June 2, 2011

Today in class we had a test. Mr.Schick told us it was really easy but it wasn't easy! I don't think I failed, but I also don't think that I got an A. I hope i'm wrong though! After tomorrow's class I have one more day of Western Civ with Mr.Schick. But we have to take another year of Western Civ which I don't understand!

Wednesday June 1, 2011

This week we did not have school Monday due to Memorial Day, and then yesterday I don't have this class on Tuesday's. Mr. Schick postponed the quiz until tomorrow since we haven't had class in a while. Today in class we went over the worksheet that we had for homework.

Friday May 27, 2011

Today in class we went over the packet on Diocletian and Constantine and highlighted some important information. We talked alot about it and it lasted most of class. Also, Mr.Schick helped us all review for our vocab test today which is going to be really hard. After that we got our homework which I just finished.

Thursday May 26

Today I came to school even though I was really sick but I ended up having to go home during second mod. it actually really weird because no matter what I do nothing feels better! Hopefully I will be in class tomorrow if I am feeling better.

Wednesday May 25, 2011

Commodus- Marcus Aurelius's son and the Roman empire began its decline while he was in rule
Diocletian- a strong-willed army leader and a son of a slave and in 284 he became the new emperor
Constantine- a young commander who was one of the 4 rivals competing for power when the civil war broke out
Eastern Empire- the wealthier half of the empire and was ruled by Diocletian
Western Empire- not as wealthy as the east and was not ruled by Diocletian
Battle of Milvian Bridge- the clash between Constantine and his rival fought near the bridge which is 2 miles outside of Rome and Constantine won
Edict of Milan- when Constantine announced an end to the persecution of Christians and their religion was approved by the emperor
Constantinople- the capital which was given its new name of Constantinople after the center of the empire shifted from west to east
Germanic Peoples- one of the people the Huns raided, they lived near the Rhine River
Huns- people who were feared and as they moved west the Germanic People moved too and eventually destroyed the western half of the empire
Alaric- was the king of the Visigoths in 410 and he marched across the Alps towards Rome
Gaiseric- king of the Vandals in 455 sailed to Rome from north Africa and was a ruthless leader
Attila- one the the Huns leaders that made them seem more dangerous
Leo I- the Pope of Rome in 452
Romulus Augustus- the last Roman emperor who was 14 years old
Odoacer- a barbarian general who took the throne from Romulus Augustus

1. In the third century they had economic problems such as poor harvests, disruption of trade, no more plunder from wars, gold and silver drain inflation, and crushing tax burden.
2. Their military had changed because their soldiers only fought so they could earn money so therefore they had to find barbarians who would accept lower pay.
3. The religious change that Constantine brought was when he ended the persecution of Christians. The political change he brought was when he gained control of the western and eastern empire and changing the capital.
4. Germanic tribes invaded the empire because the Huns were moving and they felt threatened and moved west just like the Huns. The empire was unable to drive invaders out because their army wasn't very strong.
5. Diocletian should be considered a successful emperor because he made the empire stronger, he divided the empire into two parts, and he was ranked as one of the greatest emperors. Three reasons why Diocletian could be known as a failure is because not 100% of the reforms were a success, taxes were higher because of him having to pay the soldiers more, and when he tried to control the prices that mission failed.

Monday May 23

Today in class I had Katie read my essay and she said it was really good except fr my title which I need to correct. In the paper we had to write about the Roman empire and the Roman republic. My paper was a little over 500 words and had 3 paragraphs.

Friday May 20

Today Mr.Schick wasn't here and we had Mr.A for a sub! We worked on our essays the whole mod which was over an hour long! On the plus side, Mr.A is an english teacher so he offered to read them. I think i got around 300 words!

Thursday May 19

Lord today we had a test please help us do our best! The test was on alot of information but overall i think I did pretty well!

May 18, 2011

Persecution of Christians

• Romans were harsh toward those who would not worship the emperor
• Especially Christians, who were viewed as followers of a new cult
• Often used for entertainment in the Colosseum
• Christianity grew quickly and by 200 AD around 10% of the people in the Roman Empire were Christians

What was the Roman republic made up of?

• democracy
• aristocracy
• monarchy

May 16, 2011

Augustus:

• Began Pax Romana- a period of peace and prosperity
• Built roads, aqueducts (brought water to the cities)
• Set up civil service to take care of the roads, the grain supply, and the postal service
• Augustus died at age 76 in 14 AD and passed the power to Tiberius
• Emperor when Jesus was born

Jesus and Paul

• Jesus was a Roman citizen and a practicing Jew
• At age 30 he began his ministry by preaching to the poor in the empire
• Statements like "My kingdom is not of this world" made the Romans/ Jews nervous and they planned an execution
• The governor of the Roman province of Judea Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion 
• The 4 canonical gospels explain his life
• Jews think that Jesus did not fulfill all of the things it takes to be a Messiah
• Paul is instrumental in telling the world about Jesus's life, death, resurrection, and message
• He wrote many letter to people and they are part of the New Testament
• Without Paul it is likely that Jesus would not be as famous as he is today and he wouldn't be the figure of the largest religion in the world
• Jesus is the 3rd most influential person in history

