to syllabus

Unit 2:  Near Eastern Empires and Archaic Greece. 

readings: 

• Hunt, The Making of the West:  Peoples and Cultures, ch. 2 (pp. 43-81). 

• Lualdi, Sources of the Making of the West:  Peoples and Cultures, ch. 2, pp. 39-44. 

QUIZ 1 will include Key Terms in Hunt, p. 81

Questions on Hunt

Ch. 2 (pp. 43-81)

1.  What were the main differences between the methods that the Persians used to rule their empire and the methods used by the Neo-Assyrians?

2.  In what ways did the Persian Empire and the Neo-Babylonian Empire influence the history of the Hebrews?

3.  In what ways was the development of the Hebrew's monotheistic religion (Judaism) related to the creation of a distinct Jewish identity in this time period?

4.  In what basic ways did the economy and social hierarchy in archaic Greece differ from the economy and social hierarchies in empires we have already discussed?

5.  Based on the evidence in their literature (Homer, Hesiod, myths, etc.), what did the Greeks of the 700s most value and cherish? 

6.  How did Hebrew religious beliefs in about 1000 BCE differ from the other religions discussed in this chapter?

7.  What about the organization of Greek city states made them so different from other societies we have discussed?  Were all city states organized in the same way?  (Explain the differences between Sparta and Athens.)

8. What was distinctly "new" about Greek philosophy in 630-500 BCE.

BIG QUESTION:  Think about the entire chapter.  Religion was extremely important to the organization of all of these societies.  What were the core (most basic) differences between the religious ideas of the Hebrews, the Persians, and the Greeks in this time period, and what ideas did their religions have in common?  Give examples to defend your position.

Questions on Lualdi

We will focus on two documents for this unit:  "Inscriptions Honoring Cyrus, King of Persia" (pp. 39-42) and the "Poems" by Tyrtaeus of Sparta and Solon of Athens (pp. 42-44).

Answer the "Six Questions" for both documents:

• Who wrote it, where, and when?
• What type of document is it?
• Who was the intended audience?
• What was the author's goal?
• What is the author's main point?
• What does it tell us about that society?

Deal with the poem by Tyrtaeus and the poem by Solon as two different documents!

OK.  Here are the main discussion questions for these documents:

1.  What do each of these three authors think was of most value and importance to the people of their own land/country?  Did they have different values, or similar values?  Explain, using the evidence!

2.  How did each of these three authors understand the reason that things "happen" in history?  Did they understand history the same way, or in different ways?  Explain, using the evidence!