We explain what the classical era was and the periods into which it is divided. Also, what are its general characteristics and how was its end.
In the classical era it corresponds to the flowering of the Greco-Roman civilization.
What is the classical era?
The “Classical Period” or “Classical Antiquity” is a period of history located between High Antiquity (when the first civilizations of the Ancient Near East appeared) and Late Antiquity (the transition to the Middle Ages).
This period corresponds to the flourishing of Greco-Roman culture, located in the Mediterranean basin and the coasts of the Near East. It includes the moment when Greek civilization reached its maximum artistic, philosophical, architectural and economic splendor and the development of the Hellenistic Period, during which Greek culture spread throughout the East and was, in turn, influenced by cultural elements of the cultures local.
Also It includes the development of Roman culture in the Italian peninsula and his conquest of the Mediterranean region and the Near East.
Both civilizations constitute a fundamental antecedent of current Western culture, because within them were created institutions, practices and ways of thinking that continued to influence European societies for centuries.
See also: Classical period (Europe)
Location of the classical era in time
The classical era begins in the 5th century BCwith the end of the war between the city-states of Ancient Greece and the Persian Empire. The Greek armies were victorious over the Persian invaders. A new feeling of greatness and cultural confidence was thus established among its inhabitants.
Depending on the sources consulted, this beginning It can be considered even earlier, in the 8th century BC., with the mythical founding of Rome in the year 753 BC. c.
Similarly, the classical era culminates in the 5th century AD.with the Christianization of the Western Roman Empire, its fall and disintegration in the face of the invasion of the Germanic peoples of northern and eastern Europe. From then on, the Middle Ages began.
Classical Greece (510-330 BC)
Between the 6th and 4th centuries BC, The Greek polis had a time of splendor, economic wealth and cultural development. Thebes, Athens, Corinth, Miletus and Sparta stood out for their artistic, architectural and military advances. In addition, they promoted the deepening of mathematical and philosophical knowledge and the study of nature. In Athens, the period between 490 and 404 BC. C. is known as the Golden agedue to its cultural, political and economic splendor.
The main features of the splendor of Greek culture were the following:
- PhilosophyThe philosophical discipline was born in the 6th century BC, and had its splendor during the 5th century BC. Thinkers questioned the origin of life and the functioning of nature, and exalted rational thought to know and understand the world in which they lived. Plato and Aristotle, among other philosophers, are exponents of classical Greek philosophy.
- Nature studyOther thinkers, such as Heraclitus, Zeno, Anaxagoras, Parmenides or Empedocles studied other subjects related to nature (such as astronomy or botany).
- MedicineThis period was the date of the studies of Alcmaeon and Hippocrates, who investigated the human body and developed important advances in medicine.
- Arts. During the classical period, there was a great promotion of the arts. Some cities, such as Athens, became centres for artistic development, both for the visual arts (such as sculpture) and for the performing arts (such as theatre). The architecture of Phidias and the plays of Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides date from this period.
- Policy. Each polis maintained its political independence and established its own system of government. In Sparta, for example, an aristocratic government was established that had different magistracies (some temporary and others for life). In Athens, for the first time in history, a democratic system of government was developed that incorporated the political participation of the people.
In the second half of the 5th century BC. C., The rivalry between Athens and Sparta, the two most powerful polis, increased and generated the formation of two coalitions: the Delian League (Athenian) and the Peloponnesian League (Spartan). The different poleis of the region were aligned with one or the other side and, from 431 BC, they faced each other in the Peloponnesian War. Around 404 BC, the Delian League was finally defeated. However, these decades of war weakened all the poleis that were involved in the conflict.
The Hellenistic period (330-146 BC)
Alexander the Great came to dominate Greece, Egypt, India, Persia and Central Asia.
Macedonia, located north of Greece, was a kingdom of Greek culture that from the middle of the 4th century BC. C., its military expansion beganPhilip II’s campaigns were victorious thanks to his innovative military tactics, which combined the use of cavalry and infantry. In 338 BC, the Macedonians defeated the Athenians at the Battle of Chaeronea and took control of the entire region. The Greek cities lost their autonomy and were subjected to the League of Corinth, led by the Macedonians.
