The History of European Civilization Program

Chapter I: Ancient Europe 1.1 Ancient Greece 1.1.1. The Geography of Ancient Greece 1.1.2. Greek City States 1.1.3. The Birth of Democracy 1.1.4. The Legacy of Ancient Greece 1.1.5. The Spread of Greek Ideas 1.1.6. Practical Work and Test 1.2 Ancient Rome 1.2.1. The geography of Ancient Rome 1.2.2. The Roman Republic 1.2.3. The Roman Empire 1.2.4. The Legacy of Ancient Rome 1.2.5 The Birth of Christianity 1.2.6. Practical Work AND Test Chapter II: The Growth of Europe 2.1. Middle Ages 2.1.1. The Geography of Europe 2.1.2. Living in the Middle Ages 2.1.3. The Influence of the Church 2.1.4. A Time of Change 2.1.5. Practical Work and Test Chapter III: The Renaissance 3.1. The Art of the Renaissance 3.2. The Reformation 3.3. Elisabethan England 3.4. Practical Work AND Test Chapter IV: The Age of Discovery 4.1. The Age of Exploration 4.2. The Beginning of Modern Science 4.3. Practical work and test Chapter V: The Revolutions that changed Europe 5.1. The Industrial Revolution 5.2. The French Revolution 5.3. Revolution in Russia and Soviet Union as a Totalitarian State 5.4. Practical work and test Chapter VI: Modern Europe 6.1. The First World War 6.2. The 2ND World War 6.3. Europe Today 6.3.1. European Legacy 6.3.2. European Values 6.3.3. European Integration 6.3.4. Practical Work and Test Bibliography 1. Barry K. Beyer, Jean Craven, Marry A. Mc Farland, Walter C. Parker, Eastern Hemisphere New York, Chicago, Columbus, 2010;

Chapter I: Ancient Europe Ancient Greece Introduction The ancient civilizations of Geek and Rome prospered along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Ancient Greece was located in the eastern part of this sea. The Greeks had an important influence upon the people of ancient Rome. The Romans were fearless conquerors and skilled empire-builders. They took up Greek culture and extended it to three continents. 2. The geography of ancient Greece 2.1 The Aegean world The Aegean is a sea lying north of the eastern end of the great Mediterranean Sea, and the civilization is known as the Aegean World. The Aegean world includes the shores of two continents Europe and Asia. The history of Greece was influenced by the fact that the Aegean World was made up countless peninsulas and islands. Crete and Rhodes are the largest of the Aegean Islands. 2.2. A rugged place I am home in sunny Greece, a rugged place but a good nurse of man, for my part I cannot think of a sweeter place to look at. These words are taken from an ancient poem that is about 3000 years old. According to the poet the lands of Greece are a rugged place. Indeed chains of mountains extend into every part of ancient Greece. The highest peak of it is Olympus. Greece does not have much fertile farmland. Narrow valleys make up most of its lands. These valleys are watered by small mountain streams and small rivers. As result, early Greece farmers learned to cultivate crops, such as olive trees and grapes, which could thrive in a mountainous environment. The Greek also raised sheep and goats. Such Animals can feed along the rocky hillsides. 2.3. The importance of the sea The ancient Greek, were more than fascinated by the sea. They depended on it. In the first place, the Greek had to look to the sea for food. In the second place, sea travel was easier than travel on rugged land. Sea travel gradually linked ancient Greece to other societies. Greek sailors could go from one island to another and thus they reach the older, richer civilizations in Asia and Africa. By 800 B.C. the Greek ships grew in number and became larger and faster. The ancient sailing vessel of ancient Greek was called a trireme, because it was powered by these banks of oarsmen. Greek merchants traveled all around the Mediterranean Sea. They traded grapes, wine, olives, olive oil, wool, pottery, tiles, marble, and works of art.
