Notes

3000 B.C.
Greek Civilization Begins
The first signs of civilization appeared in Greece around 3000 BC.

776 B.C.
First Greek Olympic Games
The Greeks launched the Olympic Games to honor Zeus, the king of the gods. They held these games each year.

753 B.C.
City of Rome Founded
According to Roman myth, a boy named Romulus founded the city of Rome in 753 BC and became its first ruler.

700 BC
Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey Published
The Greek poet Homer published the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. These poems contain important ideas about Greek culture, religion, and society.

509 B.C.
Rome Becomes a Republic
Rome established the republican style of government in 509 BC. Many countries in the world would go on to adopt this system of government.

500 B.C.
Greek Democracy Established
Ancient Greece established itself as a democracy. This system allowed the citizens to participate directly in government.

338 B.C.
End of the Greek States
The Macedonians, led by Alexander the Great, defeated the Greeks in the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC. This battle marks the end of the Greek city-states.

27 B.C.
Augustus Caesar Forms the Roman Empire
Emperor Augustus Caesar formed the Roman Empire. Instead of establishing another dictatorship, he introduced a new system of monarchy in Rome.

330
Roman Empire Adopts Christianity
The Roman emperor Constantine converted to Christianity and turned Rome into a Christian state.

476
End of the Roman Empire
The last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus, surrendered his throne after being captured by the German warrior Odoacer and his forces. Romulus’s surrender marks the end of the Western Roman Empire.

Influence on Modern Politics
Ancient Greek and Roman ideas about government played a significant role in shaping present-day systems of government. Democratic ideas can be traced back to these older civilizations.

Let’s take a brief look at how the government functioned in ancient Greece and Rome. This information will help clarify how Greek and Roman principles influence modern governments.

The Ancient Greek Government
Historians refer to the Greek capital of Athens as the birthplace of democracy. They believe that the Greeks developed the concept of democracy around 500 BC. Let's look at some of the features of this early form of democracy.

Citizens were allowed to participate in the city- state’s government.
Democracy took the power away from a few noble families and empowered all citizens.
Only certain people were eligible to participate in the government.
Only adult males whose parents were both Athenians were allowed to participate in government.
The government was divided into three major bodies: the Assembly, the Council of 500, and the People’s Court.

The Ancient Roman Government
The Romans had a republican system, which was different from the Greeks’ democratic government in several ways.

The republican system of government originated in Rome in 509 BC.
Roman citizens elected officials to govern the state.
Officials acted as representatives of the citizens and were accountable to them.

The citizens exercised their rights under the Law of the Twelve Tables, a document that defined Roman laws and traditions.
Roman consuls were the two highest-ranking officials of the Roman Republic. They had the power to veto or overrule other parts of the government.
The Roman government was divided into separate bodies. This separation of power made sure that no single branch became too powerful. Also, one branch could limit the powers of the others. This system is known as “checks and balances.”
Citizens had to fulfill certain obligations, such as participating in the government and serving in the military.

Impact on Technology
and the Arts
Ancient Greece and Rome made many advances in the fields of technology and the arts. Many of their technological and artistic inventions are used today.

The Sciences
Several prominent scientists came from ancient Greece. These scientists made major contributions to the fields of math, engineering, and astronomy. Their ideas and inventions have had a lasting impact on modern society and thought.

Pythagoras
Pythagoras was a philosopher and mathematician whose formula, the Pythagorean theorem, measures the relationship between the sides of a right triangle.

Euclid
Many people refer to the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid as the “father of Geometry.” Euclid wrote what may be the most significant mathematics textbook, Elements.

Archimedes
Archimedes was a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, and philosopher who invented the lever and the odometer. Levers are useful in construction. They require minimum force to lift heavy loads. Ancient Greeks used odometers to measure distances. This tool is still used in vehicles such as cars and bicycles.

Philosophy, Art, and Literature
Ancient Greece and Rome made major contributions to the areas of philosophy, art, and literature. Among these contributions was Latin. The Latin language quickly spread through the Roman Empire.

The prominent thinkers of ancient Greece helped shape modern intellectual thought. Read about these Greek intellectuals on the next screen, and then watch the video that follows.

Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher. Many consider him the founder of Western philosophy. He introduced the concept of philosophy, or the “love of wisdom,” to the world.

