What is the ancient society? Life and culture in ancient society

Antiquity (from Latin this word means "antiquity" - antiquus) is called the era of two great civilizations - Ancient Greece and Rome.

The periodization of antiquity

Answering the question about what an ancient society is, you need to know in what era it existed and for what periods this time was divided.

The following periodicity is generally accepted:

1. Early antiquity - the time of the birth of Greek states.

2. Classical antiquity - a period of unity of the Roman and Greek civilizations.

3. Late antiquity - the time of the collapse of the Roman Empire.

Considering the ancient society, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the time frame can not be precisely established here. Greek civilization appeared before the Roman civilization, and the Eastern Roman Empire existed for some time after the fall of the West. It is believed that the era of antiquity - this is the time from the VIII century. BC. E. For the VI century. N. BC, before the beginning of the Middle Ages.

The emergence of the first states

On the Balkan Peninsula in ancient times, several unsuccessful attempts were made to create states. This was the period of the prehistory of the ancient world.

2700-1400 BC. E. The time of the Minoan civilization. It existed in Crete and had a high level of development and culture. Was destroyed by a natural disaster (volcanic eruption, which gave rise to a strong tsunami) and the Achaean Greeks who seized the island.

Approximately in the XVI century BC. In Greece the Mycenaean civilization arose. She dies in 1200-1100 BC. E. After the invasion of the Dorians. This time is also called the "dark Greek age".

After the disappearance of the remains of the Mycenaean culture, the first period of antiquity begins. In time it coincides with the end of the Bronze Age and the formation of an early class society.

Ancient Greek state was the primary civilization. It originates in the primitive system, and before it there was no previous experience of statehood. Therefore, the ancient society experienced a strong influence of primitive. This was manifested, first of all, in the religious worldview. Man in this period was regarded as the center of the universe. Hence the main feature of antiquity - an active position in relation to the world.

Life in Ancient Society: Structure and Classes

The first Greek states developed very actively. This was promoted by the struggle between peasants and nobility, when the former tried to convert them into debt slavery. In many other ancient civilizations this was done, but not in the Greek. Here the demos not only was able to defend their freedom, but also achieved certain political rights. Of course, this does not mean that society in the ancient world did not know slavery. Both ancient Greece and later Rome were slave states.

What is the ancient society and what is its structure? The main state formation of the ancient world was a policy, or city-state. Therefore, here there was a society completely different from other countries. His core was the community. Everyone occupied his position in it. It was determined by the presence of civil status. The entire population was divided into three categories: full-fledged citizens, unqualified and disenfranchised. Civil status is the main achievement of the ancient society. If in other countries the population lived in strict estates, then in Greece and Rome, more important was the existence of a citizen status. He allowed the demos on equal terms with nobility to take part in the management of the policy.

Roman society was somewhat different from the Greek and had the following structure:

1. Slaves.

2. Free farmers and artisans. The same category of population included the colonies.

3. Merchants.

4. The military.

5. The slave owners. Here in the first place was the senatorial estate.

Science and culture of ancient society

The first scientific knowledge was obtained back in ancient times, in the states of the East. This period is called pre-scientific. Later these teachings developed in ancient Greece.

The science of ancient society is the emergence of the first scientific theories, basic concepts, treatises and communities. At this time, the formation and the birth of many modern sciences.

In its development, the science of antiquity has come a long way:

1. The early stage - VII-IV centuries. BC. This is the time of natural science and philosophy. The first scientists-philosophers were mainly interested in the problems of nature, as well as the search for the fundamental principle of all living things.

2. The Hellenic stage - it is characterized by the dismemberment of a single science into separate directions: logic, mathematics, physics, medicine. This time is considered the highest flowering of ancient science. They create their great works Euclid, Aristotle, Archimedes, Democritus.

3. The Roman stage is the time of the decline of ancient science. Of the most important achievements of this period, one can distinguish Ptolemy's astronomy.

The main success of ancient science lies in the formation of individual trends, the creation of the first terminology and methods of cognition.

Philosophy of the ancient society and its famous representatives

It arose in the VII-V centuries. BC. E. In Greece and is divided into the following stages:

1. Natural philosophy, or early classics. The philosophers of this time were primarily interested in cosmology. Bright representatives: Thales, Pythagoras, Democritus.

2. Classics - a period of the heyday of ancient philosophy, the time in which its most vibrant representatives lived: Socrates, Plato, Euclid, Aristotle. Here, for the first time, questions of natural philosophy have replaced interest in the problem of good and evil, ethics.

3. The philosophy of Hellenism - at this time begins the active development of philosophical thought under the influence of ancient Greek scientists. The most famous representatives: Seneca, Lucretius, Cicero, Plutarch. There are many trends in philosophy: skepticism, epicureanism, Neoplatonism and stoicism.

The influence of antiquity on modern culture

Ancient Greece and Rome are poetically called the cradle of modern civilization. Undoubtedly, the ancient society had a colossal influence on the development of other countries and peoples. Science, theater, sports competitions, comedy, drama, sculpture - do not list everything that the ancient world gave to a modern person. This influence is still traced in the culture, way of life and language of many Romanic peoples and inhabitants of the Mediterranean region.