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Western Civilization

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Independent civilizations appear around the world

Western civilization starts in the Fertile Crescent with domestic agriculture. The Phaeroic dynasty in Egypt built the Pyramids and invented hieroglyphic writing. The Minoans in Crete developed monumental architecture, energetic art, and "Linear" script. The Phoenicians in the Levant (Syria & Israel) became the maritime power in the Mediterranean, and the first phonetic alphabet. Judaism, the first monotheist Abrahamic religion also developed in the Levant. In contrast, "reasoned discourse" developed as Classical Greece philosophy, as opposed to mythology. The Greek democracy enabled individual expression that was blocked in authoritarian societies. The Achaemenid (Persian) Empire took over the Middle East and introduced regional governors (Satraps) and communications across their empire. Alexander the Great led the Macedonian empire to take over the Middle East, ending up as the dynasty of Ptolemy Pharaohs in Egypt who brought Greek scholarship to Alexandria. The Abrahamic religions, Christianity and Islam took over Europe and Middle East, with Greek scholarship limited to the Greek speaking Byzantine rump of the Roman Empire. When the Ottomans defeated the Byzantines, a Greek scholar Georgios Plethon went to Florence to teach Greek scholarship. At that time Florence was the center of the Renaissance thanks to sudden access to knowledge from printed books, a democratic city government that allowed individual expression, funding from Cosimo Medichi, and support from less than virtuous popes. The lack of religious rigor of these liberal popes also triggered the Protestant Reformation. The Renaissance produced an explosion of the Arts and Science, with Leonardo Da Vinchi as the pre-eminent figure.

A brief history of the Western Civilization 35*5secs /60 = 3 mins

Plato they say led the way to today - a brief history of the Middle East

It all starts with 5 independent civilizations across the globe, domesticated agriculture originated in the fertile crescent.

Fertile crescent develops competing scripts,

Egyptian Pyramids & Abu Simbel, hyrogylphics,

Assyrian cuniceform in BM (Iraq), Hanging Gardens in BM, Ishtar Gate

Minoan Empire c. 3100 – 1450 Minoans known for its monumental architecture and energetic art, it is often regarded as the first civilization in Europe. Crete and Santorini

Mycenae - 1800 -. 1100 BC. Mycenae represents the first advanced and distinctively Greek civilization in mainland Greece with its palatial states, urban organization, works of art, and writing system. Ship Fresco in National Archaeological Museum, Athens. Trojan War led by Agamemnon against Troy.

Cannanites (Lebanon/Isreal), - Semitic language

Towards the end of the Bronze Age that forms of Proto-Sinaitic script split into the Proto-Canaanite alphabet (c. 1400 BC), the undeciphered Byblos syllabary, and the Ancient South Arabian script (c. 1200 BC). Proto-Canaanite, which was probably influenced by the Byblos syllabary, in turn inspired the Ugaritic alphabet (c. 1300 BC).[62]. The Phoenician alphabet (c. 1050 BC), which was ultimately adapted into the Greek alphabet, is another direct descendant of Proto-Sinaitic.

Phoenicians (Levant) 1200–800 BC - a maritime civilization that included Carthage (Tunisia). Naval services to Assyrian and Acmaeid empires. trireme sea power. They developed a "Phonetic alphabet", simplifying writing by using isolated symbols for sounds, ideal for typesetting, evolves into Arabic / Hebrew / Greek / Latin (modern) language & alphabet,

Canaanites were an ancient Semitic-speaking civilization, precursers of Phonecian, Hebrew and Arabic. Monotheist religions based on the founding prophet Abraham and described in Genesis of the Hebrew Bible, became established in the Hebrew speaking community probably while exiled in Babylon. The Epic of Gilgamesh at the British Museum dating to around 650 BC.—again, a copy of an earlier (fragmentary) story c 2200 BC The Epic of Gilgamesh discusses the Sumerian version of the great Flood as described in Genesis.

Mittani (Syrian),

Hittites

https://timemaps.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/NewMiddleEast_1500BC.jpg

Semitic Languages: Includes Arabic, Hebrew, originating from a common ancestral language.
Indo-European Influence: Persian (Farsi) and Kurdish are part of the Indo-Iranian branch, showcasing diverse linguistic heritage. Ancient Greek, and the other European languages have a common root.
Turkic Languages: Turkish and Azerbaijani reflect the influence of Turkic migrations and cultures in the region.

800 BCGreek Archaic (settlements in Greece & W Turkey) became a center of intellectual discovery, that is often referred to as a "scientific revolution" took place in Ionia (western Anatolia, modern-day Turkey) in the 6th century BCE, and, it is thought, most likely because the Ionians were not as firmly anchored in traditions of the past as others in mainland Greece.

Achaemenid (Persian) Empire 550-330 BC - renowned for setting up the organization of empire with regional "satrapies" or governors for management and taxation, roads and postal service for communication across the empire. Acmaeid (Persian) Empire 550-330 BC - renowned for setting up the organization of empire with regional "satrapies" or governors for management and taxation, roads and postal service for communication across the empire.

