We took a test today. The test was on Middle Ages. It was harder than i thought it was going to be. I think i did pretty good. Hopefully I get a good grade on this test.

Today we reviewed for out Middle Ages test tomorrow.

• Middle Ages were AD 476-AD 1453
• This new society has roots in: classical heritage of Rome, beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church, and customs of various Germanic tribes 
• 5th Century Germanic invaders overrun the western half of the roman Empire causing: disruption of trade, downfall of cities, and population shifts to rural areas
• Effects of Invasion, decline of learning: tribes had oral tradition, songs, but couldn't read Greek or Latin, Roman languages evolve (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian), few besides priests were literate
• Germanic kingdoms emerge AD 400-600
• Germanic warriors' loyalty is to the lord of the manor he provides them with food, weapons, treasure Result: no orderly government for large areas, small communities rule
• Clovis rules the Germanic people of Gaul, known as the Franks (which is where "France comes from)
• In 496 AD has a battlefield conversion-he and 300 of his warriors become Christians
• Church + Frankish rulers = rise in Christianity 
• His sister Scholastica writes similar rules for nuns 
• They operate schools, maintain libraries, copy books
• Church revenues are used to help the poor, build roads, and raise armies
• This is a theocracy
• Gregory's spiritual kingdom (Christendom) extends from Italy to England, from Spain to Germany
• Clovis' descendants include Charles Martel, known as Charles the Hammer
• Hammer defeats a Muslim party from Spain at the Battle of Tours in 732
• Charles Martel's son is Pepin the Short 
• Son #2 is Charles, known as Charlemagne, meaning Charles the Great  
• Charlemagne:
• Fought the Muslims in Spain
• Became the most powerful king in western Europe 
• His son-Louis the Pious-was ineffective 
• His three sons couldn't figure out who will rule 
• They made a treaty at Verdun in 843 AD

Today we went over notes. we reviewed what could be on the test. Hopefully the test and the final will be easy

Germanic peoples adopt Christianity
511 AD-Clovis unites Franks into one kingdom
600 AD-Church + Frankish convert many
Fear of Muslims in southern Europe spur many to become Christians
Monasteries and convents
520 AD-Benedict wrote the rules for monks and monasteries
Poverty, chastity, obedience, study
His sister Scholastica did the same for nuns in converts
731 AD-the Venerable Bede wrote a killer history of England
Monks opened schools, maintenance libraries, and copied books(Bibles, Greek texts)
A European Empire Evolves
Franks control largest European kingdom
The Roman province formerly known as Gaul
Ruled by Clovis-the Merovingian Dynasty
Major domo-mayor of the palace-ruled the kingdom
Charles Martel-Charles the Hammer
extended the Franks' reign to the north, south, east
defeated a Muslim army from Spain at the Balls of Tours in 732-historic battle
Charles the Hammer's son-Pepin the Short
possibly named for his unusual short haircut
Working for and with the Pope, Pepin fought for the Lombards
Pope Stephen II named Pepin (king by the grace of God)-beginning the Carolingian Dynasty 751-987 AD
Pepin the Short had two sons: Carolman and Charles
Charlemagne takes center stage
Charlemagne-Charles the Great
6 foot 4
Built the greatest empire since Rome
Fought for Muslims in Spain
Fought Germanic tribes
Spread Christianity
Reunited Western Europe
Became the most powerful king in western Europe
Pope Leo III crowned him emperor in 800 AD after he defended him from an unruly roman mob
This signed the joining of Germanic power, the Church, and the heritage of the Roman Empire
Charlemagne's Government
He limited the authority of the nobles
He regularly visited every part of his kingdom
Kept close watch on his huge estates
Cultural Revival
Encouraged learning
Ordered monasteries to open schools
Opened a palace school
But his heirs were weenies...
His Son-Louis the Pious-was ineffective
Louis; three songs-Lothair, Charles the Bald, and Louis the German-split up the kingdom at the Treaty of the Verdun in 843 AD

