ANCIENT AGE: ORIGIN, CHARACTERISTICS, EVENTS - HISTORY - 2025

The Ancient Age was the historical period between around 4000 BC. C. and the year 476 d. Like all the stages in which human history has been divided, these dates have been marked according to some important events.

In this case, the beginning is calculated from the appearance of the writing, while the end coincides with the end of the Western Roman Empire. Some historians complain about the Eurocentric vision of this division, but, in general, historiography has adopted it in a majority way.

Pyramids of Giza. Source: By Most likely Hamish2k, the first uploader (Most likely Hamish2k, the first uploader), via Wikimedia Commons

During this period, humanity began to organize itself, first, into city-states and, later, into empires. Thus, it went from a nomadic structure to creating the first civilizations in history. Among the most prominent of this period are the one established in Mesopotamia, the Egyptian, the Greek, the Roman or the Mayan.

The events of the Ancient Age, the longest in history, are innumerable. Among the most prominent are the appearance of the first written alphabet, the embodiment of the first laws, the founding of Rome, the birth of Christ and, finally, the disappearance of the Western Roman Empire.

Origin

The Ancient Age, or simply Antiquity, was the period of history in which the first societies appeared in the world. Within the division that has been established, this stage followed Prehistory.

The milestone that marked the change in the historical age was the invention of writing, around 4000 BC. Its end has been marked with the end of the Western Roman Empire, which gave way to the Middle Ages.

In the beginning, primitive human societies began to settle in favorable areas. Thus, they stopped being nomads and sought fertile and rich land to settle. In this way, the first populations appeared.

First States

Those first, and small, settlements evolved over time. Soon, the ones that were successful began to get bigger.

This brought about a change in social relationships. Two important castes appeared: the one that controlled political power (kings or the like) and the one that took over the religion (priests).

The rest of the population began to divide depending on their jobs and taxes were established. Trade became general, without having to be limited to short distances.

The different City-states were related, either peacefully or through wars. Finally, the first states appeared and, from them, great empires. Sumeria, around the 4th millennium BC. C., is considered as the first of the civilizations that arose in this period.

Main features

The appearance of writing

Sumerian tables

The invention of writing has been considered as the milestone that marked the entry into the Ancient Age. The Sumerians began to write around 3500 BC. C and other civilizations created their own sign systems to transmit knowledge and, something important for a social organization to exist, leave their laws in writing.

There were numerous types of writing, from the cuneiform to the hieroglyphic of the Egyptians, passing through that invented by the Phoenicians or the Greek alphabet.

Politics

The first form of political and territorial organization were city-states. These populations, of varied size but larger than the simple previous settlements, achieved a fairly high development. That turned them into centers of political power.

As a way of defense, they used to build walls around them and were defended by force against the conquerors. They were highly militarized societies, and wars between peoples were continuous.

During the Ancient Ages, the most common form of government was the monarchy, which often led to empires. However, much of the royal power rested with the clergy. The religions were many, but they used to serve as legitimation for kings.

Only in some places, and quite briefly, did other systems of government appear. The best known, the republic (in Rome, for example) or democracy (in ancient Greece).

Laws

The most novel thing during the Old Age was not the promulgation of laws. In the past there had been rules to regulate human relationships. The innovation was that they were reflected in writing, giving them more official status and a claim to durability.

The most famous example is the Code of Hammurabi, considered the first compendium of written laws in the world.

Economy

The growth of human settlements forced the establishment of economic activities that could generate the necessary resources for their maintenance. Agriculture, one of the reasons why humans stopped being nomadic, was the main source of wealth, accompanied by livestock.

This importance of agriculture had a secondary effect: the possession of land began to be a symbol of wealth. Over time, a social group was created characterized by owning more arable land, with people working for them.

Trade, even with the difficulty posed by long distances, focused on the exchange of raw materials, although they also began to barter with manufactured products.

As has been pointed out, exchange was the most frequent, although the concept of money was beginning to be known. Sometimes coins were minted, although the real value was given by the metal from which they were made.

Religion

Generally speaking, the most important religions during the Old Age were polytheistic. This meant that they believed in the existence of more than one god.

However, it was during this period that two of the most important monotheistic religions appeared: Judaism and Christianity. While the former remained more or less limited to the Middle East, the latter expanded to become the official religion of European countries.

Culture

The culture during the Ancient Age is considered to be a direct heir to the previous nomadic tribes. Her life was regulated by rules and hierarchies and breaches were harshly punished.

During this period, however, the situation evolved enormously. In the so-called Classical Antiquity, they experienced the birth of philosophy, which focused on the search for knowledge. This ended up affecting many cultural, religious and political aspects.

As for art, most of the manifestations had a strong religious load. Each civilization shaped its mythology in its literature, sculpture, architecture or painting. From these centuries come some of the most well-known artistic styles today, such as Egyptian, Greek or Roman.

