May 28, 2015: Last Class

Today was our last class in Western Civilization. We spent the entire class writing three essays for our final exam next Wednesday. You could pick three out of the five topics to write about. I chose to compare and contrast the government of Ancient Rome with the Current U.S. government in 2015. The second essay i picked was to write about the meaning of the phrase fro Socrates, "The unexamined life is not worth living." The final essay i wrote was to compare the social hierarchy of Ancient Egypt with Ancient Rome.

May 27, 2015: Class

Today in West Civ Mr. Schick showed us an article about a shooter killing an employee at Walmart in North Dakota. Then he passed out our tests while Rosemary and Karson took the Rome test. We reviewed the tests.

May 26, 2015: Class

In class today we took our test on ancient Rome. We had about the first ten minutes of class to study and then we took it. When everyone was finished he graded them and told us our grades. I got a 93%.

May 22, 2015: Test

Things to know for the test on Rome.

- Washington D.C. not actually a swamp (2% swamp)
- First people to settle in Rome: Etruscans, Latins, Greeks
- Latins settled first
- Tarquin the Proud (Tarquinias Superbus)
   - Seventh and Final king of Rome
- Law of the Twelve Tables
- Res Publica : the people's affairs
   - Democracy
   - Aristocracy
   - Republic

- Rome: Executive - Two consuls
- U.S.: Executive - President and VP

- Rome: Legislative - Senate: 300 / Assemblies: 193
- U.S.: Legislative - Senate: 100 (each state) / House of Representatives: 435

- Rome: Judicial - Praetors
- U.S.: Judicial - Supreme Court

- Rome: Legal Code - Twelve Tables
- U.S.: Legal Code - Bill of Rights (The Ten Amendments)

- Punic Wars
   - Three
   - Rome vs. Carthage
   - First war started because of territory for Sicily
   - Second war because Carthage wanted revenge
   - Third because Rome was tired of Carthage as a threat
(Rome won all three wars)

- Latifundia
- Tiberius Gracchus
- Julius Caesar
   - Formed Triumvirate with Pompey and Crassus (Rule of three men)
   - "Crossing the Rubicon"

May 21, 2015: Projects

Today in West Civ we finished up the Rome projects today. The first project to present today was from Chesca, Jessica, and Alyssa. Their project was on Roman pottery. They talked about the different types, compared them to Greek pottery, and what the pottery was used for. Then Jeremiah, Parker, Rory, and Dylan went. Their project was the Gladiators of Rome. they talked about their role, who was put into their position, and into more detail. The last person to go was Kendall, Ellee, and Karson. they made a board game about Rome. It was based on Roman trivia.

May 20, 2015: Projects

In class today three more people presented their projects on Rome. The first person to present was Jayla. Her project was on pottery from ancient Rome. She explained how important poetry was in Rome and what it was used for. The next was project was from Alex and Arthur. The researched roman Architecture and made a model of a temple. Then finally Trish and Caitlyn presented their project. They made a diary of he life of a plebeian and patrician life.

May 19, 2015: Projects

Today in Western Civilization three projects were presented. The first project was Zaire, Veronica, Rosemary, and I with our Roman meal. We made Columella Salad, A type of pasta, Roman cheesecake, and a type of apple juice. We gave the class samples of each and then discussed what the Romans ate, how they ate, and the ingredients of the food. The next project was by Adam, Steven, and Evan with their parody of Iggy Azalea. They made a song about Rome, recorded it, and then presented in class with the lyrics on the Smart board. Finally, David presented his power point on the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus. He gave detailed information about each like the structure, what happened there, when it was built, and many other facts.

May 15, 2015: Class

Today in class we watched a six minute video about a blues artist who died last night. After watching the video, we discussed more on the Rome project. We talked about the paper and what should be on it and then we were showed the schedule for us to present our projects. For the rest of class we worked on our Rome project or other homework while we listened to some blues music.

May 14, 2015: Notes

In class today we waited for Mr. Schick to come and then we waited for someone to finish taking the pop quiz on Rome. We then reviewed previous notes and took more notes on Rome.

How To Keep Plebs Happy
- Anxiously hope for bread and circuses
- Bread (free grain from the state) and entertainment (circus Maximus, Colosseum) pertially to keep them alive, partially to keep them quiet
- Government screwing them over

Change In Rule 
- Tiberius Gracchus recognized the advantages of courting the Plebians (eventually unsuccessful)
- military generals worked angle - lead an army that conquers a land, then give them a share for spoils
- Soldiers' loyalty was to their military leader, not necessarily to Rome or Republic

Caesar
- Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.E.)
- A highly successful general
- Conquered a huge territory of Gaul (current France)

Played Games in Politics
- Made common folks happy
- Made friends in high places
   - Pompey (General that conquered Syria and Palestine)
   - Crassus (richest man in Rome, One of richest men in all history)
- These three en formed the first Triumvirate ("rule of three men")

May 13, 2015: Class

In class today we took a pop quiz on Rome. It was ten questions about the material we are learning so far and i got an 80%. For the last half hour of the class Veronica, Rosemary, Zaire, and I worked on our paper for the Rome project that is due next Monday.

May 12, 2015: Class

In class today we finished watching the video about Rome on YouTube. It ended with the Senate killing Tiberius while he was running a second time as Tribune.

