May 23

This is a new society
This new society has roots in:
classical heritage of Rome
beliefs of the Roman catholic church
customs of various Germanic tribes

overrun the western half of the Roman Empire
causing:
disruption of trade
downfall of cities
population shifts to rural areas

Clovis rules the Germanic people of Gaul, known as the Franks (which is where "France" comes from)
In 496 he has a battlefield conversion - he and 3000 of his warriors become Christians
The church in Rome like this
by 511 the Franks are united into one kingdom, with Clovis and the Church working as partner

Church = Frankish rulers = rise in Christianity

In 520, Benedict writes rules for monks
they operate schools, maintain libraries, copy books

Clovis rules the Franks in Gaul until his death in 511
Most of the rest of Europe consists of smaller kingdoms
Clovis descendants include Charles Martle, know as Charles the Hammer
Charles most important point is that he defeats a Muslim raiding party from Spain at the BATTLE OF TOURS in 732
(If he hadn't won, western Europe could have become part of the Muslim Empire

Charles Martel's son is Pepin the Short
He works with the church and is named "king by the grace of God" by the pope
Pepin the short dies in 768 leaving two sons
Son #1 - Carloman - dies in 771
Son #2 is Charles, known as Charlemagne, meaning Charles the Great
His intent was to build the greatest empire since Rome

Charlemagne's grandsons can't decide who will rule so his grandsons split it up into 3 pieces

Essay Question!!!
Describe how Christianity evolved from a cult like group into the worlds largest religion.

May 19

• Germanic Kingdoms Unite Under Charlemagne
• Main Idea
• Many Germanic kingdoms that succeeded the Roman Empire were reunited Charlemagne's empire
• Why it matters
• Charlemagne spread Christian Civilization through northern Europe. Which is where many of us came from
• Setting the Stage
• Middle ages = medieval period
• 476-1453 AD
• medieval Europe is fragmented
• Invasions trigger changes in western Europe
• Invasions and constant warfare spark new trends
• Disruption of trade
• Europe's cities are no longer economic
• Money is scarce
• Downfall of cities
• Cities are no longer centers of administration
• Population shifts
• Nobles retreat to the rural areas
• Cities don't have strong leadership
• Decline of learning
• Germanic invaders are illiterate but they communicate through oral tradition
• Only priests and church officials could read and write
• Knowledge of Greek (and literature, science, philosophy) is almost lost
• Loss of a common language
• Dialects develop in different regions
• By the 8005, French, Spanish, other Roman-based languages are evolving from Latin \
• Germanic kingdoms emerge
• the concept of government changes
• Roman society: loyal to public gov't
• Germanic society: loyal to family
• Germanic chief led warriors
• During peace, he provided food, weapons, treasure, a place to live(the lord's halt
• During wartime, warriors fought for the lord
• "The King? Who's that? You want you collect taxes from me? Who the heck are you?"
• Franks live in the Roman province of Goal - their leader is Clovis
• The Franks under Clovis
• Another battlefield conversion (Just like Constantine)
• Clovis and 3000 of his warriors are baptized by the bishop
• The Church in Rome approves of this "alliance"
• Clovis and the Church begin to work together

Clovis' military expertise + The church's support and money = A strategic alliance between two powerful forces.

• Germanic peoples adopt Christianity
• 511 AD - Clovis unites Franks into one kingdom
• 600 D - Church + Frankish rulers convert many
• fear of Muslims in southern Europe spur many to become Christians
• Monasteries and convents
• 520 AD - Benedict wrote he rules for monks and monasteries
• Poverty, Chastity, obedience, study
• His sister Scholastica did the same for nuns in convents
• 731 AD - the Venerable Bede wrote a killer history of England
• Monks opened schools, maintained libraries, and copied books (Bibles, Greeks Texts)
• Pope Gregory 1 expands papal power
• papacy = pope's office
• Secular power = worldly power
• So... under Gregory the Great
• Papal Power (power of the papal) is political power, presented from the pope's palace
• The church can use church money to:
• Raise armies
• repair roads
• Help the poor
• Gregory the Great began to act as mayor of Rome and as head of an earthly kingdom (Christendom)

May 16th

• Feudalism: a political, military and economic system based on land-holding and protective alliances
• In other words: the system is based on personal loyalty to people who can help you
• RICH DUDE(LORD): "I own land; I need people to help me work it an defend it
• TOUGH DUDES(VASSALS): "There are a lot of us, we can help the rich dudes hold on to their land
• The feudal Pyramid 

