The historical period of Greece dates from about 800 B.C. and provides the basis of much of Western culture—its art and architecture, theater, philosophy, poetry, and politics. From approximately 450 B.C. to 400 B.C., the Classical style flourished and continues to influence Western art to the present day. The civilization of Etruria (c. 1000–100 B.C.), located on the Italian peninsula, is distinctive but less well known than that of Greece because we cannot read its language. Etruscan culture influenced Rome, which rose to power in the early sixth century B.C. and formed a republic. Under Augustus (ruled 27 B.C.–A.D. 14), however, Rome became an empire and remained as such until A.D. 476, the official date of the fall of Rome. Beginning in the first century A.D., the teachings of Jesus challenged the divinity of the Roman emperor. By the fourth century, Christianity had become the dominant religion in Rome, and the arts were transformed to suit the needs and beliefs of Christians.
Meanwhile, evidence from the Indus Valley (c. 2700–1750 B.C.), in modern Pakistan, suggests early contact with Mesopotamia. In the Far East, the prevailing religions—Hinduism and, from the sixth century B.C., Buddhism- inspired figurative sculptures, paintings, and temples on a vast scale.