Daisy Mora

Professor Kimberly Lark

Hist. 134

11 June 2017

M13: Portfolio Reflection

The history of mankind started after the evolution of the hominids, a word used by

researchers to describe a group of great apes that refers to the human evolutionary group. Since

then, we have seen large groups of people move and evolve into larger civilizations which would

later be discovered by current day historians. Although these civilizations had their own culture,

language, and way of living, many similarities exist among most of them. Some of the

fundamentals necessary to keep a successful and organized civilization are technology, politics,

religion and education. All of these are major components, however after analyzing the material

provided in this course, I have decided that religion has been the most key component in the

development of a civilization. As a historian of the ancient world I will apply the history of my

ancient ancestors to my own role in contributing to and acting responsibly for the betterment of

society by recognizing the importance of religion and ethics after analyzing how it: influenced

the King Croesus of Lydia decision on war, empowered Alexander the Great, and how it helped

Muhammad unify and expand Arab tribes across three continents.

King Croesus of Lydia ruled during the ancient Greece era and feared the growing power

of the Persians, in order to make a final decision on whether to go to war for his people he

consulted the priestess Pythia. The King of Lydia used his religious belief to find an answer on

whether he should make himself faced with a war against the Persians and asked the oracles
advice,(Cartwright, Delphi). Though he failed to win against Cyrus the great, this trust in

religion and faith shows how religion had the power to influence politics and leaders to try to

expand and keep their civilization strong against enemies.

Alexander the great was known for his great successes in battle however, what set him

apart from being a violent dictator were his ethics and morals taught to him by aristotle which

made him a successful ruler who brought peace and unity to the greeks during the Hellenistic

world. As Alexanders tutor, Aristotle put an emphasis on teaching Alexander value in moral and

ethics Aristotle taught Alexander and his companions about medicine, philosophy, morals,

religion, (Wikipedia, Alexander the Great). Since Alexander had a strong emphasis on ethics,

he made sure the citizens of the lands he conquered were not tortured, but instead spread Greek

culture amongst them and created a single common language for the people so that everyone

could communicate and trade. This emphasis on uniting his lands is what made Greece prosper

through trade and unification of the people. This highlights the importance of religion and morals

because without them, Alexander the Great could have seized land without actually increasing

the prosperity of Greece during the Hellenistic world.

Muhammad spread Islam without violence and unified Arab tribe because of his strong

faith in his religion. Although Muhammad did conquer new territories, Islam was not violently

imposed on people. Instead a peaceful method of a tax on non believers was imposed in order to

encourage people to convert. Islam also did not discriminate against race and nationality and

called for equality amongst both men and women. The new conquests of Islam were governed

with remarkable efficiency and flexibility. The centralization of authority typical of military

organization aided in the incorporation of new peoples (World History Project, Islam From the
Beginning to 1300). This is an example of how religion has encouraged peace, instead of

violence, and has resulted in the unification of civilizations.

Although technology and politics played a major role in the advancement and betterment

of civilizations, they often enhanced war and deaths. Unlike technology and politics, religion

brought unity and peace among civilizations with few casualties. The existence of holy wars can

not be denied, but at the core religion centered around equality for societal members and

peaceful behavior. After analyzing the influence religion and morals had on sucessful rulers such

as the King Croesus of Lydia, Alexander the Great, and Muhammad and the great impact on

their civilizations it is the most important way for me to contribute to the betterment of todays

society.
 Works Cited

Cartwright, Mark. "Delphi." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., 22 Feb. 2013. Web. 10 June

2017.

World History Project "Islam From The Beginning To 1300." Islam, Muhammad, Prophet Of

Islam. World History Project, 4 Feb. 2002. Web. 10 June 2017.

Wikipedia contributors. "Alexander the Great." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia,

The Free Encyclopedia, 3 Jun. 2017. Web.10 Jun. 2017