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2.4. Mediterranean Colonies The Greek were not the only seafaring traders in the Mediterranean Sea in ancient times. The people of Phoenicia also had learned the advantages of sera travel. The Phoenicians had become great sailors because their homeland also stretched along Mediterranean Shores. Both the Greeks and Phoenicians sailed in search of goods that their lands could not supply. The Greeks and the Phoenicians sent groups of their people to settle in new lands. Such a settlement or colony helped trade. By 750 B.C. there were colonies in Asia Minor along the shores of the Black Sea, in North Africa along the Italian and Iberian Peninsulas, and on many Mediterranean islands. Often Greek and Phoenicians competed for control of useful places. 2.5. The Exchange of Ideas When different cultures meet, they often borrow ideas from one another. From their contact with Phoenician culture,. The ancient Greeks learned a system of writing. The Phoenicians developed a unique alphabet around 900 B.C. During their travels, the Phoenicians needed a way to keep a record of the goods they bought and sold. Cuneiform with its 600 symbols took up too much space on a papyrus. Thus, the Phoenicians invented a new alphabet with just 22 symbols. The Phoenician alphabet was carried to trading centers all over the Mediterranean Sea. The Greeks borrowed many Phoenician symbols. You can also see that the modern alphabet we use has its origins in the Phoenician and Greek alphabets. As a result, more was written and ideas began to spread quickly. 3. Greek City-States 3.1 The polis By 750 B.C. Greece was made up of more than 200 city-states. The Greek called each city-state a polis. Each polis had its own government. All the people who lived in the polis had to obey its laws and its leaders. Greek city-states grew up all over the Aegean World. The most powerful of them were Sparta and Athens. 3.2. Sparta Sparta was located on the southern tip of Peloponnesus. Sparta was a military or warlike city-state. It had little trade and did not set up colonies. Instead, Sparta gained wealth by conquering city-states around it. The Spartans were cruel to the people they conquered. Conquered people were forced to become slaves called helots. Helots had to farm the land and honor the Spartan polis. But the helots often rebelled against their Spartan masters. Thus, in order t keep control over the Peloponnesus, the Spartans had to built and
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maintain a strong army. The Spartans also adopted a harsh code of laws designed to protect themselves from a large helot population. Life in Sparta was harsh. From birth to death, everything was controlled by the military government. The government wanted only the best people in Spartan society. Thus, a group of warriors examined each baby. If the child was judged to be strong, it was allowed to live. If the child was considered weak, its parents were ordered to put the child on a mountainside to die. Spartan boys were only seven when they began their training. They joined a troop of boys of their own age and marched off to military camp. They learned to obey orders without question. Everything was done to make the boys strong. They did not wear any clothing shoes. Their beds were piles of straw. They ate plain food. Spartan girls also led hardy lives. Unlike girls in other Greek city-states, Spartan girls wrestled and played sports. They were trained to defend their polis. Spartan women had many rights but were not allowed to vote. The Spartans became famous for their bravery and harsh way of life. Even today a person who leads a simple, stern life is called Spartan. 3.3. Athens Life in Athenian polis was very different from life in Sparta. Athens is on the peninsula of Attica. It used its location near the sea to grow a s a centre of trade. Artisans from all over the Aegean flocked to Athens to practice their crafts. As a result of their long history of sea travel, Athenians were the most skillful sailors. The Athenian polis became an exciting and vital place were new ideas were welcome. The Athenians believed that life was empty unless people tried to gain new knowledge and lived freely. The central marketplace of Athens was called the agora Shops, temples and government buildings surrounded the agora. 3.4. Acropolis The people of Athens built one of the worlds most magnificent landmarks of civilizations. Called the Acropolis, it was a hill-top fortress. Acropolis is a Greek word meaning high city. The acropolis was made up of many buildings. The citizens of Athens met in this high city to discus the affairs of their community. Acropolis also had a special, religious purpose. The largest building on the Acropolis was the Parthenon. The Parthenon was a temple dedicated to Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom who was believed to be the protector of Athens. Built in the 5th century B.C. it has been called one of the worlds most beautiful buildings.

