western civ (copy)

The definition of civilization.

is a social political order that has advanced beyond a state of chaos, barbarism, and mere survival

The definition of western civilization

the social-political order that emerged and has developed in areas where Christianity has been culturally dominant, especially in Europe and its colonies.

Are all cultural/civilization values morally equivalent?

no because we are all sinners

In what ways is history subjective?

Historians have to make value judgements

historians are more than chroniclers

different historians have different individual perspectives which shape their telling of history

In what ways is history objective?

Real events actually happened in the past because of real causes and real motives. 

The God over all history has an objective and immediate knowledge of all that happened in the past and where its full significance is.

God has given us verbal revelation which provides us with an objective framework for understanding and explaining history.

What rescues the Christian historian from absolute subjectivity?

the basis of truth based on the biblical account of God and his character

Is there a Christian approach to history?

Yes

Elements of a Christian approach to history?

some of each are right but the narrative is around the bible timeline: Creation, fall, redemption, consumption

Recognition of creation and providence.

Scriptural system of value, right, truth, meaning

Christian view of man

Special attention given to God’s people in history

Non-Christians approaches to history?

Marxist Approach: Individual ownership end of the world. The wealarey is the oppressors.

The Secular- Cynical Approach: tear down anything good. No purpose in life. Looks on the bad side of history.

The progressive approach: Social Darwinist view. The history of it getting better. Oppressed social groups.

The Feminist Approach: All about women being oppressed.

The Eastern-Reincarnation (Cyclical) Approach: always a cycle of life.

The Christian narrative of the rise of civilization vs. the secular narrative

Christian: God purposefully created man special and unique and very early on they began to create civilization, innovations like domestication and agriculture quick to come 

Secular: Man evolved over millions of years and the first civilizations took a very long time to develop, man nomadic, basic innovation slow to emerge

Main geographic features of Mesopotamia

Each independent, walled city had a Ziggurat

Early settlements and life in Sumer

Sumarian politics-king

sumerian economy-agriculture, trade

Approximate beginning (date) of the earliest documentable civilization

3000 B.C.

Contributions of the Sumerians to Western Civilization

Sexagesimal math, common measurements, basic geometry, cuneiform writing

Sargon and the akkadians

is the first military leader

2230 BC-Sargon’s Akkadian Empire Crumbles

Hammurabi and the old Babylonians (amorites)

conquer sumaria next 1550 BC

becomes king of babylon

Significance of Hammurabi’s Code

It was a model for rule of law

Geographic features of Egypt

Nile river was all egypts regular flood river

surrounded by desert so better isolated from enemies

upper and lower egyp

King Menes

Unites Upper and Lower Egypt

Significance of the Rosetta Stone

stone with same message in three languages, allowing ability to read egyptian hieroglyphs for first time

Defining elements of Egyptian society

The Nile life

pharaoh worship

obsession with the afterlife

Contributions of the Egyptians to Western Civilization

Western fascination, papyrus

Who conquered the northern kingdom of Israel

Assyria

Who conquered the Southern Kingdom of Israel?

Babylon

Jewish Monotheism

worship of one God

brings order and unity to the world

Hebrew law

Transcendence Morality

Religious duties and obligations

Sin against God must be Punished

Crimes against others must be punished

Equal justice under law

protection for the accused

proportional justice

capital punishment

restitution

compassion to the poor and needy.

Hebrew view of man, marriage,gender sexuality, marriage, children

uniqueness of human life

man created good

man has fallen

dignity of human work

basic equality of men and women

complementary roles of men and women

monogamous hetersexerual marriage

family as the basic unit of society

children as good and important

Hebrew view of politics

publically elected magistrate

popular consent of the governed

Hebrew view of kingship and government

limited government

king subject to the law and the divine law-giver

the possibility of living freely under the law with no king

the need for a king (judges)

The dangers of a king

Hebrew view of private property

thou shall not steal

Hebrew view of history

linear view of history

design and purpose in history

future orientation of histroy (messiah)

Significance of the Hebrews for Western Civilization

we in the west get a lot from the hebrews compared to other groups. civilization begins with the hebrew

Traits of the Assyrians

violent cruel warlike brutal

The Hebrew King Jesus vs. the Assyrians

the artifacts backing up the old testaments.

