Final - Politics of Western Civilization

The Code of Hammurabi

1780 BCE

The Babylonion King, Hammurabi created a system of laws that called for justice, The Code of Hammurabi. The system of laws, although quite gruesome, was revolutionary, as we presently use the basis of it till this today. The system of writing gave historians tangible and visible proof of specifics in Mesopotamia’s history. A total of 282 laws/codes were preserved and are of great importance today. The laws embraced justice and fairness, and can be seen as a legal system of ancient Mesopotamia.

King Solomon

970 BCE

Solomon, a Hebrew King, founded a capital in Jerusalem, helped to form a successful army, an abundance of scribes, and a burearchy. Solomon built various projects such as the Great Temple. He also formed trade relationships with neighboring kingdoms and taxed Hebrew subjects and trades coming through his kingdom. Solomon demanded free labor from his people. With taxing and forcing free labor, Solomon's people would eventually grow angry.

Julius Caesar

49 BCE

Julius Caesar shifted the Roman Republic into an empire. Caesar craved power, glory, and wealth. He would defeat the Celts and other enemies. After his victories, his power, wealth, and influence only grew, which frightened the Senate. As a result, they utilized Pompey to “settle Caesar down”, and Caesar refused to give up his power and instead marched straight into Rome. After killing Pompey, Caesar returned to Rome and altered the Roman government by making himself dictator.

Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (Octavian)

43 BCE

Both hungry for power, Mark Antony and Octavian divided the control of Rome. Antony took the eastern territories and Egypt, while Octavian received Europe. Both wanted to have it all, which eventually led to the Battle of Actium. At the end, Octavian was victorious. Afterwards, Octavian was named Pharaoh, and Egypt became his. To keep control, he killed Antony's supporters and avenged his great uncle Julius Ceaser.

Roman Empire's Dynasties: 14 CE - 180 CE

101

The Imperial Dynasties consisted of: the Julian dynasty (14-16 CE), in which these emperors were somehow related to Caesar; the Flavian dynasty (69-96 CE), in which a father with two sons obtained power after a sudden civil war; and lastly, the “Five Good Emperors” (96-180 CE), in which these emperors decided on their successors instead of giving it to their bloodline: Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Pius, and Aurelius. Around 120 CE, Rome was described to reach its peak under emperor Trajan.

Romes Transformation (27 BC - 476 CE)

200

Rome went from monarchy to republic to empire and then fell. To explain, the overthrow of the last king of Rome resulted in two consuls. Throughout the existence of the Roman Republic, numerous conflicts, including multiple civil wars, were instigated by figures like Julius Caesar. Political corruption was also a factor in the fall of the Republic and the Empire. The division of the empire, coupled with the invasion by Germanic tribes, further contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire.

Charlemagne

767

Although Charlemagne constantly waged war, he had many allies and was perceived as generous, for he would give gifts to allies and tend to the poor. Charlemagne was also a very religious leader who was devoted to the church and Christianity. He was responsible for numerous accomplishments, such as bringing together Western Europe. Renowned for his educational and calligraphic reforms, he reintroduced the Roman tradition of bigger, separate letters, unlike the previous conjoined cursive letters.

Feudal System

800

During early medieval times, the feudal system was based on violence and revolved around honor and retribution. In this system, a ruler or lord would offer fighters a fief, which was land, in exchange for military service. Any insult or minor conflict could start an entire civil war. The system pressured lords to constantly be involved in conflict and raids, and it stayed true to exchange fiefs for services and labor.

Education System - Scholasticism

1100

Cathedral schools revolved around scholasticism, which is poltics of relgion directly impacting education. For example, a teacher would give verses and their source all from the Bible, while the students would attempt to think of the meaning, and they would occasionally debate their interpretations. Also, these schools would teach philosophy, music, math, language and grammar, logic, but they tended to revolve around relgion.

Roman Catholic Church

1450

The Holy Roman Empire and the Roman Catholic Church were closely tied, as emperors often needed the Church's support and the Church needed confirmation, funding, and control from the HRE. Popes, bishops, and abbots were all very involved in politics and held important positions in the government. Their relationship was mutually beneficial but got complicated when discussing who held more power. In most cases, the Church held more power than kings and queens.

Martin Luther

1500

Martin Luther, a monk who is responsible for the creation of Lutheranism, believed that good works are not the pathway to salvation and are essentially implausible. Instead, his idea of approaching salvation was through faith alone. This was a major break with Catholic belief. People who embraced Lutheranism were a threat to the Church, whose belief was salvation through works, sacraments, and rituals. He argued against the Catholic Church’s authority, thus creating doubt of those in power.

THESIS Western Civlization Politics

1500

Throughout the history of Western Civilization, the governments and rulers have undergone numerous changes. However, it is noteworthy that there has always been a connection to the previous government, which gradually intertwined with religion and churches.