WORLD HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION

EGYPT
I. Descriptive Titles & Names
A. “The Gift of the Nile”
B. Cradle of the First Civilization in the Dark Continent
C. The Land of Pharaohs, Pyramids & Sphinxes

II. Geographical Setting

A. Capital City: Cairo
B. Land Area: 1,010,000 square kilometers (390,000 sq mi)
C. Region: Africa & the Middle East
D. Nile River - the world’s longest and world’s 2nd largest river
E. Division: Upper & Lower Egypt
F. Vicinal & Insular Locations
1. North- Mediterranean Sea
2. West- Red Sea
3. East- Libyan Desert
4. South- Nubian Desert

III. Early History

A. The Old Kingdom (3200-2160 BC)
1. Menes- a strong ruler of Upper Egypt who conquered Lower Egypt and united the
whole country under one government; unifier of the two Egypt; founder of the First
Dynasty as the first pharaoh.

2. Pharaoh- came from the Egyptian word “pero” which means “great house”

3. Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops)- the pharaoh who built the Great Pyramids at Giza (Gizeh)

B. The Middle Kingdom (2160-1788 BC)

1. Amenemhet I- founded the 12th Dynasty and established his capital at Thebes; the
founder of the Middle Kingdom

2. Amenemhet III- the greatest monarch of the Middle Kingdom; he dug a canal link the
Nile to the Red Sea; promoted mining operations at Sinai; constructed hydraulic works
in Fayum Lake.
a. his reign saw the flowering of Egyptian culture and the growth of
trade & industries.

C. The Hyksos Domination (1788-1580 BC)

Hyksos- nomadic men of the desert from the Syrian Desert who invaded Delta; expert in war
chariots & superior iron weapons; they conquered Egypt, plundered the riches of the land; &
burned the temples and works of arts.

D. The New Kingdom (1589-1100 BC)

1. Ahmose I- led the revolt and drove out the cruel Hyksos; founded the 18th Dynasty;
reestablished the capital in Thebes (marked the beginning of the New Kingdom).

2. Queen Hatshepsut- the world’s first woman leader in history; married Thutmose III,
a son of her deceased husband by a concubine; built gorgeous temples and obelisks in
Karnak, Der-el-Bahri and Luxor

3. Thutmose III- the “Napoleon of Egypt”; founder of the Egyptian Empire; led the
Egyptian armies against the neighboring kingdoms; conquered Palestine, Syria &
Phoenicia through 19 campaigns
 4. Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton)- was more interested in religion than politics; established
monotheism in Egypt (belief in one God)
Aton- the creator of all things and symbol of goodness
Akhenaton- Amenhotep IV’s new name meaning “pleasing to Aton”
Queen Nefertiti- wife of Akhenaton who resided in Tel-el Amarna, Akhenaton’s new
capital and a venue for making public offerings to Aton.

5. Tutankhamen- son-in-law of Akhenaton; a puppet of the priests who moved the capital
back to Thebes and revived the worship of the pagan god.

6. Rameses II-“The Morning and the Evening Star”; conquered the Jews and brought
many of them as captives into Egypt; built many monuments and his own gigantic
statues at Abu-Simbel

E. Egypt’s Decline & Fall

1. Alexander the Great- overthrew the last dynasty (31st dynasty) and annexed Egypt to
his empire
2. Ptolemy Soter- a Greek general who seized and ruled Egypt after the death of
Alexander the Great
3. Cleopatra- “The Serpent of the Nile”; the last descendant of the pharaohs; Egypt
became a province of the Roman Empire by 30 BC.

IV. Egyptian Civilization

A. Society & Social Classes
1. Nobles & Priests (including the Pharaoh, of course!)
2. Soldiers
3. Commoners
4. Slaves

B. Economic Life
1. Farmers (cultivation of barley, millet, wheat, vegetables, etc.)
2. Craftsmen (goldsmiths, glassmakers, carpenters, masons, potters & weapon makers &
weavers)
3. Shipbuilders
4. Traders (through barter system)

C. Government & Politics

1. Theocracy- means “rule of god”; union of the church and state
2. Pharaoh- regarded as a god; was a chief executive, legislator, judge and military
commander; believed to be Horus, son of the god Osiris

D. Religion
1. Numerous gods & goddesses
a. Amon (also called Ra, Amon-Re, Amun-Ra)- the god of the sun; supreme god
b. Osiris- god of the Nile River
c. Isis- wife of Osiris
d. Thot- god of wisdom
e. Maat- goddess of justice
f. Nut- goddess of the sky
g. Ptah- god of labor
h. Bast- the cat goddesses
i. Apis- the bull god
j. Selket- goddess and protector of the dead
k. Sekmet- goddess of war; with the had of a lion
l. Anubis- a jackal-headed God who weighed a dead pharaoh’s heart against the
feather of truth
2. All animals were sacred
a. Beetle- emblem of life
 b. dog
c. cat- Bast
d. crocodile
e. falcon- symbol of royal power
f. bull- Apis