 King

The most powerful Vassals (Nobles and Bishops)

          Knights- mounted warriors who received a Fiefs (a small plot of land with a house) for defending their lord's land

Peasants (mostly Serfs) Landless, Powerless, moneyless, rights-less Just working the land for "the man" (their lord)

• Manor: the lord's estate
• The lord's manor house
• A church
• Some workshops
• 15-30 families
• all on a few square miles
• good news: it's a self-sufficient community
• bad news: it's harsh if you're a peasant

 

• Peasants are poor AND pay high taxes
• Tax on grain
• Tax on marriage
• Church tax (tithe = 10% of their income)

May 14th

Today we took a test on all of Roman History. I got a great grade! YAY ME !!!!

May 13th

Today in class we had study time to work on things we need to do in other classes.

Rome Fades Away

Two Emperors

• Diocletian
• he rules from 284 - 303
• its cool to persecute Christians
• Rome need a big army (400,00 strong)
• Rome needs a big government (20,000 officials)
• Constantine
• Rules from 306 - 337
• its cool to BE a Christian
• conversion to Christianity via a cross in the sky (conquer by this!)
• 313- his Edict of Malian proclaims freedom of worship
• built a new capital in the East
• Byzantium, , soon to be known as Constantinople

 

Edict of Milan- a proclamation that gave religious toleration to Christians in the Roman Empire. The political agreement that took place in Milan between the Constantine I and Licinius in February 313 The proclamation, made for the East by Licinius in June 313, granted all persons freedom to worship whatever deity they pleased, assured Christians of legal rights (including the right to organize churches), and directed the prompt return to Christians of confiscated property.

 

The Struggle of the Peasant

•  Life in the 4th century
• country dwellers are getting bankrupted by endless tax collection
• new farming system: peasants work for elite landlords on large farms
• peasants can avoid paying taxes, but they are getting hit just as hard by the landlords
• paying off debts and being "allowed" to live on the land in exchange for endless back-breaking work (such a deal!)
• landowners hold local power as counts and bishops, wielding more real power than the faraway empire
• foreshadowing federalism

The Western Empire crumbles

• Rome's power is decreasing while nomadic barbarians gain power
• Western Empire is too poor, begins to be neglected
• Huns migrate from China to Eastern Europe
• Visigoths take over Spain, and actually capture and loot Rome itself in 410
• Vandals control Carthage and the western Mediterranean
• Other barbarian tribes;
• Ostrogoth in Italy
• Franks in Gaul
• Angles and Saxons in Brittan

End of an Era

• from the beginning
• 500 BC - the monarchy is established
• 450 BC - the twelve tables are established
• The Glory days
• 44 BC - end of the line for Julius Caesar
• 27 BC - 180 AD - the Roman Peace (Pax Romana)
• To the bitter end
• constant fifth century invasions by barbarian tribes left the western Roman Empire shattered and crumbling
• the last empire was a teenage boy installed in 475 by his father
• barbarians deposed Romulus Augustulus without bothering to kill him

Decline of the Roman Empire

Rise of Christianity

• Saul (the persecutor) becomes Paul (the evangelist), spreading Jesus' message (one true, not Roman gods)
• Christianity evolves to cult status to established, official structure
• priest, bishops, pope (Bishop of Rome)
• Christians and Jews were monotheistic
• This conflicted with the Roman Beliefs
• persecution against both was common
• Christianity appealed to the poor, and since there were many poor, their numbers grew
• As it grew, even some Roman leaders embraced Christianity
• In AD 313: Constantine has a battlefield conversion
• He issues the Edict of Milan
• Not only no persecution, but actual approval of Christianity, eventually making it the official religion of Rome
• the Roman Empire and Christianity are now linked in power and influence

May 7th

Today in class we took a test on Rome. I did fantastic!!

