48
Lectures
30
minutes/lecture
1.
Ancient States and Civilizations
In this introductory lecture, Professor MacEachern lays the groundwork for your detailed exploration of ways and reasons that politically and socially complex civilizations emerged almost 5,000 years ago.
1.
Ancient States and Civilizations
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25.
First Farmers in the Indus Valley
Move away from the Near East and over to the Indus Valley, the region that is now modern India and Pakistan. This lecture is your introduction to the Harappan civilization, a sophisticated but unfamiliar urban culture as important to the development of human civilizations as the ancient Egyptians and Minoans.
25.
First Farmers in the Indus Valley
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2.
The History of Archaeological Research
Discover why archaeology is the best field with which to examine the epic nature of the history of civilizations. As you glean the brief history of archaeology, you learn how lasting archaeological work gets done through the combination of original minds and detailed knowledge about prehistory.
2.
The History of Archaeological Research
|
26.
Cities along the Indus
Harappa. Mohenjo-daro. Dholavira. Discover how the ruins of these and other sites reveal intriguing aspects of life during the mature period of civilization in the Indus Valley, including its preoccupation with water management, its lack of great social and economic differences, and its complex symbolic script.
26.
Cities along the Indus
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3.
Studying the Origins of States
Investigate how modern archaeologists are restoring balance to their field by studying what ancient relics reveal about the lives of common people, not just the elite. Also, Professor MacEachern demonstrates how archaeologists work in the field with a recounting of his ongoing fieldwork in Cameroon.
3.
Studying the Origins of States
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27.
Seeing What We Expect—Power and Display
Harappan civilization—which occupied a region almost three times the size of Mesopotamia—consisted of a diversity of urban centers; so many that it was impossible to be ruled as a single territorial state. So how were these cities, towns, and settlements ruled? Investigate possible answers to this important question.
27.
Seeing What We Expect—Power and Display
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4.
Archaeological Interpretation—Çatalhöyük
Turn your attention from issues of archaeological interpretation to a concrete example of some of the challenges archaeologists face in their work, illustrated by Çatalhöyük in modern Turkey. This Neolithic agricultural site, dating back to 7400 B.C., illustrates how families lived in a settlement with little communal activity.
4.
Archaeological Interpretation—Çatalhöyük
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28.
Sedentism and Agriculture in Early China
Shift your attention further east and explore the development of cities and states in central China. Start with a look at the initial development of agriculture in a succession of two farming cultures: the Yangshao (which primarily grew foxtail millet) and the Longshan (which primarily grew rice).
28.
Sedentism and Agriculture in Early China
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5.
Stepping Stones to Civilization
Explore the four stages of political and social organization developed by American anthropologists in the 1960s and 1970s: the band, the tribe, the chiefdom, and the state. Also, explore some of the complexities behind identifying these stages with a look at the precolonial state of Wandala in central Africa.
5.
Stepping Stones to Civilization
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29.
State Formation in Ancient China
Chart the evolution of ancient Chinese states from the end of the Longshan culture to the semilegendary Xia dynasty to the well-known Shang dynasty. In each case, the details about these periods are revealed through findings at archaeological sites, including a massive urban center, a capital city, and a burial complex.
29.
State Formation in Ancient China
|
6.
Trajectories of Cultural Development
Examine the details of some evolutionary schemes of cultural development that were popular and influential in the 19th and 20th centuries. While they may not explain the growth of states and civilizations everywhere, these schemes are nevertheless extremely productive ways to think about issues of civilization.
6.
Trajectories of Cultural Development
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30.
Origins of the Chinese Writing System
Focus here on the development of Chinese writing systems; specifically, ancient characters written on oracle bones excavated from the last capital of the Shang dynasty. Information provided by these inscriptions has given archaeologists invaluable clues into the structure of the Shang court, the nature of its divination rituals, and more.
30.
Origins of the Chinese Writing System
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7.
When Is a State a State?
In this lecture, consider the debates in archaeology about how and when we can detect the initial appearance of states in the archaeological record—and what their characteristics may be. Also, debunk some common myths about what the archetypal ancient state looked like.
7.
When Is a State a State?
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31.
From Human Sacrifice to the Tao of Politics
In the mid-11th century B.C., the Shang dynasty was overcome by the Zhou dynasty, which would thrive for almost 800 years. Using both the historical record and archaeological resources, examine how this transition took place and learn how the Zhou period continued the development of ancient Chinese civilization.
