ACELLUS

6th Grade Social Studies

2019
Table of Contents
UNIT 1 – Pre-Civilization................................................................................................2
UNIT 2 – Early Civilization – Middle East..................................................................12
UNIT 3 – Egypt............................................................................................................. 23
UNIT 4 – Judaism..........................................................................................................44
UNIT 5 – Intro to Mythology and Early Greece..........................................................68
UNIT 6 – Greek City States and Persia........................................................................92
UNIT 7 – India and Hinduism.....................................................................................125
UNIT 8 – East Asia.......................................................................................................149
UNIT 9 – The Rise of Rome.........................................................................................171
UNIT 10 – Pax Romana and Christianity..................................................................186

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 Grade 6 Social Studies Textbook – UNIT 1
Out of Africa and Into a New World 
Homo Erectus/Hominids
Main Concept
In this lesson, We all come from Africa. Derived from Latin, 'erectus' means
we will learn "stand upright" and 'homo' means "same". Homo Erectus lived over
about ancient 2 million years ago (over 800,000 years before we existed). They
civilizations had hand-crafted stone tools and even had the ability to control
before us and fire. When looking for human remains, scientists know that they are
how we rare; they are constantly finding new discoveries, so dates of ancient
learned to artifacts are subject to change.
utilize basic
survival Homo Erectus, also called hominids, are not quite human, but they
techniques. are our ancestors. They were able to run across the savannah and
walk upright, and over time their brain sizes increased. 
Homo Sapiens

About one million years ago, some of the first hominids moved out of Africa and moved to the
Middle East. Hunters and gatherers moved into Australia before settling in Europe. Derived from
Latin, 'sapien' means "wise" and 'homo' means "same". 200,000 years ago, Homo Sapiens came
into existence, as evidenced by remains found in the eastern part of Africa.

Our brain is larger than that of Homo Erectus. We can make tools sharper and longer by
innovation. We can also communicate using language which is very efficient when hunting for
food. In South Africa, there is a cave that has been used by hominids and humans for 750,000
years and in the back of it, there were found the remains of a baby skeleton.

Fire

Fire did so much for the hominids. It gave them light, allowed them to protect themselves from
wild beasts, and allowed them to cook their meats. It also allowed them to gather around the fire
as a group at night. Some scientists say that cooking meats with the charcoal  allowed our brains
to grow bigger. Controlling fire and making stone tools were huge moments in history. 

Food and Water

With our bigger brains, we were able to adapt and think abstractly. There were ways for us to
store food and water for the short-term and use technology we didn't have before. In northern
Africa, there was an ancient ostrich shell underground that was used for water storage in dry
lands.

2
Several Ice Ages came and went through Africa and when the herds moved, the humans did too.
Hunters and gatherers made simple boats to follow the coastlines. When Ice Ages happened,
Africa would get wetter and nicer. In fact, the Sahara Desert was once the Savannah Grasslands.

The Americas
Remember this... The Americas were one of the last places humans settled. 
After the ice- Australia had been settled before Europe. Archaeologists studied
sheets had all ice sheets that allowed people to travel/walk Russia to Alaska
melted, the about 12,000 years ago. Now in the Americas, archaeologists are
grasslands finding the remains of settlements along the coastlines that are
would turn into over 14,000 years old conclusively.
the desert again.

Main Concept Paleolithic (Old Stone) Age

The  
Paleolithic The Paleolithic age refers to the early phase of the Stone Age when
(Old Stone) only primitive stone implements were used. Lucy is one of the older
Age is artifacts found in Ethiopia. She is about 3.2 million years old. She
important was the oldest and most complete human fossil ever found. The
because it woman's skeleton was named Lucy because of the Beatles song
shows what "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".
the early  
humans were
Lifestyle
able to
 
accomplish
3 with such
limited
resources.
Back then, they didn't have any houses cause they were nomads, so caves were used as shelter.
Spears and rocks were sharpened to be used as weapons and for food utensils. Their clothing was
made out of animal furs.

Fire was used to keep them warm and cook food. People were hunters and gatherers. They were
constantly on the move. The people gathered wild plants and hunted wild animals. Whenever
their food ran out, they had to pack up and move somewhere else.
 
Hunting

Wild horses were hunted for food, and the hide was used for clothing such as coats, blankets and
shoes The fur was used inside of the shoes to keep their feet warm. Arrowheads were an early
form of stone tools used for cutting and hunting. They are the most popular form of stone tool
that people are familiar with.
 
Border Cave
Border Cave was discovered in Zulu Land in Africa, years ago. It is said to be over 190,000
years old. People from the cave had Buffalo Thorn trees in their environment. Elands also
existed. There was a baby skeleton found inside of the cave with a seashell necklace around its
neck. From this, Archaeologists determined the people that dwelt inside these caves had their
own religious beliefs.

The Paleolithic (Old Stone) Age is important because it shows us that early humans were able to
control fire and design cave paintings, were hunters and gatherers, and had their own religious or
spiritual beliefs.

Transition to Neolithic Age

The Neolithic Age was a period in the development of human
Main Concept technology after the Paleolithic (Old Stone) Age. The transition
In this lesson, from the Paleolithic Age to the Neolithic Age allowed early humans
we are a more efficient way of sustaining life within their civilizations.
describing the
development Early settlers during the Neolithic Age were learning many useful
of agriculture tools throughout this period, such as agriculture, domestication, and
resulting in surplus which led them to discovering specialization and new forms
trade during of technology and trade.
the Neolithic
Age. Agriculture
Agriculture, or the raising of crops and animals for human use, was
a way for the early humans to expand their food sources. Once crops
were produced, if there was an extra supply that wasn't needed immediately for food or other
purposes, it would be seen as a surplus of that particular crop.

4
As agriculture expanded, an easier way to produce these crops would be discovered through the
process of domestication, or training plants or animals to be useful to people. Certain animals
would graze the land, dropping seeds and assisting the early humans in producing crops.

Advancements in Agriculture
 Agriculture permitted the early settlers more time and resources to use towards more productive
projects. In terms of specialization, or training to do a particular type of work, the early humans
had more accessibility to focus on more personal goals, like learning how to build better tools, or
make food taste better.
With different kinds of technology, or the use of skills and tools to meet practical needs, the
amount of surplus the early settlers were able to accumulate allowed other cultures to develop an
interest for their skills and services which resulted in trade, or the exchange of goods between
people.

Why Did Things Change?

Things changed for these early settlers as agriculture developed  because when we can grow our
own food, we don't need to move for food. Once agriculture developed, there were more
surpluses in crops, and specialization caused the development of advanced technology and using
things like surplus crops to trade with other cultures.

Neolithic New Stone Age

Main Concept In the Neolithic Stone Age, people no longer lived in caves; instead,
The Neolithic they had actual homes. The homes were made from mud, grass,
time period wood and other sorts of natural materials found in the environment.
was an These homes were called huts.
important
time where As more and more of the early settlers began to settle together,
the earlier communities started to grow. People moved into bigger
humans communities/larger villages. Similar to a modern civilization, the
transitioned people stayed close together and unified to get things done. The
from being Neolithic time period began around 12,000 years ago.
 
nomads to
being able to Agriculture
farm and live
in permanent The people started sharing each other's resources due to a surplus of
homes. crops. Everyone in the community was working together. To grow
crops and make other materials for sustaining their environment, the
This allowed people used their own bodies as well as stone tools as machinery to
communities plow the land. They also domesticated their animals so they helped
to become tend to the soil.
more diverse
and provided Due to these communities being involved in farming and developing
more permanent housing, the people could live in one place for a long
5 opportunities
for
innovation.
period of time without having to move to other land.
 
Trading

During the neolithic stone age, the early humans discovered simple metals, and they started using
less stone tools for trading because metal was more effective. They were skilled in pottery and
were involved in long-distance trade.

In Modern Turkey, there is an archaeological site that is over 8,500 years old named Catal
Huyuk. It once had a population of over 5,000 people and was the equivalent of the size of 21
football fields. Catal Huyuk was involved in trade from thousands of miles away.
 

Coming Together
There needs to be structure in place to keep everyone safe and happy in every
environment. When communities come together, government eventually is developed.
Government is a way for people to organize leadership and decide who has certain
responsibilities.

Social classes and specialization also occur when communities are formed, because people
divide socially based on the jobs they have and which group they feel they belong to financially.
Religion also surfaces when communities form. For example, in the Neolithic Stone Age there
were religious ceremonies being held in temples and structures where animals were symbolized
and different objects decorated the worship space.

As religion surfaced, there was learning going on in these civilizations. As people

communicated, they started to share ideas and beliefs. They had many different places of
communion in which they expressed how creative and progressive the citizens were.

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 Special Lesson – Our World

7
 Climate Change Neolithic Living
Imagine you are taking the longest camping trip ever, where you
Main Concept can't bring any groceries. There are no nearby stores or cities, so you
During the just have to carry everything you bring along. There is only
neolithic wilderness. If you can imagine this, you know what it was like to
period, live in the Neolithic Stone Age. This is where people
people really continued using stone tools, agriculture, farming, domestication, and
had to fend staying in one place instead of wandering around until one land's
for resources are depleted.
themselves
and if the When it comes to climate change and neolithic living, geography is
climate important. The way you eat, the clothes you wear, the way you live,
changed, it is all neolithic. You cannot just bring your whole closet with you, or
would call for a credit card loaded with money. These are all things which you
them to make must supply on your own.
major  
adjustments Neolithic Living
to their way
of living. To sustain a neolithic lifestyle, the best thing to do is to pick a site
with a flooding river.  It's also best if the environment has grain,
Modern-day food, and animals you can domesticate, like pigs, chickens, goats,
humans can sheep, oxen, and yak. Your home will be made out of mud and
compare this stone. Depending on your climate, the neolithic way of life can be
period to a anything from easy to just plain difficult.
long camping  
trip where Eastern North America
you can never
come back Eastern North America did not develop until 3,000 to 4,000 years
home. ago. Corn did not exist until 1,000 years ago. They had yams,
squash and beans. There were a lot of animals to hunt and big logs
to make wooden houses out of, but not many animals to train or
domesticate. The good news is that they had animal skins to dress in to stay warm. None of thes
animals they had could pull a plow.
 

8
Congo of Sub-Saharan Africa
 
The Congo of Sub-Saharan Africa came about 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. They still lacked
essential nutrients. They had millet, grains, fish, yams and root vegetables, but they had no
animals that could be domesticated.

Even through today, no one has been able to domesticate the native animals of Sub-Saharan
Africa. As for clothing, they would wear animal skins until much later. Houses were made with
wood, mud and sticks like most neolithic communities.
 
South America

In South America, they had corn, but 10,000 years ago an ear of corn was the size of a modern
human thumb. Early settlers would save the seed from the biggest corn and use that one, so over
each of the periods of 1,000 years the corn would get bigger.

South America had llamas, and although they would never be able to pull a plow, they were
great for carrying heavy things and were good for wool clothing. South America also had some
cotton. For food, there were guinea pigs and potatoes. For housing there was some stone houses,
but for the most part houses were made of mud and wood like other neolithic communities.

Central America

Central America was similar to South America because they both had very little corn. However,
beans grew in these areas, and they also successfully domesticated the turkey. There was no
llama accessible to ease the load.

For clothing, there was cotton and other fibers that could be used and woven together to make
different things. The housing was similar to that of Sub-Saharan Africa, which was of mud and
wood.
China

China has millet and rice, important in Chinese history. China had lots of animals such as pigs,
chickens, goats, sheep, and oxen, which were used for food and other resources. Plows could be
pulled by oxen. Wool and hemp were used for cloth. Silk was also developed and utilized during
this time. Housing was similar to that of Sub-Saharan Africa.
 

9
Middle East

This is the first neolithic settlement and subsequently the first civilization. 11,000 years ago
people started to farm in the Middle East and they had a lot of grains. They had wheat, barley,
grapes, onions, apples and dates.  Thirteen out of fourteen animals we have domesticated today
started in the Middle East.  Having all of these animals allowed the people of the Middle East to
develop faster than people in any other place. The one weakness was that there were very limited
building materials aside from reeds. Reeds can be made into buildings. Bricks can also be made
from mud.

Geography

Geography was a huge factor in Neolithic living. In America and Sub-Saharan Africa there aren't
any animals that could be domesticated and they didn't have big grains. China and the Middle
East had both of those things, so they had a natural advantage. It's different today because we
have exchanged technology and ideas. When we colonize, we bring new things into different
civilizations.
 

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 Grade 6 Social Studies Textbook – UNIT 2
Political Geography of the Middle East
The Middle East is called the Middle East because it consists of
Main Concept parts of Africa, Asia and Europe. If we were in a European
One of the classroom, Europe and Asia would be called Eurasia.
best ways to  
learn Lebanon
geography is
to recite the Lebanon is right next to a sea, and is surrounded by three different
names while countries. The boundary lines around Lebanon are not based on
looking at a geography, rivers, or ethnic groups. The lines were drawn by the
map and British and French after World War I. Lebanon used to be a part of
doing more Syria.
detailed  
research Syria  
about the
particular
area.

The Middle
East is a hot-
spot for the
current events
going on.
There has been a civil war going on in Syria for years.

Jordan 
 

If you look at the country Jordan, it looks like a backwards J.

 
Israel 

Israel is the only non-Muslim country in the Middle East. It became Jewish starting in 1948, after
the Holocaust. It has a large Muslim population that is trying to set up in Palestine.
 
Egypt
11
Egypt is located in Africa and is a very popular tourist attraction. It has the famous Nile River
and many pyramids.
 
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is located on the Arabian Peninsula. This Peninsula is ruled by the Saudi family.
 
Yemen 

Yemen is a really poor country and they are going through a civil war as well. The pirates that
people mostly hear about in East Africa are from there.
 
Oman

UAE (United Arab Emigrates)

 

UAE stands for the United Arab Emigrates. It consists of princes that own the territories, and
they come together, uniting their territories into one country. A lot of royal families live in the
Middle East.
 
Qatar
 

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Bahrain
 
Bahrain is the smallest country in the Middle East, but is very wealthy. The wealthy families
here are mainly rich in oil.
 
Kuwait
 
Kuwait was attacked by Iraq and the United States came to Kuwait's defense.
 
Iraq
 
The United States went to war in Iraq in the 1990's and after September 11th. This is also the site
of Mesopotamia, our first civilization.

Iran
 

 
Iran is made up of Persians, not Arabs. This country is largely Muslim.

Turkey
 
The animal Turkey was named after the country, due to the countries' beautiful tapestries and the
animal's beautiful feathers. People from Turkey are not Arabs, they are Turks.
 

Cyprus
 
Cyprus is an island nation. It is controlled by Turkey and Greece.

Black Sea
 
The Black Sea looks black because it's so deep that people are unable to see to the bottom.

Persian Gulf
13
 
Most of the world's oil supply goes through the Persian Gulf.  The Persian Gulf looks like the
bottom of a golf club. It dumps into the Arabian Sea, which is right next to the Arabian
Peninsula.
 
Arabian Sea
 

Mediterranean Sea
 

'Mediterranean Sea' means "sea in the middle of all the soil". The Roman Empire named this sea.

14
 Geography of Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is the Greek word for, "The land between two rivers".
Main Concept The two rivers being referred to are the Tigris River(located in the
In ancient northeast region) and the Euphrates River(located in the southwest
times, region).
flooding was
a good thing, The Fertile Crescent is the fertile region in the Middle East. It is
and allowed located in Iraq, Syria and parts of Israel. When a plot of land is
things to considered fertile, it means that it has good soil for growing crops
grow. and other plants. In a closer look of the Tigris River, you can see a
lot of green pastures. This is because it's a fertile area.
This meant
farmers could The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers converge in the Persian Gulf.
feed their
families and Even though Mesopotamia appears to be desert land, it had pretty
build good soil for farming; this is because there were snow-capped
permanent mountains in the north and western part of the Fertile Crescent. The
homes due to upper plateau had a lot of rain, but the soil was poor and rocky.
the nutrient-
rich soil for The rain flowed downhill towards the southern plains, which would
agriculture. be the flat southern area, the Fertile Crescent area. They didn't get
much rain, but the soil was good due to massive flooding. This was
a blessing because the soil was submerged under nutrient-rich water.

Camels wandered in the desert, but it wasn't very good farmland. They ate very dry plants which
were suitable for the animals, such as camels, but not for humans. Silt means fertile soil that is
good for farming. Flooding caused silt to be distributed across landmass. When flooding
occurred, things would start to grow.

15
 Benefits of Flooding
There are many benefits of flooding.
Main Concept In the new world, flooding has had a negative connotation, but in
The ancient ancient times flooding was a very positive thing. It helped people
Mesopotamia get a water source and get water for their crops, and allowed them to
n people took plant. It also offered fertile soil, which allowed for farming to be
the modern done. Flooding can also have a negative effect on early
challenge of Mesopotamian civilizations. Too much flooding could kill the crops
floods and and cause erosion. Flooding can also sometimes be unpredictable.
turned them  
into a positive Planting Methods
by creating  
the world's The summers were too hot and dry for crops to be successful, but
first the winters were hot and mild. If the ancient people planted in the
irrigation fall and harvested in the spring, then they could avoid the flooding
system. and also get a good surge of fruits and vegetables. Using their own
natural resources, they grew barley and wheat, and domesticated
goats, sheep, and cattle. These people also used reeds, mud, and clay
to make bricks, walls, and writing materials.

Obstacles
 
Floods came in the spring, so the people had to harvest their crops in just the right time. The
Mesopotamian people didn't have much farmland, and they had very poor soil in the north. They
had flooding, little rain, and a lot of hot, dry weather. They also didn't have a lot of building
materials. They had a lot of mud, clay and reeds.
 
Solutions

They built a system of dams, levees and holding lakes otherwise known as an early irrigation
system. An irrigation system is a system for controlling water so that you can use it at a later
time for multiple purposes (animals, fields, and personal use).

The irrigation system was also useful for drinking water. Sometimes when we think about
irrigation systems we think about modern equipment, but in parts of the world people are still
using the ancient Mesopotamian way of watering their fields.

16
 Government and Polytheism
Government is a way of organizing society into different leadership
Main Concept roles. The Mesopotamian government consisted of city-states, which
Ancient are cities that are also their own national governments. They
Mesopotamia governed themselves and elected their own leaders. In Ancient
was a rich Mesopotamia, kings could rule and oversee either an individual city-
culture with state or multiple city-states.
kings which
ruled over the When Kings or Queens rule, that form of government is known as a
people. monarchy. The King also acted as a judge and a general in the
military. He also worked very closely with the priest. The priest was
Priests were the head of the religion of Mesopotamia. He was also a very
government powerful political or government figure, and sometimes had more
and religious power than the king.
leaders who
controlled the The priest is the one who tells the king what the gods want. The
ziggurat, a king had to follow the commands of the gods and the way he knew
governmental what the gods wanted was by listening to the priest.
and religious
structure. Religion
 
According to ancient Mesopotamians, only priests were able to
communicate directly with the Gods. In Ancient Mesopotamia, they followed polytheism.
Polytheism is a form of religion. 'Poly' means "many" and 'Theos' means "god". Polytheism
means, "belief in many Gods".

Gods and Goddesses in Mesopotamia were human-like gods, which means they had some human
qualities(emotions, actions, or physical features); some even had the characteristics of animals.
For instance, Dilmun was a popular god in Mesopotamia with the head of a bird and body of a
man. Marduk was the god of Babylon and was normally depicted with a snake dragon. There
were drawings or carvings of animal-like gods and human-like gods.

Ziggurats 
Ziggurats are man-made mountains in Mesopotamia. The ziggurat was central to city life and the
religious and governmental beliefs of the ancient Mesopotamians. It is a large structure similar to
that of a pyramid and a square.

The ziggurat was considered the center of the city where people came to do business and stored

17
massive amounts of grain. It also served as a place where the priest would communicate with the
gods. The priest was in charge of the ziggurat. It was a dwelling for the gods. It was very solid
with a temple on the top in which only the priest was allowed unless you were summoned to
enter the ziggurat by the priest only.
 

Main Concept
Developed in
Mesopotamia,
cuneiform
was the first
system of
Cuneiform: First System of Writing
writing in
history. The Sumerian Civilization is where the first writing system came
from. It began as record keeping. The Mesopotamians were farmers
It helps and as they got more successful they had to figure out how to label
modern their products and how much they traded them for. The first writing
people started as pictures and then developed into something more
understand
18 more about
these ancient
peoples.
complicated. Later in history, it was simplified with a writing instrument called a stylus. The
stylus was used to create five strokes in two directions.

The New Old Writing System

 
In a pictograph tablet made out of wet clay, the writing was actually only pictures and other
symbols.  The people would allow the clay to dry, which made the tablet permanent. Cuneiform
started as pictographs and eventually became more advanced. Cuneiform is no longer used
today, but can be interpreted by archaeologists. In the later form, they did not use pictures or
diagonal lines. They became simpler, which means they developed a more advanced writing
system.
 
Number System

Mesopotamians also came up with a numerical system. They did not have a 0 in their number
system. They used this system to help know what they were keeping track of. A scribe's tablet is
a piece of moist clay that was drawn on and then dried to be used as a permanent record. Scribes
are professional writers. Less than 1% of the total population in ancient times could actually read
and write. Being a scribe was a very important skill.

Remember this...
Scribes went to
school to learn Hammurabi's Code of Law
how to do their
job. Once they Hammurabi's Code of Law is the
were experts, Main Concept first written code of laws in ancient
they either Hammurabi history. King Hammurabi was king
stayed in the was extreme in Mesopotamia. He ruled in
school to be a in some of his Babylon for 43 years c. 1850 B.C. -
teacher or laws, but 1750 B.C.  Hammurabi's Code of
ventured off to others are Law consisted of 282 laws.
look for a better very similar
job that to the laws Hammurabi's Principles
required their that have
allotted skill set. been put in Hammurabi wanted stability through
place in some unification throughout the city-states
modern of Mesopotamia. Unite means to
civilizations. bring together. He brought together
the culture, government, language,
His ancient etc. of a large group of people. He
code of law did not want the powerful to abuse
has served as the weak; however, he did not want
a template for them( the weak and the strong) to be
governmental treated equally.
rule.
19
The Laws

As of yet, there has never been another set of laws discovered

Remember this... older than the Code of Hammurabi. The Laws are unique in many
Hammurabi's ways. They were transcribed in cuneiform and were carved on
Code of Laws large pieces of wet claystone. Hammurabi recited the laws as his
was more scribe carved them into the wedge-shaped language. 
focused on an
eye for an eye,
meaning if
someone did
something bad,
they deserved to
be punished for
it. 

Examples of the 282 laws

-If a son strikes his father, they shall cut off his hand.

-If a woman has not been careful but has gadded about, neglecting her house and belittling her
husband, they shall throw that woman into the water.

-If a man has incurred a debt and the grain has not grown, he shall not have to pay the money he
owes. (Grain was a way to pay off debt in these times because paper money did not exist.)

-If a man neglects his irrigation system and the waters have flooded any land, the man will have
to restore the grain he caused to be lost.

-If a boatman loses another's goods, he shall have to pay for them.

-If a man builds a house for a family and the house collapses and kills the owner or the owner's
son, that man and his son should be killed.         

Written Laws
The Code of Hammurabi is so significant because it magnifies the importance of writing things
down, especially laws and principles. If these statutes are written down and recorded, they
cannot be easily changed and everyone can be held accountable to the same standards.
Hammurabi was extreme in some of his laws, but others are very similar to the laws that we have
today.

20
 Grade 6 Social Studies Textbook – UNIT 3
Geography of Egypt
The geography of Egypt is mainly desert region. It is because of one
Main Concept large body of water called the Nile River that they are able to farm,
Egypt, like travel and trade over long distances. The Nile River is very easily
ancient, depicted on a map because it is surrounded by greenlands and the
Mesopotamia rest of Egypt is very dry desert.
benefited  
from The Nile
flooding.
The moist The Nile River is the longest river in the world; it is over 4,000
land was miles long. The river starts in the Ethiopian Highlands which is
attributed to southeast of Egypt. It flows from southern Egypt to northern Egypt.
the annual This is extremely important because most people assume rivers
flooding of flows from north to south, which is not necessarily true.  Rivers
the Nile River naturally flow from the highest point of elevation down to the
which lowest point of elevation following the laws of gravity. Lower Egypt
allowed them is the part closest to the Mediterranean Sea. Upper Egypt is located
to have a in southern Egypt and "up" the Nile River. The dividing line is the
successful Delta region.
civilization.  
The Nile Importance of the Nile
River has
continuously The Nile River was and still is the basis for all Egyptian life. They
provided had annual floods which allowed them to farm just like in ancient
food, water Mesopotamia.   They had a moderate monsoon season, and a very
and trade to
21 the people of
Egypt.
good time for farming from around July to October after the flooding had subsided and they were
able to contain the water.
 
Benefits of Flooding 
There are many benefits from flooding in Egypt as there were in ancient Mesopotamia. Flooding
causes silt which is fertile soil, good for farming. Flooding also helped develop the Delta
region in the northern part of Egypt, which is mostly greenlands and over 400 miles wide. This is
an ideal place for farming, and the majority of the people live here.
Flooding allows the Egyptians to have a well-organized irrigation system, and the Nile River
allows the people a way for transportation and trading. They also had a properly-functioning
food and water source due to flooding. 

Religious Practices in Egypt

When it came to religion, Egyptians were known to be polytheistic,
Main Concept meaning they believed in multiple gods and goddesses. Like many
When we other cultures, the gods they served had their own different
think of Egypt purposes, depending on what the circumstances were.
today, most of
us think about One god would represent the farming aspects, another could be one
mummies and of war, and another could be a goddess of beauty. The Egyptians
pyramids; hoped to live a peaceful life honoring and respecting the gods. If
this is their life was in trouble, they would associate it with the gods being
because they upset or angry at them.
are both very  
important and Cats
central parts
to the Egyptians loved cats and believed they were mystical and very
Egyptians' important spiritual creatures! They would sometimes mummify their
spiritual and cats and bury them alongside their own bodies. They liked to
religious mummify a lot of different exotic animals, but cats were one of their
beliefs. favorites.
 
They believed
in order for
the body and
the soul to
reunite in the
afterlife, the
body would
have to be
preserved.

22
Mummification

Mummification is embalming or preserving the body with different chemicals and wrapping it in
linen cloth. Linens were created by the Egyptians using their flax plant.

Mummification didn't happen overnight. Before mummification, Egyptians buried the bodies in
small pits out in the desert which had natural drying components.

Unfortunately, wild animals would sometimes find the pits and

Remember this... destroy the bodies and artifacts inside. This was a very bad omen
The desert was because Egyptians believed if your body wasn't preserved, then
utilized to your soul wouldn't be able to unite with it in the afterlife.
dehydrate the
body, which Eventually, Egyptians thought of better ways to preserve the
preserved the bodies and started placing them in coffins. The bodies started to
body fairly well. decay in the coffins, and they quickly started thinking of other
The pits would ways to preserve the bodies, including the use of mummification.
be adorned with  
different More Egyptian Beliefs
artifacts that the
person might If the bodies were preserved after death, the body would meet the
need to live in soul in the afterlife.
the afterlife. 
If you prepare the body well, then the body will be ready to meet
its soul in the afterlife.

The wealthy and powerful should have the best mummification. 

 
Pharaohs

Pharaohs are viewed as godlike. Their coffins were decorated sarcophagi (plural pronunciation

of sarcophagus) inside pyramids or the Valley of the Kings, inside a secret burial place with their
possessions. Some pharaohs were so wealthy that they had multiple sarcophagi inside a bigger
sarcophagus.

A problem with the pyramids of tombs of the pharaohs was that some grave robbers knew that
these wealthy and powerful pharaohs were buried with treasures. Eventually, Egyptians stopped
building the pyramids and they started developing new ways for their late pharaohs and all of
their wealthy possessions to be more secure.
 

23
The Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings was built along the Nile River. The Egyptians needed a way for the
pharaohs to be protected in their afterlife along with their belongings they chose to bring with
them. There were outside structures, but the inside was mysteriously constructed and the remains
of the mummies were hidden in an intricate maze where grave robbers or anyone else trespassing
could get lost or trapped.
 
The Book of the Dead

The Book of the Dead was created c. 300 B.C. in its most
Remember this... complex form. It was originally written in hieroglyphics, the
The Book of the writing system of the Egyptians and it has detailed pictures. It
Dead consists of served a purpose; it was supposed to help the dead in the afterlife.
different hymns, It was usually written on papyrus and placed in the tomb of the
prayers and person once they were mummified so that they can read the book
songs to help in the afterlife.
them have a
successful
meeting with
their body and
their soul in the
afterlife. 

