Monday, March 29, 2010

Lincoln vs. Pericles

1. Gettysburg Address

a. Why?

i. The American civil war

ii. Union armies defeated Confederates at the battle of Gettysburg.

2. Funeral Speech

a. Why?

i. Pericles' Funeral Oration from the Peloponnesian War

ii. Value of democracy

3. Thesis – Both leaders in their speeches wanted to express pride and explain the value of democracy in times of war and struggle.

4. Pericles Quotes

a. we have forced every sea and land to be the highway of our daring, and everywhere, whether for evil or for good, have left imperishable monuments behind us.” (Pericles)

b. Meaning

i. Good and evil mean nothing

ii. The people have done great things and war is foolish

5. Lincoln’s Quotes

c. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

d. MEANING


"Gettysburg Address -." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 29 Mar. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Address>.

Pasted from <http://easybib.com/cite/view>

Friday, March 26, 2010

HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE -
  • The north had the Normans
  • 1066 - 3 major battles
  • vikings send 3000 ships to obliterate england
  • England was ruled by Harold
  • Battle of Fulford - Vikings were like by Harald Hardrada

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Could Rome have risen to power without slavery?

Could Rome have risen to power without slavery? What did the slaves do for the empire? Slaves were considered to be property of their owners. Slaves had no rights. They were forced to work, and held against their will. They could not marry, and were stripped of all rights and privileges that a typical Roman citizen had. Over time, slaves began to gain a quantity of rights such as being able to file grievances against their masters. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_ancient_Rome)What if there were no slaves at all? Would that mean Ancient Rome as we know wouldn’t have been the most powerful empire in the world? Rome did have slavery and without it, the empire would have met its demise.

Slaves were mainly acquired through warfare. Bringing back defeated soldiers to become your slaves bought in a plethora of money income. Slave owners treated them the way they wanted to. If they wanted to be cruel, so be it. From the Roman play, Pseudolus, it describes what kind of treatment slaves were likely to get. Ballio, an ancient slave owner, would give harsh, direct orders such as “get out, come, out with you, you rascals; kept at a loss, and bought at a loss.” (Plautus) He would then whip them at whipping posts. Cato the elder has been noted to expel the useless slaves out of his house. (Treatment and Experience-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_ancient_Rome) If owners treated a slave well, the slave would perform a more superior job. So to keep the slaves performing at a better-quality work rate, the Roman slave owners had to be civil. Rome needed to keep their slaves around.

Messenio states “Well, this is the proof of a good servant: he must take care of his master's business, look after it, arrange it, think about it; when his master is away, take care of it diligently just as much as if his master were present, or be even more careful.” (Plautus) A good servant would be kept around in Ancient Rome. Slavery aided in the expansion of the Roman Empire. Rome wanted all the people they could get to make their empire larger than life. Without slaves, their population would have dwindled. The slaves were needed to work in the mines, farm fields, and households. If slaves were busy doing all the hard labor, that left opportunities for Roman citizens to think of ideas to rise to an even greater power.

Works Cited
"Slavery in Ancient Rome -." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 25 Mar. 2010. .
Plautus. "Ancient History Sourcebook: Slavery in the Roman Republic. Menaechmi Act V Scene 4." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 25 Mar. 2010.
Plautus. "Ancient History Sourcebook: Slavery in the Roman Republic. Pseudolus, Act. I, Sc. 2." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 25 Mar. 2010. nt/slavery-romrep1.html>.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Review!

MESOPOTAMIA:
Sumerians-
  • Sumerian's were the oldest known civilization
  • they wrote in cuneiform.
  • Sumerian people gave us two things: writing and laws.
  • Code of Hammurabi - an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
  • they wrote the history of mankind. Genesis! They describe where the garden of Eden was. It was in Mesopotamia.
  • You can't have civilization without and oasis
EGYPT:
  • Death is the most important thing of Egyptian culture
  • Pharaoh was GOD ON EARTH. He controlled everything in Egypt.
  • Ka - human spirit, meaning in life.
  • Hearts are weighed against a feather. This decides your afterlife.
  • Gods would accompany you into the land of the dead
  • Nile River floods every year for 4 months making the land suitable for farming
  • "Egypt is a gift of the Nile" -Herodotus
  • Pharoah was responsible for the rise and fall of the Nile
  • the water from the monsoon brings fresh water and silt.
MINOANS:
  • lived on Crete (island of Greece)
  • sacrifice of boys and girls to the Minotaur.
  • mighty palaces on Crete
  • a volcano erupted and ripped apart the island. This volcano created tsunamis and thick clouds full of sulfurous gas. Extreme temperature changes occurred. THERA (Santorini) was the volcano that exploded. Today, there is just a huge hole in the middle of the island.
  • Trojan War! Achilles vs Trojans.
  • Purim was the king of Troy at the time.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Who's a Good Guy? Who's a Bad Guy?


