Wordle

Unit 2 reflection: Rome and Christianity

1. Describe how you prepared/studied for the unit test.

a. Do you think your studying strategies were effective-why or why not?

b. How will you prepare next time?

To study I organized the information about the big ideas and created webs. Then I studied the webs to make sure I knew the most important information. Next, I flipped through my notebook and studied some of the details, like the people, vocabulary, and geography. Also, I reread some of my blog posts and the summaries and questions I had written for the chapters. I think this method is very effective. I knew all of the information and was able to connect the ideas and events in a way that made sense. I will definitely create the webs again next time because they were very helpful. One way I would improve my studying would be to look at the notes more and study the people and dates better.

2.What was the most surprising thing you learned about during this unit?

I found that learning about the crazy emperors was the most surprising. It was shocking to learn about how Nero supposedly burned down Rome for his new palace and killed anyone who the considered a threat and how Caligula put his horse in the senate.

3.) If we had more time to spend on Rome and Christianity- what would you want to learn more about?

I would have like to learn more about the gladiators and other entertainment in ancient Rome. Also, I would like to know more about how the empire split, what the people thought of it, and how they adjusted to the separate empires. Another subject I would like to learn more about in ancient Rome because I found it very interesting to learn about the Etruscan and Greek Influences.

The Fall of Rome

Once Rome was a large powerful empire, but the Western Roman Empire  eventually fell. In 401 ad Rome was invaded by the barbarian tribe Visigoths. For many years the Romans battled with the barbarians. They bargained with them and gave them land and jobs. This worked for awhile, but then the barbarians overran and looted Britain, Gaul, Spain, and Northern Africa.Then the Germanic chiefs forced out the Emperors. 476 ad is the year that the Roman Empire Fell
Many factors contributed to the fall of Rome. One was the Geography. Rome was far away from many places, which made sending troops our very difficult. Also, there was a major economic decline, which caused prices to rise and many people could not afford to buy things. Another factor was the growth of government. The Empire was divided in two and had officials all over the Roman Empire and people had lots of trouble making decisions. There was also a large decline in work force, the slave population significantly decreased, sot there were not as many people to do all the work. The decline in work force also contributed to the lack of Technology. Without people working, they could not invent and produce new things. Also, there was a lot of military defeat. Without the army winning battles, the empire was loosing all their territory. Another factor in the downfall of Rome was religion. Many pagans blamed the decline in the Roman Empire on Christianity and said that they had angered the gods. The internal as well as external conflict inside of Rome all lead to the downfall of the Western Roman Empire.
I think the downfall of Rome was inevitable. After the Empire was divided into Eastern and Western Roman Empire, Rome had become weaker and more vulnerable to attack. Also, for centuries Romans had been fighting over their religions and caused a lot of internal distress in Rome. In addition, for many years Rome did not have good emperors and they ruled terribly. Romes location was also a part of the fall. It took a long time to send troops all around the empire to protect from invasion. In conclusion, the fall of Rome was bound to happen because of the fights over religion, lack of leadership, and bad location for a capitol.

The Roman Government When they had Emperors

The Roman people wanted a Republic rather than an king or dictator. It was not necessarily the roman people who objected to  their rule, it was the senators and other people who made decisions in the government. For example, the Senators assassinated Ceaser because he had most of the power and the Senate had only a little. Also, they preferred to elect their leaders because they didn't want unfit people to rule their empire. When a king rules, then his descendants rule after he dies, and they might not be fair or wise kings. Also, the amount of power a king or dictator has often goes to their head, causing them to think that they are a god or should rule the entire world. Augustus came to power after the death of his father Ceaser after fighting in a bloody civil war. Once he was the ruler he made careful steps to make sure the people of Rome were happy. First of all, he assured the Senators that he respected them and told them that they still have power. Secondly, he did not refer to himself as king or dictator, he called himself First Citizen because he considered himself to be one of the citizens. Thirdly, he choose his own successor rather than it always being his descendant. Finally, Augustus conquered lots of land and they all had governors who supervised their land and could hold positions in the Senate, therefore allowing other colonies to have a say in government. While Augustus was a fair and good ruler, some of the other emperors were not good. For example, Nero was a cruel and harsh ruler. In conclusion, Augustus was different from other kings and dictators because he gave power to other people and didn't have absolute control.

Roman Genius

The ancient Romans have affected the world in many ways. One example is their architecture. The Romans used arches and columns to create spectacular buildings that have left a lasting impression on modern architecture. Also, they had a very strong military which changed the worlds idea of an army. Before the Romans armies were small and didn't have specially trained soldiers (with the exception of Sparta). Then Rome built up a large army with thousands of career troops that were highly trained and skilled and split them up into legions to conquer land. This concept of soldiers who were trained in archery or spear throwing caused other countries to copy them, and that concept has formed modern militarys. Another important influence the Romans had on the world was their advanced, complex engineering. They developed new tools to help them build roads that provided easy transportation all around the empire and are still in use today. Also, the Romans invented the aquaduct, a large bridge like structure that transports water. This invention has helped people get water for centuries and they have been built all over the world. Also, the Roman art and literature has influenced the world. In conclusion, the Romans were a very advanced culture and had many lasting effects on the world.

