australopithecus (Austra = southern)
5,000,000 to 1,000,000 ya
only found in Africa
new human like animal
walked on 2 legs
brains half size of modern humans
4-5.5 feet tall
no tools
"Lucy"
foraged for eggs, roots, fruit, animals
like similar animals, only found near water since couldn't carry it
2nd - Homo hablis = man handy
2,000 - 1,000,000 ya
only in Africa
first with tools (knives, hand axes)
4.5 feet tall
larger brain, smaller jaw and teeth
found only near water since couldn't carry it
3rd - Homo erectus - man upright
1,500,000 - 250,000 ya
found in Africa and also Europe and Asia
20-30 in a group
taller, larger brain, smaller teeth
first with fire
still always found near fresh water since couldn't carry it
us - Homo sapiens - man wise
250,000 to present
first to domesticate plants and animals
first to care for sick and disabled
first with art
first with musical instruments (drums, flutes)
first with pottery - no longer tied to rivers and lakes
Stone Age People - Geography
Standard: location of human communities that populated the major regions of the world
How humans adapted to a variety of environments
Climactic changes
Where was the first human population?
1st only lived in Africa
migrated through Egypt into Asia, Europe, Australia
How did climatic changed influence human development?
Homo sapiens only around for the last 250,000 years of the Earth's 5 billion year history.
Climate fairly similar to current climate and stable until about 15,000 ya
Ice age - lowered oceans 300'
Created ice bridge to North America
Earliest human fossils in North America only 15,000 ya
How did humans adapt to the variety of world environments?
Fire mastered
Cave and rock shelters
Skins for clothing
Sod houses
Skins over mammoth bones
Sun baked bricks for homes
Bones and rocks for tools
Carry water in skins, baskets, and pottery
farming
Store excess food for famine years (drought, pests, floods, fire, enemies)
Stone Age People - Social Structure
Standards - Hunter-gatherer societies and their characteristics
Tool development
Fire
Social Structure - How people relate to each other.
How did people live before tools and farming (agriculture)?
Small bands of 10-20 people
Nomads - constantly on the move to fresh food sources
Gathering - fruit, berries, eggs, insects, roots, kills from other predators
Stay near fresh water since can't carry it
Children a burden
How did people live once they created hunting tools but before agriculture?
Tools = spears, atlattle, bola, knives, harpoons, fish hooks, fire
Women kept gathering since they were pregnant or nursing and couldn't chase herds
Men followed migrating herd, cattle, elephants, mammoths,
Men and women didn't live together for long stretches of time
Men were strain on limited food supply, women couldn't keep up with hunting parties
Drove large mammals to extinction - mammoth, wholly rhino, giant ground sloth, American camel, saber tooth cat,
Children still a burden
Who were the first farmers?
Women domesticated the plants
Children now valuable source of labor
Men still hunted to supplement food supply
No longer nomadic, now settled villages
How did the invention of the plow change agriculture?
Plow needed pulling, strongest animals around were men
Men now took over farming since heavy labor now required
Women focused on food preparation, spinning, weaving, potter, child rearing
Men and women now both staying in the village
How did agriculture change the social structure of humans?
Excess calories allow some people to focus on organizing and inventing
(wheel, metal work, calendar)
calendar - planting, harvest, when to move flocks, breeding,
4,000 BC first cities = civilization, in near east, between Tigris and Euphrates, Nile
3,500 BC = first writing = start of history, end of prehistory
Stone Age People - Economy
Standards - human modification of physical environment giving rise to domesticated plants and animals and increased sources of clothing and shelter.
What does domestication mean?
Plants and animals changed through either taming or breeding to become more useful to humans.
How were plants domesticated?
Roughly 30,000 ya
Observed seeds sprouting
Seed saved from foods
Weeding
Planting seeds
Watering/damming/irrigating
Saving seeds from best plants
First observed at Tigris and Euphrates river valley & Nile river valley
Annual flooding brought in fertile soil
How were animals domesticated?
Much later than plant domestication
Chase predators away and eat their kills
Creation of hunting tools
Could now hunt for themselves
Chased predators away from herds
Guard herds
Adopt orphans
Move herds to better pasture as people moved to better locations seasonally
Habituate to humans
Selective breeding
What food and fiber was first domesticated?
Wheat, barley, rice, cotton, linen, dogs, sheep (milk, meat, wool, leather), goats, cattle, chicken, pigs
What was the result of farming instead of nomadic wandering?
Increased calories = increased survival
Excess food stored for famine years = increased survival
Huge increase in population
Nomads become settled into villages that grow into cities
Don't need to spend all their effort raising food,
People can now spend time inventing and organizing
Neolithic Revolution
8,000 to 4,000 CBA in Eurasia and later elsewhere
farmers and herders have always expanded into territories useful to themselves.
People that are still hunting and gathering are always moved aside, absorbed, or killed by their more successful neighbors that are moving in with farms or herds.
Farmers and herders then compete with each other for marginal lands
Framers want to grow crops
Herders want to keep the natural grass for pasture for herds of animals
Farmers are ability to produce wealth in form of surplus calories that can support long-term population growths.
Farmers are more successful than herders as long as weather, and soil are suitable.
Farming produces cities, class structure, material goods and technology to improve their lives = civilization
History of human settlements, migration and cultural interacting is a history of displacing the hunter-gatherers by farmers and herders then a combination of both fighting and trade between "civilized" farmers and "barbarian" herders.
Explain evolution - theory
birds onto islands
moths in sooty England
Earth = 5 billion years old
1st - Australopithecus (Austra = southern)
5,000,000 to 1,000,000 ya
only found in Africa
new human like animal
walked on 2 legs
brains half size of modern humans
4-5.5 feet tall
no tools
"Lucy"
foraged for eggs, roots, fruit, animals
like similar animals, only found near water since couldn't carry it
2nd - Homo hablis = man handy
2,000 - 1,000,000 ya
only in Africa
first with tools (knives, hand axes)
4.5 feet tall
larger brain, smaller jaw and teeth
found only near water since couldn't carry it
3rd - Homo erectus - man upright
1,500,000 - 250,000 ya
found in Africa and also Europe and Asia
20-30 in a group
taller, larger brain, smaller teeth
first with fire
still always found near fresh water since couldn't carry it
us - Homo sapiens - man wise
250,000 to present
first to domesticate plants and animals
first to care for sick and disabled
first with art
first with musical instruments (drums, flutes)
first with pottery - no longer tied to rivers and lakes
Stone Age People - Geography
Standard: location of human communities that populated the major regions of the world
How humans adapted to a variety of environments
Climactic changes
Where was the first human population?
1st only lived in Africa
migrated through Egypt into Asia, Europe, Australia
How did climatic changed influence human development?
Homo sapiens only around for the last 250,000 years of the Earth's 5 billion year history.
Climate fairly similar to current climate and stable until about 15,000 ya
Ice age - lowered oceans 300'
Created ice bridge to North America
Earliest human fossils in North America only 15,000 ya
How did humans adapt to the variety of world environments?
Fire mastered
Cave and rock shelters
Skins for clothing
Sod houses
Skins over mammoth bones
Sun baked bricks for homes
Bones and rocks for tools
Carry water in skins, baskets, and pottery
farming
Store excess food for famine years (drought, pests, floods, fire, enemies)
Stone Age People - Social Structure
Standards - Hunter-gatherer societies and their characteristics
Tool development
Fire
Social Structure - How people relate to each other.
How did people live before tools and farming (agriculture)?
Small bands of 10-20 people
Nomads - constantly on the move to fresh food sources
Gathering - fruit, berries, eggs, insects, roots, kills from other predators
Stay near fresh water since can't carry it
Children a burden
How did people live once they created hunting tools but before agriculture?
Tools = spears, atlattle, bola, knives, harpoons, fish hooks, fire
Women kept gathering since they were pregnant or nursing and couldn't chase herds
Men followed migrating herd, cattle, elephants, mammoths,
Men and women didn't live together for long stretches of time
Men were strain on limited food supply, women couldn't keep up with hunting parties
Drove large mammals to extinction - mammoth, wholly rhino, giant ground sloth, American camel, saber tooth cat,
Children still a burden
Who were the first farmers?
Women domesticated the plants
Children now valuable source of labor
Men still hunted to supplement food supply
No longer nomadic, now settled villages
How did the invention of the plow change agriculture?
Plow needed pulling, strongest animals around were men
Men now took over farming since heavy labor now required
Women focused on food preparation, spinning, weaving, potter, child rearing
Men and women now both staying in the village
How did agriculture change the social structure of humans?
Excess calories allow some people to focus on organizing and inventing
(wheel, metal work, calendar)
calendar - planting, harvest, when to move flocks, breeding,
4,000 BC first cities = civilization, in near east, between Tigris and Euphrates, Nile
3,500 BC = first writing = start of history, end of prehistory
Stone Age People - Economy
Standards - human modification of physical environment giving rise to domesticated plants and animals and increased sources of clothing and shelter.
What does domestication mean?
Plants and animals changed through either taming or breeding to become more useful to humans.
How were plants domesticated?
Roughly 30,000 ya
Observed seeds sprouting
Seed saved from foods
Weeding
Planting seeds
Watering/damming/irrigating
Saving seeds from best plants
First observed at Tigris and Euphrates river valley & Nile river valley
Annual flooding brought in fertile soil
How were animals domesticated?
Much later than plant domestication
Chase predators away and eat their kills
Creation of hunting tools
Could now hunt for themselves
Chased predators away from herds
Guard herds
Adopt orphans
Move herds to better pasture as people moved to better locations seasonally
Habituate to humans
Selective breeding
What food and fiber was first domesticated?
Wheat, barley, rice, cotton, linen, dogs, sheep (milk, meat, wool, leather), goats, cattle, chicken, pigs
What was the result of farming instead of nomadic wandering?
Increased calories = increased survival
Excess food stored for famine years = increased survival
Huge increase in population
Nomads become settled into villages that grow into cities
Don't need to spend all their effort raising food,
People can now spend time inventing and organizing
Neolithic Revolution
8,000 to 4,000 CBA in Eurasia and later elsewhere
farmers and herders have always expanded into territories useful to themselves.
People that are still hunting and gathering are always moved aside, absorbed, or killed by their more successful neighbors that are moving in with farms or herds.
Farmers and herders then compete with each other for marginal lands
Framers want to grow crops
Herders want to keep the natural grass for pasture for herds of animals
Farmers are ability to produce wealth in form of surplus calories that can support long-term population growths.
Farmers are more successful than herders as long as weather, and soil are suitable.
Farming produces cities, class structure, material goods and technology to improve their lives = civilization
History of human settlements, migration and cultural interacting is a history of displacing the hunter-gatherers by farmers and herders then a combination of both fighting and trade between "civilized" farmers and "barbarian" herders.
Rome - Geography
Italian peninsula
700 miles long
100 miles wide
Only 100 miles from Africa
Mediterranean Sea on three sides
Alps to north protect from overland invasion
15,771 feet tall
Apennines = volcanic mountains running length of Italy
Fertile, volcanic soil
Less rugged than Greece
Few good harbors
Land easier than sea for travel
Mild, Mediterranean climate
Rome = Settled about 750 BCE
Mythic origins
Name for decedents of Aeneas (Trojan survivor as written by Virgil)
Kings daughter gives birth to twin sons: Romulus and Remus
King's cruel brother seized the throne
Uncle was afraid boys would grow up and claim throne
Had boys exposed on bank of Tiber river (common form of infanticide/birth control)
Boys raised by she-wolf
Grew up to defeat their great-uncle and restore grandfather to throne
Boys fought about where to build a city
Romulus kills Remus
Romulus found Rome
Located on hill overlooking Tiber River
Good soil, defensible
15 miles from coast - close enough for fresh fish, salt
Far enough to avoid pirate raids
Central location good for communication and trade
Rome - Social Structure
Classes - determined by wealth and family ties
Patricians = few upper class, descendants of original settlers
Government jobs, own many slaves (500 not unusual)
Plebeians = many farmers/merchants/craft workers
Soldiers - originally had to be landowners to they'd defend Rome all the stronger
Farmers fought between planting and harvesting
As empire expanded, too far to travel in a growing season
Now needed professional/trained/discipline fighting force
Fought/built roads/walls/tunnels/aqueducts
30,000 at peak = greatest fighting force on Earth
Entire families would live in one room in multistory apartments (up t o 5 stories high)
Ranged from fairly wealthy to very poor
Slaves = war captives, could become free
Often racially/culturally identical to Roman citizens
Men vs. Women
Men - controlled family (could kill or sell kids into slavery)
Private schooling 6-11years old (or until 14 years old if wealthy)
Arranged marriages at 15-18 years old
While father still alive, sons couldn't own land or have control of own family
Married sons lived with wife and children in home of father until father's
Women - could own land
No education since no role in politics
Arranged marriages at 13-14 years old
City vs. Rural
Rome - 1,000,000 population at peak
Public water and sewage supply
Public baths, coliseums held 50,000 (sports/gladiators), theaters
Forum similar to Mexican zocalo/town square
Open space with government and religious buildings surrounded by markets
Rural - farmers, shepherds, landholders with slaves
Rome - Economy
Protecting the large empire depended on professional soldiers
Roads build to move soldiers
Roads also used to move good and ideas
"All roads lead to Rome."