3. Belief in life after death

E. Burial Custom
1. Mummification
2. Pyramid

F. Egyptian Writing
1. hieroglyphics- means “sacred writing” for it was written by the priests
2. papyrus- a reed where the term “paper” was derived from
3. Rosetta Stone- a key to Egyptian writing; found in Rosetta, Egypt by Napoleon’s
soldiers in 1799.
4. Jean Francois Champollion- a French scholar who deciphered Egyptian writing with
the aid of Rosetta Stone.
G. Education
1. temple schools of the priests for the sons of the rich families
2. subjects were 3R’s, religion and astronomy
3. methods were dictation and verbatim memorization of the texts
4. strict school discipline & corporal punishment

H. Literature
1. Pyramid Texts- prayers and hymns found in the pyramids.
2. Book of the Dead- contains magic rites and religious incantations
3. Hymn to the Sun- an ode written by Pharaoh Akhenaton

I. Arts & Architecture

1. Great Pyramids of Khufu at Giza- greatest of all pyramids in Egypt; named as one of
the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
2. Sphinx- whose subtle smile has mystified men for over 4, 000 years.
3. Obelisks- Tall monoliths of granite. One of them which Thutmose III erected stands
today in Central Park, New York City.
4. Magnificent Stone Temples- ruins can be seen in Karnak, Luxor and in other cities of
Egypt.
5. Murals (wall paintings)

J. Sciences
1. Ahmes Papyrus- oldest mathematical treatise in history
2. Geometry- which means “earth measurement” because of the annual flood of the Nile
and for the construction of pyramids.
3. Egyptian Calendar- based on the appearance of the Dog Star (Sirius); the year was
divided into 12 lunar months of 30 days each, plus five days for feasting at the end of
12th month with a total of 365 days a year.
4. Smith Papyrus- the oldest documents of medicine describing 48 cases of clinical
surgery from cranial fracture to spinal injury.
5. Sundial & Water Clock- used to measure time; first known water clock in history was
made during the reign of Thutmose III and was preserved in the Berlin Museum.

V. Egypt’s Contributions to Civilization

A. Arts & Architecture

1. Great Pyramids
2. Man-made stone monuments
3. Palaces
4. Obelisks
5. Temples of granite & stone
6. Sphinx
 B. Astronomy
1. Calendar- contains 365 days which divided the year into 12 months of 30 days each
with five feast days in a year.
2. Such calendar was based on the Dog Star (Sirius)

C. Navigation/Maritime
1. First seagoing ships made of papyrus reads

D. Mathematics
1. Geometry- for the Nile River flood and for the Great Pyramids
2. Sundial & Water Clocks
3. Inclined plane & pulley for the construction of pyramids

E. Medicine, Surgery & Embalming

1. Mummification
2. Smith Papyrus

MESOPOTAMIA (Iraq)
I. Descriptive Titles
A. “The Cradle of History”
B. “The Land between Two Rivers”
C. “Where Civilization First Began”
D. “The Land of Saddam Hussein”

II. Geographical Setting

A. Twin Rivers- Tigris and Euphrates
B. Famous Cities- Baghdad and Basra
C. Fertile Crescent
1. Iraq
2. Syria
3. Lebanon
4. Jordan
5. Israel
6. Palestinian territories

III. Early History

A. Sumerians- first builders of civilization
1. cuneiform- system of writing
2. invention of plow and wheel
3. Code of Ur-Nammu- world’s first code of laws
4. patesi- Sumerian ruler sometimes called the priest-king
5. Map of Nippur- oldest known city map

B. Akkadians- first builders of empire

1. Sargon I- unifier of the Sumerians and the Akkadians
2. Akkadian Empire- World’s First Empire

C. Babylonians
1. The Rulers
a. Amorites- a Semitic group from Syria, invaded Mesopotamia and conquered the
land
b. Sumuabum- first king of Babylonia
c. Hammurabi- founder of the Babylonian Empire; “Lawgiver of Babylonia”;
known for his “Code of Hammurabi”

2. Religion
a. Gods/Goddesses
 a.1. Shamash- god of the sun
a.2. Marduk- god of war (Jupiter)
a.3. Ishtar- goddess of love (Venus)
a.4. Bel- god of the earth
a.5. Ea- god of water
a.6. Tiamat- goddess of chaos
a.7. Nergal- god of death (Mars)
a.8. Nabu- God’s messenger (Mercury)

b. Prayers and sacrifices to be offered to their deities

c. Belief in life after death

3. Babylonian Civilization
a. cuneiform- borrowed from the Sumerians
b. Behistun Rock- key to Babylonian writing
c. Epic of Gilgamesh- a forerunner of the “Great Flood” in the Old Testament
d. ziggurat- multi-leveled temple
e. Zodiac Signs (Ophiuchus- 13th Zodiac sign)
f. Sexagisimal system

D. Assyrians- warlike Semitic people

1. The Rulers
a. Tiglath-Pileser I- founded the Assyrian Empire
b. Tiglath-Pileser III- expanded the Empire
c. Sennacherib- transferred Assyria’s capital to Nineveh
d. Ashurbanipal- established the first systematic library

2. The Deities
a. Ashur- the god of war
b. Nina- the goddess of love

E. Chaldeans- founders of the 2nd Babylonian Empire

1. The Rulers
a. Nabopolassar- Chaldean conqueror of Nineveh; founder of the Chaldean empire
b. Nebuchadnezzar- expanded the Chaldean Empire
c. Nabonidus- neglected the expansion of the empire; more interested in
archaeological studies.

