Classical Era Civilizations

By emmae1733
  • Period: 1000 BCE to 500

    Classical Era Civilizations

    Classical societies are characterized by high degrees of organization, having authority over large regions, and elaborate customs. There was also expansion over the silk roads, disease, goods, and religion.
  • Period: 800 BCE to 500 BCE

    Athenian Greece

    Theater: The Greeks are known for their dramatic literature preformed at annual theatrical festivals. The few works that exist today show complicated themes.
    Philosophy: The three main Greek philosophers were Socrates, who encouraged reflection on ethics and morals, Plato, who questioned reality, and Aristotle, who valued logic
    Family: The society was very patriarchal with women falling under the authority of male relatives.The only thing women could do was know small businesses.
  • Period: 558 BCE to 330 BCE

    Achaemenid Empire

    Indo-European speakers, sharing cultural traits with Aryans
    Challenged the Assyrian and Babylonian empires
    Communication systems: Persian Royal Road and postal stations (Herodutus)
    Commonwealth: law, justice, administration led to political stability and public works (like the Qanat)
    Nomadic society; importance of family and clan relationships
    Agriculture was the economic foundation
    Standardized coins, good trade routes, markets, banks, laws
  • Period: 500 BCE to 476

    Rome

    Roman expansion into Mediterranean basin, western Europe, down Nile to Kush
    Well-engineered Roman roads; postal system
    The pater familias: eldest male of the family ruled
    as time went on women influenced family affairs and found loopholes to own property.
    Slavery- one-third of the population
    City Attractions: baths, pools, gymnasia, circuses, stadiums, amphitheaters had many Statues, pools, fountains, arches, temples, stadiums
  • Period: 322 BCE to 180 BCE

    India: Mauryan

    Trade with Persia, China, Indian Ocean basin, Indonesia, southeast Asia, Mediterranean basin
    Gender relations: patriarchal families, female subordination, child marriage
    Development of caste system
    With trade and commerce new social groups of artisans, craftsmen, and merchants appeared
    These social groups functioned as sub castes or jati
    Vaishyas and shudras saw unprecedented wealth
    Old beliefs and values of early Aryan society became increasingly irrelevant
  • Period: 206 BCE to 220

    China: Han

    Built an enormous bureaucracy to rule the empire
    Continued to build roads and canals
    Levied taxes on agriculture, trade, and craft industries
    Imperial monopolies on production of iron and salt
    Established Confucian educational system
    Emphasized cultural unity
    Invaded and colonized northern Vietnam and Korea
    Taxes and land confiscations discouraged investment in manufacture and trade
    Social tensions, caused by stratification between poor and rich
    Problems of land distribution
  • Period: 200 BCE to 750

    Teotihuacan

    There was Influence from high quality manufacturing, not military might.
    Theocracy: priests keep calendar and regulate when to plant/harvest
    Connection to Olmecs: ball game, calendar, adapted symbols to writing
    Religion: earth god, rain god and human sacrifice, Pyramid of the Sun is the largest single structure in Mesoamerica
  • Period: 224 to 651

    Sasanid Empire

    From Persia, toppled Parthians
    Merchants brought in various crops from India and China
    buffer states with Romans; standoff with Kushan
    Conflicts with Rome, Byzantium, and Kush
    Incorporated into Islamic empire
  • Period: 250 to 900

    Mayan

    There was a king, royal family, and a ruling class. The Maya kings were powerful warlords who were in charge of warfare and who were considered to be descended from the gods. Maya priests interpreted the movements of the gods, as represented by the sun, moon, stars, and planets, telling the people when to plant and do other daily tasks.The vast majority of Maya worked in basic agriculture, growing the corn, beans, and squash that still make up the staple diet in that part of the world.