Tiberius

• Augustus's stepson and adopted son
• He was a great general but he was a dark, somber, reclusive emperor
• He referred to the senate as "men fit to be slaves"
• Germanicus started out as Tiberius's ally but when he looked like h would succeed Tiberius he got paranoid and had Germanicus killed
• He started off well, he gave bonuses to poor soldiers, declared treason trials a thing of the past, and made the government spending a matter of public record
• Assassinated by his own aides in 41 AD at the age of 28
• Slept with other mens wives, too much sex & spending, tried to make his horse a priest

Claudius

• Ostracized by his family because he had disabilities (limp, slight deafness, speech impediment, and probably had polio or cerebral palsy)
• He conquered Britain; built roads, canals, and aqueducts and he renovated Circus Maximus and rebuilt it
• Had an awful marriage to Messalina who was unfaithful to him and Claudius had one of the people in the senate killed for messing around with his wife

Religious Troubles

• Christianity and Judaism were monotheistic which set them aside from other religions
• Romans had many gods and the emperor was viewed as a god
• 66 AD the Jews called the Zealots tried to rebel but Roman troops put hem down and burned their temple
• The Western Wall today is still the holiest of all Jewish shrines
• Half a million Jews died in the rebellion
• 
  

Friday May 13

Today we finished the video in class, here are my notes:

• In class we talked about Jesus and his message that was passed to Paul
• Paul passed the message on to people and eventually more and more people started to pass it on

After the video we got in a group and observed Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius.

Tiberius

• Born in 42 BC
• Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD
• Augustus's step son
• One of Rome's greatest generals
• Lucius Sejanus served the imperial family and was a close friend to Tiberius
• People say that the crowd rejoiced when Tiberius died

Caligula

• Also known as Gaius 
• Roman Emperor from 37 to 41 AD
• Son of Germanicus who was a very successful general
• People called him and insane tyrant
• Brief reign
• In early 41 he was assassinated
• At 2 or 3 he accompanied his father Germanicus
• Dressed Caligula in armor
• His father was posioned
• His murder was planned

Claudius 

• Emperor from 41 AD to 54 AD
• Son of Drusus
• Born in Gaul
• Caligula was his nephew
• Adopted his nephew Nero
• Died probably from an illness
• Some people thought he died of poisoning

Thursday May 12

Today in class we continued to watch the video and here are the notes I took (summarized):

• Tiberius was killed and so was Saganius (his aid)
• Caligula was the next to rule
• Caligula was insane just like Tiberius
• Caligula was the son of a war hero and he traveled with his dad during the war and many people loved him
• When Caligula grew up he showed signs of bipolar
• Caligula was later murdered by his friends
• Claudius was the last one left to rule and he had facial deformities
• Many people made fun of Claudius 
• People killed Claudius's wife who he loved alot 

Wednesday May 10

Today in class we started to watch a video on Rome. The video is on youtube and it was pretty detailed and Mr. Schick made us take notes on paper which was strange for him to do. Some of the things the video discussed were:

• The baths where people worked out, talked, and bathed
• Tiberius became the ruler after Octavian died from old age
• People started to hate Tiberius because he was weird and perverted
• Tiberius was the step son of Octavian Augustus but he was not a good ruler because he didn't take charge in his position

Monday May 9

Today in class we got our Rome test and our Greek test back and we went over the answers to both. Mr.Schick said that they are going to be on the exam and since his exam was hard last time i'm sure it will be again.I did okay on the Greek test but not so good on the Rome test.

May 6, 2011

Pax Romana started in 27 B.C. it was period of about 200 years of peace within Rome.
Farmland, cities, and road were created.
Circus Maximus was the oldest and largest Colosseum in Rome. Held athletic events, fights, chariot racing.

May 5, 2011

Clark & Billy
The Roman Republic had 3 governments into one: democracy, aristocracy, monarchy.
Patricians were the upper class that owned land
Plebians were the lower class
Used legions in the army, consisted of about 5,000 men and they could move all directions so they were better
Punic wars where in Carthage
Carthage and Rome were enemies

Sarah, Emma, & Cole
Latifundia were large farms that were formed when landowners bought up smaller farms
Hannibal destroyed their farm, homes, and villages
The Gracchus brothers were Tiberius and Gaius & they were plebians that attempted to pass land reform legislation

Kamau & Taylor
Julius Caesar entered into a political alliance consisting of Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus
Their group was The Triumvirate
Crassus was considered one of the wealthiest men in history but he died when they were concurring Gaul
Pompey ended up being an enemy of Caesar and was eventually defeated

Alyssa & Catherine/ Gracie & Catlin
Julius Caesar was stabbed 23 times in the chest and on March 15, 44 B.C. is when he was assassinated, called the Ides of March
Brutus was a politician and the main leader in the assassination of Julius Caesar
Gauis was Brutus's helper in killing Caesar

Katie & Fiona
Caesar's nephew and adopted son
Cicero was the senate's greatest orator but did not plan to kill Caesar
Went to get revenge for Caesar being killed
Battle of Actium was fought between Octavian and the joined forces of Antony and Cleopatra VII
Battle of Actium was fought by sea
Octavian won the battle and was given the title Augustus

May 2,2011

I was not in class today because I had a game at Bryn Mawr. Actually it was a really weird day, when we got to Bryn Mawr there were about 40 of their students dancing on the lacrosse field to irish music. They said it was a tradition and they were performing it as a school.