2. Chaldean Civilization
a. The Tower of Babel
b. Hanging Garden of Babylon- one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World;
built by King Nebuchadnezzar to please his favorite wife, Amyitis (Amytis)

IV. Mesopotamia’s Contributions to Civilization

A. System of Writing- cuneiform
B. Farming & Transportation- plow & wheel
C. Literature- Epic of Gilgamesh
D. Laws- Ur-Nammu Code & Hammurabi Code
E. Mathematics- Sexagisimal System of counting
F. Astrology- Zodiac Signs
G. Architecture- Hanging Gardens of Babylon

OTHER ANCIENT NATIONS IN ASIA

The Hittites

I. The Hittites, First Nation to Use Iron

A. They are said to be a warlike people of Indo-European Ancestry
B. They settled in Asia Minor (now Anatolia, Turkey)
C. Bijustis was known to be the 1st Hittite king
D. The word “Hittite” comes from “Hatti”, the Babylonian name for the Hittites.
E. They defeated the invading forces of Pharaoh Rameses in the Battle of Kadesh (1288 BC)
 II. Hittite Contributions to Civilization
A. The use of Iron. They were the first people in history to mine, smelt and use of iron in making
tools and weapons.
B. The use of horse-drawn chariots in warfare.

The Phoenicians

I. Early History
A. The name “Phoenicia”
B. King Hiram as the most famous Phoenician monarch
C. Phoenician cities
1. Beirut
2. Byblos
3. Tyre
4. Sidon

II. Phoenician Contributions to Civilization

1. Trading colonies in various [art of the Mediterranean world
a. Carthage (North Africa)
b. Cadiz (Spain)
c. Cagliari (Sardinia)
d. Palermo (Sicily)
e. Monaco (French Riviera)
2. They were the “carriers of civilization” and “traders of antiquity”
3. The invention of the alphabet

The Jews

I. Early History
A. Also called “Hebrew” from the Semitic tribe
B. Important People in shaping their History
1. Abraham
2. Twelve Tribes of Israel
3. Jacob
4. Moses
5. David
6. Solomon

C. “The Wandering Jews”

1. The Exodus
2. Diaspora
3. Anti-Semitism
4. Zionism

II. Jewish Contributions to Civilization

1. Monotheism
2. Judaism & Christianity
3. Bible
4. Great Men & Women
a. Christ
b. Moses
c. Hugo Grotius
d. Sigmund Freud
e. Karl Marx
f. Rembrandt

5. Modern banking & finance

a. Rothschilds
b. Guggenhiems
The Persians

I. Early History
A. Cyaxares
B. Cyrus the Great (Rise of Achaemenid Dynasty)
C. Cambysses
D. Darius I
1. The so-called “King of Kings”
2. Divided the empire into 20 provinces called satrap
3. Granted political autonomy to his subjects
4. Fostered domestic & foreign trade
5. The use of “daric” coins

II. Persian Contributions to Civilization

A. Religion- Zoroastrianism
1. Zoroaster
2. Zend-Avesta
3. Ahura Mazda
4. Ahriman
5. Magi

B. System of political administration

C. Court etiquette

INDIA

I. Descriptive Names & Titles

A. The Land of Prayer
B. World’s Largest Democracy
C. The Subcontinent
D. “Indus River”

II. Early History

A. Ancient Cities
1. Mohenjo-daro
2. Harappa

B. The People
1. Aryans
2. Dravidians

C. Caste System
1. Brahmans (priests & scholars)
2. Kshatriyas (rulers/warriors)
3. Vaishyas (farmers, artists & merchants)
4. Sudras (workers & slaves)
5. Pariahs (untouchables/ “outcasts”)

D. Persian (Darius I) and Greek Invasion (Alexander the Great)

1. Persian Contributions
a. Aramaic writing
b. Purdah
c. Zoroastrianism
2. Hellenistic Culture
 E. Maurya Empire
1. Chandragupta Maurya- founder
2. Asoka- “The Pillar of Buddhism”

F. Gupta Empire- India’s Golden Age

1. Chanda Gupta I
2. Kalidasa- “The Shakespeare of India”

G. Islamization and the Mogul Empire

1. Implications
a. Spread of Islam
b. Hindustani language

2. Noted Rulers
a. Akbar the Great- founder of Mogul empire and grandson of Babur
b. Shah Jahan- built the Taj Mahal

III. Contributions to Civilization

1. Four Great Religions
a. Hinduism
b. Buddhism
c. Sikhism
d. Jainism

2. Philosophy/Theosophy
a. Vegetarianism
b. Yoga
c. Karma
d. Transcendental Meditation
e. Reincarnation

3. Literature
a. Panchatantra (first fable)
b. The Clay Cart (Sudakra)- first dramatic piece
c. Sakuntala by Kalidasa
d. Mahabharata (Byasa) & Ramayana (Valmike)- great epics
e. Bhagavad Gita- world’s great philosophical poem
f. Rabindranath Tagore- Asian Nobel Prize Awardee in Literature (1913)

4. Architecture
a. Taj Mahal in Agra
b. Mogul Palaces in New Delhi
c. Kailasha temple in Hyderabad

5. Mathematics
a. Zero & the numerals
b. Early books on arithmetic and algebra

CHINA
I. Aliases
A. The Red Dragon of the East
B. The Middle Kingdom
C. The Sleeping Giant/Dragon
D. The Serica (Land of Seres)
E. The Cathay
F. World’s Largest Population
 G. Cradle of the World’s Existing Civilization
H. World’s Biggest Nation
I. “Chin”, fourth dynasty of China