Underground Cappodocia, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus 7 wonders in Bodrum Turkey. , Persepolis relics in BM. Enables the return of the Jews to Isreal.

The Acheamenid “Cyrus Cylinder” 500's BC is the centrepiece of Room 52 in the British Museum. Essentially is a version of what is documented in Ezra 1:1-3, where King Cyrus allows the Jews freedom under his rule to return to their homeland, rebuild the temple, and worship their God.

https://armstronginstitute.org/29-touring-the-bible-at-the-british-museum

478-400 BC Delian Empire in Athens. Pelloponesian War with Sparta.

Plato, Pythagoras of Samos 570 – c. 495 BC, democracy . Built Acropolis, starting with Socrates, Aristotle distinguished about 500 species of birds, mammals, actinopterygians and selachians in History of Animals and Parts of Animals.[46][47][48] Aristotle distinguished animals with blood, Enhaima (the modern zoologist's vertebrates) and animals without blood, Anhaima (invertebrates).

300 BC Macedonian or Alexander the great, replaces Achaemid, spreading Greek learning, took over the Pharoes, built Luxor, Greek scholarship moves to Alexandria Claudius Ptolomy map in British Library a 13th century reconstruction, diameter of earth, astrolabe, heliocentric world.& Temple of Artemis Ephysus. Archimedes of Syracuse in Sicily c. 287 – c. 212 BC) was an Ancient Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, astronomer,

Petra - Incense & Maritime Silk Road.

50AD

Roman Empire takes over Europe Roman UK in BM, Segovia Aqueduct in Spain, amphitheaters everywhere from Amman Jordan to Cartegena Spain. then shrinks to Byzantium, Library of Celos 110 BC- greek scholarship, Celos was a athiest ! & Stadium Ephysus,

300 AD

Rise of Christianity the second major Abrahamic religion started in Isreal and was originally documented in Greek. It spread up through Ephysus to Constantinople . From AD 52–54, the apostle Paul lived for three years in Ephesus.

Emporor Constatine of Rome converts to Christianity and moves capital to a new Christian base - Constantinople.

Greek scholarship survived in the Greek speaking Byzantine empire and Orthodox Christian church. Gospel & Church in Ephysus, Churches Cappodocia, exterior Hagia Sophia, The basilica of St. John was built during the reign of emperor Justinian I in the 6th century. Meteora started in the late 11th century and early 1100s, a rudimentary monastic state had formed, called the Skete of Stagoi, and it was centered around the still-standing church of Theotokos (Mother of God).[2] By the end of the 1100s, an ascetic community had flocked to Meteora monastries .

800 AD

Rise of Islam, the third major Abrahamic religion started in Arabia and spread to Southern Spain by N. African Moors (Mezquita ) Córdoba became the capital of the Emirate and then Caliphate of Córdoba, from which the Umayyad dynasty ruled al-Andalus. It became a centre of education and learning,[7][8] and by the 10th century it had grown to be the second-largest city in Europe. Also, continued Greek scholarship by astronomers in Iran and Samarkand (BM or Istambul AM. Ottoman empire eventually dominated the Middle East Istambul Mosque -

1400 AD

Renaissance, catalyzed by the Medichi family in Florence, rudimentary democracy with leaders selected by Florentine guild members. hedonisitic Pope Leo X, and the knowledge explosion of printing, included re-discovery of Greek knowledge from Byzantines as the Ottomans take over. Georgios Gemistos Plethon was born in Constantinople circa 1355/1360 and reintroduced Greek scholarship. Leonardo

1600's Colonialization

The European naval powers compete to take over the rest of the world. They used slavery to drive growth in their colonies.

1760-1970 Revolution

The idea of individual freedom took hold first with French people against profligate royalty. The American colonies gained economy strength thanks to slavery and revolted against British control. The Russian's and Chinese revolted against feudal oppression thtat were disrupted by World Wars and finally collapsed in the 1980's due to their inability to compete with market capitalism.

1800's Industrialization

Science and its application by capitalists drove the industrial revolution that transformed the Western world.

1914-1945 World Wars

The First world war between long time monarchies that were flexing their muscles, was triggered by a minor act of terrorism. The aftermath that punished the German people, sewed the seeds that led to the rise of authoritarian Nazis and the Second world war. The war left USA as the only major economy that did not lie in ruins. Colonies around the world gained their independence. The USA became the dominant world economic power, and after the collapse of USSR political power.

1980's+ Globalization

After the war, the USA realized that the rest of the world had to be rebuilt to avoid another revolt by the masses. Independent India, Japan and Germany in particular were rebuilt as market economies. Japan drove their recovery by becoming a low cost manufacturing powerhouse, quickly followed by South Korea and then China. They morphed into high tech manufacturing specialists taking over from USA. The Middle East/Central Asia has remained a religious autocracy funded by oil revenues. Their resistance to modernization influence has fostered a violent opposition to the west.

Targets

British Museum - Gilgamesh, Phoenicians, Cylinder, Printing press, Judaeism, Christianity, Islam, Greek philosphers, Byzaantine

Athens - Greek philosphers

Samos - Pythagoras

Istambul- Islam , Byzantine