Middle Ages

4.1 - Analyze impacts of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire

• 4: Student is able to compare/contrast the Byzantine Empire, Franks, Vikings, and/or Muslims
• 3: Student is able to describe the Byzantine Empire, Franks, Vikings, and Muslims
• 2: Student is able to describe 2-3  groups (Byzantine Empire, Franks, Vikings, Muslims)
• 1: Student is able to identify the Byzantine Empire, Franks, Vikings, and/or Muslims

Rate --> 1. Identify Vikings: The vikings were groups of barbaric people, who would invade other lands (Romans). 

4.2 - Examine the Feudal System and Roman Catholic Church in medieval Europe

• 4: Student is able to compare/contrast the roles and relationships within the "feudal system" and explain impacts of the Roman Catholic Church
• 3: Student is able to compare/contrast social classes within the feudal system and explain an impact of the Roman Catholic Church
• 2: Student is able to describe social classes within the feudal system or impacts of the Church
• 1: Student is able to identify social classes of the feudal system or an impact of the Church

Rate --> 0

4.3 - Analyze causes and consequences of the Crusades

• 4: Student is able to explain causes and consequences of the Crusades AND critique a person or group involved
• 3: Student is able to explain causes and consequences of the Crusades
• 2: Student is able to describe a cause and consequence of the Crusades
• 1: Student is able to identify a cause and consequence of the Crusades

Rate --> 1. The Christian Kingdoms of Europe and the Muslim Caliphate were a cause of the Crusades, and a consequence was The Black Death. 

Primary Source Analysis: Letter from St. Jerome to Principia (412 AD)

"Rome had been besieged and its citizens had been forced to buy their lives with gold. Then thus despoiled they had been besieged again so as to lose not their substance only but their lives. My voice sticks in my throat; and, as I dictate, sobs choke my utterance. The City which had taken the whole world was itself taken; nay more famine was beforehand with the sword and but few citizens were left to be made captives. In their frenzy the starving people had recourse to hideous food; and tore each other limb from limb that they might have flesh to eat. Even the mother did not spare the babe at her breast. In the night was Moab taken, in the night did her wall fall down^. "O God, the heathen have come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have made Jerusalem an orchard. The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth. Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them."
(Besieged= surround (a place) with armed forces in order to capture it or force its surrender; lay siege to).

1. AUTHOR - What do you know, or what can you infer about the author?
  - The author saw, or experienced, this famine that broke out in Rome.

2. PLACE AND TIME - Where and when was the source produced, and how does this affect its meaning?

    -The source was produced in 412 AD in Rome. It was during a time of famine, which affects this meaning even more because it shows that the author who wrote the source was able to survive during this tough time.

3. PRIOR KNOWLEDGE - What else do you know that would help you understand the source?
    -They are in a time of famine, where there is no food or water. Some were taken captive and others were eating the flesh of other people for food. Dead bodies were everywhere surrounding Jerusalem.

4. AUDIENCE - For whom was the source created and how might this affect its reliability?
    -This source was created for anyone to read, and obtain information about more than what might be known to have happened in Rome. Because it was written during the time of the famine, this source has a higher reliability rate than others.

5. REASON – For what purpose what this source created?
    -This source was created to recall an event that happened in Rome. Rome had good moments, and this source shows that it certainly does have its hard times as well.

6. THE MAIN IDEA – What’s the main idea?
    -The main idea is that in Rome of 412 AD, Rome was surrounded and people went through a famine. Nobody had food, resulting to cannibalism, and death among many people.

7. SIGNIFICANCE - Why is this source important? What conclusions can be drawn from the source, or what questions remain unanswered?
     -This source is important in Roman history, telling us what went down in Rome during that time. We can infer that Rome, at one point, got surrounded and had a decline in the empire which made them enter a famine. A question that remains unanswered would be this: Did the author of this source really have a part in the famine? And if he did, then how did he survive through it?

Commodus

 Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus  (Commodus; 161-192 AD)


Background

- Son of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius; Husband to Crispina

- Commodus was the 10th child out of 14, and the only son to survive. He did have a twin brother, but he passed away at the age of 4 (which in turn had Commodus spend more time with his father).

 - Spent most of his time as a kid with his father doing campaigns against the Quadi and the Marcomanni along the Danubian frontier. 