Main Concept
Egyptian art
was a major
part of the
Egyption
culture.
Their art has
taught
Egyptologists
about the
Egyptians'
level of
Egyptian Art
technology, People today can learn a lot about the ancient Egyptian culture from
resources, Egyptian art, such as their language, the things they liked to do for
government fun, and their religious and spiritual practices. The times were very
and history. It different than the times which we are in today, and their artwork
also taught us
24 about their
beliefs of the
afterlife.
was displayed on a very limited amount of resources.
The kind of material that would be used for art was whatever kind of material that was
accessible. They had no marble stone to carve, but they had limestone. As for colors, however,
Egyptians only had different earth-tone colors, so there was no bright red. They had, however,
developed a kind of writing papyrus.
 
Artwork Told A Story

Cultures today pride themselves in showing off their artwork of any level of esteem. On the other
hand, showing off artwork was moderately different in Egypt because their masterpieces were
mostly about what was important to them, such as public relations (how people of any social
status are viewed in the public "eye") and religion (dealing with the afterlife).

Pharaohs cannot have a bad hair-day when it comes to public relations. People of a higher stature
were never to be seen looking less than their best because of the reputation they had to maintain.
The culture of Egypt wants to show the beauty and accomplishments of the people.
 
Hatshepsut

Hatshepsut is the second historically-confirmed woman pharaoh. She also needed the skill of
public relations in her job where females were not really supposed to rule. She used different
pieces of art to portray herself as the mother and the father of Egypt (female and male).
Sometimes she also appears with a beard like male pharaohs wore which displayed them as in a
position of power.
She made sure that whenever she did great things there was art to remember it with. Her tomb
was found and ransacked by grave robbers and soon afterward it was discovered that Hatshepsut
was arthritic and had missing teeth. The main subject of Egypt was whoever was larger was the
most important in their art. Public relations and afterlife were very important in Egypt.

Afterlife

A lot of the artwork was not ever meant to be seen because it was supposed to go inside of the
tombs or pyramids to help the dead get through their afterlife and to show how worthy they were.

When you died, you were supposed to look at the Book of the Dead to see what to do next in the
afterlife.They believed the "ka" (spirit) and the "ba"(personality) would leave the body and then
come looking for the mummified body in the afterlife.
 
Book of the Dead

Once the ka and the ba were reunited with the body, Anubis would then guide the pharaoh into
the Room of Judgement. Anubis is known as the god of the underworld and he is seen with an
ankh, a very famous Egyptian symbol which means "eternity". Thoth is the god of writing and
wisdom.

25
The pharaoh's heart would be weighed on a scale against a feather. If his or heart was heavier
than a feather, then the Destroyer Ammit would eat him up. If the pharaoh's heart was lighter
than a feather, then he or she could proceed with meeting with the more important gods. 

Once the pharaoh got past the Destroyer he was introduced to Isis and Osiris, the Queen and
King of the Egyptian gods.

26
 Social Pyramid
Status means position or importance in society. The more powerful
Main Concept you are, the higher you are in the social structure. The levels of the
The social pyramid from top (most important) to bottom (least important) are
pyramid is as follows:
really 1. Pharaoh
important in 2. Priests and nobles
understandin 3. Traders and artisans
g the 4. Merchants, farmers and workers
relationships 5. Unskilled workers and debtor slaves.
between  
Egyptians.

The closer to
the top of the
social
pyramid a
person is, the
more power
they hold. 

This meant that the bottom of the pyramid is always the wider part. Most people will be
concentrated towards the bottom. The benefit of the diagram of the social pyramid is that it is
visually an easy way to remember how people were ranked based on their financial classes. As
we go to the top of a social pyramid, the numbers became smaller for people who held those
positions of high stature.
 
Remember this... The priest is a religious power usually ranked high just beneath
The Pharaoh  is the pharaoh; nobles, people who come from a wealthy and
the king, or powerful family, were just as important as the priest. There can
person in be multiple nobles and priests. 
charge that
oversees the Tradesmen and artisans, (people who create jewelry and artwork)
whole were held on a similar pedestal as government officials and
government in scribes. 
Egypt.
27 There is only
one pharaoh at
a time.
 Under scribes are the farmers and the others that herded animals.
Remember this... At the very bottom were the people who were slaves or were
Scribe was a unskilled workers.
term used for
people who How the Society was Organized
knew how to
write.  During everyday life in Egypt, it was believed by the majority of
the Egyptian people that if you are not the "lead dog", the view
never changes, meaning that somebody will always be ahead of
you. The society was organized into a social pyramid, ranking people in a society based on their
social and financial status (the individual's job).

For an example, farmers were important for providing food, but they were not ranked
high. Unskilled workers are people who just perform skills for little to no pay. They are forced to
work for people.

Ancient Slavery

Many cultures had slavery from prisoners of war, meaning as they defeated an army they would
take the remaining living ones as their workers. Slaves were even bought and sold. Slaves in
Egypt were treated more fair and also were allowed to own property. 

Once they finished paying the debt, they were able to leave.
Remember this... Debtor slaves were very popular in Egypt.
A debtor
slave was
someone who
owed someone
else money but
didn't have
enough to pay
them back so
they would have
to work for them
28 to raise the
money they
owed. 
 Hieroglyphics 
Cuneiform is the first written "word" ever created and they used
Main Concept pictures for meanings. It made a lot of sense, but the ancient
The Egyptian language was different. Egyptologists, people that study
Egyptians Egypt and its customs, were very frustrated when looking at ancient
gave us the Egyptian artifacts in the 1700's. They had a lot of information
idea that discovered; however, they had no idea how to decipher the
sound can be language's pictures.
represented  
and put The Rosetta Stone
together to
create words In 1799, French soldiers from Napoleon found a rock and decided to
instead of play some cards on top of it. The rock, later discovered to be The
pictures being Rosetta Stone, turned out to be carved in cuneiform. Later on, an
used to Egyptologist wandered  across them playing and made the discovery
represent that it contained ancient hieroglyphics.
words and
that gave There were three different distinctive types of carvings on it. Parts
them the of it were from Ancient Greek. At that time in history, scholars
ability to could read Ancient Greek. Then, the Demotic language was
communicate discovered on the rock; demotic is related to Arabic.
better on a
daily basis.  After the Demotic language, they found the hieroglyphics. The
hieroglyphics were made from simple images that were constructed
to form a sentence. They were illegible to scholars, meaning that
they didn't know how to read them at all; however, they quickly made the distinction that all
three languages were describing the same thing.
 
Searching for the Answers

Scholars took etchings of the Rosetta Stone and sent them all over the world to be translated by
anyone that could figure it out. Finally, a French linguist named Jean-François Champollion
figured it out. The hieroglyphics were not describing words with their pictures, but they actually
stood for sounds that constructed a word.

He used the cartouche, an etched rope circulating a group of hieroglyphs, indicating that a royal
name was being given praise. Champollion found out the Rosetta Stone was talking about
Ptolemy, the Egyptian dynasty ruling at the time it was constructed. By Champollion translating
the Rosetta Stone, he also unlocked the language of tombs and other ancient artifacts and
monuments in Egypt that were first unknown to the outside world.
 

Written Language

Written language usually starts as written records. In ancient times, only Scribes could read and
29
write which consisted of only 1% of the population in most ancient civilizations. However,
written language also gets simpler over time which allows room and creates ease for more people
to learn it. Papyrus is an ancient writing surface. It was made out of reeds from along the river of
the Nile. The Egyptians processed the reeds and that was how they made paper, making it easier
for them to communicate. 

The idea of written language continued to spread. In modern history, we do not use pictures for
words and we do not simplify them overtime. Instead, we use letters that symbolize sounds.

The Egyptian's use of the ancient hieroglyphics influenced the Phoenicians. The Phoenician
language then influenced the Greeks. The Greeks then influenced the Romans. The Romans
came over to Europe and influenced the creation of the English Alphabet.

30
 Trade in Eastern Mediterranean
 
 
Main Concept
The Eastern
Mediterranea
n had a broad
network of
trading.

Trading is a
great way for
a country to
become Look at the items all around you: your clothes, your computer, even
wealthy. the things you eat can be distributed from all over the world.

Ask yourself: how many of those products are locally grown in your
city?

Some of the things are not and come from a various amount of countries. For instance, our own
home computers are made of gold, copper, zinc and other unusual metals that are not locally
made.

It's safe to say not all of the material came from your city. Our food at home could be in season,
out of season, locally grown or not locally grown. Our clothes can be made from other regions of
the world.

We are a global trading society, but we are not the first civilization to be such; it is also true of
ancient Egypt.

Hatshepsut was a female pharaoh that led one of the first famous trading expeditions instead of
becoming a great warrior. She sent her men and traders out to look for expensive and extravagant
goods and they came across the Kingdom of Punt. They had lovely, luxurious items such as
baboons, myrrh, perfumes, gold and ebony. These same items were all found on the tomb of
Hatshepsut.
 

Becoming a Superpower

Having various items of splendor can make you a very rich country or civilization, however it
cannot make you a superpower.

Hatshepsut and other ancient civilizations realized that if you wanted to be powerful then you
wanted to have good weapons in your arsenal. Unfortunately, the Egyptians only had stone and

31
copper tools. They wanted bronze, which other cultures had like Cyprus. To make bronze, you
have to be able to heat metal until it melts. Once the metal is melted, you add melted tin. The
Egyptians had copper, but they had no tin.

An island called Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean was known for making tools such as
bronze. Cyprus didn't have copper or tin at the time but they started to trade with Turkey; they
also traded with Afghanistan, which is very far away in the ancient world.
 
Trading

In 1982, there was a ship found on the coast of Turkey. The problem was figuring out where it
came from. It was a remarkable trading vessel and there was even underwater archaeology going
on at the time. A list of some of the things that were discovered on this ship consists of:
Raw tin from Afghanistan
Scarab gold and ivory from Egypt
Copper
Shells from the Phoenicians
Ivory from the elephants in Syria
Amber from northern Europe
Ebony from Kush
Perfume and incense from Punt
Jars and Pottery from the Phoenicians and Greeks
Glass from Phoenicians and Afghanistan
Over 3,000 bronze swords from the Phoenicians and the Greeks
Ostrich egg shells from north Africa

The entire eastern Mediterranean was trading with each other much like we are doing today.
Having all of this in one boat means everyone was trading everything.

Mass trading does not necessarily mean everyone saw each other but it did mean that each
territory went through a different one to get their goods, whether the goods came from that part
of the world or not.

32
 Ramses II

 
Main Concept
Ramses II was very proud of his accomplishments and you could see the evidence of
his great works if you went to Egypt today.

Ramses the Great died after ruling for 67 years and the success of Egypt started
declining.

Remember this...
Ramses II was also known as "Ramses The Great".

Ramses II was a pharaoh in ancient Egypt. His reign was for about 67 years which was a big deal
and meant he lived to be in his 80's or 90's. It also meant he lived 20 to 30 years more than most
people at the time.

Ramses the Great led during a time of peace and prosperity in ancient Egypt. He helped expand
the empire, meaning he helped to make it bigger by conquering other lands. Egypt was doing
well economically and their crops were doing well.

When researchers found his mummy, they examined his body to find out the reasons why he
died and had found evidence that he had severe arthritis, arteriosclerosis, which is a thickening of
the arteries, and abscesses in his teeth; a combination of these diseases could have been the
reason he died.
 
Queen Nefertari

Nefertari was Ramses II's first queen. 'Nefertari' means "beautiful companion". Queen Nefertari,
although Ramses the Great's first wife, she was not his only wife. Despite this fact, most
historians believe based on evidence and written accounts they have found that Nefertari was his
most beloved.

Accomplishments

Not only did he reign for more than 50 years, Ramses the Great also expanded trade. He headed
many different building projects, such as expanding projects and lots of temples and places of
worship for the civilization's polytheistic religion. Ramses II was also known to have more
colossal statues of himself than any other pharaoh in history.

33
 Hatshepsut
 
 
Hatshepsut's Expedition to Punt
Main Concept
Hatshepsut Punt was a Kingdom located near
was the first Remember this... modern-day Somalia, or eastern
female She was a Africa. The Queen of Punt was very
pharaoh. strong and important and powerful in her own
ambitious ruler, right and Hatshepsut took an
She helped to and she was expedition to Punt to get different
expand trade depicted as herbs from her Kingdom for
through her manly to get mummification processes and other
expedition to respect and to medicinal purposes.
Punt. be viewed the
way she wanted Hatshepsut and her people reached
She also to be viewed to Punt through the Red Sea. On the
brought new her subjects. way there, Hatshepsut saw many
cultures to exotic things. She brought herbs back
Egypt and at with her found on the way to Punt
the same time and on the way back home.
shared
Egypt's She escorted scholars to and from Punt and shared Egyptian
knowledge knowledge. Not only did she invite people to experience Egypt's
with the culture, but she invited people to Egypt to be seen and treated by the
world. medical doctors.

After her expedition to Punt, many people would travel to Egypt to

be treated by the doctors because they were starting to be world
Main Concept reknown.
Nubia had
much to offer When looking at the pictures or sculptures of Hatshepsut, many
as far as people notice that she looks masculine, or more male than female in
resources some ways. Reasons for this are that she was the first female
were pharaoh in Egypt, and she had a reputation and a name to protect.
concerned,
which made
them a target.

Nubians lost
Nubia
control of  
their gold
mines to The Nubian Kingdom was located south of the Egyptian Kingdom.
Egypt and Egypt and Nubia, which later on together became known as Kush,
they became struggled for power in this area along the Nile River for many
the property centuries and through many different rulers.
34 of the ancient
Egyptian
empire.
Eventually, Egypt took over Nubia and Nubians take on some of the Egyptian culture, but
Nubians still taught Egyptians much throughout this distinctive time period.
 
Early Nubia

The Nile River created much fertile land along the banks. Nubia had a lot of dry land. They did
not have as much plentiful farming land like the Egyptians had, however they had many other
rich natural resources. 

Nubia got its name from the Nubian Desert. 'Nubia' also means "gold". They were known for
their extensive gold mines. The Egyptians at one point did not know Nubia had these resources
but once they did, it made Nubia a massive target for many conquests from other lands. They
wanted Nubia's gold mines.
 
Tomb of Tutankhamen
 
King Tutankhamen was one of the famous rulers in ancient Egypt not because of his reign or
great works, but because of his tomb.

His tomb was fully intact when researchers discovered it! It allowed us to understand what his
life might have been like. His tomb was decked in layers of gold, including the mask which held
his sarcophagus inside.

Historians believe all of the gold in his tomb was taken from the Nubian mines, because Egypt
did not have any mines near its capital of Memphis.

Trade with Egypt

 
In addition to the gold from the Nubian mines, there were many other foreign goods in Egypt.
They traded ebony, a dark colored wood which could be carved into all sorts of beautiful shapes.

They traded ivory, which was made from the tusks of animals; most specifically, elephants.

They also traded minerals. This made Nubia a wonderful area for the Egyptians to conquer,
which is exactly what they did.
 
Kush 

Kush, the Egyptian name for Nubia, came under the control of ancient Egypt. Kush lost its gold
mines to Egypt. Kush adopted many of the Egyptian ways, such as the culture and ways of
ruling.

Nubians continued to dress according to their own tradition, however. There was constant
conflict between Kush and Egypt.

35
 Kush Civilization and Egypt
 

The Kush Civilization is in Nubia. They had a powerful nation

Main Concept (Egypt) to their north. There were some advantages to having such a
When two powerful civilization above you, but there were also some
civilizations disadvantages.
unite, they  
impact each Location 
other's
cultures. In the Ancient World, if you follow the Nile River it breaks into two
Location and other rivers; the White Nile and the Blue Nile. This is where the
trade can land of Nubia is and is home of the Kush people.
make a
country very They have more rainfall and more grass so they have more farmland
wealthy, than Egypt. Some of the other natural resources that Nubia had are
however there cattle, gold and granite; and they also had the cataracts. 
are many
other reasons
a nation rises
and falls.

36
 In the Middle Kingdom, the northern half of the Nile, Egypt, was
Remember this... conquered by the Hyksos.
Cataracts are a
series of The Nubians had received a letter from the Hyksos asking them
waterfalls  betwe to join their forces in seizing northern Egypt during the 15th
en southern Dynasty of Egypt.
Egypt and
northern Kush.

The cataracts Remember this...

are what The Hyksos Eventually, the rest of Egypt
protected the ruled during the needed help. They went down to
Kush Empire 15th Dynasty of Kush to ask for some assistance
during the Old Egypt for 108 and some of the Nubian soldiers
and Middle years.  helped the Egyptians kick out the
Kingdom. Hyksos.

Throughout history, Nubian mercenaries were used very often by

ancient Egyptians. At first they were working together but Egypt is more powerful than Kush so
they started setting up forts in the south. After a while they started taking whatever they wanted
and eventually they conquered Nubia and Kush. There was a lot of rebellion due to this.
 
Egyptian Takeover
 
The new kingdom pharaohs made the citizens pay tributes, meaning they have to give them
money.

Since they didn't really have a form of money, they paid them gold, ivory, ostriches, monkeys,
giraffes, leopards, ivory and ebony. These are the same things that are seen inside of the tombs of
the pharaohs.

When two groups meet, cultures change. Everything is either shared or taken over. The same
thing happened between Egypt and Kush; the Kush people start practicing mummification and
using hieroglyphics.
 

If you go to this region today there are pyramids similar to Egypt

Remember this... but they are much smaller; nevertheless, they used these pyramids
The people of for the burial of their leaders.
Kush started
adopting the In King Tut's tomb, whose name is short for Tutankhamun, two
Egyptian gods of the items are Nubian guards made from ebony wood because
as their own and the people of Nubia have dark skin. On the statues are gold
also their belief clothes; this is appropriate for the area since Nubia is rich in gold
of the afterlife. and ebony.
 
37
Who's in Charge?

Egypt becomes weaker in time. There was a series of earthquakes and tsunamis, which tend to
weaken civilizations. In Egyptian writings, they describe a sea people that started to invade all
over the eastern Mediterranean.

This led Egypt and the rest of the eastern Mediterranean into a dark age. Egypt survives, but it
has been weakened; thus, the people of Kush move north.

Once this happens, the first Kush ruler, Kashta, conquers and takes over Upper Egypt. His son
Piye conquered the rest of Egypt; all of a sudden, the people who were conquered were the
conquerors.

They were the 25th Dynasty of Egypt and adopted and ruled Egypt for 100 years. After that
period, the Assyrians came with better, iron weapons and forced the Nubians to return to Kush
and leave Egypt.
 
Back to Kush
 

The Nubians had an excellent location to trade because they were located right of the coast of the
Red Sea. They learned from the Assyrians how to make iron and were centrally involved in trade
with the Middle East, Africa and India.

Remember this...
Nubia's capital, This trade route survived for over 800 years. We don't know
Meroe, was one much about them today because they developed their own
38 of the largest
trading spots in
the world.
alphabet which we cannot decipher. We do know, however, that their trade held the
responsibility for most of their wealth.

39
 Kush Defeats Egypt
 

Towards the ending of the Middle Kingdom, the Hyksos invaded

Main Concept Egypt and the Kush Civilization united with Hyksos to get back
While the their land. Egypt lost the entire area of lower Egypt which is where
Nubian the Nile River goes into the Mediterranean Sea.
collaboration
with the Nubia rose to power from its ancient capital of Lapota, downriver of
Hyksos to the Nile. The Egyptian capital was Memphis. As the kings in Napata
gain control became stronger and Egyptian rulership became much weaker, the
of ancient Nubia kings moved into Memphis and took over Egyptian rule. This
Egypt was was in partnership with the Hyksos who were trying to take control
very short- over the Nile River.
lived, it gave  
the Nubians a Nubia Lost Egypt
deeper
appreciation
for Egyptian
culture. 

Their rise to power was extremely short-lived. The Egyptians took back their land from the
Nubians but the Nubians then moved further south and established a new capital. They
developed their own empire as the Egyptians moved into the New Kingdom time period, which
was the period where they had their most power.
 
Nubia Maintains its Own Power

Nubians built their own power in the central part of Africa by using the iron technology the
Nubians learned from the Assyrians when they were once conquered by them for a short period
of time. This helped raise the Nubian civilization to a strong military power and helped them
defend themselves.

Grade 6 Social Studies Textbook – UNIT 4

Abraham and The Covenant
Main Concept
Abraham is considered the father of three major monotheistic religions: Judaism,
40
 Christianity, and Islam.

When Abraham met with God, God promised Abraham that if he only followed one God
then he and his people would be a great nation.
 
Remember this...
Someone who is Jewish  is one who follows and believes in Judaism. 

The Jewish holy text, or holy book is The Torah. The Star of David is the official symbol of
Judaism.

A Jewish person may be seen wearing a necklace of the Star of David; you can also find the
symbol in many Jewish temples. 

From Judaism came Christianity and then Christianity broke into

Remember this... other sub-groups. Abraham is also the father of Islam, which also
Hebrew is an broke out into sub-groups. Sometimes Jewish people are referred
ethnic group of to as Hebrews, which has the same meaning in ancient terms.
people, Hebrew is also the language spoken by Israelites.
including those  
who practice    
Judaism.
Remember this...
Israelites are
Jewish people
or Jewish
citizens of
ancient Israel
(1000 B.C - 68
A.D).

Israel is an
official Jewish Forming the Covenant of God
nation and also
the official home According to religious and other
of Judaism. historical documents, Abraham
talked to God and God gave him
Israelis are the covenant.
Jewish citizens
of modern Israel
(1948 - present).

41
 Historically it is said that God told Abraham that if he and his
Remember this... people followed God only, then he would promise Abraham and
The  covenant is his people a great nation. Once Abraham agreed, he and his big
the agreement family moved from the city-state of Ur to Canaan.
between God  
and Abraham. The Move From Ur to Canaan
During the time   After they had lived there in Canaan for generations, the area
of Abraham, the had a famine and a drought. 
times of the
Mesopotamian
Era, the people
Abraham's family was starving
were Remember this... because they didn't have any crops
polytheistic. A famine is a so eventually they had to move to
time of Egypt which was much more
starvation prosperous. Once they got to
resulting from Egypt, they were enslaved.
drought.  
A drought is a
prolonged time
period of no
rainwater. 
Judaism:
Monotheism and
its Impact
Main Concept
Because of
When talking about world religions, some of it cannot be proven
Judaism, we
historically and will be recited according to their scripture so it is
have the
not misinterpreted. Judaism started over 3,000 years during a
modern
polytheistic world.
religions of
 
Christianity,
Islam and    
modern The Ancient Greeks had around 35
Remember this... gods. The Egyptians worshiped over
Judaism. Polytheistic me 120 gods and the Mesopotamians
ans believing in had over 3,000 gods. In Judaism,
We also get more than one
Rule of Law their major belief is that there is only
god. one god.
and Minority
   
Rule which
bring a better Monotheism
and broader  
sense of
morality in
42 our
governmental
system.
'Mono' means "one"  'Theist' means "god". The Jewish people believed in one god that is called
"Yahweh".

Abraham lived in Ur and according to the historical works, 12,000 year ago he was called by his
covenant with God to go to the land of Canaan, which today is known as Israel.

Remember
this...
A covenant is a
sacred
agreement that Population
should never be
broken. Less than 1% of the world's population are Jewish. The impact of
  Judaism was huge; in fact, Christianity and Islam come from
Judaism. More than half of the world's combined population
follow Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
 
 
Morals and Values of the World
Remember this...
Both The teachings of Judaism can be found in the morals and values
Christianity and of many different societies; honoring one's parents, keeping holy
Islam follow days sacred and caring for widows and orphans.
Abraham as the
father figure of Other Covenants with God
their religious
beliefs. Henry the VIII(King John) believed he was chosen by God and
believed because of that then he could do whatever he wanted and
that it was okay.

He also, according to history, thought that it was okay to divorce

Remember this...
his wives and marry another; sometimes he would kill them or
The Rule of
have them killed just so he could marry another woman. He also
Law also states
abused his people because he thought he was above the law.
that no one is
left unprotected
by the law. 
Rule of Law and Majority Rule
Majority
Jewish tradition created something called the Rule of Law. It is
Rule  also stems
essential to the democracy of the United States, stating that no
from Judaism,
one is above the law; even the king and other rulers.
which is an up-
vote of 50% plus
1%; so if there
are 1000 people
voting for
something, you
43 only need 501
people for a
majority rule.   
The Jewish people decided a lot on majority rule; in the Torah, it even states "follow the
multitude". Whenever they would have debates the Jewish people would choose whatever the
majority ruled, which is very different from the rest of the world.

They also believed in freedom of religion and freedom of speech. At this point in history, even if
someone didn't believe with the majority they would still have a right to express their opinions.

The Jewish people were very advanced for their time. If you were
Remember this... brought before a judge in a trial, you were allowed to have
In Ancient witnesses and cross examine them. You also didn't have to testify
Greece, it against yourself; they also had a bailing system if you didn't want
wasn't often for to sit in jail and wait for trial. Trials in ancient times before this
the citizens with were not as fair; in those times, you were accused and sentenced
unpopular to jail.
opinion, also
called the
minority voice,
to get their
voices heard.

Main Concept
Moses helped
free the
Israelites
from slavery
in Ancient
Egypt.

He received
the Ten
Commandme
nts at Mount
Sinai which is
a basic
Moses and the Israelites
template for
Abraham and his followers were experiencing a famine in Canaan
how Jewish
as result of a drought. When they moved and traveled to Egypt in
people are
44 supposed to
live their
lives.
search of food and a better life, they were enslaved.
 
Story of Moses

Moses was born Jewish and at the time the pharaoh of Egypt was killing Jewish born babies, so
Moses' mother tucked him in a basket and sent the basket floating down down the river. She did
this so her baby Moses would not be killed, but he ended up still in Egypt.

He was found abandoned and adopted by the pharaoh's family but they did not know the baby
was originally born into an Israelite family.

Over the years that he grew up, he was treated as an equal member of the family. Later, he
realized that he was an Israelite and defended an Israelite slave from one of the pharaoh's
workers by killing him. He was wanted in Egypt for murder from then on.
 
Moses and the Burning Bush

Moses ran away and escaped to Saudi Arabia and stayed in the desert by himself for many years.
God spoke to Moses through a burning bush.

God told Moses that he needed to go back to Egypt and free his people by himself. When Moses
returned to Egypt, he approached the pharaoh that was his adopted family member and told the
pharaoh that he was commanded by God to return and free the Israelites.

The pharaoh lied to Moses; the pharaoh told him he would free the Israelites and never did, so
God started to send the 10 plagues through Egypt.

Some of the plagues that were sent into Egypt were the cattle
dying, a lice infestation, swarming flies, a frog infestation, and
Remember this... eventually the death of every first born son of Egypt - even
A plague is a a pharaoh's eldest and most beloved son. 
terrible disease
or major event Passover
that can kill or
hurt a large
number of The 10th and final plague sent
people. Remember this... upon Egypt was the Angel of
Passover refers Death visiting all the homes in
to the 10th Egypt to kill the eldest son in
plague of Egypt every family.
and the
liberation of the Moses was told to tell the
Israelites. Israelites to protect their homes
from this plague by marking their
doors with the blood of a lamb.  

45
All of the homes in Egypt that were marked with the blood of the lamb were "passed over".  That
is why it is called Passover.

After this plague, Pharaoh, in his grief from losing his first born son, frees the Israelites.

Parting of the Red Sea

 
However, after the Israelites had left Egypt, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his army to
destroy the Israelites.

Moses and the Israelites were pursued as they were leaving.  They were trapped by the Red Sea
in front of them, and Pharaoh's military behind them.

It is recorded that God parted the Red Sea for Moses so he and the Israelites could escape from
Pharaoh's army safely.  Just as soon as they got to the other side, God closed the Red Sea back
up and drowned Pharaoh's army.

In The Desert
 
Moses and the Israelites wandered around the desert for over 40
years.
Remember this...
Today, where
God had promised to give Moses and his people a great nation.
Moses received 
However, in spite of the many blessings and miracles they
the Ten
witnessed, the Israelites had trouble keeping their faith started to
Commandments
falter, going back to the polytheistic beliefs of the Egyptians.
is called the
Sinai
Because of their lack of faith, they were left to wander in the
Mountains. 
wilderness to prepare themselves as a people.
The Ten
Commandments  
are the  The Ten Commandments included the practice of monotheism
foundation of along with other laws similar to the Laws of Hammurabi. 
the Jewish
religion and are
a basic template
of the
commandments
46 someone that is
Jewish lives by
each day.
 The Exodus - Part 1 
The Hebrew people in the land of Canaan moved to Egypt on
account of the harsh famine in Canaan due to the long drought. In
Main Concept Egypt, they were made slaves and stayed there for generations.
The Book of When a new Pharaoh was assigned, he was afraid there would be
Exodus is a too many Hebrew people, so the Pharaoh ordered all of the sons of
pivotal story the Hebrew people to be killed.
of the  Jewish  
people Story of Moses
leaving  
slavery in One woman gave birth to a baby during this time and she didn't
Egypt and want him to suffer the fate of murder.  So she put him in a reed
moving on to basket and let him floated him down the river.
their own
lands. He was found and raised by the Pharaoh of Egypt's sister.  However,
Moses eventually discovered that he was really the son of a Hebrew
family. One day while defending a Hebrew slave, he committed a
crime and ended up having to escape Egypt to save his own life.