May 8, 2015: Class

In class today Veronica, Zaire, Rosemary and I worked on our project. Or project is Ancient Roman dishes consisting of a four course meal. Specifically, we worked on the paper for the project. We have to explain what we chose, why we chose it, and how it relates to Ancient Rome.

May 8, 2015: Class

Today in class we watched a video on the Roman Empire and Tiberius. The video was based on real events with the help of modern historians.

May 6, 2015: Notes

In Class today we took more notes on Rome. 

"5000 soldiers not in it for pay"

- The Roman army's elite heavy infantry 

- Recruited exclusively from Roman citizens

- Group of eight's a century 

- Usually on horseback/ cavalry 

- Shield, Sword, Dagger, and armor

Punic Wars

- The Punic Wars (264-146 B.C.E.)

- Rome vs. Carthage 

- Three wars

First Punic War (264-241 B.C.E.)

- Naval battles for control of the strategically located island of Sicily 

- Rome Wins this war 

Second Punic War (218-201 B.C.E.)

- 29 year old Carthaginian general Hannibal almost does the impossible: Taking Rome 

- attacks Rome from the NORTH after crossing the Iberia (Spain) and the Alps 

- lays seige to much of the peninsula for 15 years, but he can never get to Rome 

- Rome wins again 

Third Punic War (149-146 B.C.E.)

- Rome wanted to finally remove the threat of Carthage

- Scipio, Tiberius Gracchus, and others mercilessly attacked the city 

- Carthage was burned for 17 days; they city's wall and buildings were utterly destroyed

- when the war ended, the last 50,000 people in the city were sold into slavery 

- The rest of Carthage's territories were annexed, and made into the Roman province of Africa

Economic change, social upheavel 

- Slaves poured into Italy (50,000 Carthaginians)

- By the end of the second century B.C.E. there were over a million slaves in Italy

- Small farmers lost their land to aristocrats for little or no money if they couldn't pay their debts, sometimes because the men of the farm were fighting battles 

- Slaves did not work on the farms for the rich 

- The big farms became a massive estates called Latifundia 

May 5, 2015: Notes

Today in class we took more notes on Rome.

Three Governments in One
Rule of kings replaced by the rule of two consuls
- consuls are elected officials
- terms of office; one year
- always aristocrats (Patricians)
- Patricians traced their descent from a famous ancestor, or pater ("Father")

Challenge from "regular folks"
- fifth century B.C.E. - Patrician dominance of the government was challenged by the Plebs ("people")
- Plebs were 98% of the population

How did the Patricians dominate?
- Plebs had to serve in the army, but could not hold office
- Plebs were threatened with debt slavery
- Plebs had no legal rights

No Legal Rights 
- Plebs were victims of discriminatory decisions in judicial trials
- Rome had no actual laws, just unwritten customs
- Patricians could interpret these to their own advantage

Plebs refused to serve in the military until
- Laws were written out (The Law of the Twelve Tables)
- These Laws (on tablets) were posted in public (in 450 B.C.E.)
- Tribunes ("tribal Leaders") were elected

SPQR
- SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanum
- Designates any decree or decision made by "The Roman Senate and people"

Res Publica - The people's affair 
Brand new republic, ready to run
- democracy (the people's assembly and the tribunes)
- aristocracy (The Senate - approx. 300 members)
- plus monarchy (the consuls)
- not a tyranny

Ancient Rome/USA
- Originally, the US modeled their new government on the model used by the ancient Romans
- not exactly the same
- both had three branches of government
   - executive
   - legislative
   - judicial
- Both have a legal code

3 branches in 1 Rome/US

SPQR - executive                                                        USA - executive
- two consuls                                                                - president (and VP)
- one year term                                                             - Four year term
- each has veto power                                                   - Can veto proposed laws
- controls the military                                                   - Commander-in-chief
- could appoint a dictator in crisis

for a six-month term 

Legislative                                                                   Legislative 

- Senate: 300 people - members for                            - Senate: 100 Senators (six year term)

life                                                                               - House of representatives: 435 members - two 

- Assemblies: 193 members - members                        year terms 

for life 

Judicial                                                                          Judicial 

- Praetors                                                                       - Supreme Court 

- Chosen by the Centuriate Assembly                          - Nine members

- One year term                                                             - Appointed by the president, conformed by the 

                                                                                        Senate 

                                                                                      - Lifetime terms 

April 30, 2015:Notes

Today in class we had grandparents visit and we took more notes on Rome.

Rome

Who Settled Rome?

Etruscans

- Came from the North-central part of the peninsula 

- metalworkers, artists, architects

- two foundation myths: Virgil's Aeneid (where Aeneas escapes from Troy), plus the story of Remus and Romulus 

Greeks

- They had many colonies around the Mediterranean Sea

- Roman borrowed ideas from them, such as:

   - Religious Beliefs 

   - Alphabet 

   - Much of their art 

   - Military techniques and weaponry 

Latins 

- Descendants of Indo - Europeans 

- Settled onto the banks of the Tiber 

- Situated so trading ships - but not war fleets - could navigate as far as Rome, but no further 

- A commercial port, but not susceptible to attack 

- And built on seven hills (except Palatine)

Swamp Drainage

- Many streams flowed into the Tiber River

- There was a marshy area called the Forum, between Palatine and Capitoline Hills 

- Tarquin the Proud's grandfather built the Cloaca Maxima (largest ancient drain), which channeled water into the Tiber 

Tarquin

- Lucius Tarquinias Superbus 

- The seventh and final king of Rome 

- Known as Tarquin the Proud (also known as Tarquin the Arrogant)

- A true tyrant, in the old and modern sense of the word 

- Tarquin seized the power like an old school tyrant 

April 29, 2015: Class

Today in class we got into groups and decided what we were going to do for the Rome project. Veronica, Rosemary, Zaire, and I are making a four course meal of Ancient Roman food and presenting it in class.

