Pictures from the Rap

Tiber River 

The Etruscans

Rome 

Patricians

Plebeians 

Roman Legion 

Hannibal on Elephant 

Pompey

Julius Caesar 

Augustus 

4/28/11

Today in class we talked about Rome and took a pop quiz. We talked about the ancient myth about Remus and Romulus. A Latin king feared they would claim his throne, so he ordered for them to be placed and a basket and put in the Tiber River (assuming they would drown.) Miraculously, a she- wolf found the half- starved infants and fed them with her own milk Soon after, a shepherd discovered the babies and brought them up as his sons. We also talked about Democracy vs. Republic. The difference is: in a democracy you vote directly, how everything is going to happen. and Republic: vote for person to represent you. 

MORE ROME YAY!

definitions: 


consul- One of Two rulers of Rome. They were like Kings and they hall power over military and government. They could control life and death of citizens in wartime. They could only serve for a year and could not run again for ten years. 
veto- to overrule; in latin it means to forbid 
senate- the aristocratic branch of Rome's government.You ruled for life on the senate and you could be Plebian or Patrician.
assembly- The democratic side of Roman government was the assembly. It was run by the people which was all the citizens and soldiers. At first they had little power but it increased over the years. 
dictator- a leader who had absolute power to make laws and command the army. 
mercenary- soldiers who fight in any country's army for pay. 


Questions:


1. Many plebeians were dissatisfied with Rome's government in the early years of the rebulic because they were banned by law from holding most important positions in government such as commanding armies, sering as high priests, or holding high offices. However, in time the plebeians won a great share of political power. Between 494 and 287 B.C., thousands of plebeians refused to fight in the Roman army unless patricians agreed to certain reforms. In this way, they gained access to many political offices and obtained more favorable laws. Enslavement for debt was ended, and marriage between patricians and plebeians was allowed. The plebeians created a written law code called the Twelve Tables, and published it. 


2. The Romans believed they had a balanced government because it was partly a monarchy (government by the king), partly a democracy (government by the people). The Romans believed the mixture gave them the bets features of all kinds of governments. 


3. Once Rome had conquered most of Italy, to win the support of the conquered people were treated as full citizens of Rome. They could marry other Romans, cote in assemblies, and appeal for justice in a Roman court. 


4. At the start of the Punic Wars, Carthage appeared to have the stronger power because Carthange had a huge navy of 500 ships. Carthage was also very wealthy. With that wealth, Carthage employed the people of neighboring Numidia as mercenaries. Rome's resources in ships and weath seemed meager by comparision. However, this great disadvantage was offset by three advantages. However, Rome's great advantage was that they had loyal soldiers and luck. 

First Day of R0ME.

a.) republic: a political unit that is not ruled by a monarch and in which citizens with the right to vote choose their leaders.

b.) gravitas: weightiness or seriousness

c.) pater familias: the eldest man "father of the family"

d.) toga: an uncomfortable garment, hot in the summer and cold in the winter; easy to make and did not involve any sowing

e.) patrician: specially privileged families; claimed that their ancestry gave them their authority.

f.) plebeian:  the common farmers, artisans, and merchants

1. The geography helped Rome because it occupies an ideal position from which to send out ships and armies in all directions.

2. a.) Around 1000 B.C. the Latins settled on either side of the Tiber river, a region they called Latium. Rome began as the settlement of the Latin shepherds, no more then a cluster of round wooden huts perched atop the 300 foot Palatine Hill.
b.) Between 750 and 600 B.C. settlers from Greece established about 50 colonies on the coats of southern Italy and Sicily Their numerous colonies prompted the Latin to call this area "Greater Greece."  This brought all of Italy, including Rome, into closer contact with Greek civilization.
c.) The Etruscans had a great cultural influence on the Latins. Eventually the Latin settlers of Rome adopted the Etruscan alphabet.

3. The Romans valued family ties. Throughout Rome's history, the character of of its citizens was influenced by group of values called "the ways of the fathers." The Romans emphasized discipline, strength, and loyalty.

4a.) The father of the family has complete power over the family. He controls all family property,he can even sell his own family members into slavery.

4b.) A woman in Rome had much greater freedom in Athens. She was a citizen, with the right to own property and testify in courts. she did not have the right to vote.