3.5. The Persian Wars Through Sparta and Athens differed greatly, an invasion caused them to unite. A great empire had risen that was more powerful than Sparta. The empire tried to conquer ancient Greece twice. Both times it was not Sparta, but beautiful Athens, that forced the conquerors back. After 500 B.C. the Persian built a vast empire. We know a lot about the Persians, because of a Greek historian named Herodotus. Herodotus wrote a history of the wars fought by the Greeks with the Persians and is called the Father of History. Herodotus wrote that in 490 B.C. 25000 Persians landed on the plains of Marathon. Marathon is only about 25 miles (40 km) from Athens. Athenians stood waiting shoulder to shoulder. The Athenians forced the Persians back into the Bay of Marathon. 4. The Birth of Democracy 4.1. Building a government The people of most Greek city-states worked hard to build governments. Government was an important part of the life of each polis. In earliest times Athens was governed by monarchy. Monarchy is a Greek word meaning rule by one. A government ruled by king or queen. Its ruler is called a monarch. But monarchy did not handpicked a new leader and put him in power. This leader would often be forced to obey soldiers whishes in order to remain in power. This system of government was called tyranny. Athenians believed that tyranny was unjust an oppressive. By 800 B.C. Athenians had built a new government called oligarchy. An oligarchy is a government that is ruled by a few people usually by members of rich, powerful families. Oligarchy is a government resting on the value of property, in which the rich have power and the poor have none. Many Athenians agreed that oligarchy was not a fair system. 4.2. What is Democracy? Of all the city-states, the citizens of Athens had achieved the greatest freedoms. A government run by the people, in which citizens make their own laws, is called a democracy. Democracy is a Greek word meaning power of the people Athens was the first place of democracy. The basic lawmaking body in any democracy is an assembly, or group of citizens. The Athenian Assembly was made up of male citizens over the age of 18. Any member of the assembly could speak up for or against any law. He could bring before the assembly any topic that seemed important.

4.3. The Age of Pericles Under Pericles leadership democracy had become the foundation of government in Ancient Greece. He was only 20 when he went to the Assembly for the first time. In 461 B.C. the Assembly elected Pericles one of the Athens ten generals. Pericles dominated the life of ancient Greece for 32 years. Thus, this period is known as the Age of Pericles. During this time, Pericles passed laws to strengthen democracy. F or example, Pericles invited all male citizens to serve on juries. Athenian juries were large, ranging from 101 to 501 jurors. Pericles arranged for jury members to be paid, so that the poor could serve as easily as the rich. The right to a trial by jury was a great contribution to democracy. The punishments were quick and harsh in other societies. 4.4. Not Justice for All This was only the beginning of the democratic form of government. Democracy in Athens did not give freedom to everyone. Democracy under Pericles did not mean justice for all. Although women were citizens, they were not allowed to vote. Slaves, too, had no role in the government. Slavery was a common practice in ancient times 4.5. The Legacy of Athenian Democracy The legacy of Athenian democracy left lasting impression. Democracy as a form of government is one of the greatest legacies given to the world. Many modern governments including our own, have looked to the impressive Greek Example. The Greek heritage The plan: 1. The legacy of ancient Greece 1.1. Ancient Greek Religion 1.2. The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece 1.3. Homers Epics 1.3.1 The Iliad 1.4. The Olympic Games 1.5. Theatre Begins 1.5.1 Tragedy and Comedy 1.6 The Love of Wisdom 1.7 A Unifying Force 2. The spread of Greek Ideas 2.1. The Peloponnesian Wars 2.2 Alexander the Great 2.3. Blend of East and West Bibliography: -//- p. 144 159
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1. The Greek Legacy 1.1 Ancient Greek Religion The ancient Greeks were polytheists and thus believed in many gods and goddesses. The Greeks developed a rich set of myths, or stories about their gods. According to the Greek myths, the gods and goddesses controlled different parts of universe. For example, Zeus, the ruler of the gods, was in charge of the weather. The ancient Greeks believed that when it thundered, Zeus was at work. The ancient Greeks also believed that the gods were not very different from humans. Zeus was the father, and his wife, Hera was the mother. There were many children and relatives. What was the basic difference between humans and gods? Most gods were stronger than humans. The main difference was mortality, or death. Humans lived temporary lives but the gods lived forever. 1.2. The Gods and Goddesses of ancient Greece The Athenians believed that Athena was their special protector, but they also worshiped other gods. Each god had a special role. Zeus the Ruler of Gods Hera the queen of gods Hestia goddess of home Poseidon god of sea Dimeter goddess of agriculture Hephaestus god of fire Ares god of war Athena goddess of wisdom Aphrodite - goddess of love Apollo - God of Music Artemis Goddess of the moon Hermes messenger of the goods. 1.3. Homers Epics About 3000 years ago, a blind poet named Homer roamed the Aegean World. Homer believed he had a special purpose. He wished to tell his people the myths of celebrated gods and goddesses. Homer wrote that the glorious lessons of the gods are not to be cast aside. Because few Greeks during Homers time knew how o read or write, people relied on the spoken word. Homer wrote long, beautiful poems The Iliad and The Odyssey both tell about the long war between Greeks and the Trojans. These epics are among yhr oldest works of literature. 1.3.1. The Iliad The Greeks, with the help of the goddess Athena, decided to play a trick on the Trojans. They built a great wooden horse and pretended it was an offering to the gods. But, secretly under the cover of night, they hid a lot of their warriors, fully armed, inside of the wooden horse.
