Mesopotamia and the
 Persian Empire

Mesopotamia, located in a region 
that included parts of what is now eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and most of Iraq, lay between two rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. The name Mesopotamia is a Greek word meaning “between the rivers.” Its oldest known communities date from 7000 BC. Several civilizations flourished in the region. In the 6th century BC, it became part of the Persian Empire, the largest empire in the world up to then.

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 Western Europe, AD 1100

Europe was divided into many small feudal states which were ruled by lords during the late Middle Ages. Most, however,  were part of the Kingdom of France or the Holy Roman Empire.  Īle-de-France, with its capital in Paris, was ruled by the French king.

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Serfdom in the
 Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages in Europe, which historians date from about the 5th century to the 15th century AD, peasants became legally bound to live and work in one place in servitude to wealthy landowners. In return for working the land of the owner, known as the lord, these peasants, called serfs, received a crude house, a small adjoining plot of ground, a share of the surrounding fields, some farm animals, and protection from outlaws and other lords. The serf gave part of his own crop to the lord as payment of rent and was subject to many other payment obligations and taxes. Serfdom differed from slavery because serfs had the right to own property, could not be sold, and could theoretically purchase their freedom from their lords.

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Italy During the Renaissance

In the middle of the 15th century, Italy’s cities were among the largest 
in Europe. The dominance of despotic rule within these large city-states helped Italy achieve relative tranquility and great prosperity, conditions that fostered the birth of the Renaissance. The shaded areas surrounding each city on this map represent the city’s area of influence.

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