1. SSWH3
The student will examine the political, philosophical, and cultural interaction of Classical Mediterranean societies form 700 BCE to 400 CE.

2. Located: Balkan Peninsula
Greece geography:
Separate city-states
Mountainous & 2000 islands
Located: Balkan Peninsula

3. Greece geography: Mountains cover ¾
shaped political life creating small independent communities
travel by land difficult
Results of Geographic Features
Farming challenges and successes
Imports
Failure to Unite

4. Greece government:
City-state: called a polis (consisted of major city and surrounding land)
Built on two levels; top level was on a hill called an acropolis
Male landowners held all political power

5. Government in Greece: OLIGARCHY: DEMOCRACY:
Trade expanded, wealthy merchant class, farmer, and artisans challenged landowners
Created an oligarchy: power is in the hands of a small, wealthy elite
Discontent with the wealthy landowners created a democracy
Government run by the people
Only landowning men could participate in government and gain citizenship (limited)
Women & slaves were excluded from politics

6. Athens: Government: Democracy Focus: arts, culture, education
Women: must be guided by men; most important role in religion; took care of household
Education: girls received little/no education; boys went if they could afford it
Encouraged young men to explore music, reading, writing, poetry, public speaking, athletics

7. Sparta: Government: Oligarchy
Focus: extreme warrior society, focused strictly on training for war
Women: expected to produce healthy sons (exercise); had to obey fathers & husbands; had right to inherit property
Education: Boys at age 7 began military training, had to leave home
Became isolated from other Greeks; no travel or trade permitted

9. Peloponnesian war: Athens vs Sparta
Sparta threatened by Athens expansion
Sparta strong army; Athens strong navy
Sparta destroys Athens
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10. Philosophers: “lovers of wisdom”
Greek thinkers that challenged the belief that events were caused by gods
Used observation and reason to find causes of events
Debated & questioned government and laws to rule human behavior

11. Greek philosophers: First great philosopher of Greece
SOCRATES:
First great philosopher of Greece
Socratic method: ask questions & examine implications of answers
Wanted people to question things.
Put on trial for corrupting city’s youth, found guilty, and executed by poison.

12. Greek philosophers: Socrates’ student Emphasized reason
PLATO:
Socrates’ student
Emphasized reason
Distrusted & rejected democracy
(due to Socrates’ death)
taught ideal and perfect society ruled by one person with ultimate authority

13. Greek philosophers: Student of Plato
ARISTOTLE:
Student of Plato
Suspicious of democracy; believed in 1 strong leader
Focused on reason for learning (school courses based on the works of Aristotle)

14. Macedonia: Took over Greek city states. Alexander the Great
Took over throne at 20 years old
Conquered huge empire
Died at 32 years old due to fever; does not name a successor
Married a Persian woman

16. ALEXANDER’S LEGACY: Alexander's conquests led to cultural diffusion
Hellenistic Culture (Mixture of Greek and Middle Eastern Culture)
Alexandria, Egypt: center of Hellenistic world (between Europe & Asia)

18. Rome geography: Located: Italian Peninsula, Mediterranean Sea
Easier to unify
Fertile land

19. Rise of the republic:
Republic
a government in which elected officials have power granted by voting citizens
Republic would prevent any one person from gaining too much power
Senate: made laws, controlled government; established a system of checks on government power

21. Decline of republic: Civil wars began in Rome
Big issue: who should hold power—
1. Senate
2. Popular Political Leader
Julius Caesar: military leader who began to rise to power during civil wars

22. Rise of an empire: Autocratic government led by one leader
Caesar = Emperor
Pax Romana
Period of Roman Peace that lasts for 200 years
Tax system, postal service, coins to make trade easier, vast trade networks (Roman Roads)
Lots of cultural diffusion!

23. Julius Caesar: Triumvirate
Along with 2 others, Caesar had control of Senate
Became a dictator
Gave jobs to unemployed, land to poor, created new calendar
The other members of the Senate feared he was getting too powerful, so they killed him.
Started Civil War

24. Octavian: Ended the Civil War and took over the government
Became the First Emperor of Rome
Took the name Augustus Caesar
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26. Roman contributions: Heliocentric theory (sun- centered solar system)
SCIENCE:
GENDER:
Heliocentric theory (sun- centered solar system)
Lever & pulley
Hippocratic oath (ethical standards for doctors)
Women no longer restricted to their homes
Women learned to read and write
Royal women held power, some were rulers, others worked outside of home

27. Roman contributions: LAW: SCIENCE:
Judges interpret laws, make fair decisions
innocent until proven guilty
equal treatment under law
Solid evidence must be presented to indict someone
Built roads, bridges, harbors
Roads still used after empire fell
Aqueducts: structures that carry water into cities
Applied geography to create maps

28. Roman life: Most lived in countryside Slaves important
First major empire to be economically dependent on slavery
POWs and debtors
Big difference between rich & poor
“Western Culture”- Greco- Roman culture that spread Europe to America
Latin basis of Romance Languages and half of English words

29. Roman architecture: Coliseum Arena w/ free entertainment Gladiators
Dome (Pantheon)
Columns

30. Roman art:
Sculptures from the Greeks
Frescoes
Mosaics

31. Greek religion: Polytheistic Gods lived on Mount Olympus
Zeus: king of the gods
Honored gods with temples & festivals
(sacrifices, feasts, singing)

32. Roman religion: Polytheistic Adopted from Greeks
Jupiter: king of the gods
Honored by festivals & building of temples

33. Rise of Christianity: Messiah Jesus of Nazareth
Jewish belief that God would send someone to Earth to lead them to Heaven.
Jesus of Nazareth
Lived in the Middle East (part of Roman Empire-Jerusalem)
Jew
Thought by some to be the messiah
Made enemies of Jewish and Roman leadership because he was so popular with the common people.

34. Rise of Christianity: Appeal: personal relationship w/ God
embrace all people
personal relationship w/ God
promise of Heaven
Christianity spread through empire easily due to Pax- Romana
Christians not liked by Romans b/c refused to worship Roman gods

35. Spread of Christianity:
Jesus put to death, Paul spreads word of Jesus & God (missionary)
Liked by many because it accepted all people, especially the poor
Used Roman roads to travel & spread the word of Jesus
People willing to die for their beliefs attracted people
312 CE: Roman Emperor Constantine ends persecution of Christians b/c of vision
380 CE made official religion of Rome

36. Decline of roman empire
Fall of Western
Economy
Weakened
Inflation
Increased Taxes
Poor Harvests
Invading
Northern
Tribes
Breakdown in
Military and Civil
Loyalty
Empire becomes weakened
over time
Long-time factors:

37. Decline of roman empire:
SPLIT:
To try to save the empire, it was split in the 3rd century to make it easier to rule
Western Roman Empire
Capital at Rome
Eastern Roman Empire
Capital at Constantinople
Became known as Byzantine Empire later

38. FALL OF WESTERN ROMAN EMPIRE:
Huns
One of the many nomadic tribes that led multiple raids into the W. Roman Empire
Led by Attila the Hun
Rome surrendered to the attacks in the 5th century