The Golden Ages

Golden Ages are periods in a civilization where culture, art, literature, economic stability, and often scientific discovery and advancement thrive. The Golden Ages of Athens, Han China, and India were marked by cultural and economic dominance of those respective cultures. All three Civilizations were able to influence regions far away from their borders through trade, and aspects of their cultures inspired the culture of neighboring peoples. The standard of living amongst all three civilizations was also notably high. However, the development of technology played a more crucial role for the Golden

Ages of Han China and India, while in Athens dominance was mostly achieved through political control and Athens becoming the most important voice

Eventually, there was a massive peasant rebellion called the Yellow Turban rebellion, which was caused by a long period of famine and government corruption, and that set the stage for the Han Dynasty 's final collapse. There are many factors that caused the Han Dynasty 's collapse, but fundamentally it was the government 's failure, in both the first and second declines, to ensure that corrupt officials would not take full control of court and ignore the plight of the populace. These failures to prevent corruption and famine led to both internal collapses of the central Imperial government which caused the coups and rebellions.

In both Athens and Han China, Golden Ages were ruined by the failure of governments to prevent internal revolt and issues with governance. While Athens and the Greek regime as a whole fell from one state seizing too much power over other states, Han China fell, twice, from corrupt officials seizing power and wealth for themselves while allowing too many citizens to suffer. While the specifics of both civilization 's declines were different, they both had regimes that focused mainly on the benefits of a few at the expense of the majority. Perhaps, had both regimes considered the need to balance

If I had lived during the Classical Era, and could choose which civilization to live in, I would choose Ancient Persia, probably under the reign of Cyrus the Great. While all Classical Civilizations made great achievements and accomplishments, Persia, especially under Cyrus, had certain values and breakthroughs in law and civil rights that helped it stand out among its rivals.

Cyrus the Great secured his vast Empire and its many peoples through encouraging cooperation.

Unlike many ancient rulers, he practiced religious freedom and condemned slavery in his famed document: the Cyrus cylinder. Women 's rights under Cyrus ' Empire were also much more thorough, especially when compared to other ancient Empires. Generally, the various peoples under Cyrus ' control were able to maintain their various cultures, religions, and and even local administration. In terms of religious freedom and a greater respect for women especially when compared to other lands of the time, Cyrus the Great 's Persia would more closely resemble nations seen positively in the modern world. This does not mean that other civilizations were not admirable in their own way. The Kingdom of

Axum demonstrated a remarkable tolerance for other faiths as it gradually converted from its