Could Rome have risen without slavery?

Slaves have been traded for many years in history. Many ancient civilizations relied on slavery to build their empire. The Romans were no exception. They used slaves for agriculture, labor in the form of building, and in some cases gladiators. (Plautus). The Romans would not be able to achieve these advances without slaves, because they didn’t have the manpower to do so. Between 200 B.C and 200 A.D in Rome, the population was about one-third slaves. (Bradley).    Rome would not have become so successful without the use of slaves.

Reasons- How did the slaves help the Romans?

I.                   The slaves helped with agriculture

II.                They were used in gladiator fights for entertainment.

"Ancient History Sourcebook: Slavery in the Roman Republic." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 31 Mar. 2010. .

"BBC - History - Ancient History in Depth: Resisting Slavery in Ancient Rome." BBC - Homepage. Web. 31 Mar. 2010. .

Comparing the Gettysburg Address and Pericles Funeral Oration

I.              Introduction Paragraph

a.     In history, funeral orations are speeches that leaders give to the people that remember and memorialize soldiers that died in battle.

b.    Pericles of Greece and one of our most remembered presidents, Abraham Lincoln; both gave funeral orations during their rule.

c.    Events leading up to both orations

                                          i.    Lincoln- the civil war just started, and many people already died. He wanted to assure the people that he was going to stop the war, and no one was ever going to forget the fallen people.

                                        ii.    Pericles-

d.    Thesis- Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address gave a stronger funeral oration then Pericles, because he appealed to patriotism, nation, honor

II.            Appeal to Patriotism

a.    Lincoln- “The brave men, living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook27.html).

b.    Pericles- “the moment only for the impression which they gave to melt at the touch of fact, 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.” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/pericles-funeralspeech.html).

c.    Lincoln’s appeal to patriotism really shows

III.           Appeal to Nation

a.    Lincoln- “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.” (http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/al16/speeches/gettys.htm).

b.    Pericles- “"In short, I say that as a city we are the school of Hellas, while I doubt if the world can produce a man who, where he has only himself to depend upon, is equal to so many emergencies, and graced by so happy a versatility, as the Athenian.”. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/pericles-funeralspeech.html).

IV.          Appeal to Honor

a.    Lincoln- “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.”  (http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/al16/speeches/gettys.htm).

b.    Pericles- “ Rather, the admiration of the present and succeeding ages will be ours, since we have not left our power without witness, but have shown it by mighty proofs” (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/pericles-funeralspeech.html).

V.           Conclusion

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

           In the world, there are many good and bad guys. In stories, there is always a protagonist and an antagonist. Also, in history there have been good guys and bad guys, but what makes them good or bad? In my opinion, I think that if someone makes a difference that helps people, then they are a good person. If someone does something to harm another person, they are bad. In certain situations, I think that two people are neither bad nor good, for example, war. Both sides are fighting for their lives and the well-being of their country. In ancient times when the Vikings were dominating the world by sea and land, were they considered good or bad?  People are either good or bad, but it is sometimes spelled out for you, and other times we have to make our own judgments.

            In children’s stories, there is always a protagonist and an antagonist.  An antagonist is the force in the story that the protagonist struggles with. In short, the antagonist is the bad guy and the protagonist is the good guy. (http://www.roanestate.edu/owl&writingcenter/OWL/ElementsLit.html). In the story Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, Goldie Locks could be considered the bad guy because she broke into the bear’s house, broke things and ate their food. The bears struggle with the effects Goldie had on their house, and they had to work towards solving the problem. In Little Red Riding Hood, Red is simply walking to her grandmother’s house to give her some food. Red doesn’t do anything to hurt anyone, therefore she is the protagonist. The antagonist is the big fox who tries to harm Red. The fox scares her in the woods and then tricks her into thinking he’s her grandmother. The object of good guy and bad guy isn’t just in the world; it is evident in literature too.

