Eastern Mediterannean
Notes
Babylon won its independence in 626 b.c.e. and joined forces with a new group, the Medes, an IndoEuropeanspeaking people from Per sia.
The Assyr ians were defeated by a coalition that included not only a Mesopotamian power—Babylon—but also a people with a base of power in a part of the world that had not been the site of earlier urbanized states: Persia (modernday Iran), a stark land of towering mountains and harsh deserts with a broad central plateau in the heart of the country
Among these nomads were IndoEuropeanspeaking peoples who migrated into this area about 1000 b.c.e. with their flocks and herds. They were also horse breed ers, and the horse gave them a decisive military advan tage over those who already lived in the area. One of these groups was the Medes, who settled in northern Iran and built their capital city at Ecbatana, the mod ern Hamadan. With the rise of the Medes, the balance of power in western Asia shifted east of Mesopotamia for the first time.
In 550 b.c.e. Cyrus the Great (r. 559–530 b.c.e.), king of the Persians (another IndoEuropeanspeaking group) and one of the most remarkable statesmen of antiquity, conquered the Medes. Cyrus then set out to win control of the shore of the Mediterranean and thus of the terminal ports of the great trade routes that crossed Iran and Anatolia and to secure eastern Iran from the threats of nomadic invasions. In a series of major campaigns Cyrus achieved both goals. He con quered the various kingdoms of the Tigris and Euphra tes Valleys and swept into Anatolia, easily overthrow ing the young kingdom of Lydia. His generals subdued the Greek cities along the coast of Anatolia and the Phoenician cities south of these, thus gaining him flourishing ports on the Mediterranean. From Lydia, Cyrus marched to the far eastern corners of Iran and conquered the regions of Parthia and Bactria in Central Asia, though he ultimately died on the battlefield there.
Quiz questions:
1) Using examples from the Van De Meiroop reading, provide examples of governing practices of the Arachmaeid Persians.
2) Describe satrapies
Class notes
Persian Origins: The Achaemenid Dynasty 550-330 BCE
539 – Rule was brought down by Persians. Persians were an Indo-European speaking group – related to Assyrians, Hittites. Fars (province of Iran) – people here speak Farsi.
Medes
Achaeamenids become chief of the Persians. This family had a dedicated god.
Zoroastrianism – founder: Zoroaster
Good god: Ahuramazda – gives a vision to Zoroaster and says he is the “creator god”. “There are other spirits who create evil”. Tells Zoroaster about his evil nemesis.
Evil nemesis: Angra Mainyu – convinces humans with “the lie” and says there are other gods. He convinced humans to see the truth about creation.
*Anthropomorphic – depicted as men with wings (almost like angels). These angels were working for the side of good.
Free Will – humans now have free will. Can’t have slavery under Ahuramazda. Human beings have to make a choice every day between good and evil.
Sin (in Torah) – to miss the mark.
“Think Good thoughts, speak good words, and do good deeds”
END Times – Zoroastrianism is the first articulation of end times day. According to Zoroaster, good will win and evil will be tortured for eternity. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Avesta – the whole book of Zoroastrianism.
By death* If you did more good than evil, then you live with Ahuramazda in Paradise. If more evil than good, then you burn forever.
3 kings of Persia
Cyrus r.559-530 BCE – conquered the Medes. Sets out on world conquest. He sets in Anatolia and conquers Lydia. Lydia had invented the idea of gold and silver coins. He gets their coins. And in 539 he defeats Babylon. Nabonidus didn’t care about Marduk. Cyrus was sent by Yahweh to tell them to come back home.
Darius r.522-485 BCE – The person that organized satrapies. Darius sends money to build 2nd temple. And launches the first attack on Greece.
Xerxes r.486-465 BCE – famous for launching the famous successful attack on Greece. The king who sent Ezra to Jerusalem with the Torah.
*These kings were pretty just rulers.
Hellenistic Persia: The Seleucid Dynasty 312-63 BCE Hellenistic – means Greece.
Alexander the great – conquered Persia from 330-320 BCE. After Alexander’s death, his generals fought over his empire.
Seleucids takes over Persia and creates a Dynasty.
