ANCIENT INFLUENCE ON EUROPE AND THE WORLDHow have ancient civilizations affected present day Europe?

Birthplace of Democracy?

2000 BC – folks from north moved to Balkan peninsula

Villages were built, but isolated because of mountains

Separate city-states were created Athens city-state – developed first democracy 400 BCs – internal conflict weakened Greece,

wars with Sparta By 338 BC Macedonia conquered Greece –

Alexander the Great was Macedonian – he spread his empire into Iran, North Africa

The Greatness

His territory

A growing power in the West Rome’s republic – citizens elect representatives

to rule in their name – 275 BC Rome led most of peninsula

Grew by conquering overseas territories Power stretched too far, emperor needed Christianity becomes empirical religion by late

300s AD 395 AD – empire split into Eastern and Western

empires 476 AD – Western empire fell to German

invaders to the north Eastern empire ruled for another 1000 years…

The big schism…

Split had affect on religion, art, culture Religious beliefs – Eastern Orthodox

Christianity, Roman Catholicism Catholicism influenced western Europe,

exploration, the Crusades, the rest is history…

Byzantine Empire – Greek in history, language

Overextending questions on area What effect did Roman conquest have on

language? How did the division affect religion, art,

culture, history? Without these empires would Europe be

what it is today? How might the world be different without their territorial control?

How might these civilizations, empires affect life today?