City of Rome -
Imported - most manufactured goods, raw materials, foods, silk, spices
From Spain to Egypt
Exported -
Goods = wine, olive oil, lead pipe, weapons, bricks, textiles, glassware, tools
Ideas
Architecture (borrowed Greek style)
Arch, aqueducts, columns (temples, forums, libraries)
Language - Latin source of "Romance" languages (Italian, Spanish, French)
Used for government and education for next 1,000 years
Law systems
Democracy/Republics
Eventually controlled trade routes between Europe-Asia-Africa
Rome's invasions of foreign lands led to:
Wealthy 10% getting richer
Influx from defeated lands: taxes, slaves, looted goods
Poor, farming 90% getting poorer
Increasing number of slaves leads to increasing unemployment
Small farmers lose farms to wealthy
Unrest at home, revolts by allies, war in Asia weakens Roman Empire
200 ED invaded by Germans from north
"Politics" stopped but culture and civilizations continues
Rome - Religion
Polytheistic
Jupiter - sky, supreme god
Ceres - harvest
Vestal - hearth
Janis - door
Rome - Politics
Originally monarchy
509 BCE Roman Republic formed when king tossed out
Evolved into republic (never was a direct democracy like Greece)
Freemen elected officials who passed laws
Patricians elected senators that advised two power-sharing consuls
494 BCE Plebeians rebelled and marched out of Rome
Elected their own tribune
Official Senate accepted Tribune after this economic "blackmail"
Plebeians moved closer to equality
Result is very similar to USA's politics of Senate (2 per state) and Assembly (based on population)
Either house can initiate a law but both houses must agree on wording of law
59 BCE Julius Caesar, Roman general elected to consul
Wanted to rule all of roman lands
Invaded Gaul (France) and became Gaul's governor
49 BCE planned return to Rome but Roman senate feared he'd become dictator
Senate warned him not to cross the Rubicon River with his army
Julius Caesar did cross and declared war on his enemies
3 years of civil war
46 BCE appointed dictator for 10 years, was a good leader
44 BCE declared dictator for life
March 15 stabbed by group of senators (et tu Brutus?)
Followed by civil war
Octavian (grand-nephew) and Mark Anthony (Roman General) fight and win senate's army
Gain control of all of Rome
Octavian controls the east
Anthony controlled the west (falls in love with Egypt's Cleopatra)
Octavian fights Anthony and wind control of all of Rome
Changed name to Augustus (Caesar Augustus)
Peace for 200 years (Pax Romana)
27 BCE Roman Republic end
476 AD Roman Empire "Falls" apart
Rome still capital of modern Italy
"Eternal City"
Has been important for 300 years
Rome - Timeline
1000 BCE migration south over Alps
753 BCE Romulus and Remus found Rome
509 BCE Republic established
264-146 Roman Empire expansion
27 BCE Augustus become Emperor
96 - 108 AD Height of power and territory
395 AD East and West split
476 AD West overthrown by Germans
Italian peninsula
700 miles long
100 miles wide
Only 100 miles from Africa
Mediterranean Sea on three sides
Alps to north protect from overland invasion
15,771 feet tall
Apennines = volcanic mountains running length of Italy
Fertile, volcanic soil
Less rugged than Greece
Few good harbors
Land easier than sea for travel
Mild, Mediterranean climate
Rome = Settled about 750 BCE
Mythic origins
Name for decedents of Aeneas (Trojan survivor as written by Virgil)
Kings daughter gives birth to twin sons: Romulus and Remus
King's cruel brother seized the throne
Uncle was afraid boys would grow up and claim throne
Had boys exposed on bank of Tiber river (common form of infanticide/birth control)
Boys raised by she-wolf
Grew up to defeat their great-uncle and restore grandfather to throne
Boys fought about where to build a city
Romulus kills Remus
Romulus found Rome
Located on hill overlooking Tiber River
Good soil, defensible
15 miles from coast - close enough for fresh fish, salt
Far enough to avoid pirate raids
Central location good for communication and trade
Rome - Social Structure
Classes - determined by wealth and family ties
Patricians = few upper class, descendants of original settlers
Government jobs, own many slaves (500 not unusual)
Plebeians = many farmers/merchants/craft workers
Soldiers - originally had to be landowners to they'd defend Rome all the stronger
Farmers fought between planting and harvesting
As empire expanded, too far to travel in a growing season
Now needed professional/trained/discipline fighting force
Fought/built roads/walls/tunnels/aqueducts
30,000 at peak = greatest fighting force on Earth
Entire families would live in one room in multistory apartments (up t o 5 stories high)
Ranged from fairly wealthy to very poor
Slaves = war captives, could become free
Often racially/culturally identical to Roman citizens
Men vs. Women
Men - controlled family (could kill or sell kids into slavery)
Private schooling 6-11years old (or until 14 years old if wealthy)
Arranged marriages at 15-18 years old
While father still alive, sons couldn't own land or have control of own family
Married sons lived with wife and children in home of father until father's
Women - could own land
No education since no role in politics
Arranged marriages at 13-14 years old
City vs. Rural
Rome - 1,000,000 population at peak
Public water and sewage supply
Public baths, coliseums held 50,000 (sports/gladiators), theaters
Forum similar to Mexican zocalo/town square
Open space with government and religious buildings surrounded by markets
Rural - farmers, shepherds, landholders with slaves
Rome - Economy
Protecting the large empire depended on professional soldiers
Roads build to move soldiers
Roads also used to move good and ideas
"All roads lead to Rome."
City of Rome -
Imported - most manufactured goods, raw materials, foods, silk, spices
From Spain to Egypt
Exported -
Goods = wine, olive oil, lead pipe, weapons, bricks, textiles, glassware, tools
Ideas
Architecture (borrowed Greek style)
Arch, aqueducts, columns (temples, forums, libraries)
Language - Latin source of "Romance" languages (Italian, Spanish, French)
Used for government and education for next 1,000 years
Law systems
Democracy/Republics
Eventually controlled trade routes between Europe-Asia-Africa
Rome's invasions of foreign lands led to:
Wealthy 10% getting richer
Influx from defeated lands: taxes, slaves, looted goods
Poor, farming 90% getting poorer
Increasing number of slaves leads to increasing unemployment
Small farmers lose farms to wealthy
Unrest at home, revolts by allies, war in Asia weakens Roman Empire
200 ED invaded by Germans from north
"Politics" stopped but culture and civilizations continues
Rome - Religion
Polytheistic
Jupiter - sky, supreme god
Ceres - harvest
Vestal - hearth
Janis - door
Rome - Politics
Originally monarchy
509 BCE Roman Republic formed when king tossed out
Evolved into republic (never was a direct democracy like Greece)
Freemen elected officials who passed laws
Patricians elected senators that advised two power-sharing consuls
494 BCE Plebeians rebelled and marched out of Rome
Elected their own tribune
Official Senate accepted Tribune after this economic "blackmail"
Plebeians moved closer to equality
Result is very similar to USA's politics of Senate (2 per state) and Assembly (based on population)
Either house can initiate a law but both houses must agree on wording of law
59 BCE Julius Caesar, Roman general elected to consul
Wanted to rule all of roman lands
Invaded Gaul (France) and became Gaul's governor
49 BCE planned return to Rome but Roman senate feared he'd become dictator
Senate warned him not to cross the Rubicon River with his army
Julius Caesar did cross and declared war on his enemies
3 years of civil war
46 BCE appointed dictator for 10 years, was a good leader
44 BCE declared dictator for life
March 15 stabbed by group of senators (et tu Brutus?)
Followed by civil war
Octavian (grand-nephew) and Mark Anthony (Roman General) fight and win senate's army
Gain control of all of Rome
Octavian controls the east
Anthony controlled the west (falls in love with Egypt's Cleopatra)
Octavian fights Anthony and wind control of all of Rome
Changed name to Augustus (Caesar Augustus)
Peace for 200 years (Pax Romana)
27 BCE Roman Republic end
476 AD Roman Empire "Falls" apart
Rome still capital of modern Italy
"Eternal City"
Has been important for 300 years
Rome - Timeline
1000 BCE migration south over Alps
753 BCE Romulus and Remus found Rome
509 BCE Republic established
264-146 Roman Empire expansion
27 BCE Augustus become Emperor
96 - 108 AD Height of power and territory
395 AD East and West split
476 AD West overthrown by Germans
Greek Lecture Notes
Greek Introduction (Standard 6)
1800's poet Shelly said, " We are all Greeks. Our laws, our literature, our religion, our arts, have roots in Greece. But for Greece… we might still have been savages."
Contribution to our culture:
Alphabet
Words
Way of teaching
(Socratic Method, teacher asks questions, students work out the answers)
Public buildings have columns
Government/politics/voting
Art - shape of our paintings, proportions
Understanding of nature
sun = burning rock, not a god
medicine = Hippocratic oath
Greek Geography
Where was Ancient Greece located?
Entire Mediterranean
Southern Europe, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Northern Africa
Where is Modern Greece located?
Southern edge of Europe
Large peninsula
Size of Alabama or England
In 1990, had 10,000,000 people
What is the legend of Greece's creation?
God used sieve to strain soil to surrounding countries, the stones that were left in the sieve were dumped into the sea. Those extra rocks were what became Greece.
What is the land like of Ancient Greece prior to expanding to entire Mediterranean?
80% mountainous mainland
20% islands (437 islands)
tallest mountain = Mount Olympus (9,500') = home of gods
no major rivers or lakes
many good harbors (every point of land is within 85 miles of the coast)
little farm land (soil = sand and pebbles)
little fresh water during growing season (couldn't irrigate much)
few natural resources
What impact did the terrain have on Greece's development?
Little contact between villages
Overland travel difficult
Overland trade impossible
Sea trade routes lead to colonies
Sea trade was source of natural resources (food, metals, fiber) and ideas
(alphabet, Egyptian art, Eastern technologies)
What was the climate like?
mild Mediterranean climate (dry summers, mild temperatures)
Greek Economy
What crops did the Greek's grow?
Little else grew (local fresh vegetables),
Some fishing
Trade crops = olive oil (cooking, lighting), wine
(concentrated value, nonperishable)
Olive oil = gift of Athena
Still have small family run farms since olives must be hand picked, large machines damage them
How did the Greeks survive?
Had to trade since no local resources
Never could feed all their people
Greek Religion
What were the core beliefs of the Ancient Greeks?
Polytheists
Gods lived on Mount Olympus
No books or rules written down (no articles of faith)
gods controlled weather and world events
gods could become animals and people to visit the world
gods had personality flaws
(jealous, tricksters, angry, meddling, cheated, fought)
(acted like spoiled children that were never told no)
How did the Ancient Greeks live their faith?
Religion influenced every aspect of daily life
Gods provided assistance in day-to-day living
Worship was mainly giving offerings in exchange for guidance for life and healing for body
Unconcerned about afterlife, immortality came from life's achievements and glory
Olympics = religious celebration to honor gods, started 776 BCE
Sacred truce
Basis of calendar (e.g., time of Christ called 3 year of the 97th Olympiad)
Who were some of the major Gods?
Zeus - father of gods, thunder
Hera - Zeus' wife
Poseidon = sea
Apollo = sun
Aoleus = wind
Hermes = messenger
Aphrodite = love, wisdom
Greek Social Structure
If Greece if physically scattered, how was it united as a country?
Had a cultural identity
Common ancestor = Helen (lone survivor of ancient flood, not Helen of Troy)
Language = alphabet can still read 2,000 year old books, oldest spoken language in Europe
Religion = same gods
Activities = Olympics, story telling, epic poems
Why do we study the Ancient Greeks?
Western civilization is based on Greek's framework
Socrates - spent life seeking truth, angered authorities, sentenced to (poison hemlock)
"The unexamined life is not worth living.", now seen as of nobility and courage
Hippocrates - 40-377 BCE Great Physicians. doctors still pledge oath to respect life
Homer = storyteller, Iliad, Odessa
Plato = Socrates' student
Each individual has three capacities: reason (philosopher), spirit (warrior), appetite (middle class)
One predominates and determines our personality
What was family life like? (Compare two major, and competing, cities)
Athens: boys 7-18 went to school (reading, math, history, music)
s - no school
men = must never loose face in public, always defend and never disgrace family, very strong family loyalty
men spent time at agora (center of social life, politics, market, shrine, debate, sports)
women = "a woman should be everything inside the home and nothing outside"
marriage = grooms about 30 years old, brides about 16 years old
spouses had little in common (age difference, education level, worldly experiences)
1/3 of population were slaves (could earn their freedom)
Sparta: boys - 8 years old into army, learned war skills, beaten to learn
"Spartan existence" = harsh housing, meager meals, slept outside, comforts made men soft
women - ran everyday activities, had economic power
dominated by war and fear of rebellion because there were 10 slaves for every 1 citizen
What are the architectural influences we still see?
