Ancient Civilization Authority

From the origins of civilization to the seventeenth century, we have learned of many transformations that have taken place. In this essay, I will elaborate on the background of the ancient period, medieval period, and early modern period. I will also be providing examples for each period, in hopes of displaying the message as to how civilizations maintained authority and how that authority changes within each era.

The ancient period (3 Ages) of history begins in about 6000 B.C with The Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age). Many people during this time were mostly hunters and gathers of food, which lead Paleolithic people to shape their social development. Paleolithic people developed some of the first unknown spoken language. The developed wood,

bone, and stone tools used to make fire. The religious ideas of Paleolithic people helped them to explain nature, birth, sickness, and burial practices for death. The second age during this period was the Mesolithic Age (Middle Stone Age). In the Middle Stone Age people began to organize and build the first temples and buildings. These people were still hunter and gathers, but they began to settle down a little. In the third age, the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age) people developed farming domestication. Changes that came with the Neolithic transition to agriculture included new food surplus. With people emerging and finding a better way of life came the Rise of civilizations. The first known civilizations were the Mesopotamia and Egypt. The emergence of civilization was characterized by cities that were larger, more populous, and more complex than Neolithic villages, invention of writing (records and laws), monumental architecture, and organized and

complex religious life, with powerful priesthood.

Because religion was the central force in these primary civilizations, it is hard to predict how civilizations were able maintained authority. Authority was not as necessarily maintained as it was in the Early Period since these people were just establishing the basic way of life. Most people were not able to justify wrong from right. So in this period the only form of authority was religion. Because the ancient period was before Christ, you don’t have such eradicate ideas to punish or award people. The people in the ancient period could have also had systematic power because at this point in society people are beginning to establish small cities and of course there has to be some kind of reform to governor these people. So with the beginning of writing, you had the Sumerians who we able to create laws and reforms based off cuneiform. In the ancient period I only see to types of authorities and that’s through religious and systematic

structure.
According to Trevor Hughes, writer of The Crisis of the seventeenth Century says,”The Middle Ages is a period in European history which, along with its adjective ‘Medieval’, was first referred to by Italian scholars and academics of the late fifteenth century.

They were basically stating that the society in which they now lived was significantly more civilized and advanced in many ways, than that which had existed during the previous thousand years.” The medieval Period is considered to have consisted of the early middle Ages (Dark Ages), the high middle Ages, and the late middle Ages. These periods are marked by the beginning of Emperor Constantine reign in or around the year 312, and supported the conversion from the traditional Roman pagan religions to Christianity. The fall of the Western Empire and Islamic Expansion is believed to have contributed to the fall of the medieval period. During this period, Europe had drastic changes in authority. There was constant conflict between church and state. Church was very important and its existence bought about a lot of rules and laws that the people had to

be

subjected to. If they fail to uphold laws and obey them they we punished. However, most people obeyed the authority of the church because they feared going to hell. As, reforms from the church continued it became a problem with who should have more power. The church or the state. An example of reform that inevitably developed between church and state arose over matters as appointments to bishoprics with their huge estates, the claims of the Church to offer sanctuary and to be exempt generally from obligations to the state, including any obligation to pay tax. This time called for many reforms and often forced many to people to constantly adapt to changes of authority in Europe.
The Early Modern Period of history begins at the end of middle ages with the fall of the Western Empire. The Early Modern Period can be broken into two periods starting with the Reformation era. Although, the Western empire falls it is this period that experience the rise of Europe back to global power. The reformation was important to early modern history and was also a center where reforms were dominate. Just like the Middle Ages you still had struggles and negligence from the church. During the reformation period an important influence on the Protestant Reformation, starting in Germany with rebellion against Christianity within Europe. Churches became corrupt because Popes were sinning they living as worldly leaders instead of Spiritual leaders. They popes were guilty of fathering many children and sleeping with multiple women. Because the Popes were doing wrong it was an important in Europe to sell certificates called “indulgences” to church people. The indulgences were a way to limit the spent in

Purgatory before going to heaven. During this time a man name Martin Luther came and spoke up about these wrong doings. During the Early Modern Period you also had wars, just like in any other era that came along with laws. Examples during this period would be, Peace of Westphalia which ensure no one would fight over religion and Perce of Augsburg which were English rights.
From the beginning of history we do not see much reform as the first civilizations are established. The Ancient Period was more about people trying to understand the basic way of life. As we progressed to the Medieval Period, however, we noticed that religion becomes a big deal and everyone believes that their religion is more dominate than others. When this happens there are problems between church and state which required the constant changing of laws and reforms to fix it. Problems with church and state continues on in the Early Modern Period with The Reformation Period. You also had many wars throughout history that about Reforms and laws. Europe history has always been subjected to changes in authority.