Mr. Burciaga's Blog

THE BIRTH OF CIVILIZATIONS - Early man identified by tools and fossils, etc. - Paleolithic Old Stone Age - @ 2 million years ago - people nomadic - hunter/gatherers - developed language - developed religion @ 10,000 years ago Neolithic era - New Stone Age - 1st farmers - better tools and buildings - cloth & pottery - domesticated animals - fire - trade between villages - invention of the wheel - copper working invented - then bronze from mixing metals - The Bronze Age - associated with ancient Greece - Many civilizations began close to rivers - four great river valleys - Egypt - Nile - China - Yellow - India - Indus - Mesopotamia - Tigris and Euphrates - The Fertile Crescent - Mesopotamia - “the land between two rivers” - polytheistic - trade was very important (barter system) - Sumer the first great city of Mesopotamia - Sumerians invented writing - cuneiform - 2350 BCE - Sumerians conquered by Sargon the Great of Akkad - he established the first Empire - other civilizations progressed into city/states - Mesopotamians invented multiplication, division, geometry, astronomy - 1792BCE it was unified under one ruler in the city/state called Babylon - ruled by Hammurabi - codified laws, some used today - Stele of Hammurabi Egypt - another center of civilization was in the Nile River valley - farms sprang up due to rich fertile soil after flood - Egypt’s Gift of the Nile - the farms turned to villages, then to 2 kingdoms - Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt - around 3100 BCE Menes brought the two together - changed his name to Narmer - he was considered the first Pharaoh - Egyptian civ. continued for at least 30 dynasties - after Menes, there were three periods of strong dynasties - The Old Kingdom - 2686- 2181 BCE - Age of the Pyramids - The Middle Kingdom - 2040 - 1786 - trade flourished during this time - w/Syria, Palestine & Crete - The New Kingdom - 1570-1090 - the Egyptian Empire established - from Euphrates south to Africa - while rulers changed, the culture remained same - for 3000 years - religion played important part of life - government was a theocracy - were polytheistic - believed gods influenced forces of nature - legend of Osiris, Isis, Horus, Seth, Anubis - believed in life after death - source of the mummy ritual - entrails taken out and put in canopic jars - brain whipped by stick and sucked out of nose - body left to soak in natron for more than 70 days - kind of salt - leaves body dark and rigid - then body wrapped and put in sarcophagus - and buried - hence the pyramids - Khufu or Cheops - Khafre - Menkaure - family members were buried in mastabas - the first designer of pyramids was Imhotep - built several pyramids for the Pharaoh Zoser - several survive today - notably the step pyramid of Saqqara - they invented hieroglyphics - writing on papyrus - sometimes on cartouches - developed a calendar more accurate then Sumerians - engineers used geometry - to build and plan irrigation works - they were first to use stone columns - the remains of their architecture is proof, well built - by 1200 BCE their power had peaked - others were coming into power. WORLD HISTORY NOTED #3 CULTURE OF CRETE - CRETE - half way between Egypt and Greece - c. 3000 BCE - Egypt & Mesopotamia carried goods there - soon Crete began trading w/them - and other Mediterranean lands - Cretans learned from these people. - to make better tools of copper and bronze - to make pottery & jewelry - to build stone buildings - learned Egyptian art - and religions of the area - they made many changes to what they learned - art was different than the Egyptians - writing was different from Mesopotamians - The culture became known as Minoan - after King Minos - by 2000 BCE Crete was a great trading nation - olive oil, wine, jewelry, fine pottery, tools - brought back grain, tin, ivory, gold, and salt - these traders started colonies in Greece, Asia Minor and other lands - and w/traders, the culture followed - During early days, Crete divided into many city/states - c. 2000 BCE Thira exploded and destroyed most Cretan city/states - Knossos became strongest city and capital - ruins of palace show that the King was rich and powerful (*11) - palace had several chapels, throne room, mtg rooms, etc. - even had running water for sewers! - Life was easier than Egyptians and Mesopotamians - Crete d/n need a large army - their navy was powerful enough - they had enough food and plenty of rain and good land - their trade brought in goods that most Cretans could afford - .c. 1400 BCE Knossos & other Cretan cities destroyed by navy of Mycenae - a city in southern Greece - was begun around 3000 BCE - ruled by Achaeans - they took over Crete’s trade - also Crete’s way of life - also made jewelry, pottery, metal ware - able to build walls 30-50' thick - But they never became as powerful as the Cretans - so Minoan culture d/n develop under Mycenae - Achaeans were very warlike people - attacked Troy - written in book by Homer called The Iliad - Troy in Greek is Ilium - i.e. The Trojan War - and conquered it - Hellas (Helen) = Greece - was metaphor - But soon Mycenae invaded by northern Greeks - The Dorians - by 1000 BCE they conquered all of Greece - also destroyed much of Mycenaean culture - reading, writing no longer important - pottery & tools not as well made - but the idea of city/state remained - also certain