While on the run, he became a shepherd and then traveled into the wilderness; Moses then had
the experience seeing a burning bush in the wilderness that was not being consumed by the fire.

Remember this...
A shepherd is someone who raises sheep and goats.
While gazing at the burning bush, he then heard the word of God and, according to the Hebrew
scriptures, God told him to go back to Egypt and free his people.

47
Saving His People

When Moses arrived back in Egypt and he asked the Pharaoh to let his people go, the Pharaoh
refused to let them go.

Once the Pharaoh said no to Moses, God started to send plagues onto Egypt. Every time the
Pharaoh refused to let Moses's people go, God would send down another plague onto Egypt.

Some of the plagues included the Nile River turning to blood, frogs invading the civilization and
the cattle dying. God sent a final plague onto Egypt to soften the pharaoh's heart: the death of all
of the first-born sons of Egypt.
 

The Last Plague

God didn't want to punish the Hebrew slaves of Egypt so he ordered Moses to tell the Hebrew
people to sacrifice a lamb and put the blood over the doorway so the Angel of Death would know
to "pass over" that doorway. He also told them to make unleavened bread. After all the
preparations were made, the Hebrew people were ready to leave Egypt.
 
God Splits the Red Sea

At the death of the Pharaoh's first born son, the Hebrew people were ordered by the Pharaoh to
leave. According to the scriptures, as Moses and the Hebrew people are leaving Egypt and going
towards the Red Sea, the Pharaoh changes his mind and sends his military after the Hebrew
people.

This is when God splits the Red Sea for the Hebrew people and allows them to cross it; after they
are done crossing the Sea, God settles the waters back and drowns the Pharaoh and his army.
 
On Top of Mount Sinai
 
The Jewish people wander through the desert and go to Mount Sinai. Moses goes up the
mountain for 40 days. The Hebrew people thought he was dead but while up there, Moses
receives the tablets of the Ten Commandments from God.

While Moses was gone, the Hebrew people panicked without him and constructed a golden calf
and started to worship it. When Moses saw this, he was infuriated, threw the tablets down and
told the Hebrew people that they could no longer go to the promised land.

The Promised Land

The Hebrew people wandered the desert for 40 years until every adult that sinned against God
had died. After the 40 years they enter into Israel.

48
49
 The Exodus - Part 2
Remember this...  
Israel is known     
as the Promised The Book of Exodus is a detailed
Land to the Main Concept account of the Hebrew people's
Hebrew people. The Passover departure to Egypt, departure from
means Egypt and their arrival into
freedom; it the promised land. The Exodus of the
gave strength Hebrew people has had a huge
to the Jewish influence on history since then; for
people. the modern Hebrew people, Jewish
people, Americans and Christians as
It is a part of well. 
the Christian
celebration of
the eucharist
where Jesus Remember this...
frees them Passover is a
from sin and celebration
is a part of done in the
the slaves in Spring for the
America's Jewish people
story when every year
they used the remembering
Passover as a when the Angel
code to of Death passed
search for over their homes
their own and spared the
freedom. lives of their
first-born sons.

During the modern Passover celebration, Jewish people eat special foods and read special
literature in order to recall the Passover of the Angel of Death.

During the celebration, it is always very family oriented. There is a ceremonial plate with items
such as herbs, eggs horseradish and water; everything symbolizes some part of the celebration.
The saltwater and parsley recalls the tears they cried as slaves, The egg recalls the spring, and the
herbs were to recall the bitterness of slavery. All of the elements on the plate were meant to
symbolize the Passover.

Jewish families around the world celebrate the Passover and they read from the Hebrew
scriptures to recall the Book of Exodus. Also during the Passover, Jewish people do not eat any
type of bread that has yeast in it; they can only eat unleavened bread. 

50
  
Passover Throughout History
Remember this... 
Unleavened The Book of Exodus has special significance at different times in
bread is bread history. The Jewish people are wanderers because they are forced
that has no to leave and go back to their homelands. Whenever they were
yeast, or bread captured by other civilizations, the Jewish people look to the
that has not been story of Exodus and use it to give them strength to get through
allowed to rise. and be free of slavery to return back to their promised land.

During the Christian holy week, there is a celebration of

Passover for Jesus. One night, he celebrates the Passover with his followers. After the Passover,
he also celebrates The Last Supper.

Instead of freeing people from slavery like the lamb did by

Remember this... allowing the angel of death to Passover the Hebrew homes, Jesus
According to is freeing people from their sins. For Christians, the Last Supper
Christian is when they got their Eucharist, or their holy communion, when
scriptures, Jesus Jesus was recorded as saying "eat my body, drink my blood". In
dies and rises many churches, to celebrate the communion with God, they only
from the dead use unleavened bread.
during the
Christian holy Slavery in America
week.  
Slavery in America was also impacted by the Passover. Instead of
Jesus's talking about escaping from slavery in public, the slaves often
followers are talked in code by using the Ten Commandments. The slaves were
also known allowed by their slave-masters to sing religious songs and
historically as resonated with the Hebrews wanting to be free. When the slaves
his  apostles. spoke about going to the Promised Land, they were speaking of
the north; when they spoke of Moses, the slaves were referring to
During the Last Harriet Tubman, a woman slave that led them to freedom.
Supper, Jesus
offers himself as The slaves had songs they sang that were in code; one of the
the "pascal songs was called "Let My People Go". These songs told stories of
lamb" or the Hebrew people wanting to be free, however the slaves in
sacrificial lamb. America also yearned for their own freedom.

The Jewish Kings

51
  
Once they ventured into the Promised Land known as Israel, the
Main Concept Hebrew people were primarily ruled by a group of judges. The
King Hebrew people saw that everyone else in Israel had kings and they
Solomon's only had judges; eventually they also started requesting for a king.
death, the  
country was King Saul
split apart so   
there were
only three There was a prophet by the name of
major kings: Remember this... Samuel and the Hebrew people came
Saul the A prophet in to them and they tell him they want a
Selfish, David Judaism and king. He told them not to ask for a
the Talented many other king but they continued insisting that
and the Brave religions is they needed one. They picked a man
and Solomon someone who named Saul because he looked like a
the Wise. speaks for God. king: he was big, handsome and a
great warrior.
Together,
they changed Saul was made king and became a horrible leader. King Saul was
Jewish selfish, hot-tempered, did not listen to Samuel or obey God's law!
history. Israel suffered under his rule for 42 years.
 
Story of David and Goliath

At one point in history, the Philistines were threatening the Jewish people. Their great warrior
Goliath comes out and wagers that he would battle any Jew and if they beat him, he and the
Philistines would be their slaves and if they beat the Jewish people then they would be enslaved
instead.

The Israelite people were too afraid to take him on except David, who comes from the woods
and hits Goliath with a slingshot and kills him. He is historically recorded to raise Goliath's
severed head as a sign of victory for the Jewish people.
 

King David
 
The Prophet Samuel anointed David as the next king. Saul got very jealous and he was known to
be hot-tempered so he tried to hunt down David and kill him. David wanted to obey God's law,
so he went into hiding. One night, David snuck inside of King
Saul's tent while he was sleeping and took a piece of his cloth. He
then had it sent to Saul along with a message that he could have
Remember this... killed him if he wanted to.
David knew he
couldn't kill
King Saul or
52 else he wouldn't
be a good
follower of God.
Eventually, Saul dies and David is made the new king. He is a warrior king, starts to conquer
lands and makes Israel a great nation. He also built the capital of Jerusalem.
 
There were coins found with his face on them, and references about the land of King David and
his accomplishments. In the Christian bible his name is used more than anyone else's; according
to Jewish scripture, King David is the favorite king of Jewish history. He is musically talented
and wrote half the songs in the Christian and Jewish Bible called Psalms. He sang to his people
and praised God, but later on in history he committed a sin: he broke one of the commandments
of God.

Samuel said David could no longer build the temple for the
Remember this... Jewish culture's ark of the covenant. Instead, David's son King
King David was Solomon builds it.
the first king to
have
archaeological
evidence of his Remember this...
existence. The ark of the King Solomon
  covenant is a  
container that King Solomon used war and
holds the ten marriage to make the people of
commandments Israel more powerful. He is a very
according to wise king. One story goes that
Jewish teaching. there were two women that had
It is the most two kids but claimed the same
sacred thing in one. In the Jewish tradition, if you
the Jewish were a woman and couldn't give
culture. birth to a son, you were considered
worthless. One of the babies was a
stillbirth.
 
King Solomon ordered the live baby to be split in half, but the real mother spoke up and said just
to give it to the other woman. He used his logic to determine which one was the actual mother of
the baby. After Solomon's death, the country wasn't very stable and eventually split apart.

53
 Judaism Basic Beliefs - Part 1
 
Whether you are Jewish today or Jewish 300 years ago, there are
Main Concept certain things that have remained true throughout their long history.
During the
diaspora Observance of the Law
where the  
Jewish people Following the law and observance of the law was really important.
are thrown The law to them was God's law; it was law that was believed to be
out of Israel, handed down from God. The first thing most important to the
they make Jewish people was honoring the covenant of Abraham, the father of
sure to take their faith. According to their faith, Abraham made a covenant that
their holy the Jewish people would worship and stay close to god.
books and
continue to    
hold The Ten Commandments were also
reverence to Remember this... important to the Jewish people but
them. A covenant is a they had more laws than that. The
sacred Torah alone has 613 laws that
The Torah agreement that controls every aspect of life, such as
and the rest cannot be marriage and food.
of the Hebrew broken.
scriptures
were a
central part
54 of Judaism.
 Remember this...
The Torah is the
most holy part
of the Jewish
scriptures.
Kosher Laws
Kosher food is  
food that follows According to their scriptures, kosher food goes back all the way
dietary to the Torah because they valued the law of God. If you were
restrictions of practicing kosher eating back then, you didn't eat pork or shellfish
the Jewish because in the ancient world those two foods would make people
people. sick. You also did not mix milk and meat into the same meal to
preserve food sources for the Jewish people. 
 
Value of the Written Scripture

Learning and scholarship is the most important thing in the

Remember this... Jewish tradition. Among the Jewish people, rabbis would teach
Rabbi means others about the Torah and other teachings of god.
teacher in the The Torah talks about the early laws and history.
Jewish and
other ancient Tradition
traditions.

The Torah is For a Jewish 13 year old boy, they

consisted of the Remember this... would have a bar mitzvah. Jewish
first five books At a bar/bat girls would have a bat
of the Hebrew mitzvah, this is mitzvah. The Torah at a
and Christian when you synagogue is a wide scroll. It was
scriptures(Gene become an adult a sacred practice for the Jewish
sis, Exodus, in the Jewish people to kiss their prayer books
Leviticus, community.  and touch the Torah. The Torah is
Numbers and only part of the Jewish scriptures.
Deuteronomy). A synagogue is
a Jewish place All of the components of the
of worship. Jewish scriptures are called the
Hebrew Scriptures and the
Hebrew Bible.
The Talmud is a commentary that explains the Bible. It is a study book.
 

55
 Judaism Basic Beliefs - Part 2
Righteousness and Justice
Main Concept  
Other than The Jewish people had beliefs and things that were very important
written to them; two of those things are righteousness and justice. When
Hebrew Hebrew people read their scripture, it gives them guidance on how
Scriptures God's people are supposed to act.
such as the
Torah and Even in recent history, during the Civil Rights movements in the
observance of United States the Jewish people were one of the first groups to come
the law, they forward in solidarity with African Americans trying to get their
held many rights. There is an organization called the Southern Poverty Law
other things Center that tries to stop racism and prejudice. It is ran by a Jewish
to great man and it is a Jewish organization.
value.  
Book of Ruth
There is a book in the Hebrew Scripture called Ruth and it is one of the best stories to depict
what the Jewish people have done and what they believe. There is a woman named Naomi.  She
and her family (husband and two sons) went to a foreign land in an attempt to live better. After
they lived there for a while, her husband dies and Naomi decides that her sons should find
wives. 

She finds two women that will marry her sons. After a while of her sons being married, both of
the sons die. It is recorded that Naomi asked her daughters-in-law to return to their old homes
and that she would do the same.

One of the daughters-in-law obeyed her and went back to her old home but Ruth told Naomi that
she would stay with her wherever she went to protect Naomi. Both of the women traveled to the
land of Canaan to Bethlehem. They are poor in the land of Bethlehem and in that time women do
not work. Ruth decides to go to the fields to pick up the gleaning.

Remember this...
Gleaning is the Boaz saw Ruth picking up the gleaning and asked who she was
second round of and why she was there. She told Boaz that she was Naomi's
harvest that God daughter-in-law and that she came to the foreign land to take care
commanded in of her mother-in-law. Because he was a righteous and good man,
Hebrew Boaz insisted to give her extra grain for her mother and herself.
Scriptures to be Eventually, he asked her to come inside his house and become his
left to the poor servant.
and strangers.
Boaz decided that Ruth can only be truly safe once she is married.
However, Naomi will not force Ruth to marry anyone that she

56
doesn't want to marry. Ruth's values centered around righteousness and justice because she
wanted to make sure her mother-in-law Naomi was taken care of. Because of her values, Naomi
turned down the men who wanted to marry her. She waited and when Boaz finally asked, she
said yes because although he was much older than her, she cared for him because he was
honorable and righteous.

Main Concept
The Jewish
people
survived
2,000 years
together as a
people by
always
staying in Roman Diaspora
their own
close-knit Judaism is a monotheistic religion in a polytheistic world. Roman
group no culture consists of lots of gods. Mars and Venus are examples of
matter where Roman Gods. Jewish people could not have graven images, or any
they went in other gods in their synagogue. This caused conflict with the rest of
order to Rome. At first during the B.C.E. period of the Roman Empire,
protect special laws were passed to complement their Jewish beliefs and
themselves allow them to worship the way that they pleased. Things start to
and their
57 faith
throughout
persecution. 
change around 44 CE.
 
Alexandria
 
Alexandria is a city at the mouth of the Nile River founded by Alexander the Great. Around 40%
of the population at the point are Jewish. The rest of the population were upset with the Jewish
people so they passed a law saying that every synagogue was commanded to put up a statue of
Claudius the Emperor.  The Jewish faith did not allow any graven images because of the
covenant with God, riots started to break out and the Jewish people were blamed for the
instability there even though it wasn't their fault.
 
Rome

There was pushing of the Jewish people from the normal Roman Empire. After this, Roman
leaders went to what is today called modern-day Israel and decided they were going to build a
resort on top of a Jewish cemetery. This completely appalled the Jewish people and it was
against their religion. There was also a horrible famine taking place and they didn't have enough
to eat, so the Jewish people started to rebel around 66 A.D.

The Roman rulers sent in troops and tried to force them to start worshiping other gods. Because
the Jewish people refused to throw away their religion just to benefit the Roman religions, Rome
destroyed Jerusalem and burned down the most sacred religious site to the Jewish people. About
500,000 to 1,000,000 Jewish people were killed and the rest of them were enslaved by the
Romans.
 

Remember this... When Rome destroys Jerusalem, it is a big moment in Jewish

Diaspora is history. The only thing remaining of it today is the western wall.
when a horrible  
event takes Throughout most of history, when people are sent out in different
place and directions, they do not stay distinct and tend to blend into other
people are people's cultures. For the Jewish people, they managed to stay
scattered in together as a religion for almost 2,000 years. 
different  
directions.  Yohanan Ben Zakkai
 
Hurricane Yohanan Ben Zakkai was a rabbi at the time of the destruction of
Katrina is an the Temple of Jerusalem. The soldier that was attacking the
example of a officer in charge of the synagogue went by the name Vespasian.
diaspora.
Yohanan Ben Zakkai tried to talk to him but when he was there
he was told that Vespasian was going to be the next emperor.
After he tells Vespasian that he was going to be the next emperor it comes true and Vespasian
remembers Yohanan Ben Zakkai.

58
He grants Yohanan Ben Zakkai a wish and his wish was to have a place to preserve the writings
of the Torah and the teachings of the Jewish people. The Jewish text was very important to the
Jewish people and Yohanan Ben Zakkai played a big part in protecting the Jewish scriptures. He
also told the people they did not need a temple to be Jewish. He let them know the temple was
not the only place to communicate with God.
 
Survival 
The Jewish people made sure they maintained their culture and religion because for a lot of
Jewish ceremonies there had to be at least ten Jewish men there. Because of this, whenever the
Jewish people dispersed it would mainly be in groups. They would set up synagogues in order to
stay together and pray; they also moved into existing communities. Roman, Greece and Spain
had a large Jewish community but their survival wasn't certain because they had a different
culture and religion than others wherever they traveled and were seen as outsiders.

59
 After the Roman Diaspora
 
Survival as a Group
Main Concept
Around 70 The Jewish people came together for protection against persecution.
C.E. The Normally if you are in a community, you are safe around your
Jewish people neighbors. They maintained their own culture by focusing on their
were thrown religion, their synagogue and staying close together at all times.
out of
Jerusalem. According to their religious scriptures, it takes 10 Jewish men to
bury or marry someone so it was important they stay in groups. If
Today there you were a minority group that had no power, things were not good
are still for you in your civilization because it was easy to take advantage of
communities a minority group. There was a lot of antisemitism throughout this
of Jewish time period.
people in
Iraq, Iran,     
Egypt and
The Middle Ages
Europe that Remember this...
   
escaped the Antisemitism After the fall of Rome we move into
diaspora. is hostility or the Middle Ages and see the growth
prejudice of Islam. Most of the Mediterranean
specifically was controlled by Christians or
directed Muslims; in both cases however, the
towards the Jewish people were minority groups.
Jewish people.
Antisemitism is extremely popular in
Christian Europe. If you were
Jewish, there were heavy taxes issued to you by the Christians and the Muslims. In Christianity,
Jewish people were not able to own land so they had to keep their wealth in something besides
land. They would also be heavily taxed on those goods.

When the Christians went on crusades to the Holy Land to conquer the Jewish people, they
would borrow the money from the Jewish populations; once they got back from the crusades,
instead of paying back the war debt to the Jewish people they throw them out the land.
 
Black Death

Back in the day, people would put their sins on a goat and send it
out the land. During the Black Death epidemic, people wanted
Remember this... someone to blame so they made the Jewish people their
The Black Death scapegoats. 
was a plague
where half of Remember this... There are recorded stories of the
Europe was A scapegoat Jewish people being forced into
killed. is someone that
60 is blamed for
problems they
did not cause.
their synagogues and then lit on fire and burnt alive. The Jewish communities were continuously
persecuted because they had different religious beliefs and they have no voice or power.
 
In 1290, England prohibited the Jews from being in their country. England was the first
European country to do this. Some of the Jewish people, especially Jewish scholars moved to
Spain and they were welcomed by Muslim rulers until 1492. It was a safe place for the Jewish
people until Queen Isabella took the throne and kicked them out.

Wherever the Jewish people were, they focused on their religion, the synagogue and their
community; because of this, the Jewish people survived the Middle Ages.
 
Pogroms

The German people continued to have pogroms throughout the

Remember this... Jewish communities. Around 1881, when the Jewish people lived
A pogrom is a on farming communities, these people would often attack and kill
Russian word them to drive them off their land because someone else wanted it.
meaning to This type of harsh treatment lasted into the 20th century.
wreak havoc or  
demolish
violently.

Immigration

The Jewish communities were running out of safe places to go so they immigrate to the United
States. Between 1880 and 1920 the U.S increases its population ten-fold. The Jewish people still
faced antisemitism in America but not at the same degree of Europe. Before recently being
surpassed by Israel, the United States had more Jewish people than any other country.
 
The Holocaust
 
At this point, a lot of Jewish people were assimilated.
Antisemitism flared up. It started small with individuals being
violent towards other Jewish people and calling them different.
Remember this...  
The Holocaust
was the mass Kristallnacht was in Germany when Jewish homes and shops
genocide of the were destroyed around the country by Germans. After this tragic
Jewish event, laws started being passed in Germany restricting Jewish
community people from attending public schools, going to parks and
during World attending the movies. They were labeled with a star and then the
War II. mass executions started. 6 million Jewish people were murdered
Kristallnacht
61 means "night of
the broken
glass".
during the Holocaust. 
 
Zionists

There has been a Zionist movement since the late 1800's. This movement was started off the
belief that the Jewish people will only be safe once they have their own homeland and they
wanted it back in the original Promised Land of Israel.

After World War II, in 1948 the United Nations granted the Jewish people a homeland in then-
Palestine and now-Israel. Approximately 2,000 years after being thrown out of Jerusalem, the
Jewish people are granted their own country.

Special Lesson – Rise and Fall of Rome

62
 Grade 6 Social Studies Textbook – UNIT 5
Myths Explain the Unexplainable
63
  
When looking at the ancient Greeks's civilization, they did not have
Main Concept the same understanding of the world or technology like we do today.
Greek When they wanted to understand why something happened, they
mythology created a story and that story would be passed down to become a
explained part of their religious beliefs.
what could
not be The Myth of Persephone
explained at  
the time
through their One day Persephone was laying
science and Remember this... down resting in the sun when Hades
their Demeter is the saw her. He invited her to the
knowledge. goddess of underworld and she agreed to go
They plants and because she felt sorry for him. While
supported herbs. she was in the underworld she
group values, consumed pomegranate seeds with
their morality Persephone is the lack of knowledge that a goddess
and has Demeter's is not allowed to leave Hades or the
deeper roots daughter. underworld if she has eaten there.
throughout After a while of being stuck there,
history. Hades is the she agrees to marry Hades and
Ruler of the becomes the Queen of the
Underworld.  Underworld.
 
Zeus is the Meanwhile, Demeter is looking
creator of everywhere for her daughter
humans. Persephone. She is so upset that she
can't find her daughter; the grass, the
trees and the crops stop growing
because of this. Consequently, the animals can't eat the grass so the people go hungry.

All of the gods and goddesses went to Zeus and asked him to fix the problem. Zeus went to the
underworld and Hades said that Persephone was his wife and was staying there with him.
Demeter continued refusing to let anything grow; the negotiations continued. Finally, they
agreed that for six months Persephone will stay in the Underworld with Hades, but for the other
six months she will return with her mother.

Demeter was happy that Persephone came back, but whenever her daughter left her she was sad
and nothing grew. The Greeks took something they didn't understand and created a story for it
(The myth of Persephone). For six months in ancient Greece things grew and for another six
months everything died.
 
Advancement of the Titans
Remember this...
The myth of There was a Titan named Prometheus that existed a generation
Persephone is
64 explaining the
seasons. 
before the gods. Prometheus did not like Zeus but liked to pick on them. Zeus created humans
according to Greek Mythology; when he created us we were cold, depressed and lived in caves.
Prometheus resented Zeus because he created humans humble and small without any special
gifts or a way to defend themselves. 
 
One day, Prometheus went to the sun with a torch and lit the torch. He then went down to the
humans and taught them how to use fire. By being taught by Prometheus about fire, humans
learned how to cook, melt metals and make weapons; the humans finally become civilized.
According to Greek mythology, Greek people became civilized by Prometheus giving them fire
and then they were able to make swords and homes.

Pandora's Box
 
Zeus was very mad that humans took the fire from Prometheus so he decided to punish them. He
created a beautiful woman named Pandora that could sing, weave and do many other things.
Zeus's wife Hera gave her an extra gift: curiosity. Then, Pandora is given a box and told not to
open it by any means. She is a good woman so she tries not to open it and even locks it up in
chains and buries it in the ground, but one night she frantically went to dig it back up and she
opened the box.
 
Once she opened the box, horrible looking creatures started to come out so she slammed it closed
and prevented the last one from getting out. Before Pandora opened the box, according to
mythology humans did not die, get sick or worry, but when she opened it all the evils of the
world were unleashed. The last thing left in the box was hope. This is why no matter what the
ancient Greeks faced, they still had hope.

65
 Myths in History
Greek gods and the myths that surrounded them explained a lot to
the ancient Greeks; there is some history in these folk stories. They
Main Concept also explained
Myths from how to behave.
the Dark  
Ages were The Myth of the Minotaur
passed down According to Greek mythology, the
from minotaur lived on the island of Crete
generation to Remember this... in a maze under the palace. In the
generation The minotaur myth, the King of Athens was the
until they according to ruler of small city-states but he
were written, Greek myths held games and other competitions.
and today was half-bull The Minoan Civilization was a rich
researchers half-man and powerhouse with great palaces and
have lived on human had running water that the ancient
discovered flesh. Greeks did not have.
that there is
some truth to One day, the Minoan King's son
the ancient attends the games and competes. He beats everyone in the games
Greek and he is the best athlete; he is also very good looking and a talented
mythology. actor. The King of Athens was so jealous and enraged that the boy
was so good that he had Minos the King's son killed. In modern
times, if a country was to murder the President of another country's
child, that country would then go to war with one another.
 
In this myth, after hearing about their King's son's death, the Minoan Empire surrounded Greece
and the Greeks were defeated right away. Normally, the Greeks would have been destroyed, but
the Minoans ordered the Greeks to send 14 youths every year from Athens to be sacrificed and
fed to the Minotaur. The Greeks were devastated.

The King of Athen's son was a man named Theseus; he wanted to defeat the Minotaur. Once he
realized his dad did not want him to, he decided to go anyways.

He let his father know that he planned to change the sail of the ship to white instead of black if
he comes back victorious.

The Minoan King gave the 14 people a great party before they
were sentenced to die by the hands of the Minotaur. During the
Remember this... feast, the Minoan king has a daughter named Ariadne that falls in
In Greece, black love with Theseus; she doesn't want him to die so she gives him a
is the color of shield, a sword and a ball of twine. She gave him the twine so he
mourning one's could find his way back out of the maze. Once in the
death. maze, Theseus successfully killed the minotaur, so he ran back
out with the rest of the youths and grabbed the Minoan princess
before heading back to Athens.
66
Once Theseus is on the way back to Athens, The King of Athens, King Aegea was looking for
the white sail. Theseus forgot to change the sail, so the King felt like he was responsible for his
own son's death. The King jumped into the sea and died. This sea is today called the Aegean Sea.

The Truth of the Minotaur

There is no half-man half-bull minotaur.

However, in the 1800's, archaeologists found a place they named
Remember this... Knossos, an advanced palace. In this area, their hobbies involved
During bull- bull-jumping and they also worshiped bulls. There was a great
jumping, a civilization with running water and worshiped bulls. In the story
person would of the Minotaur, we see the legend of the Minoan Civilization.
run at a bull,
grab the bull by Iliad and the Odyssey
the horns and  
then flip over to The Iliad and the Odyssey has to do with a 10-year Trojan War.
the other side. At the end of the war, the Greeks tricked the Trojans by making a
big horse that had soldiers hidden inside and during the course of
their invasion, they escaped.
Heinrich Schliemann was a very wealthy German business man; at the time, there wasn't much
archaeology that we could recognize today but he believed it was real. Furthermore, Schliemann
had his own copy of the Iliad that he wrote in about the geography. Then one day, he goes to the
coast of Turkey and starts to dig and finds a civilization.
In terms of civilizations, one is built one top of another. If a civilization was destroyed, then a
bigger one would be built on top of it. He discovered that after the big civilizations disappeared,
only tiny villages were being made. He ruined it for himself and was discredited for his
discoveries by putting jewels on his wife and lying by saying that the jewels were from Helen of
Troy.
In recent years however, archaeologists have said that the jewelry was from Troy. In the Greek
myths, we continue to learn today, there are small grains of truth.