The Vikings were Scandinavian explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized several parts of Europe. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viking) Vikings were characterized as a fierce, merciless group, by the non-Viking people. The Vikings were not afraid of death. They were individuals who took everything they could get their hands on. They conquered every place they came across. The question is; were they good or bad? If you’re a Viking, of course you are going to think you are a good person. If you are not a Viking and were on the side that was being attacked, the Viking people would have been bad in your perspective. Overall, Vikings were bad because they engaged in activities that were immoral and barbaric.

Vikings enjoyed attacking places that were virtually defenseless. These places were typically monasteries because the monks and clergy men were unprotected and had great wealth within the monastery’s walls. Vikings were not scared of attacking any place as a matter of fact. If they were coming your way, you better run for your life. Vikings were so bad; they showed no mercy and killed anyone who got in their way. Are pirates “good”? No, no they are not. Well, neither are the Scandinavian Vikings. They were sometimes referred to as pirate because they came by sea and robbed people. “Pirates of the Northmen's race came to Nantes, killed the bishop and many of the clergy and laymen, both men and women, and pillaged the city.” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/843bertin.html#Bertin) Vikings moved on after living in the conquered area for awhile to conquer a new region.

Vikings continued being harsh and hostile to conquer whatever land area they could. “The Danish pirates landed in Frisia. They were able to force from the people whatever contributions they wished and, being victors in battle, they remained masters of almost the entire province.” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/843bertin.html#Bertin) People were terrified of them. It is just morally wrong to think of the Vikings as being good people. Forcing a group, or groups, of people to give you whatever you wanted? It is cruel without a doubt. Could they have conquered in a peaceful way? Sure they could have, but can you recall an event where peaceful “conquer” was utilized? In those days, power was gained through ferocity and force. Vikings used a scare tactic to terrify folks to get their way. It worked.

Another reason why the Vikings were “bad” was because they tricked people in settling on the land of Greenland. Erik the Red decided to give it a name like green land to make people want to go and settle there. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Greenland#Norse_settlement) Obliviously, if you told people the land was green; it meant it was lush and full of vegetation. In reality, the land of Greenland was icy and harsh. The Vikings show a little bit of evidence being good, because they had Christianity in their life. They didn’t have Christianity until Leif Ericsson came into the picture. Leif Ericsson went to Norway to speak to the king who told him to bring Christianity to Greenland. That is why Leif tricked people into settling onto Greenland. He ultimately did indeed bring Christianity to Greenland.

Whether the Vikings were good or bad back in the 9th century, they are certainly loved today. One personal opinion of a man named Joel Grip, is that “everyone I met is like, yay a Viking! And they hug me.” Joel stated this while having a Skype Webcam session with a Western Civilization class. Descendants of Vikings and people of Scandinavian descent are greeted with arms wide open. People seem to love Vikings, but some people may be still terrified of them because of their fierce background. It is, in a sense, a wow factor to be a descendent of a Viking. Whether they were considered good or bad, Vikings stand tall.

Citation: "Norse Settlement". Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 18 March 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Greenland#Norse_settlement

"Three Sources on the Ravages of the Northmen in Frankland, c. 843 - 912". Medieval Sourcebook.18 March 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/843bertin.html#Bertin

"The Discovery of North America by Leif Ericsson". Medieval Sourcebook. 17 March 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1000Vinland.html

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Give three examples of Charlemagne's influence in the architecture or literature of the Early Middle Ages.


Charlemagne influenced the architecture and literature of the Middle Ages in several ways. First, Charlemagne dressed in a manner that made him "wear the national, that is to say, the Frank..." (#23 Charle's Clothing http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/einhard1.html) He wore linen shirts and breeches, a tunic fringed with silk, shoes, and a tight-fitting coat made out of otter or marten skins. This influenced the type of clothing people wanted to wear. Carolingian Art was influence by Charlemagne because "Charlemagne revived large-scale bronze casting when he created a foundry at Aachen which cast the doors for his palace chapel, in imitation of Roman designs". ("Sculpture and metalwork" 2010. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 18 March 2010. http://ow.ly/1nOX3) Also, Charlemagne modified that traditional way to making beautiful metalwork such as " jewelry and splendid weapons, which were often adorned with abstract ornament and brightly colored gems." (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/caro/hd_caro.htm) He had lavishly illustrated books, jeweled reliquaries, and gold and silver liturgical objects. Lastly, Charlemagne influenced the education system by setting higher standards. He wanted "to have both boys and girls instructed in the liberal arts". (#19 Charle and the education of his children http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/einhard1.html
).

