Greek Empire800-146 BC

(650 years)

•Greeks created the City-State, a form of regional government loyal to one major city.•Greek city-states made war with each other annually to maintain their independence.•The city-state made contributions to Greek society such as the arts, philosophy, literature, science, democratic government, and sports.•In what ways was ancient Greece like the society of the United States today?

Alexander the Great (334-323 BC)

•In just over a decade, Greek culture is diffused (spread) throughout the Middle East, Egypt, and to India.•The Greek language, philosophy, and ideas o f democratic government take hold in the Eastern Mediterranean.•Greek influence in Egypt lasts from323-30 BC, in Syria from 312-64 BC, and in Macedonia from 350-146 BC.

Roman Republic 500-27 BC

(450 years)

Romans assimilated (adopted) ideas of democratic government and laws from Greeks

Roman Empire 27 BC-476 AD

(500 years)

What countries today may have had Roman influence?

-Government-Law -Technology

-Military strategy

-Architecture-Sculpture -Literature

-The Arts

Roman culture contributed greatly to the development of:

Sports Stadiums

Then

Now

Byzantine Empire (330-1453 AD)

Even though this empire was centered in

Constantinople (now Istanbul in Western

Turkey), its European influences continued for

many centuries in Southern Europe:

•Civil codes of law•Preservation of art•Strengthening of Christianity

Islamic and Arab Influence

• North African Muslims invaded the Iberian Peninsula (Spain/Portugal) from 711-1492 AD.

• Left many marks of Islamic language and architecture.Moors

• Built large empire in place of Byzantines (1300-1914)

• Influenced Balkan culture for centuries. Ottomans

England

In a process called SEQUENT OCCUPANCE, the British Isles have been conquered over and over again since ancient times.

Finally, in 1066 AD, William the Conqueror came over from Normandy to begin a nation what we know today

as Great Britain.

Holy Roman Empire800-1802 AD

Long after the ancient Roman Empire fell, Germanic tribes from Central Europe came to power and joined together under a famous ruler, Charlemagne.

It wasn’t long before the empire broke into hundreds of small kingdoms, where they followed a system known simply as FEUDALISM.

This lack of centralized government caused the “dark ages” to persist in much of Western Europe, whereas the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires to the East flourished.

Renaissance1400-1700 AD

Religion• Humanism• Enlightenm

ent

Arts/Education• Great

works of art were created

• Universities sprung up all over Europe

Politics/Economics• People

questioned “divine right” of kings

• New merchant class created from age of exploration

Colonialism(1492-1914)

With the Age of Exploration, European nations looked for new resources to enrich their national

homeland.

Spain at height of power

Portugal at height of power

United Kingdom at height of power

European Colonization in 1800

European Colonization by 1914 (WWI)

To what degree has the world been influenced in recent centuries by European nations?