Section 2

I don't know where to begin when blogging about section two. Section one dealt with the Neolithic and Paleolithic eras. Strayer reminds us of the incredible length of human history before modern day governments and hierarchies. Section two spans a shorter time period but is filled with a much more overwhelming amount of information.

Our class discussion regarding the Mesopotamia region and the excerpt from the "Epic of Gilgamesh" was incredibly interesting.  It's story of sex, beer, relationships with nature and one another was expectantly familiar. I left class wondering if it is true that history continues to repeat itself or if the similarities are more indicative of human nature. If it is indicative of human nature I wonder how far we have come since that time.

Section two of our book moves away from the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia and into the "Second Wave" civilizations. It shows a diverse history of competing civilizations and dynasty's as they rise and fall.  The foundations of our own civilizations, religions, social hierarchies and struggles were built during this Classical period.

I am most interested in the Greek and Roman civilizations. I would love to learn more about teachings of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Strayer mentions Aristotle's government recommendation of a mix of Republic, Democracy and Monarchy which is what our government is currently based on. He discusses the view of women as inferior and that homosexual behavior was socially acceptable.

Strayer begins the section by asking if we are the next Roman Empire. Have things changed that much? I think this question is especially relevant right now. As special interest groups and the wealthy in our country continually shape our laws to fit their interests it is hard not to wonder if the income gap will become to wide. How long will it be before another country bypasses us as the worlds superpower.

Beyond all of this I enjoyed learning about the history of our current world religions. The beginning of Monotheism and the evolution of Buddhism and Christianity from it's original teachings. Slayer writes how their followers turned their leaders into gods. India's Caste system that continues to be a influential part of India's social system. China's system of class was more open to social mobility. During the Han dynasty students could become Elite officials by passing examinations. Although the Peasant class was the least wealthy they had more prestige then the Merchant class. In the America's the Mayans had their own writing and could predict eclipses of the sun and moon.

I really did enjoy section two of our book but the amount of material in this section has made this blog difficult to do. When you look closely at these societies there are so many interesting and diverse aspects of each of these civilizations. When you pan out they all suffered from many of the same problems. It brings me back to the "Epic of Gilgamesh" and leaves me wondering how far we have come. It is possible that we are just the next Roman Empire.