The Axis Age, or the Golden Age in Greece

Today I interviewed Aristotle about the Golden Age of Greece.  Here's a few questions I asked:

Henry: When, roughly, did the Golden Age start and end for Greece?

Aristotle:  The Golden Age started around 460 BC to 429 BC, basically the time during which Pericles was the leader of Greece.

Henry: What marked the true beginning of Greece's Golden Age?

Aristotle: Right after the Greeks defeated the Persians in 479 BC

Henry: Why is this time considered the Golden Age of Greece?

Aristotle: Well, Henry, after Greece had temporarilly beaten their armies, their trade flourished and they had an abudant source of goods like water from aquaducts.  This gave the Greeks time to express themselves.  They advanced greatly in philosophy, creating the idea of humanism, which means people should reach their full potential.  Also, the governmental system of democracy was created- this means that the people vote to make the rules.  Theatre also became a huge part of Greece because people were able to express themselves; the stories were mainly based around morals.  A man named Socrates came up with a way of learning called the Socratic method.  This method states that one should ask questions.  Another man named Plato (one of my contemporaries) came up with Republic, or rule by philosophers.

Henry: Why was the Golden Age of Greece so important?

Arostotle: For one thing, democracy, a creation from this time, is still used today for current country's government systems, including the United States of America.  Also, Plato, Socrates, and my ideas expanded across the world and are used widely today, a specific example being the Socratic Method I explained earlier.

Confucius is becoming more and more intriguing

My name is Yao and I'm going through a troubling state in my career right now- it could just be mid-life crisis, but I think it has something to do with this man named Confucius, who has been exposed to poverty.  I have worked for the government of China for 15 years now, since 535 BC.  Now it's 520 BC and this new guy in government Confucius is talking about this new idea of life, and he sums it up by basically one word: goodness.  He thinks if the ruler is good, then everyone else will be.  Also he came up with 5 traditions The government doesn't like this, but the people do, and the thing is, it's becoming more and more intruiging to me, but I don't want to admit it.  The Government is going to kick him out tomorrow, but Confucius claims he'll become a wanding teacher.  I think in about 300 years, the government has to give in and develop this idea that everyone doesn't have to be perfect.
                            

Citation:

Richey, Jeff. "Confucius (551-479 BCE)." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. N.p., 07/14/2005. Web. 20 Oct 2010. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/confuciu/>.

Lao Zi Taoism

Hi im Chang Lo, and I go to the Chinese  public school of learning.  I'm eight years old and lately there's been a lot of talk in my family and at school about this concept called "taoism".  Today is march 5th, 500 BC and my mom read me an article in the local newspaper explaining what this new concept of "Taoism" is.  This guy Lao Zi is going around teaching different things that make of the "way" of living; there's also this weird symbol in the middle of the article- it's a circle that's half black and half white.  My teacher told me it symbolizes peace.
                           

Citation:

Malik, Prerna. "A Brief Introduction of Taoism History." suite101. N.p., 10/03/2009. Web. 20 Oct 2010. <http://www.suite101.com/content/a-brief-introduction-to-taoism-history-a153869>.

Great Wall of China

Hi this is Lee.  It's the year 1394 and right now China is controlled by the Ming Dynasty.  I have been working on the Great Wall for 10 years now, and man is it tiring.  And I mean the worst conditions possible- disease, starvation, and even the penalty of death if a worker makes even the slightest mistake.  What I've been doing is modifying the wall, buliding a second layer and strengthening the interior, but the wall started way back in 220 BC during the first emperor's reign as both a military fortress and a way to keep China in.  The military fortress aspect was a way to keep invadors out, specifically the Mongols from the North.  After  years of building, the wall extended 3,000 miles.  In 206 BC the wall got extended west and signal towers got added.  Now, the end of construction is scheduled in 15 years, and by that time it will stretch 6,000 miles.  Man, what an architectural feat!
                                 

