Sunday, May 29, 2011

5-26 and 5-27

  I was not in Western Civ class either of these days. According to Mr. Schick, they completed and reviewed a worksheet which will be useful for a quiz or test on Wednesday, June 1st. Since their is no school on Monday due to Memorial Day and our section doesn't meet on Tuesdays, our next class will be on Wednesday. So I need to get notes from another student so I can do well on the quiz.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

5-25-11

(B.) Diocletian and (C.) Constantine were Rome's greatest emperors because they saved it by helping it survive for another 200 years.

(D.) Eastern Empire- the Greek-speaking half of Rome with the most great cities and trade centers and they were wealthier as well.

(E.) Western Empire- the Latin-speaking half of Rome that was not nearly as successful as the eastern empire.

(G.) Edict of Milan- the statement made by Constantine that granted freedom of religion to Christians.

(H.) Constantinople- the name of the city of Constantine.

(J.) Huns- a Germanic tribe that advanced against Rome in 452 A.D.

(M.) Attila- the leader of the Huns who made them more dangerous than ever.

(N.) Leo I- the first truly powerful Pope of Rome.

1. The economic problems that the empire faced in the 3rd century were disrupted trade, drained gold and silver, and meager harvests.

2. By the 3rd century, Rome's army had changed since the days of the republic by the soldiers fighting strictly for money and not patriotism.

3. (a.) The important religious change that Constantine brought about in the empire was that he accepted Christianity. (b.) The political change he brought was that he founded a new capital.

4. (a.) Germanic tribes invaded the empire in the 400s because it was still widely regarded as the center of civilization.
    (b.) The empire was unable to drive the invaders out because a traitor opened up the gates of Rome.

5. (a.) Three reasons why Diocletian should be considered a successful emperor are he improved administration by dividing the empire into the Greek-speaking east and the Latin-speaking west, he used price and and wage controls to beat inflation, and he secured the boundaries of the empire.
(b.) However, he might be considered a failure because his plans for the succession failed, wages for new troops added to the already crushing load of taxes, and price controls failed.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

5-20, 5-23, and 5-24 2011

On Friday Mr. Schick wasn't there, but we got to use all of class to work on our essay papers about the Roman empire and Roman republic. Yesterday, on Monday Mr. Schick took a look at our first drafts and let us work on our papers some more. There is no class today since it's a Tuesday, but our final copy of our essays are due tomorrow.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

5-19-11

  Today we took our test on Roman empire. Before that we were allowed to study for a little bit and then finished our tests by the end of the 1st mod. Then for the 2nd mod Mr. Schick let us work on our new project. The new project will be a 500 word paper on the differences of the Roman empire and the Roman republic. We will also have a lot of time to work on it tomorrow in class. The paper will be due on Monday, May 23rd.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

5-18-11

  In 66 A.D. a group of Jews called Zealots tried to rebel, but Roman troops put them down and burned their temple (except for one wall). The Western Wall today is the holiest of all Jewish shrines. Half a million Jews died because of the rebellion.

  The Romans were harsh towards those who didn't believe and worship the same as them. This was especially Christians  who were viewed as followers of a new, upstart religion. They were often used for "entertainment" purposes in the Colosseum. Despite the oppression, Christianity grew quickly-by 200 A.D. Around 10% of people in the Roman empire were Christians.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Monday, May 16, 2011

5-16-11

  Octavian (Caesar Augustus) was the 1st emperor. Begins at Pax Romana (a period of peace and prosperity), he built roads, aqueducts, and set up civil service to take care of roads, the grain supply, even a postal service. Augustus died at age 76 in 14 A.D. and passed him power to Tiberius.

  Jesus was a Roman citizen and a practicing Jew. At 30, he began his ministry preaching to the poor in the empire, and reaching out to outsiders. His statements made the Romans nervous, and they began to plan his execution. The governor of the Roman providence of Judea, Pontius Pilate, sent Jesus to death by crucifixion.

  Paul told the world about Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and message. He wrote letters to many of those he spoke to which are a part of the New Testament. If not for the efforts of Paul, it is likely that Jesus remains an obscure preacher, instead of the central figure of the world's largest religion.  

  As Augustus' stepson and adopted son, Tiberius succeeded Octavian. Although a great general, he was a dark, somber, reclusive, and reluctant emperor. He referred to the Senate as "men fit to be slaves". Germanicus started out as Tiberius's ally, since he quelled a legion mutiny, but when it looked like he would succeed Tiberius, he got paranoid and had Germanicus killed. He died in 37 A.D. at the age of 77, giving his power to Caligula.

  In addition to being Germanicus's son, he was Tiberius' adopted grandson and great-nephew, putting him next in line for emperor. He started off well by granting bonuses and then started to fight with the Senate. He claimed to be a God, and had statues displayed in many places, including the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. He abused his power and was assassinated by his own aides in 41 B.C.

