ANCIENT HISTORY CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos)

ANCIENT HISTORY: EGYPT, GREECE & ROME.

Ancient History is a long period of time from writing invention (about 3500 B.C. in Mesopotamia),

till the Fall of Roman Empire in 476 A.D. The most important civilizations were Egyptian, Greek

and Roman civilizations.

1.- ANCIENT EGYPT.

Egypt is in the North-East of Africa, near the

Mediterranean sea. River Nile runs through Egypt from

North to South. Egyptian people lived in the riversides,

because these lands were very fertile, and the rest of the

country was a desert. The river was also the best mean

of transport (sail boats).

1.1.-HISTORY:

5.000 years ago, (about 3.000 B.C.) the first Egyptian

king (Pharaoh) unified all territories next to the Nile.

Egypt became a very rich country, it was invaded by

other foreign civilizations, but later (about 1.500 B.C.),

pharaohs organized a powerful army, and conquered

more territories in the East. They created a big empire,

with Tebas as the capital.

1.2.- THE PHARAOH, KING OF EGYPT.

Pharaoh was the name for the Egyptian king.

He was considered the son of Ra (the solar

divinity), and was adored like a god. He had

many councilors to run the country: nobility,

priests… Scribes were people who could write

and count to control the country economy.

Everything was pharaoh’s property (fields,

animals, crops…) scribes used hieroglyphs to

draw on papyrus or on stones in the temples

and monuments… Ramsés II holding his enemies, and a Cartouche with his name.

1.3.- WORK IN EGYPT.

Farmers were most of the population: 9 over 10

Egyptian people work in the fields (men and

women). Children also worked and helped their

parents. There were craftsmen: metal-workers,

potters, basketmakers, weavers… They were free

people. The hardest works were done by slaves

(construction, mining… )

Wheat crop in Egypt

ANCIENT HISTORY CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos)

1.4.- BELIEVES.

Egyptian people were polytheistic, and they

adored forces of Nature (Ra: the sun…) some

animals (Horus: the falcon…), and the Pharaoh.

They used to represent gods with an animal head

on a human body. The most important were: Ra

(the sun), Osiris (God of dead people), Isis (god

of families)…

They built very big temples in honour of their

gods. They believed in another life after death, so

they mummified to dead people to preserve them

for next life (mummies), and they buried some

pharaohs inside pyramids, with secret passages to

avoid robbers.

The Great Pyramid

Temple of Abu Simbel

1.5.- ENTERTAINMENTS.

Every Egyptian god had special festivities

days. There were great processions, and

dances in the honour of the god. Rich

people celebrated great parties where men

and women took part, they listened to

music, and dancers danced while meals.

Dancers in the Ancient Egypt.

ANCIENT HISTORY CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos)

2.- ANCIENT GREECE.

Greek people lived in the

Peloponnese peninsula (in the

South-East of Europe) and in the

near isles about 3000 years ago.

2.1.-GREEK CITIES. .

The ancient Greek spoke the same

language and believed in the same

gods, but they belonged to

different states. On the other hand,

they were organized in Little

independent cities with their own

government, costumes and even

own army. They called them polis

(city-state). The most important

ones were Sparta and Athens.

Sparta had a very powerful army, they lived to fight

at wars. Athens was richer and more brilliant. In the

5th

century B.C. they built very beautiful

monuments (the Parthenon in the Acropolis). They

invented ‘democracy’ as their type of government,

and there were a lot of artists and famous

philosophers (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, the

sculptor Phidias…)

Parthenon in the Acropolis of Athens

Different polis fought among them, but in danger moments they joint each others (forming leagues)

to fight against invaders. Some polis established colonies in other places next to the Mediterranean

sea (in the Italic, Iberian peninsulas…), like

Ampurias and Rosas in Catalonia, for trade

purpose. In these colonies they used the same

type of government, Greek language, costumes,

and Greek gods. They developed a Greek navy

to sail and trade through the Mediterranean.

Ruins in Ampurias.

2.2.- WORK.

Most of Greek people were peasants, craftsmen

and lots of slaves. Trade was very important. Traders sailed

to colonies to trade with native people. They traded with

wine, oil, pottery, perfumes… They also exchanged metals,

salt, linen…

They introduced coins to make easier the exchanges and

trade.

Athenian coins

ANCIENT HISTORY CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos)

Trade in Ancient

Greece

Greek trade ship

2.3.- BELIEVES.

Greek people were polytheistic. They

thought that Gods were like ordinary people,

but more powerful, immortal and for ever

young. They also had Heroes like Heracles,

Ulysses and Achilles, who were children

from a god and a mortal. They thought that

some important families and cities were

created by these characters. Myths were

stories about these famous characters.

Some Greek Gods

2.4.- ENTERTAINMENTS.

Their favourites events were theater performances and sport competitions. The most important

ones were the Olimpic Games, that took place every four years in Olimpia, in the honour of Zeus,

where all polis took part, and even wars stopped.

Athletes in an old Greek vessel Old Olimpic Stadium (Olimpia)

ANCIENT HISTORY CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos)

3.- ANCIENT ROME. In

Some tribes lived in the middle of the Italic peninsula 2800 years

ago. In 753 B.C. they founded Rome, where their kings were

established.

