Dawn of the Empires

The Akkadians- 2360-2230 B.C.E. Led by Sargon Conquered Sumerian City-States

Mesopotamia

The Babylonians Hammurabi creates

Babylonian empire, C. 1770 B.C.E-1500.; most famous for?

Hittites- 1400-1200 B.C.E.

Indo-Europeans Brought two-

wheeled chariot and iron

The Assyrians-1200-650 B.C.E. warlike culture, known for ruthlessness- mass deportation

How did they create their empire? superior military organization (professional

troops) Land grants were given in exchange for military

service. At its largest, the military comprised a half-million

troops, - Technology Iron weapons and superior engineering Assurbanipal- has library constructed at Nineveh-

great source of historical knowledge

Mesopotamia cont.

Conquered Nubia to the South (gold), later driven out

Hyksos New Kingdom expands Egypt into

Mesopotamia Pharaohs- Akhenaten, Hatshepsut, Ramses

II Nubians conquer Egypt, empire declines

Egypt

History of Judaism

Written in the TaNakh

Includes the “Torah” – the first five books of the Bible

Makes up the “Old Testament” of the Christian Bible

Still very much like the original

Important events

Adam and Eve (temptation)

Noah and the flood Abraham and Isaac Moses and the Exodus

(Ten Commandments) Kings of Judea Saul, David, and

Solomon Historically accurate

Important concepts

Monotheistic Covenant (promise/agreement) with God– “Chosen

People” Promised Land- called Canaan – present-day Israel

and Palestine Concept of a “Messiah” View of God – Caring, but demands obedience;

rewards and punishes Many miracles; God dialogues with humans Jews represent an ethnic community and a religion Small number of followers but large role in history

experience of women in Israelite society

◦ Women could not initiate divorce ◦ could be punished by death for having extramarital

relations◦ Women could not inherit ◦ Women were expected to rear the children and work

in agriculture, herding, or outside the family for wages.

Diaspora

Scattering of people – Jews spread throughout the world, but maintained tight-knit communities

Cyrus II (558-529 B.C.E.)◦ Satrapies (provinces)◦ Kept some local rulers; respected conquered

cultures Cambyses II (529-522 B.C.E.)

◦ Tried to extend empire too far◦ Maybe crazy

The Persians (Achaemenids)

Darius I (522-486 B.C.E.) Like Cyrus II Local administrators Standardized laws, money and taxes Why were the Persians successful rulers? willing to adapt to local circumstances, to

learn from those with experience, and to utilize the skills of non-Persians- continued Mesopotamian traditions

Centralized or decentralized?

Persians cont.

Religion in Persia Zoroastrianism Good V. Evil You will be rewarded or punished after

death Monotheistic Not official religion

Persian Empire under Darius

The Phoenicians

The Phoenicians

• Occupied string of cities along the eastern Mediterranean coast.

• What was the purpose?• Find valuable resources• (raw materials)• Resting place for merchant

fleets• Maintain a trade monopoly

The Phoenicians

• What were they famous for?

• Made glass from sand & purple dye from a tiny sea snail.

• Invented the alphabet that ours is based on (spread to Greeks and then Romans)

The Greeks (Hellenistic Culture)

Beginnings

Minoans (2500-1400 B.C.E.)- Island of Crete

Traders, not fighters – economically well-connected

Mycenaeans- Trojan War Like Minoans, civilization based on trade

Geography? – tons of cultural diffusion Why city-states? What does geography have

to do with it? Built around hills Bottom- houses Middle- Agora (market) Top- Acropolis (i.e. The Parthenon)

Greek City-States

The Olympic Games (776 BCE) Held to honor Zeus

(100 oxen) Trade and wars

stopped during games

Only men who spoke Greek were allowed to participate -later included Greek colonies

Individual events rather than team

Women were not allowed

Bragging rights; political alliances

1. monarchy: [‘single ruler'] A government in which a king or queen exercises central power (chosen by birth; hereditary)

2. aristocracy: ['best-rule'] noble land- holding families (hereditary distinction)

3. oligarchy: ['few-rule'] small group of business elites like, merchants, farmers and artisans (wealth distinction)

4. Theocracy- rule by a religion (not common in Greece)

Review of Governments

Why Athens? Naval technology Economy – coins; lydians Origins of democracy

◦ Tyrants to Aristocrats

Athens

Only male citizens could vote Assemblies chosen by lottery (allotment) –

wealth? Expected to participate – Don’t be an

“idiotes” Discussion; majority rule Generals and financial officials were elected Large slave population in Athens- only 1/3

of adults could vote Solon (630 B.C.E.)- council of 400

Greek Democracy

Two kings Large slave population Leads to militaristic culture Strongest army in Greece Banned the use of coins tomaintain equality among itscitizens

Sparta

Athens aid Ionian rebellions Persians attack Greece City-States (Athens, Sparta et al.) ally

themselves Defeat Persian and new king (Xerxes I)-

479 B.C.E. Thermopylae Hoplites and Phalanx Marathon

The Persian Wars

Golden Age under Pericles (Classical Period) 495- 429 B.C.E.

Historians- Herodotus (father of history); Thucydides

Philosophers- Socrates (date?), Plato, Aristotle

Drama- Sophocles, Oedipus Rex

Athenian Culture

“…the unexamined life is not worth living.”- Socrates

Socrates- put on trial

Plato- Philosopher-Kings

Aristotle- Science and govt.

Second-class citizens Could not vote or hold office Could not own property Not educated Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle argued that

men were superior to women (Misogyny?) Spartans gave women property rights and

education, but no political rights

Women

Between Athens (and allies) and Sparta (and allies)

Athens- too much power (empire?) Sparta wins

The Peloponnesian War(ends, 404 B.C.E.)

Peloponnesian War

Macedonia, in northern Greece, conquers city-states

Leader, Phillip II dies Son, Alexander, takes over Conquers most of known world; biggest

empire in history to that time Spreads Greek culture- most significant

result of Al the Great

Alexander the Great

Empire of Alexander the Great

The Hellenistic Age was a period that followed the conquests of Alexander◦ lasting from about 323 to 30 B.C.E.

During the Hellenistic Age, Greek culture acted as the dominant influence ◦ northeastern Africa and western Asia

The Hellenistic Age boasted new forms of science, art, and scholarship.

The city of Alexandria in Egypt epitomized the Hellenistic Age through its art and architecture, its great library, and its cosmopolitan culture.

Long after Greeks ceased to exert any direct political control on those areas, their culture remained a powerful influence.

Explain what is meant by the Hellenistic Age