book Notes section 3 4 and 5

 Section #3
The rise of Christianity:
Life and teachings of Jesus

• jesus born in bethlehem
• jesus grew up in nazareth
• baptized by John the baptist
• the twelve apostles
• we know most about him the gospels 
• pilate arrested jesus and nailed him to a cross
• his body was placed in a tomb, we reincarnted 3 days later
• Paul wasn't christian , but then he had a vision of jesus. so he changes
• he wrote the epistles and stressed that jesus was the son of god and died for people's sins
• paul declared that christianity should welcome all converts
• in 132 AD, the jews tried to break free from Roman rule. many died
• most jews were driven from their homeland into exile. the dispersal of jews is called the diaspora
• be the second century, pax romana was coming to an end
• the romans exiles, imprisoned or executed christians 
• martyrs= people willing to sacrafice their lives for the sake of a belief or cause

A world religion

• reasons christianity grew:
• it embraced all people ( men women slaves poor nobles)
• it gave hope to the powerless
• it appealed to those who were repelled by rome
• it  offered a personal relationship with a loving god
• promised eternal life after death
• 312 Constantine (roman leader) prayed in battle and saw a cross. then he ordered crosses on the shields. they won. so he ended persecution of christians 
•  bishop, a priest who supervises local churches
• peter was the first bishop in rome and the very first pope
• rome was the center of the Church
• new testament added
• Nicene creed defined the basic beliefs of the Church
• St. Augustine ( father of church) taught that humans needed the grace of God to be saved, he wrote the City of God. 

Section #4 The fall of the Roman Empire
A century of Crisis

• the reign of emperor Marcus Aurelius marked the end of 2 centuries of peace in rome
• economy weakened: 
• pirates disrupted trade
• lacked new sources of gold and silver
• raised taxes
• coines contained silver
• inflation= a drastic drop in the value of money coupled with a raise in prices
• overworked soil on farmed in Italy stopped producing
• serious food shortages, disease spread, population declined
• over time, soldiers only would work for $
• mercenaries= foreign soldiers who fought for $
• feelings of loyalty to Rome weakening  

Emperors attempt reform

• diocletian became emperor 284
• he limited personal freedoms and set fixed prices for goods
• diocletian claimed to be a descendant from the Gods
• he divided the empire into the Greek- speaking East (greece, egypt, anatola, and syria) and latin speaking West (italy, gaul, spain  and britain). he took the east half.
• east was richer than the west
• when he retired, civil war broke out. Constantine was among 4 others competing for power
• Constantine gained the West in 312 and the East in 324
• 330 AD, he moved captial from Rome too the Greek city Byzantium
• Constantine renamed Byzantium to Constantipole
• after Constantine died, the empire divided again.

Western Empire Crumbles

• collapsed due to worsening internal problems, separation of east and west, and outside invasions
•  that is as far as i read !! peace out

Roman Test Day

I just finished my test and i ma only uncertain about 4 questions. i think i got the other ones right.
i took an educated guess on which hill rome was founded on and got it right. Palatine. It just sounded Roman- ish to me. Another question i was iffy about was the one asking who sextus attacked. I guesses Aspasia thinking it sounded Roman... but it has been brought to my attention that she isn actually Greek. Also the question asking which animal was said to have raised the two boys, i said the horse because well there are many horses in Rome. BUT THE ANSWER WAS SHE WOLF?! that just doesnt make sense. the last question i wasnt so sure about was the one asking who the famous Roman poet was, i remembered in an earlier question i related Homer to Virgil, however the anser was Juvenal. SO i think i got 3 questions wrong ( as long as all of my confident answers were right). that would give me a 57 out of 60 on this test which is a 95%. not too shabby

more Roman Empire notes

Assassination of Caesar:

• WHY? because the senators saw Caesar's rise in power as a huge threat to their political viability
• HOW? they lured him to the Senate, stabbing him 23 times, making sure all were involved
• brutus helped
• octavion was next in line
• republic = no longer
• Julius Caesar'sgrand nephew- and adopted son- Octavion takes over at 18! makes a triumvirate with Marc Antony ( an experiences general) and lepidus (politician)
• This is the second triumvirate
• octavion forces the weak Lepidus to retire
• he and marc antony become rivals
• mark antony and cleopatra partner up :
• personally
• militarilly
• politically 
• economically 
• octavion  defeats them at the battle of Actium
• he is now the unchallenged ruler of Rome
• now called "caesar augustus"
• imperator= supreme military leader
• now rome is an empire
• 40 yrs of ruling as a emperor
• pax romana= roman peace
• pax romana lasted 207 years
• octavius gained land in africa and improved Rome:
• build roads
• collect taxes
• establish postal service
•  grain supply
• build aqueducts
• police department
• fire fighters
• caesar augustus died of natural causes
• Tiberius- ruled from AD 14- 37
• an excellent general, but a reluctant emperor
• after son died, he quit on rome
• died at 77
• Caligula- ruled from AD37-41
• he was a cruel tyrant
•  extreme, legendary pervert
• spent tax $ on himslef
• weird and creepy
• Claudius- ruled from 41-54 AD
• possibly had cerebral palsy
• built aqueducts, roads, and canals
• killed  by wife with poison 
• Nero- ruled from AD 54-68
• viewed himself as an artist
• raided temples for $
• wanted to only rebuild rome to be beautiful 

roman empire continues

• they made bread and held circuses to distract the plebians and keep them from a revolt