April 28, 2015: Class

Today in Western Civilization we talked about the riots in Baltimore. We discussed what how it is related to Rome and their uprisings and put our opinions in on what we think of it. We told stories of how bad it is and what it's like to grow up in Baltimore.

April 24, 2015: Class

Today in class we went over different types of project we do for the Ancient Rome project. I'm in a group with Rosemary, Zaire, and Veronica.We are going to do the different types of food that were fed at a Roman Dinner Party.

April 23, 2015: Notes

In class today we started to go over the terms in the Rome song.

Rome - By Chi Cago 

Vocabulary Terms

- Tiber River

- Rome

- Tarquin the Proud: ruled from 534 - 510 B.C.E

- Patricians

- Plebians (know the difference)

- Republic: Three forms of government: Democracy, Aristocracy, and Monarchy 

- Aristocracy 

- 12 Tablets/Tables: Laws published in square

April 23, 2015: Class

Today in class we mostly did homework while Mr. Schick graded the last of the Greece papers to give back to us.

April 22, 2015: Notes

Today in class we took notes on Rome and listened to a song that Mr. Schick (Chicago) created.

Rome

City-state and Empire: The Roman Republic (1 of 4)

- Italy and it's people 

- Indo-European tribes moved into the Italian peninsula and some settled along the river creating the city-state known as Rome 

- The Etruscan people, originally form the east, had settled in the north of Italy and were an early influence on the Romans. 

- Romans were also influenced by the Greek settlements to their south and learned the alphabet and city-state organization from them 

City-state and Empire: the Roman Republic (2 of 4)

- The Roman Republic: The Senate and the People 

- Originally, Rome was a monarchy on the Etruscan model with a council of elders called the "senate"

- Around 500 B.C.E., the Romans overthrew their monarchy and established a "republic"

- Since the senate was populated only by Patricians (aristocratic men), the Plebians (ordinary men)fought for a vote in Rome's government 

- Each year the senate elected two rulers, "consuls," who each served one term of one year

- As in the Greek city-states, the Romans would appoint a single dictator in times of war or conflict 

April 17, 2015: Class

Today in western civilization we had a shadow. We talked about our projects briefly and then we did homework for the rest of the class.

April 16, 2015: Class

Today in class we talked about different kinds of projects we could do for Rome other than an essay and a power point. Some suggestions included making different Roman food (not just spaghetti), role-playing the Roman Gods and Goddesses, and making video of a war using different types of techniques like the Phalanx.

April 15, 2015: Class

Today in class we waited for about 10 minutes fro Mr. Schick to pull up a video. The video was about Plato and his book "The Allegory of the Cave." After watching the video, we discussed the interpretation of it and what people thought about the story line of it.

April 14, 2015: Class

Today in Western Civilization we went over the Greece test we took before we went on spring break. I got an 86%.
Questions i got wrong:

15) Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the period from 1150 B.C. to 750 B.C.?
A. the art of writing was neglected
B. Dorians planted the seeds of democracy 
C. trade came to a standstill
D. centralized economy collapsed

32) This war was fought between Sparta and Athens for almost 30 years.
A. Trojan War
B. Persian War
C. Civil War
D. Peloponnesian War

34) This is a notion of excellence and virtue; the act of living up to one's full potential.
A. agora
B. arete
C. helot
D. epic narrative

36) He was the prominent leader during Athens' Golden Age.
A. Socrates
B. Isagoras
C. Pericles
D. Cleisthenes

41) He ran an influential school called the Lyceum
A. Aristotle 
B. Plato
C. Socrates

44) He developed The Allegory of the Cave
A. Aristotle
B. Plato
C. Socrates

50) Which of the following modern-day countries would NOT be considered a member of "western civilization"?
A. Greece
B. England
C. China
D. Italy
E. United States

April 1, 2015: Power-Point & Class

Today in class we took a test to finish up the unit of Ancient Greece. We also had to turn in our 1000 word paper about Ancient Greece.

Gods and Goddesses
- What is unique about the Greeks' relationship with their gods is the interaction with the humans
- Poseidon (god of the sea) interfered with the Odysseus trying to return home
- Aphrodite (goddess of love) had lovers of both gods and men
- Dionysus (God of wine) was the son of Zeus (a god) and of Semele ( a human princess)
- And on and on and on...


Who's who in the Pantheon
- Zeus: ruler of heaven and earth; father of Athena; god of the sky, weather, thunder, lightning, law, order, and justice.
- Had a temper and was known to hurl thunderbolts

Athena
- Goddess of wisdom, skill, warfare (and peace), intelligence, battle strategy, and handicrafts.
- She was born from Zeus' head fully formed and armored.
- A special patron of heroes: such as Odysseus
- She was the patron of Athens (the city was named after her).

