ABSTRACT
In the millennium after about 500 bce two empires of a size never before seen in the world rose – and fell – on opposite sides of the Eurasian landmass. Rome and Han China at their peaks each had populations of about 55–60 million. The story of the Roman Empire begins in important ways with Greek civilization. Competing city states characterized Greece throughout most of the centuries preceding the rise of Rome. These existed not only throughout much of present-day Greece but also the western part of modern-day Turkey. The word “democracy” comes from the Greek words for “people” and “government.” Sparta forced neighbouring peoples to work the land on their behalf. Sparta always feared rebellion and insisted on strong military training for its citizens. Greek civilization is famous today for a few things. One is the Olympic Games, held every four years for over a thousand years.