            The Vikings were vicious fighters, and killed many people. In 793 AD the island of Lindesfarne was attacked by the Vikings. It was a surprise attack and there was no way for the people on the island to fight back. (http://early-middle-ages.suite101.com/article.cfm/viking_attack_on_lindisfarne_793ad). This violent raid would make people think these people were bad and only wanted to harm people. If you asked a Viking, they probably wouldn’t think they were bad people. Right now, we are at war in Afghanistan against terrorism. They might even say they were good people. One of the terrorism groups is called the Taliban. The Taliban used to control almost 90 percent of Afghanistan. “Though the group has been out of power for several years, it remains a cultural force in the region that operates parallel governance structures aimed at undermining the U.S.-backed central government”. The group might have been responsible for the attacks on September 11, 2001. (http://www.cfr.org/publication/10551/). This group is bad and evil to us, because they try to hurt the people of America. To them, they think they are doing good but attempting to take down the United States government. Regardless of what they do, and how many people the hurt, they probably still think they are doing well. Someone might think a group of people was bad, but if they asked that specific group it might be a different story.

            In some situations, it is easy to tell if someone is good or bad, for example literature. In short stories, who the author wants to be portrayed as bad, is basically spelled out. In real life, it can sometimes be hard to tell. The Vikings always seemed like bad people, but did they think that themselves? Also, we think the people of the Taliban are awful people who want to hurt us for no reason. If we asked them, do you think they would say they were good people getting us back for whatever we did? It is hard to tell whether someone is a protagonist or antagonist, but no matter what everyone is going to have their own opinions on good or bad, right or wrong.

"The Elements of Literature." Welcome - Roane State Community College. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. .

"The Taliban in Afghanistan -." Council on Foreign Relations. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. .

"Viking Attack on Lindisfarne, 793AD: The First Recorded Raid by Vikings in England, at Holy Island." Early Middle Ages. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. .

Picture From: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Little_Red_Riding_Hood_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_19993.jpg

The Viking Age Notes

Norwegian and Swedish Vikings

Norse Mythology

Two majors works or Norse literature

Elder (Poetic) and Younger Edda (Prose)

Tells of the myths of the Gods

Cosmology- your concept of the unvierse

Heimskringla

Written by Snorri Sturluson

Tells the legends of the kings

**AREN'T WRITTEN UNTIL AFTER THE VIKINGS

9 worlds

The one we live in is Midgard

To the north is Alfheimer (Elves)

To the south is Svartalfaheim (Black Elves)

To the east is Vanaheimr (world of the Vanir)

Muspellheim (world of fire)

Jotunheimr (Giants)

To the west is Niflheim (world of ice)

Up is Asgard (where the Gods are)

Below is Hel (world of the netherworld)

Very far away is Ginnunagagap

Ruins- pieces of wood that have symbols carved on them that tell something when you flip three over. They were used by soldiers before going into battle

Vikings become Christians

Regnarok- the battle that is going to happen at the end of the world. The entire world will be put up into fire and new lives will come out of the ashes

Vikings had no fear of death

Vikings were a blood kin

o    If they were raided and someone died. They were under blood honor so that they would go and kill that person that killed their Viking.

o    Born and bred as warriors

1888 in Norway

Archeologists found out information on how the Vikings lived

They found a ship filled with goods its owner would need in the afterlife

The Viking Ships were evolutionary. They had incredible design and construction.

793 AD: the first major Viking sea raid in northern England

Christians are the victims of the Vikings' plunders

Eric the Red and his son Leif Ericson

Great leaders of the Vikings

They conquer much of Europe

Link the Eastern and Western Hemisphere

A king asked Leif to go to Greenland and Christianize it

The Vikings were then Christians.

Becoming Christian helped the Vikings consolidate power 

Gearing Up For the Viking Raid!

The Viking in the back is getting to go raid the Lidensfarne monks. His wife and daughter are preparing for his departure. This warrior is bringing his shield for protection and his sword to attack. He also has knives stored in his belt. The Vikings were very scary and many people were afraid of them. 

Gibbon and Toynbee Views

             Edward Gibbon was a great historian. He lived in England was very smart. Gibbon is best known for writing The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. (http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/egibbon.htm). Arnold Toynbee was also a British historian who wrote about the rise and fall of civilizations. He was the author of the writing A Study of History. ( http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/philosophy/history/toynbee_study_history.html). These men both looked at Rome differently and saw a different side from the fall of a great power.