Germanic Kingdoms unite under Charlemagne

• Many Germanic kingdoms that succeeded the Roman Empire were reunited under Charlemagne's empire
• Charlemagne spread Christian civilization throughout northern Europe, which is where many of us come from 
• Middle Ages=medieval period 
• Invasions trigger changes in western Europe
• invasions and constant warfare spark new trends 
• distribution of trade
• Europe's cities are no longer economic centers 
• Money is scarce
• Downfall to cities
• Cities are no longer centers of administration 
• Population shifts
• Nobles retreat to rural areas
• Cities don't have strong leadership 
• Invasions trigger changes in western Europe
• 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
• Lost of a common language
• Dialects develop in different regions
• By the 800s, French, Spanish, and other Roman-based languages are evolving from Latin 
• Germanic kingdoms emerge
• The concept of government changes
• Roman society: loyalty to public government 
• Germanic society: loyal to family
• Germanic chief led warriors
• During peace, he provided food, weapons, treasure, ad place to live (a lord's hall)
• During wartime, warriors fought for the lord
• "The kings? Who's that? You want to collect taxes from me? Who the heck care you?"
• Franks lived in the Roman province of Gaul-their leader is Clovis
• The Franks under Clovis
• Another battlefield conversation 
• 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 and money = A strategic alliance between two powerful forces 
• Germanic peoples adopt Christianity 
• (Pope) Gregory I expands papal power
• Papacy=pope's office
• secular power=wordy power
• So... under Gregory the Great... Papal Power (Power of the Pope) 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 earthy kingdom (Christendom)

Middle Ages

Middle Ages
Feudalism: a political, military, and economic system based on land-holding and protective alliances
The Feudal Pyramid
King
The most powerful Vassals (Nobles and Bishops)
Knights-mounted warriors who received fiefs for defending their lord's land
Pheasants (mostly Serfs) landless, powerless, moneyless, right-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 self-sufficient community
Bad news: its harsh if you're a pheasant
Pheasants are poor and pay high taxes
Tax on grain
Tax on marriage
Church tax (tithe=10% of their income)
They lived in crowded cottages
Live with animals and insects
Eat very simply

Today in class we did our test. I thought I did better than what I got. Hopefully I do better on the next test that we will do.

Yesterday we didn't really do anything. We just reviewed the notes. We had the rest of class to ourselves and we did what we wanted to do. I was just playing games on my computer.

Decline of the Roman Empire

A.D. 180: Rome has problems

Economic (trade become risky, taxes were too high, food supply was dropping)

Military (frontiers were hard to patrol; Roman generals fought for control; soldiers’ loyalty declined and mercenaries appeared)

Diocletian divided the empire into two

Greek-speaking East (had more resources)

Latin-speaking West (Rome, tradition)

Diocletian

Was born in Illyria

He was the son of a freed slave

Rules from 284-303

It’s cool to persecute Christians

Rome needs a big army (400,000)

Rome needs a big government (20,000 officials)

A.D. 324- Constantine becomes emperor over both halves of the empire

Rules from 306-337)

It’s cool to be a Christian

Conversion of Christianity via a cross in the sky (conquer by this)

313-his Edict of Milan proclaims freedom of worship

Moves the capital from to Byzantium (renamed Constantinople), where Asia men Europe (now Turkey)

He built the army to perhaps as many as half a million troops

He shared power with fellow emperors

Constantine’s one historic innovation was in the empire’s relationship with Christianity

After his death, empire divided again this time, “barbarian invaders” (Huns, Vandals, Visigoths, Angles, Saxons, Franks) overrun the empire’s frontiers

That’s it for the Roman Empire (AD 476)

End of Era

From the beginnings…

500 B.C. the monarchy is abolished

450 B.C. the Twelve Tables are established

Through the glory days…

44 B.C. end of the line for Julius Caesar

27 B.C.-180 A.D. 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 emperor was a teenage boy installed in 475 by his father

Barbarians deposed Romulus Augustulus without bothering to kill him

• A.D. 313 Constantine has a battlefield conversion
• He issues the Edict of Milan
• Not only no persecution, but actual approval of Christianity, eventually make it the official religion of Rome
• The Roman Empire and Christianity are now linked in power and influence 
• The greatest change happened during the era of Roman Peace
• Christianity developed away from Judaism

Today we took a test on Rome. The test was easier then I thought it would, The test was right off the last quiz we took and the notes we took this week. Hopefully I did good and passed the test.

Today we reviewed for our test tomorrow. Hopefully it will be easy and would be right off the notes and the book. I think i took good notes and ready for the test tomorrow.

