PHI THETA KAPPA International Honor Society of the Two Year College

The First Civilizations (3100 B.C.E. - 700 B.C.E.):
Code of Hammurabi in Mesopotamia
Building of Mesopotamian ziggurats and Egyptian pyramids
Earliest writings developed (e.g. Egyptian Book of the Dead, Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh, Vedic Rig Veda, and Mayan Popul Vuh)
Development of Caste System in India
Origination of Buddhism in the Himalayas
Great Wall of China built
Confucianism and Taoism developed during Chou Dynasty
 
Greece and Rome (2500 B.C.E. - 476 C.E.):
Development of city-states in Athens and Sparta
Macedonian Empire (Alexander the Great)
Persia develops as a civilization
Greek mathematicians discover world is round
Greek arts incorporated into Roman religion and culture
Twelve Tables written
Rise and fall of Roman Republic and Roman Empire
Establishment of Pax Romana in the Roman Empire
Development of Christianity
China adopts Confucianism as state religion

The Medieval World (300 C.E. - 1500 C.E.):
Development and spread of Islam
Rise of Byzantine Empire and its fall to Ottoman Turks
Justinian’s Code written
Development and downfall of the Mayan Empire
Roman Catholic Church gains power
Germanic Groups move into Europe
Rise of Charlemagne as Holy Roman Emperor
Establishment of Feudal System in Western Europe (later replaced by the invention of the state)
Marco Polo travels to Asia
Introduction of Buddhism to Japan
Crusades throughout Europe and the Middle East
Black Death
Aztec Tenochtitlan built
African slave trade initiated by Portuguese
Aztec Empire in Mexico conquered
European exploration of the “New World” (Maya, Aztec, Incas)
 
The Reformation and Renaissance (1350 - 1555 C.E.):
Dissemination of arts, literature, and learning in Europe
Rise in power of Italian city-states
Niccolo Machiavelli writes The Prince
Magellan circumnavigates the globe
Protestant and Catholic Reformations challenge supremacy of Roman Catholic Church

Early Modern Era (1500 – 1800 C.E.):
Thirty Years’ War
Muslim world splits into four empires
Mughal Rule in India ends
Royal State system develops in Europe
The Enlightenment
American and French Revolutions
Taj Mahal built in Agra
Rise of Napoleon
Industrialization
Advancement of the Chinese civilization
Widespread rebellion in China and Vietnam

Empire and War (1800 – 1919 C.E.):
Communist Manifesto
Abolishment of slavery in Europe and America
First Indian War for Independence
Suffrage broadens in Europe and the United States
Japan expands economic base within Asia and the Pacific
Rise of big business transforms western society
Organization of women’s rights movements
The Russian Revolution ousts the Romanov Dynasty
The Great War or World War I

Consider the civilizations, cultures, events, and movements listed above when answering the Study Questions for Issue Four:

Gold
1. Historically, what has been the relationship between resources (gold) and the power of a society?
2. To what extent did expansionism play a bigger role in the development of power in some civilizations than in others?  Why?
3. How has geography determined the extent of nations’ power?  Consider factors such as disease, famine, climate, and terrain.

Gods
4. Historically, what has been the relationship between religion (gods) and the power of a society?
5. What role did the political system of each civilization play in the development and use of power?  What role did the economic system play?
6. What connections can be made between the political and religious systems of each civilization?

Glory
7.  Historically, what has been the relationship between honor (glory) and the power of a society?
8.  What impact has military conflict had on a civilization’s power?
9.  To what extent are the arts a source of power?  Consider as examples Chinese ceramics, Greek and Roman architecture, and Shakespeare’s writings.
10. Beginning with the Renaissance, how can the concept of the individual and the notion of individual power be traced?  Is there a correlation between the rise of the individual and the weakening of institutional power?  How does the recognition of the individual in western culture compare to that of eastern cultures?