3 styles of columns
Doric - oldest, plain, geometric, simple, strong
Ionic - scroll top, slender, graceful
Corinthian - acanthus leaves
Greek Politics
How did Greek politics change over time?
1100 BCE conquered by Dorians with iron tools (Greeks had bronze)
Dark ages, little writing, unorganized politics
800-500 BCE small villages and nearby farms grew into city/states
Walled forts (acropolis = high city) for defense, became religious centers
Market surrounded acropolis
Banded together for defense from Persians
Originally ruled by king or tyrant (took by force, ruled alone)
500 BCE = Athenian Golden Age = Classical Period
400 BCE birth of democracy
Democracy = rule by the people
Every free male over 20 had one vote and full rights and participated in assembly
Decision by majority vote, (no representatives like USA version of democracy)
Athens still capital of Modern Greece
146 BCE conquered by Rome
Parthenon - temple from 500 BCE
Christian Church from 400 AD
Muslim Mosque from 600 AD
Blew up when Turks used it to store ammunition
(1895 full sized copy built in Nashville Tennessee)
Who was Alexander the Great?
Taught by Aristotle
Wanted to fulfill his dad (Philip II of Macedonia) to ruler entire world
135,000 soldiers attacked Persia
Freed Greek colonies from Persian control set up democracies
Alexander was ruler
Set up learning and Greek culture
Spread Greek language and religion
Center of learning became Alexandria Egypt, 500,000-scroll library
Adopted local customs
Control broke up after his
No one strong leader available as replacement so generals fought for control
Didn't groom anyone like Alexander had been groomed
What was the Trojan War?
Probably happened about 1200 BCE
May be more legend that true, written in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey,
(also Virgil's Aeneid, Aeschylu's Agamemnon, Sophocles' Ajax, and Euripides' The Trojan Women)\
At wedding of Peleus (King of Thessaly) and Thetis (a sea goddess)
All gods and goddesses are invited except Eris (goddess of discord)
In anger, Eris sends a golden apple inscribed, "For the most beautiful."
Hera (Zeus' wife), Athena (Goddess of wisdom), and Aphrodite (Goddess of love) fight over apple
Paris (son of King Priam of Troy) judges the dispute
He gave it to Aphrodite because she promises him "the beautiful woman in the world"
Unfortunately, the most beautiful woman in world is Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta
Paris takes Helen to Troy
Menelaus, and his brother, King Agamemnon, organize Greece to fight Troy and recover Helen
Greek army includes heroes Achilles, Ajax the Greater, Nestor and Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin)
to rescue Helen "whose beauty launched a thousand ships"
Zeus favors Trojans
Hera (Zeus' wife) favors Greeks
Greek army lays siege to Troy for 10 years
War turns against Greeks when Achilles refuses to fight
Achilles was insulted by Agamemnon (army's commander)
Insult was Agamemnon claims for himself a woman that had been Achilles' war prize
Troy's best fighter, Hector, drives the battle all the way to Greek's ships on the beach
Achilles pouts in his tent until Hector kills his best friend
Patroclus had been trying to rally Greek troops by wearing Achilles' armor in battle,
this had made his a special target to Hector
Achilles returns to battle and kills Hector
Achilles insults the gods by being disrespectful of Hector's body
(Achilles drags it behind his chariot around city for several days)
Paris (with help of god Apollo) shoots arrow into Achilles' heel, him
Greeks build Trojan horse and leave it outside walls of Troy
Greeks pretend to leave back to Greece
Really, Odysseus and warriors hiding in horse and ships hide behind a nearby island
Cassandra and other Trojans warn against taking horse into Troy
Cassandra had been blessed/cursed with prophesies that no one would listen to
Trojans take horse into walled city and celebrate their victory
That night, Greeks creep out of horse, open the city gates and slaughter the Trojans
Greeks take back Helen
Odysseus insults the gods by taking claim for victory
Gods curse King Odysseus so it takes him ten years to return to home to Ithaca
What was the Peloponnesian War?
Started in 431 BCE
29 years long
Ended the Golden Age of Greece
Athens = strong navy
Leader = Pericles (1 of 20 leaders, annually elected for 20 years)
Farmers etc fled into walled city
Plague killed 25% of citizens, soldiers, and Pericles
successors quarreled
Sparta = strong army
Got old enemy Persia to lend money to build navy
Won by destroying Athens's navy
Tossed out Greek's democracy
Replaced it with oligarchy
Athens rebelled and brought back democracy
Weakened all of Greece
Lead to invasion from North by dad of Alexander the Great (King Philip II of Macedonia)
This led to Greek culture traveling with Alex to Egypt, Persia and India
Midas and the Golden Touch
Midas, king of Phrygia, helped a friend of Dionysius (god of wine making)
In return for his kindness, Dionysisus granted Midas one gift, anything he wanted
Midas was a greedy king who loved gold
Midas wished that whatever he touched would turn into gold
Midas went into his garden and touched a rose, a bee, etc
His daughter came to him to see what he was doing
"Look daughter at my new gift! Do you like it?" Midas asked, holding a gold rose up to his daughter's face
"It looks ugly and there is no perfume. I want the old rose back!" his daughter said
Midas tried to comfort his daughter, but touching her, she turned to gold
"What have I done?" he cried in horror for he really loved his daughter more than gold
Dinner was a disaster, everything, bread, meat and wine turned to gold
"Oh lord, Dionysius! My wish was a foolish one! Please, please undo it!"
Dionysius heard him and told him to wash in the nearby river to cleans himself
Afterwards, Midas touched everything he had turned into gold to return it to its original form
Midas learned that wealth is useless unless you can put it to good use
Rivers still show the result of Midas' cleansing bath
Fool's gold is found along their banks (pyrite)
Hercules (Heracles)
Son of Zeus and a mortal woman
Hera (ever jealous) cursed him with fits of rage
Hercules born with super human qualities
Example: strangled a poisonous serpent while still a baby
Hercules kills his wife and children in a rage
Goes to oracle at Delphi and is told his punishment was to perform ten labors assigned by his cowardly cousin
King Eurystheus (Hera was guiding Eurytheus)
1. Kill Nemean Lion
skin like armor, arrow and spears useless
Hercules strangles it with his arms
Skin of lion made into helmet and cape he wears the rest of his life
2. Kill Hydra = crocodile with hundred dragon heads, each head with 100 poisonous teeth
got there (with cousin Iolaus) finds the crocodile with one head
cuts off head and and 2 grow, cut of two and 4 grow…
Hercules cuts off head and Iolaus touches stump with torch so no new head grows
3. Kill Ceryneian Hind (white deer with grass hooves and golden horns)
chases deer for entire year
4. Kill Erymanthean Boar - arrow proof skin, tusks like and elephant
chases into deep mountain snow
5. Clean out Stable of Augena
had to finish in one day
diverted a river by making river god jealous
(kissed his wife and ran with her to the stables)
6. Chase off brass-feathered, man-eating birds from Styphalian marsh
couldn't enter marsh or would sink in the mud
Athena gives his a rattle to scare the birds away
7. Fetch full of Crete
chased over mountains
overcame it using his hands
carried it back to Greece
8. Capture four carnivorous horses
(King Diomedes fed strangers to horses)
chased them to sea shore
fought king and army and fed them to the horses, captured horses
9. Steal golden belt from Queen of Amazons
queen fell in love with Hercules
Hera jealous, and spreads word that Hercules was there to kidnap queen
Amazon army rises up to battle Hercules, queen killed in battle
Hercules takes belt and runs
10. Steal cattle from King Geryon (3 bodies, 1 set of legs)
has 99-month time limit
Hercules shoots one arrow through all three bodies
Hercules goes over mountains with heard
Hera's messenger gives Hercules wrong directions (toward Italy)
Hera send stinging flies, cattle stampeded way to France
Hercules gets back just in time
Plus two more tasks since gods helped Hercules on two tasks
11. Steal three golden apples
kills guarding vultures
had to get immortal to pick 9humans would die if they picked apples)
gets Atlas 9who holds up the world) to do it
Hercules has to hold up the world while Atlas picking apples
12. Capture dog Cerberus - three headed dog guarding gates to underworld
Hercules goes to the world of the
Strangles dog until it passes out
Drags it back to King Eurystheus (who is so afraid he's hiding in a large jar)
Aftermath
Hera jealous of Hercules' success
As Hercules approaches home, his new wife was weaving a cape as a homecoming gift
Hera disguises herself and gives cream to wife saying it will protect Hercules
Wife smears it on the inside of the cape
Hercules puts on the cape but it burns him
It burns even worse if he takes it off
Hercules directs his friends to make his funeral pyre
Climes onto his own burning funeral pyre
Zeus takes pity at the last moment of lie and take Hercules up to Mount Olympus
1800's poet Shelly said, " We are all Greeks. Our laws, our literature, our religion, our arts, have roots in Greece. But for Greece… we might still have been savages."
Contribution to our culture:
Alphabet
Words
Way of teaching
(Socratic Method, teacher asks questions, students work out the answers)
Public buildings have columns
Government/politics/voting
Art - shape of our paintings, proportions
Understanding of nature
sun = burning rock, not a god
medicine = Hippocratic oath
Greek Geography
Where was Ancient Greece located?
Entire Mediterranean
Southern Europe, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Northern Africa
Where is Modern Greece located?
Southern edge of Europe
Large peninsula
Size of Alabama or England
In 1990, had 10,000,000 people
What is the legend of Greece's creation?
God used sieve to strain soil to surrounding countries, the stones that were left in the sieve were dumped into the sea. Those extra rocks were what became Greece.
What is the land like of Ancient Greece prior to expanding to entire Mediterranean?
80% mountainous mainland
20% islands (437 islands)
tallest mountain = Mount Olympus (9,500') = home of gods
no major rivers or lakes
many good harbors (every point of land is within 85 miles of the coast)
little farm land (soil = sand and pebbles)
little fresh water during growing season (couldn't irrigate much)
few natural resources
What impact did the terrain have on Greece's development?
Little contact between villages
Overland travel difficult
Overland trade impossible
Sea trade routes lead to colonies
Sea trade was source of natural resources (food, metals, fiber) and ideas
(alphabet, Egyptian art, Eastern technologies)
What was the climate like?
mild Mediterranean climate (dry summers, mild temperatures)
Greek Economy
What crops did the Greek's grow?
Little else grew (local fresh vegetables),
Some fishing
Trade crops = olive oil (cooking, lighting), wine
(concentrated value, nonperishable)
Olive oil = gift of Athena
Still have small family run farms since olives must be hand picked, large machines damage them
How did the Greeks survive?
Had to trade since no local resources
Never could feed all their people
Greek Religion
What were the core beliefs of the Ancient Greeks?
Polytheists
Gods lived on Mount Olympus
No books or rules written down (no articles of faith)
gods controlled weather and world events
gods could become animals and people to visit the world
gods had personality flaws
(jealous, tricksters, angry, meddling, cheated, fought)
(acted like spoiled children that were never told no)
How did the Ancient Greeks live their faith?
Religion influenced every aspect of daily life
Gods provided assistance in day-to-day living
Worship was mainly giving offerings in exchange for guidance for life and healing for body
Unconcerned about afterlife, immortality came from life's achievements and glory
Olympics = religious celebration to honor gods, started 776 BCE
Sacred truce
Basis of calendar (e.g., time of Christ called 3 year of the 97th Olympiad)
Who were some of the major Gods?
Zeus - father of gods, thunder
Hera - Zeus' wife
Poseidon = sea
Apollo = sun
Aoleus = wind
Hermes = messenger
Aphrodite = love, wisdom
Greek Social Structure
If Greece if physically scattered, how was it united as a country?
Had a cultural identity
Common ancestor = Helen (lone survivor of ancient flood, not Helen of Troy)
Language = alphabet can still read 2,000 year old books, oldest spoken language in Europe
Religion = same gods
Activities = Olympics, story telling, epic poems
Why do we study the Ancient Greeks?
Western civilization is based on Greek's framework
Socrates - spent life seeking truth, angered authorities, sentenced to (poison hemlock)
"The unexamined life is not worth living.", now seen as of nobility and courage
Hippocrates - 40-377 BCE Great Physicians. doctors still pledge oath to respect life
Homer = storyteller, Iliad, Odessa
Plato = Socrates' student
Each individual has three capacities: reason (philosopher), spirit (warrior), appetite (middle class)
One predominates and determines our personality
What was family life like? (Compare two major, and competing, cities)
Athens: boys 7-18 went to school (reading, math, history, music)
s - no school
men = must never loose face in public, always defend and never disgrace family, very strong family loyalty
men spent time at agora (center of social life, politics, market, shrine, debate, sports)
women = "a woman should be everything inside the home and nothing outside"
marriage = grooms about 30 years old, brides about 16 years old
spouses had little in common (age difference, education level, worldly experiences)
1/3 of population were slaves (could earn their freedom)
Sparta: boys - 8 years old into army, learned war skills, beaten to learn
"Spartan existence" = harsh housing, meager meals, slept outside, comforts made men soft
women - ran everyday activities, had economic power
dominated by war and fear of rebellion because there were 10 slaves for every 1 citizen
What are the architectural influences we still see?