In 336 BC, Alexander the Great, son of Philip II, assumed the throne. and continued with the expansion campaigns started by his father. In a decade he managed to conquer vast territories and build the largest empire in Antiquity, which encompassed the regions of Greece, Egypt, Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia and Central Asia (up to the Indus River).
However, upon Alexander’s death, the struggles for succession ended up dismembering the empire into various kingdoms, whose borders were modified with the military development of the different political forces in the region.
Around the 1st century BC. C., the Roman Republic began its territorial expansion and ended up conquering the Hellenistic kingdoms, weakened by internal disputes and constant military pressure.
This period was characterized by the formation of a new culture. With his military conquests, The Macedonians spread Greek culture throughout Asia and Egypt. In turn, this culture was influenced by Eastern beliefs, values and styles. As a result of this combination, Hellenistic culture developed. Its main characteristics were:
- Language. During this period the koine: a Greek dialect combined with the different local languages. It functioned as a lingua francathat is, a language understood by everyone that facilitated communication between different peoples.
- Culture and patronage. Cities such as Alexandria, Pergamum and Antioch enjoyed the importance that the polis Athens, Thebes and Sparta once had. Hellenistic cities stood out as urban cultural centers. Its rulers promoted the creation of educational institutions and libraries, and encouraged the arts. Patronage also developed as a cultural relationship: noble elites hired philosophers and scholars, and contributed to the development of scientific knowledge of mathematics, geography, medicine, philosophy or physics.
- Religious syncretism. During the Hellenistic period, in the different kingdoms local cults, coming from the East (such as the cult of Serapis, Isis or Cybele) were combined with the classical pantheon of gods and Greek mythology.
More in: Hellenistic period
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a civilization that was established in the Italian peninsula and conquered much of Europe, North Africa and the Near East. Its history is usually divided into three stages, according to its form of government: Monarchy (753-509 BC), Republic (509-27 BC) and Empire (27 BC-476 AD) .
The last century of the Republican period and the first of the Imperial period are considered the moment of splendor of Roman civilization, because Rome established itself as a dominant power in the region.
In the republican period, the Roman system of government was characterized by division of public functions between different officials and institutions: the Senate, the Assembly and the magistrates (or “officials”). On the other hand, during the imperial period, administrative, political, military and religious powers were monopolized under the figure of an emperor.
During the centuries of splendor, Roman culture He stood out in diverse disciplines such as literature, architecture, philosophy and the plastic arts.The works produced during this period became references for artists and thinkers of later times. Many elements of Roman culture survived the fall of the Empire and influenced the ideals, values and artistic styles of modern Western culture.
The main features of classical Roman culture were:
- Art and architecture. The Romans developed their own style, influenced by both the Etruscans and the Greeks. From the Etruscans, the Romans took the arch and the vault as fundamental elements of their architecture. Instead, the Romans took inspiration from the Greeks for the design of columns and the use of statues in temples and civil buildings.
- monumental works. The various emperors ordered the construction of large public works throughout the empire, such as monuments, aqueducts, sewage systems, roads, public baths, etc. The monumental character of some temples and public spaces was intended to demonstrate to other peoples the power and magnificence of the Romans. Among them, they created giant amphitheatres, triumphal arches and basilicas. The ruins of some of these great works can still be seen; for example, the Temple of Jupiter in Baalbek (in Lebanon), the Arch of Caracalla (in Morocco), the aqueduct of Segovia (in Spain) or the Roman Forum (in Italy).
- Roman law. The relations between citizens and the State were regulated in precise texts, and a notion of law was created. Over time, the different norms, laws and legal principles were codified and integrated into what is known as Roman law. This type of legislation became one of the main sources of modern law.
- PhilosophyRoman philosophy was influenced by its Greek predecessors. The Romans adopted two main philosophical currents: Stoicism and Epicureanism. The Stoics, such as Seneca, Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, sought, through philosophical reason, inner peace and virtue, essential foundations of ethics. In contrast, the Epicureans maintained that philosophy had the practical goal of seeking happiness. In this sense, they defended hedonism (the enjoyment of bodily pleasures).
- Language. With the expansion of borders and Roman culture, Latin became a fundamental language throughout the region. With the fall of…