Pericles vs. Lincoln

1. Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address and Pericles's are similar.
1. They were both given to honor soldiers that had died in civil war.
2. Lincoln's speech took place after the battle at Gettysburg in the US Civil War.
3. Pericles's oration took pace shortly into the Peloponnesian Wars.
4. The Gettysburg Address is a better funeral oration because he does a better job of honoring the soldiers who gave their lives.

2. Appeal to Patriotism
1. Lincoln does a better job appealing to patriotism because he excites the people to keep working to be a new free nation.
2. "...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth." http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/al16/speeches/gettys.htm .

Who's a good guy? Who's a bad guy?

The question of who is a ‘good guy’ and who is a ‘bad guy’ is difficult to answer because it depends on the point of view. For example, the Vikings were ravenous and barbaric, raiding and destroying villages throughout Europe, so everyone of their day no doubt viewed them as bad guys. However, from the Vikings’ point of view, they were not bad guys at all. They were actually very civilized and religious people, and in their religion, war and conquest were honorable and pleasing to the gods. Although it may seem barbaric, war was a big part of their lifestyle and does not necessarily make them bad guys. In order to decide who is a good guy and who is a bad guy, both sides and points of view must be considered.

It is commonly known that Vikings went from village to village raiding and taking treasure. Though the Europeans of the time feared the Vikings, they were actually much more civilized and organized than they seemed. They did not see themselves as thieves at all; in fact, in their religious beliefs, stealing was condemned. In their minds, raiding a village was not stealing; it was actually honorable because they took fighting as a challenge. If they could successfully raid a village, they were revered as heroes. Also, the violence of their raids has probably been exaggerated from what it was actually like. ("Hurstwic: Viking Raids." Hurstwic, a Viking Age Living History Society. Web. 22 Mar. 2010. http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/society/text/raids.htm.) The Viking raiders did not believe they were wrong in these actions; they actually thought their raids were honorable, so they did not see themselves as bad guys at all.

Aside from these raids, their daily lifestyle was held up to very high standards of principles and ethics. However, their ideas of morals were different than what most people think of today. For example, they believed in personal and family honor, but in order to maintain this, they thought that revenge was very important. The Vikings did not have an established state government, but they were still able to remain organized in their way of life, which shows that they were very civilized people. Most people today probably think that raiding was the Vikings’ main purpose of life. However, the truth is that most Vikings were farmers. ("DAILY LIFE IN THE VIKING PERIOD." Arild Hauges Runer. Web. 22 Mar. 2010. http://www.arild-hauge.com/elife.htm.) Though Vikings’ morals were different than those of today, it is not at all fair to say that they were barbaric and heartless.

Even though the Vikings believed they were justified in their actions and their raids, they still took a lot of treasure, burned down many villages, and killed many people along the way. According to the Vikings, war was honorable, but that does not excuse the fact that the main reason for their raids was to steal treasure. For example, the raiders continuously attacked and stole from monasteries, one being the Monastery of Noirmountier. The monks living there were eventually forced to abandon the monastery, and it is no wonder that so many people of the time were terrified of the Vikings. As they developed, their raids got even more violent, as they began burning down villages and killing the inhabitants. ("Viking Raids: 800-900." Then Again. . . Web. 22 Mar. 2010. http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/WestEurope/VikingRaids.html.) No matter what the Vikings believed, the things they did made it impossible for the people of their day see them as anything but bad guys.

Bad guys are heartless and evil people with no morals or respect for honor. Therefore, the Vikings could not have been bad guys. They had very high moral standards and only did what they did because it was considered honorable. From the view of the Europeans of that time, however, the Vikings were greedy and ravenous people. Though the raids that the Vikings took can be considered ‘bad,’ the Vikings themselves were not bad guys.

Works Cited

"DAILY LIFE IN THE VIKING PERIOD." Arild Hauges Runer. Web. 22 Mar. 2010. http://www.arild-hauge.com/elife.htm.

"Hurstwic: Viking Raids." Hurstwic, a Viking Age Living History Society. Web. 22 Mar. 2010. http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/society/text/raids.htm.

"Viking Raids: 800-900." Then Again. . . Web. 22 Mar. 2010. http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/WestEurope/VikingRaids.html.