Citation: Einhard. "Life of Charlemagne". Medieval Sourcebook. 18 March 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/einhard1.html

"Sculpture and metalwork" 2010. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 18 March 2010. http://ow.ly/1nOX3

Sorabella, Jean. "Carolingian Art". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-. 18 March 2010. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/caro/hd_caro.htm (December 2008)

Images from: "Plaque with Saint John the Evangelist [Carolingian; Made in Aachen] (1977.421)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000 ndash;. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ho/06/euwc/ho_1977.421.htm (October 2006)

Notes on Charlemagne:


  • The Carolingian dynasty is began with Charlemagne.

  • Charlemagne was not a Roman Emperor. Although, he does take on the appearance of a Rome leader because he is trying to rebuild and bring the glory of Rome back!

  • There are songs, legends, poems, and stories written about him.

Pop Quiz: What is the Viking Creation Story?

The Poetic Edda tells the creation story of the Vikings. The Vikings believed that Othin called upon Volva or "wise woman" held the secrets to the creation of the world, the beginning of years, the origin of the dwarfs, the first man and woman, of the world-ash Yggdrasil, and of the first warn between the gods and the Vanir. (http://ow.ly/1nNa1 Introductory Note) Vikings believed, "I saw for Baldr, | the bleeding god, The son of Othin, | his destiny set:" (Voluspo 32) This means that the death of Baldr, the son of Othin and Frigg, was the first of the great disasters to the gods. The Vikings believed that, A new beautiful world is to rise on the ruins of the old; Baldr comes back, and "fields unsowed bear ripened fruit". (59-66) This explains the heavens. "From below the dragon | dark comes forth," (Voluspo: Stanza 66) The believed that darkness same from the south, or netherworld.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Required Daily (from last unit): Summarize and Compare Gibbon to Toynbee on the End of the Roman Empire.


Gibbon explains how the Church and Christianity tied into the fall of the empire. Gibbons said "As the happiness of a future life is the great object of religion, we may hear, without surprise or scandal, that the introduction, or at least the abuse, of Christianity had some influence on the decline and fall of the Roman empire". (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gibbon-fall.html) He also states that "if the decline of the Roman empire was hastened by the conversion of Constantine, his victorious religion broke the violence of the fall, and mollified the ferocious temper of the conquerors".(http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gibbon-fall.html) Gibbons is trying to imply that Rome fell because of Christianity, and because of the philosophies that were forming. The empire was in great termoil because it was lasting so long and several emperors were in power. It was only a matter of time before the empire met its demise.

Toynbee describes in his writing the rise of the Church and how it came about. Toynbee ultimately believes that Christianity had no influence on the fall of Rome. This is because Rome fell before Christ was born. Gibbon and him disagree on Rome and how Christianity played a part in its fall. He says, "I think Gibbon's initial error lies in supposing that the ancient civilization of the Graeco-Roman world began to decline in the second century after Christ and that the age of the Antonines was that civilization's highest point." (http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/toynbee.html) Toynbee thinks it started going downhill, fast, in the fifth century B.C. Although, they both agree on the fact the Rome dug its own grave. Toynbee sees the Roman empire as never really coming to a complete end and Gibbon sees the empire as being completely wiped out. The ancient city of Rome today, is left in ruins.

Citation: Gibbon, Edward. "General Observations on the Fall of the Roman Empire in the West." Medieval Sourcebook. 17 March 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gibbon-fall.html.

Toynbee, Arnold. "Christianity and Civilization". 17 March 2010. http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/toynbee.html.

The Vikings - Barbarians Video Notes:

  • They conquer everything in their path and nothing resists them.
  • They were considered terrorists.
  • The men was big, scary Scandinavians.
  • Their favorite places to attack were monasteries because the monks were defenseless and the monastery has great wealth.
  • the vikings wanted silver, not gold.
  • they used water travel to capture every region they could.
  • Erik The Red & his son, Leif Erikson. They settle on the coast of Greenland.
  • They send out the message that Greenland was plush and bountiful. The land was really harsh.
  • Leif Erikson yearns to explore. He sets sail in the year 1000.
  • Leif went to Norway to speak to the king who told him to bring Christianity to Greenland.
  • That is what he ultimately did.
  • Christianity presented the idea to unite.
  • The people had to give up their ancient gods. They didn't like it.
  • The tested Christianity and the Pagan religion with fire. Christianity came out on top.
  • There is a 15-year-old boy,Harold, who is fighting his enemies with eventually become king.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Flashcards on Edda & Heimskringla:

Notes on Vikings:

  • Late Antiquity moving on into the Middle Ages.
  • The vikings liked in Sweeden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland.
  • They were not Christianized; they were never ruled by the Romans.
  • Nine Worlds:
1. Midgard - world of average human experience
2. Alfheimr - world of the elves
3. Svartalfaheim -world of the black elves
4. Vanaheimr - world of the Vanir
5. Muspellheim - world of fire
6. Jotunheimr world of giants
7. Niflheim - world of ice
8. Asgard - world of the far away/gods
9. Hel - world of the underworld
10. Ginnungagap - world of nothing
  • The Edda - The Poetic Edda. It is here where we get the story of Norse gods.
  • The Second Edda is written in prose
  • Runes was the alphabet. The Runic alphabet is a series of symbols.
  • Vikings were not afraid of death. They were fearless; they believed they were going to a great place if they died on the battle field.
  • Heimskringla was written by Snorri Sturluson. He is writing the history of the Norse kings.
  • Erikson founded Iceland. He possibly could have came to America before Columbus
  • The Vikings buried their heroes in their ships, and then buried the ships.
  • The two designs for ships were: 1. river journeys 2. open water

Monday, March 15, 2010

Speaking of Vikings: Will Brett Favre be back next year? -- Or, Why are Vikings such common mascots in American sports?

Will Brett Favre be back next year? Probably not. He's 40 going on 400, ha ha. Why are Vikings such a common mascot in American sports? It's because of their fierce and relentless nature. Vikings are merciless and do not back down. Who wouldn't want a Viking as their mascot? I sure would. The Viking mascot is capable of making an opponent very nervous. Can you imagine playing real Vikings from the 9th century in a real football game? That would be like playing against 11 Jared Allen's! Vikings are viewed as vicious and ferocious and anyone who wants to have an intimidating mascot should pick the Viking.

Notes on Late Antiquity & Early Christianity:

  1. This is the end of the Roman expansion
  2. Commodus takes over and he is awful, we see cracks the government.
  3. He is a little crazy, and dressed up like Hercules.
  4. Septimius Severus was the first African ruler of Rome.
  5. His son, Caracalla is a brutal man.
  6. Crisis of the 3rd century - age of the soldier emperors: series of roman armies each trying to take over Rome. This cycle is monotonous and it is a dark time for Rome.
  7. Terrible time for Rome; so many men declare themselves empeor.
  8. Diocletian was the next stable emperor after several years of disorder.
  9. Dominate sets up the Tetrarchy. It is a rule of four.
  10. Maxentius and Constantine: the two who are the strongest. They go head to head in the Milvian Bridge battle in the year 312 BC. Constantine WINS. He saw a vision; CHI RO...and he made Christianity legal in Rome.
  11. "Constantine's victory gave him total control of the western Rome empire paving the way for Christianity…" -Paul K. Davis
  12. Constantine wants to move the city of Rome to Constantinople. Present day Istanbul.
  13. Constantinople become the seat of the Byzantine Empire.
  14. Elements of Late Antiquity: Era of soldiers emperors & Crisis of the 3rd century , rise of Diocletian and Dominate, rise of Constantine, and move of Rome to Constantinople.
  15. 476 BC ROME FALLS.
  16. Early Christianity:

  17. Christianity was illegal until Constantine made it legal
  18. Mass was held in secret in the catacombs
  19. Iconography & art of "Jesus". You needed to be knowledgeable in the code to understand.
  20. Byzantine Empire runs through a city named Ravenna. Ravenna was a temporary capital.
  21. The church is strong and the army is strong, therefore to become powerful you need the Church and Army on your side.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Underwater Archaeology.


