Common Characteristic of the Classical Age Empires Han, Rome, Greece, Gupta

Political Administration Institutions Centralized Governments Legal Systems and Law Codes Bureaucracies Chinese Dynasty The “Caesar” Most advanced in China Local rule more important in Rome

Maintaining Military Power and Economic Success Diplomacy Maintaining Supply lines Fortifications, Walls, Roads Recruiting locals into military Promotion of Trade Relationships

Importance of Cities Centers of Trade Religious Ceremonies Location of political Institutions Roman Senate Chinese Grand Council

Economic centers Religious Centers Along key waterways Defense Systems Examine the characteristics of the Classical Cities: Identify at least 2 similarities Economic centers Religious Centers Along key waterways Defense Systems

Chang’an (Xian) Center of Trade (starting point of Silk Roads) Center of two converging rivers (Wei and Feng) Imperial capital for Han Burned, rivived, then center of Buddhist learning http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/cities/china/xian/xian.html

Pataliputra Location at conjunction of three rivers – trade Seat of Mauryan Dynasty and Guptas Ashoka built Buddhist monasteries there http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Places/Place/419417 Surrounded by wooden walls

Persepolis Seat of Achaemenid government under Darius Palace references importance of Ahuramazda Three walls and ramparts, fortified towers http://www.livius.org/pen-pg/persepolis/persepolis.html http://www.ancient.eu.com/persepolis/

Constantinople Capital of Byzantine Empire Crossroads of Trade (Silk Roads Med. Sea Routes) Hagia Sophia Fortifications and defensive walls

Athens Central location on Aegean Sea import what they need b/c of poor soil Temples City-State http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac45

Alexandria Lighthouse was a beacon for merchants, religious prophets, intellectuals Capital of Alexander’s Empire Two ports – cash crops to be sold http://www.moyak.com/papers/ancient-alexandria.html

Rome & Carthage Carthage – leader of Phoenician colonies, controls trade from East to West Med. Sea http://www.livius.org/cao-caz/carthage/carthage.html Rome – administrative capital, temples, Tiber River, founding based in mythology, end point of Silk Roads http://public.wsu.edu/~dee/ROME/KINGDOM.HTM

Merchants and Artisans Social Structures Hierarchical Each empire had different criteria for determining your place Elites Merchants and Artisans Laborers Even though Merchants were high up on the hierarchy because of the wealth they generated people (elites) had a dim view of their existence—seen as greedy and corrupt Slaves Ex: India’s Hinduism and the caste system. Roman value on private property

Labor Systems Corvee Slavery Tributes Used to maintain production of food Elevated status of elites Examples: Corvee Slavery Tributes Corvee a form of slavery in which laborers are forced to work, often on public works projects, for a government or a lord Tribute: A government imposes a tribute on another region. Under threat of takeover, people of that region are forced into labor

Decline and Fall Internal Political Apathy and Corruption Social and Economic Tensions Excessive mobilization Environmental damage Gap increases between rich and poor Taxation Mobilization – migration to resource rich area, leads to depletion Deforestation Desertification

Decline and Fall External Security issues Invasion Cost of maintaining protection Miles of border to protect Diverse people to keep peaceful Xiongnu (Han China) White Huns (India) Germanic Tribes (Rome)