II. River System

A. Yangtze- longest river in China
B. Huang Ho- “China’s Sorrow”

III. Contributions to Civilization

A. Inventions
1. First paper, brush-pen & ink
2. First compass
3. First printing press
4. Gunpowder
5. First water mill
6. Chopstick
7. Calligraphy- art of fine writing
8. Kite for outdoor sports

B. Economy/Industry
1. Sericulture
2. Use of Silk clothes

C. Philosophy/Religion
1. Confucianism
2. Taoism

D. Warfare
1. Rocketry
2. “Art of War”- by Sun Tzu

E. Printing Press
1. first paper money
2. playing cards for gambling & amusement
3. “Diamond Sutra”- oldest known book printed by Wang Chieh
4. “Peking Gazette”- oldest newspaper in the world; printed during the reign of
Hsuan Tsung

F. Politics & Governance- civil service examination

G. Architecture/Megalithic structure
1. Pagodas
2. Great Wall
 COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CHINESE DYNASTIES IN ORIENTAL HISTORY

DYNASTY NOTED RULER ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Xia/ Hsia Emperor Yu Flood control brought about by the Huang Ho

2. Shang Ch’eng T’ang Bronze Age; invention of chopstick

3. Chou/Zhou Wu Wang Feudalism, civil service examination; Age of Chinese

Philosophers
4. Qin/Chin Shih Juang Ti The Rise of Chinese Empire; Built of the Great Wall
5. Han Liu Pang Silk road trade flourished; Buddhism was introduced; Paper was
invented;
Hau Shen- the first Chinese Dictionary
Pan Chao- the History of Han (1st dynasty history)
Sima Quian-the Historical Records (Father of Chinese History)

6. Tang Li Yuan Nestorian Christianity; printing by movable block by Feng Tao;

public schools & colleges, Tang code of laws; Diamond Sutra
by Wang Chieh

Golden Age of Chinese Poetry

Tu Fu- “God of poetry”
Li Po- writer of love lyrics
Li Yian- famous poetess
7. Sung Gen. Chao Kuangyin Exports of silk, tea & ceramics; Chu-fan-chi (Records of
Foreign Nations) by Chao Ju-Kua; early trade w/ the
Philippines and other ASEAN countries.

8. Yuan Kublai Khan (Genghis First Foreign Dynasty in China; Visit of Marco Polo in China;
Khan’s grandson) education, culture and foreign relations w/ Western nations

9. Ming Chu Yuan-chang Confucian classics in schools and the civil service renaissance;
Chinas became the mistress of Oriental seas

10. Manchu Taitsung Second Foreign Dynasty in China; Age of revolts and disunity

GREECE
I. Geographical Setting
A. Situated in the Oriental & Occidental (Western) worlds at the southern tip of the Balkan
Peninsula
B. Insular Location
1. East- Aegean Sea
2. West- Ionian Sea
3. South- Mediterranean Sea

C. Land Area: 131,990 km² (50,944 sq mi )

 D. Capital City Athens
E. People- Ancestors were the Indo-Europeans from the Danube valley
Four main tribes are:
1. Achaeans
2. Ionians (artistic Athenians)
3. Dorians (militaristic Spartans)
4. Aetolians
5.
II. Forces of Unity
A. They considered themselves as Greeks and other people Non-Greeks or barbarians
Helen- common mythological ancestress
Hellenes- the Greek people
Hellas- the Greek country
Hellenic- the Greek civilization
Hellenistic- mixture of Greek & other culture/s

B. They spoke the same language

C. They had a uniform system of writing

D. They worshipped the same gods & goddesses and joined in celebrating religious festivals.

E. They held Olympic Games as national events (First Olympic Games were held in 776 BC).

III. Beginnings of Greek History

A. Migrating men of the late Stone Age from Asia began to settle in Crete
B. Cretan (Minoan) civilization reached its peak during the reign of King Minos
C. Achaean Greeks revolted against the Cretan rule; they invaded Crete, crushed the Cretans and
burned the Knossus (King Minos’ City).

IV. The Trojan War

A. Achaeans came to blow with Troy, a city located on the coast of Asia Minor.
B. King Agamemnon of Mycenae attacked the Troy
C. Iliad & Odyssey by Homer immortalized the Trojan War

V. The Greek City-States

A. Polis- the city-state; the socio-political unit of the Greek people
B. Agora- the main plaza and marketplace of the city-state; main business & political center
C. Famous city-states
1. Athens
2. Sparta
3. Corinth
4. Thebes
5. Delphi

D. Forms of Government in the City- States (according to Aristotle)

No. of Rulers Positive Form Negative Form

One Monarchy Tyranny/Dictatorship
Few Aristocracy Oligarchy
Many Democracy (Pure & Indirect) Mobocracy/Anarchy