            In Gibbon’s writing, he talked about thee many great things in Rome. He said, “The rise of a city, which swelled into an Empire, may deserve, as a singular prodigy, the reflection of a philosophic mind. But the decline of Rome was the natural and inevitable effect of immoderate greatness.” Gibbon talks very highly of the Roman Empire when he said that the state was immoderate greatness. The reason the Empire fell, according to Gibbon, is that it just became too big for what it could handle. He says that if we question why it fell, we should really be asking why it stayed so long.  Gibbon says that the Romans didn’t understand the “extent of the danger” that was out in the world, and the number of enemies they had. This also led to the many attempts at invasions that may have worn the army down. Gibbon doesn’t really say one specific reason as to why it fell; he just thinks it got too big. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gibbon-fall.html).

            Arnold Toynbee’s view on the situation is completely different. He solely believes that Christianity is the blame for the collapse. He comes out directly and says that when he says, “Christianity rises as the empire sinks and the rise of Christianity is the fall of civilization.”   This observation is very true about Christianity but was it powerful enough at the time to destroy an entire empire? Toynbee believes so. He also says that the rise of Christianity was an accident and this wasn’t supposed to happen. Toynbee and Gibbon have completely different views on the fall of Rome, and it is interesting to compare the two ideas. (http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/toynbee.html).

"Arnold Toynbee Study of History." Spiritual Insights Quotations Faith Vs Reason Debate Mysticism in World Religions. Web. 19 Mar. 2010. .

"Edward Gibbon." Www.kirjasto.sci.fi. Web. 19 Mar. 2010.   .

"Medieval Sourcebook: Gibbon: The Fall of the Roman Empire." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. .

"A Toynbee Bibliography." The Toynbee Convector. Web. 19 Mar. 2010. .

Picture From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_J._Toynbee

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

Norse Mythology

Why are the Vikings such popular mascots? Will Bret Favre be back next season?

            The Vikings are such popular mascots in many sports because they are so scary. This is exactly how they wanted to be portrayed. As kids, they were raised to become nasty fighters. The Vikings were vicious warriors that raided and conquered many areas. During these raids, they killed many innocent people, including the monks of the monastery Lindisfarne.  These insane warriors became some of the most terrified people in the world. If I had a choice, I would love for my mascot to be a Viking, then everyone would be afraid of me.

        Bret Favre has not yet announced if he will be returning to the NFL for the 2010-2011 season. I personally think he will be back for another season. Favre has said many times that he was going to retire, but never has. He is such a great player, and I still think there is a lot of energy in him for another season. Favre became someone to watch when he started in Green Bay. He then moved around a lot but recently played his best season ever in Minnesota. This was his first year playing with the Vikings, and they sure look like a good-luck charm.

"Brett Favre Comeback Odds For Vikings 2010-2011 Season." NCAA Tournament Betting Odds | College Basketball Bracket Picks | March Madness Predictions 2010. Web. 15 Mar. 2010. .

"NOVA Online | The Vikings | Who Were the Vikings?" PBS. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. .

Picture From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/81038714@N00/3893000897/

Did the Roman Empire "Fall"?

            Throughout years and years, people have been wondering if the Roman Empire really did fall. Recently there has been evidence to support that the once all-powerful empire did indeed fall. Now the real question is why and how did it fall? Researchers say Rome fell from the lack of ability to fight off invaders, the split of the empire into two, a failing economy, Christianity, or there were just too many problems that finally led to the collapse. The Roman Empire did fall, but the exact reason why is still unknown.

            Most books and articles say the empire finally fell in 476 A.D. but there is no way to determine the exact year it collapsed. (http://www.tamos.net/~rhay/romefall.html).  One of the theories that Rome fell was that the army wasn’t strong enough anymore to fend off invaders trying to sack the city. (http://www.fsmitha.com/com/Rome.htm). Eventually Barbarian invaders like the Visigoths, Vandals and the Huns took over the city. (http://www.roman-colosseum.info/roman-empire/reason-why-the-roman-empire-fell.htm). The way the Barbarians got into the city was not really an invasion.  For many years, they were known as foreigners. The government didn’t try to throw them out because they were keeping Rome alive. These Barbarians wanted to live in Rome, because it was a safe home. They were safe from the Barbarian tribe, the Huns. The Huns were a very violent group, and the other tribes were afraid of the Huns. (http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/1320hist&civ/chapters/08ROMFAL.htm). Barbarian invasions were one of the ways Rome might have fell.