I’m sure everyone has heard of archaeology. For those who haven’t, you are missing out. Archaeology is the science and humanity that studies historical human cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material culture and environmental data. This includes architecture, artifacts, biofacts, and landscapes. Archaeology aims to understand humankind through these humanistic endeavors. (Wikipedia) Have you ever heard of underwater archaeology? No? Well, it’s out there. Underwater Archeology is the study of past human life, behaviors and culture’s using the physical remains found in salt or fresh water or buried beneath water-logged sediment. It is branch of archaeology. It is definitely an interesting field to learn more about and it is worth exploring.
Underwater archaeologists explore sites that include underwater shipwrecks, aircraft, crannogs, bridges, and harbors. Underwater Archaeology has proven to be important because it without a doubt provides a contribution to knowledge of the past. The first and foremost obvious shipwreck, that provided a great amount of historical information, was the Titanic. We all remember the movie. Click here to view a video of that famous, captivating song by Miss Celine Dion on YouTube. Some shipwrecks have acted as time capsules, preserving the artifacts they held within their casings. Underwater Archaeology acts as a complementary field to dry site archaeology because artifacts found underwater are persevered differently.
An underwater dig that started in 2007, The Black Sea Shipwreck Research Project has been underway. A team of divers, students, volunteers, and professional archaeologists from Ukraine, Russia, Poland, and America have been exploring a thirteenth-century shipwreck near the town of Novy Svet. The team believes they have found the Pisa Shipwreck based on their findings. Benjamin Goetsch himself states, “Our findings have so far supported the hypothesis that we have found the “Pisa Ship”.” Check out their video diary and follow along.
How awesome would it be to explore and excavate shipwrecks on the bottom of the ocean floor? And find artifacts that date back to an ancient battle at sea? That sounds pretty awesome to me. Having the job of maritime archaeologist would be unbelievable. Sometimes, most people are only worried about the kinds of things that archaeologists can find on dry land. What people don’t realize is that there is a whole other world below sea level that is worth exploring.
Underwater Archaeology is not all about shipwrecks. It also deals with changes in sea level because seismic events may have caused what was once dry land, to become submerged in water. Underwater sites do have their challenges. It is more perilous to excavate an underwater site because diving equipment and diving skills are essential. You can’t go to the ocean floor without oxygen tanks, and some sort of diving ability. A work platform is necessary and the platform requires a large number of special paraphernalia to accommodate the whole lot. The excavation site is subject to current change, surf, storm interference and tides. Such problems could destroy the dig site. Wrecks and artifacts have the potential to be covered up by the deposit on the sea floor. Archaeological divers may have a hard time seeing in the water because of sediment or the presence of algae in the water. All of these factors are very bad to deal with, but if the factors do not have a damaging effect, the findings can be barely credible.
Interested? Archaeologists can earn from 30,000 to 70,000 dollars a year. The pay is higher when you’re more experienced. I’m not sure what kind of salary an Underwater Archaeologist can receive but I’m sure it depends on what kind of work you are participated in and who is paying you. If discovering historical shipwrecks and you’re a sucker for the sea, explore the field of Underwater Archaeology.


Citation: "Archaeology" 2010. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 12 March 2010.

Goetsch, Benjamin. "The Black Sea Shipwreck Research Project". 2007. 12 March 2010.

"Underwater Archaeology" 2010. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 12 March 2010.

"Interview With An Underwater Archaeologist" 2003. 12 March 2010.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Who was Augustine of Hippo?

Augustine of Hippo was the Bishop of Hippo. He was born at Tagaste in the year 354. His mother put him into Christian education, and had him signed with the cross and enrolled among the catechumens. Augustine said this, "From my tenderest infancy, I had in a manner sucked with my mother's milk that name of my Saviour, Thy Son; I kept it in the recesses of my heart; and all that presented itself to me without that Divine Name though it might be elegant, well written, and even replete with truth, did not altogether carry me away". This refers to one of the main thoughts he deeply engraved into his soul. His heart was in philosophy. Augustine devoted himself greatly to his character. He belived that hierarchies destroyed everything and built up nothing. He became acquianted with Christian doctrine and the fusion of Platonic philosophy and dogmas were formed in his mind. He was stricken with a fatal illness at the age of 76 and past away in the year 430.



Image from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Augustinus_1.jpg
Citation: Portalié, Eugène. "Life of St. Augustine of Hippo." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
12 March 2010 .
Video from: youtube.com

Flashcards on Roman Leaders.

Interactive History Games:

http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/ED/tablet.html
This informational activity is a great way to help students and teachers learn about the ancient writings of Mesopotamians. This activity is not as interesting as a game would be, per say, but it does thoroughly explain the Mesopotamians ways of communication. It is filled with questions and is a great way to challenge yourself about information on Mesopotamians. I give this activity a 7 out of 10.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/romans/
BBC history is a phenomenal site to explore the history of ancient Rome. There are a variety of games and passages that you can choose from! This site can be useful for all ages and all grade levels, even teachers too. It is an educational way to learn about Rome, and have fun while doing it!
http://www.quia.com/servlets/quia.activities.common.ActivityPlayer?AP_rand=856622252&AP_activityType=6&AP_urlId=3788&AP_continuePlay=true&id=3788
This interactive game on Quia.com will help students learn about Alexander the Great, his ancestry, and his rule over the world. It is a great way to be involved in a game while learning about facts that occurred years and years ago! By far the best activity on the web!
https://bl2prd0102.outlook.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=03ba835745a6421da8cd1ce688d5f807&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.schoolhistory.co.uk%2fgames%2fpenaltyshootout%2fancientgreece.htm
Are you a soccer fanatic? Well, this interactive game allows you to test your knowledge on Ancient Greek affairs while trying to score a penalty shot. If you get the answer wrong, you automatically miss the shot and the goalie wins. If you answer the question correctly, you get choose where your shot will go and how much power is behind it. This game will ask students to recall information on Greek cities, empires, philosophers, and leaders. It is a great game to review with your students.
https://bl2prd0102.outlook.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=03ba835745a6421da8cd1ce688d5f807&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.bbc.co.uk%2fschools%2findusvalley%2f
This interactive game allows students to become archeologists or "detectives". Students are to go through the game and find crucial information on the ancient city of Mohenjo-Daro of the Indus Valley using their tools. If you know about the Indus Valley, you should be able to win this game with ease. This is a high quality game offered by BBC, to stretch the minds of students.