• Paul is instrumental in telling the world about Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and message
• He travels far and wide: Cyprus, Anatolia, Athens, Corinth, Macedonia, Rome, Jerusalem, and maybe even Spain and Britain 
• He writes letters too many of those he spoke to-these epistles are a part of the New Testament 
• If not for the efforts of Paul, it is likely that Jesus remains an obscure preacher, instead of the central figure of the world's largest region 
• Caligula-good start 
• In addition to being Germanicus' son, he was Tiberius' adopted grandson and great nephew-putting him net in line for emperor
• He started off well: granting bonuses to those in the military, declaring treason trials a thing in the past, and made government spending a matter of public record 
• All in all, the first seven months of Caligula's reign were "completely blissful" (according to the historian Philo)
• Bad finish for Caligula 
• He began to fight with the Senate
• He claimed to be a god, and had statues displayed in many places-including the Jewish temple in Jerusalem 
• Other examples of cruelty and insanity: he slept with other men's wives and bragged about it, indulged in too much spending and sex, and even tried to make his horse a consul and a priest
• Assassinated by his own aides, A.D. 41 (age 28)
• Claudius 
• Ostracized y his family because of his disabilities (limp, slight deafness, possible speech impediment-thought to be cerebral palsy or polio), he was the last adult male in his family when Caligula was killed
• He rose to the occasion: he conquered Britain; he built roads, canals, and, aqueducts; he renovated the Circus Maximus
• Meanwhile-religious troubles
• Christianity and Judaism: monotheistic 
• Romans had many gods, plus at times emperor was viewed as a god
• A.D. 66: a group of Jews called the Zealots tried to rebel, but Roman troops put them down and burned their temple (except for one wall)
• The western wall today is the holiest of all Jewish shrines
• Half a million Jews died in the rebellion 
• persecution of Christians 
• Romans were harsh towards those who would not worship the emperor
• Especially Christians, who were viewed as followers of a new unstart religion (cult)
• Often used for “entertainment” purposes in the Colosseum (thrown to the lions, etc.)
• Despite the oppression, Christians grew quickly-by A.D. 200, around 10 percent of the people in the Roman Empire were Christians 

Assassination and Another Caesar

• Caesar had become a Greek-style tyrant
• 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 daggers 
• The murdered dictator had become a founding hero, whose memory would inspire all future supreme rulers of Rome 

The Roman Peace

• Augustus's 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 twp hundred years of stability that modern scholars call The Roman Peace
• Unlike Sulla and Caesar, Augustus refused the offer of a long-term dictatorship and referred to himself simply as princeps ("first citizen") 
• In 27 B.C. Augustus was confirmed as commander in chief of the armed forces
• After Augustus won supreme power, Greek cities in Anatolia began building shrines and sacrificing to "Rome and Augustus"
• Augustus also acquired the title of Father of the Fatherland and took seriously that fatherly duty of supervising the behavior of his "household" 
• Caesar-the imperial title given to the designated successor of a reigning emperor
• Augustus-the imperial title given to a reigning emperor
• Roman Peace-a term used to refer to the relative stability and prosperity that Roman rule brought to the Mediterranean world and much of western Europe during the first and second centuries A.D. 

Today in class we really didn't do anything. We just hung around playing on our computers. We got to go to the Cafeteria and just relaxed

Ancient Rome

• Caesar is the grandnephew of Julius Caesar 
• Augustus was the first emperor
• Begins the Pax Romana-a period of peace and prosperity 
• Built roads, aqueducts (brought water to the city)
• Set up civil service to take care of roads, the grain supple, even a postal service
• Augustus dies at age 76 in A.D. 14, and passes power to Tiberius
• Jesus was a Roman  citizen and a practicing Jew
• At 30, he began his ministry (A.D. 31-33), preaching to the poor
• 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 Roman province of Judaea, Pontious Pilate (prompted by Jewish high priests), sentences Jesus to death by crucifixion