            When the Roman Empire kept expanding, it grew too big for one person to control and experienced many economic problems. In the late third century, East and West Rome was born. The Eastern half was more Greek and the Western part was mostly Latin. They always claimed to stick together and stay Roman but as the years went on, they slowly grew apart. (http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/fallofrome/a/Dorrington.htm).The separation of the empire might have led to the fall of Rome. (http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/romefallarticles/a/fallofrome.htm). This is because the two halves were hard to control and it was easy for people to invade these areas. This separation seemed like a good idea at the time, and the rulers were so desperate to safe Rome they had to do something, but it may have led to the Roman Empire collapsing.

            When Jesus was born, he taught about God band spread a new religion called Christianity. This religion was the newest thing and it seemed like everyone wanted to be a part of it. It appealed to many people who weren’t necessarily Jewish. Christianity slowly spread throughout the Western world eventually leading to Rome. (http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/1320hist&civ/chapters/08ROMFAL.htm).   The spread of Christianity into Rome is said to have made it collapse. The main problem wasn’t the religion; it was a balance of powers. When the church was established, it was so big, the bishops tried to control the government as well. There was major confusion between the emperors and the leaders of the church. More problems came from this eventually leading to the separation of the empire, Barbaric invasions, and finally the collapse of the Roman Empire. (http://www.helium.com/items/1171902-christianity-and-the-fall-of-rome). The religion of Christianity itself did not make Rome fall, but it led to other issues in the empire.

            I personally believe that it was a number of problems in the Roman Empire that made it collapse. There is not one thing that could make something completely fall apart. At one point, Rome was a very strong empire that controlled most of the known world. The leaders began to think nothing could stop them, which is, in my opinion, what collapsed Rome. Just when someone begins to think nothing can happen that would make them loose their power is when they collapse.

            In 476 A.D., the Roman Empire fell. The reason why is still not known. Many think it was from the balance of powers, Barbaric invasions, or the spread of Christianity. I think it was a combination of all of these things. There is no way one thing could break such a strong power, but without knowing it, a group of relatively small issues did.

"1320: Section 8: The Fall of Rome: Facts and Fictions." Welcome to Utah State University. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. .

"The Fall of Rome - An Explanation for the Fall of Rome." Ancient / Classical History - Ancient Greece & Rome & Classics Research Guide. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. .

"Fall of Rome - Why Did Rome Fall." Ancient / Classical History - Ancient Greece & Rome & Classics Research Guide. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. .

"The Fall of Rome." Tamos (portal). Web. 11 Mar. 2010. .

"Reason Why the Roman Empire Fell." Roman Colosseum. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. .

"Why Did the Roman Empire Fall?" MacroHistory : World History. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. .

Picture From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Roman_Empire.JPG

The Roman Republic Notes

OCTAVIAN

In Roman society, in your will, you could adopt someone.

Juilis Ceaser adopting him

The power guy.

MARK ANTONY

Power guy

LEPIDUS

Money guy.

^Split up Rome amongst themselves.

Octavian gets Italy

Mark Antony gets Greece and Egypt

Lepidus gets the East

Mark Antony and Cleopatra go to war against Octavian and Agrippa. Octavian defeat the naval forces of these two. Antony commits suicide, Cleopatra goes back to Egypt and commits suicide. She let a venomous snake into her bed to bite her.  Octavian becomes Augustus and is the sole leader of Rome. The Republic is no longer.

First 5 Roman Emperors

1.    Augustus

2.    Tiberius

3.    Caligula

4.    And Claudius

5.    Nero

SUETONIUS

Best Roman historian that wrote about these Emperors

PRINIPATE

The period of the Roman empire beginning with the reign of Augustus

AUGUSTUS STAUTE

Not wearing shoes?