https://bl2prd0102.outlook.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=03ba835745a6421da8cd1ce688d5f807&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.bbc.co.uk%2fhistory%2fancient%2fromans%2flaunch_gms_deathrome.shtml
In this game, you’re a Roman sleuth. You have to use your tools and skills to unravel the mystery of a mysterious death. In the game, you only have until dawn to crack the case. Piece together the puzzle using their evidence, eye-witness testimonies, and perhaps a little detective's intuition. This game is awesome to play if you like mysteries and have a lot of knowledge on Rome.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Notes on Roman Leaders:

  • Rome is the largest its ever been under the rule of Augustus.
  • He rules under the government Principate
  • His famous statue is the Prima Porta
  • Dolphin is the symbol of Venus
  • Augustus is the son of Caesar.
  • Augustus dies without an heir.
  • Tiberius succeeds Augustus. He is somewhat of a cruel leader.
  • After Tiberius, comes in Caligula (Gaius). He was a whack job. He had sexual realtions with his own sister.
  • Gaius was indeed assassinated. Claudius now becomes the leader.
  • Claudius is shy and socially akward. His reign doesn't last long and Nero becomes ruler.
  • Nero, as Gaius was, is a whack job himself. He was a obese, sickly looking man. He burned down Rome because he wanted to build a park.
  • Nero commits suicide, and he says "the world is loosing a great artist".
  • For good year or so, no one is incharge. The man who comes into command is Vespasian. He's a no nonsense, military man. Titus is his son who takes over.
  • Titus built the Flavian Coliseum is place of the statue of Nero that he knocked down. Titus also had an Arch built for him in support of his military campaign.
  • The temple of Jerusaelm is destroyed by Titus. The "Wailing Wall" is what is left of the temple.
  • Domitian is Titus' son and he is tough and cruel. Roman baths were the health clubs of the ancient world. Domitian was assassinated.
  • Nerva is considered a "good emporer". He chooses Trajan to lead. (He looks like Moe from The Three Stooges)
  • Trajan has a column dedicated to his army after going to war with the Dacians.
  • There were two major libraries of Rome: The Greek and The Latin Libraries.
  • Hadrian was choosen next. He was a poet, philosophers, travler, and loved the arts. If I were to live in Rome, I would want to live under Hadrian's rule.

Monday, March 8, 2010

What elements of the Roman Republican political and legal system appear present in the systems of modern democracies?


The Roman Republic political and legal system have influenced modern day democracies. The two main elements we see in democracies today are a constitution, and checks and balances. In modern day government constitutions are used to define the government and specify what kind of powers the government can display. The Roman Republic had their own constitution. It also can explain the freedoms individuals have. The other element is checks and balances. Checks and balances are used to control the leadership of a democracy. Indiviuals who want to be the solitary leader must be checked and surpressed if they are suspected of becoming too powerful. An example would be Caesar. He tried to gain all the power, and was assassinated because of it. Modern democracies wouldn't take it to that extreme, but the individual would be stripped of there power.


Citation: "Roman Republic" 2010. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. March 7 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Republic

Notes on Rome part 2:

  • "Villa" culture - country villa out in the countryside. Lavish villages.
  • Naples was a beautiful countryside that most villas were built on.
  • Painted gardens on walls on villas.
  • The climate was temperate.
  • Subura - tenement neighborhoods of Rome. Unsanitary/health issues/safety issues such as fires.
  • Gracchi Brothers: Tiberius and Gaius were tribunes. Argued on behalf of plebs over land matters. They were assassinated. This is the first account of assassination in the city of Rome.
  • Optimares were the Patrician aristocratic senators.
  • Social War (91-88 BC)- people began to revolt against the Patricians
  • Caesar wants to gain power. He runs for a position in the Senate.
  • Caesar wins the hearts of the common people in the street. He wins.
  • He conquers Gull.
  • Romance languages come from Rome. French, Spanish, Italian, Romania.
  • The city of London was founded by the Romans
  • Caesar crosses the river RUBICON and brings his army to the city of Rome.
  • Pompey was considered one of the greatest generals.
  • POMPEY & Optimares VS. CAESAR & his army.
  • Pompey was decapitated by Egyptians. This angered Caesar greatly. Respect among generals was important
  • Cleopatra is the last in line, Caesar has an affair with her.
  • Caesar is hailed as dictator FOR LIFE.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Notes on Primary Sources:

Question: What was the attitude of the Roman's towards women and children? Use a primary source.