• Pompey, Crassus, Julius Caesar-1st Triumvirate
• Rubicon- the river that marked the northern territory 
• Caesar conquered Gaul and even made forays into Britain and Germany
• By 50 B.C. most of western Europe was under Roman rule, and Caesar had built a powerful army personally devoted to himself 
• Crassus had led an army to crushing defeat by the neighboring empire of Parthia, while Pompey had stayed in Rome, growing increasingly jealous of Caesar's success. 
• Finally, with Pompey's support, the Senate ordered Caesar to disband his army and return to Rome.
• Instead, he decided to come back with part of his army, in defiance of Roman Law. 
• It was the beginning of another round of far-flung civil wars.
• Pompey was hastily commissioned to defend the Senate, but his forces were no match for Caesar's veterans. 
• Forced to flee form Italy, Pompey was later defeated by Caesar in Greece and murdered in Egypt, where he had taken refuge.
• The Senate now hailed him, however reluctantly, the Father of the Fatherland-a title recently invented for the Republic's most admired statesmen.
• He had himself appointed to most of the leading magistracies, either simultaneously or in quick succession: tribune, supreme pontiff, consul, and dictator for a ten-year term.
• Caesar used his new powers to attack the grave problems facing Rome.
• He took care to keep the loyalty of the soldiers and prevent the rise of rival warlords, by resettling war veterans on Farmlands in Italy and the provinces. 
• He extended Roman citizenship to parts of Gaul and Spain and appointed citizens from the provinces to the Senate.
• He gave the Romans splendid public buildings and roads, and introduced, reforms into every department of administration.

• Rome's citizen-soldiers were now "semi-professionals" who fought largely in the hope of bettering themselves through pay, loot, promotion, and above all grants of land or money to provide them with a living when they are discharged. 
• Many Army commanders turned into what amounted to independent warlords. 
• But government by supreme warlords was bound to be brief and unstable unless one of them could turn military dictatorship into legitimate power.
• Julius Caesar came from an old patrician family that had come down in the world, and he entered the city's politics as a young man determined to regained the fame and power of his ancestors.
• But he was also a flexible patrician, and in 60 B.C. he began to collaborate with Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey), an officer promoted by Sulla who had conquered many eastern Mediterranean lands. The two allies formed a triumvirate ("Three-Man Board"), together with another former henchman of Sulla, Marcus Crassus, that was for a time the dominant political force in Rome.
• With the help of his new friends Caesar won an appointment as proconsul of a province that included the southern regions of Gaul, a territory stretching all the way from northern Italy and the Mediterranean coast to the Rhine River, and the Atlantic Ocean.
• The Gaulish tribes outside the Roman-ruled areas were powerful enough that they might one day become dangerous to Rome and were wealthy enough to be a tempting target.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we went through the presentation of the Rome projects. The projects so far are good a lot of them were excellence I thought I could have done better on my project.

Today in class we took a test on Rome. I did better than I though i was going to do. The test i thought would be harder but it was easier.

Roman Legion-arm forces
Legion-5000 men
Century-80 men
Infantry-foot soldiers
Calvary-horseback
Punic Wars
Rome vs. Carthage
Carthage is in North Africa
1. Control of Sicily
2. Hannibal
3. Sack Carthage
All won by Rome

Today in class we talked about what we learned over the past couple of days. We talked about Rome. We also talked about The Punic Wars which was between Rome and Carthage. We learned what happened and who won or lost

The Punic Wars

• Founded about 700 B.C. by Phoenician colonists, Carthage had become an oligarchic and empire-building republic similar to Rome and had spread its influences across North Africa, southern Spain, Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily.
• The Greek city-states of Sicily had for centuries been struggling with Carthage for control of the island, and the Romans had inherited the struggle when they took over responsibility for protecting their Greek allies.
• The Punic Wars (from Poeni, the Latin name for the Phoenicians) were waged on land and sea in three vicious rounds, between 264 and 146 B.C. 
• The first phase, Rome was able to force Carthage out of Sicily, but the North African city kept the rest of its empire.
• The second (and decisive) phase, the Carthaginian general Hannibal invaded Italy, defeated several Roman armies, and brought Rome to the brink of defeat. 
• Eventually, fearing a Carthaginian revival, Rome provoked a third war, and in 146 B.C., Carthage was captured after bitter fighting.
• Already in 202 B.C., Rome had won control of the western Mediterranean. 

How did geography affect the development of Rome?
Rome is next to the Mediterranean sea so they can trade. They had good land to grow food.

How did the Etruscans influence the development of Rome?
They made Rome into a wealthy and large city. The Romans would overthrow their Etruscan leaders and would declare to be a republic.

Which were the main groups that competed for power in the early Roman republic?
The main groups were the nobles and the common people.

What is the significance of the Twelve Tables in Roman law?
It said that all free citizens were to be protected by the law. It was posted in a public place for all to see.

How did Rome regain control of Italy after the sacking of the city by the Gauls?
They kept on attacking them until they finally defeated them.