April 29, 2011

Mr. Schick made a rap on Rome for out class today which was actually really good and funny.

Pictures to go with the rap:


Etruscans


Tiber River


Tarquin the Proud


Rome


Plebeians


Patricians


Roman Legion


Calvary


Hannibal


Latifundia


Gracchus


Caesar


Gaul


Rubicon


Ides of March


Brutus


Octavian


Lepidus


Cleopatra


Battle of Actium

April 28, 2011

Today in class it was my birthday! We took a really hard pop quiz and I think basically everyone did bad on it. Rome is actually really hard! And these readings are hard, I would rather have another project.

April 27, 2011

Consul- highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire
Veto- Latin for "I forbid."
Senate- branch of Rome's government (often had aristocrats)
Assembly- institutions in ancient Rome and they were the machinery of the legislative branch
Dictator- a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension
Mercenaries- a person who takes role in armed conflict but they are not a national or a party in the conflict
SPQR- letters found on roman coins that mean Senatus Populusque Romanus and in english translates to the senate and the Roman people
Twelve tables- also known as Duodecim Tabulae and it is an ancient legislation that stood at the foundation of Roman Law. It formed the center piece of the constitution of the Roman Republic and the core of the mos maiorum
Cincinnatus- an aristocrat and a political figure of the Roman Republic, serving as a consul in 460 BC and a dictator in 458 BC (patrician class)
Gauls- was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman Era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland
Pyrrhus- general and statesmen of the Hellenistic Era, he was king of the Greek tribe Molossians and he later became king of Epirus
Carthage- major urban centre that existed for almost 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, it developed from a Phonecian colony
Monarchy- a form of government in which all political power is passed down to an individual (in the family)
Aristocracy- a form of government in which the best qualified citizen rules
Democracy- a form of government that allows all citizens to have an equal say 




1a. Why were many plebeians dissatisfied with Rome's government in the early years of the republic?
In 509 B.C. the Romans kicked their king out and the patricians controlled Rome's government for a period of time. Therefore, the Plebeians did not have much freedom.


1b. How did they win reforms?
Many Plebeians refused to fight in the army unless the patricians came to an agreement with them (497 BC-287 BC)


1c.What changes did they bring in the Roman government?
Plebeians gained better laws, marriage between the two groups was allowed, and enslavement by debt was ended. They put these laws in the Twelve Tables (set of laws).


2. Why did Romans consider that they had a balanced goverment?
Their government was a little bit of each type of government: monarchy, democracy, and aristocracy. They felt that this helped them greatly


3.  Once Rome had conquered most of Italy, how did the Roman government win the support of the conquered people?
Different parts of the territory had different laws and treatments from the romans.


4a.  At the start of the Punic Wars, why might Carthage have appeared stronger power?
Carthage had a greater population which was 3 times the size of Rome's, they were also very wealthy and had a really strong navy


4b. Why was Rome in fact the victor?

Rome had more than 500,000 troops made available to them, Rome's citizen troops were generally more loyal 

and reliable than the mercenaries employed by Carthage, and warfare was Roman specialty. 

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

Rome was victorious, therefore they passed on Carthage's laws, its government, and its culture to Western Civilization. 

6a. Why did the Greeks first welcome Roman armies?

They appeared as protectors at first when they were marching into Macedonia

6b. Why did the Greek attitude change?

Romans interfered in the Greek politics, their power increased and some Greek city-states tried to get away from their rule. 

April 26, 2011

1. How did geography help Rome?

Geography helped Rome because they are located near the Mediterranean Sea which allows them to be able to trade with other countries and distribute water to their citizens. Rome also has mountains throughout their country which is helpful in keeping other countries army's out, but it can also cause problems when farming.

    2. Why was each of the following groups important to Rome's development?


A. Latins were important to the development of Rome because they made handspun clothing. Also, they were pretty quiet and reserved so they didn't disturb people and they kept with themselves.


B. The Greeks were important because they brought Italy/ all of Rome closer with Greece and the Greek Civilization.


C. The Etruscans were important because they were very civilized and had a writing system. Also, several of Rome's kings were Etruscans.


   3. What were the values of early Rome Society?
Early Romans were Polytheists. Polytheists had many different roles. The had to protect the household, grain supply, and various other jobs. The Polytheists believed in the gods for answers and they believed that if they slaughtered an animal and read the liver then it would interpret the will of the gods. They were very focused on being strong and loyal.


  4a. How was the Roman household organized?
The oldest man was in charge of the house, therefore he could make an decision he wanted that had to do with the family. For example if he wanted to he could sell anyone in the family, or kill any of them. He also decided what he could do with the land. Also, the woman would clean and cook and take care of the house, but she was well respected.


  4b. What freedom did the women have in their family and society?
Women were in charge of the daily running of the household. Women in Rome had more freedom then women in Athens and other countries around them. Woman could own their own property  but could not vote.