31.
From Human Sacrifice to the Tao of Politics
|
8.
A Complex Neolithic—Halafian and Samarran
Focus now on what specific archaeological cases reveal about the origin of human civilizations. Start with this look at three farming communities that flourished in Mesopotamia between 6250 and 5000 B.C.: the Hassunan, Halafian, and Samarran traditions.
8.
A Complex Neolithic—Halafian and Samarran
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32.
Spread of States in Mainland Southeast Asia
How do states develop in areas where they're subject to contact with existing states? What balance, if any, can we see between indigenous cultural dynamics and external influences? Find out in this lecture on Vietnam, Cambodia, and other areas of Southeast Asia where state formation fused Chinese and Indian culture and ideology.
32.
Spread of States in Mainland Southeast Asia
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9.
Hierarchy and Urbanism—'Ubaid Mesopotamia
Turn south and explore the 'Ubaid tradition of southern Mesopotamia, with a focus on the 'Ubaid peoples' rapid development into a classic settlement hierarchy. What brought this about? Was it simply a population increase? Did it require increased levels of production and an expanding labor force? Find out possible answers here.
9.
Hierarchy and Urbanism—'Ubaid Mesopotamia
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33.
Axumite Civilization in Ethiopia
Professor MacEachern takes you to the Ethiopian plateau in the first of four lectures highlighting state formation in ancient Africa—a subject often ignored in surveys of the origins of civilizations. Here, focus on the development of the Axumite state: its extensive trade networks, its effective use of coinage, and more.
33.
Axumite Civilization in Ethiopia
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10.
The Uruk World System
Study the era that succeeds the 'Ubaid period in Mesopotamia, called the Uruk period. Dating from about 4000 to 3000 B.C., these transformative centuries led to irrigation canal systems, long-distance trade, larger walled communities, complex recording systems, and the separation of rural and urban life.
10.
The Uruk World System
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34.
Inland Niger Delta—Hierarchy and Heterarchy
The Inland Niger Delta (part of Mali in West Africa) is an extraordinary area in the development of agriculture, trade, and more. Find out why with this look at important Inland Niger Delta sites such as Jenné-jeno—an important urban center that housed more than 25,000 people at its height.
34.
Inland Niger Delta—Hierarchy and Heterarchy
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11.
Sumer and Afterward
The Early Dynastic period, which spanned from roughly 2900 to 2400 B.C., is best associated with the Sumerians. Here, explore Sumerian city-states and their role in the emergence of secular rule, increased militarization and fortifications, hyperurbanism (the massive influx of people from rural areas to cities), and much more.
11.
Sumer and Afterward
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35.
Lake Chad Basin—Settlement and Complexity
Professor MacEachern guides you through the ruins of settlements in the Lake Chad Basin—the region of Africa where he does most of his research. Recent work in the area, you discover, has revealed that the population densities and sociocultural systems here were much more complex than archaeologists once thought.
35.
Lake Chad Basin—Settlement and Complexity
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12.
Civilization and Pastoralism in Mesopotamia
Investigate the pastoralist, nomadic population of the Amorites, who roamed the boundaries of Mesopotamian city-states. Although difficult to study from an archaeological view, societies like theirs were nevertheless important in shaping cultural and political developments throughout much of the Old World.
12.
Civilization and Pastoralism in Mesopotamia
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36.
Great Zimbabwe and Its Successors
Few archaeological sites have been subjected to the degree of abuse and misrepresentation sustained by Great Zimbabwe in southeastern Africa. Nevertheless, this lecture unpacks the intriguing history of this urban center and the insights it can provide into the development of the elite.
36.
Great Zimbabwe and Its Successors
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13.
The Development of Writing in Mesopotamia
The invention of writing; it's the most epochal moment in the history of civilization and made possible economic, social, and political systems that had before seemed unimaginable. So how did writing begin? Did it evolve from more ancient recording systems? Or was it a unique invention with no real precursor?
13.
The Development of Writing in Mesopotamia
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37.
Sedentism and Agriculture in Mesoamerica
Travel now to the New World and explore the rise of civilizations in Mesoamerica and South America. Here, focus on the domestication of corn, the great cereal crop of the New World, and the sedentary farming communities that arose in late 3rd-millennium B.C. Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize.
37.
Sedentism and Agriculture in Mesoamerica
|
14.