VI. Dictatorial Sparta

A. Sparta was the capital of Laconia
B. The Spartans were simple, frugal & militaristic people
C. Lycurgus- famous lawgiver; set up their government in a dual monarchy assisted by a Council
of Elders (28 old men)
D. Spartan Social Classes
1. Spartans- citizens and warriors about 5% of the total population
2. Perioeci- free men engaged in trade & industry without suffrage
3. Helots- slaves who cultivated the farms & served as house servants
VI. Democratic Athens
A. Athens- in the peninsula of Attica, was the largest Greek city-state; the embodiment of
democracy in Ancient Greece.
B. Noted rulers
1. Draco- authored the Draconian Code
2. Solon- gave the poor people the right to vote; made the court of appeals
3. Cleisthenes- transformed the Athenian government into a real democracy
a. Each village was organized into a self-governing community called deme.
b. The demes were combined into ten tribes which were equal in population &
wealth
c. A “Council of 500”, composed of 50 men chosen by lot from each of the 10
tribes.
d. A board of 10 generals to take charge of all military matters
e. A system of ostracism to prevent the rise of a tyrant

VII. The Persian Wars

A. Battle of Marathon (490 BC)- a war between Athens (Miltiades) and Persia (Emperor Darius)
B. Battle of Salamis (480 BC)- a war between Sparta (King Leonidas), Athens (Themistocles) and
Persia (Xerxes)
C. Battle of Plataea (479 BC)- a war that finally made the Greek army defeat the Persians.

VIII. Golden Age of Greece

1. Pericles- a great grandson of Athenian reformer Cleisthenes; a greatest statesman and a
man of versatile talents
2. Achievements of Periclean Administration
1. Founding of the Athenian Empire to dissolve Delian Confederacy
2. Improvement of Athenian military defense by means of the Long Walls, two
parallel walls linking Athens with Piraeus (its port)
3. Rise of Periclean Age, the period where Hellenic arts and sciences were at their
finest.

IX. Decline & Fall of Greece

A. Sparta organized the Peloponnesian League to counter Athens’ Delian Confederacy
B. Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) - the rivalry between Athens & Sparta
C. Epaminondas- A Theban ruler who defeated Sparta in Leuctra
D. Battle of Cheronea (338 BC)- a war between Greeks and King Philip of Macedonia; this was
was the end of Greek independence and the beginning of foreign conquest from Macedonia and
later on, the Roman Empire

HELLENIC CIVILIZATION
I. Government & Politics
1. Concept of “Polis”
i. Metropolis
ii. Acropolis
iii. Politics
iv. Metropolitan

2. Forms of Government
i. Monarchy
ii. Aristocracy
iii. Democracy

3. Political writings
i. The Republic by Plato
ii. Politics by Aristotle
II. Religion
A. 12 Olympian Gods & Goddesses
A. Zeus- chief God and lord of heaven
B. Hera- wife of Zeus; goddess of wedding and heaven
C. Phoebus- sun god and god of light, music & prophecy
D. Poseidon- god of the sea
E. Hermes- god of commerce and messenger of the gods
F. Hephaestus – god of fire & blacksmith of the gods
G. Ares- god of the war
H. Athena- goddess of wisdom
I. Aphrodite- goddess of beauty and love
J. Artemis- goddess of the moon and the hunt
K. Demeter- goddess of agriculture & fertility
L. Hestia- goddess of the hearth and home
M. Hades- god of the underworld

B. Such deities lived on Mt. Olympus, ate Ambrosia (foods for the Gods) and behaved like
ordinary mortals
C. The Greeks tried to learn the will of the gods through oracles
A. Oracle of Phoebus at Delphi
B. Oracle of Zeus at Dodona

D. Concept of life after death

A. Souls of heroes- Elysian Fields
B. Wicked and bad souls- dark underworld

III. Music
A. Terpanter- first musician to sing Homeric verses to the accompaniment of the lyre;
originated the idea of professionalizing music
B. Flute & lyre- favorite Greek musical instruments

IV. Architecture
A. Architectural styles
a. Ionian
b. Doric
c. Corinthian

B. Parthenon- a magnificent marble temple on the acropolis in Athens dedicated to

Athena

V. Sculpture
A. Phidias- sculptor of the statue of Athena in the Parthenon and the statue of Zeus in Olympia
B. Myron- Discobulus (Discus Thrower)
C. Chares- the Colossus of Rhodes (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World)
D. Praxiteles- carved the famous Hermes (Messenger of the gods)
E. Scopas- the tomb of King Mausolus of Halicarnassus (also one of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World)

VI. Poetry
A. Homer- The Iliad and the Odyssey
B. Sappho- a great poetess; the “Tenth Muse”
C. Lyric poetry- developed in the Ancient Greece
1. Pindar
2. Bacchylides of Ceos lyric poets

VII. Theater
A. Dionysus- the god of wine & festivities whom the Greek Theater was attributed to
B. Thespis- gave dialogue to theatrical presentation; The Thespian Society
C. Aeschylus- “Father of the Greek Tragedy”; wrote the “Prometheus Bound”
 D. Sophocles- introduced third actor on the stage; wrote the “Antigone” and the famous “Oedipus
Rex”
E. Euripides- “Dramatist of the People”; “The most tragic of the poets”; introduced love interest
in the drama
F. Aristophanes- a Greek comedian; wrote “The Clouds”, a satire against Socrates