ideas about religion WORLD HISTORY NOTES 4 GREEK CITY/STATES - Greece is a peninsula - land surrounded on three sides by water - @ size of state of Pennsylvania mostly mountains - divided Greece into many small sections - difficult to travel from one place to another - explains why most Greeks settled in small cities - also explains why Greece d/n become united, like Egypt - After Dorians conquered Greece they became farmers - mixed w/conquered peoples - Greeks of today come from this mixture - slowly cities became center of Greek life each one a small nation - called polis - had own king, laws, army of free citizens - thought of themselves as citizens of polis - not citizens of Greece - City included all the land around it - had less than 10,000 people - were well organized & had strong gov’ts - fought wars, made treaties, collected taxes - Kings ruled w/help of the nobles - but by 750 BCE nobles became too powerful - took away most of King’s power and used powers to tax the people - most people were small farmers unable to pay taxes - nobles took their farms - many farmers sold into slavery - some farmers tried to improve their lives - left Greece and began colonies - along coast of Asia Minor, Italy, N. Africa - also many Mediterranean islands - others fought w/nobles - tried to replace them with tyrants - a ruler who controls the gov’t - many were wise rulers - cut power of the nobles - allowed the people to make their own laws - was beginning of democracy - a gov’t ruled by the people - Athens was leading polis where democracy was born - during 600's BCE, Athenian nobles made all laws - were not written down - few commoners knew what laws were - @ 620 BCE nobleman Draco wrote them down - helped people know what their rights were - 594 BCE another noble, Solon, also helped people - times were bad for farmers - many owed money to nobles - who already owned most of the land & $ - Solon ordered that $ d/n have to be paid - also made it illegal to be sold into slavery if unable to pay - also limited amt. of land anyone can own - and allowed common people to share in making the laws - for this, Solon was called “The Lawgiver” - When Athenian nobles tried to stop changes, people supported the tyrants - and defeated the nobles -by 500 BCE Athens ruled by the Assembly - meeting of all male citizens over 18 years old - this soon became too large - so they elected a Council of 500 - and a group of 10 generals - these people ran the gov’t - w/all actions approved by the Assembly - in this way, Athens became a limited democracy - Not all polis became democracies - Ex: Sparta in southern Greece - ruled by 2 Kings and Council of Nobles - one king in charge of religion. i.e. high priest? - to Spartans, the need of state more imp. than needs of the individual - boys had to serve in army from 7 y/o to 30 - girls trained to be mothers, wives - Sparta became a strong, warlike state WORLD HISTORY NOTES 5 THE GOLDEN AGE OF GREECE - Greece’s number one enemy, The Persian Empire - included Greek colonies in Asia Minor - fought w/Greek polis, including Athens - started in 500 BCE - when Greek colonies revolted against Persians in Asia Minor - Athens sent ships to help colonies - Persia declared war on Athens - 490 BCE Persians sent 25K men to city of Marathon - 25 miles north of Athens - 10K Athenians waited for Persians to invade from the north - while Athens waited for sea attack - Athenians at Marathon outnumbered - but charged the Persians - who were unused to fighting Greek style and on rocky land - also they wore light armor - the Athenians were well disciplined - after several hours, the Persians fled - finally tally - Persians lost 6,400 - Athenians 192 - But now Athens defenseless - most in Marathon fighting off Persians and all tired - and Persian navy on the way - Army leaders knew that if they could inform Athens of their victory, Athens w/n give up - so they chose young Pheidippides - he ran 25 miles to tell king of victory - “Rejoice! We conquer” - then he fell dead at the King’s feet - but Athens now knew they should not give up - actually waited at shore line for Persians - who took one look and turned around - Persian wars continued - Athenians lost at Battle of Thermopylae in 480BCE - but by 479 BCE Greeks won Persian War - at final battle at Plataea - Much of Athens destroyed during the wars - now time to rebuild - rebuilt temples on the Acropolis (High City) - religious center of Athens - most important building was Parthenon - temple to Athena - most buildings made of marble, very beautiful - statues made by greatest sculptors in world - between 460-429 BCE Athens became more democratic - Assembly gained power - now all citizens had right to be gov’t official - however only men whose both parents born in Athens could be citizens - women, slaves, foreigners could not - was same in other polis’ - so democracy was a limited one - and this idea would spread - Athens led by Pericles - greatest leader in history of Athens - under him Greece would reach its Golden Age - produced great plays - Athenians loved the theater - comedies made fun of leading citizens - tragedies dealt w/serious matters - good vs evil, etc. - Oedipus Rex - most plays still seen today - produced philosophers (lovers of knowledge) - Socrates: search for truth by asking ?’s - Plato: “The Republic” how to have utopia - Aristotle: studied science