Western Civilization

2006-11-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

The Crusades

Seven major Crusades between 1095 and 1270

Pope Urban II issues first call to Crusade in 1095

Crusade: armed pilgrimage to free the Holy Land from the Muslims

Thousands of people joined up

-Shows power of papacy
-New Vitality of the kingdoms of Europe
-Affirmation of the values of the knightly class: just war

First Crusade (1095-1099)
-Seljuk Turks
-Byzantium calls for help from the West
-incentive of penance
-Peter the Hermit
-large body of knights
-Captured Jerusalem in 1099
-Set up Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem

Second Crusade (1146-1148)

-Preached by Bernard of Clairvaux

-Disaster: why was God displeased?

1187 Jerusalem recaptured by Turks led by Saladin

Third Crusade (1189-1192)

-led by: Richard the Lion-Hearted (England), Philip Augustus (France), Frederick Barbarossa (Germany)

-Many problems; a few successes

-Richard negotiates a truce with Saladin

Fourth Crusade (1202-1204)

-Called by Innocent III

- entanglements with the Venetian state

- Crusaders sack the Christian city of Constantinople

Fifth Crusade (1217-1221)

-Directed at Egypt, the seat of Muslim power in the Middle East

-Also ends in disaster

Sixth and Seventh Crusades

-Both Led by Louis IX of France

-Sixth (1248) to Egypt

-Seventh (1270) to Tunisia

-Louis IX (St. Louis) died in Tunisia from plague

1291 Acre, final Christian city in Middle East, falls to Muslim forces

-End of Crusader states in the Holy Land

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The Carolingian Empire and Beyond

Carolingians were Franks
-Most successful ruler was Charles the Great: Charlemagne
(r. 768-814)
--wars of conquest
--pious
--Carolingian Renaissance

Great Invasions of the 9th and 10th Centuries

Muslim incursions from the Middle East and North Africa

-plundered coastal cities of the Mediterranean

-Conquered islands; took slaves

-looted the church of St. Peter in Rome in 846 A.D.

Magyars from the Asiatic steppes

-Invaded German and Italian territories from

late 800s to 955 A.D.

-plundered towns and monasteries

-defeated at Battle of Lechfeld in 955 A.D. by Otto I of Germany

-converted to Christianity

-settled Hungary

Vikings from Scandinavia

-Northmen, had a home economy based on agriculture and cattle, but land was scarce

-raiding expeditions in search of land

-warrior culture with goals of : land, wealth and fame

-most fearsome warriors in Europe

-longboats

-plundered churches and monasteries

-finally settle down: Rolf marries Gisela, converts to Christianity and receives lordship over the area of Normandy

2006-10-30T07:40:00.000-08:00

Kingdoms of Early Medieval Europe

Italian Peninsula:

Ostrogoths -- Theoderic
-blending of culture

Lombards

Gregory the Great (Pope from 590-604)

Iberian Peninsula:

Visigoths

King Reccared (r. 586-601)

-Persecution of Jews

Muslim conquest of Spain 711 A.D.

Britain:

Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Frisians

Missionaries:

St. Patrick

St. Columba

St. Augustine of Canterbury

-Synod of Whitby 664 A.D.

The Venerable Bede (673-735 A.D.)

The Continent (France)

-Kingdom of the Franks

-Merovingians: Clovis (r. 481-511)

-Charles Martel

--Battle of Poitiers 732 A.D.

-Carolingian Empire

2006-10-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

The Decline of the Roman Empire and the Rise of Byzantium

-Split of the Roman Empire between East and West
-East becomes Byzantine Empire

-Why did the Roman Empire "Fall"?
-about 210 reasons
-dynamic problem
-"Barbarian" invasions were a major reason.

-In the 4th Century, the Huns attack the Visigoths

-Visigoths move into Roman territory

-Visigoths revolt and win Battle of Adrianople in 378 A.D.

-King Alaric sacks Rome in 410 A.D.

-Romans withdraw from Britain and other northern territories

-Alans, Burgundians, Sueves, Vandals, Ostrogoths

-Barbarian tribes start to found their own independent kingdoms

-Last Roman emperor in the West killed in 476 A.D.

Byzantine Empire

-City of Constantinople

-Roman governmental traditions; Greek culture

-Emperor had more power over the church

-Justinian (r. 527 - 565 A.D.)

-Wars of conquest

-Empress Theodora

-Hagia Sophia

-Legal Reform: Code Justinian and The Body of Civil Law (Corpus Juris Civilis)

-Procopius

2006-10-18T06:40:00.000-07:00

The Rise of Christianity

Jesus of Nazareth (ca. 6 B.C. - 30 A.D.)
-preacher and miracle worker
-within Jewish tradition
-"King of the Jews"
-Crucified
-Resurrection
-Messiah or Christ

Peter and Paul
-Founders of the church

Peter
-leader of a new sect in Judaism
-came to call themselves "Christians"
-baptism and ritual meal

Paul of Tarsus

-Roman citizen

-Christianity intended for the whole world

-missionary journeys; conversions and founding of churches

Reaction in the Roman world:

Roman government was tolerant of many religions.