  5. How was the army linked to Roman society?
Every male citizen served in the army and they fought in a legion. Legions were separated in 60 groups and were more effect then the Phalanx because they were more 'flexible'.


Define:

1. republic-a state in which the supreme power rests in the body ofcitizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them
2. pater familias- was the head of a Roman family. The term is Latin for "father of the family" or the "owner of the family estate"
3. toga- loose outer garment worn by citizens in public, white
4. patrician- a person of noble or high rank; aristocrat
5. plebian- "of the common people"
6. legion- a division of the roman army usually comprising to 3000 to 6000 soldiers

Identify:

1. Italy- a country located in south central Europe, to the south it consists entirely of the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, and Sardinia
2. Rome- the capital city of Italy and was founded by Romulus
3. Romulus- one of the twin brothers and he wanted to build a new city on the Palatine Hill
4. Palatine Hill- the centermost of the seven hills of rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city
5. Alps- one of the mountain ranges in Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland and in the west to Germany and France
6. Tiber River- the third longest river in Italy, rising in the Apennine mountains
7. Appennine Mountains- mountain ranging consisting parallel smaller chains extending along the length of the peninsular Italy.
8. Latins- the original Latins were an Italian tribe in habiting central and south-central Italy
9. Etruscans- modern english name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany (they had a unique language)
10. Forum- small and rectangular, surrounded by the ruins of an ancient government buildings at the center of Rome
11. Century- smallest unit of the roman army 4,000 people split into 40 centuries

Monday April 26, 2011

I was not in class today because I had a game but I have to work on the Rome questions from class yesterday.

Test Review

776 B.C.
Athenians attacked Sparta
Parthenon was finished
Olympics began

Army & Battles
Hoplites were Greek soldiers
Battle of Marathon was when the Persians attacked the Greeks and the Greeks won
Battle of Thermopile
Battle of Guagamela
Battle of Issus
Peloponessian War
Battle of Hidasspus which was against India

Peloponessian War
War started because Sparta was afraid that Greece would try to take over
Sparta won the war
Athens used the strategy that didn't work because they tried to build a wall around Athens but the Spartans attacked them from the sea
The first time people rose up against the rulers was in 508 B.C. when Isagoras was in charge

Sparta
Young boys were taken from their parents when they turned 7 years old
Their strength was the army/infantry

Homer
Blind poet who told the stories of the Iliad and the Odyssey
Odysseus was a war hero from the Trojan war and the Odyssey was about his journey home
The Iliad was about the Trojan War

Architecture
The 3 main types of columns are Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian

Parthenon
Doric columns on the Parthenon
The Golden Age/ Age of Pericles was the period of time that the Parthenon was built in

Pericles
Wanted to make Athens the greatest city
Wanted to strengthen democracy
Died in the plague

Pottery
Pottery was used to store things such as wine, perfume, and oil
Pottery places were found in the red light district

Science&Math
Euclid invented geometry
Archimedes invented the pulley system

Philosophers
The 3 main philosophers were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
Aristotle tutored Alexander
Plato was a student of Socrates and Aristotle was a student of Plato
Plato wrote the apology which was about Socrates Trial

Socrates Trial
Charged with disrespecting the gods and corrupting the youth
He was guilty and was put to death by poison
Famous statement was 'The unexamined life is not worth living."

April 15, 2011

Today we continued to watch Alexander in class.

1. Alexander won the battle and became king of Persia
2. Darius's people ended up killing him
3. Alexander had 10 cities named after himself
4. 150,00 marched past the Hindu Kush
5. While in India they Indians used elephants to fight and caught Alexander off guard
6. The Indian Army killed Busephelus and injured Alexander
7. 
   

April 14, 2011

Today in class we talked about and watched the movie Alexander. Alexander's dad was Philip II of Macedonia but his mom tried to tell Alexander that his real dad was Achilles. By the age of 20 Alexander was the king of Macedonia.

1. Alexander gets a horse named Bucephalus who is strong & stubborn
2. Alexander's mom Olympias didn't get along with her husband Philip
3. Philip had many mistresses which made Olympias mad
4. At The Battle of Guagamela Alexander wanted revenge 
5. 40,000 vs. 250,000
6. Alexander wants to kill Darius at the battle
7. Alexander used the Phalanx formation
8. Alexander couldn't get Philip at the battle because he had to stay with his army

April 13, 2011

Today in class Katie presented on Greek Philosophers. Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates were very famous. Socrates lived in the Golden Age. Socrates wanted people to always improve themselves. Plato was a student of Socrates and Aristotle was a student of Plato.

Katie: A

1. What period of time did Socrates live in?
2.  What was Plato's cave theory?
3. Who was the greatest Greek scientist and what did he study?

Monday April 11, 2011

Emma did the Olympics and there were events such as boxing, equestrian events, pankration, pentathlon, running, and wrestling. Jeffy went next and he did Ancient Greek Architecture. The Acropolis and the Parthenon were structures. Greek houses were made out of mud bricks or mud and straw. The Cole brought in cake and he did The Peloponessian War.



