Notes on Rome

1. Effects of Rome:

Literature, legal system, art, engineering, religious institutions, etc.

2. The Trojan War story sets the same mythological background for the Roman culture.

Anias and the Trojans, when leaving Troy, head down to the Mediterranean and end up in Carthage. Didl and Anias fall in love, but he is told his future is in Italy. Didly commits suicide because of this.

ITALY:

Sicily was primarily Greek controlled. Most of southern Italy was inhabited by Greeks. When Anias lands, the people he meets are called the Latins. Iulus is Anias's son. He becomes king and sets up the capital at Alba Longa. It will be the center of Trojan civilization in Italy. For generations, Alba Longa was ruled by kings.

3. Two twins were raised and abandoned. They were raised by a she-wolf. Romulus and Remis and she wolf is one of the essential images in Rome. Romulus and Remis grow up and declare war on each other. Romulus wins, Remis is dead, and Romulus founds Roma.
4. Most people were plebian. A few were patricians. The patricians made all the laws. The became known as the Struggle of the Orders. It is the struggle that happens between these groups. The plebes has set up a senate. They came up with a solution because Rome is on the verge of civil war.
5. Over the next 300 years Rome develops into the most powerful city. It expands greater than anything previous. They decide to go North. The Romans set up a governor in the new village. The people have to pay taxes to Rome and follow Roman rules.
6. As Rome starts to get bigger, some of the kings in Greece want to show Rome what it's all about. An expedition is led by Pyrrhus. He invades Rome and wins almost every battle, but he cannot continue to fight because he loses so many men. That was known as a Pyrrhic victory. Rome manages to fend off its first attacker.
7. The Punic war began against Carthage. Over the next 100 years, there are 3 Punic Wars. They define Roman dominance. The wars take place between 264 BC and 164 BC.




Important Events in Rome

1. Aeneas/Trojans defeat Latium
2. Alba Longa
3. Romulus and Remus/ Founding Rome in 753 BCE
4. Expulsion of the Etruscan Kings / Establishment of the Roman Republic 6th cent.
5. Struggle of the Orders / Tribune of the Plebs
6. Roman Expansion / Pyrrus
7. 1st Punic War
8. Struggle of the Orders / Tribune of the Plebs
9. Roman Expansion / Pyrrus
10. 1st Punic War
11. For several generations, the Etruscan kings lead Rome. Tarquin, the Proud had a son Tarquin the Sixth who raped the wife of a Roman patrician. Her name was Lucretia. The Romans rise up against these kings, led by Lucius Junius Brutus. He founds the Roman Republic.

The Roman Republic was founded in 509 BCE.

12. The Second Punic War is most known.

Does Power Corrupt?

Power: “the possession of controlling influence.” Power can be held as a teacher, parent, dictator, boss, or by other authoritative figures. What someone does with the power they have determines if it is corruptive.

Power can be used in a good way. With a strong, well-liked leader who makes good decisions, the power that they have will most likely not be corruptive. When driven by love, passion, and enthusiasm, power can make a positive difference. If used in the right way, a person can make a difference with the force and influence that they have. With good morals and good reasons to be powerful, it will not cause any damage. It can be used for equal rights. A powerful person can inspire others to do the right thing, and they can lead by example. They can create opportunities for others. For instance, the power that Martin Luther King, Jr. possessed caused something great. He gained trust and respect from people, which led him to be able to use his power effectively. With his leadership and his ability to make people listen to what he was saying, he was able to make a big change in history and lead the Civil Rights Movement. With a good person and leader having power, it does not have to be corruptive.

When power is in the wrong hands, it is corruptive. When someone is “power-hungry”, they want to control as much as they can. This is a situation where power can corrupt and things become bad. The person feels the need to make all of the decisions and be the one in charge. They want power for the wrongs reasons. When power is gained, more is wanted and greed starts to take over. A person may achieve fame when powerful and in the spotlight. People with power usually end up abusing it because they have control and can take advantage of others. Power can also be used for personal gain, to get a reward. In the case of Hitler, the power that he had was horrific. He was able to control everyone and made them participate in his horrible ideas and actions. His weapon was fear; if you did not listen to him, you would suffer consequences such as jail or death. People followed him because they were afraid. His power caused tragedy, catastrophe, and disaster.

Politicians receive power and can sometimes take advantage of it when in office. They can think that they are “above the law”, which is the problem with many people who obtain power. They preach one thing but do something else. Another example that is easy to relate to is coaches taking advantages of their position and the power they have over their athletes. If they know that they can control what is happening on the field, court, or in the gym, they can abuse their power and become unfair and ignorant. These are situations in which power is not used well and can cause problems.

Some positions of power can be both good and bad. In the example of police officers, one may be a good person and do their job well, while the other may be discriminative and treat people unjustly. While having the job and power of a police officer should be a good thing, it too can become corruptive.

