World History Topics #1

Nomads settle by the Nile

5000 BCE

The nomads were hunters and gatherers who took up farming and regulated the river's seasonal rising and falling. They were early Egyptians.

The Fertile Crescent

5000 BCE

Around 5000 B.C., groups of immigrants both from the Arabian Peninsula and from present-day Turkey journeyed to the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia was the eastern part located between the Tigers and Euphrates Rivers). The early Mesopotamian villages were producing food consistently by 4000 B.C. The river, unlike the Nile, had dry and flooding seasons. The villagers had to accommodate to that.

Egyptians split ancient Egypt into two Kingdoms: Upper and Lower Egypt

4000 BCE

Upper Egypt was in the Nile Valley, the south, and Lower Egypt was in the North, in the Nile Delta.

Sumerians and their Inventions

3500 BCE

The Sumerians were a people, from Asia or Asia Minor, who settled in the lower part of the Tigres-Euphrates river valley in 3500.
In 3100 B.C. they invented cuneiform, which is believed to be the oldest form of writing in the world. The Sumerians are know for their famous poem, Gilgamesh, written in 1850 B.C. the also developed the wagon wheel, and. are the first civilization to have made bronze out of copper and tin.

The Bronze Age

Period: 3300 BCE to 1200 BCE

"The Bronze Age marked the first time humans started to work with metal. Bronze tools and weapons soon replaced earlier stone versions. Humans made many technological advances during the Bronze Age, including the first writing systems and the invention of the wheel. In the Middle East and parts of Asia, the Bronze Age lasted from roughly 3300 to 1200 B.C., ending abruptly with the near-simultaneous collapse of several prominent Bronze Age civilizations." (History.com)

Narmer (Menes) sets the stage for the Egyptian Dynasties

Period: 3000 BCE to 332 BCE

Menes, a king of Upper Egypt, gathered his forces and invaded the north, Lower Egypt. HE set up the first government that had control over the whole country. he governed from his capital city, Memphis, which was near the border of the two kingdoms. His reign marked the beginning of the Egyptian dynasties, which were from 300 B.C. until 332 B.C. In total, there were 30. They were split into three time periods: The Old, the Middle, and the New Kingdom.

The Old Kingdom

Period: 2700 BCE to 2200 BCE

During this period, some the most famous and long-lasting monuments were built.

The Step Pyramid was Built

2650 BCE

The Step Pyramid was the first all-stone building in the world. It was built for an Egyptian king, King Djoser during the mid-2600s B.C.

Theocracy

2600 BCE

The Egyptians believed that heir ruler was a god that ruled over all Egyptians. In a government where the same person is both a political and religious leader is called theocracy. The the Egyptians case, their Pharos were both rulers and deities.

Indo-Europeans

2500 BCE

Indo-European is a language that used to be spoken in 3000 B.C. by settlers in E. Europe. In 2500 B.C., the settlers began spreading across Europe and Asia. They went to countries like India, Greece, Turkey, and other parts in Europe. The name of the language is called Indo-European because the settlers settled in areas from India to Europe. The language became the foundation for a number of modern languages. About half of the world's people speak languages that derive from Indo-European.

Shadoof invented

2200 BCE

The shadow helped in the irrigation of the Nile. The machine lifted water out of the river and helped to cultivate the land.

Asia Minor

2083 BCE

Lasted from 2334 BCE to 2083 BCE

The Middle Kingdom

Period: 2050 BCE to 1800 BCE

The Middle Kingdom started when the kings in Memphis started to lose control. The old Kingdom was in chaos. So, a new dynasty reunited the kingdom and relocated the capital to Thebes, a city in Upper Egypt. During this time, Theban kings introduced trading by ordering construction of a canal between the Nile and the Red Sea.

The Hitties

2000 BCE

The Hitties were a people who conquered the local people of Asia Minor in 2000 B.C. They were the first to use iron weapons extensively. In 1595, the conquered the city of Babylon. Their empire lasted until 1200 B.C.

Hammurabi

1750 BCE

Hammurabi's greatest invention was his attempt 'to make justice appear in the land." He created a law code with 282 sections that dealt with aspects of one's daily life. It's punishments were on the 'eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" basis.

The New Kingdom

Period: 1600 BCE to 332 BCE

During this time, Egypt was rebuilt and the country invaded and expanded its territory farther east. This was done under the rule of Ahomse. In 1480, Queen Hatshepsut came into power. She first ruled with her husband, and then on behalf of her stepson Thutmose, who was too young to rule. Under her rule, much construction was done. She order the building of what is now called the Valley of the Kings, a temple/tomb built into the hills.

Akhenaton Founds a New Religion

1370 BCE

Akhenaton became Pharo around 1370 B.C. With the support of his wife, Nefertiti, he broke the long-standing Egyptian tradition of worshipping more than one god. Instead, he declared the only one god, Aton, should be worshipped as the supreme deity.

Moses Led the Exodus

1200 BCE

During the time of Moses, the Jewish people held God as the one true god, and they didn't worship any others. They pledged to obey all his rules, the foremost being the 10 commandments.

The Iron Age

Period: 1200 BCE to 600 BCE

"The Iron Age was a period in human history that started between 1200 B.C. and 600 B.C., depending on the region, and followed the Stone Age and Bronze Age. During the Iron Age, people across much of Europe, Asia and parts of Africa began making tools and weapons from iron and steel. For some societies, including Ancient Greece, the start of the Iron Age was accompanied by a period of cultural decline." (History.com)

Phoenician Writing Invented

1000 BCE

The Phoenician's invented a new alphabet which helped them keep track of business deals.

