Notes

Persia
-geography: Middle East
-govt./econ: satraps led one of 23 provinces, monarchy (Cyrus & Darius) tolerant
-expansion/military: good, large, successful military; Royal Road for quick communication
-social: social hierarchy, patriarchal, standard coin&taxes
-intellectual/religion: Zoroastrianism, qanat underground irrigation -> agricultural surplus, currency, Persepolis cap center for trade
-decline/fall: Alexander the Great
Rome
-geography: Mediterranean
-govt./econ: monarchy/city-state->republic, patricians & plebeians, 12 Tables (1st written law code), Agustus (during Pax Romana)
-expansion/military: roads for military needs, Hadrian's Wall, traded with Han on Silk Road, military conquest
-social: warrior society, Pax Romana, Jewish diaspora (helped spread of their religion), women participated in Roman warrior culture by having sons, wealthy women had more legal control over marriages; men still had dominant power over all
-intellectual/religion: poly->Christianity, aqueducts
-decline/fall: over-expansion, invaded by Germanic tribes, E. Byzantine remained, environmental pollution & depletion of resources(deforestation), plague
Qin
-geography: Asia
-govt./econ: centralized, Shi Huang Di, legalism strict, harsh punishments
-expansion/military: good military, Great Wall of China
-social: patriarchal, standardized currency&measurements&written form of language, Confucian scholars executed
-intellectual/religion: censorship of education, legalism
-decline/fall: death of Shi Huang Di with no heirs
Han
-geography: Asia
-govt./econ: Wudi, scholar bureaucrats
-expansion/military: good military
-social: patriarchal
-intellectual/religion: Confucianism, ancestor veneration, filial piety, Silk Road for trade(w/Rome)
-decline/fall: invaded by Xiongnu
Greece (city-states)
-geography: Mediterranean
-govt./econ: decentralized, not unified b/c geography; Athens democratic, Sparta warrior/militant
-expansion/military: settlement expansion & conquering w/ good military
-social: Athens (intellectual, trade), Sparta (military, more opportunity for women)
-intellectual/religion: Greek gods polytheistic, Olympic Games
-decline/fall: Alexander united to form Hellenistic era
Hellenistic (blend of cultures)
-geography: Mediterranean
-govt./econ: centralized under Alexander
-expansion/military: inclusive, united places that were conquered; great military; enforced Hellenism
-social: hierarchy, more egalitarian, diverse (Hellenism)
-intellectual/religion: philosophy Aristotle(renaissance man, many areas of knowledge)/Socrates/Plato; math, science, art, theater, architecture(symmetry), trade, etc
-decline/fall: death of Alexander, over-expansion, empire split into 3
Mauryan (1st)
-geography: SE Asia
-govt./econ: Ashoka (Buddhist enlightened), lion pillar edicts, centralized
-expansion/military: bigger empire, govt. spies, large military
-social: new opportunities for women as nuns
-intellectual/religion: Buddhism (Siddartha Guatama founded, rejection of caste system, attractive to lower class, reincarnation -> nirvana(state of contentment when soul unites with universal spirit), spread to China;Japan;Korea, 4 Noble Truths, & 8-fold path), architecture (stupas)
-decline/fall: Ashoka dies
Gupta
-geography: SE Asia
-govt./econ: decentralized, reorganized/stabilized
-expansion/military: smaller
-social: caste system*
-intellectual/religion: more intellectual(science, math, medicine, art, lit, architecture); "Indian Golden Age"; Hinduism(no historical founder, reincarnation->moksha (one with source), dharma (duty of caste), karma (ethical law of cause and effect))
-decline/fall: split after empire was threatened by internal corruption and nomadic invaders

*syncretism: amalgamation of different religions, cultures, and ideas