Perhaps no era has had a longer lasting legacy on the course of world history than the period from roughly 500 B.C.E. to 100 C.E

Question

, with thinkers like Confucius, Aristotle, and Gautama Siddhartha and the empires of Alexander the Great, Asoka, and Augustus (Rome) reaching their peak. Surprisingly, there is little direct correlation between two phenomena. As a result, historians tend to divide this period thematically into two different ages: the axial age of great thinkers, religions, and philosophies and the age of powerful empires. Historians give the two processes different labels to accentuate the different styles of transformations taking place. Selecting several examples from each age (and diverse geographic centers), discuss what factors typified the rise of these two ages, and offer your own speculation on why they are not more closely interrelated.

Answer 1

Answers will vary but correct responses should include: During the age of the great thinkers, intellectual achievements in religion and philosophies were extensive and offered many different views on the same concepts such as the idea of creation, existence and number of deities, and human nature. These achievements spread throughout the world through developing cultural and trade exchanges. As empires developed they were focused on the interdependent legacies that included dealing and recovery from fragile empires, durable heritage ideas, and lengthening routes for trade and cultural exchange in Eurasia. The intellectual achievements prior to these empires were safeguarded, enshrined, and nurtured. These empires were focused on maintaining central control and developing political and economic strengths.