The Classical World — Class 9 Social Science (Samacheer Kalvi)
TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 9 Social Science, History — Chapter 5. Ancient Greece, Rome, and Han China.
1. About this lesson
The classical world refers to the civilisations of ancient Greece, Rome, and Han China that laid the foundations of Western and Eastern political thought, philosophy, law, and culture.
2. Ancient Greece
Key Terms
- The Greeks called themselves Hellenes (NOT Hellenists).
- The Greek city-state was called a Polis. Athens was the Greek city-state that resisted the Persians to the end.
- Acropolis: The fortified hilltop in a Greek city.
- Sparta: A militaristic Greek city-state known for its disciplined army.
Persian Wars and Democracy
- Athens and Sparta united against the Persian Empire.
- Athens developed direct democracy — citizens directly participated in decision-making.
- Pericles was the great statesman of Athens's Golden Age.
Greek Philosophers
| Philosopher | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Socrates | Socratic method — questioning to seek truth |
| Plato | Student of Socrates; wrote "The Republic"; founded the Academy |
| Aristotle | Student of Plato; tutor of Alexander; wrote on logic, politics, biology |
Alexander the Great
- Son of Philip II of Macedonia.
- Conquered the Persian Empire, reached up to the Indus River.
- Spread Greek culture (Hellenistic culture) across Asia and Egypt.
- Died in 323 BCE in Babylon.
3. Ancient Rome
Roman Republic → Empire
- Rome began as a Republic (509 BCE — 27 BCE).
- The Senate was the most powerful governing body.
- Julius Caesar — powerful general; declared himself dictator for life; assassinated in 44 BCE.
- Augustus (Octavian) — first Roman Emperor; began the Pax Romana (Roman Peace).
Roman Law and Government
- Twelve Tables — Rome's first written law code.
- Roman legal principles: equality before law, innocent until proven guilty.
Christianity in Rome
- Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea.
- Early Christians were persecuted until Emperor Constantine granted tolerance (Edict of Milan, 313 CE).
- Christianity became the official religion under Theodosius I.
Fall of Rome
- 476 CE — The Western Roman Empire fell to Germanic tribes.
- The Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) continued for another 1000 years.
4. Han Dynasty (China)
- Founder: Liu Pang (NOT Wu Ti or Hung Chao).
- Ruled China from 206 BCE to 220 CE — contemporary with the Roman Empire.
- The Silk Road connected China with the Roman world.
- Wu Ti was a later Han emperor who expanded the empire.
- Civil service examinations based on Confucian texts.
5. Worked examples
Example 1. What did the Greeks call themselves? Hellenes.
Example 2. Who founded the Han dynasty? Liu Pang.
Example 3. Who was the Roman governor responsible for Jesus's crucifixion? Pontius Pilate.
Example 4. Name the Greek city-state that resisted the Persians to the end. Athens.
6. Book-back questions (Samacheer Kalvi)
I. Choose the correct answer
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______ is the Greek city-state which resisted the Persians to the end — (a) Acropolis / (b) Sparta / (c) Athens / (d) Rome. Ans: (c) Athens.
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The other name for Greeks was ______ — (a) Hellenists / (b) Hellenes / (c) Phoenicians / (d) Spartans. Ans: (b) Hellenes.
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The founder of Han dynasty was — (a) Wu Ti / (b) Hung Chao / (c) Liu Pang / (d) Mangu Khan. Ans: (c) Liu Pang.
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______ was the Roman Governor responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus — (a) Innocent / (b) Hildebrand / (c) Leo II / (d) Pontius Pilate. Ans: (d) Pontius Pilate.
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The Peloponnesian War was fought between — (a) Athens and Sparta / (b) Greece and Persia / (c) Rome and Carthage / (d) Athens and Persia. Ans: (a) Athens and Sparta.