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The Trojans stood amazed when they found the horse outside their city gates. They marveled at its tremendous size They placed wheels under the base of the horse, ropes were stretched about its neck. And while children sang sacred songs, it rolled into Troy. Four times at the gate it halted. And the four times the clank of armor could be heard within. But, heedless and blind, the Trojans set the horse in citys holiest place. Meanwhile, night rushed over the city and soon the Trojans lay deep in quiet sleep. At once, the Greek warriors hidden within the horse rushed out upon the sleeping city. Then, with braying of trumpets and shouting of men, they rushed through the city with sword and flame. So fell the ancient city. And the bodies of its children lay scattered in the streets. Today, we use the expression a Trojan Horse to describe something that may seem good, but is really harmful. 1.4. The Olympic Games The Olympic Games have their roots in ancient Greece. In tradition of the game originated a festival to Zeus in 776 B.C. In the green valley Olympia, a young cook called Coroebus of Elis won the 200-yards dash. Olympic competition was the glory of ancient Greece. Every four years, athletes from all over the Aegean World came to compete in the Olympic Games. Victory in an Olympic event brought the winner a crown of olive leaves, It also brought glory to the victors polis. Though many women athletes compete for their countries in the modern Olympic Games, women could not compete in ancient times. But, according to Greek law, women could win only the chariot races because the horses owner was the considered the winner. A Spartan woman, who owned the winning horse, won the Olympic chariot race in 392 B.C. Like other winners, she made generous gifts to the temple of Zeus in honor of her victories. 1.5. Theatre begins Theatre also had its beginnings in ancient Greece. Like the Olympic Games, theatre grew out of important religious festivals. Each spring thousands of Greeks gathered to honor Dionysus, the good of pleasure. As many as 20000 people met at outdoor theatre carved into the slope of the Acropolis. Sitting close together on steep rows of stone seats, they watched a festival of plays. Like the Olympic champions, the best writer received special honors. 1.5.1. Tragedy and Comedy Theatres were carved into hillsides all over the Aegean World. Though the festival was held in Athens, every Greek Polis had a theatre. Many of these theatres are still in use. One of the most famous writers of Greek plays was Aeschylus. He was well known because he won first prize in the festival 13 times. Aeschylus loved Athens
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and wrote plays to honor it. He had fought with his countrymen against the Persians. His experiences in war caused him to write plays called tragedies. A tragedy is a play in which life is treated seriously and usually has a sad ending. Aeschylus is known as the Father of Tragedy. Tragedies were performed only in the morning at the festivals. Comedies or plays that are funny and usually have funny endings, were performed late in the day. One of the most famous writers of comedy was Aristophanes. His comedies were loud, happy events. Aristophanes liked it, when the crowds at his comedies talked around the theatre. Sometimes they would shout at the actors. A comedy in ancient Greece was full of jokes. Comedies were also written to make fun of famous people. 1.6. The love of wisdom Like theatre, philosophy is part of the Greek Legacy. Philosophy is a Greek word meaning love of wisdom. Through philosophy the Greeks searched for answers about their role in the universe. The Athenians loved ideas as much as they loved freedom. Athens most famous philosopher was a special man named Socrates. Socrates was well known in Athens because he dared to raise questions about Athenian values. He believed that it was important to examine law, social customs, an even religious values. His motto was Know thyself. Many Athenians were angry that Socrates doubted the Glory of Athens. As result, in 399 B.C. Socrates was accused by the government of forming an idea of revolt among Athens young people. A jury decided that Socrates was guilty and sentenced him to death. But guilty of what? Is