Western Civilizations Lecture 1.pptVIP

Western Civilizations—Literature Other subjects: architecture, painting, music, mythology, religion, history and philosophy, etc. Historical Periods (3 sweeping historical periods) The Ancient World (3000 B.C.-A.D.500) The Medieval World (500-1500) The Modern World (1400- ) The Ancient World (3000 B.C.-A.D.500) 1. Mesopotamian and Egyptian Civilizations (Precursors of Greece) 2. Greek Civilizations (Greek Archaic ?Classical Hellenic?Hellenistic) 3. Roman Civilzations (monarchy ?Repubic ?empire) The Medieval World (500-1500): the Age of Christian Faith 1. Early Middle Ages: regional styles 2. High Middle Ages: the Romanesque style ? the Gothic style 3. Late Middle Ages: a transitional period The Modern World (1400— ) 1. The Renaissance (1400-1600):the Renaissance style 2. Reformation (1500-1600): Mannerism 3. The Scientific Revolution (1600-1700):the Baroque 4. The Enlightenment (1700-1800): the Rococo?the Neoclassical 5. Romanticism(1770-1870):the Romantic 6. Modernism(1870-1970):the modern style 7. Postmodernism (1970- ): the postmodern style 1. Mesopotamian and Egyptian Civilizations (Precursors of Greece) Questions: Why do you think the ancient world begins with 3000 B.C.? Why do we begin our study of Western Civilizations with the Mesopotamian Civilization and the Egyptian Civilzation? Answers: It was when writing first appeared. Civilization is transmitted by writing. Prehistory? history the earliest models of civilization in the West: societies characterized by class stratisfication; a division of labor; complex political, economic, religious forms; techonological advances (pottery, working of metals, and building techniques, etc.) They were the ones to which Westerners most directly trace their cultural roots. Mesopotamia:a Greek word means “the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers” Mesopotamia’s gifts to Western civilization Writing Urban way of life A mathematical system based on 60: the 60-minute hour, the 360-degree