What were the factors that contributed towards the rise of civilization in Greece? How is it something special in the intellectual world?
Is it true that science and philosophy were born at the same time i.e. in the 6th century B.C.?
What were the reasons for the early development of civilizations (E.g. writing in 4000 B.C.) in Egypt and Mesopotamia? When were the pyramids built?
How did Gods get associated with morality, as in breaching law became impiety? What was the oldest legal code of Hammurabi, the king of Babylon?
What was the Babylonian contribution to the growth of man? How was the Babylonian knowledge inherited by Thales in the 6th century?
Points
Sudden rise of civilization in Greece
Role of Egypt Babylon (both around 2000 B.C) and the island of Crete(Minoan culture), called Mycenaeans on the mainland Greece (till 900 B.C.) in the Greek philosophy
The 3 waves Ionians, Achaeans and last the Dorians
Maritime commerce led to the very early contributions to civilization from Greece
Coinage – 700 B.C
Phoenicians, like other inhabitants of Syria were exposed to influence of both Babylon and Egypt and they held supremacy in maritime commerce till rise of Greek cities if Ionia, Italy and Sicily.
Greek may have learned to write from the Phoenicians and added vowels.
First notable intellectual product – Homer-ancient Greek epic poet of Iliad and the Odyssey,(8th century B.C.), ( product of Ionia), Confucius, Buddha and Zoroaster were probably from the same time, Homer wasn’t very religious, Gods completely human, represents a civilized aristocracy which ignores as plebeian various superstitions that are still rampant among the populace.
Primitive religion was tribal rather than personal
Greece was divided into a large no. of states and they had varied levels of civilization
Sparta – culturally poor, great men
Role of Bacchus (Dionysus in