3 styles of columns
Doric - oldest, plain, geometric, simple, strong
Ionic - scroll top, slender, graceful
Corinthian - acanthus leaves
Greek Politics
How did Greek politics change over time?
1100 BCE conquered by Dorians with iron tools (Greeks had bronze)
Dark ages, little writing, unorganized politics
800-500 BCE small villages and nearby farms grew into city/states
Walled forts (acropolis = high city) for defense, became religious centers
Market surrounded acropolis
Banded together for defense from Persians
Originally ruled by king or tyrant (took by force, ruled alone)
500 BCE = Athenian Golden Age = Classical Period
400 BCE birth of democracy
Democracy = rule by the people
Every free male over 20 had one vote and full rights and participated in assembly
Decision by majority vote, (no representatives like USA version of democracy)
Athens still capital of Modern Greece
146 BCE conquered by Rome
Parthenon - temple from 500 BCE
Christian Church from 400 AD
Muslim Mosque from 600 AD
Blew up when Turks used it to store ammunition
(1895 full sized copy built in Nashville Tennessee)
Who was Alexander the Great?
Taught by Aristotle
Wanted to fulfill his dad (Philip II of Macedonia) to ruler entire world
135,000 soldiers attacked Persia
Freed Greek colonies from Persian control set up democracies
Alexander was ruler
Set up learning and Greek culture
Spread Greek language and religion
Center of learning became Alexandria Egypt, 500,000-scroll library
Adopted local customs
Control broke up after his
No one strong leader available as replacement so generals fought for control
Didn't groom anyone like Alexander had been groomed
What was the Trojan War?
Probably happened about 1200 BCE
May be more legend that true, written in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey,
(also Virgil's Aeneid, Aeschylu's Agamemnon, Sophocles' Ajax, and Euripides' The Trojan Women)\
At wedding of Peleus (King of Thessaly) and Thetis (a sea goddess)
All gods and goddesses are invited except Eris (goddess of discord)
In anger, Eris sends a golden apple inscribed, "For the most beautiful."
Hera (Zeus' wife), Athena (Goddess of wisdom), and Aphrodite (Goddess of love) fight over apple
Paris (son of King Priam of Troy) judges the dispute
He gave it to Aphrodite because she promises him "the beautiful woman in the world"
Unfortunately, the most beautiful woman in world is Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta
Paris takes Helen to Troy
Menelaus, and his brother, King Agamemnon, organize Greece to fight Troy and recover Helen
Greek army includes heroes Achilles, Ajax the Greater, Nestor and Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin)
to rescue Helen "whose beauty launched a thousand ships"
Zeus favors Trojans
Hera (Zeus' wife) favors Greeks
Greek army lays siege to Troy for 10 years
War turns against Greeks when Achilles refuses to fight
Achilles was insulted by Agamemnon (army's commander)
Insult was Agamemnon claims for himself a woman that had been Achilles' war prize
Troy's best fighter, Hector, drives the battle all the way to Greek's ships on the beach
Achilles pouts in his tent until Hector kills his best friend
Patroclus had been trying to rally Greek troops by wearing Achilles' armor in battle,
this had made his a special target to Hector
Achilles returns to battle and kills Hector
Achilles insults the gods by being disrespectful of Hector's body
(Achilles drags it behind his chariot around city for several days)
Paris (with help of god Apollo) shoots arrow into Achilles' heel, him
Greeks build Trojan horse and leave it outside walls of Troy
Greeks pretend to leave back to Greece
Really, Odysseus and warriors hiding in horse and ships hide behind a nearby island
Cassandra and other Trojans warn against taking horse into Troy
Cassandra had been blessed/cursed with prophesies that no one would listen to
Trojans take horse into walled city and celebrate their victory
That night, Greeks creep out of horse, open the city gates and slaughter the Trojans
Greeks take back Helen
Odysseus insults the gods by taking claim for victory
Gods curse King Odysseus so it takes him ten years to return to home to Ithaca
What was the Peloponnesian War?
Started in 431 BCE
29 years long
Ended the Golden Age of Greece
Athens = strong navy
Leader = Pericles (1 of 20 leaders, annually elected for 20 years)
Farmers etc fled into walled city
Plague killed 25% of citizens, soldiers, and Pericles
successors quarreled
Sparta = strong army
Got old enemy Persia to lend money to build navy
Won by destroying Athens's navy
Tossed out Greek's democracy
Replaced it with oligarchy
Athens rebelled and brought back democracy
Weakened all of Greece
Lead to invasion from North by dad of Alexander the Great (King Philip II of Macedonia)
This led to Greek culture traveling with Alex to Egypt, Persia and India
Midas and the Golden Touch
Midas, king of Phrygia, helped a friend of Dionysius (god of wine making)
In return for his kindness, Dionysisus granted Midas one gift, anything he wanted
Midas was a greedy king who loved gold
Midas wished that whatever he touched would turn into gold
Midas went into his garden and touched a rose, a bee, etc
His daughter came to him to see what he was doing
"Look daughter at my new gift! Do you like it?" Midas asked, holding a gold rose up to his daughter's face
"It looks ugly and there is no perfume. I want the old rose back!" his daughter said
Midas tried to comfort his daughter, but touching her, she turned to gold
"What have I done?" he cried in horror for he really loved his daughter more than gold
Dinner was a disaster, everything, bread, meat and wine turned to gold
"Oh lord, Dionysius! My wish was a foolish one! Please, please undo it!"
Dionysius heard him and told him to wash in the nearby river to cleans himself
Afterwards, Midas touched everything he had turned into gold to return it to its original form
Midas learned that wealth is useless unless you can put it to good use
Rivers still show the result of Midas' cleansing bath
Fool's gold is found along their banks (pyrite)
Hercules (Heracles)
Son of Zeus and a mortal woman
Hera (ever jealous) cursed him with fits of rage
Hercules born with super human qualities
Example: strangled a poisonous serpent while still a baby
Hercules kills his wife and children in a rage
Goes to oracle at Delphi and is told his punishment was to perform ten labors assigned by his cowardly cousin
King Eurystheus (Hera was guiding Eurytheus)
1. Kill Nemean Lion
skin like armor, arrow and spears useless
Hercules strangles it with his arms
Skin of lion made into helmet and cape he wears the rest of his life
2. Kill Hydra = crocodile with hundred dragon heads, each head with 100 poisonous teeth
got there (with cousin Iolaus) finds the crocodile with one head
cuts off head and and 2 grow, cut of two and 4 grow…
Hercules cuts off head and Iolaus touches stump with torch so no new head grows
3. Kill Ceryneian Hind (white deer with grass hooves and golden horns)
chases deer for entire year
4. Kill Erymanthean Boar - arrow proof skin, tusks like and elephant
chases into deep mountain snow
5. Clean out Stable of Augena
had to finish in one day
diverted a river by making river god jealous
(kissed his wife and ran with her to the stables)
6. Chase off brass-feathered, man-eating birds from Styphalian marsh
couldn't enter marsh or would sink in the mud
Athena gives his a rattle to scare the birds away
7. Fetch full of Crete
chased over mountains
overcame it using his hands
carried it back to Greece
8. Capture four carnivorous horses
(King Diomedes fed strangers to horses)
chased them to sea shore
fought king and army and fed them to the horses, captured horses
9. Steal golden belt from Queen of Amazons
queen fell in love with Hercules
Hera jealous, and spreads word that Hercules was there to kidnap queen
Amazon army rises up to battle Hercules, queen killed in battle
Hercules takes belt and runs
10. Steal cattle from King Geryon (3 bodies, 1 set of legs)
has 99-month time limit
Hercules shoots one arrow through all three bodies
Hercules goes over mountains with heard
Hera's messenger gives Hercules wrong directions (toward Italy)
Hera send stinging flies, cattle stampeded way to France
Hercules gets back just in time
Plus two more tasks since gods helped Hercules on two tasks
11. Steal three golden apples
kills guarding vultures
had to get immortal to pick 9humans would die if they picked apples)
gets Atlas 9who holds up the world) to do it
Hercules has to hold up the world while Atlas picking apples
12. Capture dog Cerberus - three headed dog guarding gates to underworld
Hercules goes to the world of the
Strangles dog until it passes out
Drags it back to King Eurystheus (who is so afraid he's hiding in a large jar)
Aftermath
Hera jealous of Hercules' success
As Hercules approaches home, his new wife was weaving a cape as a homecoming gift
Hera disguises herself and gives cream to wife saying it will protect Hercules
Wife smears it on the inside of the cape
Hercules puts on the cape but it burns him
It burns even worse if he takes it off
Hercules directs his friends to make his funeral pyre
Climes onto his own burning funeral pyre
Zeus takes pity at the last moment of lie and take Hercules up to Mount Olympus
India Lecture Notes
India - Geography
Where is India located?
Southern edge of Asian continent
To east = East Asia and South East Asia (China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, etc.)
To west = Central Asia ({Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Arabia, etc.)
To north = China, Nepal
To south = Indian Ocean
What is India's land like?
Separate subcontinent riding on a tectonic plate
Riding northeast
Colliding with Asian continent
Collision zone wrinkling up into Himalayan mountains, still growing
Northern border = high mountains, even the passes are high
North = wide river plains
Rivers fed by snow melt
South = hilly
Rivers fed by unpredictable rainfall
Two major rivers = Indus (1800 miles long), so important it is source of name of country
Ganges (1560 miles long), holy
What is India's climate like?
Summer = monsoon season
Almost all rain falls in summer
4 months of rain
Winter = dry winds from central Asia
Monsoons sometimes late or fail
What was the impact of India's geography on its development?
Mountains kept invaders out
cut off from other Asian cultures
Northern rivers' predictable flooding allowed boat travel
Southern river's irregular flow prevents boat travel
North more united because of easier travel
Large, ancient empires were in the north
Flooding still a problem in north
Deforestation making it worse
India - Politics
Timeline
2,500 BCE cities well organized, cooperation between cities
1,500 BCE large number of s people immigrated into India from Eastern Europe
migration continued over next 3,000 years
500 BCE India divided into large city-states
controlled by Rajahs
400 BCE controlled by Persian and Greek invaders
320 BCE Chadragupta Maurya united India
273 BCE Ashoka (Chadragupta's grandson)
200 - 300 AD united India breaks up into quarreling city-states
300 AD - 700 AD Gupta Empire
Golden Age
200 years of peace and economic growth
What is significance of migration?
Introduced new customs and ideas
First wave were warriors and herders
Competed with local Indians
Aryans better fighters because they brought horses into India for first time
What is significance of Chadragupta Maurya's rule?
United India
Cruel, harsh leader, turned peasants into slaves
Made lots of enemies, had food tasters and slept in different place every night
Afraid of assassination (murder for political reason)
Turned empire over to son and then to grandson
What is significance of Ashoka's rule?
Converted to Buddhism (against , vegetarianism)
Sent missionaries to teach Buddhism around Asia
Still honored as "The greatest and nobles ruler India has known."
After Ashoka's , India again broke into quarreling city-states
India - Economics
Why was India successful?
Annual flooding renewed fertility of river valleys
Flooding also destructive, still is
Early civilizations successful enough that few farmers needed to produce food
Excess calories allowed people to specialize in trades, higher education
Describe the Golden Age of the Gupta Empire
About 300 AD
200 years of peace and economic growth
medicine improved - free hospitals, skin graphs, sterilization
inoculation (not used in Europe until 1700 AD)
mathematics - Indo-Arabic numerals exported via Arab traders
base ten, zero
language - root of English, spread widely
mater - mother
bhrater - brother
duhitar - daughter
freedom
good roads
safe streets
beautiful temples and palaces
flourishing of art, literature, education
India - Social structure
What were cities like during the Classical Age around 1500 BCE?
Aryan immigrants from Central Asia, Eastern Europe brought new culture and people
About 45,000 population in larger cities
Very advanced
Fortress like protection
On mounds above flood levels
Well-planned street layout (straight)
Garbage collection
Public grain storage sheds (30' high, 1200' long)
Big enough to feed entire city
Standard weights and measures used by many cities, indicates high degree of cooperation
Modern India still called, "a nation of villages"
Two story homes with private well,
Servant's rooms,
separate kitchens,
bedrooms,
bathing with drains
What were the classes of people?
Most were craft workers and merchants,
Farmers were minority since land was so productive
Classes introduced by immigrants
Dictated by their holy books (Vedas)
Born into one caste
Can't move into or marry into different caste
head = Priests and scholar
arms = Warriors and rulers
legs = Farmers and merchants
feet = commoners, craftspeople, laborers, servants
untouchables = garbage collectors, handle people = impure
India - Religion (1 of 2)
Describe Hinduism
Prehistoric origins
No individual human founder (unique)
No commandments
Not polytheistic, most non-Hindu's think it is polytheistic
Panentheistic = God is in World and Beyond world
Concept very similar to Christianity's Father-Son-Holy Spirit concept
= a single jewel casts many rainbows
1/6 of people on Earth
all animals have souls
most are vegetarians
reincarnate until reach spiritual perfection
good life = born into higher social position
poorly lived = born into lower life form
Ganges = holiest river, "blessing of the world"
Hindus bathe there to "wash away their sins"
Rivers holy because they make life possible
Several different traditions
What are the basic Hindu Beliefs?
