Empires: The Mediterranean

 Greece
 Society of Greece
 Slavery widely practiced
 generally better treated and more equal to men than
women in Athens
 Social status dependent on land holdings and cultural
sophistication
 Celebration of human individual achievement and the ideal
human form
 Valued education, placed emphasis on
 importance of human effort,
 human ability to shape future events
 The Politics of Greece
 Interest in political theory: which form of government is
best?
 No centralized government
 concept of polis
 Governing styles varied
 Sparta a military state, Athens eventually a
democracy
 Both Athens and Sparta developed strong military
 Hoplites in a phanlanx
 established colonies around the Mediterranean
 Athens
 Athens government first dominated by tyrants
 strong rulers who gained power from military
prowess
 Solon’s Reforms
 later came to be ruled by an assembly of free men
who made political decisions.
 Athens encouraged equality for free males
 women and slaves had little freedom
 Neither group allowed to participate in polis
affairs.
 Sparta
 Military State
 2 Kings who officially shared command
 Real power held by Council of Elders
 Men separated from women in military barracks until age
30
 Spartan women
  women had relative freedom
 women in Sparta encouraged to be physically fit so
as to have healthy babies
 The Classical Age
 Persian War
 Greecs twice invaded by Persia
 1st defeated by Athens at Marathon
 2nd defeated by Spartan army (Platea)/ Athenian navy
(Salamis)
 Peloponnesian War
 Sparta vs. Athens, 30 year war
 Athenian Walls protect city
 Athenian navy keeps Sparta at bay until defeated by
Sparta in Sicily
 Rome
 Society of Rome
 Basic division between patricians (aristocrats) and plebeians
(free farmers)
 although a middle class of merchants grew during the empire
 wealth based on land ownership
 gap between rich and poor grew with time
 Perfection of military techniques
 conquer but don't oppress
 Culture derivative from Greece
 Politics in Rome
 Extensive colonization and military conquest during both eras
 Every adult male citizen was obligated to serve in the army
for 25 yrs.
 Development of an overarching set of laws
 restrictions that all had to obey
 sets in place principle of rule of law
 not rule by whim of the political leader
 Republic
 Kings ruled Rome
 Overthrown by citizens, republic established
 rule by aristocrats
 some power shared with assemblies
 Senate most powerful
 two Consuls chosen to rule
 generally selected from the military
 Dictator: leader chosen in times of emergency to rule
 Empire
 Julius Caesar became dictator
 Gains more & more power, assassinated
 Nephew emerges as leader, becomes Augustus
 non-hereditary emperor
 technically chosen by Senate, but generally
chosen by predecessor
 Depended on support of army
 Pax Romana, Roman Peace, for two and a half centuries
 Roman expansion into Mediterranean basin, western
Europe, down Nile to Kush