World History, 112a, Lecture Outline
Dr. Thomason
Hellenistic and Roman Empires
Q: Where and what is Macedonia? How was it different from the other Greek city-states
●Northern Greece.
●Greek culture and language.
●Monarchy headed by Philip and dynasty. Expansionist. Shrewd commander and negotiator.
Q: How did the Macedonians defeat the other Greek city-states?
●Other city-states, especially Athens, weakened by internal fighting: Peloponnesian Wars, also plague.
●Slowly brought under Philip's control by ca. 350 B.C.E.
Q: Who was Alexander the Great?
●Philip's son, legendary impetuous and fiery personality. Ascends to throne at 23 and continues expansion--vs. Persians to the east.
●By 330 B.C.E. in Mesopotamia and Egypt, then to India and back.
●Alexander dies 323 B.C.E. in swamps of southern Mesopotamia.
Q: What happens to Alexander's empire?
●Becomes Hellenistic empire. All regions share overlay of Hellenistic culture, but much political, religious independence. ●Broken up into three separate segments by Alex's generals, also small local kingdoms.
●Cosmopolitan interchange of ideas and goods across the empire.
Q: Who were the Romans and how did they defeat the Hellenistic kingdoms?
●Rome=city and empire.
●Italian peninsula, Latin speakers. Influenced by exported Greek culture, adopted Greek pantheon, artistic styles. Greece as "high culture" to Romans.
●Originally ruled by monarchs, then evolve into Republic with constitution and Senate of patrician (or aristocratic) males deciding policies in assembly.
●Republican army begins expansion outside of Italy to Europe, Greece, Turkey.
●By 50 B.C.E., series of internal civil wars between wealthy patricians/generals, Julius Caesar among them--assassinated.
Q: What is the role of Augustus in Roman history?
●One of Caesar's heirs, Augustus, militarily defeats all other rivals for supremacy in Rome, legally declared "Dictator for Life", then "Princeps", or leader of Rome.
●Senate is now only advisory assembly and all power rests in Caesar Augustus' hands.
●Augustus defeats Egypt, last Hellenistic hold out, in 31 B.C.E. (vs. queen Cleopatra).
Q: How is the Empire structured, politically and socially?
●Pax Romana. Empire divided into provinces with Roman governors.
●Roman army at command of Caesar expands and maintains Roman control in all parts of empire. Soldiers get grants of land when they retire. Army protects Roman citizens, enforces Roman law, collects taxes to send to Rome.
●Social mobility. Foreigners and ex-slaves can become Roman citizens (mainly through enlistment in army), though not as influential at first in Rome itself.
Q: What is Roman stance on religion?
●Generally tolerant of other religions, tolerate synchretisms of Roman and non-Roman gods.
●Roman law: all inhabitants of the empire must worship Roman gods. This works well for polytheistic religions, but not for monotheistic ones, such as Judaism and Christianity.