• They arrived in a Mediterranean land with farming resources that were basically similar to those of Greece or Palestine.
• The Indo-European settlers formed various tribal groups, among them the Latin people of central Italy. Some of the Latins settled near the mouth of the Tiber River.
• 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. 
• The Latins first learned the alphabet and gained knowledge of the life of Greek city-states.
• The King was advised by a council of elders called the Senate (from the Latin senex, meaning "old man".
• Usually, he chose from among the patricians or "men with fathers".
• Around 500 B.C., Rome overthrew its Etruscan rulers, and the monarchy was also abolished. 
• Plebeians (from the Latin plebs, meaning "the common people").
• In the earliest times of the 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 to the kings. 
• This slowed down government decisions and actions, but in time of emergency the councils, on the advice of the Senate, could appoint a dictator, with full power to give orders and make laws for a maximum period of sixth months.
• Among the chief complaints of the plebeians was that they lacked legal protection.
• About 450 B.C., in response to the plebeians' demand, the laws of Rome were set down in writing. The new code was said to have been engraved on twelve slabs of wood or bronze and mounted in the chief public square, the Forum, for all to see. 
• The other, in which farmers from outside the city had a larger say, began electing their own magistrates, called tribunes. The Tribunes eventually gained the power to initiate laws in their assembly and veto laws passed by the Senate.
• The separation of powers in the U.S. Constitution derives ultimately from the checks and balances between different branches of government in the Roman city-state. 

3 groups that lived in Rome are first the Latins, then the Etruscans and Greeks

Rome is in the middle of a peninsula and is next to the Tiber River

They drained out the swamps into a bigger river

Tarquin the Proud was the last kink of Italy or Rome

res publica is Latin for people's business 

Republic-1. democracy, 2. monarchy, 3. aristotracy-2 consuls 

U.S. government is based off of republic

congress is senate and house of representatives 

3 groups are plebeians-middle class, patriacians-had a lot of money, land and are aristocrats, and slaves

I am working on my project by myself and doing mine on the Colosseum. I am going to build a model of it

Today we talked about a project we are going to go. The project is about the life of Rome. I am doing my project on the coliseum. I am going to build a model of it. Hopefully, the project will be easy and won't be very long to complete.

Rome

The king was advised by a council of elders called the Senate. The king would choose from the patricians or upper-class citizens who belonged to the oldest and noblest Roman families to be Senate. When the king died his successor would be chosen by the Senate. Around 500 B.C. Rome overthrew its Etruscan rulers, and the monarchy was abolished. Like Greek city-states, the Roman Republic which is the system of city-state government decision-making power was shared between the Senate and the assemblies of male citizens underwent a long and turbulent development under the influence of social struggles between aristocrats and commoners. The result of this was a mixture of Greek-style democracy and oligarchy. One side in the conflict of the Republic was the patricians and the other side were the plebeians. Plebeians where the Roman common people, including workers, small farmers, and wealthy people who were not patricians. The early time of the Republic was run by the Senate which was a government assembly appointed by the and under the Republic by the consuls; originally all members were patricians, but in time wealthy plebeians were appointed as well. Two of the senators functions as consuls (‘colleagues”) which are two senators who led the government and the military for one-year terms and appointed their own successors. In times of emergency the consuls, on advice of the Senate, could appoint a dictator. A dictator is a single leader with a full decision-making powers, appointed for a maximum six-month term. About 450 B.C. Rome made a code that have been engraved on 12 slabs of wood or bronze and mounted in the chief public square. They served as the foundation for the elaborate system of Roman law that grew up in later centuries. Farmers from the outside city had a larger say, began electing their own magistrates, called tribunes.  

Today we took a test. The test was harder then I thought it would be. It took me almost all of the class period to complete it. I am happy that we were able to use our blog because that helped me out a lot. The test was based on everything that we learned on the Greek paper, video, and the questions we answered.

Today in class we reviewed for the test tomorrow. We also watched parts of the video that may be important for the test. I hope the test will be easy but it probably won't because there is a lot of stuff we studied.

Today in class we reviewed for the test on Wednesday. We went over the 58 point quiz on Greeks to make sure that everyone got the right answer. We also learned about the play that was about Oedipus about how he killed his father and married his mother. It was a weird story.

On Friday I wasn't in school because I was sick so I have no idea what we did in class. I have no idea how I got sick. Hopefully we didn't do any big work in class when I was gone or learned anything that will be important in the future

Today in class we went over the notes that we did on Monday. We made sure that we had the right answers so we can get them correct on the test. We also went over the answers on the video we watched. We had to know the Cyber Day homework and the video paper for the test.