The Gift of the Nile
Begin your look at the development of classical Egyptian civilization with this focus on the dramatic importance of the Nile River in supporting small farming communities. These communities would set the stage for the Predynastic period that would emerge between 4000 and 3000 B.C.
14.
The Gift of the Nile
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38.
The Olmec of Lowland Mexico
Found along the Gulf Coast of Mexico between about 1300 and 300 B.C., the Olmecs were the most spectacular manifestation of social hierarchy in early Mesoamerica. Investigate the sophistication and inventiveness of this civilization through its ideologies, its ceremonies, and its architecture (including the famed colossal Olmec heads).
38.
The Olmec of Lowland Mexico
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15.
The Egyptian Predynastic Period
Venture into the heart of the Predynastic Egyptian world, a period of quite radical change for Nile Valley societies. It was this era that saw steadily increasing population densities, larger settlements along the Nile, the rise of copper as a prestigious material, and political competition among the expanding chiefdoms.
15.
The Egyptian Predynastic Period
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39.
Teotihuacán—The First American City
At its height, between A.D. 150 and 400, Teotihuacán was one of the largest cities in the world. Walk the streets of this great Mesoamerican city, explore the tombs and pyramids lining the Avenue of the Dead, and uncover the reasons why this city rose—and why it eventually fell.
39.
Teotihuacán—The First American City
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16.
The Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt
Unpack the mysteries of the so-called Palette of Narmer, a carved stone tablet that has provided archaeologists with insight into the unification of the upper and lower kingdoms of ancient Egypt. This momentous event, which occurred around 3100 B.C., resulted in the creation of an Egyptian territorial state.
16.
The Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt
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40.
Beginnings of States in Lowland Mesoamerica
A counterpoint to contemporary Teotihuacán is the development of states and civilization among Maya populations in what is now modern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Learn what three spectacular archaeological sites in this region reveal about early Maya farming communities.
40.
Beginnings of States in Lowland Mesoamerica
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17.
Divinity and Display in Dynastic Egypt
The center of dynastic Egypt was undoubtedly the pharaoh. Learn how the unification of Egypt gave rise to an ideology of rule that linked the social and spiritual health of the Nile valley and its inhabitants with these fascinating rulers.
17.
Divinity and Display in Dynastic Egypt
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41.
The Great Maya City-States
Between A.D. 250 and 800, the geographical spread of Maya urbanism and political complexity reached its peak, epitomized by a series of Maya city-states. What were these diverse city-states like? Find out by exploring the history and characteristics of two unique sites: Tikal and Palenque.
41.
The Great Maya City-States
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18.
Why So Different? Mesopotamia and the Nile
One of the characteristics of archaeology as a science is its comparative approach. With this in mind, delve into the differences between the simultaneous growth of Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilization, and discover the factors behind the development of civilizations that often led to totally dissimilar results.
18.
Why So Different? Mesopotamia and the Nile
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42.
Epigraphy—Changing Views of the Maya
Transformations in archaeological views of the Maya over the last few decades are the result of advancements in understanding Maya script. This lecture focuses on the development of Maya writing systems and how inscriptions on stone monuments have clarified our understanding of this civilization's political history.
42.
Epigraphy—Changing Views of the Maya
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19.
Borders and Territories of Ancient States
Rethink your assumptions on how ancient states functioned and controlled their territories. Unlike our conception of modern states (with neat borders and clearly defined territories), the earliest states were often composed of concentric "zones" of influence centered on their capitals.
19.
Borders and Territories of Ancient States
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43.
Was There a Maya Collapse?
The Maya collapse, which occurred at the start of the 8th century A.D., is often conceived of as an event equivalent to the fall of ancient Rome. Here, delve into the possible causes of this decline, which signaled the end of this particular form of Mesoamerican urbanism.
43.
Was There a Maya Collapse?
|
20.
The Levantine Copper and Early Bronze Ages
Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia are not the only ways to think about the origins of civilization. Case in point: the Levant (now the area in and around Israel). Learn about the agricultural practices of the Ghassulian communities, how the Bronze Age began to sweep the region in 3500 B.C., and more.
20.
The Levantine Copper and Early Bronze Ages
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44.
Adaptations in Pacific South America
Move now to the last great cultural region in this course: the Pacific coast of South America. In this lecture, discover the role played by different resources—including fish, shellfish, cotton, and corn—in establishing various kinds of economies in ancient regions around Peru and Chile.
44.
Adaptations in Pacific South America
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21.