Emma: B

1. Could women compete?
2. What did the pentathlon consist of?
3. When did the Olympics start?

Jeffy: A

1. What were the house made out of?
2. What were some famous Ancient Greek Structures?
3. What did columns do for buildings?

Cole: A

1. What was the main cause of the war?
2. Who did Athens end their alliance with?
3. What part was the Archidamian War?

April 8, 2011

Taylor presented today and she did her project on Homer. She didn't do a PowerPoint, she found a shortened version of one of Homer's stories, The Odyssey. Odysseus even blinded a cyclops, and then he had an affair with a witch goddess who put a spell on him, his wifes name was Penelope. They had a son together named Telemachus. Then Billy presented and he did the Hellenic Age. Alexander mixed Greek and non-Greeks together to make babies. The Hellenistic Age started when Alexander died and lasted for 200 years. Then Sara went and she did The Parthenon. The Parthenon was dedicated to the goddess, Athena. It is located in Athens and is still there today. It was built on the Acropolis, the highest hill in the city. Some of the Parthenon is destroyed because of an explosion that occurred when they were fighting the Venetians. Pericles was the one who decided to build the Parthenon. Then Clark went and he did Advances in Math and Science. Euclid and Pythagoras made breakthroughs in math by coming up with basic rules and theorems. Archimedes discovered facts about volume, and levers and pullies. Plato taught people about the world being constructed with geometric simplicity. Plato also taught people about the stars and the planets. Catherine did hers on pottery. Pottery was made fro everyday use, and they were made out of clay and then placed it in a fire. When people went different places they introduced new pottery. During the Dark Age pottery was not made very often because economic times were so bad. Gracie did hers on poetry and she explained how it was used to explain historical events and rules. People sometimes played the Lyre which is close to a guitar. One type of poem was an epic and that is a longer piece of literature like The Odyssey. Then Cristy went and she did The Trial of Socrates. The trial took place in Athens in 399 BC. The people turned to Socrates for help because he was very critical. He was arrested because he refused to acknowledge the gods and he introduced new divinities. He was later executed and found guilty.

Taylor: B+

1. Did Odysseus's wife remain truthful to him? (not cheat on him)
2. What mountain was Odysseus stuck on?
3. Who found Odysseus sailing home?

Billy: B or C

1. When did the Hellenistic Age start?
2. How long did it last and when did it end?
3. What did Alexander do that was a big deal?

Sara: B+

1. Who was The Parthenon dedicated to?
2. Who built The Parthenon?
3. Where is it located?

Clark: A

1. What did Euclid and Pythagoras make breakthroughs in?
2. What did Plato teach?
3. What did Archimedes discover?

Catherine: A 

1. What did they make their pots out of?
2. After molding it where did it go?
3. What was the time called when the economy crashed?

Gracie: A

1. Why was poetry used?
2. What did people play during poetry?
3. What is an example of an epic?

Cristy: A

1. Why was Socrates arrested?
2. What made the people turn towards Socrates?
3. Was Socrates guilty? If so, did he die?

April 7, 2011

Alyssa did her project on Ancient Greek Army, she explained how they wore alot of heavy and expensive armor. They also fought in a special formation, the soldiers were called Hoplites.  Most of the people fought with 8 foot long spears or swords. They walked in a Phalanx formation which was in a square formation that worked out really well instead of chaos. The Battle of Issus was between Macedonia and the Persian Empire and it took place in 333 B.C. and Alexander won the battle and from there took Egypt. I give Alyssa an A, I give Kamau a B, and I give Fiona an A. Caitlin had Ancient Greek Drama which included alot of dancing, singing, and acting. They had the prolouge, a speech, and the final acts. Only men were allowed to participate in plays and Thespis was the first poet to ever use actors. I also give Caitlin an A.

Alyssa:

1. What formation did they fight in?
2. What was their armor made out of?
3. How many wives did Alexander have?

Caitlin:

1. What were the 3 parts of the play?
2. Could women participate in the plays?
3. Who was the first poet to use actors?

April 6, 2011

Today in class Kamau and Fiona presented their projects. Kamau did his on Sparta and he explained how important their army was to them, without a strong army their city state would have been nothing. At the age of 7 boys were taken away from their families against their will and sent to go train to be in the army. They were very strict and had to work out alot so they could become physically and mentally strong. Also, the woman in Sparta were treated very well compared to the women in Athens. They had alot more freedom and privledges. Fiona did her project on The Peloponessian War. She talked about the battles and it was between Athens and Sparta. At the end of her powerpoint she played a video on YouTube of a guy that made a song on The Peloponessian War which was actually pretty good.

Kamau:

1. Did the spartan girls have rough lives when they were younger like the boys did?
2. What did they eat?
3. Did they ever kill them during training?

Fiona:

1. Where did the Peloponessian War start?
2. How many battles were there?
3. What leaders fought in the first Battle of the Peloponessian War?

April 4, 2011

Today I was not in class because I had to leave early for a lacrosse game. We ended up winning 12- 1 against Maryvale. I finished my project on the first day of spring break and now I don't even have this class until Wednesday!

March 25, 2011

Today in class we got back alot of papers. Also, we finished going over the test on Greece. Jordan had a shadow in class which was really funny because Mr.Schick picked on him at the beginning of class. Later on we got donuts and discussed our projects that are due when we come back from spring break.