- His father died, possibly from the plague when Commodus was 19

- Commodus was a Roman Emperor from 180-192 AD. He also ruled as co-emperor with his father from 177 AD until his father's death in 180 AD.

- Commodus became a murderer of senators, ministers, family members, and eventually beasts

Above: The Danube Frontier where Commodus and his father had campaigns 

Achievements

- Listed himself as a gladiator after killing ostriches, a panther, a hundred lions, an elephant, a rhinoceros, and a giraffe in front of the public

- Fought 735 times 

- In 191, a part of the city of Rome burned, and Commodus took the opportunity to rename the city of Rome in his own honor, as Colonia Commodiana.

- The months of the calendar were all renamed in his honor, and the senate was renamed as the Commodian Fortunate Senate. The army became known as the Commodian Army. 

- Got the military troops to like him because he allowed them to carry axes in battle; but was well hated among everyone else for his tyrant behavior

- Was a good emperor like his father, until he heard about people plotting his murder. That's when he turned

Cause of Death

- Commodus died on December 31, in 192 AD. Marcia, his mistress, tried to poison Commodus, but the attempt failed. That's when an athlete named Narcissus went and strangled him in his bath tub.

Historical Significance

- 12 years of tyrancy to everyone; killed many people in excruciatingly painful ways just for the entertainment it brought among himself.

- For each appearance in his fight outbreaks (735), he paid himself such a high fee that a new tax had to be demanded (from the people).

- Pretended to be the 2nd hercules and became a gladiator in his own palace

- Before fighting, he would injure the opponent (if he was stronger) so that he would win

-  He's known for carelessness at the throne

         

Spartacus

1. WHO was Spartacus? 
Spartacus was a gladiator that was used for entertainment. (He was a slave from Thrace)

2. WHAT did he do?
Escaped with gladiators; Triumphed in war with Romans; got trapped in Italy; broke free of Italy; went into war with the Romans again.

3. WHY did he do it?
He did everything that he did in an attempt to get to freedom

4. WHEN did it happen? 
It happened from 73 BC- 71 BC

5. WHERE did it happen? 
Capua --> Mount Vesuvius (pompeii) --> Metapontum --> Mt. Garganus --> Mutina --> Sicily

6. HOW did it end?

Spartacus died in war and his people were killed (crucified on the cross); Got defeated by Crassus (rich guy in Rome). 

 

7. WAS HE A HERO OR A VILLAIN?
He was a hero because he attempted to give the gladiators freedom; but then again, he did start a war and get them killed or enslaved 

264-146 BC: The Punic Wars

A war between the Romans and the Carthaginians. The war happened due to them being so close together, and a fight for territory. The romans wanted to have war on land while the Carthaginians wanted it out at sea. 

73-71 BC: Spartacus's slave Revolt 

Spartacus was a gladiator, a slave that was used for entertainment. He wanted to get to freedom, and he did just that. Spartacus freed all the other gladiators and had them follow him throughout Italy. They fought in many wars along the way, in numerous places.

100-44 BC: Julius Caesar historical Significance

Julius Caesar was well known for freeing people and attempting to lead them into freedom.    He led the slave army into war against Rome, and gets wiped out. Julius Caesar began a career as a military tribune after serving in the army. 

306-337 AD: Constantine 

Constantine was the son of a high ranking army general. He claimed the throne after winning a civil war for absolute rule over a split empire. Constantine was the first Christian emperor, which happened after he supposedly saw Christian symbols in the sky. He was known for "accidentally" killing his wife and son. 

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

- One reason that the Roman Empire collapsed was due to over-expansion. Over-expansion lead to owning lots of territory that needed to be protected, and that couldn't happen without more soldiers to help. This caused them to spend more money on their military, and in turn the economy declined.

-  Another reason that the Roman Empire collapsed was disease. An extended amount of travel and trade between different people and places caused many diseases to intrude within high population densities. Malaria, smallpox, and many plagues spread throughout the people, and lead to their death. Without the people, their military was disappearing, and nothing was getting done. This created a decline in the Roman Empire.

 

- Inflation is another big reason why the Roman Empire didn't last. Emperors spent lots of money on monuments, palaces, and armies which brought them to the point of diluting coins with non-precious metals. This made the coins worth less, and when prices went way up, people weren't able to buy the things they needed. The economy declined because of this.  