VIII. History
A. Herodotus- “Father of History”; wrote “The History of the Persian Wars”
B. Thucydides- wrote “The History of the Peloponnesian War”
C. Xenophon- a Socrates pupil and a soldier who wrote:
1. Anabasis- the story of the famous march of 10, 000 Greeks from
Babylonia to the Black Sea
2. Memorabilia- the story of his teacher, Socrates

IX. Oratory
A. Corax of Syracuse- first teacher of oratory
B. Demosthenes- the “Prince of Greek Orators”; delivered the “Philippics”

X. Philosophy
A. Thales of Melitus- established the first Greek school of philosophy; the “Father of Greek
Philosophy”; taught that the universe originated from water.
B. Anaximenes- taught that the universe originated from air.
C. Pythagoras of Samos- popularized the doctrine of numbers; for him, numbers are lucky
especially 3, 5, & 7.
D. Parmenides- Universe is eternal & unchanging
E. Heraclitus- Universe is always changing
F. Democritus- Universe is made of minute atoms; anticipated atomic theory in teaching
G. The Rise of Sophists- they represented the skeptics who viewed the current beliefs of their times
with disbelief.
1. Protagoras- “man is the measure of all things”
2. Georgias- “nothing exists if anything does exist, it cannot be known”
3. Socrates- “Know Thyself” (famous maxim); master of Socratic dialectic
(Q & A reasoning).
4. Plato- best pupil of Socrates; wrote “The Republic” and “The
Dialogues” and established a school named “Academy”.
5. Aristotle- “A sound mind in a sound body.”; best student of Plato and a
teacher of Alexander the Great; wrote:
a. The Poetics- scrutinizes poems
b. The Rhetorics- focuses on speeches
c. The Politics- compares and contrasts forms of government
d. The Ethics- zooms in to morality, decorum & etiquette

XI. Medicine
A. Hippocrates- “The Father of Medicine”; a pioneer Physician
B. Hippocratic Oath

THE RESPLENDENT ROMAN

EMPIRE
IV. Geographical Setting: Italy, Rome & Vatican City
A. Italy- its name comes from the Latin term italus which means “boots”; “Land of
Pizza, Spaghetti & Pasta”
B. Rome- a little city on the bank of the Tiber River; “The Eternal City”; “City of
Caesars”; “City of the Seven Hills”
 C. Vatican City- smallest state in the world; a state within two states; “City of Popes”;
“Capital of Christendom”

V. The Beginning of Rome

A. Aeneas- ascendant of Romans and a hero of Ancient Troy
B. Romulus & Remus- legendary twins
C. The Seven Hills of Rome
1. Aventine Hill
2. Caelian Hill
3. Capitoline Hill
4. Esquiline Hill
5. Palatine Hill – Rome’s founding hill
6. Quirinal Hill
7. Viminal Hill

VI. Roman Ancestors

A. Latin-peasant farmers & inhabitants of Latium, west- central plain region
B. Etruscans- a prosperous tribe from Asia Minor
C. Tarquins- the leading Etruscan clan that ruled Rome for about a century
D. Latin League- a loose federation of tribes & cities of the Latium.

VII. Roman Social Classes

A. Patricians – rich landowners who held all the positions in the government
B. Plebeians/Plebs- freemen but not of noble birth; farmers, skilled laborers & traders
C. Slaves

VIII. The Republic

A. Lucius Junius Brutus- rose in arms and drove away the Etruscans from Rome.
B. Magistrates- the high administrative officials of the Republic; its types were:
1. Consuls- two elected officials who served for a period of one year. They
were the chief executives, and also headed the army. They had the power to
veto laws.
2. Praetors- served as judges. They could make laws based on decisions they
promulgated in the trials.
3. Censors- responsible for keeping records of citizens, including their wealth
& properties. They set guidelines for tax payments & membership in the
Senate.
4. Dictator-appointed only during periods of crisis, when he could exercise
absolute authority for a six month period. He was nominated by the Senate,
based on recommendations by the consuls.
C. Senate and assembly- lawmaking bodies
D. Forum- a public square
E. Twelve Tables of Laws- first written code
F. Tribunes- 10 officials annually elected by the plebeians to defend the interest of the
people against the ruling class

IX. Rome as Master of Italy

A. Pyrrhus- a cousin of Alexander the Great; won an early battle in a brief victory; lost
finally in the Battle of Beneventum (275 BC) where southern Italy also fell into
Roman hands.
B. Pyrrhic Victory- a false success

X. Punic Wars- a series of battles between Rome & Carthage

A. 1st Punic War- Sicily was acquired by Rome
B. 2nd Punic War- Hannibal (Carthaginian general) vs. Scipio Africanus (Roman
soldier)
C. 3rd Punic War- Carthage was destroyed (Marcus Cato)

XI. Roman Conquest

 A. Europe
1. Macedonia
2. Greece
B. Middle East (Asia & Africa)
1. Perganum
2. Pontius
3. Bithynia
4. Syria
5. Palestine
6. Egypt
7. Mesopotamia
C. Empires that stopped Rome’s expansion
1. Sassanid Empire of Persia
2. Partihian Empire (Iran)
XII. The First Triumvirate
A. Pompey the Great (Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus)- went to the Middle East but failed
to conquer the Persians
B. Crassus (Marcus Licinius Crassus)
1. Campaigned in Parthia but his army was annihilated therein.
2. Was considered to be the richest man in Roman History

