The Classical Age 500 BCE 500 CE What

The Classical Age 500 BCE – 500 CE

What is an Empire �Empires are political systems with coercive power -conquer other states - use their resources - usually include multiple peoples and cultures under a single political system • Can have a common culture without a unified political system.

Eurasian Empire’s of the Classical Era �Persian Empire �Greek empire of Alexander the Great � Roman Empire �Chinese empire (Qin and Han dynasties) � India (Mauryan and Gupta empires) Common Issues and/or Questions -Would they try to impose their culture on varied subjects? -Would they rule conquered peoples directly or through local elites? - How should they extract wealth while maintaining order? - All eventually collapsed

Persians �Indo-Europeans, homeland on Iranian Plateau �Imperial system drew on Mesopotamian prototypes �Cyrus and Darius expanded empire all the way from Egypt to India -why its culture was so diverse �Bureaucracy - satraps governed 23 provinces - system of imperial spies (“eyes and ears of the King”)

Characteristics of the Persians �They were unusually tolerant for those of their time. - Cyrus allowed Jews to return from Babylonian exile and rebuild Jerusalem temple - Herodotus: Persians adopt foreign customs readily � Standardized coinage and predictable taxes � Encouragement of communication and commerce � Canal dug between Nile and Red Sea � Royal road 1700 miles in distance across the empire � Elaborate imperial centers (especially Susa, Persepolis)

Persian Empire

Greeks �Geography - mountains / valleys / islands - small isolated city-states �Most distinctive features �Equality of all “citizens” before law �Extent of citizenship depending on time and city

Sparta and Athens �Spartan political authority - the council of elders �Athens – participation by citizens �The Assembly was open for participation by all citizens, and was the center of political life �Differences between Athenian and modern democracy � i. direct, not representative ii. women, slaves, and foreigners were excluded

Greek City-States

Greco-Persian Wars �Battle of Marathon - Darius �Greeks astonishingly defeated Persians on land sea �were motivated by Greek freedoms �The East/West divide � Greece = Europe, freedom � Persia = Asia, despotism �Battle of Thermopylae - movie 300 - Greeks lost

Golden Age of Greek Culture � Construction of Parthenon � Birth of Greek theatre (Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides) �Socrates – philosophy �Herodotus – historian “History of The Persian Wars”

The Academy in Athens

Peloponnesian War �Sparta led resistance to Athenian imperialism � Athens became defeated � Greek states were exhausted, distrusted each other � Opened the way to takeover by Macedonia (frontier region on northern edge of Greece) �Philip II of Macedon unified all of Greece, then was assassinated

Hellenistic Era �Alexander the Great’s expedition against Persia �Created a massive Greek empire- from Egypt and Anatolia to Afghanistan and India �Defeat of Persian empire �Anointed as pharaoh of Egypt �Library at Alexandria �Created “Kshatriya” caste in India

Alexander’s Conquests

Alexander the Great

Rome and China �Similarities - both flourished around 200 BCE-200 CE - similar size, about 1. 5 million sq. miles - between them, controlled ½ worlds population - each had 50 -60 million people

Rome: From City-State to Empire �Small city-state founded 8 th century BCE � 509 BCE – overthrew monarchy / established republic - Patricians – wealthy / rule by 2 consuls - Plebeians – poor classes represented by tribunes that could veto legislation � 264 -146 BCE – Punic wars with Carthage - gave Rome control over Mediterranean - skill/brutality of Roman army (crucifixion) � 1 st century BCE – political crisis - rise of military leaders (Julius Caesar, Pompeii)

Hannibal and the Punic Wars

Rome: An Empire � 27 BCE – Augustus Caesar becomes first emperor - maintained republican government - reality: sole leadership by dictator �pax Romana – 200 years of peace - about 27 BCE to 180 CE - security, relative prosperity - minimal expansion

