Classical Civilizations And Ancient Civilizations

Republic ~ a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.

In examining the impact that the ancient world has had on modern Western civilization, the two ancient civilizations which are frequently understood as having had the greatest influence are Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. These two civilizations would eventually come to shape much of what would become the modern European culture, politics and society, and by extension, a vast proportion of global culture and society. In examining the trajectory of modern history in an era of globalization of Western ideas and modes of living, the importance of these civilizations in world history is extensive, contributing to cultural, political and social trends which may well dominate the globe in the future.

A Constitutional Republic is our current type of government within the United States. A Constitutional Republic is government created and controlled by the law of the constitution.

Throughout history, there have been many civilizations, empires, colonies, and tribes that have impacted the world. The civilizations of Greece, Rome, and China have done this, but what sets them apart from the others is their lasting significance and lasting impact they had on the world. For this reason, they are considered classical civilizations. To describe how Greece, Rome, and Han China are classical, there are three systems that are used; these are Economic, Social, and Political.

Besides the three main classical empires, many smaller agricultural civilizations also developed. Most formed in Japan, Northern Europe, Northeast Africa, the Americas, and on the border of the major empires. An important civilization was established along the upper Nile called Kush.

In 509 BC, the monarchy ended and Rome became a republic. It was still an advisory body but it had grown to 300 members and now served the two consuls, the highest ranking government

The Roman Republic began in 509BC when the Romans overthrew the Etruscans and established a republic government.1 After this the Roman Empire began to take control of the Mediterranean Sea and eventually dominated it.3 The Republic began to decline in 133BC with the wealthy Romans gaining in wealth and the poor continuing to lose money; with this more people became enslaved causing increased slave revolts.1 This meant people like Crassus and Caesar could build armies loyal only to them and gain power.2

The Roman Republic was a time of ancient Roman civilization characterized by a republican form of government. The

Athens reached its Golden Age under the leadership of Pericles in 5th century B.C.E. This era included the construction of the Parthenon, the plays of Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus, and Aristophanes, and the philosophy of Socrates. Near the end of 4th century B.C.E., Greek city-states perished to the armies of Philip of Macedon and his son Alexander, who later became known as Alexander the Great, who went on the conquer lands from the Mediterranean to the Ganges (India). After the death of Alexander the Great, the Greek culture spread into the eastern Mediterranean and western

The Greek Golden Age was ushered in by war, and the result of such barbaric actions was Greece's greatest humanistic achievements. The start of the war that heralded the Greek Golden Age began with the Ionian revolt. This revolt led to mainland Greek assisting the Ionian cities to stave off the ever expanding Persian imperialism. The war became known as the Greco-Persian war and was fought with Greece standing at a united front, however, at the end of the Greco-Persian war around 480 B.C.E., Athens claimed political dominion among the city states of Greece; afterwards, commercial supremacy in the Aegean sea fell to Athens thus granting them a vastly improved age of trade. Due to the vigor that enhanced commerce and victory had granted, the Athenians ushered in an age of Drama, philosophy, music, art, and architecture that would later be known as the Greek Golden Age. This golden age is widely recognized as one of the greatest creative movements in the history of the world as far

Different civilizations across the globe started to form after the Neolithic Revolution. Some of these civilizations were found in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus River, and China. Those civilizations managed to adapt and modify their environment to survive and thrive. These various civilizations were the beginning of today’s innovative technology, advanced trading, and to have the need for social classes.

Throughout the SAGE 230 course many question have been raised on the human condition such as; What it means to live just and good? How do we best order relationships for the common good? What do we know and how do we know it? these themes have been recurrent in the stories of Gilgamesh, the Bible, Plato’s Cave and the Oedipus Trilogy. Further analysis has shown that to live a just and good life is to first gain knowledge and understand what it means to be good and just. Putting yourself first enables you to help others and lastly we are only able to really know what we experience and study. Furthermore these are great takeaways that can be personalized to improve our daily condition.

Many political, social, economic, and religious institutions emerged during this time. A political institution that emerged during this time was writing. Cuneiform, which was used in the Middle East, enabled civilizations to organize more complex political structures by sending and keeping records. A social institution that emerged was communication. When people became literate, they were able to communicate with more ease on paper and in person. An economic institution that emerged was taxes due to the increased literacy rate and advanced record keeping process. A religious institution that emerged was people's dedication to their religion, and in turn, to the creation of places of worship like ziggurats and godlike leaders. In conclusion,

4. Compare the main features of the social structure of the classical civilizations in the

The Ancient Greek philosophical tradition broke away from a mythological approach to explaining the world, and it initiated an approach based on reason and evidence. Initially concerned with explaining the entire cosmos, the Presocratic philosophers strived to identify its single underlying principle. Their theories were diverse and none achieved a consensus, yet their legacy was the initiation of the quest to identify underlying principles. The “golden age” of Greece lasted for little more than a century but it laid the foundations of western civilization. The age began with the unlikely defeat of a vast Persian army by badly outnumbered Greeks and it ended with an inglorious and lengthy war between Athens and Sparta. This era is also referred to as the “Age of Pericles” after the Athenian statesman who directed the affairs of Athens when she was at the height of her glory. With his Macedonian forces Alexander subdued and united the Greeks and reestablished the Corinthian League after almost a century of warfare between the Greek city-states following the Peloponnesian