March 24, 2011

Today in class we got our Ancient Greece tests back. I got an 83 on mine which isn't nearly as bad as I thought I did. Most of the ones i got wrong were about kings and the rulers of Persia. The test brought my grade from an 87 to 86 even though I was hoping to get an A for this quarter. Its my first B in this class! My quarter grades aren't as good as they usually are, thats probably because lacrosse just started.

March 23, 2011

Today in class we took the hardest test ever. It was like 30 questions on Greece, but there are so many names and things to remember that I think I did really really bad. I even had t stay after school because it took so long! The last question asked who Mr. Schick's favorite person was but I just guessed Socrates because I had no idea!

March 21, 2011

More Movie Notes

1. Pericles treated Aspsia, the prostitute like she was a person
2. Theatre was a huge part of Ancient Greece and Athens, audiences often booed and hissed if it was bad or cried if it was good
3. Oedipus was a king who married his own mother and had sex with her, but he didn't know it was her. He later clawed his eyes out so he didn't have to see the people look at him with disgust
4. Athens 431 B.C. Pericles showed the Athenians his plans to start a war with Sparta, which was a huge mistake
5. Athens could defeat Sparta on land because Sparta's strength was in their navy
6. 
   

March 18, 2011

More notes on the movie:

1. Themistocles was one of Athens greatest leaders, he used the most advanced weapon around, the trireme.
2. The trireme is a huge boat that was very expensive and used as a weapon at sea
3. Themistocles wanted to build a fleet against Aegea not Persia
4. Themistocles built a fleet of 200 triremes
5. The Persian King Darius died and Xerxes, his son took over
6. In 480 B.C. the Persian army set out for Greece
7. Oracle at Delphi- where the Greeks went to discover their future
8. Delphi was considered to be the central of the universe
9. Delphi warned them that they were coming and to run 
10. When they came back the second time she said that the wooden wall only will not fail
11. Themistocles had his troops meet at Salamis 
12. The Persians went onto the Athenians acropolis and burned it
13. The Persians gathered a fleet 4 times as big as the Greeks forces
14. Xerxes wants to fight in a narrow body of water between Salamis and Athens, but it would be hard to get the Persians there because they were very intelligent
15. The Persians lost and the Greeks won at Salamis
16. The battle at Salamis broke the Persian army
17. The Athenians had control over the military in the eastern Mediterranean 
18. Athens had dominate power in less then one generation
19. Pebbles decided everything around the government in Athens
20. People took a vote on who could be kicked out of the city
21. Themistocles was apostrophized/ kicked out because he had too much power
22. Themistocles died in Persia while in exile
23. Pericles was the king to step in after Themistocles, he was the king during the best time in Athens
24. Pericles wanted to make a city whose greatness would be admired
25. Pericles wanted to build a Parthenon right in the center of Athens as a tribute to Athena
26. It took 15 years to build the Parthenon
27. The statue is now lost ( 40 feet tall, gold and ivory)
28. The Parthenon Frieze went around the inner wall of the temple and its only a few inches thick
29. The monuments that Pericles built for his people are still on top of the acropolis
30. Pericles divorced his wife and went off with Aspsia who was an escort
31. People joke that Aspsia actually wrote Pericles speeches
32. They had tragedies and comedies
33. 
    

March 16, 2011- Extra Notes on the video

Cleisthinese took rule in 508 B.C.

1. Born in 570 B.C.
2. Was an aristocrat (high up in hierarchy)
3. Athens was built around the acropolis

Greece was divided into city states

Traveling bards traveled through towns and cities and told stories

The Iliad (Trojan Wars) and The Odyssey (Adventures of coming home from the Trojan War) were the most told stories

Homer was a blind person who read and sang stories

Pisistratus was Cleisthinese brother in law and he was also a tyrant

The girl Pisistratus was with claimed to be Athena

Pisistratus was extremely intelligent, he understood that if he wanted to stay in control that he has to find allies. he first turned to the common people, he cut back taxes and created loans

Grain, Swordfish, wine, gold, silver, art, and finery, were all products that people sold and traded

Pottery wasn't a big deal, but what was inside was important

527 B.C. Pisistratus died and his son Hippias took over

In 514 B.C. Hippias's brother was murdered and so he went to find the man and he tortured them, including the murderer's wife

The freedom that they had under Pisistratus was taken away by his son after he died, he did this because he thought people were out to get him

Cleisthinese decided that he wanted to over throw Hippias

March 14,2011

1. 3/4 of Greece is mountains
2. About 1,400 islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas
3. They had skilled sailors
4. Poor natural resources
5. Developed small independent communities
6. Only 20% suitable for farming
7. Fertile valleys covered 1/4 of peninsula
8. Ate grapes, grain, and olives
9. Lack of recourses led to Greek colonization
10. Temperature ranges from 48 in the winter to 80 in the summer
11. Mycenae is located on a rocky ridge protected by a 20 ft. thick wall
12. Mycenaean kings dominated Greece from 1600-1200 B.C. 
13. 1400 B.C. Mycenaeans invaded Crete and absorbed Minoan culture and language
14. 1200 B.C. sea people began to invade Mycenae and burnt palaces
15. The Dorians economy collapsed and they were less advanced, they moved in war-torn regions
16. Homer lived at the end of the "Greek Dark Ages"
17. Homer recorded stories of the Trojan War in the Illiad and the Odyssey
18. Arete mean virtual excellence 
19. Epics are narrative poems celebrating heroic deeds
20. Myths were  created to explain creation
21. Zeus- leader of the Gods
22. Hera- Zeus's wife
23. Athena- God of Wisdom

