Weekly #5- Prepare a presentation on the topic of "Lives of the Caesars."

Week #5- Daily #13- Read Augustus' 'Res Gestae ' paragraphs 19 - 21 and scavenger hunt for as many pictures relating to the places mentioned as you can find and chart them on a Google Map.

 View Scavenger Hunt  in a larger map

Week #5- Daily #11- Was Rome better off as an 'empire' than as a republic?

Ancient Rome had accomplished many things and has influenced our modern world. Before the Roman Empire, Rome was just a republic. It is hard to decide if Rome was better off as a republic or an empire. There are a number of different things that make up that decision. For some reasons, I think that Rome was better off as a republic. The republic was better for the system of government that they used. There were two consuls in charge in the Roman Republic. They also had the Senate and the assemblies. Once there was a plebeian allowed in the Senate, it was a fair government for everyone. The Roman Empire was unfair because there were emperors that took control that were not voted upon. I think that, in that case, Rome would function better as a Republic, but if you look at all of the accomplishments in the Roman Empire, you might change your mind. The Roman Empire was a time of change and reform for everyone. The empire spread over three continents; it was way bigger than the republic. Everything in the Roman Empire was an improvement from the Roman Republic. It is hard to draw conclusions on this subject. 

Week #5- Daily #10- Why do many historians consider Hadrian to have been the "best emperor"?

Hadrian

             The Roman emperor Hadrian was memorable for many things. He was the third of the Five Good Emperors. He was emperor from 117 to 138 AD. His reign was a time of reform for Rome, and many historians say that Hadrian was the best emperor. Hadrian had various building projects. He is mostly famous for building Hadrian’s Wall, and Hadrian’s Wall is a very important power symbol for Rome. This wall was used for Roman protection against barbarians. This must be one of the reasons why he was considered the “best.” After the Pantheon was destroyed in a fire in 80 AD, Hadrian decided to rebuild it. Also, the largest temple in Rome called the Temple of Venus and Roma was built by Hadrian. He travelled around his empire for eleven years. He was not crazy like some of the other emperors. He was a hard-worker and did the best that he could for the Roman Empire. Hadrian was very generous with money and was very smart. He seems like an exemplary model for a Roman emperor to look up to.  

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadrian

Week #5- Daily #7- Write a skit/Pixton/xtranormal (your choice) detailing major events in the life of Julius Caesar.

Caesar was born in a patrician family. His father died when he was a teenager, so Caesar became the head of his family. He married a woman named Cornelia, and they had a daughter named Julia. While Sulla was dictating, it was very wrong for Caesar to be married to a relative of one of Sulla's enemies. Caesar had to go into hiding to avoid a death sentence for refusing Sulla's laws. Luckily, he was able to go back to Rome after the death of Sulla. Caesar became an advocate for Roman politics. While travelling to Rhodes, he was kidnapped by Cilician pirates. When they demanded him a ransom of twenty talents, he laughed at them. The pirates didn't know who they were dealing with. When Caesar escaped, he had all of the pirates get crucified.

Source: http://www.biographybase.com/biography/caesar_julius.html

Notes on Julius Caesar

·         born into a patrician family

·         Little is recorded of Caesar's childhood

·         Father died suddenly, so he became head of his family at 16

·         nominated to be the new high priest of Jupiter

·         married Cornelia

·         targeted by Sulla

·         refused to divorce Cornelia and went into hiding

·         left Rome, joined the army, and won the Civic Crown

·         After dictator Sulla died, he returned home

·         Kidnapped by pirates and held prisoner in the Aegean Sea

·         had the pirates crucified on his own authority

·         Was a Roman general and statesman

·         elected military tribune

·         elected quaestor for 69 BC

·         ran for election and won

·         appointed to govern Spain

·         In Spain, he was hailed as imperator by his troops

·         In 60 BC, Caesar sought election as consul, won, and took  the position for 59 BC

·         Was in political debt

·         In 60 BC, Caesar entered into a political alliance with Crassus and Pompey

·         Caesar's conquest of Gaul extended Rome's territory to the North Sea

·         The Senate, led by Pompey, ordered Casear to disband his army and return to Rome