-Appeal of Christianity:

--comforting afterlife; belief in God above all other gods; forgiveness

--first converts poor and oppressed; then all classes of society

-Negative reaction:

--aggressive, subversive cult which would not sacrifice to the Emperor.

Roman paganism

-polytheistic; very traditional

-connected to politics

-public: doing the right rituals at the right time.

-saw Christians as stupid, dangerous and unpatriotic

-major problems in the Empire as a whole also turned people against Christians

-Persecutions of Christians especially strong 249-313 A.D.

--Great Persecution (303-313 A.D.), begun under the Emperor Diocletian.

Empire was divided in half for administrative reasons

-An augustus and a caesar ruled in each half: the Tetrarchy (4 Men).

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The Roman Empire from the death of Augustus through ca. 250

Emperors had four main responsibilities:

1. Protect and expand the territory of the empire
--First major setback in 9 A.D.: Arminius ambushes Varus in the Teutoburger Forest

2. Administer justice and provide good government.

3. Supreme religious leader or High Priest of the empire.

4. Symbol of unity for the whole empire.
--"Cult of the Emperor"

Four major imperial dynasties:

1. Julio-Claudian
(Augustus, Tiberius, Claudius, Caligula, Nero)
--Tiberius and Claudius: sober and fairly successful

--Caligula and Nero: dangerous and probably insane
---Revolt of Boudicca and the Iceni in Britain (ca. 60 A.D.)

69 A.D. : Year of the Four Emperors

2. Flavian Dynasty founded by Titus Flavius Vespasianus (Vespasian, Titus, Domitian)

--Vespasian and his son Titus were responsible for putting down a major Jewish revolt in Judea between 66 - 70 A.D.

Army chooses Nerva as new emperor in 96 A.D.

3. Beginning of Antonine Age / Antonine Dynasty (lasts until 192 A.D.)

-Trajan

--Conquered territory between 113-117 A.D. that took the empire to its greatest extent.

-Hadrian (r. 117-138)

--Limes and Hadrian's wall in Britain

Marcus Aurelius (r. 161-180)

--philosopher king; Stoic; wrote The Meditations

-Commodus (r. 180-192 A.D.)

--cruel and eventually insane; strangled by a group of senators

4. Septimus Severus, senator from North Africa, founds the Severan Dynasty, lasting 25 years

-After the last of the Severan Dynasty, Rome is plunged into civil war;

-A time of economic and military crisis lasting nearly 50 years.

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Roman Republic to Roman Empire

Gracchi:
-reform
-"speaking for the poor"
-political violence

-army as "wildcard"

Gaius Marius (157-86 BC)

-legions swear allegiance directly to commander

Crassus, Pompey, Caesar: Triumvirate (59/60 BC)

Julius Caesar

-military genius

-ruthless

-power hungry

-Crossing the Rubicon (49 BC)

-Perpetual Dictator (45 BC)

-assassinated (15 March 44 BC)

- Cassius and Brutus

- Marc Antony, Octavius, Lepidus (second Triumvirate)

-Antony and Cleopatra

-Battle of Actium (31 BC)

-Octavius becomes absolute master of the Roman world

-emperor, Augustus, Princeps, pater patriae

-State as extension of Roman household

Reforms:

-reduces number of senators

-reduces number of legions; professionalizes the army

-oath of loyalty from all Italians

-administrative class

-censuses for taxation

-moral laws: to curb adultery, encourage marriages and bearing of children

2006-09-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

Foundations of the Roman Republic

Etruscans
-influenced by Greek culture
-influenced Roman culture in turn

Settlement of Rome
-Tiber River and Hills
-Latin language
Foundation myths:
-Romulus and Remus

-Rape of the Sabine Women

-sexual conquest; role of law

-Rape of Lucretia

--political action and female honor

--Roman Republic founded in 509 BC; overthrow of Etruscan king

-Territorial consolidation

-Government:

--2 Consuls

--Centuriate

--Senate

--Priests

"Struggle of the Orders" (between 494 and 287 BC)

--Plebeians and Patricians

--Tribunes; 12 Tables; marriage laws; one consulship; decisions of Plebeian assembly apply to the whole population

Territorial Expansion:

Punic Wars against Carthage

-First (264-241 BC); Second (218-201 BC); Third (149-146 BC)

First Punic War:

-Rome successful; breaks treaty agreement

Second Punic War:

-flashpoint in Spain

-Hannibal

-Battles at Trebia River, Lake Trasimene and at Cannae: major defeats of the Romans

-Romans change tactics

--Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus

--Battle of Zama (202 BC)

--"Delenda est Carthago"