and gov’t - Hippocrates: the “Father of Medicine” - Herodotus: the Father of History - most of what we know @ Egypt & Persian wars comes from him. - Even after winning, the Greeks still feared Persia - so developed a strong army - which helped build strong trade and economy - Athens eventually became leader of more than 200 polis - Sparta feared Athens’ strength - went to war in 431 BCE - lasted 27 years (ended 404 BCE) - Sparta won - but both weakened and no longer powerful - The Golden Age is over - Greek Life - Religion - Gods were a family - Zeus, Hera, Athena, Aphrodite - lived on Mt. Olympus (northern Greece) - controlled peoples’ actions - but also behaved like humans - quarreled, played tricks on each other - were worshiped in temples and home - no priests - no one forced to worship - Schools - Greeks believed education made good citizens - schools were private - read/write/arithmetic/poetry/music/athletics - if rich, private tutors hired - geometry/astronomy/grammar/public speaking - would grow up to be useful citizen -Sports - building bodies just as important as education - running/jumping/boxing/wrestling/discus - would practice in large sports area - gymnasia, Greek for naked - every 4 years, even during war, would gather at polis called Olympia - for Olympic Games - was an honor to win for your polis - Women - had no rights - ruled by fathers till married, then ruled by husbands - married at 15 or 16 - Could see a play or take part in religious ceremonies - but c/n go to party where there were men - wife’s job is to look after home and make clothes - if rich, had a slave to help and protect her - poor women had more active life - did all kinds of jobs - including selling goods at market - Greeks used many slaves to do their work - rich Greeks could own up to 50 slaves - this freed citizens to take part in gov’t or athletics - slaves had to be treated well - but slaves with special skills treated best - some saved up enough money to buy their freedom WORLD HISTORY NOTED 6 THE HELLENISTIC WORLD - Athens’ war w/Sparta ended 404 BCE - weakening both - Some polis continued to fight - to gain control of Greece - the strongest was Macedonia - and it was getting stronger - Macedonia, new nation just north of Greece - were very similar to Greeks - esp. language and religion - Philip II of Macedonia became King at 23 y/o - built a strong army - began to conquer Greek polis’ - by 338 BCE had complete control of Greece - Philip allowed conquered polis’ to run themselves - but he remained leader of all armies and navies - so finally Greece united - but it took Macedonians to do it - Philip planned to use combined armies of Macedonia and Greece to use against the Persian Empire - but he was murdered 336 BCE - at daughter’s wedding, drunken former guard stabbed him - his 20 y/o son Alexander became King - had received a good education - was tutored by Aristotle - was fine soldier, athlete where he met Hephaestion - would be lifelong partners - so Alexander was prepared to be great ruler - if any polis rebelled, he just put it down - he became one of greatest generals of all time - before long, he ruled all of Greece - He set his eyes on his father’s prize, the Persian Empire - they had very large army - but not as well trained as Alexander’s - by 331 BCE conquered all of Asia Minor, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia, and rest of Persian Empire - defeating Darius III at Granicus - But he wanted more...India - so he began to march his soldiers there - but most of them too tired of fighting - forced him to turn back - as Alexander conquered land, he wanted to spread Greek culture, too - wanted to start a “world culture” - based on best ideas of Greek, Persian & Hindu cultures - w/Greek laws & language the basis of this culture - called “Hellenistic Culture” - Hellas = Greece - Hellenistic = like Greece - this period lasted 200 years from 323-133 BCE - Alexander started many colonies all over his empire - settlers introduced Greek language & culture to conquered peoples - They also learned from these conquered peoples - Alexander built new cities and rebuilt old ones - tried to make all people feel they were united - encouraged international marriages - took all religions into his army - set us same $ system throughout empire - easier to trade - would have been nice to see what would have happened - but he died 323 BCE at age 32 - returned to Babylon and contracted fever - his empire divided into 3 parts ruled by 3 generals - Macedonia & Greece to Antigonus - Egypt & Palestine to Ptolemy - The Rest to Seleucus - each general tried to be strong ruler of his part - except for Greece and Macedonia - they continued to make own laws - Hellenistic culture produced important ideas/discoveries - contributions made possible by mixing best ideas of the empire - center of the culture was Alexandria, Egypt - largest city in the Hellenistic world - culture produced great art, writing, science advances - discovered earth was round - learned how to measure earth’s size - discovered earth moves around the sun - Euclid advanced geometry - Archimedes discovered how to weigh matter - law of displacement - “Eureka!” EXERCISE: In a short essay, answer the following questions: Do you think Alexander the Great was a good ruler? How might world history have been different if Alexander had lived for another twenty years?