 

- Barbarian mercenaries in the Roman Army was a big deal. Barbarian Mercenaries were hired soldiers who fought for Rome. This caused such a huge fall in the Roman Empire because the hired soldiers would eventually turn on Rome and use their war experience against Rome. Because the Romans became unresponsive with their own wars, these guys had to be hired. They weren't Romans, which only made them un-loyal to Rome and its emperors. An example would be the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest which happened during the time of 9 AD.  

 

 

 

 

Roman Culture

Food

- Rich Romans got to eat more exotic food, that being meats like fowl (birds), beef, poultry, lamb, pork, and fish. 

- Poor Romans stuck with eating the Mediterranean Triad, which consisted of the basic items like olive oil, wine, barley, vegetables, and fruits

- To the rich people, flavor didn't matter. The level of exoticness and complexity to make was what mattered



Clothing

- wore togas or tunics 

- The more markings on the toga, the higher the status. Poor Romans didn't have any markings 

- Only male citizens were allowed to wear togas 

The Punic Wars

1. Who was Rome's enemy? (Describe the group of people and important leaders) Rome's enemy was the Carthaginians. They 

2. Why did it start? They collided with what they did. The carthaginians wanted war at sea while the Romans wanted it on land. They were just too close together. 

3. Where and when did the wars take place? First Punic war was in                                           218 BC: second war began 

4. How was geography a factor? 

The Alps Mountains made it easy for Hannibal, the leader of the 2nd attack, to surprise attack them 

5. What key events took place? (2-3)
The war between the Romans and the Etruscans

6. How was technology a factor?  
They had the best ships. Instead of 3 rows of rowers, they had 5 which allowed them to move faster. 

7. What tactics or strategies were used?

8. How did the end result impact both sides? 

In the end, 

Government of the Roman Republic

Roman governtment powerpoint from raenbarcelon

From Monarchy to Republic

What is a republic, and when, how, and why did Rome turn into one?

A republic is a form of government that is ruled publicly, not privately by rulers. Rome became a republic in 509 BC, and this happened due the murder of the king. King Tullias was murdered by his daughter Tullia and her lover Tarquinias Superbus. They became the rulers of Rome and it maintained a monarchy. Later on, Sextus, a drunk who was prowling the streets, raped Queen Tullia and out of disgust, she killed herself. King Superbus found out and eventually found him and ended his life for good. 

In the Beginning

When, where, and how was Rome founded?

Include 1+ pictures and discuss:

[753 BC, Seven hills/Tiber River/strategic location, Aneas/Trojan settlers, Romulus, monarchy, challenges, Sabines, and fact vs fiction]

On April 21, in 753 BC, Rome was founded. The location of the founding of Rome was on the Italian Peninsula. The way it was founded follows behind the story of the Aneas and Trojans. When Rhea Silvia of Alba Longa gave birth to twin boys, she was thrown in jail and her boys, Romulus and Remus, were sent to be drown in the Tiber River. That didn't happen due to the flooding of the river, so they managed to survive and were found by a "she wolf" who nursed them until a man found them. They grew up and upon that, they were caught stealing. Romulus escaped; however, Remus was captured. King Numitor wanted them killed for their actions, but then he realized something. They were at the age to be his children. He found that they were not his children, but his grandchildren. For this reason, they were left unharmed. Later on, Romulus and Remus seemed to have gone in their own ways, and eventually it came to an end between them. When Romulus was believed to have more luck than Remus, more people went with him. During all this, Romulus had enough with Remus and killed him. Romulus became the king. Moving farther along... a war broke out due to a kidnapping of women. They needed women for further generations, so they threw a party, inviting all the neighboring groups of people. When the time was right, they started running off with the women across their shoulders, and raping them here or there. In the end, they all made up and joined as one. The city of Rome was founded, and continued to grow.

Geography of Rome

Why would Rome have been a good place to found a city?

Rome would have been a good place to found a city because it is naturally barricaded from its neighbors, has good sources of water, and has lots of good land for farming and agricultural purposes. 

Why would the Italian Peninsula have been a good place to start an empire?

The Italian Peninsula would have been a good place to start an empire because of its land, being great for growing crops and having water on 3 sides of it helped in a few ways. In one way, it helped them discover new trade routes, and helped ships sail around. It also allowed them to conquer new territories.  The mountains may not have isolated the Italian Peninsula, but it did protect it. 

