Page 184 - (DK) Danger! Open with Extreme Caution!

THE MOST DANGEROUS AGE?

Living is an age-old risky business. Disease, famine, war, fire,
floods, or earthquakes may cut lives short in a heartbeat. Classical Age
But, around the world, life expectancy has slowly risen over 600 BCE–400 CE
the centuries, although at different paces in different places. War just kept getting tougher
and meaner. The Greeks were
Trace the human lifeline, beat by perilous beat, on this always fighting one another
cardiogram of existence and follow the changing threats when not fighting the Persians,
while the Romans would pick
to human survival throughout the different periods of history. a fight with anyone. Galley
oarsmen and gladiators were
unlikely to live long in their line of
work. On the plus side, the Greeks
were good at medicine and the
Romans believed in sanitation.

Stone Age

150,000–7000 BCE
Early civilizations
Life was tough during the Ice
Age. Living in caves and 4000–1200 BCE
hunting wild animals with Times were good for kings and
spears and arrows meant that
priests at the top but difficult for
most people died before they everyone else, such as farmers,
were 25. As Earth warmed up, soldiers, and common laborers.
hunter-gatherers were able to Diseases like smallpox and
find more animals and plants measles spread as they were
to eat. In time, life became
passed to humans from newly
easier and people lived longer.
domesticated livestock.
The chances of being killed
in battle, slain as a prisoner,
or sacrificed upon the death
of a ruler were scarily high.

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