Classical India (Gupta Empire) and Greece

Classical India (gupta empire) and Greece

India

The Gupta Golden Age

• Key ruler: Chadragupta II: very power 

• When the gupta empire was at it’s best= the Gupta Golden Age, this golden age was able to be created because of military alliances and agressive expansionist policies

During the Gupta Golden Age, the following occurred:

• Wealth existed which allowed people to support the arts and sciences

• Standardized money helped with taxation and ease of trading 

• Trade: there were extensive trade networks from Southeast asia and the mediterranean

• Litterature/the arts: flourished during the Gupta Emprie and there were many Sanskrit works by Kalidasa (to name one big one)

• Architecture: many impressive temples were built/created

• Medicine: new advancements in herbal medicine

• Mathematics: the invention of the concept of zero and the creation of decimals and the numerals we use today (the Hindu-numeral system) 

• Astronomy: the accurate calculation of the solar year occurred, and this was it was first (correctly) theorized that the Earth is round

Greece

Geography of greece 

• Rugged terrain: Greece has rugged terrain → causing independent polis or city states to arise and the land wasn´t great for farming → light and simple diet and reliance on imported foods

• The many seas surrounding greece helped them become expert sailers, caused independent polis and city states, made it hard to unite the country, and caused cultural diffusion between the countries they were trading w overseas

• The moderate temperatures led to many functions out doors → increased care for civil life being a duty and virtue and strong communities

Athens v. Sparta

Athens: 

• Government:democracy - all 21+ males who were native born could help to make decisions for the city-state

• Women: were not allowed any public life or say in government and had very limited rights

• Education: only boys received an education focusing on poetry literacy, and such

• The economy was trade based

• Allowed visitors in/out of the country

• VALUED BRAINS>BRAWN

Sparta:

• Government: oligarchy where 2 kings and the council of elders made most decisions with the citizens occasionally weighing in

• Women: were allowed a lot more freedoms than in athens and were trained in physical fitness

• Mostly only the boys were taught battle skills such as obeying orders

• No foreigners were allowed into the country and no citizens were allowed out

• BRAWN>BRAINS 

• Mostly a slave/agriculture reliant economy 

The Greek timeline:

• 1st: The Persian wars 

When Greek city-states supported the revolt against Persia and the Greek city states ended up winning, eventually forming the Delian League (league of city states led mostly by Athens) 

• 2nd: the Golden age of Athens aka the Age of Pericles 

After the Persian wars, Athens rose to great power and became the most powerful city-state, 

• Pericles was the ruler of athens during this time

• Under pericles the government was a direct democracy

• Many thinkers, phillosophists, writers, and artists came to greece

• Promoted arts, philosophy and architecture

• Athens was rebuilt-including the Parthenon

• Pericle’s funeral oration was created to honor soilders who died in the Persian wars,      celebrating democracy and more. Was not fully factual since many Athenian citizens had no voice in the government

• Socrates (Socratic method: questioning to challenge assumptions-was killed for questioning the gov and ‘corrupting the youth’), Plato ( wrote about ideal society), and Aristotle (logic, science) were some of the Philosophers during the time 

• Hippocrates supported ethical medicine, Euclid’s geometry and the Parthenon 

• 3rd peloponnesian war 

• Sparta created the Peloponnesian League to counter Athen’s Delian League

• Sparta + allies didn’t like Athen’s growing power 

• Very destructive war that the Spartans won due to the plague that struck Athens 

• Left both the city-states (+allies) vulnerable to take-over 

• 4th: Alexander the Great 

  • Was Macedonian and helped to expand Macedonia 

  • Defeated Persian armies 

  • Founded Alexandria 

  • Spread Hallenistic Culture (a mix of all cultures) prepping the world/paving the way for Christianity