Citation:  Rosenberg, Matt. "The Great Wall of China." about.com:geography. about.com, n.d. Web. 20 Oct 2010. <http://geography.about.com/od/specificplacesofinterest/a/greatwall.htm

Buddhism comes to China

It is the year 523 BC and I am a very troubled man.  My name is Mao and I am a Hindu King.  I'll tell you why I'm very troubled and have been for the past 10 years.  In 563 BC I had a son and named him Siddhartha Guatama.  Now, I tried to keep him away from all the bad things in life because of a prophecy fortold of him when he was born- it stated that he would either become a great ruler, or a savior of the world.  I, of course, wanted him to follow in my footsteps and become a great ruler.  To do this I had many men try to shield Sid of the badness of life.  For years I succeeded at this but then one day Sid saw four bad parts of life, which have now become known as the 4 noble truths.  Then my boy ran off at 29, and spent 6 years wandering in a nearby forest.  One day, he came to a tree and decided to sit under that one tree until he was enlightened.  Well, to my distress, he finally succeded, changing his title to the Buddha, and has spent the last 10 years as a wandering teacher trying to enlighten at least one other person.  Oh Sid, if only you had become a King.  Now there's this new concept called Buddhism and it's really spreading fast.
                                             

Citation: 

Boeree, Dr. C. George. "The Life of Siddhartha Gautama." Webspace. N.p., 1999. Web. 20 Oct 2010. <http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/siddhartha.html>.

Han Dynasty

Hi, Ping here; I'm a blacksmith in China which is currently under the rule of the Han Dynasty.  I'll tell ya, the Han Dynasty is really making some history.  What has really stood out so far during the reign of the Han is the extension of the Great Wall of China.  About 380 years ago in 206 BC an engineer named Liu Bang really planned to make progress on the Wall and has.  The Wall has been extended west a considerable amount and signal towers have been placed closer and closer in regards to eachother, upping our military communication and efficiency.  Also, under the Han dynasty the population of China has grown to 50 million people!  But there is a new power growing, and is planning to take over the Han Dynasty in 184 CE- I think they'll successfully overthrow them. 

Check back with you later,
Ping
 
                          

Citation:  "Han Dynasty." Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 10/2000. Web. 20 Oct 2010. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hand/hd_hand.htm

Mongols take China

Hi this is Marco Polo, and I just came back home to Venice, Italy from my 25 year long exploration of China which is currently controlled by the Mongols.  It is the year 1295 and I was there so long because the Mogols are arguably the most interesting group I have ever known; let me tell you a bit about them and how they came into power over China.  In about 1200 the Mongols, who were essentialy nomads, came out of Central Asia, their native homeland, in search of conquest.  They succeded ruthlessly and conquered an area stretching across Asia to Europe.  During this process, they overran Sung China, or Northern China.  Once captured, they imposed their Mongol Rule on the remaining people.  Their ruthless and tremendous ruler Genghis Khan was one of the greatest men I will ever know.  Born in 1162, Genghis led the Mongols everywhere and ruled with such power, but sadly at the age of 73 he died in 1227 during a conquest.  The Mongols were good to the people they ruled once they brutally conquered them- they let them practice their religion and respected you none-the-less.  The grandson of Genghis, Kublai Kahn, took over in 1279 and conquered the Southern Sung, or Southern China.  Kublai named his dynasty the Yuan Dynasty- the Yuan Dynasty took over the Silk Road, a huge trading route, and extended the Grand Canal.  Sadly, earlier this year, Kublai died this year and the Yan declined.  That sums up the Mongols.  Thanks.
                          