Hierarchy and Society in the Aegean
Expand your sense of ancient states with the first in a series of lectures on those that sprouted on islands along the eastern Mediterranean. Also, focus on what the ruins of administrative centers and tombs reveal about increases in social hierarchy and political centralization in this region.
21.
Hierarchy and Society in the Aegean
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45.
Pyramids and Precocity in Coastal Peru
Travel through the Norte Chico area of Peru and investigate some of its ritual and settlement sites. Your particular focus is Caral—an amazing 160-acre site whose pyramids, mounds, and residential plazas reflect larger cultural trends that flourished in 3rd millennium B.C. Peru.
45.
Pyramids and Precocity in Coastal Peru
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22.
Early Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations
Examine the remarkable development of both Mycenaean civilization and the political and cultural life that flourished on Crete between 2100 and 1450 B.C.—a time known as the Palatial period. Then, look closer at three different writing systems from this era: Cretan hieroglyphics, Linear A script, and symbols written on the mysterious Phaistos Disc.
22.
Early Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations
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46.
Andean Civilization—Chavín to Chimú
The late 2nd and 1st millennia B.C. were a period of astounding economic and cultural change along the Pacific coast of Peru. Professor MacEachern examines the iconography and artwork found at Chavín de Huántar, then guides you through a series of states, including Tiwanaku, Wari, and Chimú.
46.
Andean Civilization—Chavín to Chimú
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23.
Palace and Countryside on Crete
Elaborate palaces were the most striking archaeological features of Minoan civilization. Here, learn about the various roles these palaces played—as administrative, religious, and storage centers—and how excavations at palaces like Knossos help illuminate our understanding of life in the ancient eastern Mediterranean.
23.
Palace and Countryside on Crete
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47.
The Florescence of the Inka Empire
The Inka Empire was the culmination of state development in Pacific South America. Survey the various political, cultural, and religious factors responsible for the rise, expansion, and fall of this famed empire.
47.
The Florescence of the Inka Empire
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24.
How Things Fall Apart—The Greek Dark Ages
Around 1500 B.C., a wave of destruction swept through the palace system of Crete and resulted in a takeover by overlords from mainland Greece. What was responsible for the fall of Minoan and Mycenaean civilization? Was it the result of foreign invasion? Natural disasters? Or something else entirely?
24.
How Things Fall Apart—The Greek Dark Ages
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48.
Ancient States—Unity and Diversity?
In this final lecture, consider the many themes and insights found during this comparative approach to the origin of civilizations and states. What conclusions can archaeologists come to about the development of states throughout the world? What additional questions and issues need to be addressed?
48.
Ancient States—Unity and Diversity?
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48
Lectures
30
minutes/lecture
1.
Cities, Civilizations, and Sources
Learn about the different kind of approach the course will take in its explorations of the ancient world and hear a story that perfectly illustrates the risks inherent in letting one's own cultural biases and limited perspective overly influence the interpretation of archaeological discoveries.
1.
Cities, Civilizations, and Sources
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25.
The Great Empire of the Han Dynasty
Much of the world in 200 B.C. was entering nearly 600 years of instability—but something different was happening in China and Rome. Focus on the first of these two powers, each of which would shape a stable empire for the next four centuries.
25.
The Great Empire of the Han Dynasty
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2.
From Out of the Mesopotamian Mud
The course's first civilization reveals a theme that will appear again and again. Grasp the critical role of geography and resources in shaping not only Mesopotamia's method of subsistence, but also its religion, structures, empire, and means of leaving its written record.
2.
From Out of the Mesopotamian Mud
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26.
People of the Toga—Etruscans, Early Rome
In this first of five lectures tracing the rise of Roman civilization, you begin with Rome's geography, its traditional origin story, and the formative scars left by the experience of being ruled by a foreign power, and especially by a king holding supreme authority.
26.
People of the Toga—Etruscans, Early Rome
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3.
Cultures of the Ancient Near East
The lack of geographical barriers made it difficult for even the most powerful cities to retain their power. See how a succession of empires rose and fell, leaving behind legacies ranging from the use of intimidation in warfare to seafaring, astrology, mathematics, and a systematic legal code.
3.
Cultures of the Ancient Near East
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27.
The Crucible—Punic Wars, Roman Imperialism
Learn how the series of conflicts with Rome's burgeoning Mediterranean rival—the city-state of Carthage, whose forces were led by the brilliant Hannibal—were both the closest Rome ever came to total defeat and the stepping-stone to its ultimate success.
