Table of Contents
- 1. Ancient Near East
- 2. Ancient Greece and Rome
- 3. Medieval World
- 4. Renaissance and Reformation
- 5. Early Modern Europe
- 6. Absolutism and Constitutionalism
- 7. Enlightenment
- 8. Social Change and Rebellion
- 9. Nationalism and Imperialism
- 10. Western World in Crisis
- 11. Cold War, Decolonization, and the Rise of Superpowers
- 12. Western Civilization and the Global Community
History
Western Civilization
Sculptures of large figures thought to be Hittite gods on a rock wall at Gavurkale, Turkey (Library of Congress)
1. Ancient Near East
The sands of ancient civilizations may have shifted, yet they provided some of the earliest foundations of Western civilization. Surviving documents dating back three millennia provide a picture of ancient societies’ establishing codes of law; documenting their religious beliefs, including belief in an afterlife; and ensuring the stability of rulers.
Documents
- Pyramid Texts (ca. 2494–2193 BCE)
- Reform Edict of Urukagina (2350 BCE)
- Code of Hammurabi (1752 BCE)
- Hittite Laws (ca. 1650–1400 BCE)
- Egyptian Book of the Dead (ca. 1569–1315 BCE)
- Divine Birth and Coronation Inscriptions of Hatshepsut (1473 BCE)
- Bible: Genesis (ca. 1400–400 BCE)
- Epic of Gilgamesh (ca. 1300 BCE)
- Egyptian-Hittite Peace Treaty (1259 BCE)
- Middle Assyrian Laws (ca. 1115–1077 BCE)
- Bible: 1 Samuel (after 960 BCE)
- Victory Stela of Piankhi (725 BCE)
- Bible: Letter of Paul to the Galatians (ca. 48-52)