Rome Pre-test

-Differentiate Roman Republic from Roman Empire

-Explain past and present impacts of Roman culture

-Analyze factors in collapse of Western Roman Empire

~My personal learning goal is to learn how the Romans lived; wether they had big houses together or small houses to themselves. 

1. When, where and how was Rome founded?
2. 
   
3. How was the government of the Roman Republic organized?
4. 
   
5. When and how did the Republic turn into an Empire?
6. 
   
7. How was the government of the Empire organized?

      The government wasn't the best

1. When, where, why, and how did the Romans expand?
2. 
   
3. What are Rome's greatest architectural and technological developments?
4. Rome had amazing technology. The greatest development of technology is 
5. What was important in Roman culture?
6. In the Roman culture, religion, communication, technology, and government were all important. 
7. Who were important Roman leaders?

1. 
   
2. What caused the collapse of the Roman Empire?
3. The government and issues with money caused effects to the collapse. 
4. How did Rome alter history?
5. Rome altered history by their reputation of wars and how they went into that. Also, the way that they lived their lives altered the way people lived in the past and even how we do today. 
6. How does Rome affect us today?
7. 
   
8. What lessons can be learned from Roman history?
9. The way we make and use technology, how we live

Primary Source Analysis: History of the Peloponnesian War

          The author of the source was Thucydides. Thucydides was a wealthy Athenian general in the war. He lived through the Peloponnesian war, despite the plague that spread during that time, and eventually wrote a primary source book about the war itself. He was unbiased, and he only believed in rational thinking. Nothing supernatural interested him. It was in the year of 404 BC that the battle ended. During this time, the source was produced. Before the war started up until 10 years after it ended, he wrote his book. The plague that evolved continued to get worse and worse. This happened due to the fact that they were all so compacted together in a small area. They did this because they wanted to stay behind their wall to keep themselves protected from their enemies. It became very devastating to the people, causing numerous amounts of them to loose parts of their bodies in the process. If they weren't strong enough through holding up with the fever that followed, the enormous head ache, and anything else that came with it, then they died. Doctors at the time caught the plague faster than anyone else due to the fact of them trying to heal the sick. This source was created for any future generations coming after the time it was created. Because it was made during the time that it actually happened, it affects the reliability of it in a great deal. The reason the source was created in the first place was to give information for the future people, and give some details about everything that happened. Having been through this experience, and being a survivor through it all is an incredible thing. Letting the world know about it can help them get an idea of how and what the war was like and give further information. The main idea is to help people after his time understand better and know what happened during the war. In conclusion, Thucydides wrote this source to conclude information about events that he went through and what they were like.

"For my own part, I will deliver but the manner of it and lay open only such things as one may take his mark by to discover the same if it come again, having been both sick of it myself and seen others sick of the same."

Greco-Persian Wars

       The Greco-Persian wars started after the Ionians revolted against the Persians in 499 BC. The Ionians got put down, and King Darius tried to do something. King Darius, the Persian king, tried to invade Greece but got defeated at the marathon. After the defeat, King Darius returned to Persia and his son, Xerxes, goes and attempts revenge in 490 BC at Marathon. They get through the Greeks at Thermopylae, and are able to burn Athens down. Because of the numerous amounts of Persians, the Greeks plus 300 Spartans die at Thermopylae. In Salamis, the Athenians used to their advantage the outnumbering of Persians and tricked them by guiding them into a narrow inlet, where their big army couldn't turn around. That's when the Athenians attacked, sinking their ships and then fleeing. The last battle, which happened in Plateau, caused for an end in war. The Greeks became even more abrasive, and defeated the Persians.  

   


                                                        Primary Source Analysis 

Egyptian Civilization

      The Egyptian civilization relied on the Nile river for their survival. Every year, it flooded and created, "The Blackland," which referred to the fertile soil it created for them to use. Along with the river, there were pyramids that were build around 2700 BC and on, not only to store their personal items, but to put the corpses of their ancestors where they would go to enter the after life. This was part of the egyptian religion. They used a writing type, called Hieroglyphics, which they used to draw on temple walls and in tombs. It was hard to learn. Therefore, a new style eventually came out. Hieratic script was a simpler version that they used, mostly for business uses such as transactions and record keeping. The Egyptian civilization had numerous amounts of religious views and civilization guidelines.