Viking Helmets

What is one of the first things you think of when you think of Vikings? Horned helmets are probably one of them. However, most people do not know that the helmets of Viking warriors did not actually have horns on them. In fact, archaeology shows that the warriors wore round leather helmets. Horned helmets were actually worn rarely, but for ceremonial purposes and probably before the time of the Vikings. The idea that Vikings wore horned helmets was started at the beginning of this era, when people did not quite understand the ancient readings and their archaeological findings, and the idea has been common ever since.

http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/thevikings/a/histmyths6.htm

Gibbon vs. Toynbee

Gibbon and Toynbee were both historians who looked at the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Their opinions on it, however, are very different. Gibbon believed that the Roman Empire did fall as a result of attacks from northern Barbaric tribes. He thought that the fall of such a powerful empire was inevitable and it was surprising that it lasted so long. Unlike Toynbee, Gibbon briefly explains how Christianity was a major cause of the fall because it made the empire lose its zeal for conquest. Toynbee's main focus in looking at the fall of Rome is the rise of Christianity. Contrary to what Gibbon believes, Toynbee does not think that Christianity caused the Roman Empire to fall. He says that it had already started to self-destruct before Christianity came into play. Christianity was merely a bridge between Roman and modern civilizations. He does not actually believe that Rome "fell." Its power gradually declined until it developed into today's modern Europe.

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/gibbon-fall.html

http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/toynbee.html

Vikings: Primary Sources

Notes on Vikings 3/16

• Celtic tribes lived in Gaul and some of Ireland
• They were often at war with one another.
• They shared a common religious practice
○ Religious leaders called Druids - earth-based religion
• The tribes became Christianized, and Ireland had become a center of knowledge about Christianity.

• There were Norwegian Vikings and Swedish Vikings
• 8 - 11 Centuries
• They believed in Val Hela, the after life.. Odin would greet them as heroes if they died in battle.

• Norse Mythology
○ Primary sources
§ the elder Edda (poetic) and the younger Edda (prose) written in 13th century
□ Myths of gods
§ Heimskringla - poet in the 12th century - Snorri Sturluson
□ Legends of the kings
§ Not written until after the Vikings are Christianized.
○ Nine worlds - we live on Midgard
§ Asgard - where the gods are
§ Hel - netherworld

○ Runes - Runic Alphabet
○ Yggdrasil tree

○ Ragnarok - battle at the end of the world, the entire world is going to be on fire. A new world will be born from the ashes.
○ Odin is the king of the gods.
○ WAR

• Eric the Red
• Leaf Ericson - founded North America


• The Vikings are from Scandinavia.
• Their civilization was complex and artistic
• They developed wonderful ships
• People were buried in their ships because death was a journey
• Agriculturally oriented people
• Life of survival - climate was colder, it was difficult to stay alive
• The technology of their ships was what allowed them to have such an impact on history.

Notes on Late Antiquity, early Christianity, and the Byzantine Empire

1. Marcus Aurelius

Roman Empire reaches its height and expands no further

2. Septimius Severus
• First African emperor of Rome
• LAST dynasty of Rome

LATE ANTIQUITY

3. Age of the Soldier Emperors - third century CE
• Emperors are generals and do not last long at all because of civil warfare
4. Diocletian - fundamentally alters the form of Roman government
• Gets rid of Principate and starts the Dominate - a very totalitarian style of government.
• Tetrarchy - rule by four. Two halves - the west and the east, two guys in charge of each.
5. Battle of the Milvian Bridge
• Constantine wins and becomes sole emperor of Rome
• Constantine saw a vision of the Christian cross on the day of the battle
• Has all his soldiers paint the Chi Ro on their shields
• He declares Christianity in Rome to be LEGAL
6. Constantine
• Moves the capitol of Rome from Italy to Constantinople (modern city of Istanbul)
• Roman Empire is forever altered
7. Rome is sacked in 476 by the Germanic tribes
8. Gibbon - Rome FALLS
9. Toynbee - Rome evolves into Europe

EARLY CHRISIANITY

10. It was illegal at first, and they had to meet in secret
• They did this in the Catacombs
11. It spreads around Greece and Rome itself and then it really takes over
12. Janius Bassus
13. Jesus is shown as a Sheppard in early Christian art
• They depicted him in a way that others wouldn't recognize because it was illegal
14. Fish imagery is used as a code

BYZANTINE EMPIRE

15. Christianity is becoming the standard religion of the Roman world
16. Justinian I - had his palace in Rowena, north of Rome
• He tries to merge the Church and the state together

Were the early Roman Emperors really fit to be emperors?