Citation:  Carr, Dr. Karen. "Yuan Dynasty- Mongol Invasion." Kidipede. Portland State University, 10/20/2010. Web. 20 Oct 2010. <http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/china/history/mongol.htm

The Tang Dynasty

Hello, I am the Buddha.  Suprisingly, I live in China- Buddhism has spread in China during the period when there was no dynasty ruling China, after the fall of the Han Dynasty in 220 AD.  It is now 907 CE and China has been ruled for the Tang Dynasty since 618 AD.  After 600 years with no ruler, the Tang came in and reunited China, with Li Yuan being the first emporer.  Soon, the Tang expanded the empire across Vietnam, Tibet, and Korea.  The Tang dynasty also brought back Confucianism; the govenment here is chosen from the best, most qualified people trained in Confucian philosophy- these Confucian ideas brought back many things, one important aspect being increased revenue.  The Tang dynasty is marked as a Golden Age of China, but for the past few years Arabs have taken control of some Chinese territories, and there has been chaos in China from rebellions to corruption.  So sadly, earlier this year, the Tang Dynasty fell.  Well, I gotta go preach enlightenment somewhere- see ya later.
                                          

Citation:  "T'ang Dynasty." Emuseum@msu. Minnesota State University, 5/21/2002. Web. 20 Oct 2010. <http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/classical_imperial_china/tang.html

The Sung Dynasty

Hi my name is Cunxin, I'm 30 years old, and it is the year 1024 CE.  Right now China is ruled by the Sung Dynasty, and has been ruled by them since 907 CE when T'ai-tsu first ruled.  Everyone says that it's so far the best and most brilliant dynasty ever in China.  My Great Grandfather was there and he told me everything about how T'ai-tsu had civilians basically control the provinces of China instead of military, and how he established schools resulting in the education growing.  Also, how all the hospitals in China now were made because of the Sung.  This year, there's this new type of currency that was introduced sometime in January called paper money.  They say it will revolutionize China's economy.  My friend in Southern Sung says that their family is coming to celebrate the new coal mining success of China- China is split into two parts; Northern Sung and Southern Sung.  Although this is a happy time, everyone is in a little fear because of a prophecy told about the Sung Dynasty: they Say that in 1279 CE the Mongols are going to take them over and that will be the end of the Sung.

                           

Citation:  http://www.ford.utexas.edu/museum/exhibits/China_exhibit/sung.htm

Unification of China

Hi my name is Kenji and my family and I are part of the Qin Dynasty.  My father tells me that for the past 250 years since 475 BC the many states of China have been fighting eachother for supreme power.  Now it is the year 221 BC and my dad has gone off to fight for the Qin army to try to unify all of China- the army is using something no one has used before- horses. 

Good news! My dad came home this week.  The Qin Dynasty has successfuly united China! This means now we can become a powerful country and compete with all the others around the world.
                  
Citation:

"The First Emperor: Tyrant who Unified China." The Independent. idependent.co.uk, 8/25/2007. Web. 20 Oct 2010. <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-first-emperor-tyrant-who-unified-china-462928.html>.

Zheng He

Hi my name is Zheng He and I am currently in India exploring right now.  It is the December 25, 1432 CE and I am a very well-respected Admiral.  I have come from China where it is in the Ming Dynasty and someone told me I should briefly sum up my life up to this point so here it is: I was born in 1371 CE and at 11 my home was conquered and I was brought to the Ming palace as a toy for a Ming boy.  Later, I became a Chief Lieutenant and I am most known for my voyages around the world.  I had 30,000 men build huge ships, actually the largest ships ever, and I had them build 337 of them.  Then, in 1405, I set sail with the largest fleet of ships ever and visited 37 countries, in which I gave China complete control of the Sea.  These voyages are still going on and have been for the past 27 years and we should be arriving in India on New Year's Day.  But I gotta say, I'm am feeling very sick lately, and I'm afraid my time is coming, possibly very soon.  And to top off the bad feelings, if I die then China will stop all Sea expeditions and keep to themselves- I think this is a bad idea because it could lead to foreign invasion.  Well, that pretty much sums up my life so far; talk to you later. 

One of Zheng He's ships

Citation: 

"Zheng Hi." Chinaculture.org. Ministry of Culture, 2003. Web. 20 Oct 2010. <http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_aboutchina/2003-09/24/content_22644.htm>.