Ancient History

John Punyko

Humanities 111

11/9/05

1. Phoenicians: The Phoenicians were located in a small country on the coast of Syria in ancient times at the east end of the Mediterranean Sea. Located in the Fertile Crescent they were able to maintain control until around 287 BC. They were a major sea power at the time and as such received large amounts of wealth from trade. Although they left very little written records, historians have been able to piece together what we know about them. Their studies enable us to understand one of the earliest known civilizations.

2. King David: King David is the successor to King Saul, the first king of Israel. David's forty-year reign as king lasted from roughly 1005 BC to 965 BC. His kingdom was located around the holy city of Jerusalem. There are many accounts of him in the Hebrew Bible. He was regarded by the Bible as one of the most righteous and honorable kings. He is important to study since historians have accredited many of the Psalms in the Old Testament to him.

3. The Pantheon: The Pantheon is a building in Rome, which was originally built as a temple to the seven deities, in the Roman state religion. The temple was constructed in 27-25 BC, but was converted into a Christian church in the 7th century. It is considered to be one of the best preserved and one of the most important of all Roman buildings. By being converted into a church, it has managed to remain in constant use throughout history.

4. Women in Greece: Women living in ancient Greece were not treated equally to the men. Every woman in Athens had a guardian who was either her closest male relative or her husband. She would not be able to own more than a few belongings and could not enter into any contracts. They were expected to take care of children and the household. By studying these women and their way of life, we can understand how far women have come and how their rights have changed.

5. Epic of Gilgamesh: The Epic of Gilgamesh is from Babylonia and was written between 2100-2000 BC. This is about 400 years after King Gilgamesh was supposed to have ruled. It was based on earlier Sumerian legends of Gilgamesh. The most complete version of the epic was preserved on eleven clay tablets in the 7th century BC. The flood story in the Bible was written after the Epic of Gilgamesh and follows it almost exactly. This gives us a great insight as to how stories in the Bible may have taken from earlier legends.

6. Ramesses II : Ramesses II was an Egyptian pharaoh of the nineteenth dynasty. He lived from around 1302 BC to 1213 BC and reigned from 1279 BC to 1213 BC. He was said to have had up to 200 children though the actual number is estimated to be around 90. He constructed many impressive monuments, and more statues exist of him than of any other Egyptian pharaoh. Many scholars believe him to be the pharaoh that enslaved the people of the Biblical character Moses. Ramesses' 66-year reign makes him a vital person to study because it is a model for Egyptian civilization and rule at that time.

7. Rosetta stone: The Rosetta stone was found in the Egyptian port city of Rosetta in 1799 and is dated to 197 BC. It is a black stone with writing on it in two languages, Egyptian and Greek. Since Greek was already well known, the stone helped decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs. The main translator of the Rosetta stone was Jean-FranÐ"§ois Champollion, who worked on it from 1822 to 1824. Without this valuable stone, we would not be able to study the Egyptian civilization and culture to the extent we can today.

8. Plato: Plato was a great Greek philosopher that lived from about 427 BC Ð'-347 BC. He also taught the famous Greek philosophers Socrates and Aristotle. Plato lectured extensively at the Academy but he also wrote on many philosophical issues. As mentioned in the book, Plato's philosophy was "Ð'...a thought system that emphasizes spiritual values and makes ideas, rather than matter, the basis of everything that exists." His ideas inspired a whole new way of thinking as well as set forth a study of political beliefs in the west. His works are still looked at by scholars today.

9. Iliad and Odyssey: The major Greek epics the Iliad and the Odyssey are dated to the 8th century BC and are credited to the early Greek poet, Homer. The Iliad tells the story of the Greek siege of Troy focusing mainly on the tenth year of the war. The Odyssey follows Odysseus, king of Ithaca, on his voyage home after a heroic turn in the Trojan War. He manages to anger Poseidon with his arrogance who makes sure that Odysseus spends many years trying to get home to his wife. Both stories are still read in modern times, as well as being the subject of movies and TV. The term odyssey has even come to mean a long trial or event.

10. Venus de Milo: The Venus de Milo is an ancient Greek statue and one of the most famous pieces of ancient Greek sculpture. The statue dates to about 130 BC. It is thought to have been a representation of Venus holding the golden apple presented to her by Paris of Troy, however missing arms of the statue prevent us from knowing for sure. The statue is currently located at the Louvre museum in Paris, where it still stands on public display. This statue is an example of Greek arts and mythology.

ESSAYS

2) The culture of the ancient Egyptians proved to have a unique legacy that still stands today. They were a highly religious people that worshiped their pharaohs as gods. Their temples and pyramids are testament to their power and skill in architecture.

Egyptian pharaohs represented both their state and the god Horus. Horus was the son of Ra and god of the sky depicted as a falcon. The heavy focus on religion also led to an abundant and powerful priest class. The pharaoh's beliefs dictated which gods would be considered