In conclusion, power needs to be put in the hands of the right people. When someone with good morals and values is powerful, many good opportunities and advancements can be a result. When put in the hands of the wrong people, power can become a bad word and have a bad meaning. It can cause damage and destruction to those affected by it. Power is inevitable, but corruptive power can be avoidable.

Web. 25 Feb. 2010. <http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=ig&defl=en&q=define:power&ei=uhGHS6LRFdOZ8Aba8-WdDw&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title&ved=0CAkQkAE>.

Picture Source:

Flickr. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/philly_police/3273730854/>.

What Compels Someone to Lead Others?

A leader is said to be, "a guiding or directing head." I think that some people have the natural instinct to stand up and be a leader. These types of people are courageous, confident, and believe in what they think should be done. Someone may become a leader because they do not like the way that things are being done and wish to change them. Some people are naturally shy, while others are not, and those others are the ones to purposely show leadership. Someone may not intentionally lead others, but are looked up to and therefore people follow what they do. A person who wants to be a leader may want it for different things: money, power, fame, or simply because they are passionate about something. Wanting to be a leader is embedded in someone's characteristic, personality, and actions.

Web. 25 Feb. 2010. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/leaders>.

Picture Source:

Flickr. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/24756454@N00/323534537/>.

Dionysus

Dionysus on Prezi

Web. 24 Feb. 2010. <http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Dionysos.html>.

Picture Source:

Flickr. Web. 24 Feb. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/8593619@N06/538803175/>.

Notes on Alexander the Great

1. Alexander the Great was born in Macedon in the shadow of Mt. Olympus
2. He was born to King Phillip of Macedon. His father was a gruff old guy who had been in a lot of wars. He had one eye and was a manly man. Phillip had a lot of enemies. When Alexander was 19 years old his father was assassinated. He then took the throne.
3. The first thing he did was take revenge of the assassins. He then returned to Macedon and had to decide what to do as a 19 year old king.
4. He decided he was going to be the guy who finally takes revenge on the Persians for the war. He is going to Invade Persia.
5. By the end of the story, Alexander the Great who starts at age 19 is going to conquer the entire known world.
6. He went to Troy and when he gets there he lands on the shore. It is a symbolic gesture and he hurls a spear at the seashore and it lands in the sands. He says by this spear I claim Persia.
7. He entered his first battle down along the coast and won. He continued to Gordia. It is a town on the coast of Anatolia.
8. The legend of the town says if you can figure out the knot on the ox cart you will be the ruler of the world. The ends of the knot are all tucked underneath and inside. He says it does not matter how the knot is undone so he slashed the knot with his sword.
9. He then decided to head down along the coast and battles Persians along the wall. He continues along the Nile and comes down through Syria and Palestine across the Sinai peninsula and into Egypt. The Egyptians loved him and hailed him as king. Egyptians hated the Persians.
10. The city of Alexandria was founded in Egypt because of him.
11. He decided to take a road trip into the desert and go to the Libyan desert to Siwa.
12. He went to the oracle in Siwa and as he walked in they greet him as the Son of God. They said he was son of the god Amon (the Egyptain version of Zeus).
13. He went back across the dessert ready for war. He knows that the Persian capital is Persepolis. The Persian kings were honored as gods and it was the greatest empire. He headed into Mesopotamia, modern day Iraq. He met the Persians on the battlefield.
14. In 333 BCE Alexander met Darius, the king of Persia, on the battlefield in the Battle of Issus. The best warriors they had were the mercenaries that were around the king. Alexander takes his own calvary and within the first minute of the battle they rush across the river.

Roman Republic and Modern Democracies

The Roman Republic never returned back to monarchy after 509 BC. Rome became ruled by a Senate and its assembly, and today we have a Senate that is a part of our government. At the beginning of the Republic, the Romans created a constitution including the traditions and institutions of the government. It was basically a serious of unwritten traditions and laws based on the institution of the monarchy, even though the monarchy was not revived. Our country follows the Constitution written by James Madison. It is our country's main set of rules and regulations. The Romans elected consuls who were patricians in office for one year. The consuls "initiated legislation, served as the head of the judiciary and the military, and served as chief priests to the nation." The people in our government are elected and have different jobs to do. Our president could be considered a consul, but he oversees others doing these jobs. We have many similarities between modern democracies and the Roman Republic.

Web. 23 Feb. 2010. <http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ROME/REPUBLIC.HTM>.

Picture Source:

Flickr. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/lamsonlibrary/242351698/>.

Notes on Peloponnesian War

1. Sparta and Athens went to war.
2. The Port of Piraeus is not by Athens. Athens created the "long walls." From the city center, two walls were built to the harbor.
3. Sparta and Athens come out over summer and battle. Eventually Sparta is able to move the Athenians back who decided to hold up in Athens. The Athenians are stuck in the city and the Spartans have closed off the long walls. The Spartans burn down crops. The plague then hit and it hit hard. The Athenians are basically trapped and come to somewhat a truce. The Spartans go home, but the Athenians suffered great losses.

Alcibiades was the one that came up with the plan to attack Sicily. There was vandalism in the city of Athens and he was blamed.