Just a few of the many...
Apollo - God of music, arts, knowledge, healing
- Zeus was his father, Artemis was his twin sister
- He's associated with the sun, his sister with the moon
Poseidon - god of the sea, rivers, floods, earthquakes
- Brother of Zeus, king of the sea and waters
Aphrodite - Goddess of love, beauty, desire, sexuality
- Her lovers include Ares (god of war), Adonis (demi-god of desire), and Anchises (a mortal who father a baby)
Demeter- Goddess of grain, harvest, agriculture
- Zeus's sister

The Fighting Spartans
- Greeks were certainly a warlike people: especially the Spartans
- Spartans were known for their tough, ruthless infantry: Soldiers who fought on land
- Spartan boys trained from the time they were seven
- Real Spartans were much more fearsome than those oily gym rats in the movie 300 (IMHO)

A Naval Power
- Athens had a great infantry, too, but nothing could compare with their navy
- Their most effective weapon was trireme
- A technological marvel
- Fastest ship in the world at the time
Rowed by up to 170 men on three levels
- Could be used as a battering ram
- Agile, fast

The Phalanax...
- Close rank, dense grouping of warriors
- Armed with long spears and interlocking shields
- Soldiers would advance slowly toward the enemy, until they broke through their ranks

Socrates
- Looked to science and logic (not the mythological gods) for explanations of how the world worked
- The Socratic method fostered critical thinking
- "The unexamined life is not worth living"
- Socrates was charged with serious crimes: Impiety (disrespecting the gods), Corrupting the youth of Athens
- At his trial, he described himself as a stinging gadfly, and Athens as a lazy old horse
- Did not deny what he had done; asked for free dinners
- Found guilty by an Athenian jury, and sentenced to death by drinking poison hemlock (nasty way to go)

Plato Carries On
- Plato was a student and follower of Socrates
- He wrote out Socrates' teachings, and described his trial in Apology
- Republic was Socrates' discussion of justice and the ideal state - one of the most influential books on philosophy ever written

Aristotle - So ambitious...
- Aristotle was a student of Plato
- He helped foster the idea of Athens as an intellectual destination
- His school - the Lyceum - focused on cooperative research - building on knowledge gathered from all over the world

Did Aristotle invent the internet?
- Not exactly, but he did dream of having the sum of mankind's knowledge easily accesed in one location
- He wrote extensively on such topics:
Logic - physics - biology
Ethics - politics - rhetoric
Motion - theatre - poetry
Metaphysics - psychology - dreams
- He also tutored Alexander the Great

March 31, 2015: class

Today in Western Civilization Veronica, Adam, and I worked on our Greece paper. We are almost done we have just about 300 words left to until we reach 1,000. It was hard to write a paper on our topic because it was vague. We wrote about the history of it and how Gods and Goddesses were used in Religion and we talked about the twelve Olympians which were the main Gods and their parents and little history and background about how they overthrew their parents and ruled.

March 27, 2015: Class

Today in class Mr. Delpuppo (I don't think i spelled that right) was our substitute and for the first twenty minutes or so i worked on the Greece (the role of mythology: Greek Gods and Goddesses) paper that's due on Wednesday. After those twenty minutes, i watched the video: "Greeks: the Crucible of Civilization for the rest of the class period.

March 26, 2015: Class

Today in class Mr. Schick wasn't here so we either worked on our papers, Studied for the test on Ancient Greece next Wednesday, or watched a video about Ancient Greece. Veronica, Adam, and I all worked on our 1000 word paper that's due next Wednesday. Our paper is on The role of Greek Mythology: Greek Gods and Goddesses.

March 24, 2015: Presentations

Today in class four groups presented their projects on Greece.

The first presentation was Pericles and the Golden Age by Ellee, Rory, and Kendall.
- Performed tragedies and comedies in plays written around 430 B.C.E
- Plato was the inventor of logic, "father of European thought"
- Socrates created the creator of the question and answer method
What ended the Golden Age?
- Athens wanted to become stronger while Sparta wanted them to become weaker
- This conflict created a war the broke out

The next presentation was the Hoplites & Triremes: Warfare by Karson, Jayla, and Zaire
- Hoplite: most common type of heavily armed foot-soldier in Greece
- 1/3 to 1/2 of men are estimated to have to fight and needed to buy materials for war
- Hoplon: A round shield used for protection for themselves and their neighbor, while also being used as a weapon to bash the enemies
- Triremes: Ancient boats used in the Mediterranean sea, Dominant ships
- Although large in size, they were light enough for the crew to carry back to shore
- Most used in the Persian war: Between Persia & the Greek city-states

After that Chesca, Jessica, and Alyssa presented Philosophers
- Socratic method influenced the scientific method
- Aristotle focused on the systematic concept of logic
- Plato was so upset from the Execution of Socrates that he left Athens
- Republic: Most influential work of Plato
- Socrates defended democracy but the philosophers didn't like the idea of stupid people having a vote
- Philosophers thought that there should be philosopher kings because they were more educated

The final presentation before the class ended was Art and Architecture by Alex and Arthur
- Three main orders: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian order
- Doric: simplest order, no base
- Ionic: more slender, more decorative, shaft taller than Doric
- Corinthian: most decorative, If it was a nice building, this order was used
Greeks used sculpture to depict battle, mythology, and ruler of the land
Mostly made of marble and bronze
The classical period was when sculpture was dramatically increased
The hellenistic period was the peak of Greek sculpture

March 19, 2015: Notes

Today in class we took notes and started watching a movie about Greek history.