Plato
Plato was perhaps Socrates’s most important pupil. He scorned art and literature because he believed they weren’t based in reality and that they preyed upon human feelings and emotions.

Aristotle
Aristotle was Plato’s pupil. Unlike his teacher, Aristotle valued literature as an art form, believing that it brought people closer to reality.

Homer
Homer contributed to ancient Greek literature by writing the epic adventures the Iliad and the Odyssey. These epics describe the journeys of Greek mythical heroes, including Achilles and Odysseus.

Thucydides
Thucydides was a Greek historian. His achievements include writing The History of the Peloponnesian War, which recorded Greek war strategies.

Hypatia
Hypatia was a philosopher and mathematician who placed scientific reasoning above all else. She was also a gifted orator and teacher.

Influence on Religion
Ancient Greeks and Romans were deeply religious. They performed religious rituals and celebrated religious festivals to honor their gods and goddesses. However, several factors, including the rise of Christianity, caused a shift in Greek and Roman traditions.

The Roman Empire’s move to Christianity accelerated the decline of Rome. Let’s examine some of the factors that led to this situation.

Rome Weakens
The Roman Empire declined between AD 300 and AD 400. Hostile tribes and pirates from the Mediterranean Sea disrupted trade and upset the Roman economy.

The government then raised taxes to pay the military to protect Roman trade routes. However, increasing taxes caused inflation. The value of Roman money dropped as the prices of goods increased.



Rome also experienced agricultural problems during this time. Farmlands were over-cultivated and couldn’t support crops. The destruction of farmland led to severe food shortages. Plagues of disease also spread through the population. All these factors caused the Roman population to decline.

Unrest and turmoil also spread to the military. The government was forced to hire mercenaries to defend Rome from outside threats. These mercenaries were paid less than their Roman counterparts. They were also foreigners who had no loyalty to the empire.

Eventually, the power in Rome shifted from the emperor to the military generals. Government officials became increasingly corrupt. Newspapers spread information about the bad conditions in Rome, which discouraged the citizens. With the rise of the military, focus on education and literacy began to decline.

During this time, the emperor, Constantine the Great, embraced Christianity. He declared it the religion of the Roman Empire.

Constantine’s decree greatly disturbed the Roman population. It shattered their traditional beliefs, which held that the emperor was a god.

Rome soon crumbled under the pressure of economic, political, and religious reforms. German forces took advantage of this situation and conquered the empire.

The Roman Empire continued as the Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire. The Byzantines preserved Greek and Roman culture, art, religion, and science for another 1,000 years.

Influence of Myths on Modern Culture
Several historical figures and characters from ancient Greece and Rome are part of modern Western culture. These figures and characters are often heroes who appear in myths or legends.

A hero is a person who is greatly admired for performing brave and selfless acts. Myths are fictional stories or ideas rooted in various cultures or communities. Myths are usually told to explain some belief or practice. Legends are stories that many people believe but can’t be proven true.

Let’s meet some characters from ancient Greek and Roman myths and legends

Aeneas
In Roman mythology, Aeneas founded Rome when the Roman gods led him to the city. He established the foundation of Roman civilization and introduced its values to the rest of the world.

Romulus and Remus
According to another Roman myth, twin brothers Romulus and Remus founded Rome. Rome derives its name from Romulus.

Cincinnatus
Cincinnatus was a statesman and a farmer in the Roman Republic. One of the Roman consuls asked him to leave his farm and lead Rome through a war as a dictator. He led Rome to victory in a day and quietly returned to his small farm.

Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar was a general of the Roman Republic. He achieved legendary status by expanding the Roman Empire and introducing social reforms that improved living conditions and the economy. He lost popularity with the Senate and was later assassinated by his own statesmen.

Cicero
Cicero belonged to the Roman Republic. In addition to being Julius Caesar’s political and philosophical advisor, he was a highly skilled lawyer and orator.

Zeus
In Greek mythology, Zeus was the ruler of the gods. The ancient Greeks celebrated the Olympic Games to honor Zeus.

Augustus
Augustus was a great Roman general who conquered many territories. He founded the Roman Empire and served as its first emperor.

Saturn
According to Roman myths, Saturn was the god of agriculture. He controlled Rome and was the father of Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of Zeus.