• Tiberius Gracchus recognized the advantages of courting the plebians (even though he was ultimately unsuccessful)
• military generals worked that angle - lead an army that conquers a land, then give them a share in the spoils
• soldier's loyalty was to their military leader, not necessarily to Rome or the republic
• julius Caesar (100-44 BC)
• a highly successful general 
• he conquered the territory of Gaul 
• he made the common folks happy, orator
• made friends in high places
• Pompey (a general who conquered Syria and Palestine)
• Crassus ( the richest man in rome, one of the richest men in all history)
• these men formed the First Triumvirate "rule of three men"

• "crossing the Rubicon" when you have made a decision you can't change it 

Caesar:

• serves as a consul 
• appoints himself govenor of Gaul 
• Pompey is jealous, becomes his rival
• caesars army and pompey's fight and caesar wins 3 times 
• in 44 BC he is named dictator, first for 6 months, now for life 

Caesar's Reforms:

• granted citizenship to people in provinces
• expanded the Senate, adding his friends and weakening the institution overall
• created jobs for the poor through public projects such as building roads and aqueducts
• increased pay for soldiers 
• started colonies where those without land could own property

BROWNIE DAY

• 5000 soldiers, not in itfor pay (not yet)
• the roman army's elite heavy infantry
• recruited exclusively from roman citizens 
•  group of 80 is a century
• on horseback is cavalry
• shield, sword, dagger, and armor and tunic

• The Punic Wars (264-146 BCE)
• rome vs. carthage
• 3 wars
•  
• First Punic War 
• naval battles from control of the strategically located island of Sicily
• rome wins 
• Second Punic War (218-201 BCE)
• 29-year-old Carthaginian general Hannibal almost does the impossible: taking rome
• attacks rome from the north after crossing Iberia (spain) and the Alps
• lays seige to much  of the peninsula for 15 years, but he can never get to rome
• third and final Punic war (149-146)
•  rome wanted to finally remove the threat of carthage
• scipio, Tiberius Gracchus, and others mercilessly attacked the city
• carthage was burned for 17 days; the city's walls and buildings were utterly destroyed
• when the war ended, the last 50,000 people in the city  were sold into slavery
• the rest of carthage's territories were annexed, and made into the Roman province of africa
•  slaves poured into Italy
• by the end of the second century BCE there were over a million slaves in Italy
• small farmers lost their land to aristocrats if they couldnt pay off their debts, sometimes because the men of the farm were fighting battles
• slaves did the work on the farms for the rich
• the big farms became massive estates called latifundia

legal code- rome/ US

Twelve tables:

• publicly displayed
• gave rights to plebians, not just aristocrats
• only protected free-born male citizens

Bill of Rights

• first 10 amendments to the constituation
• free speech/press/religion
• bear arms
• no unjust or harsh punishments

Comparing Governments Then vs. Now

res publica - the people's affair
brand new republic, ready to run 3 parts

• democracy(the people's assembly and the tribunes)
• aristocracy (the senate approx 300 members)
• monarchy (the consuls)
• NOT a tyranny

• originally, the US modled their new government on the model used by the ancient Romans
• both have 3 branches:
• executive
• legislative
• judicial  
• both have a legal code
• not exactly the same, but similar governments then vs now 

Executive-
Romans: 

• two consuls 
• one year terms
• each has veto power
• controls the military
• could appoint a dictator in a crisis for a 6 month term

US:

• president plus VP
• four year terms
• can veto proposed laws
• commander-in-chief of the military

Legislative
Romans:

• senate- 300 people -aristocrats- members for life
• Assemblies (either Centuriate of Tribal) 
• 193 members, later became 373
• members for life 

US:

• senate- 100 senators (2 from each state) - six year terms (1/3 voted for at a time)
• house of representatives- 435 members. States with higher populations, get more representatives
• each serve 2 year terms

Judicial
Romans:

• praetors (judges)
• chosen by the Centuriate Assembly 
• one year terms

US:

• supreme court
• nine members
• lifetime terms
• appointed by president, confirmed by senate

Class notes from friday and monday

Who settled Rome?

• etruscans 
• came from north-central part of the peninsula
• metalworkers, artists, and architects
• two foundation myths
• virgil's aeneid- where aneas escapes from troy
• story of romiulus and remus 

Greeks

• had colonies around the mediterranean sea
• romans borrowed ideas from the greeks such as:
• religious beliefs
• alphabet
• democracy 

Latins

• descendants of indo-europeans
• settled on the banks of Tiber River
• situated so trading ships- but not war fleets- could navigate as far as rome
• a commercial part, but not susceptible to attack
•  build on Thillis

Thillis

• Remus wanted Aventine
• Romulus vhose Palestine
• Rome named after Romulus
• many streams flowed into Tiber River
• marshy area is called the Forum
• Tarquin the Proud's grandfather built the Cloaca Maxima (largest ancient drain), channeled water into Tiber River.
• Urban Legend says D.C. was built on a swamp- only 2% was swampland
• constitution Avenue is located on, what used to be called, Tiber Creek 

"If you dont learn from history, you're doomed to repeat it."