5.) All male citizens were required to serve in the army, and no one could old public office until he had served 10 years as a soldier. 

Test Day Hurray!

Today is the last day before Easter break! We took our Greece test. Some of the multiple choice questions were difficult, but I still think I did well. For the essay, I did the one about Socrates. I enjoyed learning about him, which made writing the essay a breeze. Over all, I think I passed this test. Happy Easter!

Test Review

Today in Class we reviewed for the test on Greece tomorrow. Emily Kenedy also presented her project today. Her project was on Alexander's Conquest. The 3 questions from her presentation are: What battle did Alexander the Great loose? (trick question) Who was his tutor? How many kingdoms was him empire divided into after he died? I give her project a 98%. We took notes on what were reviewed in class. We reviewed the three architectural orders: Doric, Corinthian, ionic. The Parthenon has the Doric order. The frieze is a long stretch of painted, sculpted or even calligraphic decoration (on Parthenon, painted normal people). 

 People started revolting against their leader 508 BC. The ancient greek sculupures made out of Lime stone, bronze, and marble. There are 5 forms of greek art: architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Painted pottery, and music. The 3 big philosophers were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.  knowledge was important to Socrates, he  looked at the big picture; right and wrong, good and evil. He asked people questioned; it became known as Socratic method. He was charged with impiety(not respecting the gods and corrupting the youth of Athens. He died from Hemlock poisoning - sentenced to death at age 70.  He felt that what he did was right, and that he should be rewarded instead of punished. Plato was one of Socrates Students. The Allegory of Plato's cave is Socrates describes a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall by things passing in front of a fire behind them, and begin to ascribe forms to these shadows. According to Socrates, the shadows are as close as the prisoners get to viewing reality. He then explains how the philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and comes to understand that the shadows on the wall do not make up reality at all, as he can perceive the true form of reality rather than the mere shadows seen by the prisoners. Aristotle was Plato's student.  He was the founder of logical theory. Aristotle believed that the greatest human endeavor is the use of reason in theoretical activity.He wanted Athens to be the one "place" where people could come and exchange knowledge.  We also talked about battles. Sparta started the Peloponnesian war, Sparta won. In Greeks Poets and Poetry there are 3 main categories: Drama, tragedies, comedy. They preformed their plays in theaters; big area, seats carved out of the hillside with a skene behind them. In the breakthrough in math and science, Aristarchus calculated how many miles the earth was around the circumference. 

More Alexander!

Today we continued watching the Alexander movie. Alexander was the king of Macedonia. We watched the very violent battle scene, and Colleen almost got sick. The battle of Gaugamela was greatly out numbered. It was 250,00 Persian soldiers vs. 40,000 Macedonian soldiers. Before they started fighting, Alexander gave his soldiers a "pep talk." And then, the battle started. The Persians fell into the Macedonian's trap and the Macedonians won the battle. We also watched the battle of Hydaspes. It had elephants, therefore; it was my favorite battle.

Emily also brought in delicious chocolate chip cookies! It was a good day.

I also got the notes I missed from being absent from Tuesday from Madi Day:

Socrates

If you were an ancient female citizen you would see all the flaws of Socrates. He isn't attractive, but he is brilliant. He was put to death because of his ideas, he was making people think. He cared nothing for appearance are any of the other conventions of his day, he was only interested in the mind. He wanted to start a revolution in thinking all across the Greek world. The worlds first astronomers had gathered their views on astronomy, such as the movement of the stars, which they said the gods moved. They took to gods out of the heaven and replaced them with reason. Gradually the Greeks started to say, these are not persons, these are things. These Greeks began to calculate the movement of the Earth and the moon. It was the birth of science. Thales was the first great Greek scientist. He was the first man to measure the height of the Greek pyramid. The Greeks were making all these breakthroughs, learning that they can use science, mathematics, etc. Socrates was not interested in the stars and the heavens, he wanted to study people using reason and logic. He turned his back to the world of nature, he wanted to study the people. Socrates spent his days wandering the streets of Athens talking to people and studying them. He loves the city. His life was spent questioning the assumptions the fellow people of Athens asked about their life. Socrates told someone at a dinner party that he was more beautiful than this other man. A fight broke out. Socrates says you must make every decision on what you know is right, rather than no. Socrates says let no day pass without discussing an unexamined life is not worth living. He wants to make a point in the world. He want people to talk about reason.