Specifically, where did the Indo-Europeans settle around 750 BC?
On the shores of the Tiber River, in the low-lying "Seven Hills" of central Italy, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. which was (though to be) the center of the world. It's fate!
What three groups dominated the culture of Rome?
Latin, Greek, Etruscans
Who was Tarquin the Proud, and what was so significant about him?
Last of the Roman Kings. Scandal of his son was that he raped woman
How did Rome move to monarchy to republic?
ruled by king who were advised by rich
After Tarquin the government became the republic
Difference between patricians and plebeians?
Patricians were rich landowning, connected and powerful people 
Plebeians were common people workers, small-time farmers some wealthy non-patricians
Senate assembly of 300 patricians appointed for life
Consuls the two most powerful in the government who can veto each others laws, president like
tribunes leaders of the plebeian assembly, first rather powerless, gaining ground over the years
Twelve Tables
Marked down for the first time that laws were written. Set up to protect plebeians who were pushed around by patricians. Publicly displayed in the form
The Roman Republic serves as a model for what modern document, and what government?
The constitution of the US and its separation of power
Senate/ Assemblies - US Senate / House of Reps Consuls/ Dictator - president of the US. Senate could act like judges - like our supreme court
Why could only the rich serve in the senate?
Members were not paid but worked their way up from low-ranking magistrates to higher ones. They needed to spend a lot to look good. popular and popular and powerful, making them electable. Plebs couldn't afford that
Kings ruled between 600 and 500 BC ordered the building of the Forum, Rome's political center.

Who's the first emperor?
ceasar augustus
Pax Romana- a period of peace and prosperity

Caligula- Tiberius's adopted grandson so he is part of Ceasars family
- gave a bonus to the army
- gave people freedom of speech
- put transparency on the how the government spent their money
- first seven months were blissful
- starts to fight with the senate
- claims to be a god and has statues put in public places even the Jewish temple
- slept with other men's wives and even tried to make is horse a consul and a priest
- assassinated by his own aides, AD 41 (age 28)

Claudius- part of the Caesar's family who was disabled
- he rose to the occasion and he conquered Britain and renovated Circus Maximus
- awful marriage to Messalina who was planning to have him killed so that Silius could rule so Claudius had them both killed

Religion:
Romans had many God's but had these emperors that were viewed as gods
- some Jews started to rebel
- half a million Jews died
- burn the temple and destroy 3 quarters of it

Persecution of Chritians
-Romans were harsh towards those who would not worship the emperors
-often put in the Colosseum
-Christianity spread anyway

May 2nd

Assassination and Another Caesar

• in 44 b.c. Caesar secured a vote for the senate making him dictator for life
• Caesar never ruled by terror like Sulla, but he also showed no sign of letting up his high position as Sulla had done
• He raised himself even higher, permitting a religious cult to be established in his honor and wearing the purple robe of the ancient Roman kings
• On the ides of March (March 15) 44 b.c. Caesar appeared in the Senate house unarmed and unguarded, according to his custom, and a crowd of senators struck him down with their daggers
• Caesar's murder did not restore the republic; instead, his death produced yet another crop of warlords and yet more bouts of civil war.
• Mark Antony once a commander under Caesar and nor a consul; the leading assassins, Brutus and Cassius; and Caesar's grandnephew and his adopted son, The youthful Octavian Caesar.
• The murdered dictator had become a founding hero, whose memory would inspire all future supreme rulers of Rome
• The partners then divided the Roman world, with Octavian based in Rome, Lepidus in North Africa, and Mark Antony in Alexandria
• Antony's passionate love affair with Queen Cleopatra, one of the last descendants of the Greek rulers of Egypt, made him unpopular in Rome, and his efforts to win prestige by making conquests on the eastern frontier ended in failure  
• Octavian pushed Lepidus out of power and successfully began expanding Rome's frontiers northward toward the Danube
• in 31 b.c., the rulers of the two halves of Rome's empire went to war
• Octavian's forces defeated those of Antony and Cleopatra in a decisive naval battle near Actium off the western coast of Greece
• Antony and Cleopatra returned to Egypt, and within a year, both committed suicide
• Octavian was now the supreme warlord-- the third to rule Rome, and the one who finally managed to turn military dictatorship into legitimate and permanent monarchy 

The Roman Peace 30 b.c. - a.d. 235

• Augustus' new system of government kept many features of the Roman Republic, allowed subject peoples a good deal of self-rule and brought Rome's destabilizing expansion to a halt. The result was two hundred years of stability that modern scholars call the Roman Peace
• Roman literature and art, philosophy and law, architecture and engineering were often inspired by Greek models, but Roman achievements in these fields eventually equaled to surpassed those of the Greeks and became just as much an inspiration and model for future Western development
• The era of the Roman peace was one of massive social, religious, and cultural changes that would form a pattern of Western Civilization.