The first Olympic Games

776 BCE

The Olympic Games was a large competition of male athletes throughout Greek-speaking world. They competed in races, boxing, discuss throwing, etc.

Rome founded

753 BCE

According to legend, Rome was founded in 753 B.C. when Romulus built the wall of a city on a hill overlooking the Tiber River, killed his jeering brother, and proceeded to lay stone on his brother's blood. The actual origins of Rome were probably less violent. Rome was a Republic organized into executive and legislative branches. Early Roman believed in nature spirits, and later Romans adopted Greek Gods and Goddesses, renaming them. The family was the most important thing to Roman society.

Hellenic Period

Period: 700 BCE to 336 BCE

During the Hellenic times, what we now know as the Olympics emerged. It started as athletic contests to please the king of the Gods, Zeus. During this time, one of the most famous cities of Greece, Athens, flourished. Athens, a city named in honor of Athena, was democratic. The temple of Athena, built under Pericles, still stands today and is one of the great wonders of the world. Unfortunately, Sparta and its allies defeated Athens and her allies in a long-standing war in the early 330s B.C.

Pythagoras

500 BCE

Pythagoras was Greece mathematician. He taught that the world was round and revolved around a fixed point. He also invented what is now known as The Pythagorean Method.

Parthenon built

432 BCE

The parthenon, also know as the Temple of Athena, was finished in 432 B.C. It's proportions perfectly balance width, length, and height. The architect understood optical illusions and used them in its contraction, making the building seem virtually perfect.

Alexander the Great

Period: 356 BCE to 323 BCE

Alexander the Great ascended to the Macedonian/Greecian throne at the age of 20, and died at 33. He expanded his country into Asia, and near the end of his rule, declared himself as the rule of the Persian Empire. His later desires were to contact the Greek and Persian cultures and promote togetherness.

Alexandria founded

331 BCE

The city of Alexandria, in Egypt, was named after Alexander the Great. The city put in new ideas of structure and was home to the first museum ever. It's straight streets intersected perpendicularly and it temple and palaces were stuccoed to perfection.

Hellenistic period

Period: 323 BCE to 33 BCE

The hellenistic period, 323 B.C. to 33 B.C., was a time of great expansion and cultural development. Alexander the Great united Macedonia and Greece with Persia which spread Greek ideas and culture. Scientists made important discoveries, such as how to use drugs to relive pain, the nervous system, and a very close estimation of the earth's circumference.

The Punic Wars

Period: 264 BCE to 146 BCE

The three Punic Wars were fought between Rome and Carthage. Each war, although there were some close calls, ended in Carthage's defeat.

Scipio defeats Hannibal

202 BCE

In the second Punic War, Hannibal, general of the Carthaginian army in Spain, marched his army across the Alps to attack Italy. The cold took half his army, but they still managed to defeat Roman armies. By 216 B.C., they had nearly destroyed the Roman army. But the Romans stood up to the challenge, and under Scipio, won.

Gracchus Brothers

133 BCE

The Gracchus broth were two Roman citizens who attempted to narrow the gap between the rich and poor. Tiberius proposed to limit the size of aristocratic farms and to distribute land to the poor. He was killed in 133 B.C. Ten years later, his brother was also killed for proposing the same idea. Two things that contributed to the disparity were the gain of slaves from Rome's various battles, and the amount of freedom aristocrats had. They put farmers out of work.

Julius Caesar takes over the Roman government

45 BCE

In 45 B.C. Julius Caesar took over Rome and ruled as a monarch. He granted citizenship to many people in outside areas, carried out reforms that benefited the poorer citizens, and created the 365 day calendar that counted 1/4 day each each year.

The Pax Romana

Period: 31 BCE to 180

The Pax Romana was a period of peace in Rome. The big disturbances were when a new Emperor rose to power. The Pax Romana started in 31 B.C., just 4 years after Augustus acquired became Rome's first absolute ruler. He introduced many reforms and was a great patron of the arts. The next four rulers, the Julio-Claudians, were known for their great faults. Following the last one's death, Rome was ruled by the Good Emperors. During the 200 yrs, Rome flourished. Roads were built, and the economy grew.

Roman Economy Flourishes

Period: 1 CE to 180

In the first century A.D. Rome's economy flourished. Artisians made pottery, handblown glass, weavings, and jewlery--all of which were sold throughout the vast empire. Roman provinces traded with China, Indian, and Southeast Asia for silk cloth and spices. They traded with Britain for tin, iron from Gual, and lead from Spain. During this time, woman gained more rights, poorer citizens had more opportunities, and more people become well off.

The fall of the Roman Empire

Period: 200 to 500

From 192 to 284 A.D. Rome was ruler by 28 emperors who were all killed rapidly. Rome was in a state of political disorder and distrust, and its armies were battling various Germanic tribes. The instability led to severe inflation, food shortages, and decline in wealth. In 337, Theodosius came to power and at the end of his reign split the Roman Empire into two parts. In the late 300-400s A.D. Germanic tribes attacked Roman territory. In 476 , German Odoacer seized Rome for himself.

Barbarian Invasions in Rome

Period: 370 to 476

During the late 300s A.D. all the way to the late 400s A.D., Rome was plagued by Barbarian attacks, which led to a Germanic soldier becoming ruler in 476 A.D. The groups were the Ostrogoths, Visgoths, Vandals, Franks, Angles and Saxons. Another were the Huns who fought against Rome and the Visgoths in mid 400 A.D.