The Athenians lost the Peloponnesian War and Pericles was dead. The Athenians went to Socrates. For over 50 years Socrates had been questioning the ways of Athenian life. He changed the life of Athens. After they lost the war, he was arrested. The Athenians would now put to trial the one man that questioned the way they lived their lives. Socrates trial would be held in Athens central market place .He would be charged by a series of general citizens that had been chose. He would only be given a little time to defend him himself. He was timed by a water clock. He showed no fear to the face of his accuser's. He was stubborn, he said he would never cease to settle. It is not an approach designed to win sympathy. He is doing what he thinks is the right thing to do, he thinks the life he had chosen, which was thinking for yourself, was the best life to choose. If he simply apologized to the court, but instead he told the Jorey that he deserves free dinners. The court found Socrates guilty, with the penalty of death. He was taken to the court to Athens prison, the sight of the prison still exist, we can still trace the layout of the cell where Socrates was most likely hidden. He would be executed by drinking Hemlock. Some of the cups used for the Hemlock still exist. It was extremely painful. Socrates treated the affair as if it was nothing at all. He washed himself with the poison before he drank it. Socrates friends were more upset and broke down when the poison was poured. But Socrates to stop. He was dying on his bed,  his friends watched in silence. Socrates, in his life and in his death becomes a hero. From now on a hero of conviction. 

Greek decided to build a empire, in the depths of defeat. The need to be critical and self critical is the message Socrates left behind. He wanted the people to mature. Athens was never the great amount of power it was before but it was never not, it was in the middle.

Alexander the Great Movie!

Today we watched parts of a movie about Alexander the Great. We watched a clip of how Alexander got his horse. The horse was said to be "broken minded", but Alexander tamed him and named him Beucephelus. I learned that Alexander's father's name was Phillip. He was not as close with his father as he was with him mother. As a child he was tutored by Aristotle. His mother would tell Alexander that he was the son of a god. He became the leader of an empire by age 30 and fought in the battle of Gaugamela. This was a very violent battle and they were greatly out numbered. However, they used a smart strategy which allowed them to win the battle. 

 

sick.. agian!

Today on 4/13/11. I was sick AGAIN. Hopefully, i will be returning to school tomorrow.

Sick Day :(

I was sick today.. and monday :(

Greece project day 3!

Today Emily Stasuk, Elena,  Cole and I each presented our projects to the class. For Emilys presentation, The Trial of Socrates, I came up with these 3 questions: Who came up with the question 'What is wisdom?'; What was Socrates charged with? How did Socrates die? I give her project a 98%. Elena project was on Greek poetry and poets. The 3 questions i came up with from Elena's project are: Who was the first woman poet? Was there any evidence that Homer was a real person? What are the 2 famous poems that Homer wrote? I give her project a 92% Cole's project was on the age of Pericles. the 3 questions i came up for his project are: What is another name for the age of Pericles? Why was the Parthenon built on top of the acropolis? How long did the age of Pericles last? i give his project an 100%

Greek Presentations day 2!

Today Amir and Colleen prosented their projects to the Class. Colleens presentation was on was on Greek Philosophy. The three questions i wrote down from her project are: What was Socrates method of teaching? How did he die? and Who was the most important Athenian philosopher? I gave Colleen's project an 88% Amirs project was on the Hellenic Age. He had some technical difficulties with his computer, however; he still wore a toga and talked about his project. The three question i wrote from his project was: How did the Hellenic Age? How did Alexander the Grate conquer?and What was the most common clothing during the Hellenic Age? I have Amir's project an 80% 

Greek Presentation

Today in class Emily Waite brought in blueberry pie for her presentation, it was delicious! Her project was on Breakthroughs in Math and Science. The three questions I wrote from this is: Why did the Greeks mostly focus on geometry? Who started the study of zoology? Also, what theorem is Pythagoras known for? I give her project a 96%! Rita Watson also presented her project today. It was really good/humorous! It was on Homer. The three questions that i wrote from her project is: Who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey? Is it proven that Homer wrote these poems? How is it believed that he died? I give Rita a 93% on her project.