67
 Myths Teach Behaviors
The myths taught the ancient Greeks how to act. They also taught
them what type of behaviors are valued. The person most famous
Main Concept for teaching through storytelling was Aesop. He was a slave and
In some of the believed people should learn by stories instead of "the hard way".
ancient Greek  
myths, there The Tortoise and the Hare
are great
references on The story about the tortoise and the hare is about a slow-moving
why there are turtle versus a very fast rabbit. The hare likes to brag and so he
spiders, why harasses the tortoise and asks him for a race. The hare starts the race
not to brag and then takes a nap. The tortoise slowly moves and gets in front of
and why to the rabbit while he is sleeping. The rabbit then wakes up to see that
honor the the tortoise is getting ahead of him and races to catch up to the turtle
gods. and stops right before the finish line for another nap.
Throughout
all of Greek The tortoise continues to go slowly as the rabbit falls completely
mythology, asleep. As the tortoise crosses the finish line and everyone begins to
we see the cheer, the hare wakes up and is devastated that he lost to the
morals that tortoise.
are being  
taught. Boy Who Cried Wolf

Shepherds often had young boys watch over their sheep while they
were away and in this particular myth, he was protecting them from the wolves, so he was given
a whistle. One day, he got really bored and didn't see any sheep so he blew the whistle. The
townspeople all came running into the field with pitchforks and weapons to fight off the wolf and
then the boy lied and said the wolf ran away. The people then went back to the town. 

After some time he gets bored again and blows the whistle one more time. The townspeople run
into the field again, but this time when they figure out he's lying again they are furious and
decide they can never trust him again.

Then one day, there was an actual wolf in the field and the little boy blew the whistle for
everyone to come and help fight the wolf off but nobody came to help him because they didn't
believe him.

The moral of the story was if you want people to believe you then you must tell the truth. This
story is where the phrase, "don't cry wolf" comes from, which means don't lie so you can be
trusted in the end.
 

68
 Other Myths

Arachne was a wonderful weaver. People everywhere were

Remember this... talking about Arachne and her weaving. Athena dresses as an old
Weaving is woman and goes to see Arachne's work.
making cloths.
Athena is amazed at how beautiful Arachne's cloths are and so
Athena is the she compliments her; Arachne tells Athena (disguised as the old
Goddess of lady) that her weaving is better than Athena's. At this point,
wisdom, arts Athena challenges Arachne to a weaving competition. 
and crafts and
weaving. They're both weaving beautiful designs and going faster than the
human eye could see. Then Athena looks to see Arachne weaving
an insulting design about Athena's father, Zeus. Athena gets
offended and then turns Arachne into a spider. Spiders today are known as arachnids.

The moral of this story was to explain why there are spiders, to never insult the gods and never to
brag.

Main Concept
When we look
around us,
there are
elements of
the Greek
culture all
around us.

Many
businesses Myths in Today's World
that we go to
today are Greek mythology helped the people of ancient Greece and we also
named after
Greek gods
and many
69 other aspects
of Greek
myths.
see its influence in today's world. Hercules and Percy Jackson are just a couple of examples
stemming from Greek mythology, specifically the gods.
 
Even the movie trilogy The Hunger Games has some Greek inspiration. Suzanne Collins
admitted that she was inspired by the Greek myth of the minotaur where seven girls and seven
boys were sent every year to be sacrificed.

In the story of the Trojan War (The Iliad and the Odyssey) we get
a lot of today's societies expressions from some of the elements in
Remember this... these myths. For instance, "beware of Greeks bearing gifts" is
"Beware of pertaining to when the Greeks "left" Troy after 10 years of
Greeks bearing fighting, but they really hid inside the big Trojan horse until
gifts" is a saying everyone in Troy was asleep and the Greeks destroyed the
telling you to be civilization. 
careful when  
your enemy is
giving you
something
because there
may be another
intention behind
it.

Achilles
Remember this...
Achilles was one Achilles's mother took him to the river of Styx when he was a
of the best baby and dipped him in the river. Wherever he was touched by
Greek warriors. the river, he was protected; however, his mother held him by his
heel so his heel was not protected. According to myth, Paris shot
Achilles' heel is a poison arrow at his heel and killed him.
a metaphor for  
someone's weak Helen of Troy
ness.  
The medical Helen was kidnapped at the beginning of the story of the Iliad and
term for the the Odyssey and the cause of the war, she was the face that
Achilles' heel is launched a thousand Greek ships.
actually called
your Achilles Business
tendon.
In businesses today, Nike shoes is named after the Greek Goddess
Styx was the of Victory.
division
70 between the
world and the
underworld.
The Trojan Horse virus was a computer virus that sneaks into your computer and hacked it from
the inside.

Ajax is a household cleaner used to scrub tough stains; Ajax was a Greek warrior in the Iliad
second to Achilles in strength.

Amazons were Greek warrior women; in fact, Wonder Woman was an Amazonian woman.

The Tennessee Titans got their name from the parents of the Olympic gods, the Titans.

Pandora, the term to describe the Greek mythology's first woman, has also been seen used in
mainstream marketing as well, from jewelry to music.

There is a minivan called the Honda Odyssey which is the second book of the Iliad.

Geography of Greece
Remember this...
An odyssey is a It is important to be able to
long voyage that Main Concept understand the geography of the land
takes years to Although in a climate that which a people
accomplish. Greece had develop in order to have a better
the understanding of the culture and
challenges of practices of the ancient peoples.
  having a hilly  
and rocky Greece
mountainous
region, they Greece has been catching up from a
were late start. Other ancient civilizations
surrounded such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, India
by water, they and China developed along rivers.
had many
islands and
they became
skilled sailors Remember this...
and learned Civilizations
how to trade that are
their famous established
grapes and along river
olives. banks are
considered
river-valley
civilizations.

There are many advantages for a civilization along a river. Other than being a great source of

71
water, there are better opportunities for trading and transportation. Another advantage would be
that they tend to have flat wet fertile land that is good for farming. In ancient Greece, one of their
challenges included not being located along a predominant river valley system; however, like
other ancient civilizations, the Greek people came to overcome challenges.

In Greece, there were many peninsulas and islands. Greece is

Remember this... majorly hilly with a lot of natural harbors. The Greeks were
A peninsula is a protected by the curvature of the land.
body of land
that is
surrounded by
water on three
sides. Challenges
Harbors are There are also a lot of rocks that pose challenges to farming in
safe places for Greece. Some other challenges that the Greek people face are the
boats to dock, as environment being hilly and mountainous with very few plains.
well as for
people to live.
The Peloponnesian Peninsula is
the peninsula where the ancient
Remember this... group of Spartans lived. The
Plains are Attica Peninsula is where modern
large, flat areas and ancient Athens is located. The
of land that are Attica Peninsula is located on the
idea for eastern part of Greece and most of
farming. its plains are good for farming.
They have hot summers and wet
winters. In the summer, it's so dry
that most of the rivers dry up completely.

 
Results
Remember this...  
A climate with Some results of these challenges are little farmable land, no
hot summers surplus of grains, isolated populations and no large concentration
and wet winters of people.
is called
a  Mediterranea Adapting
n climate.  
The Greeks eventually learned to adapt because were surrounded
by water (Mediterranean, Aegean and Ionian Sea) and learned
how to travel by water, which was much easier than travelling long distances by land. They had
many peninsulas, islands, excellent harbors and the islands served as places to make pit stops for
supplies. The Greeks even learned how to make better boats by the Phoenicians. Eventually, they
became expert sailors and traders.

72
Olives and Grapes
 
Olives and grapes were the two main products that the ancient Greeks grew outside of grains in
Attica. Figured out olive trees and grapes grew well on hilly, mountainous terrains. Olives and
grapes were not common in other cultures, so these were great products to trade along with wine,
olive oil and juice.

73
 Phoenician
Phoenician influence touched the Roman, the Greek and Egyptian
Main Concept cultures even though they were not a large or powerful nation.
The  
Phoenicians Trading Goods
traveled with  
great ships, The Phoenicians are good traders. They have great ships and their
they were civilization was popular for having huge cedar trees though there are
expert not many left today. In the story of Gilgamesh, he had to go to
sailors, gave Lebanon to get the trees. They used cedar trees to build ships and
the Romans they were the best sailors and could go almost anywhere. 
the gift of
their alphabet
which turned The Phoenicians traded cedar wood
into the Remember this... but they also had a purple dye made
English The Lebanon from small sea animals that was very
Alphabet, and flag has a cedar popular among tradesmen. It was
they created a tree in the considered a royal dye and very
royal purple middle. expensive because you needed about
dye that is 10,000 of the animals to make just
famous to this the hem of the garment a deep purple
day. color.
 
As the Phoenicians started to lead the trading, they also became the
middle man for everyone else's trades.

In fishing villages or anywhere that did shipping in the Mediterranean, there would be many
people in different locations that would claim to be descendants of the Phoenicians. The National
Geographic was so curious that they asked for swab tests for these individuals. It turned out that
they actually were descendants of the Phoenicians.
 
Trading Ideas
 
They not only traded goods, but they shared ideas as well. The Phoenicians developed an
alphabet similar to hieroglyphics where each letter meant a sound. They used this language
whenever they traded and the Greeks took their language and made it their own. The Greeks and
the Phoenicians went into Italy and that is where the Roman alphabet came from.

Geography in Trade

74
  
When looking at ancient civilizations, Mesopotamia, Egypt, the
Main Concept Indus River Valley and China each have big flooding rivers. In
The Greece, on the other hand, there are no rivers because they all
Phoenicians mostly dry up during the summer months. The Greek civilization
set up trade didn't start as early as the other civilizations because their geography
routes that held them back. They had a lot of rocky hills and peninsulas but not
allowed the many valleys. Greece didn't have any roads either, and if it did, they
Greeks to get were primitive and difficult to travel on. 
a surplus of
grain. The Greeks developed ships that can go along the coastland and
whenever they traveled by sea they took their goods looking to
This surplus trade. They didn't have a lot of grain so they had small and isolated
of grain populations. The Greeks got a late start because they could not grow
allowed them a surplus of grains.
to build a
better The Greeks could, however, grow grapes and olives. They grew the
economy for grapes and turned them into wine, and they grew the olives and then
themselves turned them into olive oil. Olive oil is the most important product
and for day to day life in Greece. The Greek people cook with it and use
eventually it for medicine and for lighting their homes. The problem was that
become a they couldn't trade their grapes or
powerful olives with anyone else.
trading
civilization.

Egypt
Egypt is to the south of Greece and they had something that the Greek people wanted: lots and
lots of grain. Egypt is the breadbasket of the Middle East. The Egyptians were pretty rich at that
point but they weren't doing much trading with the north so the Egyptians didn't even know they
existed. The Greeks and the Egyptians needed a middle man to help them trade with each other;
these people were called the Phoenicians.
 
The Phoenicians sailed around the Mediterranean Sea and set up many trade routes. With the
help of the Phoenicians, the Greeks got the grain they wanted from the Egyptians and the

75
Egyptians got the grapes and olives from Greece; by trading goods, each civilization had a good
surplus of products.
 
After a while, the Greeks developed their own big ships similar to the Phoenicians and
eventually they could do their own trading with Egypt and did not need the Phoenicians as their
middle man.

The Greeks also became skilled at pottery and started trading with more civilizations such as
Tunisia, Sicily, Italy and parts of the Black Sea.

When they traveled, they took their goods with them and consequently they started to spread
their ideas and become more wealthy.

Four Governments
Main Concept
In ancient The ancient Greeks gave us democracy.
Athens, we It developed slowly and there were other systems they tried first.
see them go Specifically, there were three forms
from of government the ancient Greeks
monarchy to tried before choosing democracy.
oligarchy to   Remember this...  
tyranny and Monarchy 1. Monarchy
eventually comes from
they develop monos meaning
a democracy "single" or
76 where they "one" and
rule arcane meaning
themselves. "to rule".
A monarchy is ruled by a king or a queen. One individual rules and their power is generally
passed down through male heirs or other family members. In ancient Greece, the kings would
want to build bigger and better palaces than each other. To build these palaces, the kings and
queens would tax their people. The people were poor and being abused; some people were so
poor and they couldn't pay their taxes so they were imprisoned.
 
Quotes on Governmental Corruption

"Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts

Remember this... absolutely."
To -Sir John Dalberg-Acton
corrupt  somethi  
ng means to The saying is explaining that power makes you bad and complete
make it bad.  power makes you really bad. Consistently in history, there is
Absolute means someone that means well but once they get some power they start
completely. to use it negatively to hurt others.
With most of the  
monarchs, they "Nearly all men can withstand adversity,  but if you want
used the power
to test a man's character, give him power."
for themselves.
-Abraham Lincoln
 
This means that when things get tough, most people rise to the
occasion and try to make things better. It also means that if you want to test who a man is inside,
give him power and you will see what is most important to him.
 
2. Oligarchy

 
In ancient Greece, the King was ruling and then a foreign power
Remember this... showed up. They planned on killing the King and taking over the
Oligarchy empire. The foreign power had chariots, but the King didn't have
comes from chariots so the King turns the rich people in the civilization to
oligos meaning fight for him with their chariots but the rich people think they can
"few" and rule better than him, that he is a joke and all he does is sit around
arcane meaning and make rules all day.
"to rule".
Eventually the wealthy people go to the king together and
demand him to step down and give them the real power. If the
King refused, the rich people could just have him executed so the king agreed. An oligarchy is a
small group of wealthy people that rule a civilization. The people with power in government are
usually the wealthy people, which are a small number of people.

After the oligarchy is given control, they want to build roads and a new port so the citizens of
Athens have no choice but to pay them taxes. Athenians were sold into slavery and put into jail

77
because they still did not have money to pay their taxes. The people were angry and wanted to
get rid of the oligarch.

3. Tyranny
 

Then, one man was so fed up that he decided to lead the Athenian
Remember this... people in overthrowing the oligarchy. The man was a tyrant.
Tyrant comes Today, tyrants are thought of as bad but in ancient Greece they
from the Greek were not always bad.
word tyrannos
meaning This man took the power from the oligarchs and ruled on his own.
"usurper" or He had support of the middle class and for 100 years the tyrants
"taker with do well but power eventually corrupts and after a while, the
supreme power. tyrants become abusive. People praised them at first but the
" Athenians got sick of it and Tarquin was the last tyrant that was
tolerated. Tarquin was overthrown by the Athenian people and
they ruled themselves. After a while, they come up with the
democracy of Athens.  Democracy is a form of government where the people rule themselves.

Remember this...
Democracy
comes from the
Greek word
Demos meaning
"people" and
Kratos meaning
"power".

78
 The Polis and Slavery
 
 
   
Main Concept A polis was a city-state that had
The Polis is a Remember this... citizenship and slavery in ancient
Greek city- Athens was a Greece. A polis had citizenship
state in city-state in rights. A city-state is a focused
Athens ancient Greece. government around a city of
centered citizens. Citizens in ancient Greece
around had basic rights, served in the Army
citizenship. and no women, children or slaves in ancient Greece were allowed to
be citizens.
Women and
slaves could In Athens, to be a citizen you had to be over 18 with completed
not be military training, male, your father had to be a citizen and
citizens here your mother's father had to be a citizen. There were not many
and the agora exceptions to the citizenship requirements.
was a
common Agora
marketplace  
similar to An important part of the polis is the agora, which is a central
modern day shopping area like a modern day farmers market. The agora was
farmers an open, outside location that was noisy and full of people
markets. bargaining. If you were a wealthy person, you carried money in
purses but if you were poor then you carried coins in their mouth. At
Slaves the agora, an Athenian citizen could find food, jewelry and pottery.
consisted of Not only was it a shopping area, but it was also a social spot
1/3 of the particularly for men.
population in
Athens. However, if you were a woman in Greece or in Athens particularly,
you were not allowed to go to the agora by yourself. You had to be
with a male slave or male family member. Poor women were an
exception and could visit the agora alone. Most women in Greece found it strange that the agora
was very strict with women but other places in Greece were not.
 
In the marketplace you could expect to find linen from Egypt, ivory from North Africa, spices
from Syria and dates from ancient Phoenicia. The agora was a mecca of trading goods from all
over the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. Ancient agoras were built with beautiful architecture.

79
Greek Slavery

Most slaves were gotten out of wartime or captured as prisoners of war. There could be up to
20,000 slaves captured just from one major battle. Whenever the Greeks went to battles with
other powers and they won, they would take the people and make them slaves in Greek
communities. This was common in all ancient cultures. Slavery was encouraged and was the
main way the work in civilizations was finished without the rulers having to pay for them. Slaves
could buy their freedom in ancient Athens and 1/3 of the population were slaves; however, slaves
in Sparta outnumbered the citizens 1:7.

Main Concept
In ancient
Athens, the
birthplace of
democracy
and the
western
civilizations,
women,
children and
slaves did not
have any
rights or
citizenship.

The men were

trained to be
soldiers and
valued
education,
art,
architecture Athens: Birthplace of Democracy
and
philosophy.
The Athenian Athens is one of the two most important and most famous city-states
civilization in ancient Greece.
was known
80 for their
naval battle
skills.
Social
 
Socially, Athens became the model for western societies such as England, the United States of
America and many other European countries. The Athenians had an emphasis on music,
literature, architecture, philosophy and art. They also valued education.

Democracy
 
Democracy is a form of government where citizens vote directly on issues concerning how the
government will be ran. Athens is the first place to have this type of government. They also
embraced trial by jury and the freedom of speech.

The Women
 
If you were a woman then you didn't have any rights in ancient Athens. The women were stay at
home parents and could only take care of the kids and the household. They were only allowed to
do arts and crafts and were not allowed to get an education or take part in the democracy.

Military
 
Athens was known for its Naval military. They had an extensive fleet of ships and participated in
trade all over the Aegean Sea. If you were in the military in ancient Athens you had to serve for
two years and then you went into the Reserve; this meant that you only had to go back into the
military if it was a time of battle or whenever they needed you.

Economics
 
Economically, Athens relied heavily on their trading. They are located on the peninsula of
Attica. Attica had fertile plains, grew surpluses of crops, traveled around the Aegean and
Mediterranean Seas and traded the items for different items that they needed. They also relied on
slavery; 1/3 of their population were slaves and because they had high taxes it was difficult for
the Athenians to buy their freedom.

Greek Mythology

Athens became very wealthy. The religion in Athens was called Greek Mythology which meant
they were polytheistic, or believing in more than one god. Greek Mythology represented
different forms of nature; the Olympics, which the Greeks started was based on honoring the
Greek gods and goddesses.

Athens' Acropolis
81
 
Acropolis is architecturally known worldwide for being the crowned jewel of ancient Athens and
ancient Greece itself. The main building of the Acropolis is called the Parthenon was built as a
way to honor the Greek gods and goddesses. Athena is best known to be attributed to the
Acropolis because she has several statues and temples of her on top of a hill. Zeus, the main god
in Greek mythology has a place in the Acropolis but not nearly as many as Athena.

Main Concept
Athens gave
the modern
world direct
democracy
where the
people can
vote on the Direct Democracy vs. Republic
issues.
In a republic,
the people  
vote for Ancient Athens went from a
representativ monarchy form of government to an
es that vote Remember this... oligarchy, to tyranny to a democracy.
for us. In a direct In today's times, part of our
All of it democracy, ever government is a democracy and there
started in yone votes for are some republic attributes with it.
Athens with everything. Today's democracy is not the same
the corrupted as the ancient Athenian democracy.
rulership They had a direct democracy where
when the the Athenians directly picked what they wanted and the majority
people of ruled.
Athens
decided that Restrictions
they should  
share the
82 power to
make
decisions.
Only the citizens, the males who were over 18 and served in the military, were allowed to vote in
Athens but the women, children and slaves could go watch the votes taking place.

The way the winner was chosen was by majority rules during voting in a democracy. Republics
come from the Roman and focus more on the concerns of the people; in contrast to a democracy,
in a republic we vote for representatives that vote for us on a grander scale.

Direct Democracy and the Republic

 
The closer you get to the bottom when talking about state and local issues, that is where
democracy is in action and where people decide what gets voted for. On the national level, that is
where we vote for people to represent us. We can also vote them out of office.
 
In terms of government, when a person or multiple people are being voted for, the form of
government being executed is a republic. When it is an idea, concept of text being voted on, the
form of government is a democracy. It doesn't matter if it's a democracy or a republic; in the end,
the person with the primary voice is the citizen.
 
 
Democracy or Republic?
 
Voting on whether or not to increase taxes for school is executed by a democracy.
 
Voting for a member of Congress is executed by a republic.
 
Voting on whether or not to build a highway through a city is executed by a democracy.

Voting to limit the sale of cigarettes is executed by a democracy.

Voting for a school board member is executed by a republic.

Voting for president is executed by a republic.

83
 Athenian Democracy
 
Organization of the Democracy
Main Concept The Assembly
In the
Athenian The Assembly is where the Greeks in Athens joined 3 times a month
democracy, and they would discuss any concerns they had and at the end of the
the decisions assembly they would vote on issues. The Assembly would happen at
were made at the Pnyx. If people didn't show up and there was low-voter turn out,
the Assembly. there would be two slaves with a long rope dipped in red dye in their
There was hands, then they would walk around the marketplace of Athens; if
still some you were a citizen and got the red dye on your clothing, then you
low-voter were required by law to vote.
turn outs in
Athens but a
Council of 500
lot of times
there were
The Council of 500 were not chosen or voted for but they were
thousands of
chosen by lot, similar to a lottery: they are picked randomly. This
people that
random selection was similar to pulling names out of a hat. The
voted.
Athenians didn't allow people to vote for anyone because they had a
The ten
solid belief that if you were a citizen of Athens then you were smart
General's
enough to serve in the Council of 500.
powers
They also didn't want a repeat of the corruption they experienced
fluctuated
during the rule of the monarchs, the oligarchs and the tyrants so they
depending on
didn't want anyone to get too much power. The Athenian people
whether the
made sure the selections were random and that if someone was
country was
chosen, they could only be chosen twice.
at war or at
Athenian people were afraid that persuasive people would too easily
peace and the
win in a vote as opposed to the people that may have the better
council of
ideas. By limiting them to two terms and by selecting the people
500 was
randomly nobody could manipulate the power.
chosen by lot
and only
served two 10 Generals
terms.
The 10 Generals were the only elected positions besides some
judges in ancient Greece. The elections happened every year, so
they could pick people that have the best fight skills and fighting
experience. The Athenians voted for people that they wanted to lead them into war if there ever
was one. A general by the name of Pericles was chosen 30 years in a row, but every year the
people could choose a different general.

Grade 6 Social Studies Textbook – UNIT 6

Hoplites and Warfare: The Greek Warrior
 

84
 Hoplites were ancient Greek warriors that made a phalanx formation
Main Concept whenever they went to war with other people.
If one person
didn't follow The Greek's climate was Mediterranean, meaning they had very hot
through with dry summers and mild winters that were very wet so wearing too
their role in much gear would hinder their effectiveness during their battles.
the phalanx  
formation, Hoplite Gear
then there
would be a The Hoplite warriors wore heavy bronze armor and used bronze
weak spot weapons. Their basic gear consisted of a helmet, body armor, sword,
that could spear and shield. The color of their helmets would indicate the rank
destroy the and the city-state of the soldiers. Their body armor focuses on the
formation and top but they also had armor that went from the bottom of their knees
the safety of down to their ankles.
everyone in it.
The Greeks didn't have heavy military boots; they usually wore flat,
The Hoplite leather-strapped sandals that protected the bottoms of their feet. The
warriors are Hoplite's sword was heavy and very long but it was an important
known for piece of Hoplite gear. Hoplite helmets would have openings for the
their eyes, the sides covered the jaw lines of the soldiers and there was a
dedication, center piece to protect the nose.
their skills in  
battle and his Hoplite Shields
commitment  
to his fellow The Hoplite's shields were important for individual coverage but for
warriors. group protection as well. The shield was big, round and was held up
by leather straps; they could weigh as much as an average adult. The
Greeks were known to paint pictures of different gods and
goddesses from Greek Mythology or even symbols that represented different aspects of war. In
poor families, the shields were normally passed down from family member to family member; in
wealthier families, each warrior may be able to afford his own custom-made shield.
 

Remember this...
The phalanx Phalanx Formation
formation was a  
formation of The phalanx formation was a very precise art and each Hoplite
soldiers had responsibilities to make sure every soldier in formation was
carrying well protected. They stood in perfect rows and held their shields
overlapping in their left arm and their spear was in their right hand. Each
shields and long warrior had a specific role in the formation of the phalanx. The
spears. phalanx formation is where the Hoplites got their strength as a
group. The focus of the Hoplites was the man to their left. Half
Cohesiveness is
the ability to
85 think
collectively as a
group.
their shield would protect the man on the left thus ensuring the safety of everyone in the
formation. 

To be an effective Hoplite warrior, one had to know their role in the phalanx formation and have
good leadership skills. What also made a Hoplite successful was their excellent communication
skills, discipline and extensive training. The Hoplites had to have a strong sense of cohesiveness
as well because any decision they made could affect everyone in the phalanx formation.

Sparta: City of Soldiers

 

Main Concept Sparta is an ancient city-state located on Peloponnesus, the main

The Spartan peninsula in ancient Greece. Socially, everyone admires the way
soldiers were they live, but no one copies them for 2000 years after Sparta
known for disappeared and disassembled at the end of the Greek civilization.
their strong  
military and Military Focus
although they    
lived a very Spartans are historically known as
minimalistic Remember this... the tough guys of ancient Greece. All
life, they were Citizenship in of the citizens were permanently
well-educated ancient Greece professional soldiers so they didn't
and some of was granted to have any other job. Being in the
the most- men over the Spartan military required conformity,
feared age of 30 who being a part of the group and not
soldiers and were land
86 city-state of owners.
ancient
Athens.
being an individual. The Spartans despised weakness; the military required the soldiers to be
strong.

It is recorded that in ancient Sparta when a baby was born and there were signs of mental or
physical weakness then the baby would be left to die because they didn't think weak-bodied
people could contribute to their society.
 
There were no city walls in Sparta which meant that they were not worried about outside
invaders because their military was known as the greatest soldiers on land. The civilization
believed that all they needed were the Spartan soldiers because people feared conflict with the
Spartans.

One famous saying from Spartan society was "return with your
Remember this... shield, or on it", which meant either the soldier returned home
Spartan soldiers with their shield in hand showing the battle was victorious or they
were called returned dead and were placed on their shield. Spartans also were
Hoplites. known for wearing the color red. Being a Spartan soldier required
a lot of discipline especially in their daily lives.

"Spartan" Lives

The Spartans embraced this type of lifestyle in ancient Sparta.

Remember this... They didn't believe in luxuries and ate sparingly. The architecture
The term of their homes was constructed from wood and was not built to
"spartan life" withstand for a long period of time; not because they weren't able
means to live a to make nice things such as the temples in Athens but because
life with the they were not materialistic and as long as the home served their
bare minimum purpose they felt it didn't need to be extravagant.
and not a lot of
materialistic In modern Sparta, there are very little of these homes left. They
things.  used stone and rock for some of their foundations but most of
their civilization is gone because it was made from wood.

Government
 
Their form of government was an oligarchy which consisted of two kings. The kings ruled over a
30-man senate which was a group elected by Spartan citizens. If you were a woman, you didn't
have a voice in government; a senator had to be at least 60 years old due to the importance and
emphasis put on military training. It was a belief that if you were 60 years old in Sparta, then you
had to be a tough Spartan soldier and had more rights to serve in
the government.
Remember this...
Ephors
The Ephors
The assembly could only vote yes or no on laws proposed by the
were five
ephors. The ephors had more power than the two Spartan kings in
government
the oligarchy.
leaders elected
87 within the
assembly that
proposed laws.
 Sparta: Soldiers, Slaves, and Women
 

Permanent Soldiers
Main Concept Spartan citizens, or men over 30 who owned land, could not trade or
Life in farm; instead, they were permanent soldiers. The Spartan soldiers
ancient lived in barracks and away from family; even if they were married
Sparta was or had children, they wouldn't be able to live with those members of
difficult. the family; often times the soldiers spent their whole adult lives
Women had living in barracks until they were old enough to retire. In ancient
more freedom Sparta, the citizens did not have freedom of speech or travel like
but life on a they did in the democracy of Athens in ancient Greece.
daily basis
was have King Leonidas was one of the most honored and famous kings in the
been very ancient Spartan oligarchy.  King Leonidas was said to have led the
disciplined Spartans against the Persians in their last stand at the battle of
and Thermopylae.
challenging.
Boys
If you were a
male citizen, Being a soldier was very important in Sparta; when boys turned 7
you were a they were removed from their homes and sent into military training.
permanent They were taken and assigned under an older boy soldier and were
soldier and treated extremely harshly; the boys were given one toga per year
rarely saw and walked around barefoot.
their families.

They were also given a small amount

Remember this... of food which was not enough to
A toga is an survive on because the leaders
article of wanted the boys to learn how to steal
clothing worn in and not get caught to become better
ancient Greece. soldiers. If they got caught, they
could be severely punished by an
older soldier or a younger soldier.
88
During their training, they learned hand to hand combat, survival skills where they were put into
the woods during long winters. They also learned how to kill wild animals which was meant to
instill a toughness in the boys which was unique to Spartan military training.

Economics

Free, non-citizen members ran businesses in Sparta but they were basic; they didn't use money
but bars of metal. The Spartans had a poor economy but they didn't care because their focus was
more on being a strong military-ran society. The slaves ran the farms and outnumbered citizens
7:1.