Test Quest

• Lucius Tarquinias 
• the 7th final king of rome
• known as tarquin the Proud or the Arrogant
• a true tyrant inn ancient and modern times
• ** The people's shock at this horrible family and their terrible behavior made them NEVER want to be subject to the rule of kings EVER**
• this was an attitude that would last for centuries

Consuls

• rule of kings is replaced by two consuls
• consuls are elected officials
• term of office:one year
• consuls were always aristocrats aka. Patricians
• patricians traced their descent from a famous ancestor or pater "father"
• duties of consul: dealing justice, making laws, commanding the army
• one consul could veto the other 

Plebians stand up

• fith century BCE patrcian dominance of the government was challenged by the plebs
• plebs were 98% of the population
• how patricians dominate:
• plebs had to serve in the army, but could not hold office
• plebs were threatened with debt slavery
• plebs had no legal rights
• plebs were victims of discriminatory decisions in judicial trials 
• rome had no actual laws
• patricians could interpret these "laws" to their own advantage
• SO, plebs refused to serve in the military until...
•  the laws were written out in The Law of Twelve Tables
• these laws on tablets were posted in public 450 B.C.
• tribunes "tribal leaders" were elected (fake power)
• SPQR - senatus populusque Romanium
• designates any decree or decision made by "the roman senate and people"

4-13-18

missed class friday

Test Grades review

Today we went over test questions that people got wrong. I stated my points why we should get some points back, and i got two points for the class!! im soo happy and it was actually really exciting to put all of my "arguement" together and get something useful out of it!

The Roman Republic book notes

The Origins of Rome:

• rome was built on 7 rolling hills on the Tiber River near center of Italian peninsula
• earliest settlers arrived in 1000-500 B.C.
• 3 groups inhabited the region:
• latins (the first romans)
• greeks (750-600 B.C. established colonies in southern Italy and Sicily)
• Etruscans (native to northern italy)
• Etruscans- skilled metal workers and engineers; system of writing; arch in architechure

Early Republic:

• Forum = the heart of roman political life 
• last king of rome was Tarquin the Proud. He was a harsh tyrant, lost power in 509 B.C
• res publica = public affairs
• Republic= government in which power rests with citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders
• patricians = wealthy landowners who held most of the power
• plebains = the common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up the majority of the population 
• patricians claimed ancestry gave them authority
• roman leaders allowed Plebians to form their own assembly and elect representatives called tribunes
•  tribunes protect rights of citizens and unfair actions towards them  
• 451 B.C., ten officials began writing down laws
• laws carved on stone tables/tablets
• these 12 Tables established the idea that all free citizens had a right to the protection of the law
• had 2 consuls: commanded army and directed the government (term 1 year)
• one consul could overrule the other
• senate: aristocratic branch of government
• made up of 300 upper class citizens
• A Tribal Assembly, organized by plebians, elected tribunes and made laws for the people
• dictator: a leader who had absolute power to make laws and command the army. (6 months)
• chosen by consuls, elected by the senate 
• all citizens were required to serve in the army
• legions: large military units
• made of 5,000 infantry soldiers + a group of cavalry 
• divided into smaller groups called a century  

 Rome spreads its Power:

• defeated Etruscans and Grek city- states
• by 265 B.C. Rome controlled all of Italy
• in territories outside of Rome, they were citizens but couldnt vote
•  neighboring territories were full citizens
• this lenient policy helped rome succeed in building a long lasting empire
• rome location- easy access to riches of lands in mediterranean sea
• Carthage was is north africa on the coast 
•  264 B.C.  Rome and carthage went to WAR
• Punic Wars
• war #1: control over sicily and western mediterranean
• lasted 23 years (264-241 B.C.)
• Rome won 
• war #2: 
• 218 B.C. 
• Carthage led by Hannibal 
• Hannibal= brilliant military strategist who wanted to avenge carthage's defeat
• 50,000 infantry
• 9,000 cavalry
• 60 elephants
• led army through Spain, France, and the Alps
• Hannibal won at Cannae in 216 B.C., never captured Rome
• Scipio made a plan to attack Carthage, forced Hannibal to return his army home
• 202 B.C. Rome deafeated Hannibal
• war #3: carthage Control
• 149-146 B.C. 
• in 146 Carthage was set on fire and its people sold into slavery

Ancient Rome and Eary Christianity

We took our Ancient Greece Unit test in class today. Then i took notes from the board:

Power and Authority: Rome began as a republic, a government in which elected officials represent the people. Eventually, absolute rulers called emperors seized power and expanded the empire. 

Empire Building: At it's height, the Roman Empire touched three continents (Europe, Asia, Africa). For several centuries, Rome brought peace and prosperity to its empire before eventual collapse.

Religious and Ethical Systems: Out of Judea rose a monotheistic religion known as Christianity. Based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, it soon spread throughout Rome and beyond.