Important events

Development of writing by the Sumerians

The Sumerians developed their writing around 3500 BC. Historians point out that about the year 3000 BC. C., some schools called Casas de las Tablillas appeared, in which rich families were taught to write.

At first, it was only written to reflect administrative, commercial or religious facts. However, about 2700 BC. C., literature with varied themes was already being written.

Unification of Egypt

During the so-called Archaic Period (c. 3100 - 2750 BC approx.), An event occurred that marked the appearance of other great civilizations of the Ancient Age: that of Egypt.

Around the year 3100 a. C. the king of Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt, giving rise to the civilization that raised the pyramids.

Hammurabi Code

Code of Hammurabi. According to historians, it can be said that in Mesopotamia the first written and systematized rules existed.

The king of Babylon Hammurabi was the promoter of the code of laws that bears his name in 1692 BC. C. Its importance lies in the fact that it is one of the first written laws in history.

In the Ancient Age, the authorities decided that it was necessary to write the legal norms of their territories. That, on the one hand, made them more official and clear rules for the population and, on the other, gave them a more permanent character.

Foundation of the city of Rome

Numerous legends relate the founding of the capital of what would be one of the most important empires in history: Rome. It is not possible to know the real date, but experts place it between 758 a. C. and 728 a. C.

The growth of this city, the conquest of Lazio, first, the rest of Italy, later, and a good part of Europe, are events that marked all of Western and world history.

Athens, Corinth, Sparta and Thebes, city-states

If Rome was the capital of the Empire that dominated Europe for centuries, Greece was its greatest artistic, philosophical and religious influence.

It was during the Ancient Ages that Athens, Sparta, Thebes or Corinth became important city-states. From that moment, they became the cradle of European culture.

They were also the place from which one of the most important conquerors in history departed: Alexander the Great. In a very few years he managed to get his Empire to reach India and only his death slowed its rise.

Beginning of Christianity

The Western calendar itself shows the importance of the emergence of Christianity. For believers, Christ was born in the year I of our era. At first, the Roman Empire viewed Christians as enemies. Only three centuries later, Constantine named it the official religion of Rome.

Foundation of Constantinople and division of the Roman Empire

Division of the Roman Empire into East and West

In it, the year 330, the city of Constantinople was founded, also known as Byzantium and, today, as Istanbul. This city, only 65 years later, became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire after the Empire was divided in two.

Although the Ancient Age ended at that time, the Byzantines always considered themselves continuators of the Roman Empire, which is why historians affirm that, in the East, the situation was not one of rupture, but more continuity.

Fall of the Western Roman Empire

After decades of internal troubles, political decomposition, and pressure from so-called barbarian peoples, the Western Roman Empire came to an end in AD 476. With this fact, the Old Age gave way to the Middle Ages.

Curiously, the fall of Constantinople, heir to the Eastern Roman Empire, would be the milestone that would mark the end of the Middle Ages.

Major civilizations

Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia is the name of a region located in the Middle East. Its name means "between two rivers" since it is located between the Tigris and the Euphrates. This region was the cradle of the first human civilizations, favored by the fertility of the lands bathed by these waters.

According to historians, the first cities were built by groups of nomads. Little by little, they were expanding the urban areas. It was a monarchical system, with quite rigid social strata, an army, a religion and its own language. Furthermore, they created a priestly caste almost more powerful than the monarchs themselves.

Among the events that made them pioneers, the Mesopotamians were the first to build walls as a defense. Economically, they were distinguished by their dominance of agriculture, the basis of their food and their trade.

The inhabitants of this area used writing to record their commercial transactions, relate the wars in which they participated, and tell the customs of the subjugated peoples.

Persia

To the west of the Tigris River, in an area that mixed deserts, steppes, mountain ranges and plateaus, the Persian Empire appeared. It was a totally patriarchal civilization, with man at the head of each created group.

They were reputed to be excellent ranchers, as they attached great importance to raising all kinds of animals. Not only did they have herds of cows, but their horses and dogs enjoyed great fame.

They were also great warriors and their enemies feared their ferocity. The best-known conflict in which they participated faced the Greeks: the Medical Wars.

Religiously, like so many other civilizations during the Ancient Ages, the Persians were polytheists. Perhaps what differentiated their beliefs from others is that they worshiped the gods in triads.

Egypt

Hieroglyphs of Ancient Egypt

One of the civilizations that has bequeathed the most monuments to humanity has been the Egyptian. Even today you can see its pyramids, temples or obelisks that, apart from their beauty, are a source of information for all historians.

As was customary, this civilization arose on the bank of a river: the Nile. Its inhabitants learned to take advantage of the benefits of its waters, planting plantations and designing a hydraulic system that will bring the precious liquid to the entire population. Despite the vast expanses of desert, they achieved a stable economy.

Egypt was ruled by a Pharaoh. This monarch was considered a god, following the usual maneuver of legitimizing political power with religion. Besides, the inhabitants also worshiped a wide pantheon of gods.