it wrong to ask questions? Later, when Socrates sat talking with his friends his jailer brought him a coup of hemlock to drink. This poisonous drink quickly killed Athens first philosopher. One of those present at Socrates death was the brilliant student Plato. To Plato, Socrates was the wisest and most just and best Athenian. So Plato carried on the work of his teacher by gathering together the ideas of Socrates and writing them down. He also founded the worlds first university, known as the Academy. Platos Academy lasted long after his death in fact, for 900 years. The Greek ideas spread from Platos Academy to distant lands in Europe, Asia and Africa. 1.7. A Unifying Force Ancient Greece was made up of many different city-states. Each polis had its own ruler and system of government. The democratic Athens became the center of the Aegean World. In Athens, a magnificent culture blossomed and spread to every Greek Polis. Ancient Greece developed a rich Legacy. The Aegean world was united by this common heritage. Ancient Greek religion, literature, theatre and philosophy affected every polis. The people of ancient Greece were bound together by their common culture. Lets come to the conclusion:
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The Greek legacy Democracy Trial by jury Myths Epic Poetry Olympic games Tragedy and Comedy Philosophy Sculpture

2. The Spread of Greek Ideas 2.1. The Peloponnesian Wars In 437 B.C. Sparta and the other Peloponnesian city-states had united against Athens. They were jealous of Athens riches and influence. For 27 years, the Athenians held back the enemies. At the first the Athenian fleet easily triumphed on the seas. But year by year their fleet was ruined and Athens had no more strength to fight. The Athenian polis was destroyed. In 404 B.C. the Athenians lost their army, their power, and their democracy. But the legacy of Greek civilization was not defeated. 2.2. Alexander the Great After 27 years of war, all of the Aegean World was open to invasion. Suddenly, a new empire called Macedonia conquered Greek lands. Alexander was the son of King Philip II, ruler of Macedonia, a small but powerful Greek Kingdom. When Alexander was a boy he had been taught by a special teacher Aristotle, a wise, famous philosopher from Athens. Aristotle taught Alexander to love philosophy and Greek ways. In 336 B.C. King Philip was murdered and Alexander became King, although he was only 20 years old. His greatest wish was to spread the Greek legacy. Alexander quickly proved that he was one of the most talented generals of all time. By 323 Alexander the Great had conquered most of known world and set up an empire that extended from Asia Minor (now Turkey) to India. In 334 he invaded the Great Persian Empire ruled by Darius III. By a series of remarkable victories, Alexander then went on to conquer the entire Middle East From Egypt to India. When he died at the age of only 33, Alexander had led his armies more than 19312 km and had encouraged the spread of Greek culture throughout the world. After Alexanders death, his empire was divided. But he is considered one of the greatest generals who never lost a battle and e=was never forced to retreat. 2.3. Blend of East and West The greatest Alexanders achievement was the spread of Greek culture. Thousands of Greek government officials, merchants, and artisans followed and
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settled the lands, Alexander had conquered. Wherever he went, he built cities modeled on the Greek polis. As many as 70 cities named Alexandria were set up across the empire. Alexandria encouraged the blend of Greek culture with the cultures of the Ancient Middle East. For example, he began to worship Persian as well as Greek gods and goddesses. He also adopted Persian customs and dress. Although Alexander though of himself as Greek, he gained support from different cultures by adopting their ways. Of all the cities that Alexander founded, one grew to become truly remarkable. Called Alexandria like the other cities he built, this one was in the Nile Delta. The Egyptian Alexandria attracted scholars, sailors, and merchants. It had the worlds first museum and libraries. One library is said to have contained more than 500,000 scrolls of papyrus.

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