Theme 2-Big History

History can be told in a number of ways. Some historians tell history through a

story, while other may prefer to give cold hard facts. No matter what the method, each

piece of historical writing can offer a different and unique view. Each also may give a

reader different perspectives and open their eyes to a fact not known. The three authors,

Anthony Pagden, Jarred Diamond, and David Brion Davis give a unique and different

spin to the story of the many empires in world history. Each others something different

and in their own way enlightening.

In Anthony Pagden’s book, Peoples and Empires, he takes the reader on a

historical fieldtrip through the different empires throughout history. According to

Pagden, all empires started from ancient Greece. More specifically, Solon was the first to

create a true political society in European history. However, it was Alexander the Great

who led the Greek Empire. He received the title as “The Great” not only for his military

prowess, but also for not listening to his mentor Aristotle. Aristotle told him to treat only

the Greeks as people and all others as either plants or animals. Since he did not, he was

able to create a large empire under his rule. The next empire written about was the

Roman Empire, which began around the seventeenth century B.C. It started as a small

city-state of farmers and tradesmen and grew to become a Republic. Although, even the

Roman Empire eventually fell under the rule of a monarchy, it always was referred to as

“Senate and the People of Rome”. Pagden then turns to the sea to discuss how ocean

travel expanded the view of the world and the trade industry. Having more direct trade

routes to things such as silk and spices different areas to trade goods with one another and

helped to establish the dominant territories. Things such as trade, slavery, and race are

also covered in the book. These are all important factors and parts to the various empires

throughout history. However, I found the actual empires more important. The last fall of

an empire discussed was the fall of the Iberian empire. This started when Charles V

abdicated the thrown to his son Phillip. Phillip almost immediately lost Germany and

Bohemia and the imperial title to his uncle Ferdinand.

In his book, Guns, Germs and Steel, Jarred Diamond discusses the 4 major

environmental differences that constitute the differences in why some groups of people

prospered and advanced over others. More specifically, he uses the Aboriginal

Australians and Eurasians as examples. The first difference discussed is the continental

differences in the wild plant and animal species available as starting materials for

domestication. Being able to domesticate plants and animals is what distinguishes an

economically and technologically advanced empire. This is why the Aboriginal

Eurasians were more successful. Eurasia as a continent had a more diverse and more

easily domesticated variety of plants and animals.

The second set of factors mentioned was the rates of diffusion and migration.

This varied greatly between continents, but was fastest in Eurasia. This is also what

helped the Aboriginal Eurasians grow and develop because they were able to cultivate

more land mass and domesticate more animals, therefore allowing them to advance more.

Along the same lines was the third factor mentioned. This factor was the diffusion

between continents because it helped create a congregation of domesticates and

technology. Lastly, the final factor was continental differences in area or total population

size because a larger population meant more inventors and economical possibilities.

In David Davis’, “Origin and Nature of New World Slavery”, Davis’ explains a

place and time in history through slavery. Davis too starts with the Greek empire by

showing their ideal slave. This slave was a barbarian who spoke a different language,

and one who was not “one of them”. Most slaves from any time in history where people

of a different nation that were conquered. When the term slavery is said, a plantation

slave from America is often the first picture that comes to mind. However, sub-Saharan

African slaves were used long before the colonization of America. In fact, the Arabs and

their Muslim converts were the first to use sub-Saharan black slaves on such a large

scale. In some places like Northwestern Europe, slavery turned into serfdom, which

eventually led to free labor. However, in places such as this the ideal of freedom was

being pushed, and by the 1500s slavery eventually disappeared in these areas.

Each of the authors discussed offers a unique and interesting idea on roughly the

same subject about the various empires throughout history. Jarred Diamond talks about

the empires rise and demise more scientifically while Anthony Pagden tells a story of

what happened. To add another perspective, David Davis shows the expansion, or lack

of, through the history of slavery. Each holds its own style and gives the reader what

they consider to be pertinent information.