Because they outnumbered the citizens 7:1, they were treated

Remember this... very harshly to keep them from rebelling against the Spartan
Helots are state- citizens. They were treated so badly that they refused to rebel out
owned slaves in of the fear of what would happen to them.
ancient Sparta.  
Greek Mythology
The Spartans were polytheistic like the ancient Athens; they believed the gods represented
different forms of nature. Spartan soldiers also participated in the Olympic games.
 
Women

Even though they were not citizens, women still had more freedom than the women in Sparta.
They were required to go through extreme physical training as a young woman because it was
believed that women need to by physically strong to give birth to healthy boys which were raised
to be soldiers of Sparta. They could go to the agora and mingle freely with the men and were
able to live a free life with their families that weren't away for military training. The women ran
the city in many ways; they were honored for their strength and physical training.

89
 Athens vs. Sparta
or
The Whale (Strength on the Water) vs. The
Elephant (Strength on the Water)

Athens was known for its culture, education, art and architecture.
Main Concept Sparta was known for being the best soldiers of the day. Athens had
Undoubtedly soldiers and they were strong in naval battles which are battles on
these were the water (the whale). However, Sparta was the stronger military on
two of the the land (the elephant).
greatest
Greek city- Comparisons
states when
looking at the They both had a common language and believed in Greek
history of Mythology; they were worshiping the same gods and goddesses.
ancient The both had a form of culture although their cultures were a bit
Greece. different. They also shared a common history through the story of
Homer such as the Iliad and the Odyssey which both civilizations
They both held near and dear to their hearts and cultures as a way to treasure
were in their ancient history.
Greece and  
loved their Differences
country, but
the way they Each civilization had its own advantages and disadvantages to living
lived their in each society. Depending on whether or not you are male or
daily lives female, there are a lot of things to think about when comparing and
were very contrasting Athens and Sparta. 
different.

90
 The Persian War: Battle of Marathon
  
The Persian War is a historical war between two major powers: The
Main Concept Greeks and the Persian Empire. The Persian War includes a series of
The Battle of battles each with their own history.
Marathon  
was the first
battle in a Prelude to War: Persia
series of
battles Persia is a huge empire expanding from the Indus River valley to the
against the Mediterranean Sea. It controlled most of the Middle East. The
Persians. battles started because the Persians were trying to extend their
empire and they were starting to attack the city-states surrounding
This battle the Aegean Sea which is the area between Modern-day Turkey and
empowered ancient Greece.
Athens;
although the The islands were being attacked by the Persians when Athens came
Spartans to the aid of the city-states against the Persian Empire; this stopped
were known the Persians from completing their revolt.
as the great
warriors on Sides and Rulers
land, the
Athenian The Persians were very angry with Athens for stopping their revolt
people against the city-states near the Aegean Sea. The Greeks were the
defeated the ones that were standing in the way of the Persian Empire extending
massive their empire west.
Persian army  
even though In Persia, the first commander in the Battle of Marathon was called
the Athenians Darius and his son's name was Xerxes.  
were greatly
outnumbered.

Battle of Marathon
 
The Persians wanted to punish Athens for assisting the city-states around the Aegean Sea in
revolting against the Persian Army. The Persians sent 600 ships to attack Athens at Marathon;
the Athenian people were greatly outnumbered so they sent a runner named Pheidippides to
Sparta to ask them for help.

It is said that he ran for 2 days straight so that he could make it in time to Sparta.

Athens Wins

91
The Athenian people could not wait for Pheidippides to deliver the message and get Spartan
help so they met the Persians on the plain of Marathon. Even though the Athenian soldiers were
severely outnumbered, the Persians were not well-disciplined and they were very lightly
armored.

It is recorded that 6,400 Persians were killed and only about 200 Persians were killed; the
Athenian people won without a problem. Pheidippides is famous for this battle because it is said
that once he found out the Athenians beat the Persians, he ran back to Athens from Marathon
spreading the news of their victory until he collapsed and died from the extensive running.

Strategy
 
The Greeks won the Battle of Marathon because the Persians came out of the water and headed
directly towards the Greeks; however, the Greeks spread themselves out and were able to
surround the Persians entirely by flanking them.

Main Concept
The Battle of
Thermopylae
is an amazing The Persian War: Battle of
piece of
history.
Thermopylae
 
This is the
Popularized in the modern world with the movie '300', the Battle of
battle of the
Thermopylae focuses on the battle of the 300 Spartans that fought
300 Spartans
against the massive Persian army at Thermopylae Pass, which is a
where they
mountain pass along the cliffs.
fought to
their death  
and allowed Battle of Thermopylae
the majority
of the Athens The Battle of Thermopylae was brutal. The Persians won the battle
to evacuate
92 and prepare
for their next
battle.
but when talked about it is forgotten that the Greeks did not win. However, it is an important and
popular battle when looking at ancient warfare.

Vengeance is Near

During the Battle of Marathon, Darius I, the Persian King, had been defeated by the Athenians.
10 years later, Darius's son Xerxes vowed for revenge and came back with a bigger and better
Persian Army; it was bigger than anyone had ever seen before.

He along with at least 200,000 Persian soldiers went against the Greeks; the Greeks were
horribly outnumbered. Athens, Sparta and other Greek city-states all came together to prevent
Persia from taking over Greece.

Greek Traitor

At Thermopylae, it was said that approximately 7,000 Greek soldiers were ordered to guard the
pass specifically to keep the Persians out of the pass so the rest of Greece would be protected
from any attacks. While the Spartans and other small city-states were fighting the Persians at the
pass, there was also a naval battle going on; together, although Greece ultimately lost, they were
able to hold of the Persians long enough so that the Greek city-states, including Athens, were
able to prepare for the incoming Persians.

At the Thermopylae mountain pass, the Greeks fought with the Persians for two days straight;
however, there was a Greek traitor that led the Persians into a secret pass to attack the Greeks
from behind.

Spartan Discipline

When the Greek soldiers found out that there was a traitor among them and the Persians were
using a secret pass to get behind them, most of Greeks retreated to let their city-states know to
prepare for a surprise attack. About 300 Spartan soldiers stayed at Thermopylae and fought until
their death. They believed in honorable dying; they never surrendered or gave up.

The 300 Spartans were able to hold off the Persians long enough for Athens to evacuate their
city; this saved the majority of Athens and allowed them prepare for their next battle. When the
Persians got to the city-state of Athens, they destroyed the city and burned it down. The
Athenians evacuated by ship to the island of Salamis.

93
 Main Concept
At the Battle
of Salamis, The Persian War: Battle of Salamis
the Greeks
outsmarted  
Xerxes. Battle of Thermopylae
Even though After the defeat of the 300 Spartans during the Battle of
the Greeks Thermopylae, the Greeks had enough time to evacuate to Salamis
lost to Xerxes before the Persians destroyed Athens and burned it to the ground.
and the The Battle of Salamis shows how Athens was a naval force at its
Persian army best.
at the Battle
of It took the Persians about a month to get to Athens. Once they were
Thermopylae there, most of the Athenians were gone! The Persians didn't realize
and Xerxes most of the Athenian population was already headed on ships to the
burned island of Salamis.
Athens to the The Battle of Salamis
ground,
Athens with The Greeks were still on ships when the Persians engaged them on
its naval water. When the naval battle ensued, the Greeks started moving
skills was away from Salamis to get the Persians to follow behind them. The
able to Persians didn't catch on that this was a trap by the Greeks and so the
destroy the Persians started to chase behind them on water.
Persian fleet
which sent The Greeks lured the Persians away from Salamis into a narrow
Xerxes and
94 his troops
away in
despair.
body of water. The Persians took the bait and followed them; once this happened, the Greeks
quickly turned their triremes around and aimed them towards the Persians. Because the Greeks
were so skilled on boats, they were able to seize most of the Persian ships and win the Battle of
Salamis.

The Battle of Salamis resulted in the Persians losing 200 ships

Remember this... and the Greeks lost 40 ships. The Greeks won the Battle of
Triremes are Salamis.
Greek ramming
ships that were
agile and could Defeating Persia: Battle of Platea
turn very  
quickly.
The Persians wanted to extend their
Main Concept empire west and the only thing
Crushing the standing in their way was ancient
Persian Greece. The Spartans and the
Empire is a Athenians decided to team up against
historical the Persians. At the Battle of
significance Marathon, Darius I, Xerxes' father,
in ancient lost to the Athenians. 10 years later,
Greece. Xerxes came back enacting his
revenge and the Greeks are defeated
The world at the Battle of Thermopylae after the
could be 300 Spartans spared their lives to
extremely allow the Athenians to escape to the
different if the island of Salamis.
Persians
conquered During the Battle of Salamis, Xerxes
Greece and made the unforgivable mistake of
had the attacking the Athenians on the water,
massive which was their best military
Persian force defense. When he loses over 200
made its way ships to the Greeks, he goes home
west to and rethinks his military plans and
Britain. then returns to battle the Greeks the
next summer in the Battle of Platea.
Even though
they had a Battle of Platea
rough history
together, the During the Battle of Platea, the
city-states of Spartans dominated the Persians
Sparta and without any major problems; after
Athens united Xerxes lost this battle and never
and defeated came up against the Greeks again.
a major Athens and Sparta became great
power.
95
allies despite the differences they had. The Persian threat had been eliminated because the two
Greek city-states worked so well and the Athenian people also gained confidence in their land
battling and restored faith that they could defend themselves. 

Although they ultimately came together to fight against a common enemy, the Spartan's and
Athenian's competition factor was heightened in ancient Greece to be the best city-state.

How to Build the Persian Empire

When talking about ancient civilizations, every empire had
something in common: they need a large military, bureaucracy and
Main Concept standardization. When conquering land, an empire controls its own
The Persian country and other people's countries as well so there would need to
Empire was be an organized, large military force intact to keep the civilization
instrumental and its civilians in order.
in history
along with Organized Military
the Hebrews,  
Egyptians, The Persian Empire was really interesting because it conquered
and the Egypt, the Phoenicians, the Indians so they had a multi-national
Greeks. force. They had different languages and cultures fighting for them.

They were an The Emperor of Persia had a group called the Immortals, his own
important and personal guards. 
really
powerful
group. When one Immortal died, got sick or
Remember this... in other words injured, then another
The Immortals would immediately step in its place.
were some of They were a wonderful force in the
the best Persian ancient world and allowed the
soldiers that Persians to get a lot of territory. 
were notorious  
for wearing Bureaucracy
mesh over their
faces.

96
 Remember this... The word bureaucracy comes from the German word büro
Bureaucracy is meaning "office". Principals and secretaries are all part of
the way a bureaucracy. Bureaucracies are set up so whatever the person on
government is the top wants to get done will get done at the bottom. Teachers
organized by get things done, however they are not bureaucracy. Essentially, a
state officials bureaucracy is a system of organizations.
instead of  
elected The Persian Empire's Bureaucracy
representatives.
The King of Persia divided it into 20 provinces with a governor.
Bureaucrats are Then smaller and smaller territory. Whenever the King wanted
non-elected something done, he would contact the governors or other local
people who people who have control. They collect taxes, follow up on
work for the projects and makes sure everything is done the way the ruler
government and wanted it.
carry out day-  
to-day tasks Standardization
making sure  
things get done.
Money, weight and laws are just a
Remember this... few of the things that having the
To standardize same standards for them no matter
something is to where you go would allow for
make sure better trade, better communication
things have the and overall efficiency.
same values no
matter where The King of Persia had
they are. standardized all weights and
measures in Persia. A foot was a
foot and a grand was a grand no
matter what part of Persia someone was in. The Persians were also one of the first groups to have
coins which made trading easier. They even had an extensive road system that allowed people to
travel to one side of the Persian Empire to another. The empire had a postal system for
communication and made sure the taxes were the same in every province.

Because the Persian Empire is so well-organized, trading increased, communication skills

increased and the empire is able to control its vast territory which allowed for greater success of
the civilization.

97
 Cyrus the Great and Accomplishments

When looking at the Greeks, they talked about the Persians being
Main Concept horrible and barbaric people. The Persian Empire started in 550
The Persian B.C. with Cyrus the Great. Cyrus the Great first conquered the
Empire was Babylonian Empire and freed the Jewish people from Babylonian
the largest exile; he also allows them to go home and rebuild their temple.
and most
powerful After the Babylonian Empire the Persians conquer Egypt and then
empire of the India and Indus River valley in 530 B.C.E. At the expansion of
ancient times. Persia, they had 44% of the world's population inside of the empire
They were and it was approximately 5.5 million miles around.
tolerant
religiously, Cyrus the Great
technologicall
y advanced Cyrus the Great had limited slavery in his empire because it was
and wealthy. against his religion. He allowed religious tolerance and didn't care
what religion people had. They could have their own culture,
The Persians language and clothing. You could practice whatever religion or
were written beliefs you wanted. In the Jewish scripture, Cyprus the Great is
about as considered a hero because he saved them.
barbarians in  
many stories, Royal Road
however when  
looking at The Persians developed 1,500 miles long with a series of
ancient messengers that can carry info from one part of the empire to
history it is another one. Before the Royal Road it took 3 months to get
important to messages across the empire; with it, the trip took about 9 days.
consider the  
sources.  Barbarism of Persians

Considering the sources is always important when reading or

following politics or looking at history. The people calling Persians barbaric were the Greeks
because they had been invaded by the Persians.

The Greeks fight the Persian Empire in 3 battles and then in one
Remember this... of the battles Xerxes, Darius's son, burns down the city-state of
The Persian Athens. The Greeks defeat Xerxes and his troops one last time
King Darius in and then Xerxes leaves their civilization for good.
513 B.C.E sent  
troops over to Persepolis
ask Greece to
give him gifts of
their land.
98
Alexander the Great shows up in 331 B.C.E and encourages the Greeks to attack the Persian
Empire. The Persian Empire was ruled by Darius III; he was weak, cowardly and was known for
running away. In the end, Alexander the Great conquers the Persians.

One day Alexander the Great, still upset that Athens was burned by the Persians, burns the
beautiful, artsy capital of Persepolis down and takes all of its wealth. At that time, Alexander the
Great was the richest man in history because he took his wealth from the largest civilization of
ancient times.  

Main Concept
The
Parthenon
along with
the Acropolis
are the
crowning
jewels of Golden Age of Athens
ancient  
Athens.  
The time of After the Persian Wars, General
the Golden Remember this... Pericles ruled Athens for 31
Age is a very During the years. The Golden Age of a
flourishing Golden Age of civilization is a time period where a
and Athens, there lot of positive things are happening.
wonderful was much The civilization is usually prosperous
time in positivity and and peaceful, which is the complete
Athens. flourishment opposite of the Dark Ages, which
However, the under the was a time period of isolation, non-
rulership of leadership of advancement, a lack of language.
General Pericles in
Pericles was Athens.
99 slowly
brewing
trouble.
Goals
 
General Pericles was one of the ten generals that ruled under the democratic government. He had
major goals for ancient Athens.
 
1. Strengthen Democracy
 
General Pericles wanted to balance the power between the rich and the poor.
A popular quote by Pericles was "everyone is equal before the law". Pericles also felt like the
rich had advantages that the poor didn't. He started to pay public officials and expand eligibility
which allowed more citizens to serve in civic duties.

In the past, farmers that were called in jury duty could lose a lot of money cause of having to do
these duties. General Pericles was the person who said people should be paid for fulfilling civic
duties so it didn't seem like much of a hardship. He also developed more direct democracy
initiatives, which allowed for more citizens to vote for and propose the laws.

2. Expand the Empire

 

The Delian League was said to have been established on the

Remember this... island of Delos.
The Delian
League was a Essentially different city-states paid dues to be a part of the
union between organization. They would have to paid dues to the organization
city-states which because it would pay for their protection. They also used the
provided them league's money to build a strong navy.
protection and
unification. Pericles started to abuse his power by taking control of the Delian
League's treasury. It is believed that Pericles started using the
The Delian treasury's money for project specific to Athens opposed to other
League built at city-states. Some city-states were starting to feel conquered and
least 300 under control rather than unified under one group.
warships under
Pericles' 3. Beautifying Athens
leadership.
After the Persians burned Athens down, Pericles headed projects
to develop beautiful buildings and structures to show the beauty,
culture and education of Athens. However, it is said that some of the money from the Delian
league was used to reconstruct Athens; this fact upset many members of the Delian League
because not everyone in Greece would be reaping the benefit of the beautification.
 
The Acropolis

100
Pericles had the Acropolis built. It meant "high city" and it was a temple or monument to the
ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses. The Parthenon has a beautiful statue of Athena inside and is
considered "near perfect architecture".

Peloponnesian War: Delian League vs Aegean

League
 

Sparta vs. Athens

Main Concept
After 27 years The Peloponnesian War was a historical war against the two greatest
of war, cities and most powerful city-states of ancient Greece: Sparta and Athens.
and crops are
destroyed and After the Persian War, although the two powers united during that
the economic time, the Spartan and Athenian people started to have some conflict
and military developing as they were competing to be claimed the better and
power is lost. greater warriors in ancient Greece.
Democracy  
declines and     
united Greece The Delian League refers to the land
is over. Remember this... over the island of Delos. It is
A civil war is controlled by Athens, a naval
Phillip II of war going on power. The Aegean League refers to
Macedon was inside of a the land over the Aegean Sea. It is
eyeing country between controlled by Sparta, and they are a
Greece to rivaling groups. military power on land.
conquer one
of the Trouble is Brewing 
greatest
civilizations Athens' power was increasing because they controlled the trade
in all of routes; through the Delian League they controlled all areas of the
history. Aegean Sea. The Athenians also controlled grain and other foods.

Sparta was feeling threatened by the growing power of Athens and

101
also questioning Athens using money from the Delian League to improve the beautification of
Athens instead of for the protection of the league like it was designated.
 

Sparta's Ultimatum

In 431 B.C, Sparta ordered Athens to "free all city-states under your control or face war,"
because some of the members of the Delian League were complaining to Sparta about the money
being used towards Athens.

War Begins... 

Athens went behind the city walls due to them not wanting to fight Sparta on land because they
knew it was Sparta's strength. Because Athenians had excellent farmland surrounding their city,
the Spartans in turn burned the countryside of Athens.
 
Athens' Plague
 
Pericles planned to wait out the Spartan's rampage of Athens until the Spartans gave up.
Unfortunately, a plague hit Athens and Pericles was killed. 1 out of every 4 people in Athens
died.

Eventually both powers came to a deadlock. Food was scarce for

Remember this... Athenian families because Sparta burned countryside. Labor was
Deadlock is short because slaves escaped to Sparta. Athens won sea battles
when neither and Sparta won land battles. There were deaths in most families.
sides of a battle Suddenly, Sparta gains an ally...
can push
forward The Persians Are Back!
anymore.
Sparta asks Persia for money for their naval fleet; Persians help
Sparta by giving them the money without hesitation! The Persians
didn't join them in battle, but they hoped secretly that the city-states of Greece would destroy
each other so Persia could have an open opportunity to conquer Greece.

102
The End is Near

Sparta gains control by not fighting. The Athenian people left boats full of supplies on the harbor
of Athens to get more supplies, but the Spartans stole the boats so they had the supplies and the
Athenians didn't have their boats anymore. In their last move to retreat from the Spartans, the
Athenians barricaded themselves inside of their city walls without any supplies to fight; in 404
B.C., the Athenians gave up.

Split-up of Greece
 
The allies were broken up after Greece collapsed. During the Peloponnesian War, two of the
biggest forces in ancient Greece were battling with each other. The whole leadership structure of
the country started to crumble and it left Greece vulnerable to other countries that were thinking
about conquering it.

103
 Alexander the Great: Building an Empire

Alexander the Great was one of the greatest military leaders in

Main Concept ancient history. Even after his passing, many people turned to him
Alexander as an example of how to be a leader and how to build an empire. He
had his sights was responsible for spreading Greek culture throughout Egypt and
set on great many parts of Asia; Alexander paved the way for many new
things, such civilizations to develop in the future.
as building  
an empire Philip II of Macedon
bigger than  
anyone ever As a boy, he was the young son of Philip II of Macedon. After the
seen in Peloponnesian War where Athens and Sparta fought each other and
history; that brought down the Greek civilization, Philip II of Macedon had his
is exactly eyes on Greece as the next piece of land to conquer. Macedon is
what he did. located north of ancient Greece, however Philip was assassinated
before he was able to conquer it. At the very ripe age of 20,
He is Alexander became King.
arguably one
of the best King at 20
military  
leaders that Alexander the Great trained all his life. He grew up reading, writing
history has and studying great philosophers such as Aristotle. He learned about
known. He politics and military strategies from his father; as a very small boy
respected his he showed the early signs of becoming a great leader.
men and they  
respected He ultimately conquered Greece in a brutal way. In Greece, the
him. people fought him and his soldiers diligently but they ultimately
losing to Alexander and his men. He then set his eyes on the
Persians.

The Persians
 

Remember this... Alexander's Men

In 334 B.C.,
Alex and his Alexander's men were a small amount of troops that were fiercely
men took on the loyal and extremely well-trained under his leadership.
Persian army.  
The Persians had a very large military but were not loyal or
nearly as well-trained as Alexander's men. Alexander's men
fought with heart, as opposed to the Persians fighting without any values or interest in what

104
they're fighting for.
 
Empire Grows
After a year of fighting, Alexander and his men conquered Persia
and he was named Pharaoh in Egypt and then he moved into
Remember this... modern-day Iraq, where he made Darius III flee. After they got
"Spoils of war" the spoils of their war with the Persians, they burned down the
means riches Persian capital to the ground.
like gold and
other riches that One of the reasons his men were so fiercely loyal to him is
an empire may because Alexander the Great was known for sharing the spoils of
have. war with his men. This meant that when they conquered land, he
shared the valuables with his men. This showed his soldiers that
Alexander the he had respect for them and recognized their hard work.
Great would  
lead his men Alexander's Desires
into tough
battles and fight Alexander the Great's desires eventually got him into trouble. He
alongside them. was setting his sights on a bigger empire with more power.

As he pushed his men further East to India hoping to conquer the

Indus River Valley, his men grew weary of battle and being far
Main Concept away from home. He took their fatigue into consideration and they
The turned back west toward home for a break, forgetting about his
Hellenistic plans to conquer India.
Age was a  
time of An Early Death
greater  
cultural Alexander the Great met his end in 323.B.C in Babylon; he became
insight, seen ill and died at the age of 33. He left the largest Empire the world had
in the artwork ever seen with no heir. After his death, there were a lot of
architecture disagreements about who should take over and command his large
and the group of men. Ultimately, the Empire was split into three different
Alexandrias. parts by 3 Generals that worked for Alexander.

It was
The Hellenistic Age
through
Alexander the
The Hellenistic Age is credited to Alexander the Great; he loved the
Great's eyes
cultures he saw as he was building his empire. He combined all
that the birth
those cultures to form the Hellenistic Age but he mostly admired the
of the
Greeks.
Hellenistic
Age came and
   
still exists Remember this...
After he conquered the Greek city-
today in the The Hellenistic
states and set his sites on Persia, he
artifacts that Age is a
often allowed the local cultures and
we continue combination of
105 to study from Indian, Persian
his life and Greek
period. cultures.
religions to continue practicing their belief systems as long as they followed the leadership of his
empire. This was unique because typically when an area was conquered, people in that area were
also conquered would be forced to change their cultural and religious values to those of the
conqueror's. It is said that Alexander was the model for the late Roman empire.
 
Love of Culture
 
He loved bringing people, culture and ideas together. He married two Persian princesses and
encouraged his soldiers to do the same thing; partly to embrace the Persian culture and to create
some peace after his Persian conquest.
 

Alexandria

Alexandria is a lighthouse named after Alexander the Great at the mouth of the Nile River that
still stands today in Egypt. It is the first known lighthouse built in the world and has a mirror
inside of it that can reproduce light that can reflect up to 35 miles away.

The lighthouse has much significance; at the time of construction, it was one of the busiest ports
for trade and travel among many different cultures. As he established cities, he named them after
himself. There were 12 different Alexandrias but this one is probably the most popular and most
famous because of Alexander the Great's involvement with Egypt and the lighthouse which
draws in many tourists.
 
Government

In terms of government, as Alexander conquered territories, the democracy in Greece slowly

declined. The government returned to a kingdom and the city-state was no longer the central
place of governmental power. Women gained more rights and became more educated which was
much different than ancient Athens where women couldn't even be citizens. Women could even
own property in Alexander the Great's empire.

Arts

Under the Hellenistic Age, art includes women, love and emotions more than ever before. Art
before the Hellenistic Age was centered more around men, religion, and more serious situations.
Women gained more freedom in the ancient world which ultimately led more emotional art to
surface about the common people's lives. 

106
 Contributions of Ancient Greece
Democracy
Main Concept Democracy is the most important thing when bringing up ancient
From art and Greece contributions, particularly ancient Athens and what we
architecture learned of their ancient civilization. It is the development of citizen-
to theatre, centered government, essentially "people power".
philosophy
and education Greek Philosophy
the ancient
Greek's Another contribution includes Greek Philosophy, or searching for
contributions wisdom and knowledge explaining the way things are in life.
are amazing. Philosophy wasn't just about day to day life, but about solving
There is no problems and digging deeper into the human mind. There are three
doubt that the philosophers in particular who are famous in ancient Greece.
ancient  
Greeks gave Socrates
a lot of
Socrates is credited for the Socratic
foundation to
Method. Particularly in law schools,
western Remember this... teachers use the Socratic method to
society today, The Socratic try and test their knowledge of what
including Method is a they learned. Socrates was seen as a
democracy. method of dangerous man because he had many
asking questions different ideas about the way things
to find out were and the way things should be.
answers.
He was so challenging in ancient
Greece that he went to trial and was

107
found guilty of standing against important leaders in ancient Athens. Once found guilty, he was
forced to drink a poison and commit suicide. He left no writings behind but had many students
that he taught his philosophies to.
 

Plato

Plato was a student of Socrates and was credited for writing down some of the teachings Socrates
taught him over the course of his lifetime. Plato also created the Academy.

Aristotle
Remember this... Aristotle was a student of Plato and he was credited with the
The Academy classification system and testing hypothesis; he also was a
was a school for logician.
government
leaders to teach
them the He came up with the logic that, "If
Socratic method Remember this... A=B and B=C, then A=C" which
and philosophy A logician is a is a very practical concept in math
on how to be person who to help teach logical thinking
good leaders. It specializes in or skills.
lasted for 900 is skilled at
years. logic. Other Contributions to Learning:
Medicine
   
Hippocrates

Hippocrates believed disease was from natural causes as opposed to many people of his time
thinking it was because of evil entities. He also developed the Hippocratic Oath. Hippocrates is
known as the founder of modern-day western medicine.

Other Contributions to Learning: Math

Remember this... The principles of a pulley and lever, the fundamental rules of
The Hippocratic geometry and the development of the Pythagorean theory came
Oath is the oath from ancient Greece.
that doctors take  
when they
graduate from Other Contributions to Learning: Science
medical school.
One of the lines
108 of the oath is,
"do no harm".
The idea that Earth is in space and revolves around the Sun came from Greece. They even had a
formula to figure out the circumference of the earth, the scientific method and the substance of
matter(atoms). For this time period, these were all very advanced ways of thinking.

Olympic Games
The first recorded date for Greek's Olympic games is 776B.C. The games were meant to honor
the gods and happened every 4 years. Because the Olympic Games were connected directly to
Greek Mythology and honoring the Gods and Goddesses, the Olympic Games was also meant to
form a truce during wars with countries. 

Some of the events in the Olympic Games included running, chariot races, wrestling, and boxing.
In terms of theatre, soliloquy was discovered in ancient Greece. Greek tragedies and comedies
have also been made famous.

Remember this...
Soliloquy is
speech in which
person's
thoughts and
feelings are
expressed to an
audience.

A tragedy has a
sad
Mainending.
Concept
When
A comedythe
studying has a
happy ending
Greeks, you .
don't just
want to study
ancient
Greece
because the Cool Greeks
Greeks moved  
around a lot,
including in Some smart people in ancient Greece include Aristotle, Plato and
Alexandria. Socrates but there's also a place where there were other smart
Extremism Greeks but they weren't in Greece.
was frowned
upon and Alexander the Great, after 300 C.E., built the city of Alexandria and
could lead to inside there was a giant library where the Greeks would come learn
brutal and practice their crafts.
consequences
but this did
not stop early
109 scholars from
being
different.
 If someone wanted to build a fort or castle then it would require
Remember this... some background or knowledge of Geometry when putting it all
Geometry is the together. You can find the answer because of a man named
study of shapes, Euclid.
angles, 2-  
dimensional and Euclid of Alexandria
3-dimensional  
objects. Euclid lived in 300 B.C.E. Alexander hadn't started the library yet
but he lived in Alexandria and wanted to gather the world's
knowledge in mathematics. He wrote 13 books that defined
geometry for 2000 years. Until the 1700's that was the only source for teaching or learning
geometry. There is not much information on his personal life.