March 11,2011

The Greeks Video

1. The town of Athens was built around a rock and it allowed them to hold off their enemies
2. Reading and writing was rare for the Athenians and their life expectancy was less than 15 years old
3. Greece has too many mountains to seem to be a great empire
4. Greece was divided into many city states
5. Athens, Argos, Corinth, and Sparta were all city states
6. The Spartans were raised to be soldiers, their live revolved around discipline and war
7. The Spartans wore red to conceal their blood or their neighbors
8. Cleisthinese, the ruler of Athens wanted his people to be free and successful
9. Stories were a big part of Greece and Athens
10. The Illiet and the Odyssey were huge stories back in ancient Greece and they are still preserved today
11. Athena was the goddess of Athens and Cleisthinese brother in law, Psistratus was a ruler of Athens also
12. Psistratus introduced free loans to people and slowly began to transform the city
13. Olives were very useful and well grown in Greece, they invented olive oil and spread it to other countries
14. The vase was the first great artistic legacy, but the potters were very low on the hierarchy
15. Psistratus died and his son Hippias then became king 
16. Hippias executed his brother's murderer and even tortured one of their wives to death
17. Hippias was a tyrant and this caused problems because Cleisthinese wanted to overthrow him
18. Olympia is where the Olympics were started, the Olympic games could be fought between two people of any class
19. In the ancient Olympics the wrestled, boxed, and rode chariots, the real honor was that the winner would be known throughout Greece
20. Isagoras sent a message to the Spartans to help him invade Athens
21. Isagoras climbed the Acropolis in Athens with a few people and they stayed up there for 4 days until he was forced to surrender 
22.  508 BC Athens defeated their invaders and they started to become more powerful
23. The marathon was invented when a messenger had to run and inform someone that the Persian Empire was going to attack
24. The Persian Empire stretched from India to Turkey
25. The Athenians eventually slaughtered alot of the Persians in just one day
26. Themistocles was an Athenian leader and had risen through democracy
27.  Themistocles used huge ships that were very fast and useful
28. The Athenians discovered silver in their territory
29. The money that the got from silver was either to build a fleet against Persia or Eggia(a city state)
30. Xerxes who ruled Persia built a huge army of about 2 million men marched towards Greece
31. Themistocles burnt the temples in Salamis
32. 
    

March 10,2011

Ancient Greece

1. Sparta was a major city and was well known for their army and was the leader of all Greek forces
2. Peloponnese was at the heart of Ancient Greece 
3. The Greek Revolution broke out in Peloponnese in 1821
4. Was the scene of the Peloponnesian War
5. The Persian Empire was the greatest empire in the entire ancient world
6. Cyrus was one of the best Persian kings and he also conquered alot of other empires
7. The Greeks did not like the Persians because the Persians drafted them into their army
8. The Greeks started to call together counsels and the Persians didn't like this so they destroyed their whole city
9. Herodotus was a Greek historian
10. Ionia is the ancient region of central coastal Anatolia in present day Turkey
11. Ionia was founded by Greek colonists from the other side of the Aegean Sea
12. A large part of Ionia was covered in mountains but they also had extremely fertile valleys with many rivers
13. Barbarians were people living north of the Roman Empire
14. Cyrus founded the first world empire after defeating the median dynasty and uniting the Medes with the Persians
15. His to sons, Cambyses 1 and Arsames ruled after he died
16. The Cyrus cylinder was discovered in Babylon. It includes the detailed account of Cyrus and his conquest of Babylon
17. Darius the Great was the King of Persia from 521-486 BC, he was one of the greatest rulers of the Achaemenid Dynasty
18. During the Battle of Marathon the Greeks left their homeland and went to Ionia
19. The Greeks didn't like the way the Persians ruled so they stepped in
20. The Battle of Marathon is part of the Persian War
21. The Greeks won the Battle of Marathon by encircling the Perisans
22. Xerxes was the king on Persia in 486 BC
23. When Xerxes came into power he started to plan to invade Greece, first by land then by sea
24. The Bridge of Hellespont was created by Xerxes demanding boats to connect together and create a bridge
25. The Bridge of Hellespont was used for Xerxes men to cross from Asia to Europe but it was destroyed in a huge storm
26. Leonidas was a king of Sparta, he formed an army of 4,000-7,000 men to fight in the Battle of Thermopylae where he later died
27. The Battle of Thermopylae was fought between the Greeks combined with the Spartans against the Persians
28.  During two full days of battle, the small force led by King Leonidas I of Sparta blocked the only road by which the massive Persian army could pass, a local resident named Ephialtes betrayed the Greeks by revealing a small path that led behind the Greek lines

March 9, 2011

Today in class I had to make up the test on Egypt which took a while and was moderately hard.