The first Julio-Claudian dynasty consisted of the very first emperors of Rome, and although they started the Roman Empire, some of them were crazy tyrants who greatly abused their power. Following the death of Julius Caesar, the Roman Empire started, and instead of having a Republic, individual emperors held the sole power. Aside from Augustus, the first emperor, probably the only reason they became emperors was because each had to be of family relation to the previous one. The emperors were not able to choose their heirs, and as a result, unfit men became all-powerful rulers of Rome. Some of the earliest emperors of Rome were quite unfit to hold this position.

Julius Caesar’s heir and the very first emperor of Rome, Augustus Caesar, did a good job of restoring order after the death of Caesar. However, the other emperors in the dynasty either did not want to rule the empire or were abusive of the power they had. The second Roman emperor was Tiberius. In the beginning of his reign, he did not seem to be ready for such power. In fact, he did not seem to want to be emperor at all, and he tried to use as little power as possible. ("Tiberius." Wikipedia. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberius#cite_note-40.) It did not take long, however, for this to change. Tacitus, an ancient historian who lived very shortly after Tiberius, wrote, “Suddenly fortune deranged everything; the emperor became a cruel tyrant, as well as an abettor of cruelty in others.” ("The Annals by Tacitus." The Internet Classics Archive: 441 Searchable Works of Classical Literature. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://classics.mit.edu/Tacitus/annals.4.iv.html.) This became clear when Tiberius had a man called Sejanus killed because he was supposedly trying to become emperor himself. Tiberius did not stop there; he had anyone associated with Sejanus in any way assassinated. ("Tiberius." Wikipedia. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberius#cite_note-40.) Tiberius was definitely unfit for a position of such great power.

Though Tiberius was a bad emperor, his successor, Caligula, was far worse. Caligula was certifiably insane, and he abused his power greatly. Aside from this, he is said to have had a scandalous relationship with his own sister. His insanity is proven in the fact that he tried to make his horse a consul. ("Roman Emperors - DIR Caligula." Roman Emperors - DIR. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.roman-emperors.org/gaius.htm.) Caligula not only insane, but he was also extremely cruel. He had many people killed, even those who were very close with him. For example, he had his own father-in-law murder himself on account of treason. He did the same thing to his right-hand man, Macro. Just a year or two after he became emperor, Caligula had almost driven the Roman Empire to become bankrupt. ("Caligula." VROMA :: Home. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/caligula.html.) This is probably because he was wasting so much money on an unnecessary floating bridge made of ships. Without much money and ships for transport, Caligula caused the people to experience a famine. Despite the problems he caused, Caligula was very self-absorbed, and he thought of himself as a divine being. This cruel emperor was clearly not very popular among the people, so it is not surprise that after only four years of rule, he was assassinated. ("Caligula." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula.) It is obvious by looking at Caligula’s actions that he did not deserve the title of Emperor.

The next emperor in the Julio-Claudian Dynasty was Claudius, who was forced into the position after Caligula’s death. He had almost no experience, and when he was called to the Capitol, he returned word that he would not come. (“Ancient History Sourcebook: Suetonius: Life of Claudius." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suetonius-claudius-worthington.html.) In fact, he was found hiding behind a curtain, and it is clear that he did not want to become emperor. He was a bit of a pushover; the first thing he did when he became emperor was pay the military a large sum of money so they would be loyal to him. ("Claudius." The Roman Empire. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.roman-empire.net/emperors/claudius.html.) The Senate did not like him throughout his reign, and there were several attempts to kill him. Claudius was definitely not good at choosing a wife; he married four times, his third wife attempted to kill him, and his fourth succeeded. Because he did not want to become emperor in the first place, Claudius was not fit to have so much power.

Though he was the last emperor of the first dynasty, Nero was one of the worst. He had his own mother, who had helped him rise to the top, murdered after he came to power. Nero was another egotistical emperor, and one of his most infamous acts is the fire of Rome. He is said to have started a great fire at the Circus Maximus that spread and burned everything in its path for over five days. He supposedly did this in order to make space for the building of a new complex in his honor. In order to shift the blame away from himself, he targeted the Christians and had many of the killed and persecuted. ("Emperor Nero: 54-68." Then Again. . . Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/Mediterranean/Nero.html.) Aside from this, Nero spent more time in Greece than he did in Rome. It seems that his own pleasures were more important to him than ruling the Roman Empire. The people eventually grew tired of him and actually forced him to commit suicide. Even on the verge of death, Nero remained egotistical and kept saying, “What an artist the world is losing!” ("Ancient History Sourcebook: Suetonius: De Vita Caesarum--Nero, C. 110 C.E."FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suet-nero-rolfe.html.) Because he was so self-absorbed and interested in his own happiness, he was quite an unfit emperor of Rome.