April 30th

Today in West Civ we watched a film on Nero the Roman Emperor. He is a personal favorite of mine because he is mentally crazy and sometimes acts like a 5 year old. He also made Rome really pretty even if he had to rob some temples in the process.

April 29

THE ROMAN EMPIRE

• senate kills Caesar by stabbing him 23 times 
• the senate told Caesar that they needed to have a meeting on the ides of march and killed him
• the people in the senate in on the plot stabbed him so they all had "blood on their hands"
• Octavian- AKA Caesar Augustus was Julius Caesar's Grand nephew who took over at the age of 18

Augustus- the first emperor- getting it done

• Begins the Pax Romana - a period of peace and prosperity
• Built roads, aqueducts (brought waters to the cities)
• Set up civil service to take care of roads, the grain supply, even a postal service
• Augustus dies at age of 76 in A.D. 14, and passes power to

From Jesus to Christianity

• Jesus was a Roman citizen and a practicing Jew
• At 30, he began his ministry (A.D. 31- 33), preaching to the poor (and there were lots of them) in the empire, and reading out to outsiders
• Statements like "My kingdom is not of this world" made the Romans (and the Jews) nervous, and they began to plan his execution
• The governor of the roman province of Judaea, Pontius Pilate (prompted by Jewish high priests), sentences Jesus to death by crucifixion
• For somebody who is such a huge figure in the world today during his lifetime he wasn't a big deal

The word spread about the risen Jesus

• Paul is instrumental in telling the world about Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and message

April 28th

Today we talked about Julius Caesar and his influence in Rome. He was a cool guy who did a lot of good stuff for the poor and was feared by a lot of people.

April 23rd

Today we saw some AMAZING projects. If it wasn't the over the top food it was that amazing letters or the presentation on how The United States could decline like Rome. I am excited to present Friday and can't wait to see the great projects then too!

April 22nd

Today in class people presented their projects. I really enjoyed the food and the information I learned today! I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!

Notes

• For the Romans the conquest of the western Mediterranean meant an increase in military power  
• In the previous 250 years, from 500 B.C. to the outbreak of the Punic wars , the Romans had unified most of Italy; in the next 250 years, they would spread their rule from the eastern Mediterranean to the British Isles
• But even before the final defeat of Carthage, venturesome Romans were looking also to the eastern Mediterranean of for new areas to exploit
• Rome's first involvement was in Greece, and it grew out of a special invitation.
• Around 200 B.C., ambassadors from various Greek city-states appealed to Rome for aid in resisting the king of Macedonia, who had allied with Carthage.

Notes

• Myth of Rome is that the settled on a land that was ruled by Reins and Romulus which were raised by a she-wolf (check Wikipedia)
• woman was a virgin and conceived by the god
• twins left to die in the Tiber and were rescued and raised by a she-wolf
• Twins went on to find Rome and rule