China: Warring States to Empire �Xia, Shang and Zhou created dynasties - system fell apart by 500 BCE �Age of warring states - seven competing kingdoms �Shihuangdi– unified china in 221 BCE – Qin Dynasty - first emperor - adopted legalism

Shihuangdi’ Empire �It was brutal - military force - execution of scholars - book burnings - built the great wall - standardized weights and measures - written Chinese - tomb w/ chariots and 7500 terracotta soldiers �Han Dynasty comes next - disregard Legalism, adopt Confucianism

Shihuangdi’s Tomb

Shihuangdi’s Terracotta Soldiers

Comparing Roman and Chinese Empires �Both saw themselves in universal terms �Both claimed supernatural sanctions - Deceased emperors in Rome were seen as gods - persecution of Christians for not participating in state “cult” - Mandate of Heaven in China - Chinese Emperor = “son of heaven” - depended upon just rule - moral government – based on Confucius

Comparing Roman and Chinese Empires �Both absorbed foreign religion - Rome – Christianity - China – Buddhism (never dominant in China) - spread along silk roads �Roman Empire - citizenship gradually extended to all free people by 212 CE - “some” Roman culture spread to W. Europe, Greek culture continued to dominate E. Europe

Comparing Roman and Chinese Culture �Chinese culture spread more readily - constant assimilation of “barbarians” - ethnocentric global view, middle kingdom �Language in Rome - Latin - alphabetic - gave rise to Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese �Language in China - characters that represent words or ideas - all literate people could understand - used to assimilate elites

Bureaucracy �China – more sophisticated bureaucracy �Chinese emperor Wudi (147 BCE-87 BCE) established the civil service exam - based on Confucius teachings - Scholar-Gentry took the test - lasted until 20 th century �Roman administration - relied on regional elites + army - developed major body of law making all people of the realm equal (unlike China)

Scholar Gentry “cheat sheet”

Why Do Empires Fall? ? ? �Han ended 220 CE �Rome fell in 476 CE �Common Factors - overextension, not enough resources - tax evasion of large land owners - high taxes on poor - China - yellow turban rebellion in 184 CE - disease - nomadic invaders on the frontier

Nomadic Invaders �China had dealt with Xiongnu for centuries - as state weakened, invaders set up “barbarian states” in the North - gradually adopted Chinese customs �Rome: Germanic speaking people invaded - entered the empire in 4 th century - established independent kingdoms - partial adoption of Roman culture - Latin/Germanic hybrid culture created

Europe in 500 CE

Effects of Imperial Collapse �Decline of urban life �Population decline �Reduction of internal trade �Vast insecurity �After Collapse - China had 350 years of disorder, then created similar imperial state – Sui, Tang and Song Dynasties - Rome - No large scale imperial system ever successfully restored in Western Europe

Why was China Successful in Restoration than Rome? ? �Greater cultural homogeny �Stronger bureaucratic tradition �Confucianism valued the state, Christianity was at odds with the state �China had more advanced metallurgy and agriculture

An Indian Empire �Indus Valley Civilization fell by 1500 BCE � 600 BCE – Classical Civ. Emerged in N. India �Huge Political, Ethnic, Cultural, Linguistic Diversity �Politically fragmented society �Society defined by - Caste System - Hinduism

Caste System in India

Hinduism / Buddhism

Mauryan India (326 -184 BCE) �Stimulated by Greek conquest of Northern India �Population of 50 million �Large military and civilian bureaucracy �Ashoka – Ruler - conversion to Buddhism - effort to rule peacefully - developed moral code for whole civilization �Empire fell apart when Ashoka died

Indian Empires Came and Went �Roadblocks to maintaining an empire - States failed to command loyalty - Great cultural diversity - Frequent invasions from Central Asia - Caste system encouraged local loyalties �Indian trade flourished despite fragmentation - merchant supported public festivals + buildings - Hinduism and Buddhism spread through Asia - Indian math and astronomy flourished