27.
The Crucible—Punic Wars, Roman Imperialism
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4.
Ancient Egypt—The Gift of the Nile
Your introduction to Egypt reveals a civilization irrevocably shaped by geography. You learn how the Nile's predictable annual flooding of its banks, though creating a fertile strip amounting to only 3% of Egypt, permitted civilization to thrive in what was otherwise an uninhabitable desert.
4.
Ancient Egypt—The Gift of the Nile
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28.
The Death of the Roman Republic
The century between 133 and 31 B.C. was a period when long-simmering tensions and resentments finally reached their boiling point. Grasp how the consequences, including political assassinations of Julius Caesar and others, ultimately resulted in the dissolution of the Roman Republic.
28.
The Death of the Roman Republic
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5.
Pharaohs, Tombs, and Gods
Discover how Egyptian views of death and tombs changed with the kingdom's occupation by—and eventual expulsion of—the Hyksos, including an examination of how the stark differences between the Egyptian and Mesopotamian environments may have influenced their visions of the afterlife.
5.
Pharaohs, Tombs, and Gods
|
29.
Augustus—Creator of the Roman Empire
With Julius Caesar dead, who would seize power? Trace the struggle that involved the Brutus-led "liberators," who claimed a goal of restoring the republic; Caesar's lieutenant, Marc Antony; and a surprise third candidate—Caesar's 18-year-old nephew, Octavian, named his heir in Caesar's will.
29.
Augustus—Creator of the Roman Empire
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6.
The Lost Civilization of the Indus Valley
Your exploration of a once-lost civilization introduces a key theme of the course—the enormous problems faced by modern historians and archaeologists in interpreting an ancient civilization through physical evidence alone, with no written documents to bring that evidence to life.
6.
The Lost Civilization of the Indus Valley
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30.
Roman Emperors—Good, Bad, and Crazy
Follow the fortunes of the empire during the two centuries following Augustus and Tiberius, which included not only some of Rome's wisest and most conscientious emperors, like Trajan and Marcus Aurelius, but also some of its most notorious and deranged tyrants, like Caligula and Nero.
30.
Roman Emperors—Good, Bad, and Crazy
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7.
The Vedic Age of Ancient India
In an ironic reversal of the Indus legacy, the next great era of Indian history is known through an enormous bounty of texts, but relatively little archaeological or material evidence. Grasp what the thousands of verses we have tell us about Vedic culture and religion.
7.
The Vedic Age of Ancient India
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31.
Han and Roman Empires Compared—Geography
The peak four centuries of Rome's power coincided almost exactly with one of China's most enduring dynasties. Begin a multilecture comparison of these empires on several fronts, including political organization, transportation, military philosophy, economic stability, cultural and social integration, ideology, lasting influence, and many others.
31.
Han and Roman Empires Compared—Geography
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8.
Mystery Cultures of Early Greece
Turn to the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations of the Mediterranean. Learn about the historical underpinnings of the Minotaur myth, Plato's account of what might have been the basis for the legend of Atlantis, and the rediscovery of writing as Greece emerged from its own Dark Ages.
8.
Mystery Cultures of Early Greece
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32.
Han and Roman Empires Compared—Government
The comparison continues, focusing initially on the administrative structure that allowed these two vast empires to identify and train the members of their evolving bureaucracies, and then moving on to consider the role of the person at the top: the emperor himself.
32.
Han and Roman Empires Compared—Government
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9.
Homer and Indian Poetry
Discover how a work or body of literature can become the core of an entire culture in this examination of the influence of Homer on the Greeks and of the centrality of the Vedas and Epics in the civilizations of ancient India.
9.
Homer and Indian Poetry
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33.
Han and Roman Empires Compared—Problems
Consider the potential problems faced by the two empires—beginning with the emperor and examining the impact of imperial weakness, incompetence, or even insanity—before reflecting on the issues of assimilating the conquered and defending the empire against the encroachments of barbarians.
33.
Han and Roman Empires Compared—Problems
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10.
Athens and Experiments in Democracy
Greece's most famous city-state is often praised for its creation of democracy. You examine the origins of that system and discover some surprising revelations, including the seminal role played by an instance of spurned affection and perhaps the earliest example of stuffing a ballot box.
10.
Athens and Experiments in Democracy
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34.