• big conflict that went on for centuries was between the rich and the poor - not necessarily actual fighting
• The Gracchus brother were elected to the assembly and they always tried to make thing better for the poor in Rome
• Time of war everyone fought rich and poor- unless you have a physical ailment
• you may be fighting for 5-10 years
• Families carried on to work the farm (wives and children)
• rich older people unable to fight would try to swoop in and buy the farm, this happened a lot
• Rich people were able to have massive acres of land were the sellers would still work on the farm
• Gracchus brothers didn't think that this was right and made a concept that stated the rich were already exceedingly rich and made farms called latifundia. You have more land than you need so give some of the land back to the poor
• Latifundia was huge acres of land that the rich owned
• In the end the Gracchus brothers appealed and the law was vetoed at first then the Gracchus brothers won and on of the members of the senate beat one of the brothers to death with a chair and threw him in the Tiber river then the law was overturned
• People believe that America is going done the same road as Rome
• Big cooperation's buy out small farmers who can't make it
• Punic wars
• Roman methods of conquest and administration paid handsome dividends, for by 250 B.C., all of Italy south of the River Po was in Roman hands. This success brought Rome into collision with a rival city-state beyond the sea: Carthage, on the north coast of Africa.
• Founded about 700 B.C. by Phoenician colonist Carthage had become a oligarchic and empire-building republic similar to Rome and spread its influence across North Africa, southern Spain, Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily
• The Romans inherited the struggle with Carthage when they agreed to protect their Greek allies. But ultimately what was at stake was the command of the whole Mediterranean Sea
• The Punic Wars were waged on land and sea in three vicious rounds between 264 and 146 B.C.
• In the first phase of the struggle, after many years of exhausting warfare, Rome was able to force Carthage out of Sicily, but the North African city kept the rest of its empire
• In the second ( and decisive) phase, the Carthaginian general Hannibal invaded Italy, defeated several Roman armies and brought Rome to the brink of defeat, But the loyalty of Rome's allies, the perseverance of their own forces, and their greater man power -- for they were able to draw citizen and allied soldiers from all of Italy, while Carthage relied on smaller mercenary armies -- enabled them to triumph.
• At the end of the second Punic war in 202 B.C., Carthage was disarmed and helpless
• Rome provoked a third war, and in 146 B.C., Carthage was captured after bitter fighting
• The senate ordered the city to be leveled, its people sold into slavery, and even the ground on which it had stood to be solemnly cursed
• In 202 B.C., Rome had won control of the western Mediterranean
• The former possessions of Carthage in Sicily, Spain , and Africa became the first Roman provinces
• proconsuls: governors --- from the Latin words for "stand in for a consul"
• The provinces paid tribute to the Roman state, contributed "auxiliary" units of Calvary and light infantry to the Roman forces, and provided opportunities for influential Roman citizens to build up private fortunes
• It was not until the time od Augustus after 27 B.C., that the provinces began to share in the benefits of Roman Order
• In addition, some local rulers survived by becoming client kings, bound to Rome by ties of allegiance and support like those between Roman patrons and clients, through the first century A.D.
• Punic from Poeni, the Latin name for the Phoenicians
• In the first phase of the struggle, after many years of exhausting warfare.

Class Notes 4/4

The Romans not only imitated Greek Civilization but also improved on it, at least so far as government is concerned.

They arrived in a Mediterranean land with farming resources that were basically similar to those of Greece or Palestine, but able to support a larger population

The Etruscans were non-Indo-European immigrants who arrived in Italy from somewhere to the east about the ninth century b.c.

the Greek city-states had begun to plant colonies in southern Italy as early as the eighth century b.c. and these spread northward up the coast almost to the borders of Latium

Under the influence of the Etruscans and the Greeks, the Romans acquired the skills that enabled them to build their unique political institutions

The King was advised by a council of elders called the Senate (from the Latin senex, meaning "old man"

patricians or "men with fathers" -- that is, with fathers who already belonged to the hereditary group of leading families

When a king died, his successor was chosen by the senate from among its own members, subject to approval, however, was automatic, for apart from the king, it was the senate and the patricians who dominated the city- state

Around 500 b.c. Rome overthrew its Etruscan rulers, and the monarchy was also abolished. The government of the Roman city-state became officially the "people's business"

The result, however, was a system of government that was neither a Greek-style democracy nor an oligarchy, but a mixture of both

The consuls had veto power over each other

plebeians (from the Latin plebs, meaning "the common people"

Republic, the "people's Business" was in practice run by the senate an assembly of about three hundred heads of patrician families.

Two among the senators functioned as consuls (colleagues), wielding for a year at a time the military and government power that had formerly belonged kings.

At times of crisis the senate voted one of the consuls the dictator for a six month period

Etruscan government ruled from 535-509 b.c.

The one-year terms of consuls, and the fact there were two of them (each empowered to veto the other's lawmaking proposal)

The romans were so eager to avoid this possibility that the practice grew up of appointing two or more men for one-year terms to every magistracy (public office)

Among the chief complaints of the plebian was that they lacked legal protection. Before the fifth century b.c. there has been no written code of law. Instead, the sacred traditional

