Class Discussion

Today in class, we took notes for our quiz that we will be taking tomorrow, May 18th. The quiz will be on the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. But the thing that I am mostly studying is the Essay Question. It will be about the difference between the Roman Republic and The Roman Empire.

Class Discussion

Today in class, for the first time in the entire school year, we took notes on paper! (Laughing)! We took notes on The Roman Empire. The Roman Empire used to be called the Roman Republic. It changed by the year 14 after Octavian who later became known as Augustus. He changed his name because Augustus meant the great and Octavian earned his greatness.

Class Discussion

Today in class we discussed the Greece test that we took about a week ago. I did well on the test and ended up getting an 80%. The test was very fair and somewhat easy. Some of the questions on that quiz will be on the final Exam which is about 3 weeks from now!

Test Notes on Rome

The Gracchus brothers:

• The two Gracchus brother were plebeians.
• They proposed that the government was not being fair by taking away the farmers land.
• The leaders of the plebeians killed both of the brothers even though they were on each others side.
• The patricians spread rumors about the brothers that led to them being killed.

Julius Caesar:

• On march 15 Julius Caesar was assassinated.
• He was killed in the theater of Pompey.
• He was stabbed in the chest 23 times.
• The Senate was worried that Caesar would overthrow them in favor of Tyranny.
• Over 60 people were involved in it.
• His last words were Et Tu Brute? Shakespeare actually put it in the play to make it more interesting and we don't actually know if those were his exact words.

Marcus Brutus

• His mother was one of Caesars mistresses.

Octavian:

• Octavian was Caesars adopted sun.
• He was trying to kill the Senate after they Killed Caesar.
• More than 100 senators and 2000 businessmen were sent to be killed.
• Cicero was killed.
• He was the senate's greatest orator.
• He wasn't plotted to kill Caesar but he talked in defense of the people who killed him.
• Octavian and Mark Antony were working together but later started fighting with each other.
• He was given the tittle Augustus.

The test is tomorrow! Study hard!
Gaius Longinus:

•  He helped assassinate Caesar.

Class Discussion

Today in class we started working on our class projects that are about Mr. Schick's rap with our partners. We were assigned a paragraph in the rap and research different topics in the rap. My partner is Taylor and her main job is to find information and give the information to me so I can type it on our PowerPoint, as well as the information that I collect. I am the designer in the group and my job is to make the PowerPoint look great. Today we started off researching Julius Caesar and sofar the PowerPoint looks great and the information that Taylor gave me was right on point. We will continue to make progress on our project and work hard to achieve an A!

Thursday~ 4/28/11

Today I was not in class due to a Leadership Conference I had to attend. I am planning on taking my pop quiz tomorrow or before mid-quarters. I have read both of the Roman packages and I am fully on track with the class.

Homemwork~ Class Discussion

 Today in class we went over all the answers to the homework in class. Mr. Wojo he thinks we should wear a jump suit for uniform! He also showed us a flag that helped us remember the story of the two twin brothers that were fed by wolves.( it was a flag of two pwoplw milking a cow but it looked like to people were drinking from the cow) We had a pop quiz in class. It wasn't bad. It was easy.
Homework!
Define:
Consul: The two officials of Rome instead of a king

Veto: Overrule; "I forbid" 

Senate: aristocratic branch of Rome's government

Assembly: The democratic side of Roman government 

Dictator: A leader who had absolute power to make laws and command the army

Mercenaries: Soldiers who fight in any country's army for pay

SPQR: the letters on the Roman coins meaning Senatus Populusque Romanus- the senate and the Roman people

Twelve Tables: 12 laws that established the idea that all free citizens had a right to the protection of the law; helped to settle the conflict between patricians and plebeians 

Cincinnatus: The Roman ideal of a dictator is shown in this STORY- In 458 B.C, when Rome's armies were in peril, the senate named Cincinnatus dictator. He was plowing his four-acre farm when messengers brought him the news. He left his plow, defeated Rome's enemies, and stepped down as dictator in 15 days. He then returned to his farm to plow. 

Gauls: people from the Po River Valley, north of the Apennines; they sacked Rome leaving it in ruins

Pyrrhus: A king in western Greece

Carthage: The former Phoenician colony; near the midpoint of the Mediterranean Sea; had a huge navy of 500 ships and trade made them a very wealthy city 

Monarchy: government by king

Aristocracy: government by nobles

Democracy: government by the people


Questions and Answers:
1. a.Why were many plebeians dissatisfied with Rome's government in the early years of the republic?

In 509 B.C the Roman's drove out their Kings and patricians. Plebeians were barred by law from holding most important positions in government; commanding armies, serving as high priest, or holding high offices. 

b. How did they win reforms?
 The plebeians won a greater 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. 

c. What changes did they bring about in Roman government?

The plebeians gained higher political positions and more favorable laws. Marriage between the two groups was allowed and enslavement by debt was ended so they created a written law code called Twelve Tables.
  

2.Why did Romans consider that they had a balanced government?

The Romans meant that their government was partly a monarchy, partly an aristocracy, and partly a democracy. They believed that this gave them the best features of all kinds of governments.  

3. Once Rome had conquered most of Italy, how did the Roman government win the support of the conquered people?

Different parts of the Italy's conquered territory were subjected to different laws and treatment from Rome. 

4. a. At the start of the Punic Wars, why might Carthage have appeared stronger power?

Carthage had a population of 250,000 which was 3 times the size of Rome and they had a huge navy of 500 ships.

b.Why was Rome, in fact, the victor?

•   Rome could draw on a reserve of more than 500,000 troops made available through its conquests in Italy.
•  Rome's citizen troops were generally more loyal and reliable than the mercenaries employed by Carthage.
• Warfare was Roman specialty.  

5. Why was the Battle of Zama a major turning point in history?

If Hannibal had been the victorious, Carthage would have become the greatest empire in the world, not Rome. Since Rome was victorious, they passed on its laws, its government, and its culture to Western Civilization. 

6. a.Why did the Greeks at first welcome Roman armies?
 Roman armies marching into Macedon looked like protectors of Greek freedom. The Greeks rejoiced in 197 B.C when the Roman's freed them from the rule of Philip V of Macedon.  

b. Why did the Greek attitude change?

 The Romans interfered in Greek politics, and they crashed all opposition to rulers favored by Rome. The hardwork of Roman power in the east became increasingly ruthless. A few Greek city-states tried to free themselves from Rome's hard life.