If you’re one of those students who enjoy timelines for learning, here is your assistant to understanding Western Civilization. In general, Antiquity runs from 500 BC to the fall of Western Rome in 476 — and mostly focuses on the Greeks. The Middle Ages run the next thousand years, of which the first 500 are considered Dark. The Renaissance then occurs in the 1500s. It was a period of renewed interest in art, literature, science, and humanism in Europe, leading to significant advancements and a rediscovery of classical Greek and Roman ideals.
The Age of Enlightenment, also founded in Europe, started in the mid-1600s. It was an intellectual and philosophical movement that emphasized reason, skepticism, and the pursuit of knowledge, challenging traditional authority and promoting progress and individual freedoms. This period was followed by Romanticism, a cultural and artistic movement that emphasized emotion, imagination, individualism, and a fascination with nature, rejecting the rationality and conventions of the preceding Enlightenment era.
400 BC Plato – Known philosophical writing dates back to circa 400 BC and from these many authors, Plato was dominant. Not only did he bring us the concept of soul and a better world above, he co-founded Christianity. And because this eventual belief system brought forth the current systems of the world, let’s rank him first.
400 BC Aristotle – A student of Plato, Aristotle agreed with the concept of another world and the conclusion of soul, but was much more practical in his views. His style was to make the best of this planet. Not only called the father of science, he wrote 17 manuals (treatises) on how to run a society. From politics to ethics, Aristotle was organized in his detailed thoughts. Unfortunately, much of his writings didn’t survive — and what did was lost to the Romans and Christianity until 1100, when Tomas Aquinas reinstated it. During the 800s, he was discovered by the Arab Empire and translated from Greek into Arabic. Aquinas then had him transcribed from Arabic into Latin approx. 300 years later. (The language of Rome and the Church.)
400BC Buddha and Confucius – Buddha inspired many religions, namely Hinduism; and Confucianism was practiced by millions over thousands of years. Both dealt with the reality of living within this world; and neither gave shape to an imminent creator like the gods of the Greeks and Romans (or many others).
146 BC Rome conquers Greece – and adopts much of its culture. Along with white columns influencing Roman architecture, the Romans incorporated Greek characteristics in art, music, drama, and dance. They also adopted the concepts of individual freedoms and democracy, and the Greek system of religion — copying their gods, one for one (Zeus became Jupiter, Aphrodite became Venus, Eros became Cupid, etc.).
100 BC Judaism is recognized – Created circa 1800 BC, Judaism wasn’t respected until around the time of Christ. Prior to, this faith was one of many circulating in an unorganized world. People lived in small tribes and communication systems hadn’t been invented. So though Rome may claim a state religion, implementing it was quite a different story. Convincing the ignorant into changing their belief system doesn’t happen overnight. It takes generations. Anyway, Jews in every community started to get noticed and they became regarded as successful. Roman intellectuals then began associating their belief system with output. Not just economic but socially Jews worked hard, studied, saved their money, and stayed out of trouble. Model citizens of the day. (Kinda like today’s Asians.)
325 AD Counsel of Nicaea – Rome decides it needs a new religion. This belief in multiple gods isn’t working. Too confusing for the people. Jewish monotheism (one god) seems better. Also appears people like knowing who their god is — want to know more about his personality. And while we’re at it, let’s incorporate Plato and other Greek thoughts. Religion should have some philosophy to it. Plus, this Christ preaching about a loving god and “love thy neighbour” still seems mighty powerful. Followers are willing to die for it.
Obviously, this project took time. Along the way, Rome granted Christians the right to practice their religion in 313, ending years of persecution, and Emperor Constantine himself converted. In 380, the Empire adopted Judeo-Christianity as its state religion.
476 AD The Fall of Western Rome – The Eastern Empire, administered from Constantinople, continued until 1453, when it fell to the Ottoman Turks. The West, meaning most of modern-day Europe, became a mess. The ensuing period is known as the Dark Ages. It was a time of small kingdoms warring against nomadic tribes and other small kingdoms. And without centralized control being provided by Rome, the only thing keeping it together was the Church. After the fall, literacy took a nosedive and violence erupted everywhere. Why? Because without law and order people take matters into their own hands. Us modern folk complain about the role of government but without a police department, registries for property, some sort of centralized military, and departments for things like taxation, societies tend to fall apart.