Next in line...
- With Hippias gone, Isagoras and Cleisthenes (both were aristocrats) engaged in a power struggle
- Isagoras had support from some fellow aristocrats, plus from Sparta
- Cleisthenes had support from the majority of Athenians

Isagoras wins (but not for too long)
- Isagoras becomes archon eponymous (tyrant)
- He ostracizes Cleisthenes
- Cleithenes' supporters - and the ordinary Athenian citizens - revolt against Isagoras tyranny
- They trap Isagoras on the acropolis for two days - on the third day he fled and was banished
- 508 B.C.E.

Cleisthenes and Democracy
- Cleisthenes: Definitely a member of the elite
- very rich
- insulted from the "ho polloi"
- a crafty politician

March 18, 2015: Notes

Transformation of government
- During the seventh and sixth centuries B.C.E, aristocrats ran the show in most of Greece
- Rich people held more influence in society, and held much more governmental power, than the middle class and the poor

Aristocracy
- Aristocracy is rule by aristocrats
- They attend symposiums, where the elite men would enjoy wine and poetry, performances by dancers and acrobats, and the company of hetaeres (courtesans) while discussing politics

An Exclusive Club
- No women (except the "entertainment")
- No middle class
- Certainly, no slaves
- Sometimes, even certain aristocrats (who didn't have the right connections or who fell out of favor) were excluded/ ostracized
- What to do if you're "on the outside"?

Tyrants Seize Control
- Sometimes aristocrats would form alliances with hoplites (well-armed soldiers), and set up an alternative form of government called a tyranny
- Tyrant: someone who rules outside the framework of the polis
- Modern meaning of a tyrant: an abusive or oppressive ruler
- The Greek meaning of Tyrant: someone who simply seized power (usually with hoplite help)

Clash of the tyrants
- Hippias was a tyrant who ruled from 527 to 510 BCE
- His brother was murdered, and his rule became harsh
- Eventually he was expelled from Athens (being ostracized)
- In revenge, he began working with the Persian King Darius I, helping them invade marathon

March 17, 2015: Class

Today in Western civilization we worked on our projects and tried to finish them up to present in class on Friday. Veronica, Adam, and I finished our project for the most part today. Our project is on the Greek Gods & Goddesses and the role of mythology. We used the twelve Olympians and described each God/Goddess.

March 12, 2015: Class

Today in class we talked about the Greek project we were assigned. Since me, Veronica, and Adam weren't here yesterday we were assigned "Gods and Goddesses: The Role of Mythology." We face timed Mr. Schick's daughter since it was her birthday and we sang happy birthday to her.

March 11, 2015: Sick

Today i was sick.

March 10, 2015: Greek notes

(Ancient) Greece is the Word

Three seas
The Aegean sea, The Adriatic sea, and the Ionian sea

Geography/ its significance
- Greece is a mountainous peninsula
- Mountains cover 3/4 of Greece
- Approximately 1400 islands in the Adriatic, Ionian, and Aegean seas
- This combination shaped Greece's culture
- They had many skilled sailors and shipbuilders
- Also had farmers, metalworkers, weavers, and potters
- They had poor/ limited natural resources, so they needed to trade
- It was difficult to unite the ancient Greeks because of the terrain
- They developed small, independent communities/ city-states

Even more geography...
- Although fertile valleys cover one quarter of the peninsula, only about 20% is arable/ suitable for farming
- Greek diet consists of grains, grapes, olives: Really healthy, Export to other places
- Lack of resources most likely led to Greek colonization
- Back then, temperatures usually ranged from mid- 40's in the winter to low 80's in the summer; although it could get hot in the summer, it was pretty nice year-round

Some early peoples - First, Mycenaeans
- Their influence began around 2000 B.C.E.
- Mycenae is located on a rocky ridge and protected by a 20 foot wall
- Mycenaean kings dominated Greece from 1600 - 1200 B.C.E.
- Controlled trade in the region
- 1400 B.C.E: Mycenaeans invaded Crete and absorbed Minoan culture and language

then, "Sea People" & Dorians
- Around 2000 B.C.E. the mysterious "Sea people" (not sure who they were to this day) began to invade Mycenae and burnt palace after palace
- So, the Dorians moved into this war-torn region

• They were far less advanced
• the trade-based economy collapsed
• Writing disappeared for 400 years 
• Talk about a culture in decline... except...

Enter Homer the storyteller

- Greek oral tradition: Stories passed on by the word of mouth

- Homer lived at the end of the "Greek dark ages"

- He composed stories of the Trojan war (took place in Troy) around 750-700 B.C.E. 

- The Iliad: Probably one of the last conquests of the Mycenaeans (The Trojan War)

- The Odyssey: Odysseus attempts to return home, being thwarted by the angry god of the sea, Poseidon

- The Odyssey was 12,110 lines of dactylic hexameter

Did Homer actually exist?

- the "Homeric question": Homer may have been a mythical creation himself 

- A blind wandering minstrel; a heroic figure 

- Iliad and Odyssey may be the culmination of many generations of storytelling

- Or... Homer actually existed and was just that awesome

March 5, 2015: Greek Arhcitecture

(got out of bed just to do this)

1. The temple of Athena Nike

- Temple on the Acropolis of Athens

- built in or around 420 B.C.E.