The emperors of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty – Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero – were the first of the Roman Empire. Some of them were too selfish while others did not even want to be emperor. Aside from Augustus, the men of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty caused Rome a lot of trouble, and they were certainly unfit to be emperors.

Works Cited

"Ancient History Sourcebook: Suetonius: De Vita Caesarum--Nero, C. 110 C.E." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suet-nero-rolfe.html.

"Ancient History Sourcebook: Suetonius: Life of Claudius." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suetonius-claudius-worthington.html.

"The Annals by Tacitus." The Internet Classics Archive: 441 Searchable Works of Classical Literature. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://classics.mit.edu/Tacitus/annals.4.iv.html.

"Caligula." VROMA :: Home. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/caligula.html.

"Caligula." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caligula.

"Claudius." The Roman Empire. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.roman-empire.net/emperors/claudius.html.

"Emperor Nero: 54-68." Then Again. . . Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/Mediterranean/Nero.html.

"Nero." NNDB: Tracking the Entire World. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.nndb.com/people/925/000087664.

"Roman Emperors - DIR Caligula." Roman Emperors - DIR--De Imperatoribus Romanis Roman History Roman Roman Empire Imperator Basileus De Imperatoribus Romanis Encyclopedia Byzantine. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. http://www.roman-emperors.org/gaius.htm.

"Tiberius." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberius#cite_note-40.

Augustine of Hippo

Though an important figure in the early Christian church, Augustine of Hippo was not actually a Christian until the middle of his life. He was a very thoughtful philosopher, and he studied and eventually taught at Carthage. Soon after he was baptized into the Church, he became the bishop of Hippo. Augustine wrote over a hundred works throughout his life, and he thought to be the "first medieval man and the last classical man." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo ) His works included topics about ethics and the human will as well as studies of relationships in society. He was a very influential man in western thought and in the early Christian Church.

http://www.ccel.org/a/augustine/

Was Rome better off as an empire than a republic?

As a Republic, the Roman people had a fair amount of say in politics. However, when the Roman Empire was formed, the emperors had sole control and what they said was law. This was not necessarily a bad thing, especially if the people liked their emperor. The Roman Empire was able to expand its provinces even more. One downside, however, is that the people had very little say in the government's choices. Some emperors proved to be successful while others did not gain the people's respect. Overall, Rome becoming an Empire was a good thing.

http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/cot/t2w4rometoempire.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_empire

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Castro_Battle_of_Actium.jpg

The Five Good Emperors - Trajan

Trajan was the second of the five "good emperors," and he came to power after Nerva. Trajan was very successful in with military; he had experience and a good sense of strategy. During his reign, he was able to expand the Roman Empire and make it larger and stronger than it had ever been before. Not only did Trajan expand the empire, he also did much to help the citizens of Rome. He helped the poorer plebeians and made sure that all cities were doing well with their finances. Trajan also constructed and refurbished many buildings. He had a very successful reign. It is clear that the people of Rome liked him because unlike many emperors before him, Trajan was not assassinated; he died of old age.

http://www.boisestate.edu/courses/westciv/empire/06.shtml

http://library.thinkquest.org/26907/emperors/trajan.htm

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Traianus_Glyptothek_Munich_72.jpg

Architecture of Augustus

Theatre of Pompey

The Forum and Roman Capitol

Temple of Mars Ultor

Roman Senate-House

view of Rome from the Palatine.

Augustus repaired bridges along Flaminian road.