The 2nd temple period 539BCE – 70 CE
Jews tried to pick up what they lost. The picked up ideas from Persians. Radical Jews start theorizing about life after death. The emergence of the adversary (Satan).
In the 3rd and 2nd century
166 BCE – Book of Maccabees (The Hammer)
The Hasmonean Dynasty 140-37 BCE
The Hasmoneans were conquered by the Romans.
Greece
Minoan Civilization c. 2600-1400 BCE
Bull Leaping
The Minoans were the primary traders of the Mediterranean. Peak was in 2000 BCE. Linear A – the system of language used by Minoans. There society was based on trade and not farmers. The only thing they farmed was olive trees to make olive oil. Everybody had Leisure time – having time to do what you want to do. Women seem to play an equal role in society. They were free of patriarchy.
They don’t have defensive walls around the Crete. There aren’t people fighting against each other. It was a peaceful society. A volcano devastated the island (1600 BCE).
They were weakened and moved to Asia minor.
*Egalitarian – equal. Everyone has good and evil.
Merchant princes – lived in very large architecturally advanced palaces. About 3-5 stories tall and had indoor plumbing (air ducts, water tubes).
Mycenaean Civilization c. 1700-1200 BCE
Indo-European speakers. Inventors of the chariot and bronze weapons. It was a Neolithic population. They are a warrior culture. They run into the Minoans. They created a system of language called Linear B. The Mycenaean’s conquered Crete around 1450 BCE. They took over a peaceful trading culture.
14th century- constructed palaces of their own. Takes idea of palaces from Minoans. Acropolis* – last point of refuge of the city walls.
13th century- palaces started building fortifications.
YEAR 1200 – 6 major palaces burn to the ground. They were conquered by the Sea Peoples. *The Dorian Invasion – other Indo-European speakers coming down to invade. The Dorian speakers combined cultures with Mycenaean’s and become Greece. Hellens; Greece.
Mycenaean’s Civilization falls. Dark Age appears. Writing disappears.
*Big Man – would enforce ruling. They become the basis for future legends and stories.
The Homeric Age c. 1200-750 BCE
Greeks pick up the alphabet from the Phoenicians. Homer writes the Iliot, the Odyssey, fall of Troy. Hesiod writes about the creation of humans and fall of gods.
GREEK RELIGION – Greek Gods
Priests did not write this. Nothing to do with morality. They get horny, hungry, angry, etc.
These gods are not moral. Sometimes the priest help to facilitate prophecy.
Greek morality- focus on individuality. Not being good or caring but winning.
Demagogue appeals to the human needs.
Athens loses Peloponnesian War in 404 BCE. Athens got rich because they held the Delian League Alliance and were able to tax everybody.
Philosophers
Socrates – c.470-399 BCE – didn’t write anything down. “I know nothing”
– Socratic method: cross examination
Plato – 424-318 BCE – divides world into two different realms. – Platonic Forms
1) Sensible realm – where we all live in
2) Intelligible realm – accessible only through intellects. The form of beauty, justice. Our soul is stuck here. “A shadow of THE ONE”. Metaphysic Philosopher – beyond physics. Created a school “The Academy”
Aristotle 384-322 BCE – if you can’t measure or see it. It is not real. Protoscientist. Classified animals into different families. Tutor of Alexander the Great.
Democritus – (c. 460 – c. 370 BCE) was a Greek philosopher and younger contemporary of Socrates, born in Abdera (though other sources cite Miletus) who, with his teacher Leucippus, was the first to propose an atomic universe.
Impiety: lack of piety or reverence, especially for a god.
The Macedonian Conquest of Greece
Philip II – r. 353-336 BCE – killed by his bodyguard.
360-370 BCE: Thebans invented new ways of fighting – military strategies. They fight Spartans.
1) Pike- longer stick
2) Fighting in long lines
Alexander the Great conquers Greece. He conquers all of Persia.
334 BCE – He invades Persia
330 BCE – Invades Achaemenid Dynasty
The Hellenistic Period – The Greek Speaking World
336-30 BCE
If you are merchants, you have to know Greek. Alexander was trained by Aristotle.
Ptolemy falls – 330 BCE