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European Cultural History summary
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ECH important dates, terms and namesLecture 1)
Three main periods of the Greek World
1. Archaic Greece (3rd millennium bc-8th century bc)
a. Minoans and Myceneans
i. Writing system
b. Mycenean myths
i. Troy
ii. Odyssey
2. Classical Greece (7th-5th century bc)
a. Idea of democracy
b. Persian wars
c. Greek alphabet
d. Philosophers Socrates, Plato, Aristotle
e. Greek theatre
i. Tragedy
1. Dilemma or universal problem is discussed, irresolvable opposition,
huge moral dilemma
ii. Comedy
1. Funny tone --> masks are exaggerated, ritual
2. Comedy is also political, discuss of pressing and current political
events
iii. Satire
iv. Its function competitive, religious and political
3. Hellenistic period (4th-1st century bc)
a. Start of Hellenistic period after the death of Alexander the Great (356-323BC)
b. Hellenistic culture
i. Cosmopolitism/universalism
1. Indian and Greek culture combined
ii. Individualism/focus on private
1. Art is focused on the emotions and imperfections of kings and
humans, not the ideal human portraited, but real people with real
emotions
2. Not as much focus on politics because there was censorship
iii. Philosophy epicureanism
1. Happiness is being content with what you are able to tolerate
iv. Polycentrism
1. Misogynistic culture
c. End of Hellenistic period 31 bc
i. Death of queen Cleopatra, last Hellenistic monarch, conquest of Egypt by
Rome
,Lecture 2)
The Roman Empire
1. Roman kingdom (8th-6th century bc)
a. Mythical origins of Rome
b. Foundation of Rome
i. Rome is founded in 754 BC, by Romulis, descendant of Aeneas and son of
Mars
c. Seven kings of Rome
i. Seven kings reign over Rome until 509 bc, when the Roman republic is
created
2. Roman republic (6th-1st century bc)
a. Different social classes
i. Patricians
1. Wealthy landowners
2. Nobility based on birth
3. Held high positions in society
ii. Plebeians
1. Majority of people
2. Common people
3. Inferior class
4. Tradesmen, craftsmen, farmers
5. Slaves, foreigners, and women, who did not hold political rights
b. Political constitution
i. Senate
1. Main lawmaking body
2. 300 Patricians appointed for life
ii. Consuls
1. Chosen by Senate
2. 2 chosen each year
3. Veto power over Senate
iii. Tribunes
1. 2-10 chosen by Plebeian council
2. Could veto actions of the consuls and senate
iv. Assembly
1. Elected by Plebeians
2. Adult male citizens
c. Expansion of the Roman Republic
d. Traditionalist society
i. Paterfamilias = head of household, power of life and death over others
ii. Role of women= “domum servavit; lanam fecit” (she took care of the house
and made wool)
3. Civil wars (1st century bc)
a. Caesar vs Pompey
i. 60 b. C. = First Triumvirate (=political institution ruled or dominated by
three individuals Caesar, Pompey and Crassus)
ii. 53 bc Death of Crassus = end of Triumvirate
iii. 49-45 b. C. = war between Pompey and Caesar Caesar wins and is made
dictator for life
iv. 44 b. C. = Caesar assassinated by Cassius and Brutus
b. Octavian vs Antony
i. Second triumvirate: Octavian (Caesar’s heir), Lepidus (Caesar’s general) &
Marc Antony (Caesar’s general) fight against killers of Caesar
ii. 36-31 bc: civil war between Octavian and Anthony
iii. Antony champion of Hellenism and Octavian of old Roman values
iv. 31 bc: battle of Actium, Antony and Cleopatra queen of Egypt defeated
,4. The Roman Empire (1st-3rd century ad)
a. Octavian Augustus first Roman emperor (27 bc-14 ad)
b. Augustan culture
i. Myth of return to Golden Age of peace and piety
ii. “Enhanced familiarity”: use of non-threatening, traditional motifs but with
greater grandeur ultimately inspired by Hellenistic kingdoms
iii. Influence of emperor Augustus on culture
iv. Global public all roads lead to Rome
v. Pragmatism
c. After Augustus (14 ad) further expansion
i. Peak in 117 ad with Trajan
5. Late Antiquity (3rd-5th century ad) three important phenomena:
a. Increasing separation between West and East
i. From 313 on and off, and from 395: separation of Western and Eastern
Roman Empire
ii. West = Latin
iii. East = Greek
b. Christianization of Empire
i. Popularity of Eastern religions in Rome, because of focus on afterlife, gives
hope in times of crisis
ii. Messiah= the savior
iii. Christ = the anointed
iv. 313 ad: Edict of Milan (Constatine) --> legalization of Christian religion
v. 380 ad: Edict of Thessalonica (Theodosius) --> Christian religion as
official religion of Empire
c. Migrations of Germanic people (= Central Europe and Scandinavia) (second half of
4th century-6th century)
i. not barbarians, already partially Romanized
ii. Not invasion but migration
1. Not abrupt, but gradual
2. Not huge numbers, but small minorities
3. Not confrontation/segregation, but accommodation and
acculturation
, Lecture 3)
Early and high middle ages periodization:
1. Early middle-ages (500-1000)
2. Central/high middle ages (1000-1200)
3. Late middle ages (1200-1500)
Late antiquity transformations
1. Christianization focus on features of Christian religion, main features:
a. Human salvation and eternal life
b. Universal religion
i. Every human being is a son or daughter of god, no matter what religion
you believe in
c. Universalist ethics
i. Part of most religions
ii. Respect of the golden rule behave towards other people as you want
them to behave towards you
d. Religion of the book bible
i. Same as Judaism and Islam
ii. Old testament book of Jewish religion
iii. New testament added gospels and baptisms
e. Incorporation of ancient culture
i. Aristotelian philosophy
ii. Two natures, one that is divine, one is human nature of Christ
f. Disputes of doctrine
i. Difference in religion
g. Church hierarchy clear separation
i. Patriarchs Rome, Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople
ii. Patriarch of Rome: pope
h. Symbolism
i. Cross: resurrection of Jesus
ii. Chi-Rho: first two Greek letters of the word Christ
iii. Book: bible, symbolizes religion
i. Saint symbolism specific iconography
i. Had a specific relationship with god, because they can perform miracles
2. Migration of Germanic people's characteristics of post-Roman kingdoms
a. Romano-barbaric kingdoms fusion of civilization
b. Collaboration with Roman intellectuals
i. Germanic kings used symbols, written law codes, education
c. Impoverishment of material culture
d. Christian religion
i. Germanic gods
ii. Converted to a type of Germanic religion Arianism
Eastern Roma/Byzantine empire
- Emperor Justinian 527-565
o Conquests: Italy, parts of Spain, Vandal Africa
o Legislation
Islam and its rise in 7th century
1. Mohammed, prophet of Allah Quran
a. Person that can communicate with Allah
b. Visions of the angel Gabriel
2. 622 hijra, Mohammed leaves Mecca for Medina to avoid persecution, start of Islamic
calendar
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