Euclid is responsible for the Golden Age of Greek Mathematics. In modern times, students are
still learning these ancient methods of learning. His methods are all about using logic, reasoning
and the process of elimination to prove something.

When diagnosing a patient who has specific symptoms, doctors today use Euclidian geometry
when trying to figure out an idea of what's wrong with patient. This ancient method was studied
through the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages and aided in the construction of ships to sail the
world during the age of discovery. This form of mathematics was called Euclidian geometry.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln had Euclid's book and studied it extensively. He was a lawyer and used the
logic of Euclidian geometry to set up good arguments, be logical and be persuasive when
producing political and legal arguments.
 
Hypatia
 
In the library at Alexandria, most of the teachers are men. One of the only woman teacher's name
was Hypatia. She lived around 400 C.E. Her father was a math teacher at the library and so she
studied and learned from him but she was still curious and wanted to know more.

Hypatia studied not only mathematics but astronomy and philosophy. She also taught men how
to build an astroglobe.

It can be dangerous to be ahead of your time and stand out;

Remember this... sometimes people don't greet exceptional people very well.
An astroglobe is Hypatia was a respectable woman, but women were not normally
a scientific seen in the public eye during the fourth century.
advanced
calculator There was a lot of conflict between the Christian, Jewish and
allowing people Pagan faiths. In fact, most people of influence took bodyguards
to study the
110 stars.
with them wherever they went around the city, except Hypatia who just wanted to teach. In
philosophy, Hypatia came up with cutting edge ideas. She was a Pagan in a time where there was
a large Jewish population but the bishop of Alexandria used her philosophy when writing the
idea of the Christian trinity.

Hypatia had a student who was a bishop and he protected her. However, history has continuously
showed that extremism is rarely a good thing. There was a group of extremist Christians who
hated her because she had so many contributions towards science although she was a Pagan.

This group, led by Peter the Lector attacked her, killed her and destroyed all of her teachings.
They thought they were saving their own religion but they were actually hindering future
generations to learn. Some of the ancient Greeks were remarkable, wonderful and led an
untimely death because of their differences.

First Historians 
Why Do We Study History?
Main Concept Some of the reasons we study history are to see the patterns and
When we prevent bad things from coming. We also study history in order to
study history, change the world. You can change the world if you use history as an
we know the example of the way things should or shouldn't be. We can study
past and history to learn about the great people of the past so that we can
understand aspire to be like them.
more about  
the world and History explains why things are the way they are. It also teaches us
how things about human nature. When we study empires like the Roman
work. Empire, we learn how to control and how to treat people so that
when we grow up and are a member of our own families, we can
The reason connect what we learned about human nature with the way we are
we study is supposed to act.
because it  
affects who In the ancient world, they didn't really "do history". For instance, in
we are today Egypt, the history came from records that were found left behind but
and can no one sat down and told the stories of what happened until the
impact the Greeks.
way we make The First Historians
decisions in Herodotus
the future. Herodotus was the world's first historian. He was a Greek man who
lived at the time of the Persian War. It was important to him that the
future generations remembered the war and the sacrifices the Greek
soldiers had made.

He gathered the information from multiple eye witness accounts; he doesn't always write it down
accurately and he wrote a lot of negative and untrue things about the Persian Empire but it was

111
the first attempt of writing down history so the mistakes were overlooked. 

Thucydides

The second historian was Thucydides. He lived during the Peloponnesian War and wanted to
analyze why and what was happening. He talked to many eye-witnesses and tried to write it
down. He wrote about the good and bad decisions that were made, trying to remove superstition
and references to the Greek gods and goddesses to write an accurate history. He also did a great
job of writing down speeches and we start to see quotes for the first time in history as far as what
the ancient public speeches were about.

In particular, Thucydides wrote down a funeral oration made by Pericles, a Greek general who
was elected 30 years in a row.
Pericles talked to the people and told them he wanted them to believe in the greatness of Athens
and the protection of democracy. It was such a riveting speech that 1000 years later, it was still
copied by Abraham Lincoln during the Gettysburg Address and the only reason he knew about it
is because of Thucydides' writings.

112
 Grade 6 Social Studies Textbook – UNIT 7
Political Sub-Continent of India
 
Main Concept
India is in
Asia. It looks
like it was
added on
later and not
because of
mountains
growing, but
because India
was formed
by plate
tectonics.   
Bodies of Water
 
The Arabian Sea is in the Middle East, the Indian Ocean surrounds India and the Bay of Bengal
is named after Bengal tigers which live in India.

India

A lot of our land forms are compared to a graham cracker on water: they sort of move around.
India merged into the Eurasian plates and coincidentally the Himalayan Mountains and the
Tibetan Plateau were formed.

India is a sub-continent. It is not a full continent but an addition, which is a separate entity. When
talking about historical India before there are country borders, there are a lot of countries
involved: whatever slams into Eurasia. This includes Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and
India.

113
Afghanistan
 

Afghanistan is quite mountainous and to the west of it is Iran. Afghanistan is not an official a
part of India, but it is historically important for Americans.

When talking about the Middle East, there are different lines drawn by other countries. When
talking about Asia, geography determined those lines; in India the people who lived there,
different religious groups, determined those lines. They also lived in different countries.

114
Pakistan

Pakistan is to the west of India and Bangladesh is to the east of India. When Britain owned this
territory, all three of these countries were a part of India. When it splits because Britain lost
control, there was a large Muslim and Hindu population and they realized they needed separate
countries although they tried to coexist at first.

Some of the Muslims in India moved to Bangladesh or Pakistan and some of the Hindu people
that lived in those countries migrated to India. At one point, Bangladesh was called East Pakistan
and Pakistan was considered West Pakistan. These two countries are largely Muslim. India is
largely Hindu. Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka are largely Buddhist. In this time, the people who
lived there controlled the country's boundaries.

Pakistan and India still had conflict between them and both had acquired nuclear weapons. There
was a region called Cashmere that they both claimed which is right between them. India itself is
the world's largest democracy with 1 billion citizens. They barely got their independence in late
1940s, but they are the world's largest.

Bangladesh

115
Bangladesh is a large river delta to two major rivers: The Ganges River in India and the
Brahmaputra River which travels north of the Himalayans. River deltas spread out and are very
fertile cause of the rich soil, however Bangladesh is a very poor nation with lots of flooding.

Bhutan
 

Bhutan is basically a kingdom which was isolated until recently. A lot of tourists travel to
Bhutan if they want a glimpse of ancient times because people there still live in similar ways that
they did hundreds of years ago.

Nepal

Nepal is in the Himalayan Mountains. Mt. Everest is in the Himalayans, which is the highest

116
place in the world. Many of the Nepalese people that live there are sherpas. The Nepalese people
are mostly Buddhist.

Sri Lanka
Remember this...
Sherpas are
Himalayan
people that help
people climb
mountains.

Main Concept
Monsoons
cause the Sri Lanka is an island. It is a Buddhist country steeped in tradition
Indus River in and sometimes civil wars take place there.
India to flood
every year.

Even though
the Indus
River Valley
is surrounded
by desert and
some drier
regions,
flooding from
the monsoon
season allows
the Indus
River Valley
to be so
productive Geography of India and Monsoons
from farming.

The Population
geography of
India greatly India has the second most densely populated nation in the world.  It
effects how is very crowded and its population may surpass China's.
and where
people live
and how they
117 are able to
use their
land.
 River Valley Civilizations
Remember this...
"Densely India is a river valley civilization.
populated" The Indus River Valley has brought us the Harappan culture and
means a very has many characteristics. A lot of people live along the coastal
large number of lowlands of India. 
people live close
together. The majority of the land in India is on the peninsular plateau. Not
many people live on the peninsular plateaus. The islands of India
are highly populated.
 
The Himalayas

The Himalayan Mountains are famous world wide. Mt. Everest is arguably the most famous of
the Himalayan Mountains and is believed to have been created by plate tectonics. The melting
snow from the mountains gives life to the rivers each spring.

India is also known as a "sub-continent."

India was believed to be floating in the ocean until its plate

Remember this... tectonics merged with the plate tectonics of Asia. It is believed
A sub-continent that the Himalayan Mountains were formed by the pressure of the
has a lot of the two pieces of land being pushed together.
characteristics  
as a continent Monsoons 
but is smaller in  
size. A monsoon is similar to another season in India. Except, it is very
strong winds that bring a lot of rain and heat. There are three
major seasons in India: hot/dry, monsoon, and cool. 

Seasons in India
Hot & Dry
Average temperature is 110 degrees and there is no rain
 
Monsoon
During the monsoon season, it is very hot and wet. During this time, flooding and planting of
various crops both take place in India.

Cool
India’s cool season ranges between 80 to 90 degrees in temperature. During this time, India will
receive little rain.  

118
 Aryan Invasion

Aryans Arrive
Main Concept
There are Around about 2,000 BC we see the emergence of the Aryans. These
many individuals were herders and were very powerful. In addition, we
theories know that they had horses and were travelers. So, we do have
about the evidence of their movement.
settlement
and outcome Pro-Invasion Arguments 
of the Aryan
people. One of the many theories about the Aryan civilization is that they
These actually invaded the Harappan society.
individuals
established Some of the pro-invasion theories that led historians to believe that
settlement in the Aryans invaded the Harappan people included the culture of the
what today is Aryan people and their advancement in weaponry.
known as the
"Indus River Why Invasion?
Valley."
It is believed that the Aryan people invaded the Harappan's because
the Aryans were a very war-like driven society. Since the Aryans
were nomadic they generally had a harder time protecting what they own, which meant they tend
to fight more.

Also, the Kshatriya was the Aryan warrior class and to a warrior the greatest honor was to die in
war. In addition, it is believed that the Aryans had the tools to bring down another civilization.
At this time the Aryans had horses, bow and arrows, war axes, and spears.

119
Non-Invasion Arguments

Many historians do not believe that the Aryan civilization invaded the Harappan people because
their is not archaeological evidence. One of the most common ways to find out if a city has been
invaded is through the scorch marks on the walls of that city.

However, when archaeologist explored the big ancient cities of the Indus River Valley, there
were no scorch marks. Also, there were no remains found of people who may have been killed in
a violent way.

In addition, the Aryans left behind a lot of written records, but there is not written record of them
conquering the Indus River Valley.

Remember this...
One thing that
is agreed upon
in reference to
the Aryan
invasion is that
both the
Harappan and
the Aryan
civilizations
mixed at some
point in history.

120
 Aryan and Brahmanism
Harappan Civilization
Main Concept
Brahmanism About 2,500 years ago there was a great Harappan civilization that
is an ancient resided in the Indus River Valley. Eventually, the Harappan
Indian civilization declines with time as geographical changes occurred and
religious the Aryans move in.
tradition,
with many However, both cultures brought something in to the Indus River
connections Valley and developed a particular religion.
to Hinduism.
Brahmanism
Brahmanism
and Brahmanism influenced Hinduism a lot and some scholars believe it
Hinduism was just an earlier form of Hinduism.
both focus on
the In addition, scholars are trying to decipher which part of
importance Brahmanism comes from the Aryan society versus the Harappan
of the Veda -  society. One thing we know for sure scholars debate on is the
the ancient sacredness of the cow.
text of the
Hindu
people. 
The Cow

If we go back to the Aryans, we see that their entire culture revolved

around the cow. The Aryans wealth was even measured in cows. On the other hand, in the
Harappan civilization we see multiple images of the cow on their seals.

In addition, for the Hindu people we know that the cow pulls the plow, provides milk as well as
subsidence, and keeps their families alive. So, the beliefs of the cows ranges back thousands of
years ago.

Vedas

The Vedas is the written scripture under Brahmanism that was orally passed down for thousands
of years. However, in about 700 B.C.E.  a written language called Sanskrit was developed. As a
result, the Vedas was then written in the Sanskrit language.

Brahman

121
In Hinduism and in Brahmanism they believe in Brahman. Brahman is more than a God, but a
great force rather. In addition, the goal for every Hindu believer is to become one with Brahman
in the end, but they also have lots of Gods.

Caste System

When the Aryans moved into the Indus River Valley they had nothing to do with the Harappans
people who were already there, according to their writings. At the top of the Aryan caste system
there was a priest group followed by warriors, merchants, and the day to day workers.

Then, outside of the Aryan caste system were the Harappan people that were there before them.
Today, this is the Hindu caste system as well.

Dharma

We also see a lot of Dharma within the Aryan civilization. Dharma is the way an individual is
supposed to live their life, based on the way that God has made that individual.

Similarities of Brahmanism and Hinduism

Within Brahmanism and Hinduism we see all of the following similarities:

Vedas
Brahman
Gods
Caste system
Dharma

Main Concept Differences of Brahmanism and

The idea of Hinduism
Dharma and One of the differences we see between
the Brahmanism and Hinduism is that in
Bhagavad- Brahmanism they believe in an
Gita are very afterlife, but Hinduism the idea of
Remember this... important to reincarnation is introduced.
Hinduism is a   the Hindu  
flexible religion civilization.
and it changes
with time. In addition, Dharma and
one of the
most Bhagavad-Gita
important
parts of the Dharma
Hindu
civilization is Dharma emerges from the Hindu
the social religion and Dharma believes that
caste or the
122 system used
to grade a
society. 
there are four things that determine the way an individual should act as well as think. These four
things are age, personality, gender, and your caste.

Social Caste

In Hinduism and individual was born in one of four social castes. The first caste was the priest,
then the warrior, merchant/artisan, and lastly day laborer.

However, if you were not in any of those caste you were an outsider or untouchable. In addition,
there is a story in Hinduism called the Bhagavad-Gita.

Bhagavad-Gita

The Bhagavad-Gita is a very important story in the Hindu religion that talks a lot about Dharma.
In addition, the Bhagavad-Gita can be compared to that of the Iliad from the Greek culture
because it too was passed down orally and is not written down today.

Remember this...
According to
Hinduism
Dharma, an
individual is
required to stay
in the caste
system he/she is
in and make the
Hinduism: Brahman
best of it. and Multiple Gods
Main Concept
Hinduism Brahman
focuses on a
variety of Brahman is considered the one
different superior God of the Hinduism
gods and religion. Under Hinduism, everything
goddesses. is believed to be a part of Brahman.
However, the The goal in life is to unite atman or
one superior soul with Brahman.
God of
Hinduism is Multiple Gods
Brahman.
Each god Hinduism itself is made up of many
and goddess different gods and goddesses. Lord
of the Hindu Brahma is considered one of the many
religion has Hindu gods and is the “Creator of
a specific
meaning and
123 purpose and
a connection
to Brahman. 
God.” Another God under Hinduism is Lord Vishnu, “The Sustainer,” To sustain means to keep
something going.

Lord Shiva is also referred to as “The Destroyer.”  Shiva is believed to help destroy obstacles or
things that are getting in   an individual's   way of accomplishing something. Ganesha is a God
that is easy to identify because her head is made from an elephant. This God is typically
associated with the removal of obstacles as well, but in a different way.

Beliefs of the Hindu Gods

Hindus typically believe in many gods and goddesses. In addition, each god and goddess are
known to be a part of Brahman. Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are some of the various gods and
goddesses of the Hindu religion.

Remember this...
Hinduism is the
third largest
religion in the
world today.
Hinduism: Dharma, Karma, and
Samsara
Vocabulary
Main Concept Atman - soul
There is a Dharma - sacred duty
connection to Karma - sum of good and bad
be made Samsara - reincarnation
when Moksha - becomes one with Brahman
analyzing the
relationship
Dharma
between
Dharma is a sacred duty and the belief that each person has a role in
Dharma,
the world. In addition, by acting out your sacred duty you are going
Karma, and
to create harmony in the world. Dharma is determined by an
Samsara.
individual's age, personality, caste system(varna), and gender.
Remember, there is no social change or movement within the social
All of these
class of Hinduism.
concepts
have specific
duties to be Karma
fulfilled Karma is the sum of the good and the bad actions that you do in your
within the life that will determine what your karma will be. In Hinduism it is
Hindu believed that both the good and bad actions of an individual are
religion.     carried in their soul from life to life.

124
Also, karma is directly related to the concept that we call reincarnation. Karma is basically
considering if an individual is doing what is expected of them based on their good and bad
actions.

Samsara
Samsara is the continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. According to Hinduism, an
individual will continue to go through Samsara until he/she gets their karma in a place where
they have done more good than bad. Moksha in Hinduism is when an individual finally becomes
one with Brahman and is released from Samsara. 

Caste System
Remember this... Four Major Classes
The ultimate The four major classes of the Hindu
goal under Main Concept caste system include:
Hinduism is to The Hindu Priest (Brahmins)
become one caste system Warriors (Kshatriyas)
with Brahman.  is very Trader and Farmers (Vaishyas)
important to Menials and Servants (Shudras)
the Hindu
civilization. Know the Difference
A very It is very important that you know the
important difference of these three terms:
group of the Brahman: Supreme God
Hindu caste Brahma: Creator God
system is Brahmin: Holy man and highest varna
known as the
"untouchable Untouchables
s." We have looked at four varnas within
the caste system of Hinduism.
Untouchable However, the fifth group of people
s are also under the Hinduism religion are the
considered to untouchables. According to the Hindu
be outside of caste system, untouchables,
the caste are outside of the caste system.
system and
rejected from These are the people that are rejected
Hindu from the Hindu society and seen as
society.  unclean to be apart of the social
pyramid.
Who is Considered an Untouchable?
A single parent would be one reason that an individual might be considered an untouchable.
Another individual that is oftentimes considered an untouchable under the Hindu caste system
would be a homeless.

125
In addition, untouchables are usually put in positions to do tough labor jobs that no one else is
willing to do. 
Untouchables and Civil
Remember this...
Untouchables are those who
Rights
are outside the Hindu caste
system and the caste system is
Main Concept
the way people are organized
There are
within the Hindu society.
many
Untouchables and Civil Rights
similarities
between the
beliefs and
views
Gandhi and King of Mahatma
When Martin Luther King Jr. was a part of Gandhi and
the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S., he Dr. Martin
used Gandhi as an example for his peaceful Luther King
approach to black oppression. Jr. 

One of the ways that he did this was with One of the
through a practice called, ahimsa. Ahimsa many topics
means non-violent protesting. Both Gandhi that both
and Martin Luther King Jr. were known for King and
this practice of ahimsa.  Gandhi
advocated
Mahatma Gandhi against was
Mahatma Gandhi was an activist in India discriminatio
that was fighting for the rights of the n. Protest
untouchables and other people in the caste and efforts
system that were being mistreated. made by both
of these men
Gandhi did not improve of the caste system are still
and its ideals that people were subjected to a widely
certain position. recognized
In addition, these individuals were not today.  
allowed to work their way out of the
untouchable position. As a result of this, he
did a number of non-violent things to protest what he believed.

Gandhi’s Protest
One of the many non-violent protest that Gandhi is known for was going without food for a long
period of time in protest of things that were going on in his country. Although he has passed on,
Mahatma Gandhi is still a beloved leader today.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

126
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most important figures during the Civil Rights
Movement that took place in the United States. He was a pastor that went out and spoke against
the injustices of African Americans and other groups in the United States who were being
discriminated against.

Civil Right Movement & Untouchables

In both the Civil Right Movement and amongst the Untouchables there was discrimination.
Eventually, people got tired of being discriminated against in both instances and tried to rise up.

At times, these people were met with violence, so many of these individuals were afraid to create
changes in reference to unjust and cruel situations.

Laws
Oftentimes laws are put into place. However, putting a law into place does not always mean that
everyone's attitude or personal beliefs automatically change. So, laws were setup to make sure
that people could not be discriminated against for things that they naturally had no control over.

Gestalt Moments
Sometimes groups without power take risks to get their rights back and this was the case for the
untouchables and those of the Civil Rights Movement.

It is clear in both situations that people vary on their individual beliefs and values and sometimes
while laws may change, people do not.

Remember this...
The best way to
be an example
is to live your
life the way you
know that you
should treat
other people.

Siddhartha Gautama's Life- Part 1

127
 Vocabulary
Main Concept Ascetic-holy person who rejects worldly things
The life of Meditation-focusing of the mind on spiritual ideas
Siddhartha Fasting-going without food
Gautama's is
made up of
many
Historical Circumstances
Around the 500’s B.C. Siddhartha Gautama lived at the foothills of
important
the India/Himalayan Mountains and was Hindu. In addition,
stages.
Siddhartha Gautama was a prince that created the ideals of
Within each
Buddhism.
stage of the
life of
Meditation and fasting are both very important aspects of Hinduism
Gautama, he
and Siddhartha Gautama practiced both as a young boy.
encountered
various trials
However, meditation and fasting are also essential practices in
and
Buddhism.
tribulations. 
Stages of Siddhartha Gautama Life
The first stage of Siddhartha Gautama life said that there would be a
baby that was born after a prophecy and he would become the Buddha.
In the second stage of Siddhartha Gautama life he was able to live the life of a young prince,
until he was eventually married.

However, one of the things about Siddhartha Gautama life is that his parents sheltered him from
the outside world.

So, he was not able to experience the

Main Concept difficulties that everyday people
Siddhartha endured because everything he needed
Gautama and wanted was inside the palace.
went through
Remember this... the final
These are only stages of his 
the first couple life, before
of stages of he
Siddhartha transitioned Siddhartha
Gautama life. into the
Buddha. It is Gautama's Life-
believed,
amongst the Part 2
Hindu
civilization, First Stages Recap
that Remember, Siddhartha Gautama was
Siddhartha born a baby and it was prophesied that
Gautama he would become the Buddha. He
found the
128 answer to
end all
suffering. 
grew up to live the princely life of playing archery and was eventually married.

So, Siddhartha Gautama was able to travel outside the palace walls at about age nineteen.

However, Siddhartha Gautama had never been outside of the palace walls to really see what
those who suffered endured.

Leaving the Palace Walls

When Siddhartha Gautama became of age he wanted to travel outside of the palace walls.
However, part of the prophecy was that if he did not see suffering in the world, he would not
become the Buddha.

It is believed that as soon as Siddhartha Gautama came out of the palace walls he did see four
figures that were suffering.

What Happens Next?

After Siddhartha Gautama witnessed suffering for himself it is believed that he became an
ascetic. This meant that he gave up his princely life, left his wife as well as baby, to go out and
find the answer to ending suffering.

It is said that after tons of meditating, Siddhartha Gautama was able to find the answer as to how
to end suffering.

Remember this...
Siddhartha
Gautama
eventually
became the Main Concept Four Noble Truths
Buddha and his The Four
followers went Noble Truths
on to spread his
What Did He Discover?
are highly When Siddhartha Gautama became
teachings. recognized the Buddha, he decided to reject the
and followed caste system and its deities.
in the
Buddhist Remember, the caste system is the
religion. social pyramid of Hinduism.
These Four However, as Buddha he did keep the
Noble Truths ideas of karma and reincarnation.
are believed
to be the Karma being the sum of the good as
truths well as bad an individual does in life
revealed to and how it affects the soul.
Siddhartha
Gautama
before he
129 transitioned
into
Buddha.   
Reincarnation is the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. In addition, he defined what was called the
“Middle Way.”

The Middle Way

The Middle Way in Buddhism is neither extreme, but right in the middle. Also, the goal in life in
Buddhism is to attain Nirvana or be free from all suffering. So, an individual's goal in life under
Buddhism is different from that of Hinduism.

Four Noble Truths

The Four Noble Truths discuss the truths revealed to Siddhartha Gautama before he became the
Buddha. So, the first noble truth is that life is filled with suffering. This just means that there is
suffering all around us, for example, sickness and death.

The second noble truth states that all suffering is caused by people’s wants.

Then, the third noble truth is that suffering can end if people stop wanting things.

Finally, in order for a person to stop wanting things, the Eightfold Path must be followed.

Eightfold Path and Spread of

Remember this...
The Four Noble
Buddhism
Truths were
revealed to 1-4 of the Eightfold Path
Main Concept
Siddhartha
The Know the truth
Gautama as he
Eightfold Resist evil
transitioned
Path is an Say nothing to hurt others
into Buddha.
early Respect life
summary of
the path and 5-8 of the Eightfold Path
practices
that Buddhist Work for the good of other
followers Free your mind from evil
must take to Control your thoughts
reach Practice meditation
nirvana.
Spread of Buddhism
It is believed,
those who It is believed that Buddha taught his
follow followers his teachings and in return,
Buddhism, they passed them along to others.
that Buddha This helped with the spread of
taught his Buddhism.
followers his
teachings In addition, some of Buddha’s
and they then
130 passed it on
to others. 
teachings were written down and spread by example. As a result, Buddhism spread all the way to
Asia.

Spreads to Asia

Today, Buddhism is very active in various Asian countries like: China, Japan, Korea, and
Thailand. Also, Buddhism is even evident in the United States. However, Buddhism did not do
very well in India because Buddhism rejects the caste system that is central to the Hindu life. 

The Maurya Empire

Remember this...
The Eightfold Ancient India
Path is believed Main Concept Today, there are over fifteen-hundred
to help The Maurya different languages spoken in India,
Buddhist Empire was but in 351 we see India brought
become free the very first together for the first time.
from suffering. empire in Chandragupta Maurya was the first
ancient leader of India.
India. In addition, when Maurya’s empire
Although the collapses, ancient India would not see
Maurya another empire for five-hundred years.
Empire was However, the Maurya did not treat
very their people very well.
advanced
and had a
Military Force
strong
There was a prime minister in the first
economic
Mauryan Empire that wrote a book
foundation,
about how to rule and in the book he
they were
stated that rulers needed to be harsh.
very harsh to
The Maurya had a military force of
their people.
660, 000 soldiers and each ruler that
As a result of
came along expanded it.
this, the
Not only did the Mauryan use the
Maurya
military on other countries, they used
Empire did
it on their own people. If there was
in fact fall. 
any trouble and they wanted the king's
orders carried out, the military force
was sent in. 

Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is the framework of a government that gets things done. The Mauryan Empire
wanted to have complete control, so they set-up a huge bureaucracy.
At the top of the bureaucracy is the Four General Regions, then come Provinces, District, and
finally the Villages. However, each one of these stages is controlled by the government.

131
Standardization
In the Mauryan Empire we see standardization in the weight system. All of the weights were the
same no matter where you went in ancient India. In addition, the same money was used as well.

Rebellion
The Maurya Empire was very harsh to its people and as a result, the people rebelled. So, there
was a constant era of the Mauryan Empire trying to gain control.
Asoka's Rule
Remember this... Maurya Empire
Things for the The Mauryan Empire believed that the
ancient Main Concept way to gain control was to be harsh. In
Mauryan When addition, they used their military force
people did get Ashoka first on the Maurya people in order to keep
better under the became ruler control and to grow.
rule of Asoka. of the
Maurya Ahsoka
Empire, he There was a ruler by the name of
was very Ashoka who came about in the
harsh. Mauryan Empire. At first, he was
raised to take what you want as a
However, leader whether it be in war or under
once to any other circumstance. However,
teachings of there was a religion that started to
Buddhism grow in ancient India called,
spread to the Buddhism.
early
Maurya
Buddhism
Empire, his
Buddhism was started by a man
outlook on
names, Siddhartha Gautama and he
life and the
believed all life is suffering.
way he was
Remember, Ashoka was feeling very
governing
bad for the way that he had killed
his people,
many people in his conquest for land
also
and power.
changed. 
However, under Buddhism it teaches
that there is a way to be released from
suffering. Ashoka like this idea so
much, that he converted Buddhist. Not only that, Ashoka changed his government from a
military rule to a morally just government.

Government
The Eightfold Path to Nirvana was put into effect in the Mauryan Empire after Asoka converted
to Buddhism. This path included the practice of meditation, studying, good livelihood, and

132
peace. As a result of Asoka change in government we see the economy itself start to strengthen
as a whole.

The Economy
Pataliputra was the capital city of the Mauryan Empire under the rule of Ashoka. This city
became so prosperous that it developed into an international city. Asoka invited trade from the
outside, universities were built in Pataliputra, and even parks were built. At this point in the
Mauryan Empire we see Ashoka put the well-being of the people first.