1. Vedas (scriptures) are God's word
2. One, all-pervasive Supreme Being, creator
3. universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation, and dissolution
4. Karma = law of cause and effect, each individual creates his own destiny
5. Immortal soul reincarnation (re = again, in, carne = flesh) until liberation achieved
6. personal worship creates communion with God
7. To reach liberation we need: personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage,
self-inquiry, meditation, guru (guidance)
8. All life is sacred, to be loved, and revered, practice non-injury
9. No particular religion teaches the only way to salvation.
All genuine religions are facets of God's pure love and deserve tolerance and understanding.
India - Religion (2 of 2)
Describe Buddhism
Started by Siddhartha Gautama (born 568 BCE, died 85 years old)
Son of Indian prince, lived comfortable life, at 30 years old, went outside palace wall for first time
First sights = old man bent with age
Man too sick to care for himself
body
Servant explained age, sickness, and come to all
Siddhartha wanted to know why, how might it be ended?
Left father's palace and spent life as wandering beggar searching for answers
Studied with Hindu priests so many similarities to Hinduism
Reincarnation - one must go through many cycles of birth, living and
After many such cycles, if a person releases their attachment to desire and self
They can attain Nirvana, a state of liberation and freedom from suffering
Sat under tree to rest and think, discovered meaning of life - became Buddha
Meaning of life = people should seek love, truth, joy of knowledge, and a calm mind
Spent rest of life teaching
No holy books
Several different traditions
What are the basic Buddhism beliefs?
Four Noble Truths
1. Dukkha: The reality and universality of suffering, causes by loss, sickness, pain, failure,
Impermanence of pleasure
2. Samudaya: The cause of suffering is a desire to have and control things
cravings, desire for fame, desire to avoid unpleasantness (trouble, fear, anger, jealousy)
3. Nirodha: Suffering ceases with the final liberation of Nirvana
mind experiences complete freedom, liberation, and nonattachment for cravings and desire
4. Magga: The eightfold path leads to the cessation of suffering
Five Precepts (similar to second half of Ten Commandments)
1. Do not kill.
2. Do not steal.
3. Do not lie.
4. Do not be unchaste.
5. Do not consume alcohol or other .
Eightfold Path
Wisdom
1. Right understand of Four Noble Truths
2. Right thinking, following the right path in life
Morality
3. Right Speech - no lying, criticism, condemning, gossip, and harsh language
4. Right Conduct - follow the Five Precepts
5. Right livelihood - support yourself without harming others
Concentration
6. Right Effort - promote good thoughts, conquer evil thoughts
7. Right Mindfulness - become aware of your body, mind, and feelings
8. Right Concentration - meditate to achieve a higher state of consciousness
Where is India located?
Southern edge of Asian continent
To east = East Asia and South East Asia (China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, etc.)
To west = Central Asia ({Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Arabia, etc.)
To north = China, Nepal
To south = Indian Ocean
What is India's land like?
Separate subcontinent riding on a tectonic plate
Riding northeast
Colliding with Asian continent
Collision zone wrinkling up into Himalayan mountains, still growing
Northern border = high mountains, even the passes are high
North = wide river plains
Rivers fed by snow melt
South = hilly
Rivers fed by unpredictable rainfall
Two major rivers = Indus (1800 miles long), so important it is source of name of country
Ganges (1560 miles long), holy
What is India's climate like?
Summer = monsoon season
Almost all rain falls in summer
4 months of rain
Winter = dry winds from central Asia
Monsoons sometimes late or fail
What was the impact of India's geography on its development?
Mountains kept invaders out
cut off from other Asian cultures
Northern rivers' predictable flooding allowed boat travel
Southern river's irregular flow prevents boat travel
North more united because of easier travel
Large, ancient empires were in the north
Flooding still a problem in north
Deforestation making it worse
India - Politics
Timeline
2,500 BCE cities well organized, cooperation between cities
1,500 BCE large number of s people immigrated into India from Eastern Europe
migration continued over next 3,000 years
500 BCE India divided into large city-states
controlled by Rajahs
400 BCE controlled by Persian and Greek invaders
320 BCE Chadragupta Maurya united India
273 BCE Ashoka (Chadragupta's grandson)
200 - 300 AD united India breaks up into quarreling city-states
300 AD - 700 AD Gupta Empire
Golden Age
200 years of peace and economic growth
What is significance of migration?
Introduced new customs and ideas
First wave were warriors and herders
Competed with local Indians
Aryans better fighters because they brought horses into India for first time
What is significance of Chadragupta Maurya's rule?
United India
Cruel, harsh leader, turned peasants into slaves
Made lots of enemies, had food tasters and slept in different place every night
Afraid of assassination (murder for political reason)
Turned empire over to son and then to grandson
What is significance of Ashoka's rule?
Converted to Buddhism (against , vegetarianism)
Sent missionaries to teach Buddhism around Asia
Still honored as "The greatest and nobles ruler India has known."
After Ashoka's , India again broke into quarreling city-states
India - Economics
Why was India successful?
Annual flooding renewed fertility of river valleys
Flooding also destructive, still is
Early civilizations successful enough that few farmers needed to produce food
Excess calories allowed people to specialize in trades, higher education
Describe the Golden Age of the Gupta Empire
About 300 AD
200 years of peace and economic growth
medicine improved - free hospitals, skin graphs, sterilization
inoculation (not used in Europe until 1700 AD)
mathematics - Indo-Arabic numerals exported via Arab traders
base ten, zero
language - root of English, spread widely
mater - mother
bhrater - brother
duhitar - daughter
freedom
good roads
safe streets
beautiful temples and palaces
flourishing of art, literature, education
India - Social structure
What were cities like during the Classical Age around 1500 BCE?
Aryan immigrants from Central Asia, Eastern Europe brought new culture and people
About 45,000 population in larger cities
Very advanced
Fortress like protection
On mounds above flood levels
Well-planned street layout (straight)
Garbage collection
Public grain storage sheds (30' high, 1200' long)
Big enough to feed entire city
Standard weights and measures used by many cities, indicates high degree of cooperation
Modern India still called, "a nation of villages"
Two story homes with private well,
Servant's rooms,
separate kitchens,
bedrooms,
bathing with drains
What were the classes of people?
Most were craft workers and merchants,
Farmers were minority since land was so productive
Classes introduced by immigrants
Dictated by their holy books (Vedas)
Born into one caste
Can't move into or marry into different caste
head = Priests and scholar
arms = Warriors and rulers
legs = Farmers and merchants
feet = commoners, craftspeople, laborers, servants
untouchables = garbage collectors, handle people = impure
India - Religion (1 of 2)
Describe Hinduism
Prehistoric origins
No individual human founder (unique)
No commandments
Not polytheistic, most non-Hindu's think it is polytheistic
Panentheistic = God is in World and Beyond world
Concept very similar to Christianity's Father-Son-Holy Spirit concept
= a single jewel casts many rainbows
1/6 of people on Earth
all animals have souls
most are vegetarians
reincarnate until reach spiritual perfection
good life = born into higher social position
poorly lived = born into lower life form
Ganges = holiest river, "blessing of the world"
Hindus bathe there to "wash away their sins"
Rivers holy because they make life possible
Several different traditions
What are the basic Hindu Beliefs?
1. Vedas (scriptures) are God's word
2. One, all-pervasive Supreme Being, creator
3. universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation, and dissolution
4. Karma = law of cause and effect, each individual creates his own destiny
5. Immortal soul reincarnation (re = again, in, carne = flesh) until liberation achieved
6. personal worship creates communion with God
7. To reach liberation we need: personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage,
self-inquiry, meditation, guru (guidance)
8. All life is sacred, to be loved, and revered, practice non-injury
9. No particular religion teaches the only way to salvation.
All genuine religions are facets of God's pure love and deserve tolerance and understanding.
India - Religion (2 of 2)
Describe Buddhism
Started by Siddhartha Gautama (born 568 BCE, died 85 years old)
Son of Indian prince, lived comfortable life, at 30 years old, went outside palace wall for first time
First sights = old man bent with age
Man too sick to care for himself
body
Servant explained age, sickness, and come to all
Siddhartha wanted to know why, how might it be ended?
Left father's palace and spent life as wandering beggar searching for answers
Studied with Hindu priests so many similarities to Hinduism
Reincarnation - one must go through many cycles of birth, living and
After many such cycles, if a person releases their attachment to desire and self
They can attain Nirvana, a state of liberation and freedom from suffering
Sat under tree to rest and think, discovered meaning of life - became Buddha
Meaning of life = people should seek love, truth, joy of knowledge, and a calm mind
Spent rest of life teaching
No holy books
Several different traditions
What are the basic Buddhism beliefs?
Four Noble Truths
1. Dukkha: The reality and universality of suffering, causes by loss, sickness, pain, failure,
Impermanence of pleasure
2. Samudaya: The cause of suffering is a desire to have and control things
cravings, desire for fame, desire to avoid unpleasantness (trouble, fear, anger, jealousy)
3. Nirodha: Suffering ceases with the final liberation of Nirvana
mind experiences complete freedom, liberation, and nonattachment for cravings and desire
4. Magga: The eightfold path leads to the cessation of suffering
Five Precepts (similar to second half of Ten Commandments)
1. Do not kill.
2. Do not steal.
3. Do not lie.
4. Do not be unchaste.
5. Do not consume alcohol or other .
Eightfold Path
Wisdom
1. Right understand of Four Noble Truths
2. Right thinking, following the right path in life
Morality
3. Right Speech - no lying, criticism, condemning, gossip, and harsh language
4. Right Conduct - follow the Five Precepts
5. Right livelihood - support yourself without harming others
Concentration
6. Right Effort - promote good thoughts, conquer evil thoughts
7. Right Mindfulness - become aware of your body, mind, and feelings
8. Right Concentration - meditate to achieve a higher state of consciousness
China Lecture Notes
China - Geology
Where is China located?
Eastern edge of Asia
West coast of North Pacific Ocean
What is the land of China like?
A little larger than mainland USA
Isolated by deserts, mountains, and oceans from rest of world
To north = Gobi desert = grazing, too dry for farming
To northwest = Taklamakan = "go in and you will not come out"
Locally known and "moving sands" just like an ocean flood, not stopping it if it overruns oasis
Waterless, no food, searing heat
To south = mountains
Few routes through, altitude sickness, blizzards, snowbound passes, not fodder for animals
Southwest = high plateau (Tibet)
13,000'-26, 000' elevation
Rimmed by mountains
Many long and wide rivers
Yangtze = 3rd longest (after Nile and Amazon)
Rivers run west to east, not to other countries
Canals dug for north to south transportation (1,000 mile grand canal hand dug)
(dug between 500 BCE to 1300 AD)
Geography made China governing difficult
also made movement of ideas and goods difficult
lots of coal beds, coal their main energy source, lots of air pollution
[half of all their mammal types are rodents (rabbits, mice, rats, squirrels, hares)]
What is the climate of China like?
Warmer than USA
Summers = hot and humid in south
Winter = cold but little snow because of dry winters
North = hard to grow food - too cold and dry
Central = Yangtze valley = low plains, milder climate
South = produces 3/4 of country's food
Rice, wheat, corn, beans, vegetables
In the settlement of the western hemisphere, what were geographic barriers?
With today's technology, how significant are geographic barriers?
What are today's barriers preventing the free flow of goods, people, and ideas?
Chine - Social Structure
What were the social classes?
King and Family = show virtue by doing service to their country and people
Nobles = receive land from king
In return give loyalty and pay tribute of gifts and soldiers
Peasants = lived on land controlled by nobles
Farm, pay taxes with crops and service in army
Compare Chinese peasants with European peasants.
Both given use of land to farm if pay rent to landlords
Rent = crops and labor
Chinese farmers could leave if they were unhappy, not slaves
European peasants couldn't leave,
they were bought and sold with the land
like slaves
China - Religion
How did religious beliefs change over time?
Creation story - creator formed people out of clay
Flood story - flood covered China
Yu the Great spent 13 years digging rivers to remove
("If it weren't for Yu the Great, we'd all be fishes")
polytheistic = gods of north, south, east, west, rain, wind, fire
gods were very powerful
ancestor worship - wise, guide lives of living
ancestors could communicate with gods
souls of kept living so they needed life's necessities within the tomb
What is Confucianism?
Confucius 551-479 BCE
Kong Fuzi /Kong Foo-Suh/
Master Kong
Son of government official
also worked for government
Offended powerful nobles
Exiled
Wandered for 25 years
Developed ideas about government and society
Views on government based on view of family
children expected to treat parents with honor and respect
rulers must love their subjects to gain loyalty
Virtue and kindness required
China - Economics
How did economics of China change over time?