·         Pompey accused Caesar of insubordination and treason

·         In 55 BC, he conducted the first Roman invasion of Britain

·         Caesar marched from Gaul to Italy with his legions, crossed the Rubicon River, and caused a civil war

·         Became dictator with Mark Antony as second in command

·         became involved with an Egyptian civil war, sided with Cleopatra, won, and Cleopatra became the ruler

·          Caesar and Cleopatra celebrated their victory with a triumphant procession on the Nile in the spring of 47 BC

·         Assassinated on the Ides of March

·         Played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman republic into the Roman Empire

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar

Week #5- Daily #6-Design a Google Streetview architectural tour through Rome.

These pictures are some examples of the architecture that are seen on my tour through Rome.

The Colleseum

The Pantheon

Via Sacra

Looking up at the Arch of Septimius Severus

Arch of Constantine

The Ancient Roman World Map

Week #5- Daily #4- Please take a picture of something in your own neighborhood or town that appears to have been influenced by Ancient Rome.

Roman Column
http://www.tin-ceiling-tiles.com
/romanionic_Columns.htm

My House's Column

Does anyone else see a resemblance? I think that the column on my front porch that supports my house was made from the influence of Roman architecture. It mostly resembles the Roman Doric Column.

Week #5- Daily #3- Please write a brief biography of Hannibal and explain whether or not you think his reputation (in Roman eyes) as a monster was deserved.

     One of the greatest leaders, Hannibal, was born in 247 B.C. Hannibal was the son of Hamilcar Barca, and he was raised to hate the Romans. When he was just a kid, he swore an oath to eternal hatred to the Roman name. His father took him along on a Spanish expedition when he was nine years old. When he took command, he brought his men into Spain and fought with elephants. Hannibal was a Carthaginian military commander and tactician. He had a reputation for bravery and strategic skill. He and his army crossed the Pyrenees Mountains and through the Alps. They went down through Italy to southern Italy, and then towards Rome. He won three battles: The Battle of Trebia, The Battle of Lake Trasimene, and the Battle of Cannae. He made many allies. The Romans became very scared of Hannibal. He was like the boogeyman to them. After many expeditions, Hannibal was demanded by the Romans.  He could not find any way to escape, so he decided to poison himself. The reputation of Hannibal as a monster in the Romans’ eyes was definitely deserved. He had sworn to be an enemy since he was a kid. He obliterated the Roman reputation by conquering them in the Battle of Cannae. The Romans must have been embarrassed to be destroyed so easily. They must have been deeply scared of Hannibal.

Sources:

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

http://www.sacklunch.net/biography/H/Hannibal.html

Week #5- Daily #1- What elements of the Roman Republican political and legal system appear present in the systems of modern democracies?

There are many similarities between the Roman Republican political and legal system and the systems of modern democracies. Both the Roman Republic and the federal government of the United States have a constitution to follow. The centerpiece of the Roman constitution was called the Law of the Twelve Tables. These rules were posted in the Roman Forum, and they emphasize the process to be done for various felonies. We have laws like this, too; our present-day government orders criminal procedures. Several laws have also never been revoked, just like the tables. The Roman Republic had three branches of government: the consuls, the Senate, and the assembly. We also have three branches! The consuls were two magistrates, and they were like kings and judges. They also led the army. We also have certain people in charge of our government. The Senate was kind of like it is today in the federal government of the United States. It was a suggested branch that was composed of a lot more members than we have today; we only have 100 members. The members of the Senate from ancient Rome and our present-day government both have certain requirements. The assembly was made up of all of the members of the army, and they approved or vetoed laws. They would vote by the majority for important and big issues if the consuls asked them to. Ancient Romans also had lawsuits, like we do. The Roman Republican political and legal system was a very organized government that passed down certain elements that are present in modern democracies.

Sources:

http://www.dl.ket.org/latin3/mores/legallatin/legal01.htm

http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/rome/p/blromerepgovt.htm

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

Special Question: Was Alexander's adventure really worth it?

