What were Roman attitudes towards women and children when the Twelve Tables were written?

The Romans looked down upon women and children. If a child was deformed in any way, they would be killed, as it states in Table IV. Children were not beloved for who they were and for what they had to offer to the world.

Female were also treated unfairly. Females needed to be in constant company of a guardian, even when they had reached a mature age. Women were not allowed to cry during a funeral or shout "Alas!" Women were treated as a man's daughter after living together and becoming married. We know that today this is not the case and men and women are looked at, for the most part, as equal individuals. It is evident to see that women were not very highly thought of and had limits on their rights.

Flickr. Web. 5 Mar. 2010. <http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/12tables.html>.

Picture Soruce:

Flickr. Web. 5 Mar. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandmarg/4166868230/>.

What's So "Ancient" About Rome?

For something to be considered “ancient”, it is said by Dictionary.com that it has to be “belonging to times long past, especially of the historical period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire.” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ancient)

Rome was founded by Romulus in 753 B.C., 2,763 years ago. Rome started off being unnoticed, but grew to be a huge empire. It is the foundation of many things that are still present in the world today. Rome is currently the capital of Italy and one of the world’s great historic cities. Because of its history, it is called the Eternal City. Ancient Rome’s influence can be seen today in fields such as architecture, government, language, and law. For centuries, Rome was the supreme rule of Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. Rome ruled the ancient Western world as the capital of the Roman Empire. (Rome, The World Book Encyclopedia)

When I think about the beginning of humanity in the world, I automatically think back to the time when Jesus was born and lived. Many times I do not realize that so many important events took place before Jesus was born. In fact, it was the Romans who persecuted Jesus, so they were established and known a long time before Jesus was born. When looking forward to Easter, I have never thought of it as involving the Romans, although they played the biggest role in hanging Jesus on the cross; they were the ones who put Jesus to death. I find this piece of information very interesting because many people in Rome are now Catholic, which shows that there has been a lot change in Rome since the time of Jesus. The Catholic Pope even currently lives in Rome. Thinking that Rome was around much before Jesus leads me believe and understand to the fact that it is a very ancient city and has been around for centuries to build itself a well-known dynasty.

Many things that are present in the United States are based off of different ideas and models from Ancient Roman times. “In 450 B.C., the first Roman law code was inscribed on 12 bronze tablets--known as the Twelve Tables--and publicly displayed in the Roman Forum.” We have a Constitution which states our laws and the rights that we as human beings have in the United States of America. By around 300 B.C., political law in Rome was centered in the Senate. Our Senate today is an extremely important part of our government, making up the Congress, and it has many exclusive powers. (http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome) Rome has influenced a variety of different things in the world today.

Rome has gone through many changes throughout their history. It started off as being unnoticed and small. Rome gradually began to gain power and become authoritative. In 406 B.C., Rome attacked Veii, which was the first major victory in a campaign of steady expansion into Latin and Etruscan territory. From 343 to 341 B.C. was the First Samnite War. It increased Rome’s power base significantly. In the Latin war, Rome extended its citizenship to almost all parts of the territory. In the next two Samnite Wars, Rome defeats and crushes their opponents. Rome then went on to fight in the Punic and Macedonians Wars and continued to gain more and more power. (http://www.history.co.uk/shows/rome-rise-and-fall-of-an-empire/season-1/timeline.html)

It is evident to see that Rome was a very powerful and influential city in ancient times, and still is today. It has centuries of history behind it and many stories to be learned about it. Rome will be forever famous and be known as an ancient city.

Works Cited

Dictionary.com. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ancient>.

History.com. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. <http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-rome>.

Web. 4 Mar. 2010. <http://www.history.co.uk/shows/rome-rise-and-fall-of-an-empire/season-1/timeline.html>.

The World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. 16. 404. Print.

Picture Source:

Flickr. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/italytravelista/4109582566/>.

History Resource

http://www.history.com/topics

History.com is full of information on various topics related to history. If you search something under "topics" a variety of results appear. Everything you can think of to search will appear with in-depth information to start your research. This website is a good basis for information about battles, people, events, and much more.