March 7, 2011

I was not in class today because I'm really sick. I laid in bed all day and watched really corny scary movies off of ondemand. I probably won't be in school tomorrow either.

March 4, 2011

Economy:

1. Tourism brings in money
2. Oil, natural gas, and manufacturing is another way they make money
3. Agriculture- making most of their limited arable land (3%) 
4. They grow cotton, corn, rice, wheat, fava beans
5. The old pattern of dealing with the Nile has been changed since the 1970 building of the Aswan High Dam
6. The dam controls the flooding of the Nile, and increases the amount of reclaimed land

Demographics:

1. 79 million people- biggest population of Middle eastern nations
2. Official language is Arabic but they teach some people French, German, and English
3. Religion- 90% Muslim, most of the rest is Christian, but Egypt is ranked 12th in the world for religious violence and ranked 5th for worst religious freedom

Politics, Government, and Revolution:

1. In 1922 end of protectorate with the United Kingdom
2. In 1953 Egypt declared a republic
3. In 1954-1970 ruled by Gamal Nasser
4. 1970-1981 ruled by Anwar Sadat. He attacked Israel over Sinai Peninsula and was assassinated in 1981 after trying to make peace
5. From 1981-2011 Hosni Mubarak ruled, helped in the Iraq war but he was driven from office last month

Whats Next?

1. Egypt is currently being run by a military junta, but democratic elections are scheduled for September
2. Some people want Mubarak arrested for stealing money from the government
3. Libya has been ruled by Muammar Gaddafi since 1969 and he is violently opposing their uprising. Libya may even descend into a full civil war
4. The east is controlled by rebels but he still is captain

March 3, 2011

Today in class we watched a short video clip on Egypt. After that we took turns teaching the class because Mr.Schick was tired. We discussed pharaohs, pyramids, and life in Egypt and we also talked alot about the Nile river. The Nile river was what helped the Egyptians survive and flourish. Basically all of class we talked and discussed, we haven't done a project on Egypt yet which is surprising. Also, we have a test Monday.

March 2 and 3, 2011

Geography

1. Egyptian life is centered around the Nile River
2. Water for drinking, irrigating, and bathing comes from the Nile
3. Every July it floods
4. Every October it leaves behind a rich soil
5. The delta is a broad, marshy triangular area of fertile silt
6. Managing the river required technological breakthroughs in irrigation 

Pyramids

1. The Great Sphinx of Giza was built in 2555-2532 BC, it is a recumbent lion with with a human's head. It is also the oldest monumental statue in the world

Daily Life

1. Pharaoh, Government officials, Soldiers, Scribes, Merchants, Artisian, Farmers, Slaves and servants
2. Raised wheat, barley, lentils, onions- benefited from irrigation of the Nile
3. Artisans carved statues and reliefs showing military battles and scenes in the after life
4. Money/barter system was used- merchants might accept bags of grain for payment- late, no coinage came about
5. Scribes kept records, told stories, wrote poetry described anatomy and medical treatments
6. Scribes wrote hieroglyphs and in hieratic
7. Soldiers used wooden weapons (bow and arrows, spears) with bronze tips and might ride chariots
8. Upper class, known as the white kilt class, consist of priests, physicians, and engineers
9. Religious and political leaders were the highest in the hierarchy

Pharaohs

1. The political and religious leader of the Egyptian people, holding the titles: "Lord of the Two Lands'
2. He owned all land, made all laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against foreigners
3. Hatshepsut was a woman who served as a pharaoh
4. Cleopatra VII also served as a pharaoh, but much later (51-30 BC) 

February 28, 2011

Today in class we attempted to go over the test on Papua New Guinea that we took forever ago. I got an 85% on it which isn't too bad. But, after about 4 questions into the test Billy made Mr.Schick mad and so we didn't do anything for the rest of the class. It was a little bit scary! Then after school I had lacrosse and I'm really happy because I made JV. I cannot really write much else about today except that Papua New Guinea will be on the final exam.

February 24, 2011

Today in class Mr.Schick explained to us how we will be skyping with a girl from Egypt in class tomorrow.I thought he meant that she was coming to class tomorrow to visit and now I feel really stupid. The girl's name is Sarah and for a while the internet in Egypt was down because of the riots but now she is posting again. In Egypt they have "elections" but basically they are a joke. You are not allowed to organize a new political party other then the one that is already created. The people in Egypt started the riots because another country close to them over threw their leader. After our discussion, we watched a video on Egypt.

10 Questions to ask Sarah from Egypt

1. Is there one main thing that makes you regret living in Egypt?
2. Has your everyday life changed since the riots started?
3. Were you scared when you went to the riots?
4. Do you know any people that wanted Mubarak to stay Egypt's leader?
5. What was the worst thing you have seen in the past few weeks?
6. Did the riots occur near your home?
7. Does all of your family have the same opinion on Mubarak as you do?
8. Do you regret going to the riots?
9. Did you see anyone get arrested while you were at the riot?
10. Have you talked to anyone who doesn't want a Mubarak out of office? How did they react to your opinion?