           Alexander the Great was a very powerful leader. He led to a lot of success and conquered the entire Persian Empire. He basically ruled the world. The only thing that stopped him was his death by a fever. Since he accomplished many things, his adventure was valuable, and he remains as a legend in ancient history. His experiences in Egypt, Persepolis, Afghanistan, and India indicate how much his adventure was really worth it.

            In 331 BC Alexander entered Egypt. He was welcomed there very easily because the Egyptians did not like the Persians, either. He named a city after himself called Alexandria. Alexander made the trip to visit the oracle at the temple of Zeus Ammon in Egypt (Macedonia.org 2000). That is where the absurd idea of him being the Son of Zeus came into effect. Apparently, the oracle also told him that he was destined to rule the world.

            When Alexander the Great wanted to conquer the Persians, he reached their capital, Persepolis. He damaged several buildings. The Palace of Xerxes had received special treatment. The Macedonians were celebrating their conquest and were drunk, so they had an idea to set the palace on fire (Lendering 2010).  In Persepolis, the Macedonians killed all of the men and raided their houses. They took women’s jewelry and expensive clothing. They treated the women as slaves. According to Lendering, “it has been argued that the Greek soldiers in Alexander's company had their revenge for the destruction of Athens in 480 BC” (2010). Alexander regretted what he did to the city of Persepolis, but he was still portrayed as a god to the Macedonians.

            After the conquering of the Persian Empire and King Darius III being killed, Alexander the Great had a new enemy: the man who murdered Darius. Darius's murderer was one of Darius’s generals. His name was Bessus. Alexander chased and killed Bessus all the way to Afghanistan. Then, in 327 BC, Alexander invaded India. He fought against a leader in India named Porus at the river Hydaspes.  Porus was defeated, though his army was bigger, and they fought with elephants. One of the tragic things that happened in India was the death of Bucephalus, Alexander’s horse. According to Macedonia.org, “on a trip down the rivers Hydaspes and Indus, Alexander sought out the Indian philosophers, the Brahmins, who were famous for their wisdom, and debated them on philosophical issues. He became legendary for centuries in India for being both a wise philosopher and a fearless conqueror.” Alexander the Great returned home, while suffering from an arrow wound piercing his lung (Boise State University 2010).  He soon recovered from the wound, but died from a fever in Babylon.

            Through all the hardships and battles Alexander the Great went through, it really shows how powerful and successful he really was. He conquered many places, and his experiences in different countries show the importance of his adventures. People believed that he was a true miracle. If he did not conquer places and stayed in Macedonia quietly, he would not be told he was the Son of Zeus or the ruler of the world, and he would not get revenge for the Persian wrongs. He achieved great things and will remain as one of the best world conquerors in history.

Sources:

Boise State University. 2010. Alexander the great. Retrieved from  http://www.boisestate.edu/courses/westciv/alexander/11.shtml.

Cultural Property Training Resource. Alexander the great. Retrieved from http://www.cemml.colostate.edu/cultural/09476/afgh02-04enl.html.

Fildes, A.M., & Fletcher, J. 2010. Alexander in egypt. Retrieved from http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/alexanderthegreat.htm.

Lendering, Jona. 2010. Alexander sacks persepolis. Retrieved from http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander_t12.html.

Macedonia.org. 2000. Alexander the great. Retrieved from http://faq.macedonia.org/history/alexander.the.great.html#g.

Weekly #4b- Does Power Corrupt? How or How Not? Why or Why Not? Do you think Alexander was corrupted? And who influenced whom the most: Did Persia become more Greek or did Alexander becoming more Persian?

            Power was very important to Alexander the Great in the ancient world. With it, he led to many accomplishments and became a prevailing ruler. His success in history still leads us wondering today about how a young man could conquer the entire Persian Empire. Alexander’s power definitely led him to do many unscrupulous things to people. Power was misused in the ancient world and corrupted the rulers.

            The rulers in the ancient world were fascinated by power. It led them to do some pretty crazy things. When there is no heir after a king dies, men fight for the position. They are not orderly or profession at all. Men in the ancient world just wanted the authority to have people follow them. Like Alexander the Great, many also wanted to be looked up to. They wanted to be seen as some kind of god or goddess, so people would respect them. They would also gain authority. People would do whatever they wanted.