The Hebrew King Hezekiah vs. the Assyrians

(hezekiahs tunnel, Siloam inscription

Sennacherib and the sieges of Lachish and Jerusalem

( the lachish reliefs)

The defeat of Sennacherib

(Sennacherib s prism

Contributions of the Assyrians

Warfare, iron weapons, cavalry

The Babylonians in biblical history

the conquerors of the southern kingdom. Take away exiles to Babylon

Accomplishments of Nebudchadnezzar

Babylon, Hanging Gardens, Ishtar Gate

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2; Belshazzar’s dream in Daniel 7

The statue:

The gold head was Babylon

silver head was persia

bronze was greece

iron and clay was rome

stone from heaven- kingdom of god

the animals:

Lion-babylon

bear-persia

cheetah-greece

beast-rome

one like a son of man- kingdom of god

Contributions of the Babylonians

Astronomy, mathematical calculation of the solar year

The Persians in biblical history (Jewish exiles allowed to return)

In 538 BC- Cyrus allows the jews to return

Cyrus the Great 

fortold by name in the bible in Isaiah

Darius and the beginning of the war with Greece (the Persian War

stopped by the coalition of the greek city states called the confederacy of Demos, led by athens

Contributions of the Persians

roads and postal service, satraps, popularized coin-making

Geographical features of Greece and the Greek Isles

In Mediterranean Sea, isolated on mainland, bad soil, it didn’t need defensive walls

Minoan Accomplishments and Culture

Occupied Crete from 2900-1400 BC

Built the first sea empire

Technologically advanced

extremely artistic

not greek

minoan civilization ends by 1400

Mycenaeans and the Trojan War

Arrive from the North

Conflict with Troy

Civilization vanishes

The Greek dark ages

The Greek alphabet and the writings of Homer.

Politics and life in Archaic Greek City-States

Colonization, Hoplite phalanxes, tyrants, pre-Socratics, Hellenic identity

Life in Athens

Athenian leaders: Draco, Solon, Pisistratus, Cleisthenes

Athenian democracy, ostracism

Life in Sparta

Community life, helots, family life, sexual ethics.

What begins the Greek classical age?

The Persian War

Battles of Marathon and Thermopylae and Salamis

in the persian war which was greek vs. romans

the battle of marathon has the greek phalanxes. so they one that one 

thermopylae- the three hundred brave spartans in the gap giving athens time to evacuate. the persians win that one

salamis is the naval battle that made the greeks win the war.

The Age of Pericles: Accomplishments in Athens

after the persian war.

glory days of athens

parthenon

great philosphers

architecture

literature

The Peloponnesian War and its outcome

sparta vs athens and athens loses

Philip of Macedon

athens and sparta destroyed trust of city-states to join togheter, so couldn’t stand against Philips of macedon when he lived and conquered greece died after certain amount of years of ruling greece

Alexander the Great

philips son

took over at twenty 

suprised eneimeis with strength and strategy 

very good at assimilation died and his kingdom broke into three parts

The Hellenistic Period

division decline difusion.

Political Contributions

it was something new it contributed to public speaking and direct democracy

American founders’ assessment of Greek political arrangements

it wasnt workable for a big country. masses amde tyranny

political philosophy of Plato and Aristotle

plato not as much for democracy. It just would make tyranny. aristotle collectivist not followed him

Pre-Socratics

thales- Corporeal Monism-water

parmenides-corporeal pluralism

the sophists- skepticism (man is a measure of all things purpose of Philiosophy: Rhetoric and Praggmatism.

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle

plato talked about the nationalists and made fun of the sophists as did his predicesor socrates. Aristotle looked at philosophy as observation and data gathering.

Archaic period writers

Homer and Hesiod

Classical Period writers and writings

sophocles

Greek historians

Herodotus and Thucydides

Art and Architecture

Greek architecture, sculptural realism

Early math and science

contributions of Pythagoras, Euclid, Archimedes, Aristarchus, Eratosthenes, Hippocrates

The founding of Rome and Rome before the Republic

It was founded along the Tiber River in 755

625-509 the etruscans rule over the romans

Roman Republic: Features of Its government

Mixed Republican Government Set Up

Senate

Popular Assemblies

Assemblies of Centuries

Assemblies of Tribes

Assemblies of Curiae

Two Consuls (Annually-Elected)

The struggle between Patricians and Plebeians

2 social classes the patricians were the elites, the plebians are everyone else and they didnt feel like they got enough say in the government so they set up the tribunes for the people.