- In Greek, Nike means "Victory" 

- Athena was goddess in victory in war and wisdom 

- 27 feet long, 18 1/2 feet wide, and 23 feet tall

- Nike was originally going to be "winged victory" but since the statue didn't have any wings they later called it the "wingless victory"

 

2. Olympia
- Sanctuary in Greece
- Held the Olympic Games
- Sanctuary was known as Altis
- Random arrangement of different buildings

3. Corinthian Order
- Greek, Renaissance or Roman Corinthian orders
- The oldest Corinthian column was built around 450 - 420 B.C.E.
- Named after the Greek city-state, Corinth
- The height to width ratio is about 10:1
- Many variations

March 4, 2015: Class

In Western civilization today we talked mostly about how we won't have school tomorrow and probably not tomorrow. We will have a cyber assignment tomorrow most likely on Greek architecture. I will have to shovel by myself because my 19 year old brother can't get out of the basement for an hour or so and help me shovel. So I will have to shovel the drive way, the entire extended side walk, and half of the road, since the snow plow put all the snow on our drive way, all by myself. Jayla shared a story about a tribe girl who was found 1,000 years later and was still in good condition.

March 3, 2015: Ancient Greece is the Word

(Ancient) Greece is the Word

An introduction to a great civilization

The world's greatest civilizations were all located on rivers. 

Great civilizations/ Key river

Mesopotamia/ Tigris and Euphrates river

Egypt/ Nile river

India/ Indus river

China/ Huang He river

Greece's Geography

- Note the significance of Greece's location.

- Describe Greece's topography

Greece is a mountainous, peninsula on the Mediterranean sea. 

- Capital of Greece is Athena/ Athens

- Athens/ Athena lived by the idea of the city-state

Mediterranean Sea

Terra - Earth 

Mediterranean means middle of the earth 

A closer look

- What bodies of earth surround Greece?

The Adriatic sea is on the west shore and the Aegean sea is on the east shore. 

- What large island is south/southeast?

Crete is the large island south/southeast of Greece. 

- Describe where Athens and Sparta are located relating to sea, and to each other. 

Sparta is more inland and closer to the Adriatic sea, while Athens is on the coast of the Aegean sea. 

We most likely would be more advanced if there wasn't those 1,000 years of stupidity where the Romans copied everything the Greeks had done. 

Greek Mythology

- Trojan war fought in Troy

- Odyssey and Iliad are poems about the war

- The Iliad was the story of the Trojan war

- The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus trying to get home after the Trojan war

- Both were written in Rhyme and Rhythm 

- They were written by Homer 

February 27, 2015: Test on Ancient Egypt

In class today we took a test on Ancient Egypt. It only took me about 7-10 minutes because it didn't seem too hard. Some of the questions were about:

- Which direction the Nile flowed

- What supplied the Nile with water to flood

- How long ago was the Great Sphinx built

- Around what city was the Great Sphinx built

- What was the other writing form other than Hieroglyphs

- What was higher on the pyramid than the others

Then there were some questions on the pyramid challenge

- Where would you build a pyramid 

- What was it made out of 

- What would you feed the workers

I got a 100 on the test so this is my first 100 (:

February 26, 2015: Cyber day Assignment

1. The Nile river flows from which direction?
A. South to north
B. West to east
C. East to west
D. North to south

2. What was the Nile used for?
A. Drinking water
B. Bathing
C. Transportation
D. All of the above

3. What did the artisans do?
A. Raise wheat, onions, lentils, and barley
B. Helped the wealthy with household and child raising duties
C. Carve statues and reliefs showing military battles and scenes in the afterlife
D. Keep records, told stories, wrote poetry, described anatomy and medical treatments

4. There are five cataracts in the Nile. What are cataracts?
A. Where the river gets really rough with currents, rocks, etc.
B. A port in the river
C. Popular cities right on the river side
D. Tourist stores

5. Around what month did the river leave behind rich soil?
A. July
B. October
C. January
D. May

February 25, 2015: Class notes

In class today we took more notes on Ancient Egypt while a few other people did the online pyramid because they weren't here yesterday. 

Government by a God-king 

- Pharaoh was all powerful, worshiped as a God and intimately connected to other major Egyptian gods and goddesses

- Egyptians relied on a harmony and balance of the universe, which they called "maat" (known as Nirvana to Buddhists)

- Pharaohs had multiple wives, and all routes to financial and social success through the palace

- Women could inherit money and land and divorce their husbands, though only a tiny few ever wielded real political power

Gods, Humans, and Everlasting Life

- Gods were often portrayed with animal heads and bodies

- Egyptians believed in an afterlife and mummified bodies to preserve them for this post-death journey

- All souls would need to justify themselves at the point of death and be either sent to an after-world paradise, or the jaws of a monster

The Writings of the Words of God

- Earliest Egyptian writing formed c. 3100 B.C.E. and were small pictures known as hieroglyphs 

- Hieroglyphs represented religious words, or part of words, and most commonly adorned temples

- Hieratic script was a shorthand developed by scribes and priests

- Hieratic script was usually written in ink on Papyrus, which was made from mashed Nile reeds

- Papyrus, the precursor of paper, was stored in scrolls and these scrolls were the books of Ancient Egypt 

Calendars and Sailboats

- Egyptian astronomers created a calendar with 12 months and 365 days to make better sense of the seasonal cycles 

- Due to their excellent knowledge of human anatomy, Egyptian doctors wrote extensively on health issues and created potions and cures for a number of common ailments. 