Part of the Lupercal

Ruins of the Temple of Apollo

http://classics.mit.edu/Augustus/deeds.html

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Curia_Iulia.JPG

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Remains_of_Temple_Apollo_Palatinus.jpg/250px-Remains_of_Temple_Apollo_Palatinus.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/aa/Lupercal_grotto.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Panorama_Palatine.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Palatine_view_of_forum_and_capitol.jpg/800px-Palatine_view_of_forum_and_capitol.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Model-top-bw.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/StAngelo_Bridge_Rome.jpg/800px-StAngelo_Bridge_Rome.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Forum_Augustus.JPG/800px-Forum_Augustus.JPG

Notes 3/8 - 3/10 - More on Rome

1. Patricians lived in villas - private houses in the Bay of Naples
2. Plebeians lived in Subura - tightly packed neighborhood
3. The Gracchus Brothers - Tiberius and Gaius
• Argued it was unfair that the plebeians had family members fighting for Rome, but the Patricians were the ones benefitting from Roman expansion
• They are both assassinated - first political assassinations within the city of Rome, but not the last.
4. Marius and Sulla
• Marius is involved in the social war - problem between patricians + plebes.
• Sent to go put down the uprisings about land rights
• Social War - beginning of 1st century.
• Buildup of troops loyal to specific generals.
• First Civil War - between Marius's army and Sulla's army.
• Sulla is going to march to Rome, and Marius has to defend Rome.
• Sulla wins, and Marius has to flee.
5. Julius Caesar - the dominant political figure of the first century
• Born in 100 BC - dies in 44 BC
• From a family with a glorious past - the Julii
• He runs for the Senate
• Consuls are sent to govern one of the Roman provinces
• Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Romania
• Patricians get votes by being friends with other patricians
• Caesar decides to become popular with the people of Rome
• Two political parties
• Optimares - the patricians
• Populares - Caesar's party
• Caesar wins the election, and many of the senators don't like this.
• The second consul is the opposite of him politically
• Instead of sending him somewhere nice, they send him to Gaul (France)
• He conquers all of France and up into southern Britannia.
• The people are excited about Caesar, and the senators are getting nervous.
• Roman Senate passes a condemnation of Caesar - his battles in Gaul were illegal because they were done without the authority of the Roman senate.
• They request that he come back to stand trial in Rome.
• Either he goes back to Rome and faces an unfair trial, or he can go back to Rome with his army and start a civil war.
• Caesar crosses the Rubicon with his army to start a civil war.
• "The di has been cast"
• Senators find out that Caesar is coming, they go crazy and they evacuate the city.
• Pompey becomes the hero of the Senate
• Civil War - one side led by Caesar, the other side led by Pompey
• Caesar had great respect for Pompey
• They fight throughout the Mediterranean
• Final battle - Battle of Pharsalus
• Caesar's right hand man - Mark Antony
• Pompey is decapitated when he arrives in Egypt.
• Caesar is unhappy about this because it was a sign of disrespect toward a Roman general
• Caesar creates an alliance with Egypt.
• Caesar and Cleopatra have an affair
• Caesar goes back to Rome and is greeted as a hero; named dictator for life.
• Senators get nervous and plot to assassinate him
• Brutus was a young friend of Caesar - betrays Caesar
6. Octavian
• Caesar's nephew
• Heir to throne when Caesar died.
• In his will, Caesar adopts him as his son.
• He swears revenge; defeats the Tyrannicides
• Second Triumvirate - Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus
• Spilt up the Roman Empire amongst themselves
• Mark Antony and Cleopatra go to war with Octavian.
• Battle of Actium - Octavian + Agrippa defeat Antony + Cleopatra
• Antony and Cleopatra commit suicide
• Octavian becomes the sole power in Rome
• Senate declares Octavian as Augustus
• First emperor of Rome - immense power, republic is over.
7. Julio-Claudian Dynasty
• Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero
• Pax-Augusti - peace of Augustus
• Other heirs were bad rulers
8. Suetonius

1. The Emperors themselves have complete control over the government system.
2. Principate - the first era of the Empire.
3. Augustus presents himself as a god.
4. Romans carried standards with gold emblems on them - SPQR
5. Political Propaganda
6. Augustus 31 - 14
• Did not leave an heir.
• Wife - Livia had a son from a previous marriage
• Family name - Claudius
7. Tiberius 14 - 37
8. Caligula - A NUTCASE! 37 - 41
• Had an affair with his sister
• Tried to get his horse named a senator
• Had people murdered for no reason
9. Claudius 41 - 54
• Didn't do much
• Did not want to be emperor
10. Nero 54 - 68
• NUTCASE!
• Burned down part of Rome because he wanted to build a park
• The Golden House and a giant statue of himself
• Forced to commit suicide - "the world has lost a great artist."

ENDS JULIO-CLAUDIAN EMPIRE.

