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True "urban" city-states develop near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
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The strongest warriors gain as much political power as priests, and they become kings.
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This is the first attempt of uniting Lower and Upper Egypt successfully.
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Sargon the Great conquers almost all of Mesopotamia, forming the first true empire.
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Had one of the most complex bureaucracies yet, very efficient at controlling the land it had compared to others.
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The most in depth and specific code of law from this time period that we have.
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As Rome later becomes one of the strongest forces in human history, it would be a shame to not include its founding here.
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The idea of creating chunks of gold and silver with a common weight formed the crude idea of coins. Common currency improved tax collection and made empires stronger.
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Greek poleis put tyrants in charge to make sure no civil war occurs between social classes.
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Cyrus starts to conquer Anatolia, but allows them to keep everything connected to them. This begins the concept of having states under you who worship you, but not particularly having them as your citizens.
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Darius I improves the structure of Persia, the largest empire in the entire world at this point in time. He makes the government and taxation system more uniform and easier to manage by creating satraps and large roads.
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In the place of the Etruscan kings, the Romans instead set a republic with elected senators in charge. This is one of the first examples of a republic and the blueprint of most modern governments.
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Anyone with money held office and poor people were allowed to vote yes or no on topics. This kept both classes happy and removed the need for tyrants.
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This is the first time Greece has been united under one kingdom instead of several city states in its history.