- wooden sailboats were constructed to increase transport ability on the Nile

Pyramids and Temples

- The pyramids were massive stone temples, originally covered in marble but the marble was later stripped off during the Muslim conquest

- The temple of Amon at Karnak is the largest religious building in the world, also made out of huge blocks of stone 

- Stone sculptures and interior painting depicted humans and Gods in a series of regulated poses, often in profile and without perspective, but were highly effective

February 24, 2015: Class

Today in western civilization we had to do an assignment online and we had to build a pyramid. It took a while and was very complex. The percentage of slaves, craftsmen, farmers, and officials had to be the exact percent or it was wrong. You had to choose where you wanted to build your pyramid and what you wanted it to be made of. You had to choose what you wanted to pay the workers in and how many days they had before they had off. What you wanted to feed to them and you had to make the pyramid in a certain amount of time or else you failed. It took me and Trish basically the whole class period to figure it out but we finally finished it and got it correct at the last minute before the class ended. The first to people to finish got A's, The next two people after that got B's and everyone else got C's if they finished in class. Everyone who didn't finish got zeroes unless they finished it out of class, screenshot it, and sent it to Mr. Schick.

February 19, 2015: Class

Today we went over the power point we had to take notes on yesterday for the cyber day.

Geography
- Egyptian life centered around the Nile River
- It flows from south to north
- Cataracts- Where river gets really rough with currents, rocks, etc. There are five.
- Use sail to go north to south
- Delta is the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet. It is a triangular shape.
- River used for drinking, bathing, irrigating
- Every July it floods
- Every October is leaves behind rich soil
- Managing the river required technological breakthroughs for irrigation

Pyramids
- Pyramids + The great sphinx of Giza (was not a pyramid)
- Recumbent - Lying down
- A recumbent lion with a human's head
- Their thought was that since people are smart and are the dominant species, and animals have good features, they put the human and an animal together to create most of their Gods.
- Built in 2555-2532 B.C.E.
- Oldest monumental statue in the world
- Nose was shot off by Turks (The great sphinx of Giza)

Daily Life
From top to Bottom there were:
1. Pharaoh
2. Government officials (Nobles/Priests)
3. Soldiers
4. Scribes
5. Merchants
6. Artisans
7. Farmers
8. Slaves and Servants

Slaves/Servants helped the wealthy with household and child raising duties
Farmers raised wheat, barley, lentils, onions- benefited from irrigation of the Nile River

February 17, 2015: Cyber day notes

Ancient Egypt- Geography, daily life, pharaohs, goddesses & gods, pyramids

Geography
- Egyptian life is centered around the Nile River
- Water for drinking, for irrigating, for bathing, and for transportation
- Every July it floods
- Every October it leaves behind rich soil
- The delta is a broad, marshy triangular area of fertile silt
- Managing the river required technological breakthroughs in irrigation

Pyramids

- The great sphinx of Giza
- Built 2555-2532 B.C.E.
- A recumbent lion with a human's head
- Oldest monumental statue in the world
- Inside pyramid is pharaohs chamber with several rooms above it
- Queens chamber
- subterranean chamber

Daily life
1. Pharaohs- Religious and political leader of the Egyptian people, holding the titles: 'Lord of the Two Lands' and 'high Priest of Every Temple'.
2. Government officials- Upper class known as the "white kilt class. Priests, physicians, engineers.
3. Soldiers- Soldiers used wooden weapons (bows & arrows, spears) with bronze tips and might ride chariots.
4. Scribes- Scribes kept records, told stories, wrote poetry, described anatomy and medical treatments. they wrote in hieroglyphs and in hieratic.
5. Merchants- Money/barter system was used. Merchants might accept bags of grain for payment. Later coinage came about.
6. Artisans- Artisans would carve statues and reliefs showing military battles and scenes in the afterlife
7. Farmers- Farmers raised wheat, barley, lentils, onions: benefited from irrigation of the Nile.
8. Slaves & Servants- Slaves/servants helped the wealthy with household and child raising duties.

Pharaohs
- As 'Lord of the Two Lands' the pharaoh was the ruler of upper and lower Egypt. He owned all land, made laws, collected taxes, & defended Egypt against foreigners.
- Hatshepsut was a woman who served as a pharaoh
- Cleopatra VII also served as a pharaoh, but much later (51-30 B.C.E.) (More on her when we study Greece)

Goddesses & Gods
- Over 2000 Gods and Goddesses
- They "Controlled" the lives of humans

John Green Video
Old Kingdom: 2649-2152 B.C.E.
- Pharaoh was God or very close to God
- Pyramids were built
- Built by peasants or servants
- Ridiculously rich era

Middle Kingdom: 2040-1640 B.C.E.
- New rulers were outsiders
- Took over Nubia: rulers land
- Used bronze weapons

New Kingdom: 1550-1070 B.C.E.
- Most expansive of kingdoms
- King Tut died at age 17
- Most likely died from Malaria/ infected leg injury

February 4, 2015: class

Today in class we finished watching the video on YouTube about how civilization started. 

- Americans consume 20 million tons of wheat every year.

- Wheat and cows were originally not native to america. 

February 2, 2015: Class

today in class i took a test that i was supposed to take last Thursday. It took me about 15 minutes and was on Mesopotamia and prehistory. After the test, we watched a video about how civilization evolved.

