Study Guide - Classical Civilizations

Classical Civilizations

Introduction to Classical Civilizations

• Classical Civilizations (c.1000BCE-500CE)
• Classical civilizations are the societies that were more advanced and more recent than the ancient

civilizations discussed in the previous section.

• Most classical civilizations had a Golden Age- A period of great achievements in art, literature, math, and science.
• Below is a brief outline regarding the classical civilizations that the Regents would like you to know.

Greece

• Located on a peninsula with an irregular coastline in southeastern Europe.
• Because Greece has a very mountainous geography, it was not one united civilization. Instead, Greece was divided into many independent (separate) city-states. Each city-state (or polis) had its own government and land. The two most famous city-states were Athens and Sparta. They were very different societies.
• Sparta
  • A military society where men spent almost all of their lives training for warfare.
  • People in Sparta had very little freedom.
• Athens
  • Athens is known for having the first democracy in the world. A democracy is a form of government in which people can vote. Athens had a direct democracy,which means that all citizens (adult males born in Athens) were able to vote on laws.
  • Unlike Sparta, which focused mainly on war, Athens focused heavily on culture and is known for its philosophers (Socrates, Aristotle, Plato) and writers (such as Homer).
• Religion
  • The people of ancient Greece were polytheistic (believed in many nature gods).
  • The Olympic Games were held every 4 years in Greece to honor their god, Zeus.
• Alexander the Great
  • Famous leader who conquered Greece, Egypt, Persia (Iran), and part of India.
  • Hellenstic culture - Alexander spread Greek (Hellenic) culture to all of the areas that he conquered. The word Hellenistic is used to describe the mixture of Greek,Egyptian, Persian, and Indian culture that took place in the areas that Alexander conquered.

Rome

• Located on the peninsula of Italy.
• Rome began as a small city-state but eventually created a large empire by conquering the regions that surrounded the Mediterranean Sea (i.e.- Western Europe, coast of Northern Africa, Greece, Anatolia, and Western Asia).
• Key Features and Achievements of the Roman Empire:
  • Trade and Transportation Networks- The Romans were able to unite the areas of their empire and grow wealthy from trade because of the roads they built on land and because the Mediterranean Sea connected areas within their empire.
  • Twelve Tables of Rome - Written set of laws that stated the rules of behavior for members of Roman society. Although the laws favored the wealthy, these laws created stability (order) since they were displayed in public for all to see.
  • Ideas about Law- Romans developed important legal ideas that we still use today (such as “innocent until proven guilty”).
  • Pax Romana - Means “Roman Peace.” This was the 200-year Golden Age of Rome in which there was extensive trade and great achievements in art, literature, math, and science.

India

• During the classical period, India was ruled by two successful dynasties (families of rulers): The Maurya Dynasty and the Gupta Dynasty.
• Maurya Dynasty
  • Asoka- Famous ruler of India who wrote the laws of India on tall rock pillars (columns) that were displayed throughout India. Asoka converted to Buddhism during his reign and is known for his kind treatment of people and animals.
• Gupta Dynasty
  • The Gupta Dynasty is considered the Golden Age of India since there were many achievements in art, literature, math, and science. Some of the achievements include the invention of zero in mathematics, the development of Sanskrit writing, and beautiful Buddhist paintings.
  • Caste System
    • The caste system was the social hierarchy of India in which people were born into a social class (called a caste) and remained in that class for the remainder of their lives. The four main castes were Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors),vaisyas (merchants and artisans), and Sudras (laborers). *** The lowest group included people who were known as Untouchables (they had the worst jobs).
    • Since people could not move up or down in the caste system, it provided order and structure to society.
    • The caste system is closely associated with the Hindu religion

China

• During the classical period, China was also ruled by two main dynasties (families of rulers): The Qin Dynasty and the Han Dynasty.
• Qin Dynasty
  • Lasted only 15 years.
  • Qin rulers based their government on the philosophy of Legalism- Believes that humans are evil and that harsh punishments are needed to keep order in society.
  • NOTE: Legalism was similar to the Code of Hammurabi in ancient Mesopotamia since both noted that harsh punishments were necessary in society.
• Han Dynasty
  • Lasted 400 years.
  • Key Features and Achievements:
    • Trade and Transportation Networks- As with the Roman Empire, the Han Dynasty grew wealthy through trade because of the system of roads that was developed throughout the region.
    • Civil Service System- System in which government positions were given only to skilled people who passed difficult exams. The Chinese were the first to use this kind of system.
    • Silk Road
      • The Silk Road was a long trade route that extended about 4,000 miles from China in the East to the Mediterranean Sea in the West. The Silk Road connected the different classical civilizations (and later civilizations as well).
    • Cultural Diffusion- Cultural diffusion is the exchange of goods and ideas between societies. The Silk Road led the exchange of many products (like Silk) and religious ideas (like Buddhism) between civilizations.

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