Classical Civilizations Notes

Greece
Three main levels of Gods
- Titans, Olympians, Poly
Minotaurs come from Minoa

Two Civilizations
3000 B.C.
Minoans
Mycenaeans
- Trojan War

Minoa
We get information from artifacts, arts, images, stories
Greece is a rocky terrain and civilizations are more
spread out
Wrestling and boxing were very popular in the Minoan
Civilization
Bull jumping was also a very popular sport
Greeks were against Troy

Greek Myths
Dorians
City-states: Didnt have an overall government

Types of Government
Monarchy: Passed from father to son
Aristocracy: Richer people who governed, one family to
power
Oligarchy: A few groups tried to share power
Democracy: The people have the power

Athens

 Dracos Law: Very strict laws. If you did wrong you

basically died
Solon: Took over Draco, made it more of a democracy
Cleisthenes: Try to continue the democratic form
Democracy comes from the word Demokratia
Cleisthenes had three branches
- Ekklesia: Assembly
- Boule: Council of 500, randomly selected, 1
year term, choose which issues needed to be addressed
- Dikasteria: Court system, 30 years of age to
eligible
Was Athens truly democratic??

Sparta
Military state: Military strong influence in government
- Military Service
- Social Structure
Age seven boys sent to a school to train
Had mountainous terrain
Had two kings
Women were treated like objects
The women took care of most things while the men
were at war or training

Persian Wars

Iron: Cheaper material for fighting

Map
Pheidippides: Messenger, died shortly after
Delian League: City-states

Golden Age
Democracy
- Athenian vs. American
- Art: Described how and who they are,
realism, focuses mostly on the body

- Drama
- Philosophers: Aristotle, Socrates, Plato
Peloponnesian War
- Athens and Sparta

Hellenistic Culture
Alexander The Great: built a massive temple
City built by Alexander
Astronomy
Realism in Art: architecture

Rome
The Beginning
Romulus and Remus, twins that built Rome
Latins, greeks, and etruscans
- Latins inhabit all of Rome, Greeks inhabit
south, Etruscans inhabit North
The Republic
- A place where people get to vote on leaders
Patricians and Plebeians
- Patricians are wealthy and assume power,
Plebeians are low class and have less power
Tribunes and the 12 tablets
Consuls 1/10
Senate: Chooses consuls, 300 people
Dictator: Complete and absolute power
Legions: 80/5,00, military

Conquering
Italy
Punic wars: wars that occur in carthage
- Hannibal vs. Scipio
- Scipio attacks Carthage
King of Carthages son

Hannibal

A military general
He was called the Father of Strategy
Full name was Hannibal Barca
Successfully ran for office in Sufet

Scipio

Battled in Baecula
Had four children
Battled in 12 battles
Tried for bribery and treason

The Last Great Emperors

Diocletian: Very strict, only the Roman way, no
differences!!
- Iron Fist
- The Tale of Two Halves: Diocletian divided
Rome in two halves, he ruled the Western half and left
another ruler for the Eastern half
Constantine
- Byzantium
- Constantinople
- Christianity

The Fall
Inflation: Same goods, higher price
Crushing Tax Burden: Took taxes from the people
Political office is a burden
Military involvement in Politics
Civil War and Unrest
Division of Empire
Declining interest in public affairs
Low Confidence in Empire
Disloyalty
Growing Contrast in rich and poor: Rich get richer, poor
get poorer.
Decline in population
Threats from invaders

 Low funds for defense

Mercenaries
Invaders
Romulus
-

Atilla the Hun: Weakened the Western Side

Augustulus
Fall of the West
East flourishes for another 1,00 years

Legacy of Rome

Latin
Architecture
Literature
Law
- Equal Treatment
- Innocent until proven guilty
- Punished for actions
- Unreasonable can be set aside
R.H. Barrow Rome never fell because it turned into something
even greater- an idea - and achieved immortality