In the middle east, barley and wheat were mainly the crops that were native to the area. Also in the middle east, Draa was the very first place/ earliest settlement that has ever been found.

China - Rice
Africa- Millet, Yams, Sorghun
Americas- Corn, Squash, Beans

Geographic luck
Animal Domestication
Certain animals give certain advantages
Goats and sheep were the first to be domesticated
only muscle power in New guinea was man
2 million species of animals
carnivore- bad domestication
if you gain control of the leader, you can control the entire herd

14 successful domesticated animals - weighing over 100 lbs
- Goats
- Sheep
- Pigs
- Cows
- Horses
- Donkeys
- Bactrian camels
- Arabian camels
- Water buffalo
- Llama
- Yaks
- Mithans
- Bali cattle
All animals were native to Asia/ North Africa/ Europe except for the llama which was native to South America.
Cows, pigs, sheep, and goats were native to the middle east.

January 28, 2015: Class

Today in Western civilization we reviewed the power-point for the Mesopotamia test tomorrow. Some important things to know would be:
- Paleolithic age: the old stone age
- Neolithic age: The new stone age
- Males were dominant compared to women
- Patricians were dominant to Plebians
- People with money were better compared to poor people
- Hammurabi's code was seen as "an eye for an eye"
- Villagers were Polytheists: many Gods
- Populations rose due to increased ability to care for young
- Cuneiform: Earliest form of writing
- Better food storage allowed for diversity of professions

January 27, 2015: Class

Today in Western Civilization we went over laws in Hammurabi's code. We used a website and discussed what the laws meant and if they were similar to the laws that we have now.

Questions for first test

1. When and where did human beings first emerge?
Human beings first emerged from Southwestern Africa.

2. Why did the period known as "prehistory" end?
The period "prehistory" ended because there was a shift from itinerant hunting/gathering to more permanent settlements centered on agriculture.

3. What made the rise of the civilization possible?
The rise of the civilization was possible because of new irrigation techniques.

4. Name some early technological innovations.
Some technological innovations were the wheel and the plow.

5. How did hunters/gatherers live?
Hunters/gatherers lived by aimlessly walked around for food, not having a home.

6. Who was King Hammurabi and why was he important?
King Hammurabi was the King of Babylon and he created a series of laws known as "Hammurabi's Code."

-Prehistory: The period of time before written records.
-Paleolithic Age: The old stone age; Earliest prehistoric age.
-Neolithic age: The new stone age; the beginnings of agriculture and advanced tool making,
-Agricultural revolution: Also known as the Neolithic revolution, this was a shift from itinerant hunting/gathering to more permanent settlements centered on agriculture.
-Cuneiform: The earliest form of writing, invented by Sumerians
-Ziggurat: A Sumerian temple built on top of a "mountain" of earth.
-Indo-Europeans: People from the grasslands of the Russian steppe who introduced the horse to the near east.

January 23, 2015: Class

Today we took notes in class.

Mesopotamia
- A pantheon of Sumerian Gods and Goddesses emerged, with many of the deities representing the natural elements of the world.
- The world's first (surviving) epic was the Sumerian "Epic of Gilgamesh" which told of a great flood
- Sumerians first divided the hour into sixty minutes and the minute into sixty seconds; They also organized a calendar based on moon cycles
- The Ziggurat was a Sumerian temple built on top of a "mountain" of earth

Civilization in Mesopotamia
- Wandering nomads drove herds of domesticated animals in many areas, especially in the south of Sumer in Arabia
- King Hammurabi of Babylon created a series of laws known as "Hammurabi's Code" - Laws that included "An eye for an eye" and regulations of marriage, divorce, and punishments for all sorts of crimes

The Expansion of Mesopotamia Civilization
- Indo-Europeans were people from the grasslands of the Russian steppe who introduced the horse to the near east
- The warlike Indo-European tribe known as the Hittities settled in Asia minor
- The Hittities had a lucrative trade in metals and conquered nearly all of their neighbors, even threatening Egypt

January 22, 2015: Class

Today we took notes in class.

3000-1200 B.C.E.
Before Civilization 
- the origins and "ages" of human beings
- 2000 years ago, a human species emerged in southwestern Africa
- 14,000 years ago, a world wide human race existed
- earliest prehistoric age is the paleolithic age (old stone age)
- Neolithic age (new stone age) was marked by advanced tool making and the beginnings of agriculture
- initially, humans were part of migratory groups which hunted, fished, and gathered plants for food

Prehistoric era
- The agricultural revolution
- Also known as neolithic revolution, this was a shift from itinerant hunting/gathering to more permanent settlements centered on agriculture
- Populations rose due to increased ability to care for young children
- Hierarchies appeared in village life; the status of women was lowered as women were confined more to domestic duties
- Invention of the wheel and plow made it possible to produce enough food for storage
- Villagers were polytheists; worshipped multiple nature, human, and animal gods.

The earliest cities
- the district known as Sumer occupied the land between Tigris and Euphrates River
- Population increased dramatically due to new irrigation techniques
- Cities and towns were founded, some with as many as 40,000 inhabitants
- Better food storage allowed for diversity in professions: Priests, tradesmen, artisans, politicians, farmers
- Kings emerged, as did family dynasties and the concept of the "city-state"
- Sumerians invented the earliest form of writing, known as "cuneiform"