Although Alexander the Great looked as if he were a very good leader to some people, it seemed that he did certain things for personal gain. He became infuriated with Bessus when Bessus killed King Darius III. When, in reality, Alexander wanted Darius dead anyway; he just wanted to kill him himself. Since his enemy died, he decided to make Bessus his new rival. After all, he had no one else to conquer. He gained from the power that he had, and he needed to start wars to earn it. He seemed to only care about himself most of the time and not about his followers. He was very good at accomplishing his goals. The Greeks were probably upset about his decision to become allies with the Persians because of the Persian wrongs and what they did in the past to Alexander. Alexander was, without a doubt, corrupted as a leader.

            The Persians became more Greek after their defeat. They were influenced by Greek civilization and culture. Alexander the Great made them transform into his army. Women had to leave their husbands, while their husbands became soldiers for Alexander the Great. The women had to marry Greek men. The impact of the Greeks’ power on the Persians started the Hellenistic Civilization. Alexander the Great became more Persian because the Persians were no longer his enemy. It was a new life for him. The Persians were influenced by Alexander more, though.

            In conclusion, power does corrupt. It causes severe things to happen. Some people ignore their morals just to become more powerful. Alexander the Great changed after his corruption and lacked integrity to the Greeks after he became allies with the Persians. After all, power was an important ambition that every leader wanted to have.

Week #4b- Daily #7- What do you think should have been done after Alexander's death?

After Alexander the Great’s death, the Macedonians should have assigned a leader to take Alexander’s authority. He did not leave an heir or successor because he thought he was immortal. He thought he could never die. His myths became real life to him. He started convincing himself that he was the real Son of Zeus. It is tragic to find out what happened after Alexander’s death. When he died, men fought over his position for the empire. Everything that Alexander the Great worked for fell to different pieces. He conquered the Persian Empire and made everything his, but when he died, everything changed. Bits of his empire transformed into many different territories. If all of the Macedonian generals did not fight over Alexander’s position and they assigned a man to take his spot, they could still have the huge Macedonian Empire. Instead, the four chief generals had gotten different parts of the empire. Ptolemy ruled Egypt in the southern part of the empire in 321 BC. Cassander took over the government in Macedonia in the western part in 317 BC. In 311 BC, Seleucus ruled Babylon and Syria in the eastern part of the empire, and in 306 BC, Antigonus took over the Asia Minor in the northern part. Then Antigonus got killed in battle in 301 BC, so he was succeeded by Lysimachus. Even Alexander’s family came to a dreadful end. Everyone in his family died within fifteen years after his death. The whole empire should have voted on a fair and worthy leader to take Alexander’s position.

Week #4b- Daily #10- Using Google Maps, create an illustration of Alexander's whole journey.

Week #4b- Daily #3- Based on what you know about Aristotle, do you think Alexander had listened carefully to his tutor?

Aristotle
http://commons.wikimedia.org
/wiki/File:Aristotelesbunt.jpg

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher. He studied physics, poetry, music, logic, linguistics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology. When Aristotle tutored Alexander the Great, Alexander most likely listened to him very carefully. Alexander the Great was a very good student. They spent three years together, and Alexander could even teach things to Aristotle. When Alexander the Great became king of Macedonia and Greece, he used the information that Aristotle gave him to conquer the world. Aristotle was a very smart man and influenced Alexander the Great. He must have been a great teacher because of all the knowledge he had.  Alexander did not seem to be as concerned as Aristotle was about science, but he still used it in his way of life. He was particularly interested in the art of medicine, though. He sent samples of wildlife samples and materials to Aristotle after he conquered a place. All of the things that Aristotle told him made a major impact on him. Alexander the Great probably used different methods that Aristotle taught him for his army to be the best. Aristotle taught him about ethics, which Alexander probably used to rule his empire. He conquered the entire Persian Empire with the knowledge that Aristotle taught him because Aristotle encouraged Alexander to conquer the east. Alexander the Great probably listened to Aristotle very well that he convinced himself things. He ended up suspecting plots against himself and threatening Aristotle for what he had taught him. They were both extremely smart people that changed the ancient world.

Alexander the Great
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BattleofIssus333BC-mosaic-detail1.jpg