Political and Governmental Structures 600 BCE to 600 CE - AP World History: Modern

The Roman Republic was governed by a senate that elected government officials and created laws that dictated day to day living in the state. All power was concentrated in the elite "patrician" class and all government officials were also elected from within this elite group. This elitism led to an uprising of the lower class "plebeians," which earned them an assembly that could veto the Senate, much like the bicameral system used by the United States.

The Great Fire of Rome of 64 AD destroyed a majority of the city, and many accused Nero himself of starting the fire in order to clear land for the new buildings and renovations he had planned for the city (including an elaborate palace for himself). While these accusations were largely unproven, the image of Nero joyfully celebrating has remained iconic in popular culture to this day.

The Iranian plateau is a geographic area that has always been ethnically and linguistically heterogeneous but Cyrus the Great, a Persian, was the first local to found an imperial dynasty.

The Iranian plateau has never been homogenous.

Alexander the Great did enter the area but he conquered the pre-exiting Achaemenid empire.

The Persian empire was always heterogeneous; although over time some tribal groups were suppressed, homogeneity was never an ideological goal of the empire which sought to rule the whole world.

The Ottomans existed thousands of years after the Achaemenid empire had already fallen, and Cyrus the Great was not installed by any foreign power.

Cyrus the Great is remembered as the founder of the Persian Empire. Cyrus ruled from 559 BCE until 530 BCE and laid the foundations for the subsequent growth of the Persian Empire.

Darius I is often remembered as the great administrator of the Persian Empire. It was during his rule that satraps emerged. Satraps were provincial governors, given control over satrapies (districts/provinces). This allowed Darius I to control a large empire without having to directly oversee each individual province.

Sparta's dual-kingship system ensured that there was always a king in the city while also enabling one king to command military operations outside Sparta. The most notable example of this is Leonidas' presence (and subsequent death) at the Battle of Thermopylae did not sent Sparta into disarray, as his co-ruler Cleomenes still reined. In this way, both military and civil life in Sparta continued to run smoothly.

Pericles, the city's dictator, ruled Athens at the height of the city's military and cultural influence. Both a great statesman and soldier, he is considered one of the most important figures in ancient history. Unfortunately, he was carried off by plague in 429 BC and the city was never the same.

While not a democracy in the modern sense, Athens allowed citizens to cast votes that determined who held public office; however, as in most early or proto-democracies the definition of citizen was very stringent; a citizen had to be a free, male landowner. Democracy was also not a perpetual state of affairs in the city; it slipped in and out of dictatorship and oligarchy.

The Delian League was founded by Athens to continue fighting the Persians. Eventually, Athenian handling of the league led to the Peloponnesian War. After the war, the Delian League was disbanded and most of its members joined the Peloponnesian League.

A polis is the name given to a city-state in Ancient Greece. Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Corinth, and Thessaloniki are all examples of polis’.

Lucius Sulla led an armed march on the city of Rome during the Roman Civil Wars and had himself crowned as emperor. His actions would eventually contribute to the decline of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire, but the initial consequences were that the Roman Republic became far more conservative as power was further concentrated in the hands of the wealthy few.

Solon was a notable Athenian statesman and reformer who lived in the sixth and fifth centuries B.C.E. He is primarily remembered for the legal reforms that he encouraged which are often credited with laying the foundation for the development of Athenian democracy. Solon restructured Athenian law in an attempt to correct the moral and political decline of Athens and to prevent tyrannical rule.

Pericles is probably the most famous and esteemed statesman of ancient Athenian society. He lived in the fifth century BCE. The time of Pericles, between the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, is often referred to as the Golden Age of Athens. Pericles encouraged the growth of Athenian democracy and expanded the electorate; he promoted the growth of arts and literature; he organized the renovation of Athens’ ancient monuments, like the acropolis; and he contributed to the defense of the city from Spartan invasion.

Tribunes were elected officials in the ancient Roman Republic. The role of tribunes was to protect the interest of the plebeians (lower class) and act as a check on the power of the Roman Senate (which primarily served the interests of the aristocracy).

Darius I is one of the most famous rulers of the classical Persian Empire. He ruled over a vast territory and is most often remembered for his efficient administration, his bureaucratic reforms, and his improvements in internal infrastructure - including the construction of the Persian Royal Road and the establishment of a postal service.

The Roman Republic frequently elected temporary dictators in times of crisis or civil unrest. They were given extraordinary individual power to put down rebellions or defeat invading armies or restore order to the Senate. This practice was stopped following the Second Punic War with Carthage.

The Second Triumvirate of Rome was comprised of Marcus Lepidus, Mark Antony, and Octavian (later Augustus Caesar). The rise of the Second Triumvirate marks the final end of the Roman Republic. Together the triumvirate governed Rome for ten years with the consent of the Roman Senate. In 33 BCE relations deteriorated and Octavian defeated the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra in battle and consolidated Roman power in his sole authority.

Consuls were the highest ranking elected officials in the Roman Republic. Two Consuls were generally elected at the same time, to rule concurrently. They were elected for one-year terms and were chosen by an assembly of aristocrats. Consuls had a great deal of power in the Roman Republic, but they were not dictators and were still answerable to the Senate and the tribunes.

When he named himself dictator for life Julius Caesar did something unprecedented in Roman history. Previously (with the notable exception of Sulla) dictators were chosen by the elected officials of the Roman Republic to serve for a six-month or one-year term. The actions of Julius Caesar contributed to the downfall of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.

Darius I is generally remembered for his impressive administrative reforms within the Persian Empire. During, and immediately after, his rule the Persian Empire was divided into a series of districts (called satrapies), which were managed by a governor (satraps).