Class Notes 4/2

• the Latin's settled first in Italy(Rome)
• They settled on the shores of Tiber
• Mediterranean means middle of the earth 
• The most educated people thought that the Mediterranean was the middle, best focus of the earth
• They thought that the gods gave Italy the location that they had because they were destined to rule
• Italians thought they were the best people ever. They were ambitious and arrogant.
• They drained swaps to build their towns on top and drained them into the Tiber
• Washington D.C. is built on some swap but no as many swaps as Rome
• Tarquin the Proud was a harsh leader who the people wanted to get rid of. They remove him from office and find them in the same position as Greece. They decide to set up a government like the Greeks but a little different. They rolled three different governments together and called it the Republic. Democracy, Aristocracy, and monarchy were the three leading ways they lead but not just one. 
• The United States are like the Ancient Romans. Executive is like the Monarchy, the president is the closest thing to a King the USA has.
• Aristocracy were the rich people and they were in a group called the senate, the US has a senate and the name is no coincidence they took the name from the Romans. The senate and 2 per state no more no less no matter what state. Every person in the senate is a multi-millionaire.
•  Democracy is the House of Reps, there are 438 people in the House. You must run every 2 years. The reps are numbered by population.  
• In Washington D.C. the columns were modeled after Roman Architecture.
• In a democracy in Greece they voted on everything you had to do. In Ancient Rome and US we elect people to vote for us because we would vote everyday and have no time to do anything else.
• America was founded in 1776
• Res Publica is a Latin word the business of the people
• plebian was common person met at assembly
• Rome love to have slaves, slaves were at the bottom of social chart
• patricians were the aristocrats met at the senate
• consuls were like presidents and Rome had 2
• if someone tried to get more power individually and they referred to Tarquin
• Has two consuls to keep an eye on each other

Roman Government

In the Ninth Century B.C. a tribe called the Etruscans moved into Italy and taught them ways to set up a beneficial government and empire. The Etruscans gave the Italians the skills that gave them the power to build their own unique government form. At first they followed the Etruscan government and ruled with powerful kings, which included actual Etruscans. The king was advised by the council of elders which was called the senate. When the King was choosing the senate he chose from a group called the patricians. These were High-Class citizens who belonged to the oldest and noblest Roman families. When a King dies the next king was chosen from senate by the senate. Basically the senate and the patricians ran the city. Around 500 B.C. the Romans overthrew the Etruscan leaders and the got rid of their monarchy. The Roman government was suddenly changed to "people's business" and established the Roman Republic. The Roman Republic was developed slowly because of the influence between the aristocrats and common people. In the end the Roman's formed a government that was not the Greek Democracy nor an oligarchy but a mixture of the two. There were two sides of the government the aristocrats/patricians and the plebeians. The plebeians were the common Roman citizens that were farmers, workers and wealthy people who were not patricians.

March 27th

Today in Western Civilization we took our test on Ancient Greece. I studied and I think I did pretty well. Also it was an open blog test but you can see from my blogs that I didn't have anything useful. I am really confident in this quarter and I hope to do very well.

March 25th

Today in class we reviewed the video of Ancient Greece fro our test that is possibly tomorrow. As I am writing this the snow is coming down pretty hard so the delay or cancellation of school tomorrow is undetermined. I am going to stop this here because I have to study so See Ya!

March 24th

Today we started the new quarter aka the last quarter of freshman year. Its crazy how long ago it was that we were starting our first day and now were almost sophomores. Anyways today we went over our 58pt Greece worksheet and talk about ancient plays and people in history. It was weird to see that people over 2000 years ago an in present day have similarities. Anyway that's what we did today.

March 19th

Today we sorta had class. I don't know what you would call it. It was school but cyber day at the same time. I reviewed the quiz thing and the notes.

March 18th

Today in class we watched a few more presentations and they were really good. We also took a look at the quizlet that one of the students from past years made.

Cyber Day

1.     Mostly fertile land is not a characteristic of Greece.

2.     Approximately ¾ of Greece is covered by mountains.

3.     The word barbarian came from the Greek work “barbaro,” which originally meant “Non-Greek.”

4.     A megalithic structure are massive rough-cut stones used to construct monuments and tombs.

5.     The term tribe refers to a social and political unit consisting of a group of communities held together by common interests, traditions, and real or mythical ties of kinship.

6.     Tribes were governed by warrior kings or queens, chieftains, or tribal leaders chosen by warriors.

7.     The first European barbarians to make contact with civilization were the Greeks.

8.     The United States would not be considered a member of “Western Civilization.”

9.     The Mediterranean Sea was located just west of the Greek Mainland.

10.                         The Mediterranean Sea was located just east of the Greek Mainland.

11.                         The major crops the Aegean people lived on were rice, vines, and olives.

12.                         The Minoan civilization arose on the island of Crete.

13.                         The Minoan civilization established settlements along the Greek mainland’s southern shore and on some islands.