5000 BCE = start of agriculture, dogs and pigs domesticated
2500 BCE Silk Road starts
2,000 BCE = small settlements grew into towns
Silk Road's Golden Age = 600 AD
What was the significance of the Silk Road?
From Xian to Mediterranean
5,000 miles long (twice the distance between San Francisco and New York City)
not just goods traveled
ideas and technology moved in both directions to change the world
What traveled on the Silk Road?
goods had to be high value to weight
from China - silk, spices (cinnamon), bronze weapons, gems, furs, nimals,
China is source of: peach, apricot, ginger, tea, and many citrus
To China - jade, preserved exotic food, nimals, ivory, coral, incense, glass, horses, perfumes
Against the law to smuggle silk works west (sericulture), silk stays a state secret until 500 AD
(Romans thought it grew on trees - tree wool)
goods changed hands many times, each time becoming more expensive
caravans traveled from oasis town to oasis town (which grew to trading posts)
travelers picked up: fresh animals, supplies, traded their goods for products to take on return trip
two- humped camels in caravans, single humped could carry same load but couldn't keep up the pace
ideas = politics, popular styles, artwork, military tactics, technology
from China = printing, gunpowder,
From West = Buddhism from India through Central Asia, into China and Japan
not for people migrating
people didn't travel the entire route, only went from one oasis to the next
series of stages with lots of middlemen
How did it change towns along the route?
several routes, (named by a German archeologist)
travelers balanced, seasons, threat of desert, mountains, wells, bandits,
Small, oasis based towns become trade centers
For protection against bandits, merchants formed large caravans of up to 1,000 camels with armed escorts
Ever since the last ice age, wells have been slowly drying up
major cities were at the start and destination (e.g., Chan' an = Xian by 742 AD had 2,000,000 people)
Including 5,000 foreigners and numerous religions
What were the concerns of Silk Road travelers?
Caravan leader's concerns = weather, terrain, animals, animal attendants, care of customers, care of customer's goods, good, water, fresh animals, medicine, bandits, guards
Merchant's focus = prices, supplies of good, can he find a buyer at desired price, can he find seller at a desired price, safety of his goods, personal safety, taxes, exchange rates of money, language barriers
Chine - Politics
Who were the rulers of Ancient China?
Periods of time divided into dynasties
ruled by one family and sons
600 BCE Cho /Joo/ Dynasty
invented bureaucracy - took land from nobility
gave land to people chosen to govern
535 BCE Zeng Dynasty
earliest written laws in China
226 BCE = Qin /chin/ Dynasty (origin of name for China)
ruler = Shi Huangdi
unification of China = one of China's most important historical events
206 BCE = Han Dynasty
Ruled by Confucian beliefs
What made the Qin Dynasty notable?
appointed government officials to run counties with single federal bureaucracy ruled by legalism, (written laws and bureaucracy)
(obey - reward, disobey - punishment, people obeyed out of fear, not respect)
(felt government based on virtue and respect wouldn't work, not Confucius's way)
forced nobles to move to capital to break peasant loyalty
expanded empire
built road system for communications and control
standardized - coins, weights, writing, axle width, controlled text books, burned Confucianism books
built a great wall (not The Great Wall)
protection from Northern tribes (30' high, 1500 miles long)
built in 7 years, 500,000 died in construction
(current wall build 1300 AD in Ming dynasty, 3,700 miles long)
remembered as cruel and uncaring leader, (killed challengers and their families)
dies - tomb with thousands of terra cotta warriors
favored son too politically weak to hold country together
What made the Han Dynasty notable?
206 BCE - 220 AD
Rule by Confucius beliefs - rulers deserved respect (became official teaching)
restored nobles doms with appointed overseers
set up civil service system - government jobs earned by tests
Supported Daoism = key to long life and happiness is accepting life as it is
Expanded the empire
Traded with other lands
Establishment of Silk Road
Peace
Lowered taxes,
Improvements in writing
Paper developed (first dictionary, first recording of history)
Seismograph - 132 AD (told strength and direction of EQ)
Silk Road
Geographic Setting
Network of trails and trading posts
Branch routes led to different destinations
Eastern end = Chang'an (now Xi'an)
Westward end= Byzantium (Constantinople)
other trade networks distributed goods throughout the Mediterranean world and into Europe, and throughout eastern Asia
there were always competing for alternative routes by land and sea
this broad belt of oasis-punctuated deserts across Central Asia
infrequent water supplies, scarce forge for animals
Bounded on the north and south by mountains
Passable only to highly skilled Silk Road caravaneers with local knowledge
deliver their cargo safely from stage to stage
possible routes were numerous and complex
Concept of Asia
It is important to remember that the nation-state is a modern invention,
Clearly defined countries did not exist before modern times
Prior to200 BCE "China" didn't exist as a nation
China can be divided into North and South China along the Han and Huai Rivers.
North China = dry, grain farming, fertile soil of broad plains,
dominated by heavily eroded hills, land based travel on drawn carts and pack animals
South China has monsoonal climate. Soils leached by heavy seasonal rains require heavy fertization; staple crop is rice, transportation by riverboat.
North Europe
Just a peninsula on the western tip of the great Eurasian continental landmass
Too remote, too sparsely settled, to culturally "backward" to play more than a marginal role in long-distance trade across Eurasia.
In medieval times growing prosperity of Europe led to an increasing appetite for the spices, gems, textiles, and other luxury goods from the east
Europe searched for direct access to India and China led to new maritime routes around Africa and across Atlantic
Historical Background
Carts and wagons can't cross deserts
Horses not strong enough to carry pack cargo through the dryness with such little edible grass
Domestication of camel (about 800 CBA) made trade possible on Silk Road.
For many hundreds of years China's significant problem was how to deal with mounted nomads on its northern frontier.
China really wanted good horsed to use in their army.
Chinese government set up caravans to trade silk for the world's best horses from Afghanistan
Lots of soldiers on the trip to protect the silk and the horses
Private merchants tagged along to trade silk, medicinal herbs, jade carvings, glassware gold, silver
Pattern of trade established:
Caravan drivers and animals traveled back and forth over one particular segment of the route
Goods changed hands at oasis trading centers
Oasis merchants discouraged longer-distance trade by exaggerating the distances and dangers,
Oasis charged taxed and became small kingdoms
Irrigation improved and more goods remained at oasis cities as wealth grew
No known record of Chinese merchant ever visited Rome and no Roman ever visited China
Most important trade was that of ideas
Religion (Buddhism), Technology, Fashions, Recreation (polo), Music,
Trade declined after 1,100 CE.
Mongolian invaders from north (Genghis Khan) let to increased use of ocean routes
Genghis Kahn and his grandson Kublai Khan conquered most of Eurasia in 1200 CE and unified the region.
Overland trade increased
This is when Marco Polo traveled from Italy to China and back by the ocean route.
Genghis Khan inflicted such damage to oasis cities to control them that they were depopulated, fields and orchards dried up, Silk Road trade never recovered.
By 1500 CE long-distance trade between Eastern and Western Eurasia shifted to ocean routes.
Keep in mind the larger picture of how and why the European "Age of Exploration" began and how long-distance trade between Europe and East Asia came to be concentrated in Europe.
What led to the emerging nation-states of Europe to pioneer these new trade routes?
The old ocean trade from East Asia to Europe was handed by intermediares just like the Silk Road
Chinese, Malay, Indian, Arab sailors carried goods for only part of the total journey.
By the time silk, and other goods reached Europe they were extremely expensive because everyone involved in trade added on their costs and profit.
Western European kings (Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal) wanted to find direct sea routes to the east to lower cost of imported goods, profits would stay with ship owners and kings.
By 1400CE Portuguese found sea route around Africa and established direct routes to India .
Portugal hired Columbus to find route to China and India by going west from Portugal.
Belief Systems Travel the Silk Road
At 100 BCE, religion along Silk Road very different
Christianity 100 years in future
Islam 700 years in the future
Buddhism known in Central Asia but not yet spread into China
people worshiped the Greek, Roman, Egyptian god and goddesses
Jews worshipped god of Abraham
Ancestor worship,
animists worshiping Earth, mountains and rivers
Zoroastrianism in Persia since 600 BCE (monotheistic, struggle between good and evil)
As trade began on regular basis, religious beliefs changed radically.
Religious belief is often on of the most important and deeply help aspects of personal identity
Proselytizing religion= actively seek to recruit new members
Ethnicity, language, color, physical and cultural differences taken to be of small importance
More important is common humanity of all believers
Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam
Non-proselytizing religion= do not recruit new members
membership based on ethnic group membership
Conversion often occurs only when a person married into faith or is impossible
Hinduism, Judaism, Shinto
Buddhism was first great missionary faith to travel the Silk Road
Originated in northeastern India
Merchants built temples and shrines
Priests staffed the temples and preached to local people and passing travelers
Buddhism's message = earthly life is temporary and full of suffering,
painful cycle of birth, , and rebirth can be ended through Buddhist faith and practice.
By 500 CE had spread from China to Korea and Japan
Christianity spread eastward and westward.
Islam spread east and wet
now is faith of majority of people in the countries spanned by Silk Road
Muhammad, Prophet of Islam, born 570 CE in Arabia
At age of 40 received revelations from god, recorded in Quran
Changed beliefs from polytheists to One god, unique and compassionate
Muslim = one who submits to God
Five Duties: profession one God,, profession Muhammad was prophet of God,
Prayer, almsgiving, fasting during Ramadan, pilgrimage to Mecca is possible
Recognition that God sent prophets and revelations to other groups (Jesus)
1 billion Muslims in world, half live in Asia
Travel of Ideas and Technology
Good ideas travel easily
Paper invented when Silk Road trade began to grow
Paper replaced other materials in most of western Eurasia
Previously, rolls of silk, narrow wooden strips, papyrus rolls
Waterwheel for irrigation
Water lifted up to forty feet with no human or animal energy
Current rotates wheel and lifts pots filled with water to empty into chute at top
Food and plants, orange from China to Mediterranean,
Grapes from west to east
Bad side effect
Black plague the devastated Europe in 1300's came from Central Asia along Silk Road
Probably flea eggs rode on marmot pelts for fur-trimmed clothes
From Central Asia to Middle Eastern port,
Eggs hatched, fleas infested rates that go onto ships, carried to port cities of Italy
Musical tradition
Followed religion
Music traditions portable, durable, take root in new lands
Influenced musicians along route
People attracted to novelty
Can enjoy new music without giving up old music
China - Timeline
35,000 BCE people began to migrate out of Africa into Asia
8,000 BCE people start growing food, agriculture
3,500 BCE earliest cities form
3000 BCE China's Lung Shan people first produce silk, too isolated to trade
Mesopotamians build Ziggurats
2566 BCE Great Pyramids in Giza built
1790 BCE Hammurabi's Code
1225 BCE Moses led Israelites out of Egyptian slavery
500 BCE Buddha born in India
300 BCE China united under Qin Dynasty
200 BCE Han Dynasty sends explorers west to Afghanistan
Exploration results in growth of Silk Road
Buddhism adopted in India
1 AD silk first seen in Rome
100 AD Silk Road stable, Buddhism reaches China
200 AD Han Dynasty weakens, Silk Road disrupted
300 AD China Fragments, secrets of sericulture spread along Silk Road,
400 AD Silkworms smuggled into central Asia
600 AD Golden Age of Silk Road
700 AD Decline in Silk Road
900 AD Persians master sericulture
1100 AD Silk production established in Italy
1400 AD European Renaissance, end of Silk Road for silk
1800 AD term "Silk Road" created by German archeologist
1900 AD Chinese revolution ends dynasties, Europeans travel Silk Road as adventurers, scientists
2004 AD you learn about Silk Road
Where is China located?
Eastern edge of Asia
West coast of North Pacific Ocean
What is the land of China like?
A little larger than mainland USA
Isolated by deserts, mountains, and oceans from rest of world
To north = Gobi desert = grazing, too dry for farming
To northwest = Taklamakan = "go in and you will not come out"
Locally known and "moving sands" just like an ocean flood, not stopping it if it overruns oasis
Waterless, no food, searing heat
To south = mountains
Few routes through, altitude sickness, blizzards, snowbound passes, not fodder for animals
Southwest = high plateau (Tibet)
13,000'-26, 000' elevation
Rimmed by mountains
Many long and wide rivers
Yangtze = 3rd longest (after Nile and Amazon)
Rivers run west to east, not to other countries
Canals dug for north to south transportation (1,000 mile grand canal hand dug)
(dug between 500 BCE to 1300 AD)
Geography made China governing difficult
also made movement of ideas and goods difficult
lots of coal beds, coal their main energy source, lots of air pollution
[half of all their mammal types are rodents (rabbits, mice, rats, squirrels, hares)]
What is the climate of China like?
Warmer than USA
Summers = hot and humid in south
Winter = cold but little snow because of dry winters
North = hard to grow food - too cold and dry
Central = Yangtze valley = low plains, milder climate
South = produces 3/4 of country's food
Rice, wheat, corn, beans, vegetables
In the settlement of the western hemisphere, what were geographic barriers?