The attitude of the Roman's towards women and children was unfair and sometimes cruel. According to the fourth book of the Twelve Tables, "a dreadfully deformed child shall be killed." If a father surrender his son for sale three times, the son shall be free. (IV 2. The Twelve Tables) Roman laws, regarding legal guardianship and inheritance, say that "females, by reason of levity of disposition, shall remain in guardianship, even when they have attained their majority." Marriage by usage says, if a man and woman live together continuously for a year, they are considered to be married; the woman legally is treated as the man's daughter. (VI 2. The Twelve Tables) Roman Scared law says that "women must not tear cheeks or hold chorus of `Alas!' on account of a funeral."

Citation: "The Twelve Tables" 2009. Internet Ancient History Sourcebook. 5 March 2010. http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/12tables.html

What's so "ancient" about Rome?


What’s so ancient about Rome? Could it be their way of communication between one another? Maybe it is their war strategies? How about their ancient buildings, coliseums, or architecture in general? Do you think Rome is ancient because of the way people dressed or the way they contemplated about certain things? In fact, Rome is ancient because of all these factors. Times have changed and the world has progressed. Rome has been a city for over 2000 years. The old ways of the Roman are outdated and obsolete. Their old laws are completely archaic. However, several traditions of the Romans have been revived. The Romans gave humans today a great platform to work with. What makes the city of Rome truly ancient is the system of laws they practiced.
Roman law began around the year 450 BC. Three kinds of government, monarchy, aristocracy and democracy, were all found united in the commonwealth of Rome. (Thatcher) The primitive government of Rome was composed, with some political skill, of an elective king, a council of nobles, and a general assembly of the people. (Gibbon Chap. 44) There were three branches of Roman law that are attributed to three individuals. The laws of marriage, the education of children, and the authority of parents, which may seem to draw their origin from nature itself, are ascribed to the untutored wisdom of Romulus. The law of nations and of religious worship, which Numa introduced, was derived from his nocturnal converse with the nymph Egeria. The civil law is attributed to the experience of Servius. He balanced the rights and fortunes of the seven classes of citizens; and guarded, by fifty new regulations, the observance of contracts and the punishment of crimes. (Gibbon Chap. 44) Every Roman had to abide by the rules. If not, severe consequences were coming their way. According to the Twelve Tables, "there are eight kinds of punishment: fine, fetters, flogging, retaliation in kind, civil disgrace, banishment, slavery, death.”
Roman law, in actuality, seems utterly outmoded when looking at the Twelve Tables. According to table IV, any child dreadfully deformed shall be killed. Table IV stated, "if a father surrenders his son for sale three times, the son shall be free”.XI. Marriage shall not take place between a patrician and a plebeian.(XI. 1 The Twelve Tables) This is another piece of evidence of why Roman law is ancient. People of all social classes intertwine and get married. It is allowed. No person shall hold meetings in the City at night. (VII 26 The Twelve Tables) People have rights to freedom of speech and they are free to hold meetings if they want to. Roman law did not offer many freedoms. This is what makes Rome so ancient. These laws are, in a sense, ridiculous to people of today but were taken seriously in the time of the Romans. These laws should be frowned upon for being cruel and outdated.
Rome is also ancient because of the way women were treated. In 2010, women can obtain political office positions, own land and homes, be independent and do not need constant guardianship. Roman law suppressed women greatly. Roman ancestors saw fit that females, by reason of levity of disposition, shall remain in guardianship, even when they have attained their majority. (V 1.The Twelve Tables) Women must not tear cheeks or hold chorus of `Alas!' on account of a funeral (X.4 The Twelve Tables) The fact that women were untrustworthy, or men were capable of hurting woman could be drawn up from these laws. Women could’ve been seen as vulnerable to men. According to Livy, Lucretia was supposedly raped by Caesar Augustus’ son. So we have seen evidence of this before.
Rome is ancient mainly because of their laws, but it still has contributed adequately to the world as we know it today.





Citation:




Gibbon, Edward. "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, chapter 44". Internet Ancient History Sourcebook. 3/5/10. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/gibbon-chap44.html




"The Twelve Tables" 2009. Internet Ancient History Sourcebook. 3/5/10. http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/12tables.html




Image from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tavares.Forum.Romanum.redux.jpg





Thursday, March 4, 2010

The Wonderful, Useful Internet Ancient History Sourcebook.