C. Julius Caesar (Gauis Julius Caesar)

1. Campaigned in Gaul and became the most successful member of the
triumvirate
2. “crossing the Rubicon”; “the die is cast”
3. Rushed into Egypt and had a romance with Cleopatra (Serpent of the Nile)
4. “Veni, vidi, vici) (I came, I saw, I conquered)
5. Became great general & statesman
6. Was assassinated by Brutus & Cassius inside the Senate-“Ides of March”-
March 15, 44 BC

XIII. The Second Triumvirate

A. Mark Antony (Marcus Antonius)
1. A Roman politician & general
2. Infatuated with Cleopatra and divorced Octavia, Octavian’s sister
3. Defeated in the naval Battle of Actium (with Cleopatra) against Octavian

B. Lepidus (Marcus Aemelius Lepidus)- member of the Pontifex Maximus

C. Octavian Caesar (Imperator Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus/Gaius Octavius

Thurinus)
1. The First Emperor of Rome
2. Ushered in the so-called Pax Romana (Roman peace & prosperity)
3. Augustan Age
1. Appointed honest and efficient officials especially in the provinces
2. Removed the corrupt and unworthy politicians from the Senate
3. Improved the system of taxation
4. Drained the swamps, built roads & aqueducts
5. Promoted agriculture & commerce
6. Adorned Rome with magnificent marble edifices, such as temples,
palaces, baths and theaters
7. “I found Rome a city of brick; I left it a city of marble”
8. Writers such as Virgil, Livy & Horace fanned the flame of Roman
patriotism

XIV. The First Century Emperors (Julio-Claudian Dynasty)

A. Tiberius-was the Roman emperor during Christ crucifixion
B. Caligula- had his horse elected consul
C. Claudius – made Britain as a Roman province
D. Nero- led the persecution and burning of Christians

XV. Four Good Emperors

 A. Trajan- was a military commander born in Spain and not an aristocrat from Rome
B. Hadrian – was also a Spaniard and paved the way for reaching the peak of Roman
architecture; known for the Hadrian’s Wall- a defensive fortification of Roman
Britain
C. Antoninus Pius- gave Rome a firm and kind rule
D. Marcus Aurelius- was renowned as emperor, writer & philosopher of Stoic school

XVI. Period of Rome’s Grandeur

A. Period of Pax Romana
B. There was an economic prosperity
C. A good government directed by able & honest officials looked after the people’s
welfare
D. Social life was in full bloom

XVII. The Decline of the Roman Empire

A. Weakening of the government
B. Economic retrogression
C. Deterioration of Roman military power
D. Cultural stagnation
E. Decadence of moral character

XVIII. The Fall of Rome

A. Barracks Emperors- 25 emperors who were soldiers chosen by the army to rule the
Roman empire
B. Diocletian- the last GREAT Roman emperor who split the empire into two parts---
one in the west and another in the east
C. Constantine the Great- founder of the Byzantine Empire
D. Odoacer- leader of Herulis Germanic tribe who deposed the last emperor of Rome
E. Romulus Augustus- the last emperor of Rome; deposed at the age of six

XIX. Results of Rome’s Downfall

A. It ushered in the Dark Age
B. It paved the way for the rise of new Western nations
1. France
2. Spain
3. England
4. Italy
5. Germany
C. It led to the ascendancy of the Christian church

THE ROMAN CIVILIZATION

I. Clothing
A. Tunic- inside garment
B. Toga- outside garment
C. Headgear- seldom used by Roman soldiers

II. Recreation & Amusement

A. Literary contests in poetry or oratory- held during the holidays
B. Circuses- held in Circus Maximus which could accommodate 140, 000 spectators
C. Gladiatorial combats-held inside the Roman Coliseum

III. Latin Literature

A. Poetry
1. Virgil- the greatest Roman epic who wrote
 1. Aeneid -an immortal epic which relates the coming of Aeneas to Italy
after the fall of Troy.
2. Georgics- a pastoral poem that sings the glories of rural life.
2. Horace- contemporary of Virgil who created his Odes (a series of poems)
3. Ovid- Rome’s greatest poet of love who authored Metamorphoses.
B. Other Literary Czars
1. Juvenal- the greatest Roman satirist
2. Martial- the greatest Roman writer of epigrams
3. Plautus- the greatest Roman comedian

IV. Religion
A. Roman Deities
1. JUPITER- Zeus- chief God and lord of heaven
2. JUNO- Hera- wife of Zeus; goddess of wedding and heaven
3. APOLLO- Phoebus- sun god and god of light, music & prophecy
4. NEPTUNE- Poseidon- god of the sea
5. MERCURY-Hermes- god of commerce and messenger of the gods
6. VULCAN- Hephaestus – god of fire & blacksmith of the gods
7. MARS- Ares- god of the war
8. MINERVA- Athena- goddess of wisdom
9. VENUS- Aphrodite- goddess of beauty and love
10. DIANA- Artemis- goddess of the moon and the hunt
11. CERES- Demeter- goddess of agriculture & fertility
12. VESTA- Hestia- goddess of the hearth and home
13. PLUTO- Hades- god of the underworld
14. BACCHUS- Dionysus- god of wine & festivities
15. CUPID- Eros- god of love

