Week #2 Post (Chapter 6)

The most thought provoking theme of Chapter 6 was the idea that elements, and in some cases much more than elements of the social hierarchies that existed several thousand years ago still exist today. For example, "caste, class, patriarchy, and even slavery" still play important roles in the lives of people around the world. Furthermore, it has only been in the last 250 years (a relatively short period in world history) that many of these hierarchies have been challenged or changed. Obviously we have all lived during these times of significant change to preexisting hierarchies, so we do not know anything different. However, as little as 250 years ago, these social structures were "assumed to be natural and permanent."

The following are things that I found interesting, or that struck me in some way about the social hierarchies in Classical Era Eurasia:

China: When describing the process (examinations) by which one could become a Chinese state official, the author says that it was "in theory open to all men." But he quickly dispels this notion by listing the many ways that those who came from wealth and privilege had a distinct advantage over those who did not. I find this to be one of Strayer's strong suits. He is very adept at presenting an issue broadly or theoretically, and then describing it in practice and reality.

I also found the landlord class' disdain for merchants amusing. The scholar-gentry honored and celebrated the peasants (whom they exploited and oppressed) for their hard work, but they looked down on merchants for "making a shameful profit from selling the work of others."

India: I thought I had a general understanding of India's unique caste system, but after the reading I realize that I had a very rudimentary understanding. I had a pretty firm grasp of the 4 varnas (classes), but was unaware of the much more numerous and intricate jatis. These "occupationally based groups" further defined social status within the varnas. In our current society, I compare this to calling the middle class a varna, and the upper middle class and lower middle class jatis. However, in classical India, there were many thousands of jatis, speaking to the specificity and complexity of the caste system.

Rome: While slavery played minor roles in China and India, Rome was built upon it. Again, I had a general understanding that slavery was widespread in Greece and Rome, but I had no idea just how widespread. The book states that one-third of the population (60,000) of Athens were slaves, and that 33-40% of the population (2-3 million) of Rome were slaves. Those are staggering numbers.

I also found it interesting that many Roman slaves worked as "skilled artisans, teachers, doctors, business agents, entertainers and actors." These are certainly not the type of occupations typically associated with slavery. Of course, the majority of slaves provided manual labor and performed domestic duties.

I especially enjoyed the small section on slave resistance and rebellion. When I read about the sheer number of slaves, I could not help but root for them to rise up against their oppressors. I would love to learn more about the Spartacus rebellion. I just finished watching the first season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand on the Starz network, and while I realize it is a cable program and not a history text, I enjoyed it immensely.

Patriarchy: The fact that women were less restricted and viewed more favorably by Sparta (highly militaristic and less democratic than Athens) than by Athens, is an interesting point. However, upon further investigation this "freedom" afforded the women of Sparta was highly self-serving. As Strayer states, "Sparta clearly was a patriarchy, with women serving as breeding machines for its military system and lacking any formal role in public life, but it was a lighter patriarchy than that of Athens."

I was also somewhat taken aback by the quotes about women by Greek writers and philosophers of the time, including Aristotle. For example, "a woman is, as it were, an infertile male. She is female in fact on account of a kind of inadequacy (her inability to generate sperm)."

There is a recurring theme in my learning of world history that I have mentioned several times throughout this post, but I feel is worth mentioning again. I came into this class with a general understanding of many of the topics and themes that we have covered thus far. However, after the reading, I realize how very general and vague my understanding really was. For example, the duration (actual years) of the classical social hierarchies existence, the specific details of the caste system, the numbers of slaves in Greece and Rome, and the specific quotes regarding a woman's role in society all serve to personalize, quantify, and better educate me about the true realities of history.