Rome’s management of its conquered people

they were very benevolent but still conqueror

Carthage and the Three Punic Wars

1. 264-241 Carthage loses and gives up Sicily

2. 218-201 Hannibal and his elephants. Cannae and 15 years of devastation in Rome. Hannibal was defeated by Scipio Africanus

3. 149-146 Carthage burned to the ground.

The Greek influence of the Romans

Literature, language, religion

The Decline and Fall of Rome: the Gracchi, Marius, Sulla, Pompey

great economic disruption

attempts at reform: Tiberius and Gaius Grachus

Gaius Marius-changes the military

lucius Cornelius Sulla-named dictator

pompey-senate was afraid of his powe

Caesar and the Roman Civil War

Senate vs Caesar loyalists -44

The Age of Augustus (i.e. Octavius), Augustus’ accomplishments, and the Pax Romana

31 BC-Octavius defeats Antony

27 BC-Octavius named Augustus and princeps

Accomplishments:

Successful centralization of power

peace and stability

The establishment of a ruler cult

cultural creativity

pax Romana

14 AD Augustus dies

The early emperors Tiberius,Nero

under tiberius christ is crucified. Nero is the first person brought about wave of emperial persecution.

Diocletian and the division of the Empire

293- divides the empire into east and west

The sack of Rome by Alaric and the Visigoths

The Fall of Rome (476)

Polybius and the Government of the Roman Republic

a mixed republican government

relatively stable

seperation of power

checks and balances

a model of govenrment to america

polybius-keep balanced

Roman Law: Cicero (Natural Law) and Justininian (Corpus Juris)

Foundational developments for the western legal tradition.

westerb legal constructs such as corporation, contrasts, estates, rights and powers developed with Roman law as a foundational contribution.

cicero-development of natural law. theory

justinian-copius juris (the body)

Roman Calendar

March (mars god of war)

April second? Aphrodite? opening of Buds?

may maia goddess of growing plants

june juno marriage weddings

july julius caesaer

january-janus (god of beginnings and endings)

febuary-februum- ritual of purification

week:

sunday-sun

monday-moon

tuesday-mars martes

wednesday-mercury mircoles

thursday jupiter

friday- venus

saturday-saturn

Roman Engineering and Architecture (contributions and examples)

roads, arches, aqueducts, domes, concrete

Roman Historians, Statesmen, and Poets

historians-polybius,livy,tacitus

statesmen-cicero, cato the younger

poet-virgil,horace

things to avoid

Roman State Worship, Cultural Decadence, and Tyranny

Constantine and Christendom

conversion ended persecution and gave favored status to Christianity. 

Theodosius made Christianity state religion in 380.

Constantine desired a united church to help unite his empire.

the church was divided over the teachings of Arius.

arius taught that the son of god was created and not eternal

constantine called the council of nicaea in 325 to settle the dispute.

The unique advantages and disadvantages for Christians when Christ was born

daniel’s prophecies the statue dream

pax romana: peace and political unity

ease of travel

flourishing of trade

universal usage of koine greek

disadvantages:

syncretism, persecution

Early Christian symbols and practices

anchor

fish-secret code

chi-rho

Early internal threats to Christianity: Judaizers, Gnostics, and Marcionites

Taught that one must follow the old covenant law to be a true follower of christ

taught that there is a secret knowledge one needs to be complete. taught that the body is bad.

taught that anything “jewish” was not for christians. Taught that only ten of pauls letters and part of lukes gospel were for christians

The three responses to the internal threats: Canon, Bishops, and Creeds

Incomplete lists appear around 180. Economical list of agreed upon by 367.

Irenaeus-supremecy of the roman bishop and lineal succession of bishops (185). Bishops widely established (250)

The apostles creed

Early persecution of Christians and the apostles

The first imperial persecution

Nero irrational persecution

Why were the early Christians hated by the Romans?

The destruction of the Jewish temple in 70 AD

Other persecuting emperors: Domitian, Trajan, Decius, and Diocletian

roman empire divided and last imperial persecution dioceltion

The Rise of the Papacy: Irenaeus, Innocent 1, Zosimus, and Leo I

direct line of bishops from the apostles. early elevation of the bishop of rome

innocent I roman bishop must approve all church decisions

zosimus-no one can question the roman church

leo I persuaded attila the hun not to attack Rome. Strong voice at the council of chalcedon. Asserted petrine supremecy.