Chapter 5 The Classical Period: Directions, Diversities, and Declines by 500 CE

In Depth: Nomads Key agents of contact Silk routes Important channels of contact: Inventions Weapons, technology New foods Disease CULTURE (language, religion, art, etc)

Nomads (cont.) Indo-Europeans and Huns Animals influence culture Courage cultures: Kin-related bands – family ties important Excellent warriors – time to practice Valued honor, courage, loyalty, hospitality Male-centered w/ some exceptions Polytheistic and animistic w/ shamans

Nomads (cont.) Contacts w/others Regular and peaceful Trade Hostile and destructive Invasions Mercenaries Empire builders

Basic themes of classical civilizations Expansion and integration Those stop which leads to decline and collapse Response of major world religions to decline Developments outside the classical “orbit” become more prominent as decline occurs China – greater centralization India – localized, diverse, key religious values help unify Med. – culture spreads but involves less of pop. so makes vulnerable to division

Territorial integration China – settled northerners in south India – spread of caste system and Hinduism Rome – common laws, expanded citizenship guidelines, commercial network Social: all three subordinated women to men

Other civilizations Bordering areas had some relations to class. civ. SE Asia, NE Africa and Sub-Saharan, Japan, and N. Europe Americas – independent evolution of civ. Polynesia

Japan Agricultural Regional political organization→sophisticated regional states Ironworking (skipped copper/bronze) Role of women  Shintoism Imperial system becomes stronger Influence from Chinese produces a blend of Japanese and Chinese culture (women ) Buddhism

Northern Europe Culturally “behind others” Lack of cities Much fighting Loose political organization (tribes, etc) No written language Primitive agriculture Paganism/animism Role of women  / matrilineal

Americas Cultural hearths: Mesoamerica and Peru Contact with others??????????? Olmecs – “mother civilization” Corn and potatoes Little pastoralism (no animals) Art (jade) Calendar system Monumental architecture

Americas cont. Maya Hopewell Desert Chavin/Moche Inca

Africa Kush/Axum Ethiopia Ghana Bantu migrations

Decline of empires Han Outside invaders (Huns) Confucianism decreases Government corruption Local landlords want more power Peasants  Social unrest Daoists (Yellow Turbans) Epidemics

Gupta Less drastic decline Nomadic invasions (related to Huns) Regional princes (rajput) take more power Buddhism ↓ Hinduism ↑ Islam threatens culture and economy

Roman Empire Political confusion Weak rulers and unclear line of succession Plagues → population ↓ → economy  Moral decay and decline of culture Decentralization of political authority Army  Diocletian and Constantine Rise of new religions (Christianity)

Rome cont. Fall splits unity of Mediterranean 3 zones East – Byzantine and Sassanids N. Africa Western Europe – “civilization” ↓

Religions Comparison of Buddhism to Christianity Both: Move from original centers Unimportance of this world – stress spiritual world Monastic movement Possibility of afterlife and role of holy leaders Emphasize salvation and rituals Religious images and “saints”/bodhisattvas

Buddhism Changes as it spreads Role of women Buddha seen as “god” (Mahayana) Role of women Believed women could achieve salvation Chinese change some Buddhist ideas (syncretism) Possible threat to emperor Exists along with Daoism

Christianity More emphasis - church structure/organization Missionary activity/widespread conversions Stressed exclusive nature of truth/single belief Intolerant of competing beliefs?? Started as Jewish reform movement Idea of Trinity Formal theology/philosophy (Augustine) Accommodates earlier polytheistic beliefs (syncretism)

Christianity cont. Successful because: Blind devotion to all-powerful God Complex intellectual system (Benedict of Nursia) Appeals to all social classes Appeals to women Modified classical beliefs (role of state) Classical values: discipline, work, art, architecture

Conclusion Last major world religion-Islam Response to collapse of classical forms Need to react to new religions Other parts of world prepare for new developments