The she-wolf feeding Romulus and Remus.

3.1.- HISTORY.

About 500 years B.C., Roman expelled

their last King and established the

Republic, for five centuries. Then

Romans took part in the government,

they had discussions to make decisions

in the Senate. During this period Rome

conquered Italy completely and all

territories surrounding the Mediterra-

nean sea. They fought against many

countries, so they had a great army

formed by legions.

In the 1st Century B.C., there was a civil war, and

finally Julius Caesar was the head of the empire.

Later, Augustus became the first emperor. During his

reign JesusChrist was born. The Roman Empire was

bigger and bigger, and there were long periods of peace.

Emperors ruled the empire as absolute monarchs

without considering the point of view of the Senate.

Roman Empire fell down in 476 A.D., when it was

defeated by different Barbarian armies (German

Roman Senate armies).

3.2.- LIFE IN CITIES.

Cities were the centre of the social , financial, politic and cultural roman life. People from the

surroundings went to the city for trading and doing business, going to temples, or going to the

shows in the circus... Roman cities were surrounded by a fortified wall and their streets were in a

quadrangular shape. The forum was placed in the centre of the city. In the forum they made

business and dealt out justice. There were Roman baths (public baths for everybody), theater

(used for performances), amphitheater (where gladiators fought…), Triumphal Arcs, aqueducts

(to carry water to the city…)

Triumphal Arc in Tarragona

Roman Baths (Thermas)

ANCIENT HISTORY CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos)

In the cities, there were very luxurious houses (domus) for rich people and houses with several

floors for poor people (ínsulas). Romans spent a lot of time outside in the streets, and they used to

buy food in tabernas.

Domus Ínsula Roman Villa

During the Empire Period, Rome became the biggest and most beautiful city in the world. About

one million people lived there, and goods from all over the empire were taken there. Thousands of

tradesmen and craftsmen worked there.

3.3.- LIFE IN THE COUNTRY.

Although cities were the centre of the Roman life, most of people lived in the country working as

farmers or cattle farmers. Agricultural exploitations were organized around Roman villas. A villa

was composed of a big building (for the rich owner) and other constructions for animals (stables…),

workshops (for smiths, carpenters…) and houses for slaves. Romans invented mills moved by

animals, the Roman plough, oil press, watering techniques, fertilizers…

ANCIENT HISTORY CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos)

3.4.- PROVINCES.

Romans divided the empire into provinces.

Each province was ruled from Rome, and it had

the same laws, currency, and the same

language: latin.

In every province they built cities, military

camps to maintain order and control revolts.

Roman paved roads came from Rome to

every province in the empire. Roman paved road

3.5.- ROMAN SOCIETY.

There were two kinds of people: free people

and slaves.

Free people:

a.- Patricians controlled the government with

the Senate. They had the politic, military and

financial power. They had villas and domus.

b.-Plebeians were free but they had to work.

They were merchants, artisans, soldiers…

c.- Slaves didn’t have any rights, they could Patricians soldier and slave plebeians

be sold and be bought, they did every kind of works from the hardest in the mines or in the country

to domestic workers. In some occasions they could buy their own liberty.

3.6.- ENTERTAINMENTS.

Their favourite shows were gladiator’s fights in the

amphitheatre, chariot racing in the circus. They also

went to the theatre and thermas (Roman baths) to take a

bath, do some exercise and chat with friends. Patricians

gave luxurious parties to show their power.

Roman Coliseum

3.6.- BELIEVES.

.- Roman were polytheist. They changed the name of Greek gods into Roman’s, and they adored

them and built temples into their honour.

.- Apart of that, every family had a kind of

protector god (Domestic Lares) that had a

shrine in every house.

.- The Emperor was also considered

as a god.

.- About the middle of 1st century A.D.,

Christian religion started to spread, but

christians were persecuted because of they

didn’t accept the emperor as a god. But

their number was bigger and bigger and in

the 4th

century A.D. this new religion was Correspondence between Greek and Roman gods.

accepted, and later Christianism became the

empire official religion.

ANCIENT HISTORY CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos)

4.- SPAIN IN THE ANCIENT AGE.

4.1.- PRE-ROMAN CULTURES: CELTIC AND IBERIAN.

Some nomads tribes lived in the Iberian peninsula

about a million years ago, they hunted and collected

fruits and vegetables (paleolithic). Later, about 2000

years ago, they became sedentaries, farmers…

(neolithic).

2.000 years B.C. they started to make metal tools,

and they organized bigger groups of people ruled by

a chief (Metals Age). During the 1st millennium,

some other cultures came to the peninsula. Celtic

and Iberian people were living here. Later

Phoenician and Greek came through the

Mediterranean sea. They trade with the inhabitants.

These people had a very developed culture, they

built important cities like Cadiz, Ampurias… They introduced writing, so Ancient Age started.

4.2. THE CELTS.

They came from Central Europe, and

they lived in the North and centre of

the peninsula.