With today's technology, how significant are geographic barriers?
What are today's barriers preventing the free flow of goods, people, and ideas?
Chine - Social Structure
What were the social classes?
King and Family = show virtue by doing service to their country and people
Nobles = receive land from king
In return give loyalty and pay tribute of gifts and soldiers
Peasants = lived on land controlled by nobles
Farm, pay taxes with crops and service in army
Compare Chinese peasants with European peasants.
Both given use of land to farm if pay rent to landlords
Rent = crops and labor
Chinese farmers could leave if they were unhappy, not slaves
European peasants couldn't leave,
they were bought and sold with the land
like slaves
China - Religion
How did religious beliefs change over time?
Creation story - creator formed people out of clay
Flood story - flood covered China
Yu the Great spent 13 years digging rivers to remove
("If it weren't for Yu the Great, we'd all be fishes")
polytheistic = gods of north, south, east, west, rain, wind, fire
gods were very powerful
ancestor worship - wise, guide lives of living
ancestors could communicate with gods
souls of kept living so they needed life's necessities within the tomb
What is Confucianism?
Confucius 551-479 BCE
Kong Fuzi /Kong Foo-Suh/
Master Kong
Son of government official
also worked for government
Offended powerful nobles
Exiled
Wandered for 25 years
Developed ideas about government and society
Views on government based on view of family
children expected to treat parents with honor and respect
rulers must love their subjects to gain loyalty
Virtue and kindness required
China - Economics
How did economics of China change over time?
5000 BCE = start of agriculture, dogs and pigs domesticated
2500 BCE Silk Road starts
2,000 BCE = small settlements grew into towns
Silk Road's Golden Age = 600 AD
What was the significance of the Silk Road?
From Xian to Mediterranean
5,000 miles long (twice the distance between San Francisco and New York City)
not just goods traveled
ideas and technology moved in both directions to change the world
What traveled on the Silk Road?
goods had to be high value to weight
from China - silk, spices (cinnamon), bronze weapons, gems, furs, nimals,
China is source of: peach, apricot, ginger, tea, and many citrus
To China - jade, preserved exotic food, nimals, ivory, coral, incense, glass, horses, perfumes
Against the law to smuggle silk works west (sericulture), silk stays a state secret until 500 AD
(Romans thought it grew on trees - tree wool)
goods changed hands many times, each time becoming more expensive
caravans traveled from oasis town to oasis town (which grew to trading posts)
travelers picked up: fresh animals, supplies, traded their goods for products to take on return trip
two- humped camels in caravans, single humped could carry same load but couldn't keep up the pace
ideas = politics, popular styles, artwork, military tactics, technology
from China = printing, gunpowder,
From West = Buddhism from India through Central Asia, into China and Japan
not for people migrating
people didn't travel the entire route, only went from one oasis to the next
series of stages with lots of middlemen
How did it change towns along the route?
several routes, (named by a German archeologist)
travelers balanced, seasons, threat of desert, mountains, wells, bandits,
Small, oasis based towns become trade centers
For protection against bandits, merchants formed large caravans of up to 1,000 camels with armed escorts
Ever since the last ice age, wells have been slowly drying up
major cities were at the start and destination (e.g., Chan' an = Xian by 742 AD had 2,000,000 people)
Including 5,000 foreigners and numerous religions
What were the concerns of Silk Road travelers?
Caravan leader's concerns = weather, terrain, animals, animal attendants, care of customers, care of customer's goods, good, water, fresh animals, medicine, bandits, guards
Merchant's focus = prices, supplies of good, can he find a buyer at desired price, can he find seller at a desired price, safety of his goods, personal safety, taxes, exchange rates of money, language barriers
Chine - Politics
Who were the rulers of Ancient China?
Periods of time divided into dynasties
ruled by one family and sons
600 BCE Cho /Joo/ Dynasty
invented bureaucracy - took land from nobility
gave land to people chosen to govern
535 BCE Zeng Dynasty
earliest written laws in China
226 BCE = Qin /chin/ Dynasty (origin of name for China)
ruler = Shi Huangdi
unification of China = one of China's most important historical events
206 BCE = Han Dynasty
Ruled by Confucian beliefs
What made the Qin Dynasty notable?
appointed government officials to run counties with single federal bureaucracy ruled by legalism, (written laws and bureaucracy)
(obey - reward, disobey - punishment, people obeyed out of fear, not respect)
(felt government based on virtue and respect wouldn't work, not Confucius's way)
forced nobles to move to capital to break peasant loyalty
expanded empire
built road system for communications and control
standardized - coins, weights, writing, axle width, controlled text books, burned Confucianism books
built a great wall (not The Great Wall)
protection from Northern tribes (30' high, 1500 miles long)
built in 7 years, 500,000 died in construction
(current wall build 1300 AD in Ming dynasty, 3,700 miles long)
remembered as cruel and uncaring leader, (killed challengers and their families)
dies - tomb with thousands of terra cotta warriors
favored son too politically weak to hold country together
What made the Han Dynasty notable?
206 BCE - 220 AD
Rule by Confucius beliefs - rulers deserved respect (became official teaching)
restored nobles doms with appointed overseers
set up civil service system - government jobs earned by tests
Supported Daoism = key to long life and happiness is accepting life as it is
Expanded the empire
Traded with other lands
Establishment of Silk Road
Peace
Lowered taxes,
Improvements in writing
Paper developed (first dictionary, first recording of history)
Seismograph - 132 AD (told strength and direction of EQ)
Silk Road
Geographic Setting
Network of trails and trading posts
Branch routes led to different destinations
Eastern end = Chang'an (now Xi'an)
Westward end= Byzantium (Constantinople)
other trade networks distributed goods throughout the Mediterranean world and into Europe, and throughout eastern Asia
there were always competing for alternative routes by land and sea
this broad belt of oasis-punctuated deserts across Central Asia
infrequent water supplies, scarce forge for animals
Bounded on the north and south by mountains
Passable only to highly skilled Silk Road caravaneers with local knowledge
deliver their cargo safely from stage to stage
possible routes were numerous and complex
Concept of Asia
It is important to remember that the nation-state is a modern invention,
Clearly defined countries did not exist before modern times
Prior to200 BCE "China" didn't exist as a nation
China can be divided into North and South China along the Han and Huai Rivers.
North China = dry, grain farming, fertile soil of broad plains,
dominated by heavily eroded hills, land based travel on drawn carts and pack animals
South China has monsoonal climate. Soils leached by heavy seasonal rains require heavy fertization; staple crop is rice, transportation by riverboat.
North Europe
Just a peninsula on the western tip of the great Eurasian continental landmass
Too remote, too sparsely settled, to culturally "backward" to play more than a marginal role in long-distance trade across Eurasia.
In medieval times growing prosperity of Europe led to an increasing appetite for the spices, gems, textiles, and other luxury goods from the east
Europe searched for direct access to India and China led to new maritime routes around Africa and across Atlantic
Historical Background
Carts and wagons can't cross deserts
Horses not strong enough to carry pack cargo through the dryness with such little edible grass
Domestication of camel (about 800 CBA) made trade possible on Silk Road.
For many hundreds of years China's significant problem was how to deal with mounted nomads on its northern frontier.
China really wanted good horsed to use in their army.
Chinese government set up caravans to trade silk for the world's best horses from Afghanistan
Lots of soldiers on the trip to protect the silk and the horses
Private merchants tagged along to trade silk, medicinal herbs, jade carvings, glassware gold, silver
Pattern of trade established:
Caravan drivers and animals traveled back and forth over one particular segment of the route
Goods changed hands at oasis trading centers
Oasis merchants discouraged longer-distance trade by exaggerating the distances and dangers,
Oasis charged taxed and became small kingdoms
Irrigation improved and more goods remained at oasis cities as wealth grew
No known record of Chinese merchant ever visited Rome and no Roman ever visited China
Most important trade was that of ideas
Religion (Buddhism), Technology, Fashions, Recreation (polo), Music,
Trade declined after 1,100 CE.
Mongolian invaders from north (Genghis Khan) let to increased use of ocean routes
Genghis Kahn and his grandson Kublai Khan conquered most of Eurasia in 1200 CE and unified the region.
Overland trade increased
This is when Marco Polo traveled from Italy to China and back by the ocean route.
Genghis Khan inflicted such damage to oasis cities to control them that they were depopulated, fields and orchards dried up, Silk Road trade never recovered.
By 1500 CE long-distance trade between Eastern and Western Eurasia shifted to ocean routes.
Keep in mind the larger picture of how and why the European "Age of Exploration" began and how long-distance trade between Europe and East Asia came to be concentrated in Europe.
What led to the emerging nation-states of Europe to pioneer these new trade routes?
The old ocean trade from East Asia to Europe was handed by intermediares just like the Silk Road
Chinese, Malay, Indian, Arab sailors carried goods for only part of the total journey.
By the time silk, and other goods reached Europe they were extremely expensive because everyone involved in trade added on their costs and profit.
Western European kings (Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal) wanted to find direct sea routes to the east to lower cost of imported goods, profits would stay with ship owners and kings.
By 1400CE Portuguese found sea route around Africa and established direct routes to India .
Portugal hired Columbus to find route to China and India by going west from Portugal.
Belief Systems Travel the Silk Road
At 100 BCE, religion along Silk Road very different
Christianity 100 years in future
Islam 700 years in the future
Buddhism known in Central Asia but not yet spread into China
people worshiped the Greek, Roman, Egyptian god and goddesses
Jews worshipped god of Abraham
Ancestor worship,
animists worshiping Earth, mountains and rivers
Zoroastrianism in Persia since 600 BCE (monotheistic, struggle between good and evil)
As trade began on regular basis, religious beliefs changed radically.
Religious belief is often on of the most important and deeply help aspects of personal identity
Proselytizing religion= actively seek to recruit new members
Ethnicity, language, color, physical and cultural differences taken to be of small importance
More important is common humanity of all believers
Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam
Non-proselytizing religion= do not recruit new members
membership based on ethnic group membership
Conversion often occurs only when a person married into faith or is impossible
Hinduism, Judaism, Shinto
Buddhism was first great missionary faith to travel the Silk Road
Originated in northeastern India
Merchants built temples and shrines
Priests staffed the temples and preached to local people and passing travelers
Buddhism's message = earthly life is temporary and full of suffering,
painful cycle of birth, , and rebirth can be ended through Buddhist faith and practice.
By 500 CE had spread from China to Korea and Japan
Christianity spread eastward and westward.
Islam spread east and wet
now is faith of majority of people in the countries spanned by Silk Road
Muhammad, Prophet of Islam, born 570 CE in Arabia
At age of 40 received revelations from god, recorded in Quran
Changed beliefs from polytheists to One god, unique and compassionate
Muslim = one who submits to God
Five Duties: profession one God,, profession Muhammad was prophet of God,
Prayer, almsgiving, fasting during Ramadan, pilgrimage to Mecca is possible
Recognition that God sent prophets and revelations to other groups (Jesus)
1 billion Muslims in world, half live in Asia
Travel of Ideas and Technology
Good ideas travel easily
Paper invented when Silk Road trade began to grow
Paper replaced other materials in most of western Eurasia
Previously, rolls of silk, narrow wooden strips, papyrus rolls
Waterwheel for irrigation
Water lifted up to forty feet with no human or animal energy
Current rotates wheel and lifts pots filled with water to empty into chute at top
Food and plants, orange from China to Mediterranean,
Grapes from west to east
Bad side effect
Black plague the devastated Europe in 1300's came from Central Asia along Silk Road
Probably flea eggs rode on marmot pelts for fur-trimmed clothes
From Central Asia to Middle Eastern port,
Eggs hatched, fleas infested rates that go onto ships, carried to port cities of Italy
Musical tradition
Followed religion
Music traditions portable, durable, take root in new lands
Influenced musicians along route
People attracted to novelty
Can enjoy new music without giving up old music
China - Timeline
35,000 BCE people began to migrate out of Africa into Asia
8,000 BCE people start growing food, agriculture
3,500 BCE earliest cities form
3000 BCE China's Lung Shan people first produce silk, too isolated to trade
Mesopotamians build Ziggurats
2566 BCE Great Pyramids in Giza built
1790 BCE Hammurabi's Code
1225 BCE Moses led Israelites out of Egyptian slavery
500 BCE Buddha born in India
300 BCE China united under Qin Dynasty
200 BCE Han Dynasty sends explorers west to Afghanistan
Exploration results in growth of Silk Road
Buddhism adopted in India
1 AD silk first seen in Rome
100 AD Silk Road stable, Buddhism reaches China
200 AD Han Dynasty weakens, Silk Road disrupted
300 AD China Fragments, secrets of sericulture spread along Silk Road,
400 AD Silkworms smuggled into central Asia
600 AD Golden Age of Silk Road
700 AD Decline in Silk Road
900 AD Persians master sericulture
1100 AD Silk production established in Italy
1400 AD European Renaissance, end of Silk Road for silk
1800 AD term "Silk Road" created by German archeologist
1900 AD Chinese revolution ends dynasties, Europeans travel Silk Road as adventurers, scientists
2004 AD you learn about Silk Road
Egypt Lecture Notes
Egypt - Geography
Where is Egypt located?