700 AD The Arab Empire – Spirituality aside, Muhammad made desert people see something larger than themselves. Saudi was a land of nomads constantly fighting among tribes. So the region was going nowhere. Then he created a belief system, not much different than Judaism or Christianity, and it unified a nation. Power then turned this natural belligerence into a caliphate that spread eastward to India and as far west as Spain. Over time they brought forward many achievements. The scientific knowledge of Greece was translated into Arabic and numbers were imported from India. They enhanced trigonometry, devised decimal fractions and square roots, created pi to 16 decimal positions, and invented algebra. They also bettered astronomy, medicine, and geography. So thanks go to Mecca.
1054 AD East separates from West in the Catholic Church – After the schism, East no longer recognizes the pope in Rome. This is the beginning of Eastern Orthodox (e.g., Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox) and the expression Roman Catholic.
1066 AD William the Conqueror – William of Normandy, a region in France, defeating the existing king of England at the Battle of Hastings. He declared himself (and any future monarch) as the sole holder of land, but introduced a feudal system whereby certain subjects were bestowed nobility (through the title of baron) and granted rental use of land to profit from. He then sought the advice of barons, along with the clergy, before making laws.
1215 AD Magna Carta – A group of rebel barons forced King John to sign the Magna Carta (Latin for “the great charter”), granting them some rights. It was the first time an English monarch had ever agreed to share power. In theory, this baron group became the first parliament. Some monarchs respected Magna Carta, others didn’t—so early parliaments were primarily seen as advisory committees.
1642-1651 AD The English Civil War – This war was fought between the Parliamentarians (“Roundheads”) and the Royalists of King Charles I (called “Cavaliers”). The Parliamentarians won, executing King Charles and replacing him with a stronger parliament headed by Oliver Cromwell. This parliament lasted 10 years before people lost confidence and supported a counter-revolution, won by King Charles’s son, Charles II. Charles II eventually died and was succeeded by his brother, King James II.
1651 AD Thomas Hobbes publishes Leviathan – a significant work in political philosophy, in which Hobbes argues that in the state of nature, life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. In such a condition, humans are driven by self-interest and the pursuit of personal desires, leading to conflict and insecurity. To escape the perils of the state of nature, Hobbes proposes the establishment of a social contract. This contract involves individuals surrendering some of their rights and freedoms to a sovereign authority in exchange for protection, stability, and the preservation of their lives. Hobbes argues for the necessity of a strong, absolute sovereign to maintain order and prevent the chaos inherent in the state of nature. The book’s title refers to the authority as a metaphorical “leviathan” or a giant sea monster. The sovereign, according to Hobbes, has absolute power over the state and is responsible for maintaining law and order, ensuring peace and security, and resolving conflicts within society. The book has had a significant influence on subsequent political and social thought, shaping the understanding of the role of government.
1688 AD The Glorious Revolution – In 1688, parliamentarians assisted by the Dutch and William of Orange, defeated King James II in the Glorious Revolution. Never again would an English monarch rule with absolute power. This victory, along with the British Bill of Rights of 1689, established the basic tenet that parliament was supreme. The monarchy continued to exist but it became a constitutional monarchy (as opposed to an absolute monarchy) where its powers were defined and limited by law. As an expression of gratitude, William of Orange and his wife, Mary, were inaugurated as the very first king and queen under this new system. They are commonly known as William and Mary.
1776 Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations – Some think the US Declaration of Independence was the pinnacle event of this year but a declaration is just that — you still have to win the war. (Which in this case didn’t happen for another 5-7 years.) What was significant was Adam Smith’s textbook on economics. The first educational attempt at describing the modern era of providing goods and services, thus paving the way for economics to became a recognized discipline.