Depicted as a God

Image of Roman propaganda

Augustus dies in 14 CE and doesn't leaves an heir. His wife Livea had a son from another marriage. His son Tiberius becomes emperor. He kept peace, but was a cruel man. After him Caligula was CRAZY. Had affairs with his sisters. Murdered random people for fun. Tried to get his horse in the senate. Eventually was assininated. His brother Claudius became emperor. Didn't want to be emperor, but okay one. Followed by Nero. Also CRAZY. Famously burned down part of the city. Wanted a piece of property to put his honor on. Put a palace called the Golden House is here. There is also a huge statue of himself. Forced to commit suicide. This ends the Julio Claudian emperors. Rome goes into a little caus. In 69, Vespasian, he was very strick. Military style, pretty good at getting order back into the empire. His son Titus, he completes the vespasian amphitheatre or the Coliseum. He also creates the Arch of Titus. On the inside, it says the sentate and people of rome dedicate this arch to the divine Vespasian. There is a picture of them attacking Jerusalem. Titus dies and is replaced by Domitian who was pretty tough. Builds public works. He is assininated and is replaced by a man names Nerva (96-98). We now get into the age of "good" emperors. Starts the pracitce of choosing the heir rather than the heir being a blood relative. Choosees Trajan (98-117) one of the military geniuses. He created the Trajan column. Expandes the empire.  Handrian (117-138) statres the high point of the Roman empire. The first roman empire not to be from Italy. He was from Spain. Antoninnus Pius (138-161) Marcus Aurelius (161-180)

How does Early Christian and Byzantine portraiture represent both a continuation of and a break from the past?

            Early Christian Byzantine portraiture represents both a continuation of and a break from the past by showing objects from the past. In the Ravenna Portrait of Justinian, there are men holding shields and other weapons. This looks like a continuation from the past. In Rome, there were a lot of wars and fighting, and in this portrait there are still weapons shown. In the Fayum portraits, they are all almost Egyptians. I think this is a break from the past, because you can tell the people were from Egypt, but they have other looks too. In these pictures, you can tell that the artist was connecting and breaking the past from the present.

Picture From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Meister_von_San_Vitale_in_Ravenna_003.jpg

"Ancient Faces: Mummy Portraits from Roman Egypt." Web. 9 Mar. 2010. .

"File:Meister Von San Vitale in Ravenna 003.jpg -." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. .

Julio Claudian Flashcards

Who was Augustine of Hippo?

        Augustine of Hippo was born in 354 and died in 430 AD. Augustine was the bishop of Hippo for a long time. He became a very well known philosopher in ancient Western culture. He wrote many interesting works and taught in northern Africa. During this time Africa was controlled by Rome. He believed strongly in reason. There was a reason for everything. He also said that “time is nothing in reality but exists only in the human mind’s apprehension of reality.” He attempted to explain many things and use those explanations to figure out religion and God.

Picture From: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Simone_Martini_003.jpg

"Augustine." Web. 12 Mar. 2010. .

Marcus Aurelius's Meditations and Thanks Yous

Dear Mom,

            Thank you for everything you have taught me. Although I sometimes do not believe you when you tell me something, it always has meaning to me. I always think of you when I make decisions. You have helped me through so much and I don’t think I could ever repay you for that.

Dear Dad,

            Thank you for making me see how great my life is. You have given me the resources to become the best person I can be. Thank you for going to work every day and giving our family a great life. I am so grateful to have you as a parent.

Dear Laura and Jenny,

            Thanks for being there for me as sisters. I can always come to you guys for advice on anything. You have been through the same situations that I am going through now and know exactly what to say. Sometimes we get in fights and are mad at each other, but you always have my back. I can have fun with you no matter what we are doing. There are no other sisters I would ask for.

Dear Nanni,

            You are the best grandma in the world. You have taught me so much and I love that about you. I always get so excited when you come and see me, and love flying out to see Chicago and seeing you. You have taught me to be the person I am today. I behave the way I do in public because of you. You will always be one of those people I never forgot who shaped my life today.

Dear Mrs. Cordell, my 7^th and 8^th grade math teacher,

            I thank you for your knowledge in math. You taught me so much about this subject. Having you for two years made me realize how important math is and that I really do like it. The only reason I am doing well in my math class this year is because I had you as a teacher. Thanks so much for you love of math.

Picture From: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Young_Marcus_Aurelius_Musei_Capitolini_MC450.jpg

"The Internet Classics Archive | The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius." The Internet Classics Archive: 441 Searchable Works of Classical Literature. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. .