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(i) Acropolis means fortified hilltop in Greek city. (ii) Hellenistic culture mixed Greek and Eastern elements. (iii) Alexander was the son of Augustus. (iv) The Han dynasty ruled after the Qin dynasty. — (a) (i) and (ii) correct / (b) (i), (ii) and (iv) correct / (c) (ii) and (iii) correct / (d) all correct. Ans: (b). (iii-wrong: Alexander was son of Philip II of Macedonia.)
II. Fill in the blanks
- The fortified hilltop in a Greek city was called the Acropolis.
- Socrates used the method of questioning to seek truth (Socratic method).
- The first emperor of Rome was Augustus (Octavian).
- The Silk Road connected China with the Roman Empire.
III. Find out the correct statement
- (a) Sparta was known for its democracy → Wrong. Athens was known for democracy; Sparta was militaristic. (b) Julius Caesar was the first Roman emperor → Wrong. Augustus was the first emperor. (c) The Han dynasty was contemporary with the Roman Empire → Correct. (d) Plato was the tutor of Alexander → Wrong. Aristotle was Alexander's tutor.
IV. Match the following
| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| Pericles | Golden Age of Athens |
| Plato | The Republic |
| Augustus | Pax Romana |
| Pontius Pilate | Crucifixion of Jesus |
| Liu Pang | Han dynasty founder |
V. Answer briefly
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Describe Athenian democracy.
- Direct democracy — citizens directly voted on laws and policies.
- Only free adult male citizens could participate.
- Pericles strengthened democratic institutions.
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Write about Alexander the Great.
- Son of Philip II of Macedonia. Tutored by Aristotle.
- Conquered the Persian Empire; reached the Indus River.
- Spread Hellenistic culture (mix of Greek and Eastern elements).
- Died in 323 BCE at Babylon.
-
How did Rome change from Republic to Empire?
- Republic: Senate was most powerful. Julius Caesar became dictator, assassinated.
- Civil war followed. Octavian (Augustus) emerged as first emperor in 27 BCE.
- Began Pax Romana — 200 years of peace.
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What was the significance of the Silk Road?
- Connected Han China with the Roman Empire.
- Trade in silk, spices, glass, and ideas.
- Buddhism spread from India to China via the Silk Road.
VI. Answer in detail
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Discuss the contributions of Greek civilisation.
- Democracy: Athens developed direct democracy.
- Philosophy: Socrates, Plato (The Republic, Academy), Aristotle (logic, politics, biology, tutored Alexander).
- Art and Architecture: Parthenon, sculptures (idealized human form).
- Literature: Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. Greek tragedies (Sophocles).
- Science: Hippocrates (father of medicine), Archimedes, Pythagoras.
- Olympics: Began in 776 BCE at Olympia.
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Compare the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire.
- Republic: Senate controlled by patricians; two consuls elected annually; Twelve Tables (written law). Conquered Italian peninsula and Mediterranean.
- Empire: Emperor with absolute power; professional army; Pax Romana; expanded to Britain, North Africa, Middle East. Christianity eventually became state religion.
7. Common mistakes
- Mistake: Greeks were called Hellenists. Fix: Greeks called themselves Hellenes. Hellenistic refers to the culture after Alexander.
- Mistake: Alexander was the son of Augustus. Fix: Alexander was the son of Philip II of Macedonia.
- Mistake: Julius Caesar was the first Roman emperor. Fix: Augustus (Octavian) was the first emperor. Caesar was dictator.
- Mistake: Founder of Han dynasty was Wu Ti. Fix: Liu Pang founded the Han dynasty.
- Mistake: Athens was known for militarism. Fix: Sparta was militaristic; Athens was known for democracy.
8. Quick revision
- History Ch 5 · The Classical World — Greece, Rome, Han China.
- Greece: Hellenes, Polis (Athens/Sparta), direct democracy, Pericles, philosophers (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle), Alexander (Hellenistic culture).
- Rome: Republic → Empire. Julius Caesar → Augustus (Pax Romana). Jesus crucified under Pontius Pilate. Christianity under Constantine. Fall: 476 CE (Western).
- Han China: Liu Pang (founder). Silk Road connected to Rome. Contemporary with Roman Empire.