11. Vespasian 69 - 79
• Thought Nero was a nutcase
• Strict, military style
• Good at restoring order in the empire.
• State Gods - temple built in their honor and taxes collected to build them
• All sorts of religion in Rome - people from all over the world.
• "It appears that I am about to become a god"
12. Titus 79 - 81
• Vespasian Amphitheatre - the Coliseum
• Arch of Titus - dedicated to Titus
• Has his men sack Jerusalem and destroy the temple
• Temple Mount - Jewish foundation with the Islamic mosque built on top.
13. Domitian 81 - 96

Age of Good Emperors:

14. Nerva 96 - 98
15. Trajan 98 - 117
16. Hadrian 117 - 138
17. Antoninus Pius 138 - 161
18. Marcus Aurelius 161 - 180
19. Nerva
• Starts the practice of choosing who his heir is going to be rather than having to be a blood relative
20. Trajan
• Military genius of Roman history
• Campaigns against Dacians
• Trajan's Column
• Expands empire
21. Hadrian
• Unlike any other emperor
• He was a philosopher, architect, statesmen, writer, traveler
• First Roman emperor not to be from Italy, he was from Spain
• He had a beard because of Greek philosophers

Julio-Claudian Digital Flashcards

What's so "ancient" about Rome?

Ancient Rome was one of the most powerful empires of its day, and it continues to be influential even in today’s world. The city eventually grew very powerful throughout the world, and it had a huge impact all ancient civilization. Rome’s dominance over the ancient world made it one of the greatest civilizations of ancient times. Its ancient power is still clear today; many aspects of the government and legal system of modern western civilization are based on original Roman systems. The empire has also helped shape the art and architecture of the world. The Ancient Roman Empire had a great impact on all of ancient civilization, and its influences are still alive today.

The dominance Ancient Rome had over much of the known world is probably the reason their systems and ideas were able to be carried on through history. Because they controlled so many different civilizations, their practices were able to be spread throughout the ancient world. When Rome was originally founded, it was just a small village under the control of the Etruscans. The people eventually rebelled and forced the Etruscans out of Rome, becoming a republic. As Rome grew in power, they also had more enemies. They were constantly at war, but they were growing in power throughout Italy. ("The Early Republic." The Roman Empire. Web. 06 Mar. 2010. http://www.roman-empire.net/republic/earlyrep-index.html.) They were hindered in progress when they were invaded by Pyrrhus and his Greek army, but soon, they had control over practically all of Italy. The Roman Empire went on to defeat Carthage and most of the Mediterranean. ("ROMAN HISTORY TIMELINE." West Chester University's - On-line Web Courses. Web. 06 Mar. 2010. http://courses.wcupa.edu/jones/his101/TIMELINE/T-ROMAN.HTM.) The once small city eventually had over a million people, and every city they conquered would adapt their law systems and culture. If it had not been for Roman expansion, their ideas would not have been spread, Rome would not have had such an impact on today’s world, and the Roman Empire would not be remembered in the same way.

One of the most prominent Roman ideas that still has an effect today is their legal and political system. The Ancient Roman government consisted of three parts. These included the Magistrates, the Senate, and the Assemblies. They were all important in different ways. The Magistrates had a number of different members, and many of their basic ideas carry through today. For example, Preators had the job of carrying out justice, and they held trials similar to judges and courts in the United States. In Ancient Rome, the Tribune had the power to veto any bill. In the United States, that same power is given to the president. The Senate of Rome was the main body of the government, not too different from the Senate of the US. Finally, The Assemblies of Rome held had the job of voting for their leaders, just like many governments do today. ("ROMA - History and Civilization of the Eternal City." Www.citrag.it. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. http://www.citrag.it/roma/doc/civil/ecv_052.htm.)

Another aspect of Rome that has impacted today’s world is its architecture and technology. The Ancient Romans had unique styles of architecture that are still prominent today. For example, the temples they built were raised and had a staircase in the front. This is the same style that many courthouses in the U.S. are built. The Ancient Romans also constructed many bridges and built the first aqueducts. Though Roman architecture is quite old, the styles and ideas are still impacting architecture today. ("Roman Architecture." Home Page. Web. 06 Mar. 2010. http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/arth200/politics/roman_architecture.html.)

Because Rome was such a powerful ancient empire, its effects are still clear today and will continue to impact the world. Many of their government systems are in fact the foundation of our political ideas today. Their art and architecture is also still visible. The Roman Empire was able to spread these systems because of their expansion and the amount of power they had over the Mediterranean. Though Rome is an ancient city, the impact it has had on the world is timeless.

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