HISTORY V101
Section 002
Dr. Powers
Fall, 2008
COURSE OUTLINE
II THE ANCIENT NEAR
EAST
A.
Civilization
and its Origins
1.
Why does
civilization develop when and where it does?
2.
The
Agricultural Revolution
3.
The
Neolithic Revolution
B.
Ancient
1.
a.
The system
of city-states
b.
Roles of
kings and priests
c.
The
development of writing
d.
The rise
and fall of Sumerian “Empires”
2.
Sargon,
Naram-Sin and the Akkadian Empire
3.
Ur-Nammu
and the Third Dynasty of Ur
4.
a.
The
Amorites
b.
Hammurabi
and the empire
c.
Hammurabi's
Code
1)
Written,
consistent law
2)
General
principles
a)
Class
distinctions
b)
Punishment
to balance crime
3)
A source
which reveals social and economic values
4)
A root of
some of Western Civilization's legal principles
5.
The
Hittites
6.
General
Topics
a.
Environmental
effects on civilization [See Power Point
Outline on Environmental Determinism]
b.
Rigid class
& gender structures
c.
Strict
legal & justice system
d.
Vulnerability
to invasion
1)
Waves of
conquest
2)
The
conquerors conquered
3)
Cultural
continuity
e.
Religion
1)
Polytheistic
2)
Religious
sub-cultures
3)
Nature of
the gods and their demands
4)
How people
interact with gods
f.
Governments
and Empires
g.
Writing and
literature
1)
Cuneiform
2)
The Epic of Gilgamesh
h.
Mathematics
and Astronomy
C.
Ancient
1.
The
"Gift of the
a.
The flood
and the silt
b.
“Red :Land”
and “
2.
Chronology [See Chart on p. 21 of Spielvogel]
3.
The Role of
the Pharaoh
4.
Viziers and
nomarchs
5.
Class
Structure
6.
Religion
a.
Polytheism
b.
The
afterlife and its implications
1)
Rebirth
2)
The Book of the Dead [See Online Reading #2]
3)
Mummification
of pharaohs and other members of the elite
c.
The
importance of Ma’at
d.
The
pyramids and cities of the dead
7.
Formulaic
art, hieroglyphic writing, and papyrus
8.
Akhenaton's
failed reforms
9.
The Hyksos,
the
10.
Daily Life
a.
Gender
roles
b.
General
attitude of enjoying life
11.
The End of
the Empire
a.
Rameses II
and a last gasp of power
b.
The Sea
Peoples
c.
Foreign
domination
D.
Megalithic
Culture in
E.
The
Indo-Europeans
1.
Origination
and spread
2.
Migrations
into “Western Civilization”
a.
Iranians
into
b.
Italics
into
c.
Proto-Greeks
into
d.
Germans,
Celts, and Slavs in Northern, Western, and Eastern
e.
Hittites
and Armenians into
3.
The
Hittites
a.
The Hittite
Empire
b.
The use of
iron
c.
Synthesizing
Indo-European and Mesopotamian culture
F.
The
Phoenicians
1.
Trade
2.
Colonization
3.
Alphabet
G.
The Hebrews
1.
Monotheism
2.
Covenant of
God with the "
3.
The
Absolute Authority of the Law of God, Even Over the King
4.
Political
structures
a.
Tribes and
judges
b.
Transition
to monarchy and to an agricultural/urban culture
1)
Saul
2)
David
3)
Solomon
c.
The
Division into Two Kingdoms
1)
2)
d.
The
Assyrians and the "Ten Lost Tribes"
e.
The
Chaldeans and the "Babylonian Captivity"
5.
Progressive
view of history
6.
Family life
and culture
a.
Patriarchal
families
b.
Esteem for
women
7.
The
Prophetic Tradition
a.
Warnings
and calls for reform
b.
The
importance of ethics and social justice
c.
"What
doth the Lord require of thee...?"
d.
Growth of
the Universalist Tradition
8.
“Their
spiritual heritage … is one of the basic pillars of Western Civilization”
H.
The
Assyrians
1.
Large,
centralized multi-ethnic empire
2.
Efficient
internal communications
3.
Military
tactics, innovations, organization, and logistics
4.
Use of
terror to maintain control
5.
Deportation
and resettlement
6.
Cultural
syncretism
7.
Relief
sculpture
8.
Spread of
common language and culture
I.
The
Chaldeans
1.
The Revival
of
a.
Capital of
the "New Babylonian Empire"
b.
The
Cultural and Economic Center of the Mid-Eastern World
2.
Destruction
of Assyrian Empire
3.
"Babylonian
Captivity" of the Jews
J.
The
Persians [See Power Point outline]
1.
Cyrus the
Great
a.
Conquests
and Empire-building
b.
Return of
the Jews to
2.
Large
multi-ethnic empire
a.
a..
Satraps, satrapies, and provincial autonomy
b.
The
"Kings Eyes and Ears"
c.
The
"Kings Messengers" and the communications system
d.
A large
standing army, drawn from all the empire's regions and peoples
3.
Zoroastrianism
[See Online Reading #3]
a.
Dualism,
Two "worlds," Two Gods, Cosmic Battle
b.
Ahuramazda:
good, light, truth, spirit, etc.
c.
Ahriman:
evil, dark, lies, matter, etc. [See
“Giving the Devil His Due” handout]
d.
Fire's
sacred purity
e.
Man's role
1)
Dual nature
2)
Necessity
of individual choice
3)
Free will
4)
Participation
in the Cosmic
5)
Resurrection,
judgment, afterlife
f.
The
necessity of individual freedom of choice
g.
Influence
on Persian politics and culture
K.
Two “Grand
Theories” of History and Civilization
1.
Environmental
Determinism
2.
Religious
Determinism