14.                         The Mycenaean civilization built massive walls to protect themselves from attack.

15.                        A period of Greek history in which the population dropped, ships no longer sailed, and writing fell out of use, is called the Dark Ages.

16.                         Following this period, the Greeks joined Phoenicians as the leading commercial and seafaring nation of the Mediterranean.

17.                        In historical writing the, the letter “c” might appear before a date, as in “c. 1500 BC.” This “c” means around, about, or circa.

18.                        By 600 BC, Greek city-states dotted the coastlines around the Mediterranean Sea. These were called colonies.

19.                        Although they varied in size, ancient Greek city-states most closely resembled modern-day counties.

20.                         Oligarchy is a form of government in which small groups of citizens dominated, and the power of the majority was limited in various ways.

21.                        Democracy is a form of government in which decisions were made by the majority of adult male citizens.

22.                        Tyranny is a form of government in which a self-proclaimed dictator held power,

23.                         Monarchy is a form of government in which is held by a single ruler, and is often passed along from father to son.

24.                        Spartans used tyranny government system.

25.                        At the age of 7 the Spartan males begin their military training.

26.                         Corinth was the wealthiest city-state in the ancient Greek world.

27.                         A Parthenon was the high fortified citadel and religious center of an ancient Greek town.

28.                        Peloponnesus was the name of the peninsula where Sparta was located.

29.                        Triremes were massive fighting ships with three banks of oars, used to ram or board enemy ships.

30.                         A hoplite was a heavily armed and armored citizen-soldier of ancient Greece.

Short Answer:

1.     The period in Greek history when population dropped, ships no longer sailed, and writing fell out of use lasted from c. 1100-800 BC.

2.     The Titles of Homer’s two epic poems were The Odyssey and The Iliad.

3.     The word “Mediterranean” originally meant middle ground or the middle of the earth.

4.     Prominent and long-established Athenian land-owners were called Aristocrats.

March 12th

Today in class we continued watching the videos. We watched some really cool ones that were very creative. also theyre were some funny ones but all in all they were really good.

Sparta Commerical

This is Kylie Wheeler and I's Sparta commercial. I hope you enjoy!

March 10th

Today in human geo we worked on our projects a little more. Mr. Schick was absent so that left us with two subs. JP put on a really long curly blonde wig. And Kylie and I's project is rocking!

March 7th

Today we continued the video about Greece's rise to Democracy. I think Greek history is cool and I would like to learn more about their mythology. Also Kylie and I have been working on our commercial for Sparta and I think its coming together really well. Our music really fits the theme of Sparta and I can't wait to finish it.

March 5th

Today we talked a little more about our tv commercials and got our due date extended to Monday. Also we continued watching the Greece video and talked about the aspects of Ancient Greece.

Liam Neeson Astonishing count: 1

March 4th

today in class we worked on a worksheet that we had to get answers for from a video. I also am keeping track of how many times Liam Neeson says 'astonishing' so far its one.

Cyber Day

Today we had a cyber day so we weren't really in school. We had to work on our tv commercials for Athens and Sparta. I picked Sparta.

February 26th

Peloponnesus- a chunk of land that is barley connected to the main land. Sparta was located on.
 Persia- the super power of the time

ATHENS
peaceful yet ready to fight
smart
physically fit
women are educated
democracy
The golden age in Athens was very important
         confident
         lost it during the Persian war
required to 2 years of war at 18
mainly navy
had expedition to marathon and salamis so Persia didn't take it
Beat Persia twice in battle
Meetings every week
SPARTA
loved to fight
men were taken to training at 7
women ran business
basic life
hated Athens
mainly army
took Persia's side in the war against Athens

February 25th

Today is Tuesday believe it or not. It feels like a Monday and I don't know I can go to an actual "full" week of school that hasn't happened since before exams. But today we took lots and lots of note that I will try and put up tomorrow. I am super duper tired and need sleep. This is just one of those weeks.

P.S. Shout out to Andrew for doing a really well job teaching the class on Monday. The tootsie rolls were a nice touch. Mr. Schick take notes.

