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

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

3. 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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. Americas cont.
Maya
Hopewell
Desert
Chavin/Moche
Inca

12. Africa
Kush/Axum
Ethiopia
Ghana
Bantu migrations

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

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

15. 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)

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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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)

20. 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

21. 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