Herodotus, Thucydides, and Livy

Herodotus

Herodotus was born at Halicamassus, which is a Greek city in southwest Asia Minor that was then under Persian rule. It is said that he was in Athens, or at least in central Greece, during the Peloponnesian War. He was a wide traveler and traveled for many years. One opinion about Herodotus's writing is that he "began with a plan for the history of the war and that later he decided on a description of the Persian Empire itself. " "Herodotus was a great traveler with an eye for detail, a good geographer, a man with an indefatigable interest in the customs and past history of his fellowmen, and a man of the widest tolerance." He was one of the first Greek historians. He remains a leading source of information of the period between 550 BC and 479 BC. (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/263507/Herodotus )

Thucydides

Thucydides lived from 460 BC - 400 BC. He was a Greek historian of Athens, and one of the greatest of ancient historians. He was a general in the Peloponnesian and failed to prevent the surrender of Amphipolis to Brasidas. He was exiled until the end of the war. "He thus had opportunity to acquaint himself with both the Athenians and the Spartans and to acquire firsthand information for his one work." His work, History of the Peloponnesian War, covered 431 BC to 411 BC. This work inteprets the succession of events in view of the general behavior of man, rather than as the result of a fate outside a man's influence. Thucydides is acclaimed as the creator of scholarly history as we know it today.

Livy

Titus Livius, or Livy, lived fromy 59 BC - 17 AD. He was a historian who wrote a history of Rome and the Roman people. It was called Ab Urbe Condita Libri, which means "Chapters from the Foundation of the City." It covered the period from the earliest legend of Rome through the region of Augustus in Livy's own time. He was close with the Julio-Claudian family, and advised Augustus's nephew, the future emperor Claudius, to take up the writing of history. He was a well known historian. (http://www.timelineindex.com/content/view/2179)

Web. 3 Mar. 2010. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/263507/Herodotus>.

Web. 3 Mar. 2010. <http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Thucydides.aspx>.

Web. 3 Mar. 2010. <http://www.timelineindex.com/content/view/2179>.

Picture Sources:

Flickr. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/claudia_s/2191906161/>.

Flickr. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/awsmile/2303923150/>.

Flickr. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/44761191@N05/4300935164/>.

Life as a Roman

In the year 264 BCE..

It is 264 BC, and war is beginning. Although we have a powerful force and outnumber Carthage, the outcome of this war is unpredictable. It is mostly all everyone thinks about. If it goes well for us, I believe that things will only become better for Rome. With a very successful government, I feel safe and am confident in our abilities. With power comes money, and with money comes advancements in technology and lifestyles. If Carthage is victorious, we will be in trouble. I am just crossing my fingers that we come out on top, and our leaders handle the power without being corruptive.

Today..

Thinking about the history of Rome, my city has stayed strong and earned what we have. It is hard to believe that we were able to fight the Punic Wars with the weapons we used to have, because our technology and advancements today are incredible and can be very damaging and dangerous. We have advanced from a sword and spear to things much greater today. I am impressed with my city and see things only getting better for us.

Web. 2 Mar. 2010. <http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ROME/PUNICWAR.HTM>.

Picture Source:

Flickr. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/bispham2/2501576450/>.

Notes of Punic Wars

1. Punic Wars were fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 to 146 BC.
2. Battle of Cannai - 60,000 of Rome's best soldiers die on the battlefield
3. Hannibal's purpose was to destroy and defeat Rome
4. Scipio
• Scared off elephants, charged calvary, elephants turn back to Carthage line
• Roman calvary hits Carthage from behind

- Herodotus is known as the father if history. He writes a systematic history of a series of event and concentrates primarily on the events surrounding the Persian Wars. He goes out and tracks down stories for himself.

- Thucydides was Greek and lived after Herodotus. He wrote the history of the Peloponnesian War. He is a more accurate historian and really tried to get the story right.

- Livy is a Roman historian. He write the history of Rome from the beginning of Romulus and Remus all the way up to his time, the age of the emperor Augustus.

---These three authors are the basis if you are a historian.

Hannibal Barca

Hannibal Barca (248-183 BC) was the son of Hamilcar Barca. "Hannibal was taken to Spain by his father and at an early age was made to swear eternal hostility to Rome." His earliest commands were given to him in the Carthaginian province by Hasdrubal, who is the son-in-law and successor of Hamilcar. Hannibal married a Spanish princess and conquered many Spanish tribes. (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/254423/Hannibal/3010/Early-life ) Hannibal led Carthage against the city of Rome in the battles known as the Punic Wars. In the second Punic War, lasting from 218-202 BC, Hannibal led his army and elephants over the Alps. They attacked the Romans on their own soil. For many years, Hannibal led this victorious army up and down present Italy. He defeated the Romans on every battlefield. The Romans were unable to stop Hannibal in Italy, therefore they took the fight to the Phoenician colonies in Spain. Hannibal was eventually lured to North Africa, where the Roman troops were finally able to defeat him. (http://www.phoenician.org/carthage_hannibal_barca.htm )

Web. 1 Mar. 2010. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/254423/Hannibal/3010/Early-life>.

Web. 1 Mar. 2010. <http://www.phoenician.org/carthage_hannibal_barca.htm>.

Picture Source:

Flickr. Web. 1 Mar. 2010. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/rgarciasuarez74/2917288907/>.

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.