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Review

• The Code of Hammurabi (1700 BC) is the earliest known example of written law.
• Early Judaism promoted ideas that still influence our modern-day sense of justice,
morality, and ethics.
• The ancient Greek and Roman civilizations passed down ideas of basic concepts of
democracy and national citizenship. These cultures also left a lasting legacy in the arts and
sciences.
• After winning the Roman civil war, Julius Caesar made himself dictatorr for life and set
the stage for the Roman Empire.
• Octavian, Julius Caesar’s heir, was the first Roman emperor and expanded the empire
significantly. He was known as Augustus Caesar.
• The Maya, the Inca, and the Aztec each created advanced civilizations in what are
nowMexico and South America.

The Medieval Era

Lesson Objective

In the next section, we’ll review the fall of the Roman Empire and examine how (and where)
Christianity rose to prominence in the medieval era.

Previously Covered

In the preceding sections, we reviewed some early examples of written law and brushed up on some of
the major figures of the Roman era, including Julius Caesar and Caesar Augustus.

Getting Medieval

The term medieval refers to the era of human history between the fall of the Roman Empire and the
Renaissance. Founded around 645 BC, Rome grew under the Tarquin kings until they were overthrown
by the Roman senate around 500 BC. The senate created stability, so much so that the city-state of Rome
grew into one of the most famous and studied empires in history. In AD 324, the emperor Constantine
built Constantinople (“new Rome”) on the site of ancient Byzantium on the Bosporus, a strait between the
Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. It connects Europe and Asia.

Roman Empire

This shift of power to the east sealed Rome's fate, as the once glorious city was left vulnerable to attacks
from the north by the barbarian tribes of Huns, Vandals, Ostrogoths, and others. Rome was sacked in AD