Study guide: Greek and Roman Antiquity

📋 Course Outline

1. Ancient Greek and Roman Legacies
2. Foundations of Athenian Democracy
3. The Parthenon and Athenian Power
4. Athenian Citizens and Political Rights
5. Roman Republic and Religion
6. Constantine and Christian Rome

📅 Key Dates

1. 313Constantine signed the Edict of Milan, allowing Christians to celebrate their worship publicly
2. 330Constantine inaugurated Constantinople as a second capital
3. 337Constantine died and was baptized on his deathbed

📖 1. Ancient Greek and Roman Legacies

★ Must-know

• The traces of ancient Greece and Rome remain visible today, especially in the Mediterranean world.

Further detail

• Athens and Rome were important cities partly because of their political regimes, and in 2026 they are visited as tourist cities for their history.

💡 Memory Hook

Athens represents democratic power, while Rome represents imperial power.

📖 2. Foundations of Athenian Democracy

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Athenian democracy: a political regime based on citizenship and organized participation in the life of the city, including the election of strategists who directed it

📝 Essential Points

• In Athens, men aged 18 and over voted.

• The foundations of Athenian democracy were:

  • equality
  • respect for justice
  • the interest of the city

💡 Memory Hook

EJI: Equality, Justice, Interest of the city.

📖 3. The Parthenon and Athenian Power

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Parthenon: a temple dedicated to Athena, located on the Acropolis, and it has both religious and political functions

★ Must-know

• The Parthenon was one of the largest and most beautiful monuments of ancient Greece and symbolized the power of Athens.

Further detail

• The Acropolis is a hill 150 metres high overlooking the city of Athens.

💡 Memory Hook

A temple standing on the Acropolis above the city, linking religion and politics.

📖 4. Athenian Citizens and Political Rights

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Athenian citizens: free men who could participate in the political, military, and judicial life of the city

📝 Essential Points

• Only about 6,000 people were citizens among the 300,000 inhabitants of Athens.

• Women, slaves, and foreigners living in Athens had no political rights.

💡 Memory Hook

Free male citizens participate politically, whereas women, slaves, and foreigners have no political rights.

📖 5. Roman Republic and Religion

🔑 Key Concepts & Definitions

• Roman religion: polytheistic, and the gods were honoured in temples and sanctuaries

📝 Essential Points

• The Roman Empire was immense and encompassed the entire Mediterranean region.

• Roman administration involved:

  • tribunals
  • magistrates
  • the army
  • government
  • finances

📌 Roman emperors held more power than republican leaders, including authority over the army, magistrates, and military command.

💡 Memory Hook

Roman political institutions govern the city, while temples and sanctuaries organize religious worship.

📖 6. Constantine and Christian Rome

★ Must-know

• Constantine became the sole emperor in 324.

Further detail

• Progressively, monotheism became established and the future empires were no longer polytheistic.

💡 Memory Hook

324 emperor → 313 Milan → 330 Constantinople → 337 death and baptism.