2006-09-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

Hellenistic World

Allexander's empire breaks apart

Egypt: Ptolemy I, founds Ptolomaic Dynasty
-powerful female rulers too

Babylon (Turkey to Afghanistan): Seleucus founds Seleucid Dynasty

-Revolt of the Maccabees

Macedon and Greece: under Antigonus Gonatas, founds Antigonid Dynasty

Greek outlook

-urban centers

-Koine

-Flourishing of art, literature, philosophy

---Septuagint

Philosophy turned inward; not in the service of the state or the gods

Cynics

-Antisthenes (ca. 445-360 BC)

--rejection of desires

-Diogenes (ca. 412-324)

Epicureans

-Epicurus of Samos (ca. 341-271 BC)

--choose pleasure rationally

--no fear

Stoicism

-Zeno of Cition (ca. 335-263)

--control of passions

2006-09-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

Ancient Greece and the Rise of Macedon

End of Peloponnesian War
-source: Thucydides
-30 Tyrants in Athens

Three Philosophers
-Socrates (ca. 470-399 BC),
Plato (ca. 428-347 BC),
Aristotle (ca. 384-322 BC)

Socrates
-"Know Thyself"
-Socratic method: questions and answers

-Put on trial and sentenced to death

Plato
-Student of Socrates
-Academy
-Platonic Forms
-Analogy of the cave

Aristotle

-student of Plato

-Lyceum

-empiricism and observation

Rise of Macedon

-Philip II, king of Macedon (359-336 BC)

-Conquers Greek city-states; creates League of Corinth

-assassinated

-Alexander the Great becomes king

-imitates Achilles

-invades Persia and conquers empire by 331 BC

-incredible conquests stretching all the way to India

-dies in 323 BC

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Ancient Greece, continued

Aspasia (died ca. 410 B.C.)

Pericles (died ca. 429 B.C.)

Hoplite warriors

-provided their own weapons

-fight together as a unit : the phalanx

Persian Wars (490-479 B.C.)

-Marathon (490 B.C.)

-Thermopylae (480 B.C.)

Peloponnesian Wars (431-421 B.C. and 414-404 B.C.)

-Delian League vs. Peloponnesian League

2006-09-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

Ancient Greece

Dark Age of Greek history, ca. 1100-750 B.C.

Homer, poet
-epics written between 750-700 B.C.
-The Iliad and The Odyssey
-The Iliad: Legendary Trojan War
--gods and heroes
--Hector and Andromache

Hesiod, poet and farmer
-wrote The Theogony, ca. 700 B.C.
-evolution of the world of the Greek gods and goddesses
-Gaia (earth goddess) replaced by patriarchal order of Zeus
-Pandora

Ethnos, Polis and Oikos

Ethnos = territorial unit

-led by oligarchy of leading men

Polis = city-state (pl. poleis)

-self-governing; all male citizens participate in public decision-making

-fortified hilltop, or acropolis

-marketplace, or agora

-colonies

Oikos = household

-A man was always the head of the household

-Women were always under the legal control of men

-Women's work was private; men's was public

-infanticide

-gender roles rigid; bisexuality very common, especially among upper classes

-for males, homosexuality was about domination and mentoring

-prostitutes (pornai) and courtesans (hetairai)

Sappho

Zeus and Ganymede

2006-09-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

Egyptians

2006-08-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

Mesopotamia

Sumer and the Sumerian people
-origins: 3500 to 3000 B.C.
-urban life or city-states: Uruk, Eridu, Umma, Lagash and Ur
--ramparts; irrigation

-Stratified society:
--Kings - priests - administrative and military elite - craftsmen - peasants - slaves
-textile industry and workshops for women

Religion:
-many gods
-Kings had symbolic marriage to Inanna
-Ur's protector god was Nanna
-huge temples and ziggurats
-Epic of Gilgamesh

Administration:

-Development of writing: cuneiform

Akkadian State: King Sargon (2334-2279 B.C.)

-Inter-dependent confederacies

Conquests by Old Babylonian Kingdom in 18th Century B.C.

-King Hammurabi

-Code of Hammurabi = Law

Hittites dominant force in Mesopotamia between 17th and 13th centuries B.C.

2006-08-28T06:18:00.000-07:00

Ancient human beings = homo sapiens
Neanderthals
-used speech
-animism
-hunter-gatherers
(Paleolithic Age)

Stone Age Culture?

-Archaeology: pottery fragments, cave paintings, figurines

http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/en/

-Matriarchal prehistory: fact or fiction?
argument for:
-archaeology does not show gender hierarchies
-myths of first mothers
-"Venus" or Goddess figurines

arguments against:
-matriarchies do not currently exist among hunter-gatherers
-myths are always open to interpretation
-no evidence of widespread goddess worship

Patriarchy nevertheless a way of life

http://www.archaeologiemuseum.it/f01_ice_uk.html

New Stone Age (Neolithic) developments:
-better tools
-taming of animals (cows, pigs, goats)
-domestication of plants -- first "agricultural revolution

What is the significance of agriculture?
-rising population
-sedentary life
-development of towns
-accumulation of stuff
-trade

-changes in religious beliefs and practices

-Catal Huyuk (in modern Turkey)