Northeast corner of Africa, (were Africans)
Along Nile River = world's longest river (4,000 miles)
Northern most 750 miles of Nile
12-mile wide strip of fertile land
Nile flows north into Mediterranean Sea
Lower Egypt = lower in elevation, to north, final 150 miles and delta
Upper Egypt = higher elevation, to south,
What is the land like?
About 5,000 BCE Sahara changed from savanna to desert
Strip of fertile soil surrounded by cliffs and desert
Surrounded: Sea to North, Desert to East and West, Jungle to South
Predictable annual flooding from central Africa (July - September)
Important because brought fertile silt from central Africa to desert
Egyptians called it Kemet = Black Land (vs. desert was "Deshret" - Red Land)
What is the climate like?
Hot, dry
Never rains along Nile (narrow strip along Mediterranean coast gets some winter rain)
Two crops each year
How did the Nile bring the Egyptian people together?
Egypt called "Gift of the Nile"
River highway
Flowed north, steady wind to south
Took collective action to build irrigation system
Canals, dams, storage ponds
Egypt - Political System
What was the government like?
Theocracy = government by a god regarded as the ruling power or by priests or officials
claiming divine sanctions
Pharaoh/king/god responsible for dispensing justice and order, right, truth, law, order
Royalty - total authority
Kings not challenged so government doesn't change
Unquestioned so lead to 2,000 year of stability
marked beginning of world's first nation/state
Priests and scribes = could be very powerful
Old Kingdom (built pyramids 2613 - 2040 BCE)
Middle Kingdom
New Kingdom (zenith of empire in 1,400 BCE)
Each kingdom (years) contain many dynasties (seasons)
Each dynasty (season) has many kings (months)
How did government get workers for pyramids?
Labor tax required work for government
During inundation when they couldn't farm
After the New Kingdom, what different people controlled Egypt?
Nubians, Assyrians, Persians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks, French, Egyptian
Usually protected from invaders by desert and jungles, only vulnerable from North
Egypt - Social Structure
What are the classes or people?
Royalty, priests (part of the government, advisors), scribes (powerful advisors)
Upper class = nobles, rich land owners, government officials, doctors, army officers, high priests
Middle class = manufacturers, craft workers, traders, artists
Lower class = peasants = majority = unskilled laborers, farm workers
Soldiers
Slaves = prisoners of war, could be freed
Could change class with talent, hard work, or marriage
What was Egyptian education like?
Learned writing, reading, math, algebra, geometry, astronomy, medicine,
Hieroglyphics originated 3300 BCE
Prepare students for governmental service or public scribes
Only 1 in 20 males educated, mostly upper class (women much less so)
Most boys followed father's occupation, could apprentice with professionals
Girls learned household responsibilities from mothers
What did women do in Ancient Egypt?
Unique in ancient world
Enjoyed same legal and economic right as males within the same social class
Usually in charge of households
Also worked in crafts, fields, workshops, and as temple priestesses
Only upper classes learned writing, math and literature
(they were rich enough to not have to work, other not educated so no government work for women)
Could manage, sell, bequeath property (land, livestock, goods, money, servants, slaves,)
Could sue, contract own marriage, divorce, adopt, or sell self into slavery
"I am your servant, together with my children and my children's children. I shall not be free in your precinct forever and ever. You will protect me; you will keep me safe; you will guard me. You will keep me sound; you will protect me from every demon, and I will pay you … until the completion of 99 years, and I will give it to your priests monthly"
(contrast with Greek women that needed male representative for all legal contracts)
free to go about in public,
legally free to travel but custom probably discouraged it
did not wear a veil
had more freedom and rights than women in rest of ancient world
Egypt - Economy
What was the economy based upon?
Agriculture, most people were farm laborers
Crops = wheat, barley, beans, flax, cotton (Egyptian Cotton = long stranded)
figs, dates, grapes, melons, cucumbers, onions, lettuce,
Livestock = cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, geese, fish, donkeys, bees
Crafts = textiles, jewelry, glass, metal (copper, gold, tin), pottery, bricks, tools, weapons, furniture, baskets, rope, papyrus, engineers, carpenters, bakers, butchers, teachers, scribes, accountants, musicians, embalmers
Traded within Egypt, Mediterranean, and Red Sea
No money, all barter
Who controlled the land and people of ancient Egypt?
Pharaohs all-powerful
Huge gap between rich and poor
1,000,000 - 4,000,000 populations along river, more in delta to north
Pyramids built by peasants paying "labor tax" (during inundations when they wouldn't be farming anyway)
Describe Egyptian innovations.
Mathematics = better Pi, but no zero
Medicine = surgery, bone setting with plaster casts, herbs
first believed diseased caused by evil spirits, by 1600 BCE treated disease as natural
Surplus calories allows surplus labor allows trade, art, architecture
Architecture - pyramids very sophisticated, based on astrology, tombs, not temples, 450' tall
Inventions = better calendar to predict floods (365 days), plow, hoes, chariots (1600 BCE), after time of pyramids (2,000 BCE), so "Prince of Egypt" wrong)
First national government
Hieroglyphics = 700 symbols for ideas and sounds, pictures and script
Papyrus (where we get our word for paper)
One of the first religions emphasizing life after
Great cities with professional trades (architects, doctors, engineers, painters, sculptors)
Sails for boats
Egypt - Religion
How did Egyptian Religion change over time?
Always polytheistic
Archaic - animism, each village had their own gods and spirits
Old Kingdom
only pharaoh was immortal
Re (sun god) became most powerful,
built pyramids = stairway to heaven for Pharaoh
Middle Kingdom
everyone immortal
Osiris (god of underworld), attracted many followers
New Kingdom
Short period of monotheism
Returned to polytheism with next ruler (Tutankhaton - boy king)
How did the Egyptians explain events in nature?
Stories about their gods explained natural events
Many gods with different responsibilities - wisdom, love, , Nile, sun
Dung beetle rolls sun across sky
Sun born each morning, dies each nigh
Why did Egyptians preserve bodies as mummies?
Death = extension of life
Bodies mummified because needed in afterlife
Soul appears before Osiris and heart is weighed
Light as a feather vs. heavy with sin
Scarab insect : larvae - pupae -
Egyptian: human - - afterlife
Christian: alive - tomb - resurrection
Caterpillar - cocoon - butterfly
Who were the main gods?
Re = sun (also called Amon or Amon-Re)
Isis = goddess mother/wife
Osiris = god of vegetation and
Horus = god of sky (falcon headed)
Thoth = god of wisdom and writing
Where is Egypt located?
Northeast corner of Africa, (were Africans)
Along Nile River = world's longest river (4,000 miles)
Northern most 750 miles of Nile
12-mile wide strip of fertile land
Nile flows north into Mediterranean Sea
Lower Egypt = lower in elevation, to north, final 150 miles and delta
Upper Egypt = higher elevation, to south,
What is the land like?
About 5,000 BCE Sahara changed from savanna to desert
Strip of fertile soil surrounded by cliffs and desert
Surrounded: Sea to North, Desert to East and West, Jungle to South
Predictable annual flooding from central Africa (July - September)
Important because brought fertile silt from central Africa to desert
Egyptians called it Kemet = Black Land (vs. desert was "Deshret" - Red Land)
What is the climate like?
Hot, dry
Never rains along Nile (narrow strip along Mediterranean coast gets some winter rain)
Two crops each year
How did the Nile bring the Egyptian people together?
Egypt called "Gift of the Nile"
River highway
Flowed north, steady wind to south
Took collective action to build irrigation system
Canals, dams, storage ponds
Egypt - Political System
What was the government like?
Theocracy = government by a god regarded as the ruling power or by priests or officials
claiming divine sanctions
Pharaoh/king/god responsible for dispensing justice and order, right, truth, law, order
Royalty - total authority
Kings not challenged so government doesn't change
Unquestioned so lead to 2,000 year of stability
marked beginning of world's first nation/state
Priests and scribes = could be very powerful
Old Kingdom (built pyramids 2613 - 2040 BCE)
Middle Kingdom
New Kingdom (zenith of empire in 1,400 BCE)
Each kingdom (years) contain many dynasties (seasons)
Each dynasty (season) has many kings (months)
How did government get workers for pyramids?
Labor tax required work for government
During inundation when they couldn't farm
After the New Kingdom, what different people controlled Egypt?
Nubians, Assyrians, Persians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks, French, Egyptian
Usually protected from invaders by desert and jungles, only vulnerable from North
Egypt - Social Structure
What are the classes or people?
Royalty, priests (part of the government, advisors), scribes (powerful advisors)
Upper class = nobles, rich land owners, government officials, doctors, army officers, high priests
Middle class = manufacturers, craft workers, traders, artists
Lower class = peasants = majority = unskilled laborers, farm workers
Soldiers
Slaves = prisoners of war, could be freed
Could change class with talent, hard work, or marriage
What was Egyptian education like?
Learned writing, reading, math, algebra, geometry, astronomy, medicine,
Hieroglyphics originated 3300 BCE
Prepare students for governmental service or public scribes
Only 1 in 20 males educated, mostly upper class (women much less so)
Most boys followed father's occupation, could apprentice with professionals
Girls learned household responsibilities from mothers
What did women do in Ancient Egypt?
Unique in ancient world
Enjoyed same legal and economic right as males within the same social class
Usually in charge of households
Also worked in crafts, fields, workshops, and as temple priestesses
Only upper classes learned writing, math and literature
(they were rich enough to not have to work, other not educated so no government work for women)
Could manage, sell, bequeath property (land, livestock, goods, money, servants, slaves,)
Could sue, contract own marriage, divorce, adopt, or sell self into slavery
"I am your servant, together with my children and my children's children. I shall not be free in your precinct forever and ever. You will protect me; you will keep me safe; you will guard me. You will keep me sound; you will protect me from every demon, and I will pay you … until the completion of 99 years, and I will give it to your priests monthly"
(contrast with Greek women that needed male representative for all legal contracts)
free to go about in public,
legally free to travel but custom probably discouraged it
did not wear a veil
had more freedom and rights than women in rest of ancient world
Egypt - Economy
What was the economy based upon?
Agriculture, most people were farm laborers
Crops = wheat, barley, beans, flax, cotton (Egyptian Cotton = long stranded)
figs, dates, grapes, melons, cucumbers, onions, lettuce,
Livestock = cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, ducks, geese, fish, donkeys, bees
Crafts = textiles, jewelry, glass, metal (copper, gold, tin), pottery, bricks, tools, weapons, furniture, baskets, rope, papyrus, engineers, carpenters, bakers, butchers, teachers, scribes, accountants, musicians, embalmers
Traded within Egypt, Mediterranean, and Red Sea
No money, all barter
Who controlled the land and people of ancient Egypt?
Pharaohs all-powerful
Huge gap between rich and poor
1,000,000 - 4,000,000 populations along river, more in delta to north
Pyramids built by peasants paying "labor tax" (during inundations when they wouldn't be farming anyway)
Describe Egyptian innovations.
Mathematics = better Pi, but no zero
Medicine = surgery, bone setting with plaster casts, herbs
first believed diseased caused by evil spirits, by 1600 BCE treated disease as natural
Surplus calories allows surplus labor allows trade, art, architecture
Architecture - pyramids very sophisticated, based on astrology, tombs, not temples, 450' tall
Inventions = better calendar to predict floods (365 days), plow, hoes, chariots (1600 BCE), after time of pyramids (2,000 BCE), so "Prince of Egypt" wrong)
First national government
Hieroglyphics = 700 symbols for ideas and sounds, pictures and script
Papyrus (where we get our word for paper)
One of the first religions emphasizing life after
Great cities with professional trades (architects, doctors, engineers, painters, sculptors)
Sails for boats
Egypt - Religion
How did Egyptian Religion change over time?
Always polytheistic
Archaic - animism, each village had their own gods and spirits
Old Kingdom
only pharaoh was immortal
Re (sun god) became most powerful,
built pyramids = stairway to heaven for Pharaoh
Middle Kingdom
everyone immortal
Osiris (god of underworld), attracted many followers
New Kingdom
Short period of monotheism
Returned to polytheism with next ruler (Tutankhaton - boy king)
How did the Egyptians explain events in nature?
Stories about their gods explained natural events
Many gods with different responsibilities - wisdom, love, , Nile, sun
Dung beetle rolls sun across sky
Sun born each morning, dies each nigh
Why did Egyptians preserve bodies as mummies?
Death = extension of life
Bodies mummified because needed in afterlife
Soul appears before Osiris and heart is weighed
Light as a feather vs. heavy with sin
Scarab insect : larvae - pupae -
Egyptian: human - - afterlife
Christian: alive - tomb - resurrection
Caterpillar - cocoon - butterfly
Who were the main gods?
Re = sun (also called Amon or Amon-Re)
Isis = goddess mother/wife
Osiris = god of vegetation and
Horus = god of sky (falcon headed)
Thoth = god of wisdom and writing
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)