1. Key Concept 2.1: The Development and Codification of Religious and Cultural Traditions
Period 2: 600 BCE-600 CE

2. codification stratification The action or process
The caste system in
Hinduism is a religious
CODE.
Standards based
off of occupation, birth,
and endogamy.
The action or process
of arranging laws or rules
according to a system or plan.
Standardizing a system.
stratification
The caste system
arranges groups of people
in different classes.
Classified by occupation,
inheritance, and marriage
within the class.
The arrangement of something into different groups.
Classifications within a system.

3. What value did religion offer a civilization, city-state, kingdom,
Religions and belief systems provided a bond among the people and an ethical code to live by. These shared beliefs also influenced and reinforced…
POLITICAL stratification
Leaders used religion to advance personal agendas, such as justifying wars.
Religion had a role in determining status in a society.
ECONOMIC stratification
Devotion to the religion and its roles had economic benefits. Likewise,
dissent was not in a person’s economic interest (could be dangerous).
The infrastructure of religion was more than the center of town, it was a sign of occupation.
The spread of a territory was solidified by the establishment of religious dominance
CULTURAL stratification
Religion permeated almost every aspect of culture…
language – writing
family
customs and traditions
style – clothing, music, dance, food, art, architecture
What value did
religion offer
a civilization,
city-state,
kingdom,
or tribe?

4. Judaism Who When and Where Symbols Other names or Contextualize
national IDs
When and Where
Contextualize
Symbols
Judaism
codification
stratifications

5. Key Concept 2.2 The Development of States and Empires

6. The number and size of key states and empires grew
dramatically by imposing political unity on areas where previously
there had been competing states.
600 BCE to 600 CE: Organization and Reorganization of Societies
Key States and Empires for this Time Period 
Persian Empire
Qin and Han Empire
Mauryan and Gupta Empires
Mediterranean region (Phoenicia, Greek city-states, Hellenistic and Roman Empires)
Mayan civilization
Moche

7. MAP READING Work with your triad to periodize and describe
the geospatial range of early key
states and empires. You may use your
technology and any other resources available.

8. Communications and movement
across great distances
mail
royal edicts (proclamations/orders)
troop movement
travel and trade
Can we assume the network was larger
than this single “highway”?

9. What separates empires from civilizations?
expansion of power and religion
complex bureaucracies to manage it
establishment of infrastructure to connect it
large, multiethnic populations
economic connectivity (writing, coinage, weights
and measures)
250 B.C.E.

10. Persian Empire Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BCE)
King Cyrus ( ) and Darius ( )
Ruled by the will of the great Persian God Ahura Mazda
Darius referred to as the “king of kings”
Administrative System
satraps – governors of Persia’s 23 provinces
organized local authorities
Multi-ethnic population
One of the issues that led to Cyrus being called “the Great” was his connection to “outside” groups.
He freed the Jews from slavery in Babylon and allowed them to return to Jerusalem to build their
temple.

11. The Greeks: 507-323 B.C.E. “Classical Greece”
The Rise of Greek City-States
geography prevented unity:
mountainous terrain and
numerous islands
Mediterranean Sea: shipping
grain, timber, metals
trade of goods and ideas
(Greek adoption of Phoenician
alphabet)
poleis – independent states centered in
a city. (Athens & Sparta)
Social: citizenship/ownership for males
only with some exceptions (Sparta)
Political: city-state governments varied
(monarchies, aristocracies, oligarchies,
merchant rule, democracy)
Sparta: Military Society
Soldier development
boys reared from a young age to be
soldiers
men served until 60 y/o
women
greater freedom to pursue education,
ownership, and exercise/compete
passing on of Spartan values
helots (slaves)
consisted of conquered people
primarily agricultural slaves
oligarchy
ruled by two kings
closed community – outside ideas are
a threat
Athens: Philosophic Society
Philosophy: economic connectivity
promoted the sharing of ideas
promotion of the arts, math, and
literature
Socrates: questioning the norms
and getting to the core of ideas
Plato: started academies and
promoted written text (often about
politics)
Aristotle: politics, literature, ethics
empiricism – observation,
evidence, and logic over
religion

12. continue - Athens: Philosophic Society
Greek philosophy would set the
foundations of modern thought
religion, literature, art, theatre,
and architecture were closely tied
Olympic Games 776 BCE
Greeks would gather every
4 years to compete athletically
wars would stop because
the Olympics created a sense
of kinship.
Democracy
Class Warfare and Tyranny:
Before 500BCE, Greece was governed
by social hierarchical groups that
monopolized power and supported
tyrants (merchants vs. aristocrats)
direct democracy – citizens elect
representatives
- women and slaves excluded:
for Athenian women, life was hard.
no education
speak and move through men
patriarchy – women excluded from power

13. Geographically: The Persian Empire enveloped the fertile crescent,
Comparing the Greeks
and the Persians
Geographically: The Persian Empire enveloped the fertile crescent,
Greece had steep, rocky mountains and thousands of islands.
Population: The Persians) 50 million / The Greeks)2-3 million
Culture: The Persian Empire consisted of many languages, ethnicities,
and religions. The Greeks were unified in language, ethnicity, and
religion.
Government: The Persian Empire was centralized under a king.
Greece was decentralized, each city-state having their own
government.
Diffusion: The Persians adopted many of the traits of the people they
conquered. The Greeks moved throughout the Mediterranean
bringing their culture with them.