HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION I

LECTURE OUTLINE THREE

HELLENISTIC CIVILIZATION

definition of "Hellenistic" (hybrid of Greek and Asian elements)

the basis of the Hellenistic Age is found in Persia

PERSIAN EMPIRE

the victories of Cyrus

administrative achievements of Darius the Great (satrapies)

Darius's mistake--the attempt to conquer Greece

Persia's war with Greece--the Battles of Marathon and Salamis

Persian instability

Persia's religious legacy of Zoroastrianism

Persia's cultural legacy of universalism

PHILIP OF MACEDONIA

"strong man" who took advantage of chaos within Greece

Philip's accomplishments

Philip's victory over the Greek forces at the Battle of Chaeronea (338 B.C.)

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

foundations of Hellenistic civilization and his series of victories

Alexander's combination of Greek and Asian characteristics

POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC TRENDS AFTER ALEXANDER

successor states to Alexander's Empire

• Oriental despotism (Kingdom of the Ptolemies and Kingdom of the Seleucids)
• City-state federalism (Aetolian League and Achaean League)

economic characteristics of the Hellenistic states

HELLENISTIC CULTURE

Philosophical trends

• Cynicism
• Stoicism
• Epicureanism
• Skepticism

HELLENISTIC RELIGION

mystery cults

the branch of Zoroastrianism called Mithraism

THE FIRST GREAT AGE OF SCIENCE

reasons for advances in astronomy, mathematics, geography, and medicine

LEGACY AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF HELLENISTIC CIVLIZATION

ROMAN CIVILIZATION (ROMAN MONARCHY AND EARLY REPUBLIC)

• Early Italy and Roman Monarchy
  • Etruscans, Greeks, and Italians
  • Roman Monarchy (King, Senate, and the Assembly
• Early Republic
  • expansion, warfare, and their effects
  • political changes in the Early Republic--consuls, Senate, and Assembly
  • the struggle between the patrcians and the plebeians
  • changes "favoring" the plebeians in the Early Republic
  • religion in the Early Republic and its contrast with Greek religion
• Rome vs. Carthage (Punic Wars 264 B.C.-146 B.C)
  • causes of the wars
  • effects of the wars--expansionism, socioeconomic changes, and attempts at political reform
  
  

  ROMAN CIVILIZATION (LATE REPUBLIC)

  Reform efforts from Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus

  roles of Marius and Sulla

  Pompey and Julius Caesar

  First Triumvirate--Pompey, Julius Caesar and Crassus

  changes instituted by Julius Caesar

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