Grade 10th
Class Global History Regents
Value Extra Credit
Task – Identify two cultures who experienced a Golden Age and explain how their achievements continue to influence the modern world.
A Golden Age can be defined as a period in the time of a civilization where prosperity, peace, and happiness are all present. It is a time when business flourishes and great advancements are made. Athens, a small city-state of Greece, exhibited these qualities during the 5th century. In India such advancements were made during the Gupta Dynasty. In the fields of philosophy, architecture, education, government, medicine, and mathematics advancements were made. It was during these periods of prosperity and peace that discoveries were made to impact our modern world today.
From the end of the Persian Wars in 448 BCE to the death of Pericles in 429 BC Athenians experienced what would later be referred to as the Age of Pericles, or Golden Age of Athens. Under the ruling of Pericles democracy was taken to new heights. This direct democracy allowed only male citizens to debate over Athenian laws. It was Pericles who set up the idea of having juries to determine the validity of a defendant’s alibi. It was the phrase “innocent until proven guilty” that would effect the judicial systems of many prospering nations to come. In field of mathematics Hellenistic thinkers such as Pythagoras calculated the relationship between sides of right triangles using his theorem. A famous mathematician, Euclid, is referred to as the “Father of Geometry” because of his impact on mathematics. He wrote a book called The Elements that published a multitude of math equations and formulas still in use today.
Along with these fields Athens contributed their knowledge of medicine to the modern world. Hippocrates, a Greek physician, studied pathology, the study of diseases and their cause of illness. He searched for many cures and came up with the “Hippocratic Oath” that all physicians must take to ensure the ethical practice of medicine. In the field of physics and engineering, Archimedes invented many practical devices such as the lever and pulley enabling more difficult jobs to be accomplished. One of the world’s greatest philosophers, Socrates flourished during this prosperous time in Greek history. He invented the “Socratic Method” of questioning. Athens is however most duly noted for its use of Greek columns made of marble and the concept of idealized realism in Greek artwork. Idealized realism is the practice used by Greek artists that portrays the human form very realistically in a perfect form.
While Athens was in a time of affluence and tranquility the Gupta Empire in India was experiencing a similar feeling. The Gupta Empire reigned from 280 to 550 CE. The achievements of the Gupta Empire were as everlasting as the Greek’s. It was the Indians who emphasized the concept of zero and the decimal system based on the number 10. Arabic numerals were also a byproduct of the Golden Age. In field of medicine the Gupta Dynasty went as far as inventing plastic surgery to repair facial injuries. Physicians in India also vaccinated against smallpox, a practice later adopted by Europe, China, and other developing nations. These physicians also developed herbal remedies to treat various illnesses.
Indian architecture went as far as Buddhists recreating shrines to house the remains of select holy people. These structures known as Stupas would make their way to China where it was slightly altered and renamed the pagoda. Gupta literature consists of fables and folktales written in Sanskrit. These stories spread westward and influenced many literary works such as, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Aladdin and his Magic Lamp. The famous writer Kalidasa wrote the Sakuntala, a tale of love of sorrow. His poetry and plays influenced by Hindu mythology and philosophy can be compared to that of Shakespeare.
Both civilizations held certain conditions that aided in the accumulation of achievements that would influence the modern world. Their Golden Age characteristics acted as a catalyst for promoting advanced thinking and revolutions in medicine, mathematics, and government. Arabic numerals, the decimal system, and the concept of zero are still taught in school systems worldwide. The Elements is still the foundation of modern day Euclidean geometry. The invention of the lever and pulley has enabled advances in construction over the years. The “Hippocratic Oath”, vaccine of smallpox, herbal remedies, and plastic surgery, have saved numerous lives over the years and acted as a gateway to other medicinal discoveries.
The direct democracy of Athens influenced the early United States of America to choose a variation of democracy as their body of government. In the United States our legislative and judicial branch still hold true that a defendant is “innocent until proven guilty” with the use of jury systems composed of citizens. Ionic, Corinthi