The Internet Ancient History Sourcebook is an online text site that was created to help users avoid multiple clicking to find texts. The people of Internet Ancient History Sourcebook say that "since there are already ample online repositories of texts for these periods, the goal here is to provide and organize texts for use in classroom situations." The sourcebook puts emphasis on access to primary sources for educational purposes. The site puts their focus on online texts, which include public domain texts translated more than 75 years ago. This online sourcebook is useful if your dealing with matters of Studying History, Human Origins, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Israel, Greece, Hellenistic World, Rome, Late Antiquity, or Christian Origins. Internet Ancient History Sourcebook offers link on every one of those topics. It easily lists Contents when links are clicked. Again, this site focuses on Primary Sources. If you are looking for specific quotes or references of individuals or groups of people, this is the resource site for you.

Citation: Halsall, Paul. "Introduction". 2002. Internet Ancient History Sourcebook. 4 March 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook.HTML#Introduction

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Herodotus, Thucydides, and Livy.

Herodotus - A Greek historian who was born around the year, 484 BC. He lived until 424 BC. He was born in southwestern Asia Minor. By his birth, he was a subject of Persia. His uncle, Panyasis, was a wonderous poet. It is belived that Herodotus recieved his poetic talent from him. His family was prominate. Herodotus went into exile and made a temporary home on the island of Samos, an ally of Athens. He traveled through several empires and cities. By his travels, Herodotus gained first-hand knowledge of every region he visited. He wrote down the history of these places. Herodotus was attracted to the city of Athens, which was at the height of the age of Pericles. He spoke in Athens and won the admiration of the greatest minds in Greece. Thucydides was present at one of these readings, and he burst into tears from stress of an emulous emotion. Herodotus along with many other smart men, joined a colony in which Pericles founded. The colony was called Thurii. Nothing about Herodotus is known after he became a citizen of Thurii.


Thucydides - A Greek historian and author of History of the Peloponnesian War. He lived from 460 BC to 395 BC. Thucydides is known for being the father of "scientific history". This is because he had strict standards of evidence-gathering and analysis in terms of cause and effect without reference to the gods. He has also upholded the duty of being the father of the school of political realism. His text is studied at advanced military colleges and his Melian dialouge remains as a work of the international relations theory. Thucydides showed deep interest in creating an understanding of human nature to explain behaviors in such crisis' as a plague, massacres and civil wars.



Titus Livius - Otherwise known as Livy in English, he lived from 59 BC to AD. Livy was a native of Patavium which is the modern day Padua. He was a Roman historian who wrote about monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. He was well educated in Greek and oratory although he came from a plebian backround. He moved to Rome most likely to become more educated. Livy's only surviving work the is History of Rome. He wrote during the reign of Augustus in Rome. Livy had a high enthusiasm for the republic. During the Middle ages, interest in Livy wore out.


Citation: "Herodotus Biography". The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XI. 3 March 2010. http://www.dromo.info/herodotusbio.htm
"Thucydides". 2010. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 3 March 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thucydides
"Livy". 2010. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 3 March 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livy

Images from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Herodotus_Massimo_Inv124478.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Thucydides_pushkin01.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Titus_Livius.jpg

Notes on Rome:

    Rome:

  1. Aeneas - meaning to praise. Last surviving Trojan. Carthage queen is Dido. They fall in love. The god's tell Aeneas his destiny is different. He leaves her. TROJANS WIN !
  2. Sicily was mainly greek back in the day. Naples for example is a greek name.
  3. The symbol of Rome is the she-wolf crest. AS ROMA SOCCER TEAM.
  4. Romulus founds the city of Rome. He declared war against his brother.
  5. Rome is built on 7 hills. Was just a village until it expanded.
  6. Etruscan people lived just north of Rome. Their kings ruled Rome for several years. Tarquin the Proud and Tarquin the Sixth. The proud rapes the wife (Lucretia) of a roman noblemen. This lead to the revolt of roman people.
  7. Lucius Junius Brutus establishes the Roman republic. (509 BC)
  8. Pleabs were the roman common people…the peasants.
  9. TRIBUNE OF PLEBS - this is the one and only seat given to the Patricians. He has the only vote in a veto.
  10. Rome would conquer cities, and set ground rules up for the people they conquered. If the conquered places didn’t comply with the rules they would all be killed, and their city leveled.
  11. ROME VS. CARTHAGE
  12. 264 BC roman allies complained about the Carthan's trying to take power from there. Rome comes to fight them.
  13. The second war of carthage
  14. PRIUS: you can win all the battles, but you cant win the war
  15. Scipio Africanus defeated Hannibal in the last battle of the second punic war. Battle of zama
  1. The third punic war, Scipio's son, Scipio Aemilianus, sieges Carthage and kills everyone
  2. Cato the elder was known for ending all speeches with the words that mean Carthage must be destroyed. Sacked Carthage and burned it to the ground.