Early Americas—Resources and Olmecs
Shift your attention to North and South America. These were among the last regions humans would settle, and you follow their progress from nomadic hunter-gatherers to the civilizations that would be defined by geography and available resources, beginning with the Olmecs of what is now Mexico.
34.
Early Americas—Resources and Olmecs
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11.
Hoplite Warfare and Sparta
Experience what it was like to be raised a Spartan man or woman, the changes in military tactics and equipment that made their armies so feared, and the tragic flaw that guaranteed that this Greek city-state's power, no matter how widespread or intimidating, could not endure.
11.
Hoplite Warfare and Sparta
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35.
Pots and Pyramids—Moche and Teotihuacán
Turn your focus to Peru and Mexico and the many cultures that left behind stunning examples of their now-vanished civilizations, from impressive pyramids and tombs to startling examples of artistic pottery, especially those produced by the Moche.
35.
Pots and Pyramids—Moche and Teotihuacán
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12.
Civilization Dawns in China—Shang and Zhou
Witness the early development of a unique culture that viewed itself as constituting the entirety of the world and thus the site of all cultural advancement, with the latter self-image largely maintained even after China gained an awareness of the world beyond its borders.
12.
Civilization Dawns in China—Shang and Zhou
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36.
Blood and Corn—Mayan Civilization
Delve into the achievements of the Maya, who were among the longest-lasting, most geographically extensive, and most culturally sophisticated of all Mesoamerican cultures. Grasp how we can know these things only because the Maya left behind what those other peoples did not: the records of a culture with a written language.
36.
Blood and Corn—Mayan Civilization
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13.
Confucius and the Greek Philosophers
From 700 to 500 B.C., thinkers around the world began to turn to fundamental philosophical questions. This lecture focuses on those whose concerns addressed this world and its pragmatic issues through rational inquiry, including Confucius, the Legalists, and the Greek philosophers known as the Ionian Rationalists.
13.
Confucius and the Greek Philosophers
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37.
Hunter-Gatherers and Polynesians
Although civilization almost always tends to be an urban phenomenon, there are exceptions. Examine the origins of societies that evolved sophisticated cultures but did not build cities, including hunter-gatherers like the Fenni of Scandinavia, the Aborigines of Australia, and the seafaring peoples of Polynesia.
37.
Hunter-Gatherers and Polynesians
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14.
Mystics, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians
Your attention shifts to those thinkers who looked beyond the physical world for answers to their questions about the fundamental issues of existence. Examine the impact of several key texts and belief systems, including the Upanishads, Jainism, Buddhism, Daoism, and Zoroastrianism.
14.
Mystics, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians
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38.
The Art and Architecture of Power
The structures unearthed by archaeologists are more than just evidence of the past or messages to the future; they were often meant as statements to their own time. Explore how ancient societies used art and architecture to promote their rule and illustrate their power.
38.
The Art and Architecture of Power
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15.
Persians and Greeks
Discover the reasons the Greek city-states were able to emerge intact from their conflict with a vastly superior Persian Empire. Learn, too, how the defensive alignment put in place to protect those states—begun as an alliance of equals—instead became an Athenian empire.
15.
Persians and Greeks
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39.
Comparative Armies—Rome, China, Maya
Gain a sense of how the empires of the Mediterranean, Asia, and the Americas both defended themselves and brought their power to bear on others with this comparison of the structure, weapons, and tactics of the Roman, Chinese, and Mayan armies.
39.
Comparative Armies—Rome, China, Maya
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16.
Greek Art and Architecture
Pause in your study of historical events to appreciate two of classical Greece's most important contributions to art and architecture. Learn the distinguishing characteristics of Greek sculpture and the principles that gave such extraordinary beauty to Greece's temples.
16.
Greek Art and Architecture
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40.
Later Roman Empire—Crisis and Christianity
Explore the century that followed Rome's Golden Age and the time of the "Five Good Emperors" as the empire suffered through political, military, and economic crises that brought it to the brink of collapse, staged a near-miraculous and unexpected recovery, and underwent an even-more surprising transformation to Christianity.
40.
Later Roman Empire—Crisis and Christianity
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17.
Greek Tragedy and the Sophists
Continue your examination of Greece's cultural heritage with this look at Greek theater—especially its greatest playwrights of tragedy, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides—and the second wave of philosophers known as the Sophists, led first by Socrates and then by his disciple Plato.
17.
Greek Tragedy and the Sophists
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41.
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?