Remember this... Contributions of Ancient India

Asoka
improved the Taj Mahal
Mauryan Main Concept The Taj Mahal is one of the most
Empire by India has famous images of India and is said to
treating his made many have been, “Built in Love”. This is
subjects well. significant because the King who commissioned
contributions for the Taj Mahal was so sad about the
to the world death of his wife that he shut courts,
we live in parties, and festivals down for a
today. period of grievance. After that time
period, he ordered that the Taj Mahal
From the be built.
creation of
beautifully
Contributions of India
structured
One of the major contributions of
buildings, to
India was the development of
the creation
Sanskrit. Sanskrit was the earliest and
of the
only known modern language. As a
number zero
culture, ancient India actually
- India is
established the number zero. In
widely
addition, they are given credit for
recognized
creating the formulas for area and
across the
volume. Metallurgy was also first seen
world.  
in ancient India.

Holistic Treatments
Ancient India was also the leader in holistic treatments or treatments that compliment modern
medicine. These treatments included:
Nutrition: use of herbs and medicine 
Yoga
Meditation
Remember this... Lack of surgery, but intuitive knowledge: setting bodies 
One of the most  
significant
concepts that
133 we get from
ancient India
today
 Grade 6 Social Studies Textbook – UNIT 8
Political Map of East Asia
China
Main Concept China is the largest country and one out of every four people live in
East Asia is China. In China, we know that they like dragons and if looking up
made up of North to the East of China it kind of looks like a dragons head.
several
different
countries,
with various
demographic
s and
geographical
features. 
Korea
The little peninsula to the side of China is called, Korea. After World
War II, Korea was split into North and South. North Korea is considered communist and the
South, democratic.

Japan
In the oceans close to China, we see the island of Japan. Japan had a very strong economy and is
very democratic. In addition, Japan has been an ally of America since World War II.

134
Taiwan
To the Chinese, Taiwan is considered their country, but to the Taiwanese they are considered
their own country.

Philippines
The Philippines is largely Catholic and has a huge Spanish and American influence. For years it
was a Spanish colony and when Americans went to war with Spain, it was inherited as an
American colony. However, now it is its own independent country.

Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is very mountainous, which is how it eventually got divided off from China.
Myanmar is a country in Southeast Asia that just recently opened up to the West. 

Thailand
Thailand is divided from Myanmar due to the mountain ranges located here. The drop in water
between the mountain ranges determines what areas are considered Myanmar and what areas are
considered to be apart of Thailand.

135
Cambodia
Located next to Thailand is Cambodia. Cambodia is a small country and had a big role in the
Vietnam War with Americans. Also, Cambodia went through a horrible time where their
government was killing their own people.
 
Laos/Vietnam
To the North of Cambodia is Laos and to the East of that is Vietnam. In addition, Vietnam is
where the United States fought for over ten years during the 1960’s and the 1970’s.
 

Mongolia
There is a huge desert between Mongolia and China called, the Gobi Desert. There is a high
grassland in the Gobi Desert and for centuries people here have lived as nomads. 
 

Remember this...
When you study
ancient China,
geography is a
major factor
136 that influences
location and
boundaries.
 Geography of China
Vocabulary
Loess - dusty, yellow soil deposited by wind
Main Concept
China has Positives of Loess in China
many There are positives and negatives to the loess found in China. One of
significant the positives is that wind and flooding leave lots of layers of the soil
geographical all over the land. If it is fertile, that would be good for farming. In
features. addition, the loess does not contain any clay or stones.
Flowing
through Since loess has no clay or stone it is able to be carried very easily
China are with the wind and water.
various
rivers that
Terrace
carry a very
Terrace farming is otherwise known as step farming. This is when
fertile soil
the steps are cut into the land of a hill or mountain to create room for
called, loess.
farming. However, it is because of terracing that the ancient Chinese
As a result of
were able to utilize their mountainous lands so well and become
this, China
excellent farmers.
flourishes in
farming. 
Negatives of Loess
The negatives of loess include easy come, easy go. Loess itself
erodes very easily. In addition, flooding and rain remove large
quantities of loess. When this happens, poor soil is left behind. As a result, during the dry season
China experiences clogged rivers and irrigation systems.

Western China
The farther West in China you go, the worse the soil and farming conditions get. Here, is where
we see most of China’s grazing cows and sheep. In addition, not very many people reside in
Western China.

South and East China

As you go South and East in China, we see better weather and land for farming. Not only that,
there is also a lot of population in this part of China.

137
 Chinese Isolation
Remember this...
China’s Geography
geography is Main Concept When we look at ancient China, we
shaped by For many see that it was isolated from the rest of
loess. years, China the world. To the East sits the Pacific
has been Ocean, dry deserts to the North,
very isolated mountains to the South, and a large
from the rest plateau to the West. As a result, the
of the world. Chinese develop independently.
Due to In the Western part of China the land
isolationism, raises and today it is called the
China has Tibetan Plateau. It sits at high altitude,
developed is colder, and very dry. In addition, the
independentl Tibetan Plateau has a very small
y as a population and very little agriculture.
country. 
Rivers
Even the directions of their major
rivers in ancient China played a huge role in the isolation of China. The rivers flowed from West
to East, so in the ancient world it was fairly easy to go downstream and difficult to go up. As a
result, the movement of people really pushed toward the Eastern side of ancient China.   

Isolation
In ancient China, the further West individuals traveled the worst the conditions became. So, most
people in China lived in the East. As a result, ancient China was isolated from the rest of the
world for over a thousand years and developed independently.

138
 Civilization on the Huang He
Remember this...
Due to ancient Flooding Rivers
China's Main Concept The Shang Dynasty had a total of two
isolation, their As a result of flooding rivers. One of those flooding
culture and the two rivers was called the Yangtze River.
traditions were flooding Along the Yangtze River they had rice
very different rivers, also cultivation. Located further North is
from those of known as the the Yuan River or what used to be
the outside Hunag He, known as the Yellow River.
world.       an early
civilization The Yuan is also called China’s
was birthed. “sorrow.”  This is due to the fact that
it floods so horrifically that it causes
This hardship for the people. However, it
civilization is did have silt.
often
referred to as
Loess
the Shang
In China their silt is called, loess.
Dynasty. 
Loess is a type of fine yellow soil, it is
so fine it can be moved by flooding
rivers and the wind. The good news,
loess is very fertile and can be terraced easily. However, the bad news is that it blows
everywhere.

The Yellow Sea

The sea located between ancient China and Korea used to be called the, Yellow Sea. This was
due to the loess turning the sea a shade of yellow.

Remember this...
The Shang
Dynasty started
where there
were two
flooding rivers
that left behind
great silt for
farming and
fertile land.
Shang Dynasty and Mandate of
Heaven

139
 Vocabulary
Dynasty - ruling family
Main Concept Character - printed or written letter, symbol or mark
Many Diviner - person who predicts or discovers the future
dynasties of Inscriber - someone who writes in a book, stone, metal, or paper
ancient Mandate of Heaven - command from heaven to rule
China
believed in Shang Dynasty
the Mandate The Shang Dynasty is the earliest dynasty of ancient China that we have
of Heaven. written evidence of their existence. This dynasty existed from
This was approximately 1500 B.C. to 1050 B.C.
considered a The Shang family was made up of kings and they established their
command dynasty along the Yellow River. Remember, this is where there was
from heaven flooding and fertile soil as a result of the loess found in ancient China.
to rule.
Religion
One of the
We have evidence that the Shang people believed in religion from their
earliest
oracle bones. Oracle bones were used to communicate with the
Chinese ancestors of those within the Shang Dynasty.
dynasties, the Priest of the Shang Dynasty would carve questions onto the oracle bone
Shang, were and then holes would be bored into the bones. After heat was applied to
some of the the bone, the way that the bone cracked would determine a good or a
first to follow bad omen.
the idea of
the Mandate Writing
of Heaven.  The early Shang writing system was based on pictographs or picture
writing. Today, there are over 10k characters of pictographs that we
know record of. So, the Chinese language is said to be written in
characters.

Mandate of Heaven
The Mandate of Heaven was a command to rule granted from the heavens. It is said that if one had a
good Mandate of Heaven things were very positive during their time of rule.
However, if the Mandate of Heaven was negative, one culture would experience bad things. In
addition, the Mandate of Heaven was used as a reason to overthrow a ruler.
Review of Warring
Remember this...
The Zhou family Main Concept States
used the The Warring
Mandate of States period Time Period
Heaven to take was a time The Warring States period came right
over the Shang when seven after the end of the Zhou Dynasty.
Dynasty, ending major states Remember, the Warring States period
their rule in in ancient was a time of seven major states in
ancient China. China were ancient China that were battling each
at odds. As a
result of this,
three major
140 philosophies
were
formed. 
other for battle and control of the country. It was out of this that we see the emergence of the
three major philosophies.

Philosophies
A philosophy is a view or ideas about how life works and things that occur in everyday life.
However, when we talk about a philosopher, we are talking about someone who has ideas about
the ways of the world and communicates them through their words.   

Warring States
During the Warring States there was a great desire to bring stability back to ancient China. There
were problems solvers and ideas created about the best ways to do that. The Warring States was
a time and conflict as well as unrest in ancient China.

Three Philosophies
The three main philosophies that emerged at this time were:
Confucianism-focus on respect and responsibility
Daoism-harmony with nature
Legalism- obedience through punishment

Remember this...
The three main
philosophies
emerged out of
the Warring
States period in
ancient China. 

141
 Warring States and Birth of Philosophies
Warring States
During the Warring States there was a great desire to bring stability back to
Main Concept ancient China. There were problems solvers and ideas created about the best
As a result of ways to do that. The Warring States was a time and conflict as well as
the Warring unrest in ancient China. Many states were struggling for power after the
States Period Zhou left power.
in ancient
China, three Seven Conflicting States
major The Warring States period lasted from approximately 403 B.C. to about 221
philosophies B.C.
that emerged.
The Walls
philosophies i Walls were always being built by the states involved in the Warring States
ncluded: period. Particularly the states that were located in the Northern part of
Confucianism ancient China during this time. One thing that was causing extra stress
, Daoism, and between the warring states was that Northern and Western invaders were
Legalism.  trying to come in and take over ancient China.
To the North were the ancient Mongolians and through their constant
attempts to invade ancient China, we see the development of the first Great
Wall.

The Art of War 

Also, at this time period we see the famous book The Art of War published. The Art of War is a book that
is still used today and was said to have been written by a legendary military strategist, who was an expert
in warfare. In addition, it is considered the earliest known book written on ancient warfare strategies.

Good vs. Bad

During the Warring States period, ancient China did not seem like a very good place to live. However, out
of all the conflict and unrest of this time came some positive transformations. Chinese philosophies were
brought about by the people of ancient China that truly loved their country during the Warring States
period. These individuals wanted to come up with a way to end all of the fighting and chaos in ancient
China at this time. So, philosophers started to form ideas about ways to settle the conflict and set ancient
China back on the right path.

Philosophies
Ultimately, the goal of philosophers at the
time of the Warring States period was to
make China a more peaceful and loving
Main Concept place to be. The three major philosophies
Confucianis that developed during this time are called:
Remember this... m is made up Legalism, Daoism, and Confucianism. 
The main goal of many
of Legalism,
Daoism, and
important
principles. Confucianism
Confucianism Some of the
was to bring
principles Analects
ancient China
back to being a include The Analects is a book of Confucius's
peaceful as well education
as united place and respect
142 to be.  for age as
well as
tradition. 
teachings that were recorded during this time in ancient China to share the teachings of
Confucianism with others.

The Classroom
If we were to setup a classroom in the style of Confucianism, you would sit in a circular group of
three to four people. You would also have to stand and bow to your teacher. Then, you would sit
and wait for instructions from your teacher.   

Age and Tradition

One of the key components of Confucianism is respect for age and tradition. Most relationships
were hierarchical or a system of persons or things that are ranked one above the other. In
addition, there are five major relationships in Confucianism:
Ruler to subjects
Father to child
Husband to wife
Older sibling to younger sibling
Friend to friend
 
Li
Li under Confucianism simply means, proper behavior for what your position is. This is believed
to be the key to stability or maintaining harmony in Confucianism. People were expected to act
within their roles in proper ways.

Education and Morals

Education is a very important principle in Confucianism. It is believed that an individual can rise
up in society or get into a better position by going to school and bettering your education. In
addition, the ruler was to be seen like a Father through the educational system.

Daoism
Remember this...
Under Daoism
Confucianism Main Concept
education and Daoism Daoism focuses on harmony with
respect are two really nature. In addition, under Daoism
major parts of focuses on individuals are able to learn and do as
Confucianism. harmony they please, as long as they are not
with nature. harming someone else.
One of the
major
Yin -Yang
symbols of
Daoism is
The Yin-Yang represents life and the
the Yin-
opposites in life that balance each
Yang.  
other out. Rulers and government
officials that follow the Daoist
philosophy typically pass few laws or

143
rules. It is believed that people should not be restricted by too many things of what they should
and should not be able to do.

Dao

The word “Dao” literally means to follow the way. In addition, truth is found in nature and we
should not strive for power, wealth, or knowledge. So, education is not a very important concept
to a Daoist philosopher.   

Remember this...
Daoism is all
about “going
with the flow.”

Legalism
Legalism
Legalism believes in the philosophy of obedience through
Main Concept punishment. This is a very harsh way of ruling people.
Legalism
believes Start of Class
heavily in If you were to walk into a classroom with a legalistic teacher there
obedience would be lots of rules. You would only be able to speak when given
through permission and stand respectfully as well as keep your eyes down
punishment. when addressing the teacher. Also, you would be forced to sit with
Especially in your back straight and keep your hands folded on your desk.
terms of
education Legalism Beliefs
and
The belief of those who followed Legalism was that people were
government. 
naturally evil and selfish. Also, they believed that the only way to get
people to do what they were told was through harsh punishment. 

Government Rule
If a government was being operated from a legalistic perspective, there would be strict laws and
harsh punishment to control people. In addition, rulers of this philosophy would never show
compassion or trust anyone.

144
There was an ancient Chinese ruler by the name of Qin Shi Huangdi who was the emperor for
the Qin Dynasty and he rules under Legalism.

Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism

Confucianism is based on respect and responsibility, family is important, and leaders lead by
example. Under Daoism “The Way” guides all things in life. These individuals strive to live in
harmony and to not change anything.

Then, there is Legalism or the belief that in order to receive obedience from people, there must
be punishment for wrongdoings. 

Remember this...
Confucianism, Qin Dynasty
Daoism, and
Legalism were
all born out of Vocabulary
the Warring Main Concept
States period in When the Centralize- rule over an area is
ancient China. Warring concentrated at a single center
States period Empire- group of states or countries
was over, the ruled by an emperor or empress  
state of Qin
was
End of the Warring States
developed.
Overtime, the
At the end of the Warring States
Qin Dynasty
period, the state of Qin was
became one
developed. The state of Qin easily
of the most
defeated other states in battle during
powerful
the Warring States. Qin became very
dynasties of
powerful and important after the
ancient
Warring States period.
China. 
Qin Shi Huangdi
Qin Shi Huangdi named himself the first emperor of ancient China. At first, he was the leader of
the Qin state before becoming leader of the Qin Dynasty. In addition, for about nine years the
Qin stare easily defeated its enemies.

Over the period of eleven years Qin Shi Huangdi worked very hard to unify the ancient Chinese
Empire. He had a central administration and central currency.

Centralization in the Qin Dynasty

Some of the things that were centralized in ancient China during the rule of Qin Shi Huangdi
included:
145
Road systems
Money systems
Administration

Qin Dynasty

The Qin Dynasty lasted from about 221 B.C. to 202 B.C. Qin Shi Huangdi used the Mandate of
Heaven to prove his reasonings for becoming the first emperor of ancient China. So, he used the
Mandate of Heaven to take over and name himself emperor.

However, Qin was a legalistic believer   and follower. This meant that Qin Shi Huangdi believed
in ruling people through harsh punishment in order to get them to obey.

Confucian Teachings

While living in the Qin Dynasty there was a lot of things that were not allowed. For example,
Qin ordered the removal of all teachings of the Confucianism philosophy. During this process of
removing Confucianism from the government, over 460 scholars of Confucianism were killed.

Qin Shi Huangdi also had all books that taught Confucianism burned. So, during the Qin
Dynasty it was a very dark time for those who believed in education. 

Remember this...
China
remained an
empire until
1912.

146
 The Great Wall of China
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China was built during the Warring States period
Main Concept to keep out invaders that were trying to take over ancient China from
The Great the Northern part of the country. So, over the course of time, small
Wall of segments of walls were built in the hopes that the giant walls would
China has keep out invaders.
been one of
the most During the rule of Qin Shi Huangdi he ordered the linking together
significant of the small walls to make one huge wall. This wall was known as
marks of the Great Wall of China.
China since
ancient Qin’s Death
times. When Qin Shi Huangdi died he had already linked many parts of the
Great Wall of China together, which was a great accomplishment. In
This wall addition, before his death he had an elaborate tomb made for
was built himself. Within his tomb were Terracotta soldiers. Qin Shi Huangdi
during the died in about 210 B.C.
rule of
ancient
Tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi
Chinese
The tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi was first discovered in 1974 by a
emperor, Qi
peasant farmer. So, archaeologist came out and unearthed not even a
n Shi
fraction of what was buried. Some of the things that have been
Huangdi.
unearthed today include an army of Terracotta soldiers and horses.

Each figure is about three inches thick and there is a total of about
eight-thousand figures so far. In addition, all of the figures are actually life-size. 

Qin’s Son
After the death of Qin Shi Huangdi his
Main Concept son came into power, but he was not
The Han an effective ruler. He was eventually
Dynasty overthrow by the individual that
lasted for started the Han Dynasty.
Remember this... over four-
In the Han hundred
Dynasty we will years. Han Dynasty and
see the shift
from Legalism
During this
time, there
Inventions
back to was a
Confucianism transition of Han Dynasty
take place. philosophy
that took The Han Dynasty lasted from about
place
147 between the
Qin and Han
dynasties. 
202 B.C. to 220 A.D. This means that the Han Dynasty lasted for over four-hundred years. Also,
the Han Dynasty ruled based on Confucian teachings.
These teachings included an emphasis on education, respect, and responsibility.

The Grand School was established during the Han Dynasty and was a school for government
officials. Government officials of the Han Dynasty were required to attend the Grand School and
pass rigorous tests based on the teachings of Confucius.

Emperor Wudi

Wudi was the most famous ruler to rule the Han Dynasty. He believed that positions needed to
be earned within the government through education. So, through learning and educating yourself,
you were in a better position for a better place in society. In addition, he acted in ways that
showed he cared for the people and their well-being.

Inventions

There were four major inventions during the Han Dynasty and they included:
Paper from mulberry
Seismographs
Traditional Medicine
Dictionary

Paper

Paper is believed to have been created around 104 A.D. It was created from mulberry bark mixed
with bamboo. Then, water was added, the paper was pounded out, and poured onto cloth. This
would be the process to create the paper that was used to write on in the ancient Han Dynasty.

Once the ancient Chinese became known for making paper it became a famous trade item on the
Silk Road.   

Seismograph

A seismograph was used to measure seismic waves that are given off in the Earth. As seismic
waves are felt by the seismograph a bronze ball would drop from the mouth of the dragon’s head
into the frog’s mouth.

Medicine

Another important invention of the Han Dynasty was medicine, specifically Traditional Chinese
Medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine uses a lot of herbs and spices in combination with
traditional types of medical procedures.

Dictionary

148
The Dictionary in the ancient Han Dynasty was used to explain what each character of the
ancient Chinese writing system meant. It is believed that during the Han Dynasty the first
Dictionary was in fact created.

Remember this...
The Han
Dynasty was
based on
Confucianism.

Han Dynasty Exams

Wudi
Main Concept
One of the "Wu” stood for military, so Emperor Wudi was a military man and
many things did expand the Han Dynasty through military as well as marriage. He
that set the made sure he was able to control an area by making sure he could
Han Dynasty marry within a specific family. Wudi went on to rule the Han
apart from Dynasty for fifty-five years.
other ancient
Chinese Qin Dynasty
dynasties
was the way
The bureaucracy that was effective during the Han Dynasty was
their
taken from the ideas of the Qin Dynasty. Remember, the Qin
government
Dynasty was ruled by Qin Shi Huangdi and he used Legalism.
officials were
However, for his bureaucracy, it was the government officials that
selected.
picked who got the jobs.
Government
officials were
selected
Confucianism
based on
149 their exam
performance
s. 
Wudi and his philosophers rejected Legalism and enforced Confucianism. Confucianism is all
about respect for family and respect for those in charge. In addition, Confucianism is about
caring, and the Han Dynasty really tried to look out for its people.

Meritocracy

In the Han Dynasty for the first time in history, people were selected for government jobs based
on their test score. Many of the examinations required to become a government official were in
reference to how much a person knew about Confucianism.

In addition, the examinations covered military, geography, handwriting, and mathematics. These
examinations were used for over two-thousand years in China.

Remember this...
About 100 BCE Silk Road in the Han Dynasty
is was Wudi
who invented Zhan Qlan
meritocracy. Main Concept
The ancient Zhan Qlan was given a very
Silk Road dangerous job. To the North of ancient
started in China were the Huns. The Huns were
China and a vicious tribe of people that even
ended in used their enemies' skulls for drinking
early Rome. glasses. Zhan Qlan was responsible
Many items for going up to the surrounding tribes
as well as and talking them into helping the
diseases Chinese defeat the Huns.
were
exchanged However, none of the surrounding
along the tribes were interested. Zhan Qlan was
Silk Road.  eventually captured and kept by the
Huns for ten years before he escaped
with some of his men.

Return to Wudi

Zhan Qlan eventually escaped the Huns and returned to his emperor, Wudi and explained what
he had found. He talked to Wudi about all of the luxury things he has seen being traded while
away and the people he encountered as well. So, Wudi tries to formally attach China to the
ancient Silk Road trade route.

Silk Road

The Silk Road started in China and ended in Rome. Sesame seeds, precious stones, oils, and

150
metal were all traded along the Silk Road. Also, glass was a true luxury item in ancient China.
From ancient China, the West received porcelain, paper, and silk. 

Silk

Silk was one of the most popular traded items along the Silk Road, especially to the early
Romans. However, the emperor of Rome at the time was so afraid that too much money was
being spent on the silk from early China.

As a result, the Emperor of Rome forbids the sale of silk. In addition, the development process of
making silk is a state secret in China. If someone tried to smuggle out information on how to
make the silk during the Han Dynasty, he or she would meet a timely death.  

Groups Along the Silk Road

There were multiple groups that traveled along the trade routes. To the West there was Rome,
then India, China, and nomadic tribes were in between. However, there was no direct contact
between early China and Rome.

Extension of the Wall

Emperor Wudi extended the Great Wall as far as he could get, until it reached the Taklamakan
Desert. The Taklamakan Desert was a very vicious, harsh desert. So, at that point, traders had to
walk around. It was not smart to walk alone, but with a caravan. These caravans had lots of
camels that were loaded down with as much things as the merchants could carry. 

Middlemen

Middlemen are located between the producer and the consumer. Also, each time a middleman
touches a good, the price of the good increases. Trading goods on the Silk Road was both
dangerous and expensive. Dangerous because of the routes it took to get to different locations.

Importance of the Silk Road

One of the reasons trade along the Silk Road was important was because it was deemed as global
trade. Also, it opened communication between the early East and West.  In addition, we see the
exchange of not only goods, but different religions and languages as well.

Remember this...
The Silk Road
ultimately
changed
151 history.
 Buddhism in the Han Dynasty
Start of Buddhism
Main Concept Buddhism started in about 500 B.C.E. in the Northern part of India.
Although It was started by a prince named, Siddhartha Gautama. In the
Buddhism teachings of  Buddhism they believe in the Four Noble Truths as
started in well as the Eightfold Path.
ancient
India, it However, if you go to India today, less than one percent of the
eventually population practices Buddhism. The country with the largest
spread to population of Buddhist believers is actually China.
ancient
China, Buddhism in China
reaching the
One of the major reasons for the dominance of Buddhism that we see
Han
in China today is due to the Silk Road. Remember, the Silk Road
Dynasty.
was a series of trade routes that connected early China with Rome. In
Today, the
addition, it also connected the Silk Road to India. Not only were
country with
goods transferred along the Silk Road, so were idea. One of the most
the largest
important ideas that were exchanged was Buddhism.
population of
Buddhist
followers is
Buddhism
Many of the merchants that traveled along the Silk Road at this time
China. 
were Buddhist. Since the travel along the Silk Road was such a
dangerous one, the merchants would take Buddhist monks with them
to pray.

Also, Buddhist temples and statues of the Buddha were also set-up for prayer while traveling
along the Silk Road. When the Buddhist would finally reach China, they would share and write
their teachings down. Buddhism was adapted well in China due to Doaism. 

Collapse of the Han Dynasty

When the Han Dynasty collapsed there was lots of chaos and instability. As a result, the people
of the Han Dynasty were suffering. Remember, a basic teaching of Buddhism is that life is
suffering, but if you follow the Eightfold Path you can become free from suffering. So, at this
time we see a huge increase in the number of Chinese who are practicing Buddhism.

152
Mahayana Buddhism
Buddhism in China is very different than the Buddhism in the Southern parts of Asia. The
Buddhism that we see in China is called, Mahayana Buddhism. In Mahayana Buddhism there are
temples made to Bodhisattvas or those who have stayed behind to help others reach Nirvana.

Also, in Mahayana Buddhism there are a lot of different heavens that we don't see in Southern
Buddhism. Finally, a major part of Mahayana Buddhist worship is silk.

Remember this...
Many ideas and
practices were
also spread
along the Silk
Road, including
Buddhism. 

Grade 6 Social Studies Textbook – UNIT 9

Geography of Rome
153
 City to Country to Empire
The climate in ancient Rome was excellent. It was very mild with
Main Concept good farmland and a great geographic location. Most of the homes
The
geography of
were built on high hills which made Rome an ideal location for
ancient Rome avoiding invasions.
impacted
transportatio Also, Rome is located approximately fifteen miles up the Tiber River
n, protection, off the sea. This meant that they were right on the water and had
and trade. travel, food, trade, and transportation. In addition, they were far
Today, some enough inland to get to Rome without the Romans being well
of the early
forms of
prepared for arrivals.
roads created
in ancient Peninsulas and Mountains
Rome, are Specifically, ancient Rome was located on the Italian Peninsula. It is a
still being boot shaped peninsula that was West of ancient Greece. There were
used.   also two mountain ranges that were near ancient Rome including the
Alps and Apennines. Rome itself is surrounded by seven hills.

Remember, hills provided natural protection for the cities within the hills and a look-out so that
the Romans could see people coming from very far off distances.

Early Romans
The early Romans were of Latin descent. This refers to the race and language of the early Roman
people. Also, they were located around the Tiber River. So, it is believed that the Romans are
direct descendants from the early Latins. Latin culture and language is the basis for the languages
of Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and French.

Outside of Rome
There were two major groups that lived to the North and South of the ancient Romans. To the
South of ancient Rome were Greek colonies and to the immediate North were the Etruscans. The
Etruscans had the greatest impact and effect on the development of early Roman culture.
 
Character Traits
Main Concept The character traits of the early
A legend is Romans were strong. They were said to
considered a be disciplined, loyal, hardworking, and
story from family focused. Many of the early
history, with Romans lived in extended family units.
Remember this... a
The location of combination
ancient Rome of both fact The Legend of
was ideal for and fiction.
protection, The Legend Romulus and Remus
trade, and of Romulus
transportation.    and Remus is Legend
  
believed to
be the bases
154 of the ancient
Roman
civilization.
A legend is a story from history that is believed to have a combination of fact and fiction. In
other words, there are some parts of a legend that are based on truth and then there are parts that
are made up or fictional.

However, legends have a really important place in understanding a people’s culture. Legends can
help give us insight to the values, customs, and ideals of a civilization.

It Began With a Legend

The Legend of Romulus and Remus is based on the story of how the ancient city of Rome was
established. Within the legend, Romulus and Remus were two of the characters and were twin
boys.

In addition, the characters included: a she-wolf, vultures, gods, and a hill. Remember, at this time
in ancient Rome the Romans were polytheistic or believed in many gods.

Remember this...
A legend is
made up of
both fact and
fiction.

Cool Romans and the Founding

Virgil
Virgil was a poor guy who was living during the time of the Roman
Main Concept Republic. He also believed that the ancient Romans at the time had
One of the really lost the true meaning of being a Roman. So, he decided to go
many back to the early history of ancient Rome and tried to give them pride
important
in their country.   
aspects of
ancient
Romans and Roman Beliefs
their beliefs is The ancient Romans believed that they were descendants from the
in reference survivors of Troy. In particular, the most important survivor to them
to legends.  was Aeneas. Aeneas was the best warrior in Troy, second only to
Hector. In addition, Aeneas was the son of Aphrodite, the Goddess of
Love.

According to the stories, Hector turned to Aeneas and told him to save the people.