  Claudius was next in line. He was ostracized by his family because of his disabilities, he was the last adult male in his family when Caligula was killed. He had an awful marriage to Messalina, who was quite often unfaithful to him so Claudius had her and her lover Silius killed.

 

Friday, May 13, 2011

5-13-11

  Tiberius was Augustus' step-son and he took over after Augustus died. He craved power and people feared him. He was one of Rome's greatest generals and laid he foundation for the northern frontier. People said that he was a very depressed and negative person. Tiberius' adopted grandson then took over.

  Caligula was the son of Germanicus. Germanicus died from what what was believed to be poison sent from the emperor. When he was little, he was loved by all of the soldiers in the army. His real name was Gaius, but his nickname was Caligula which means "little soldier's boot" in Roman. Once he started his reign as emperor, he started to go crazy and was soon disliked by many people.  He was murdered by his closest allies.

  Claudious was next in line to be emperor after Coligula's murder. Since infancy, he was disfigured, and the center of all jokes. Once he became emperor, he made very good changes to Rome and was quickly loved by all of the people. His wife had multiple affairs with servants, and as much as it hurt him Cladious ordered for her to be murdered.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

5-11-11

  Today in class we started watching a video about the Roman empire. We didn't get to finish it yet, but we will probably finish it tomorrow. We had to write down our notes on the movie on a piece of paper instead of typing it on the computer.

  By the year 14, Spain, Africa, Syria, and Greece were controlled by Rome. Tiberius took over after Augustus passed away. Tiberius was Augustus' step-son, however he was not Augustus' first choice to inherit the thrown. Augustus was in his 50's when he began his reign.

  Germanicus was sent by to settle down the soldiers in the legion. His son was named Coligula (which meant Bootsy) and he was favored by all of the soldiers. 5 years later, Germanicus died. He was believed to be poisoned as an order from the emperor.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

5-10-11

No Western Civ class today cause it's Tuesday. Tomorrow we will start something new which will probably be one of the last units we do this year.

Monday, May 9, 2011

5-9-11

  Today in class we reviewed our past 2 tests together and got our grades back for them. The first was on ancient Greece and the most recent was on ancient Rome. We will probably need them to study for the final next month. Luckily, I got an A on both on them. Since there is no Western Civ class for our class on Tuesdays, we will probably start a new unit on Wednesday.

Friday, May 6, 2011

5-6-11

  Today in class we had a test on ancient Rome. It was just matching and there was 30 questions. I think I did well, but I know I didn't get a 100. Yeah and I was the last one to finish as usual. Our next class is Monday, May 9th and there is no homework for this class over the weekend. Next class we will probably start a new unit.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

5-5-11

Today in class everybody presented their PowerPoint slides about the Rome rap. We took notes since we will be having a test tomorrow on everything we have been learning about ancient Rome.


  The Romans took most of their writing from the Etruscans, since they first had a written language. The Latins had a huge influence on the world. They were the dominant and civilized people on this area of the Tiber River. The people got angry and drove Tarquin out of Rome because he was starting to act like a dictator (last king they ever had). After that they came up with the republican government.


  The city of Rome was built on a drained-out swamp. Patricians dominated Roman cities. Democracy is very big on equality and freedom. The consuls had to agree on everything to make decisions. Aristocracy people were high class and very rich. monarchy had a single ruler; usually passed down the power. 

  Around 6,000 soldiers made up legions. Carthage is located in Africa. Julius Caesar played a critical role in the change of Rome from a republic to an empire. He was appointed dictator for 10 years in 47 B.C. The First Triumvirate alliance was made in 60 B.C. He entered the alliance with Crassus and Pompey which was to dominate Roman politics for several years. The Rubicon River is a shallow river in Northeast Italy. 

  When Julius Caesar crossed that river it was considered an act of war. Caesar was proclaimed "dictator in perpetuity". He was assassinated by a group of senators; they hoped to restore the constitutional government of the Republic. That didn't only not work, but it resulted in a series of civil wars. Caesar was stabbed on the Ides of March (holiday of the month) on March 15th in 44 B.C. in the Theater of Pompey. The senators were afraid he was getting too powerful. 

  The alliance between Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus was called the 2nd triumvirate. Octavius was related to Caesar. The Roman road system was more than 400,000 km of roads and built like walls. Those roads were built so that the army and goods could be transported easier. Circus Maximus is an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium. 



5-4-11

Today in class Mr. Schick wasn't there so we spent all of class working on our PowerPoint presentations with out partners; we will present tomorrow or Friday.

Monday, May 2, 2011

5-2-11

Today Caitlin and I paired up to work on a PowerPoint about Mr. Schick's Rome rap. We will present them on Wednesday since we don't have this class tomorrow.