One of his characteristics was his vision of death. They thought that the dead reached the underworld, where they would follow another phase of their existence. For this second "life" to be prosperous, they buried their dead with all kinds of riches.

Greece

Scene from ancient Greece. Ancient Greek mythology.

Greece is considered the cradle of Western culture. This culture, also called Hellenistic, developed a philosophy, an art and political institutions that are one of the main influences in most of the Western world. It is there, for example, where the term democracy began to be used, specifically in Athens.

Greece was originally made up of independent city-states, called polis. They only united to defend the territory against external attacks. The appearance of Alexander the Great was the moment of greatest territorial extension and political union.

The young conqueror managed, in a very few years, to expand his borders to India. His army seemed invincible and the economy and art of the country reached exceptional levels. Only the death of Alejandro, at only 32 years old, stopped his advance.

Rome

At its peak, the Roman Empire came to occupy almost six million square kilometers, one of the largest in history. Its temporary duration was very long, from 27 BC. Until 476 d. However, the importance of Rome transcends these simple data.

Historians agree that without the Roman Empire, Western civilization would be very different. From politics, to the economy and society come largely from his legacy.

In this way, its legal and institutional concepts have reached today: Roman law, the senate, the provinces or the municipality are concepts created at that time. The same is true of art and culture: many European roads follow the paths traced by the Romans centuries ago.

The importance of their language cannot be ignored either. Latin is the root of several languages ​​in Europe and, thanks to Spanish, also in Latin America.

However, the creation of the Empire was not a story of cultural assimilation. The Romans were assimilating part of the culture of the places they conquered. Their main influence was classical Greece, but they also took advantage of contributions from other places.

China

Great wall of china

While all the named civilizations appeared in the Middle East and Europe, the largest empire, the Chinese, flourished in Asia. With more than 4,000 years of history, China built impressive infrastructures, such as levees and, best known, the Great Wall.

Its origin was located near the Yellow and Blue rivers and the fertility of those lands brought it rapid prosperity and gave it the opportunity to spread. Despite the vast size of that territory, the Chinese rulers managed to unify it and create an empire more powerful than their Western counterparts.

Although many of their contributions did not reach Europe or did so much later, they are considered the inventors of paper, ink, gunpowder and many other products.

Mayas

This image shows the Mayan Hero Twins, known from the Sacred Book of the Mayas, the Poopol Wuuj: Junajpu and Xbalanq'e. Painted by Lacambalam. Ornament taken from an ancient Mayan pottery.

Also in South America great civilizations appeared during the Old Age. One of the most outstanding was the Maya, which reached a level of evolution at all levels higher than the rest of the pre-Columbian cultures.

The Mayans inhabited a very wide territory. It covered from the Yucatan peninsula (Mexico), the highlands of present-day Guatemala, and the tropical forest located between these two points.

Although the Mayan Empire survived the Ancient Age, during that time it was going through the so-called Formative or Preclassic period. This had begun between the years 2000 and 1500 a. C and ended in 300 AD. C.

Its origin was located in the Yucatan, collecting influences from the Olmecs. Its first settlements were built with mud, including religious temples. They based part of their economy on agriculture, although they also practiced fishing and gathering fruits.

Final

Representation of the fall of the Roman Empire

Historiography considers that the end of the Old Age took place when the Roman Empire of the West fell under the push of the barbarians and by its own problems. This ending occurred in AD 476. C., although it should be noted that the Eastern Empire survived until 1453.

However, some currents of historians point out that this end of the Ancient Age is only valid for Western civilization. According to these experts, other areas must consider different dates, since some empires remained with the same characteristics until much later.

Transition to the Middle Ages

Image of the late Middle Ages

The fall of the Western Roman Empire marked the passage from the Ancient Ages to the Middle Ages. These historical divisions, however, do not occur abruptly, but there are characteristics that persist for quite some time.

During this transition to the Middle Ages, Latin remained the language of the territories in which Rome had had a great presence. Only the passage of time, and the influence of other peoples, made the language evolve until it reached its current state. Castilian or French can be named as examples of this slow evolution from Latin.

As for religion, Christianity had managed to impose itself on the Empire during its last century of existence. It was another of the facets that remained in time.

When the Roman Empire disappeared, its position was taken by the peoples called barbarians. These, after a long relationship with Rome, had acquired part of their customs.

Its expansion through Europe marked the later history of the continent, as evidenced by the presence of the Visigoths in Spain or that of the Franks in France. The Franks created the next great empire: the Carolingian. With him came the typical medieval feudalism.

References

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4. Gill, NS Major Events in Ancient History. Retrieved from thoughtco.com
5. The Raab Collection. The Ancient World Through the Middle Ages. Retrieved from raabcollection.com
6. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. List of ancient civilizations. Retrieved from britannica.com
7. Wikipedia. Cradle of civilization. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org