The questions of when Rome fell—and why—are arguably the most famous ongoing historical debates in the Western tradition. One German scholar has even posited 210 plausible answers to the "why." This lecture examines both the questions and the debates that swirl around them.
41.
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire?
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18.
The Peloponnesian War and the Trial of Socrates
Learn how the end of Greek unity brought down the astonishing political and cultural successes of the early 5th century, culminating in one of the most shameful episodes in Greek history: the trial and execution of one of its greatest thinkers, Socrates.
18.
The Peloponnesian War and the Trial of Socrates
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42.
The Byzantine Empire and the Legacy of Rome
The eastern Roman—or Byzantine—Empire would outlast its counterpart in the West by a thousand years. Follow the fortunes of this flourishing hub, which included one of the most powerful women of antiquity and one of the ancient world's most globally influential legacies.
42.
The Byzantine Empire and the Legacy of Rome
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19.
Philip of Macedon—Architect of Empire
Begin a four-lecture exploration of what has come to be known the Great Man Theory of History—that a single person could indeed alter the course of history—by reviewing the careers of five rulers who might well provide the best arguments for the theory.
19.
Philip of Macedon—Architect of Empire
|
43.
China from Chaos to Order under the Tang
Learn how the chaotic three-and-a-half centuries that followed the dissolution of the Han Empire spawned new philosophical and religious yearnings and paved the way for the founding of the next great dynasty.
43.
China from Chaos to Order under the Tang
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20.
Alexander the Great Goes East
With the successful invasion of the western Persian Empire, Philip's son successfully carried out his father's plan. Alexander the Great would then create his own path, and you follow him along the route of the greatest sustained conquest the world had yet seen.
20.
Alexander the Great Goes East
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44.
The Golden Age of Tang Culture
Examine some of the most impressive aspects of the Tang dynasty. This highly urbanized culture is commonly regarded as one of the cultural pinnacles of Chinese civilization, producing sophisticated culture, advanced technological innovation, and a flourishing of the arts ranging from poetry to ceramics.
44.
The Golden Age of Tang Culture
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21.
Unifiers of India—Chandragupta and Asoka
Alexander's death in 323 B.C caused his vast empire to fragment. You meet the father and son who created the largest Indian empire that would be seen until the establishment of the modern Indian nation in 1947.
21.
Unifiers of India—Chandragupta and Asoka
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45.
The Rise and Flourishing of Islam
Grasp how the tribes of the Arabian peninsula—within only 100 years of their conversion to Islam—were able to conquer half the Mediterranean world, shattering its unity, spinning its parts onto divergent paths, and establishing religious, linguistic, and cultural boundaries that persist to this day.
45.
The Rise and Flourishing of Islam
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22.
Shi Huangdi—First Emperor of China
Discover how the father of the Chinese nation combined ruthlessness and vision to unify his country, create the largest empire that part of the world had known, and execute a clear and coherent philosophy that would be China's political model for almost a millennium.
22.
Shi Huangdi—First Emperor of China
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46.
Holy Men and Women—Monasticism and Saints
Gain new insights into the key church fathers of Christianity's first centuries—whose actions, ideas, and writings irrevocably shaped the faith—as well as the influential religious movements that emerged at this time, including monasticism and the cult of sainthood.
46.
Holy Men and Women—Monasticism and Saints
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23.
Earliest Historians of Greece and China
Consider what it must have been like to be among the very first historians, not only practicing your art, but having to define it and its standards, as well. See how fundamental questions about writing history were answered by Herodotus, Thucydides, and Sima Qian.
23.
Earliest Historians of Greece and China
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47.
Charlemagne—Father of Europe
Learn why the word "great," though applied to any number of famous and infamous rulers, may be fully justified in the case of Charlemagne, whose impact in the areas of war, politics, religion, and culture left an mark on Europe and the world that few have equaled.
47.
Charlemagne—Father of Europe
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24.
The Hellenistic World
Although the three centuries following Alexander were years of warfare, absolutism, and political stalemate, the Hellenistic era did leave a legacy of cultural richness and originality. See how achievements in philosophy, science, and art belied the suffering and mass enslavement of this time.
24.
The Hellenistic World
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48.
Endings, Beginnings, What Does It All Mean?
A discussion of the early 20th-century historian Henri Pirenne puts Charlemagne in a new perspective and underlines why it is so important to understand each of the civilizations you have studied not as a separate entity, but in the context of all the others.
48.
Endings, Beginnings, What Does It All Mean?
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