Chapter 2

Europe and Russia

Shaped by History
Sec. 1
From Ancient Greece to
Feudal Europe
 Definitions
Middle Ages: The years between ancient and recent times.
Democracy: A kind of government that citizens run themselves.
City-State: A city that is also an independent nation.
Policy: Methods and plans a government uses to do its work.
Empire: Collection of lands ruled by a single government.
Pax Romana: Roman peace
Manor: Piece of land owned by a lord in the feudal system.
Serf: A person who lived on and farmed a lord’s land in
feudal times.
Feudalism: Way or organize society when there is no central
government.
Important Ideas Given To Us
From Ancient Greeks
Scientific Method
Democracy
-not the same as we know it today.
-Citizens in Greece owned slaves
-Non-Greeks, women and slaves weren’t
citizens (no vote)
-idea that citizens should have a voice in their
government influenced people in later times.
Greek Accomplishments (chart page 34)
 Alexander’s Empire
City-states gave Greeks opportunities to try different forms
of government.
Alexander the Great became king of Macedonia.
not satisfied with small kingdom
set out to conquer the world.
in less than ten years conquered an empire almost as
big as the United States (Map page 35)
died in 323 B.C. Greek culture linked entire
Mediterranean world.
Why was Alexander’s empire difficult to keep united?
• -large and diverse
Important Ideas Given to Us
From Rome

System of Laws For All Citizens

-Roman lawmakers were careful and
organized
-Wrote laws down.
-Judges based decisions on written
law.
-Laws protected all citizens
 Roman Empire
Began building their empire after the death of
Alexander.
First emperor was Augustus (began Pax Romana)
Pax Romana lasted for 200 years.
Rome was most powerful state in
Europe.
 Roman Decline
Hundreds of years of warfare followed the Pax
Romana
Government raised taxes to pay for the wars (hurt
economy)
Empire grew too big for one person to rule (broke
into 2)
one in Eastern Mediterranean and one in the west.
Western one continued to weaken
After the fall of the Romans, society was
organized under a system called Feudalism.
Role of Christianity/Feudalism
in Middle Ages
Christianity
Gave people strength in a time of danger.
Feudalism
Chart page 39
Monarch- king or queen (supreme ruler)
Lord- powerful landowner (ruled local areas) Allowed
to own piece of land (manor) as a reward for loyalty to
Monarch.
Knight- protected father’s lord in times of war
Serf- farmed lands owned by Lords. In return, their
Lords protected them during war time. Most people in
feudal society were serfs.
HERE ENDETH THE LESSON!