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Ancient Civilizations of the World

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Abstract:: In this course, the student will study the emergence of the major civilizations of the ancient world, beginning with the Paleolithic Era (about 2.5 million years ago) and finishing with the end of the Middle Ages in fifteenth century A.D. The student will pay special attention to how societies evolved across this expanse of time - from fragmented and primitive agricultural communities to more advanced and consolidated civilizations. By the end of the course, the student will possess a thorough understanding of important overarching social, political, religious, and economic themes in the ancient world, ranging from the emergence of Confucian philosophy in Asia to the fall of imperial Rome. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: Identify and define the world's earliest civilizations, including the Neolithic Revolution, and describe how it shaped the development of these early civilizations; Identify, describe, and compare/contrast the first advanced civilizations in the world - Mesopotamia and Egypt; Identify and describe the emergence of the earliest civilizations in Asia: the Harappan and Aryan societies on the Indian subcontinent and the Shang and Zhou societies in China; Identify and describe the emergence of new philosophies - Daoism and Confucianism - during the Warring States period in China. Identify and describe the subsequent rise of the Qin and Han dynasties; Identify and describe the different periods that characterized ancient Greece - Archaic Greece (or the Greek Dark Ages), classical Greece, and the Hellenistic era; Identify and describe the characteristics of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic, and Imperial Rome; Analyze the emergence of the Mauryan and Gupta empires during the 'classical age' in India; Identify and analyze the Buddhist and Vedic (Hindu) faiths; Identify and describe the rise of civilizations in the Americas, particularly in Meso and South America; Analyze and describe the rise of Islam in the Middle East; Identify and describe the emergence of the Arab caliphate, the Umayyad dynasty, and Abbasid dynasty; Identify and describe the rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire; Identify and analyze key facets of medieval society in Western EuropeŃthe Catholic Church, feudalism, and the rise of technology and commerce; Analyze and interpret primary-source documents that elucidate the exchanges and advancements made in civilizations across time and space. (History 101)

Subject:: Humanities, Social Sciences
Grade Level:: Post-secondary
Collection:: Saylor Foundation

The Ancient World: Greece, Fall 2004

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Abstract:: History of Ancient Greece from the Bronze Age to the death of Alexander. Major social, economic, political, and religious trends. Homer, heroism, and the Greek identity; the hoplite revolution and the rise of the city-state; Herodotus, Persia, and the (re)birth of history; Empire, Thucydidean rationalism, and the Peloponnesian War; Platonic constructs; Aristotle, Macedonia, and Hellenism. Emphasis on use of primary sources in translation.

Subject:: Humanities, Social Sciences
Grade Level:: Post-secondary
Collection:: MIT OpenCourseWare

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Greece, The Roman Republic, and The Roman Empire

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Abstract:: This course will explore the rise and decline of Greek and Roman civilizations between the first millennium BCE and the first millennium CE. Specifically, it will focus on the political, economic, and social factors that shaped the development and maturation of these two Mediterranean civilizations during the period of classical antiquity and examine how they influenced the social and cultural development of later generations of Europeans. By the end of the course, the student will understand how these ancient Mediterranean civilizations developed and recognize their lasting influences on European culture. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: think critically about the development, maturation, and decline of Greek and Roman cultures during the first millennium BCE and the first millennium CE; identify the cultural origins of Greek civilization in the Mediterranean basin; compare and contrast the political and social organization of Greek city-states; evaluate the impact of the Persian War and the Peloponnesian Wars on the city-states of Greece; assess the political, social, and cultural legacies of Alexander the GreatŐs military conquests in the Mediterranean basin and Southwest Asia; identify the origins of the Roman Republic and evaluate the impact of political and economic expansion on Roman society; assess the political, social, and economic factors that led to the fall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire; compare and contrast the accomplishments of Roman emperors during the first three centuries CE; identify factors that destabilized the Roman Empire during the third century CE; assess how Roman leaders responded to destabilizing forces and restructured the Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries CE; evaluate the political, social, and cultural legacies of the Greek and Roman civilizations for the nations and peoples of Europe; analyze and interpret primary source documents from the period of classical antiquity using historical research methods. (History 301)

Subject:: Humanities, Social Sciences
Grade Level:: Post-secondary
Collection:: Saylor Foundation

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Ancient Civilizations of the World

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Greece, The Roman Republic, and The Roman Empire

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