155
Although Aeneas and the people that he saved faced many challenges, they still continued on.
So, the story of Aeneas taught the ancient Roman people to be persistent and don't give up.

Mercury
Mercury was the messenger God that came to Aeneas and told him he had to continue his
journey with his people, instead of getting wrapped up in love. As a result, Aeneas abandoned
the woman he loved and continued his journey leading his people to the Tiber River.
So, Virgil was trying to tell the people through this story of Enus, to sacrifice yourself for the
good of the community and to always be obedient to the gods.

Tiber River
So, when we look at he finally landed on the Tiber River or Rome. Then, it is believed
that Aeneas' dead wife spoke to him and told him it was the place he was supposed to be. From
Aeneas, the ancient Romans learned that looking at their founding fathers one should be brave,
persistent, honor the gods, and protect their country.

Romulus and Remus

The story of Romulus and Remus was used to show Romans that the Roman walls will always
be defended. For a thousand years, no one crossed the Roman walls. We also know that to the
Romans at that time, violence was usually the answer.
Special Lesson – Robin Hood
Remember this...
Although Virgil
was looking to
inspire, he did
actually reveal
Roman
character.

Main Concept
It is believed
that absolute Cincinnatus
power, Absolute Power
absolutely Absolute power, absolutely corrupts. In every absolute government
corrupts. we have seen throughout history, when someone gets complete
This has power, they abuse it and use it against others.
been very
evident Cincinnatus
throughout One day Cincinnatus was out in the fields and all of a sudden, a
history. group of men came up and offered him a fascist. Physically, a fascist
However,
this was not
156 the case in
the story of
Cincinnatus. 
is just a bundle of sticks around an ax. However, in Cincinnatus he was being offered complete
dictatorship of ancient Rome for a total of six months.

Why Cincinnatus?
Cincinnatus was offered a fascist by the group of men because there had been an army invading
ancient Rome and the men wanted someone to make the decisions. Although Cincinnatus was
just a farmer, he was also a leader of men in the army. 

Why Sticks?
The fascist meant that each stick was an individual and an individual is not strong. In addition,
an individual could be snapped, but together it is strong. So, when they gave Cincinnatus the
fascist, they were essentially giving him all of their power.

Return of Power
Cincinnatus left his plow in the field and went on to lead the men in war and defeated the enemy.
So, after winning the battle in two weeks, Cincinnatus had full range to do whatever he wanted.
Instead, Cincinnatus gave the power back to the people of Rome and returned back to being an
everyday citizen.
 

Remember this...
Cincinnatus Greek Influences
believed that Coins
the power The Greeks started using coins as a
resided in the Main Concept way to trade, barter, and exchange
people and no The Greeks goods in 600 B.C. Typically, silver and
an individual.  influenced bronze coins were used. However,
ancient
every once in a while, they would use
Romans in
various ways.
gold coins. There were usually images
We see this on both sides of the coins and the
through Romans really advanced this by adding
Roman their emperors face to the coin.
mythology, So, each time a new Roman emperor
infrastructure came into power, an image of his face
, and was placed on the coin.
traditions.   
Buildings
In terms of buildings, the Greeks had
beautiful and functional buildings. The Romans borrowed certain things from Greek building
structures like the pillars and roof lines. However, they then added on the arch and are very
famous for their dome. In addition, buildings that were built to honor the gods and goddesses
were influenced by the Greeks as well.

Mythology
The Greeks were polytheistic and followed Greek Mythology. They had gods and goddesses that

157
represented different aspects of nature. The Romans adopted this same belief system and
changed the names of some of the Greek gods and goddesses.

Philosophy
The Greeks were known for some of the first well-thought philosophers. Some of the
philosophers included: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Romans would send their children to
Greece to learn from the skilled and well-known scholars of Greece. The idea behind philosophy
is seeking truth and answers to life.

Pottery
Greek pottery is very unique because of its black background and reddish colored figures.
However, what the Romans borrowed from Greek artwork was the depiction of everyday life.
 
Science
The study of stars, music, and math were all highly advanced in Greece. Ancient Romans
borrowed from this and applied it to their own technology, architecture, and ways of thinking.

Remember this... Rise of the Republic

One of the
biggest
Vocabulary
foundations that Main Concept
was borrowed Republic - a government, usually
The Roman divided into branches, in which the
from the Greeks Republic
and used by the people vote for other to represent them.
form of
ancient Romans
government
was the
developed
Social Class
alphabet.         Every society has some kind of social
after the fall
structure. Also, the way that people are
of
divided up depends on a number of
Tarquinius.
things. However, what is most
common in most societies is to place
Tarquinius is
people in social pyramid based on their
said to have
position within a society. This concept
been brought
was no different in ancient Rome.
down by the
wealthy
upper class Citizens
of ancient There were two kinds of citizens in
Roman ancient Rome. The upper class was
society.   called the Patricians and the lower
  class the Plebeians. An individual's
ranking in ancient Roman society was
based upon the job he/she had in
relation to their wealth status.

Just like in other early civilizations; women, children, and slaves were considered of a separate

158
and lesser status. These individuals did not have voting rights and were considered the “other
class.”

Why Did the Republic Develop?

The Roman Republic developed due the overthrowing of the Etruscan King in 509 B.C. As a
result, the patricians took control of the ancient Roman government. So, the patricians were
considered all powerful.

Plebeians
At this time, the plebeians or working-class people were a much bigger group than the patricians.
In addition, the plebeians were also the people in society who made up the army. So, the
plebeians demanded that they be given a voice in the government or they would not serve in the
army.

Twelve Tables
The Twelve Tables were a written and published set of laws. These laws ensured that people had
basic rights and there was an advantage that they were written down. As a part of their voice in
government, the plebeians demanded that the Twelve Tables be written.

Values of the Roman Republic

The values of the Roman Republic centered around being loyal to the republic and valuing the
freedom of the Roman culture over individual freedom. This is displayed in the story of
Horatius.

Remember this...
The
development of
the early
Roman
Republic was a
revolutionary
idea in how
governments
should be set-
up.

159
 The Rise of Julius Caesar
Roman Conditions
Main Concept
Many events Before Caesar’s rise to power the patricians were more focused on
led to the rise their power and conquering of various territories, than they were on
of early their civic duties. The lack of focus on the civic duties of the
Roman, Julius patricians started to create a group called, Reformers.
Caesar.
Reformers within the early Roman community believed that the
One of the patricians needed to be put in their place, especially when it came
main reasons down to doing their civic duties.
is in relation
to his war One of the things that the reformers pushed for was the breaking up
efforts and of the larger estates. So, they wanted to take the property of the
accomplishme wealthy and divide it amongst the poor.
nts throughout
ancient Class Warfare
Rome. 
A civil war between the patrician class and the plebeians was in full
effect at that time in early Rome. This civil war was causing so
much turmoil in early Rome that it was making the situation worse for those who were in power
and trying to govern the early Roman city. It was in this situation that Julius Caesar emerged as a
leader.

Early Years of Julius Caesar

In Caesar’s early years he was a very successful governor and military leader. He conquered
areas in Asia Minor and is most famous for the conquering of Gaul.

Gaul is the territory that is now modern day France. Julius Caesar was so successful in Gaul, that
he was named governor. As governor of Gaul, he was given his own military force. Due to his
power, he started to gain a lot of notoriety and followers.

Military and Strength

Caesar’s military strength was unmatched during his time. He had a great relationship with his

160
men and they respected him to the fullest. Through his military strength he was able to establish
new territory for early Rome and his popularity started to grow among the plebeians.

Egypt

As Julius Caesar made his way back to Rome to possibly confront Pompey, Caesar took a
vacation to the ancient location of Egypt. Around 48 B.C. he met Cleopatra, fell in love, and had
a baby. However, around 46 B.C. Julius Caesar returned to Rome to take it over and become a
leader in early Rome. He names himself “Dictator For Life” in the year 44 B.C.  

Remember this...
Julius Caesar’s
rise to power
came out of his
military strength
and his political
abilities to really
engage common
people.   

The Fall of Julius Caesar

Main Concept
Julius Caesar Vocabulary
ultimately Soothsayer-fortune teller in Rome
met his death
on the Senate
161 floor in
ancient
Rome.  
Supporters
The poor as well as the army were the two biggest groups of supporters in reference to Julius
Caesar. One of the reasons that the poor supported Julius Caesar was because Julius Caesar
spoke for the common people.

The army supported Julius Caesar because he was a great military leader which led to his men
being fiercely loyal to him. In addition, the majority of the military under Caesar was made up of
the working-class people. 

Opposition
The two groups of people that did not support Julius Caesar were the Republicans and other in
power in early Rome at the time. Since Julius Caesar was starting to do everything outside of the
rules created by the Roman Republic these individuals did not respect nor like him at all.

As a result, there was a huge split between those that supported Julius Caesar and those that did
not.

Soothsayer
In the days before Julius Caesar was going to the Senate it is said that a soothsayer came to him
on the streets and said to him, “Caesar beware of the Ides of March.”  The Ides of March referred
to when Winter started to give way to Spring weather.

So, the soothsayer was hinting that something bad was going to be happening. It is also believed
that Calpurnia, Caesar’s wife, had a nightmare the night before that Caesar was going to be
murdered. 

Murder on the Senate Floor

Unfortunately, for Julius Caesar, on the 15th day of March 44 B.C, he was murdered on the
Senate floor. A group of sixty Senators led by Brutus and Cassius, attacked Julius Caesar, then
stabbed him to death.

Brutus
Brutus was at the heart of planning the murder of Julius Caesar. However, Brutus was also one
of Caesar’s closest and dearest friends. It is said that when Brutus was looking at Julius Caesar
while he was being stabbed, Caesar looked to his friend and said, “You, too, my child.”
Basically, Caesar was questioning why Brutus betrayed him even though Caesar thought of
Brutus as one of his dearest friends.  

Remember this...
Julius Caesar’s
rise and fall to
power is one of
the most
162 significant in
Rome even to
this day.  
 Caesar's Accomplishments
Accomplishments
Main Concept
Before his Julius Caesar was well-known for taking care of his military men. In
death, Julius the military Alexander the Great is revered as one of the greatest
Caesar military leaders in history. Caesar shared a lot with Alexander the
accomplished Great, in particular, his relationship with his men and how they
many great respected him.
things
throughout Through the establishment of new lands, Caesar helped with the
ancient building of the extensive road system in ancient Rome, established
Rome.   new laws, and offered stability to some of the new Provinces.

Jobs and Stability

Once Julius Caesar named himself dictator, he also established a lot of jobs for the poor in the
ancient city of Rome. As the Roman Empire was expanding under the rule of Julius Caesar a lot
of construction projects were needed.

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So, through the creation of these new areas, job opportunities were able to be created for those in
need. In addition, Caesar established the Julian Calendar. It is from the Julian Calendar that we
have the month, July. Later, the month of August emerged from Augustus and October from
Octavian.

Remember this...
Do you believe
that Julius
Caesar was a
good guy or a
bad guy,
according to
what you know
of him?
Augustus Caesar: Rome's First
Emperor
High Point of Roman Culture
Main Concept The Pax Romana, after Augustus Caesar took control of ancient
Ancient Rome Rome, was known as the high point of Roman Culture. This lasted
was faced for about two-hundred years, but started out a little rocky due to
with many Caesar’s death.
trials,
following the
After Caesar’s Death
fall and death
There was about a fourteen-year power struggle amongst a number
of Julius
of people, but the three key players at this time were: Octavian,
Caesar.
Marc Antony, and Lepidus. Octavian was Caesar’s adopted son that
he took in and raised as his own. Marc Antony was one of Caesar’s
One of the
closest friends and supported him throughout his rise as well as in
most noted
the military.
trials being
the power
Lepidus ended up being pushed aside very early in the power
struggle that
struggle for ancient Rome after the death of Julius Caesar.
went on
Ultimately, the battle was between Octavian and Marc Antony.
between
different
As a result, Octavian and Marc Antony decided to divide the ancient
groups of
Roman kingdom. Octavian would have control of the West and
people at this
Antony the East.
time in
ancient
Rome. 
Octavian Wins
Octavian and Marc Antony had differences of opinion in how things
should be done. Even though the men had divided up the ancient

164
Roman kingdom, they still continued to battle. Ultimately, Octavian won and he drove Marc
Antony out of ancient Rome and into Egypt.

By this time Cleopatra, although she had a son with Julius Caesar prior to, had started a
relationship with Marc Antony. It is said that the two fell in love and escaped to Egypt with
Octavian pursuing them.  

Octavian = Augustus
In about 27 B.C. the Senate gave Octavian the name, Augustus. The term Augustus meaning,
“exalted one.” Also, the month of August is actually named after Augustus. This time period
ended the civil war or the difficult times that were going on in ancient Rome.

In addition, a number of people supported Augustus and the Senate as behind him as well. The
Pax Romana also emerged during this time in ancient Rome through Augustus and his works in
bringing Rome back together again.

Centralized Government
One of the first things that Augustus did was centralize the government or organize the
government from top to bottom. Augustus was the most powerful person by naming himself
emperor of ancient Rome, which placed him at the very top of this government structure.

As we start to transition down the government structure the powers also lessen. In addition,
Augustus and the Senate worked together to establish a number of buildings as well as a
centralized police and fire force.

40 Year Reign
Augustus himself went on to rule ancient Rome for a total of forty years. He had divided the
power between himself and the Senate, although he remained the most powerful. Augustus died
in 14 A.D. and after his death Julius Caesar’s family line continued to rule for about fifty-four
more years.

Remember this...
Augustus
Caesar ushered
in the Pax
Romana or the
two-hundred
year high point
in ancient
Rome. 
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 Grade 6 Social Studies Textbook – UNIT 10
Pax Romana: Roads and Communication

Main Concept
Roads in ancient Rome played a significant role, especially in reference to communication. The
ancient Romans built over fifty-thousand miles of roads.

Roman Roads

As a result of ancient Roman roads, they were able to move goods easily. There were over fifty-
thousand miles of paved roads. Shipping and trade were not a problem in ancient Rome, and this
helped with the development of merchant businesses. In addition, the roads were extremely safe
due to the patrolling of the roads by the Roman military. Also, there were many parts of the
roads that the military was actually responsible for building.
System of Communication
The system of communication was based around the common language of Latin. Remember, the
Latin-based languages included: Portuguese, French, Latin, Spanish, and Italian. These
languages are also referred to as the "Romance languages." They also had an extensive postal
system that was very advanced due to the development of road systems in ancient Rome.

Economy

In terms of ancient Roman economy, they had a centralized money system. This common coin
became known as the denarius or the Roman coin that everyone used across the empire and made
it easy to do business, no matter In addition, they had a tax collection service and conducted a
census every five years. A census is when a country officially counts the number of citizens they
have living in its country. Farming and trade were also very strong money makers for the ancient
Romans.

Services

If you lived in the city of ancient Rome, you were able to enjoy a number of services. Some of
the services included: water delivery (aqueducts), trash collection, entertainment, and public
baths. Public baths were places that the ancient Romans went to and It is also said that ancient
Romans thought as themselves as more superior to other cultures because they were so clean.

166
Aqueducts

Aqueducts were used at the water supply throughout ancient Rome. With over twelve miles of
the advanced water system, it allowed water to be delivered to towns and private homes almost
instantly. These aqueducts took years for the ancient Romans to build, but were so advanced that
they are still standing today. cleansed themselves. where you were in the empire.

Discouraging Rebellion

The ancient Romans

Remember this... were able to discourage
Ancient Rome was very successful during the Pax Romana. rebellion because there
were a lot of
advantages to living in
ancient Rome. Due to the large military system throughout ancient Rome, many people did not
challenge the laws that were set. As long as you did what you were expected to do in ancient
Rome, you typically lived a pretty good life.

167
 Roman Architecture
Main Concept
Ancient Roman architecture is quite fascinating. There are six major Roman architectural
advancements that we see throughout Rome, even today.

Appian Way
One of the major Roman architectural advancements was their road system. The Appian Way
was a military road that connected Greece and Rome and was used over 2,200 years ago.
However, it still stands today, in nearly perfect condition.

Forum

The Forum was the center of city life in ancient Rome. Most notably, it was where religious and
civic duties oftentimes centered. Religious duties in terms of festivals and the sharing of
religious news. Civic duties in the terms of announcements, political discussions, and political
decisions that were being made over the years.

Basilica
Today, many people relate the Basilica to the Christian church in ancient Rome. However, when
the Romans first built the Basilica structure, it was the center for business and legal transactions.

Aqueducts

The aqueducts are one of the hallmarks of ancient Roman architecture. Aqueducts were a
massive water delivery system that delivered water to ancient Roman cities and private homes all
over the empire. It is over twelve miles long and took many years to build, but parts of it are still
standing and functioning today.

Pantheon

The Pantheon is a famous building that was constructed in ancient Rome. This building was
created to honor the ancient Roman Gods. It was commissioned in 118 A.D. by a man named,
Hadrian. However, it was not completed until 128 A.D. One of the most notably things about the
Pantheon is the twenty-eight-foot oculus or round opening at the top of
the structure.

Flavian Amphitheater- "Colosseum"

168
 Remember this...
All of these pieces are considered the "hallmark" in ancient Roman architecture.

Probably one of the most famous buildings in ancient Rome is the Flavian Amphitheater or
Colosseum. The word colosseum probably came from the colossal statue of Nero that once stood
outside of the Flavian Amphitheater. It was built from about 70 to 82 A.D. The Flavian
Amphitheater can hold about fifty-thousand spectators, which would be equivalent to a sports
stadium today. In addition, it became the center of entertainment in the ancient Roman culture.

Achievements of Ancient Rome

169
 Main Concept
There are various achievements accomplished by ancient Romans. Some of those achievements
are displayed through Roman technology advancements, medicine, and politics.

Technology
Technology throughout ancient Rome was very evident in a number of ways. Ancient Romans
made advancements in technology through their use of concrete, road systems, domes, and
aqueducts. The concrete that the ancient Romans used had a unique formula. Their secret
ingredient in the concrete was the volcanic ash. By combining volcanic ash with other elements
they were able to create structures under water that would not be compromised by water.

Medicine

The early Romans revolutionized the idea of public health programs. This was during the high
point in Roman civilization. The Romans also developed the system that we call welfare or
helping out those who are less fortunate in society.

Language

In terms of language, their Latin language is the base language of the Romance languages we
know of today.

Religion

Roman Mythology had been created after being borrowed from the ancient Greeks. However, the
Roman Catholic Church is what is credited with keeping learning and the love of learning alive
after the collapse of Rome. So, from a religious aspect, the creation of the Roman Catholic
Church was very critical in keeping Rome alive after a very dark period.

Roman Law and Politics

The development of the idea behind a Republican form of government came from the three
branches of Roman government. They set-up the idea of checks and balances where no one
branch of government would become too powerful. It was under the Roman government that we
also got the Twelve Tables or written and published laws that the plebeians ordered to be written
to ensure their rights would not be violated.

Literature, Theater, and Art

The Romans developed a type of theater that we call satire or very sarcastic comedy. They also
developed realistic statues, beautiful jewelry, masks, and mosaics.
170
Customs, Clothing, and Games
It is the Romans that created the idea of friendship rings. Also, they developed the idea of socks,
elaborate hats, and creating shoes that were more tailored to an individual's left or right foot.

Remember this... Ancient Rome is best known for their form of government and architectural
advancements.

Jewish People Under Roman Rule

171
 Main Concept
There are many similarities to be made when analyzing Jewish and Roman cultures. However,
one of the most noticeable difference between ancient Romans and Jews is religion.

Roman Empire

When the Roman Empire captured the Jewish people they were free to travel due to the extensive
road system of Rome. One of the biggest problems that came about while the Jews were in
ancient Rome was that the Jews were monotheistic and the Romans were polytheistic. This
meant that the Jews believed in only one God and the Romans believed in multiple. As a result,
conflicts arose.

Jewish vs. Roman Practices

Those who practiced the Jewish religion were not allowed to have a graven image in the Ten
Commandments. So, they were not able to have statues in their temple. However, the Romans
had many statues of their Gods and emperors on display within their places of worship. In
addition, the Jews could not take a Roman coin within their temple because of the image of the
emperor displayed on them. Since the Jews were in fact monotheistic, they were typically treated
as outsiders or different.

Jewish Communities

One of the things that really helped the Jewish people in the ancient world was the fact that they
stayed in communities. These communities were very crucial for the Jewish people because they
were not allowed to worship unless they were in a group. Also, there had to be at least ten Jewish
males at this time to bury someone or even marry someone. So, when we see the Jewish people
in the ancient world, they lived in communities for protection and worship.

Jews vs. Pagans

In Alexandria around 41 C.E. conflict broke out between the Pagan groups and the Jewish
groups. The Pagans wanted to get at the Jewish groups, so they passed a law that forced Jews to
place an image of their emperor within the synagogue. As a result, the Jewish people got very
upset and this conflict caused a riot. Emperor Claudius then forced forty- thousand Jewish men
to join the army and then sent them off to war in Sardinia. He then took the rest of the Jewish
people and exiled them out of ancient Rome.

Roman Diaspora

172
 Remember this... Today, the Western Wall is the last part that is left of the Jewish temple in
Jerusalem.

The Roman Diaspora occurred when the Romans tried to violate Jewish law. So, the Romans
built a resort on top of the Jewish cemetery and people were also going hungry due to a horrible
famine. As a result, in about 66 C.E. the Jewish people started to rebel. Remember, ancient
Rome did not put up with rebellion. Roman troops were sent in and destroyed early Jerusalem.
Some historians believe about a half a million people were killed due to the Roman Diaspora and
the rest taken into slavery. The worst thing for the ancient Jewish people at this time though, was
their temple being destroyed.

Jesus of Nazareth

173
 Main Concept
It is believed by many Christians, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. The Bible is also
considered the holy text of the Christian religion.

Vocabulary

Christian-Those who practice the Christian religion Bible-holy text Jesus of Nazareth Jesus of
Nazareth is said to have been born Jewish and the Son of God. He is also considered the Messiah
of Christianity and the starter of the Christian religion.
Bible- Holy text

Jesus of Nazareth

Jesus of Nazareth is said to have been born Jewish and the Son of God. He is also considered the
Messiah of Christianity and the starter of the Christian religion. However, Jesus was a very
controversial figure and died due to persecution by the ancient Romans. In addition, it is believed
that he arose from the dead under his own powers.

Angel Gabriel Visits Mary

The Angel of Gabriel came to Mary, who is Jesus mother and told her she would carry a baby
inside of her. In addition, he told her that the baby would be the Son of God. However, Mary was
not married at the time and in this culture to be pregnant but not married was unacceptable.
Joseph ended up marrying Mary and then Jesus was born.
Birth of Jesus
At the time that Mary was ready to have Jesus there were not any rooms available for her to give
birth. So, they went to a stable and baby Jesus was born in a manger. It is believed that many
people traveled from far distances once they heard about the birth of Jesus.

Remember this... Jesus of Nazareth was believed to be the Son of God and where the birth of
Christianity started.

Jesus: Parables and Teachings

174
 Main Concept
A parable is a story with a lesson or moral. It is believed that Jesus spread his teachings and
practices through parables.

Vocabulary

Parable- a story with a lesson or a moral

Parable

Two famous parables from the Bible are the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. For example,
in the story of the Good Samaritan, it is said that there were many people who passes an injured
man on a road in route to Damascus. Finally, someone took the man in and showed signs of
being a good Samaritan. These were the types of stories that Jesus would tell his followers when
they would ask him questions, instead of giving them a direct answer.

Miracles of Jesus

Jesus also performed many miracles. One of the miracles that is believed he had performed was
walking on water. In addition, it is believed that he was able to heal people through his touch and
prayer. He was also the Son of God, according to those of Christianity. So, through performing
these miracles, it is believed that Jesus was displaying the power of God.

Teachings

Jesus basic teachings centered around being obedient to God. In addition, he taught to act in love
(even to your enemy), show compassion, care for the poor, and to forgive others. Jesus lived a
life where he had actually acted on all the things that he tried to teach other people.

Remember This… Jesus came to Earth as the Son of God and tried to teach people the values
that God tried to get them to live by.

Crucifixion of Jesus
175
 Main Concept
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is represented by the cross on which he was killed. In
early Rome, crucifixion was one of the ways that criminals were killed.

Last Supper

The Last Supper refers to the last meal that Jesus of Nazareth had with his followers the night
before he was arrested by the ancient Romans and placed into jail.

Crucifixion

There are many different representations of the crucifixion of Jesus, but the cross is a symbol of
Christianity because it is the way that Jesus died. In addition, some crosses actually display Jesus
hanging on the cross. Throughout ancient Rome, Crucifixion was a really popular way to capture
and kill criminals. A person was crucified by having their hands and feet nailed to a wooden
cross, then hung up. So, crucifixion was a very brutal way to die and is considered the ultimate
humiliation for the worst criminals in ancient Rome.

Why was Jesus Crucified?

As Jesus teachings spread, his ideas became very powerful and he gained a lot of followers. This
was a threat to the people in power as well as the government and other religions. Both the
Jewish and Roman leaders did not like Jesus and feared he was going to take power as well as
money away from them. Since individuals were embracing the messages that Jesus was teaching
about, it threatened others. So, his crucifixion was used as an example to others who followed
him. Jesus had such a large group of followers, that at his crucifixion, it is believed that there
were thousands of attendees.

Resurrection

Jesus died and was buried in a tomb after his crucifixion. However, it is said that he had risen
from the dead in his own powers. It was actually after his resurrection that he became very
powerful in Christianity. So, when he was resurrected after his death, it proved to many people
that he really was the Son of God.

Remember this… Jesus of Nazareth resurrection is celebrated in the Christian community each
year during Easter

Christianity in Rome: Persecution

176
 Main Concept
Christians faced many persecutions in ancient Rome during the rule of Emperor Nero. One of
the most well- known symbols amongst Christians is the fish.

Christianity

During the ancient Roman Empire a very important world religion was born, Christianity.
Christianity was a new religion at the time and was started by Jesus of Nazareth. Later, Jesus of
Nazareth was killed by the Romans and his followers began to preach that he was the Son of
God.

Why Were They Seen as Evil?

In 64 A.D. there was a horrible fire in ancient Rome and the emperor at the time was Nero.
Emperor Nero had complete power at this time in ancient Rome and we know that power
corrupts. As a result of the fire, he took all of the land that was destroyed and built himself a
huge palace. So, people started to believe that Nero had set the fire. However, Nero did not want
to be blamed for it, so he used the Christians as a scapegoat.

Persecution of Christians in Ancient Rome

After Nero had blamed the fire on the Christians, he then called for their death and forced them
to the Colosseum. The Christians were then eaten by dogs, burned at the stake, and crucified.
These individuals were called martyrs because they had died for their faith. However, the ancient
Romans were a people of law. So, if the Christians willingly worshiped the Roman gods, they
did not have to go to the Colosseum and die. A lot of the Christians though, did not do it. This
came as shock to the ancient Romans, because the Christians were willing to die instead of
worship Roman gods.

Communication

The Christians in ancient Rome also had a way of communicating with one another. Sometimes
if one wanted to find out if another was Christian, they would draw a fish and look at the person.
So, the fish was a symbol of Christianity.

Remember this…For three-hundred years Christianity spread throughout ancient Rome even
though it was being persecuted and today, it is the world's largest religion.

Christianity in Rome: Legalization

177
 Main Concept
One of the world's largest religions is Christianity. There was a long and drawn out process for
Christianity to become legalized in ancient Rome. In 337 C.E. Constantine legalized
Christianity.

World's Largest Religion

The world's largest religion to this day is Christianity. In about 312 C.E. there was a huge
struggle for power in the Roman Empire.

Constantine

According to Constantine's biographers, the day of a battle he looked into the sun and saw a
giant Christian cross. He then heard a voice that said, "under my sign you will be victorious." So,
he turned to all of his men and then had them paint the Christian cross on their shields.
Constantine then went into battle and won. As a result, he became the emperor of Rome.

Legalization of Christianity

In 337 C.E. Constantine legalized Christianity. No longer were Christians sent to the Colosseum
to be persecuted in ancient Rome. A lot of scholars believe that through this Constantine was
trying to unite the Roman Empire because it had started to pull apart. So, he believed that there
was no better way to unite a people than under one God and through Christianity.
Unification of Rome Through Christianity

Remember this…It was the Roman Empire's organization and support that allowed Christianity
to spread as well as grow. As a result, Christianity outlasted ancient Rome.

Constantine pulled together a bunch of bishops that were leaders in the church and told them to
come up with a doctrine. After countless debates, the bishops came up with a Nicaean Creed.
Constantine was so pleased with the Nicaean Creed that he paid for a number of Bibles to be
written.

178