B. Cult of Emperor Worship

1. Augustus Caesar
2. Nero
3. Caracalla
4. Aurelian

V. History
A. Julius Caesar- penned the Commentaries on the Gallic Wars
B. Sallust- a friend of Caesar who wrote Conspiracy of Catiline & Jugurthine War
C. Livy- wrote Annals (a long History of Rome from the earliest times to 9 BC
D. Tacitus- his masterpiece, Germania, was a magnificent account of the customs and virtues of
the Germans.
VI. Oratory
A. Cicero (Marcus Tullius Cicero)- “Prince of Roman Orators”

VII. Philosophy
A. Seneca- a Stoic Roman philosopher; tutor of Emperor Nero; his best known philosophical work
was On the Brevity of Life
B. Emperor Marcus Aurelius- more famous as a Stoic philosopher than as an emperor; his book
Meditations was truly a classic in philosophy.

VIII. Architecture and Arts

A. Pantheon- a temple with a massive dome and was built in 27 BC
B. Coliseum- the greatest of all amphitheater built by Emperor Vespasian
C. Triumphal arches- erected in honor of the Roman conquerors
D. Basilicas- law courts; high edifices with rows of columns on each side of the interior hall,
separating the main aisle from the side passages

IX. Engineering
A. Appian Way- the most famous of the Roman roads linking Rome & Capua
B. Aqueducts- marvelous achievements of Roman engineers
 C. Forum – found in every Roman town; the origin of our modern plaza or public square

X. Sciences
A. Pliny the Elder- a naturalist who wrote Natural History
B. Galen- most famous physician in Rome who wrote more than 150 books on medicine
C. Celsus- a distinguished physician who wrote a book entitled, On Medicine, which described
how to stop bleeding by means of ligature.

XI. Roman Law & Government

A. Roman Law- basis of the legal systems of the modern nations
1. Law of Twelve Tables
2. Justinian Code of Law- codified by Emperor Justinian of the Byzantine Empire
B. Political Systems
1. colonialism/imperialism- system of extending national power by conquering foreign
territories and ruling them from a central government in the mother country.
2. republic – rule by elected public officials who make the laws for the people; an indirect
form of democracy

ARABIA & ISLAM

I. Geographical Setting
A. Peninsula linking between Asia and Africa
B. The so-called “Cradle of Islam”
C. Original home of the Semites (Babylonians, Arameans, Phoenicians, Jews and Arabs)
D. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
E. Famous for three things:
1. Islam
2. legendary kingdom of the Queen of Sheba
3. oil (black gold)

II. The Arabs

A. Division of Arab People
1. Desert Arabs (Bedouins)
2. Coastal Arabs

III. Muhammad, Prophet of Islam

A. Born in Mecca about 570 AD
B. His name means “Highly Praised”
C. The “Hegira” (The Flight”- 622 AD)
1. Archangel Gabriel appeared to him and told him to preach a new religion)
2. Mecca- holy city
3. Medina- “City of the Prophet”
4. Jihad- holy war

IV. The Teachings of Islam

A. Islam- submission to the will of Allah
B. Sacred Book- the Qur’an (Koran) which means “Recitation”; contains 114 sutras (chapters)
C. Five Pillars of Islam
1. There in no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet
2. Five times prayer facing Mecca
3. Giving alms (zakat) to the poor
4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca (so as to assume the title of “hadji” meaning “pilgrim”

V. Islamic Civilization
A. Muslim Society
 1. Harem
2. Sexism & Patriarchy
3. Slavery
4. Polygamy (polygyny)

B. Recreation
1. Outdoor sports
a. archery
b. hunting
c. horse racing
d. polo
e. falconry
f. fencing

2. Indoor games
a. dice games
b. chess

C. Economy
1. Agricultural methods
a. fertilization
b. grafting
c. pruning

2. Manufacturing industries
a. glassmaking
b. perfumery
c. ceramics
d. leatherwork
e. weapon
f. weaving

3. Textiles
a. “damask” (Damascus)
b. “muslim” (Mosul)
c. “baldachin” (Baghdad)
d. “grenadine” (Granada)
e. “graze” (Gaza)

D. Philosophy
1. Sources of Muslim philosophy
a. Greek philosophy
b. Qu’ran teachings
c. Oriental precepts

2. Averroes: A Great Muslim Philosopher

a. was called the “Prince of Philosophers”
b. his philosophy was a blend of reason and faith

E. Literature
1. Qu’ran /Koran
2. Alibaba and the Forty Thieves
3. Sinbad the Sailor
4. Rubaiyat- Omar Khayyam
5. Ibn Ishak- wrote the first known biography of Muhammad
6. Ibn Khaldun- best known Muslim historian

F. Arts
1. Arabesque design
2. Gems of Muslim Architecture
a. Alhambra in Granada, Spain
 b. Mosque of Omar (Dome of the Rock) in Jerusalem
c. Great Mosque in Cordova

G. Sciences
1. Geography- Ibn Batuta
2. Chemistry- Jabir Ibn Hayyan
3. Alchemy- possibility of changing metal (iron, copper, lead, etc.) into gold
4. Al-Razid- Book of Secrets; translated into Latin and was a basis of the European
chemical studies.
5. Arabic numerals
6. Algebra & spherical trigonometry

H. Medicine
1. “Medical Canon” – written by Avicenna, the “Prince of Physicians”