LO3

Citizens and Communities: The Greek City-States

• tribal communities of the dark ages developed into City-States
• City-States were small places, population not more than a town, and a few square miles of surrounding countryside
• Athens and Sparta were the size of a U.S. county
• Population only around a few thousand
• Athens thou once reached 250,000
• The town was usually built around a hill where the acropolis was built
• the acropolis was a combination of a fortress and a temple
• Fortresses and temples were both important to the Greeks
• Extremely competitive communities that continually fought one another
• Their most important civic was to worship the god or goddess on which their community was based on
• Athens was the city of Athena
• Greeks developed around the time the Assyrians were reaching for power westward from Mesopotamia
• Greece was protected by many miles of land and water
• No overall empire so city-states fended for themselves
• They could not afford soldiers or large Calvary forces
• Relied on their male citizens to make up the army
• People who could afford to equipped themselves with swords
• Types of main government
• monarchy
• oligarchy
• tyranny
• democracy
• Tyranny was not successful
• Women didn't have power in the government
• Sparta was a civilization that was all military minded
• conquered the southern mainland
• at seven boys were taken into military training
• aloud to get married at 20
• women went into training for child barring
• they paid money to fight
• Athens was the exact opposite of Sparta
• thought Sparta's way of life way stupid
• Athens was better with navy
• Athens was a war like city-state with peace
• wealthiest city-state
• traded
• went into training for battle at 18 for only 2 years
• educated
• many forms of government
• two points in time
• War with the Persians
• golden age lasted from 460 B.C. to 430 B.c.
• Athens was defeated and lost confidence
• Athens had meeting once a week
• met a agora then hills
• voting was by show of hands
• slaves were more free then American slaves
• women had to be escorted from their house by a close male relative

February 21st

Today I was the teacher and let me tell you it was really hard. I never want to be a teacher. EVER. we talked about Greece and they invented democracy. The Athenians loved to fight in wars. We used mine a mr. schicks notes and mine were pretty great if I do say so myself. The greeks were pretty good but I cant leave my Romans :). The greeks were really artistic unlike me I cant draw a straight line with a ruler. Also their lives circled around strength and courage, comradeship and loyalty, contest and battle.

February 19th

Today in class we went over the test we took. Note don't repeatedly ask Mr. Schick what number we're on, he gets angry. But over all I did pretty well I didn't get an A but I got a B+ so its all good.

February 18th

Today we had this super hard assignment where we had to build a pyramid and Kylie and I came in second. Surprisingly only four groups finished. And when I left the class I had the worst headache ever lol

The First European Civilization: The Greeks

LO1: Describe the way of life of the barbarian peoples of Europe after the Agricultural Revolution.

Barbarians

• had a distinctive way of life that focused on farming and warfare
• about 2000 b.c. they moved to southeastern Europe
• The Greeks shared knowledge and adjusted to barbarians way of life

Greeks

• first civilization in 800 b.c.
•  was influenced by the barbarians
• the Greeks started having ideas
• art forms
• types of government
• their influence has still lasted to todays world
• were the first to practice in citizen government
• colonized the northern coastlands of the Mediterranean sea
• Italians loved their way of life and modeled their civilization after the Greeks
• innovators in:
• warfare
• developing methods of fighting by land and sea
• shortly after 500 b.c.
• enabled them to keep independence against Persia
• universal leaders of the time
• Greeks would eventually replace them

Vocab

•    Barbarian- a term used to describe the distinctive way of life based on farming, warfare, and tribal organization that became widespread in Europe beginning around 2500 b.c.
• Megaliths- Massive rough-cut stones used to construct monuments and tombs
• Tribe- a social and political unit consisting of a group of communities held together by common interest, traditions, and real or mythical ties of kinship

The Earliest Europeans

• by 4000 b.c. farming and village life had spread thought the continent
•  this brought population and wealth
• 3500 b.c. there were people in in western Europe who could construct ceremonial monuments consisting of circles and rows of huge upright boulders, tombs and fortifications

Chronology

• 3500 b.c. megalithic structures constructed in Europe
• 2500 b.c. Indo-European nomads from the steppes migrate into Europe; European barbarian way of life evolves
• 2200 b.c. Minoan civilization takes root in Crete; Greeks arrive in southeastern Europe
• 1600 b.c. Greek fortified settlements along the Aegean develop Mycenaean civilization
• 1400 b.c. Destruction of Minoan towns
• 1200 b.c. Mycenaean civilization falls; beginning the "dark ages" of Greek History
• 800 b.c. Recovery in the Aegean; Greek city-states form
• 494-445 b.c. Persian wars
• 460-430 b.c. Golden Age of Athens