Chapter 5 The Classical Period: Directions, Diversities, and Declines by 500 C.E. I. Expansion and Integration A. Key point ? how did classical civilizations adjust to expansion 1. Between 550>400 BCE Confucius, Laozi, Buddha, Socrates a. Need to articulate central values B. How did they all unite? 1. China ? more centralized 2. Mediterranean ? more localized/diverse 3. India ? key religious values ? not as vulnerable to collapse ? like Rome C. What are the two challenges of integration? 1. Territorial ? how to command a. China ? language for elite, resettlement b. Rome ? local autonomy, tolerance c. India ? spread caste system 2. Social ? inequality between men/women ? upper/lower class