They lived in roundhouses located on

high places. They were made of clay-

bricks and stones and thick thatch. In

the centre of the village there were

some buildings for meetings and

religious purposes. They were

herders and farmers. They were also

expert metal-workers, they made

jewellery, weapons and tools.

They didn’t know writing or coin.

There were different tribes like

Cantabri, Astures, Gallaeci…

Roundhouse

4.3.- THE IBERIANS. Lady of Elche

They lived in the east and south of the peninsula. Their villages were

surrounded by a fortified wall, they had a main street and a square

for meetings. They were warriors, herders, farmers, craftsmen,

merchants, metal-workers…

They trade with other Mediterranean cultures.

They used coins, plough, wine and olive oil.

They created their own writing system. They

cremated their corpses in cemeteries, and put

the ashes into an urn. They buried it with his

‘grave goods’ (jewelry, weapons…) .

Iberian falcata

ANCIENT HISTORY CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos)

4.4.- HISPANIA, A ROMAN PROVINCE.

Roman conquered the peninsula. They wanted to control the Mediterranean sea, so they fought

against Carthaginians. Carghaginians lived in the north of Africa, and came to the Peninsula.

They wanted gold, silver and soldiers… and they founded Cartagena e Ibiza.

Roman came to the Iberian peninsula, they landed at Ampurias, and later they conquered the

Meseta and at the end the north part of the peninsula. The emperor Augustus divided Hispania in

three provinces.

4.5.- LA ROMANIZACIÓN.

The peninsula became a part of the Roman

Empire. It was called Hispania.

People adopted Roman customs (coins,

houses, clothes, religion…) and their

language: Latin.

They were ruled by Roman law, and the

governor was a Roman person.

Rome used its army to conquer Hispania. Their soldiers were called

legionaries and they formed the Roman Legions. They built

fortified camps. Later these camps were transformed into Roman

cities. Native people were mixing with Romans, so they became part

of the Roman army, they worked in fields, trade, construction… and

they even were emperors like Trajan and Hadrian. .

Roman built lots of buildings and public works like aqueducts

(Segovia), theaters (Mérida, Segóbriga…), bridges (Alcántara in

Toledo…), Triumphal Arches (Bara Arch in Tarragona…). They

also founded lots of cities: Lugo, León, Segóbriga… .

Roman legionary

Alcántara Bridge (Toledo)

Aqueduct in Segovia

Ruins of Roman Theatre Segóbriga (Cuenca)

ANCIENT HISTORY CEIP Santa Ana (Madridejos)

ANCIENT HISTORY: GLOSARY-VOCABULARY:

Riverside: orilla land: tierra, terreno mean of transport: medio de transporte

sail boat: barco de vela pharaoh: faraón became: se convirtió

foreign: extranjero/a empire: imperio powerful army: ejército poderoso

councilor: consejero to run: gobernar priest: sacerdote

Scribe: escriba crop: cultivo, cosecha hieroglyph: jeroglífico

cartouche: cartucho 9 over 10: 9 de cada 10 field: campo de cultivo

craftsmen: artesanos metal-worker: metalúrgico potter: alfarero

basketmaker: cestero weaver: tejedor slave: esclavo

wheat: trigo polytheistic: politeísta falcon: halcón

dead people: muertos god: dios they used to represent: Solían representar

temple: templo mummify: momificar life after death: vida después de la muerte

to bury: enterrar passage: pasillo, pasadizo avoid robbers: evitar a los ladrones

entertainment: diversiones, entretenimiento meal: comida (hora de la comida)

state: estado, país costume: costumbre to be organized: estar organizado

city-state: ciudad-estado philosopher: filósofo danger moments: momentos de peligro

to join each other: unirse unas a otras invader: invasor colony: colonia

to develop: desarrollar to trade: comerciar peasant: pequeño agricultor

to exchange: intercambiar salt: sal linen: lino to make easier: hacer más fácil

believes: creencias for ever: para siempre ordinary people: gente normal

hero: héroe character: personaje theatre performance: representación teatral

myth: mito every four years: cada 4 años to take part: tomar parte, participar

vessel: vasija to expel: expulsar she-wolf feedin…: loba alimentando…

to establish: establecer Senate: senado to have discussions: debatir, hacer debates

civil war: guerra civil the head of the empire: la cabeza del imperio, (el jefe)

to rule: gobernar, dirigir fall down: caer to defeat: derrotar

surround: alrededor shape: forma dealt out justice: administrar justicia

performance: representación amphitheater: anfiteatro to carry water: para llevar agua luxurious

house: casa lujosa rich owner: propietario rico workshop: taller Smith: herrero

mill: molino oil press: prensa de aceite watering techniques: técnicas de riego

fertilizer: fertilizante, abono currency: moneda de un país military camp: campamento militar

paved road: calzada merchant: mercaderes artisan: artesano

every kind of works: toda clase de trabajos domestic workers: empleados domésticos

shrine: urna, santuario to spread: extenderse developed culture: cultura desarrollada

chief: jefe herder: pastor plough: arado

to cremate: cremar, quemar corps: cadáver grave goods: ajuar funerario

to put the ashes into an urn: poner las cenizas en una urna to found: fundar

to land: desembarcar building: edificios public Works: obras públicas