Greece Reflection

Throughout the unit I learned a lot about ancient and classical Greece. Also, I learned about all of the ways that Greek Culture has influenced the modern world. My favorite topics to study were The Golden Age of Greece, the Peloponnesian War, and Athens and how they established democracy. I really enjoyed this unit because I have always wanted to learn more about their advanced society. In conclusion, I learned a lot during this unit and I found it very interesting.

Alexander the Great

Annie Meyer 8A

October 10, 2010

Humanities: Ms. Moore

Alexander the Great

                Throughout history many people have been referred to as great, but none as famous or legendary as Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia. During his rule Alexander conquered many cities, creating the largest empire in history. He also spread Greek Culture throughout Asia and Europe. In addition Alexander the Great was a military genius, leading his troops to victory in many battles. Overall Alexander the Great left a lasting impression in the world and therefore he has earned the title of the Great.

 Alexander the Great of Macedonia built a vast very powerful empire that covered  at least 3,000 miles and conquered over seventy cities. Just after the Peloponnesian war, he and his father King Phillip II of Macedonia, noticed that the Greeks were weak so they decided to strike, conquering Greece and its city—states in the battle of Chaeronea. Another great accomplishment was when he conquered the extremely powerful Persian Empire, despite being outnumbered. In addition he also conquered Egypt, the Middle East, India, and Central Asia. Also, in order to maintain his control he discouraged rebellion by punishing rebels, and introducing a new culture many people appreciated and accepted, usually eliminating the need for a rebellion. As a result, Alexander the Great created one of the largest and most powerful Empires in History.

                Alexander of Macedonia deserves the title of the Great is his military accomplishments. Like his father, Alexander the Great was a military genius, training a highly skilled military with better weapons. When he conquered cities he would add soldiers from the defeated armies, therefore  increasing his powerful army. Ever since Alexander was young, he had been a wise military leader. When he was only sixteen Alexander gave his first battle commands, leading to a victory against the Greeks.  Alexander was also a great strategist, often outsmarting other armies. One example is the battle of Issus in 333b.c. Even though his army was outnumbered Alexander devised a clever attack plan that led his troops to victory over the Persian Empire. Consequently, Alexander of Macedonia’s military power is another reason why he was a great leader.

                According to A Message of Ancient Days, “Like his father Alexander had both a Military Genius and appreciation for Greek culture.” (page 378) This shows that while Alexander the Great had a powerful army and empire he also had respect and appreciation for culture. When he was a teenager Alexander was taught by the Greek philosopher Aristotle who instilled in him an admiration for Greek culture. When he conquered a city Alexander would often leave Greek officials to manage the cities, thus spreading Greek culture throughout Europe and Asia. This time period is known as the Hellenistic age when art and literature from different areas was influenced by Greek culture. In addition, people in areas Alexander conquered the citizens were allowed to chose whether or not they wanted to become part of Greek society. Many people embraced Greek culture and spent time learning the language and proudly said that they were Greek. Overall, Alexander the Great spread culture throughout his Empire, that has had left lasting effects on the world culture.

Alexander of Macedonia has earned the title of “the Great.” Not only did he conquer many cities, but he showed an appreciation for different cultures. Also, Alexander had a very powerful military and employed many wise strategies. If he had not conquered parts of Europe and Asia then today’s art and literature would not be the same without the Hellenistic influence. In conclusion Alexander the Great of Macedonia has earned the title of the great because he had a large empire, a powerful military, and spread Greek culture throughout his empire and therefore he has truly earned the title of Alexander the Great
Bibliography
Armento, Beverly, Gary Nast, Christopher Salter, and Karen Wixen. A Message of Ancient Days. Boston.
Houghton Mifflin Co. 1991.pages 374-381
Brody, Lisa and David Sacts.”Alexander the Great”. Encyclopedia of The Ancient Greek Worlds. Pages
21-25
Carr, Karen. “Alexander the Great”. History for Kids. Feb. 10, 2009. Oct. 8, 2010.
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/history/alexander.htm
History of Macedonia. “Alexander the Great Alexander of Macedonia Biography”. 7 Oct. 2010.
http://www.historyofmacedonia.org/AncientMacedonia/AlexandertheGreat.html
Wood, Michael. “In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great”. pages 180-185.

Greek Myth

Allia and Artemis

By Annie Meyer 8A

A long time ago when the skies were as blue as the sea and the forests covered entire continents a young Artemis took a new hunting companion to teach the ways of the woods. The young hunter was a nymph named Allia who had been traveling with Artemis for several years before the goddess and seen her potential for an expert hunter. Allia was of average height and had  long black hair that was always tied up into a neat braid and electrifying green eyes. Right before they left for their first hunt another nymph pulled Allia aside and said “Beware the wrath of Artemis, always let her win competitions, never beat her in anything even if it means losing your own life, for I assure you Artemis’s jealousy will be a fate worse than death, it would not be the first time she took out her anger on someone who made her look like a fool”. Before Allia could say anything the other nymph vanished. She then set out to begin her first hunt.

                Soon Allia and Artemis were running through the forest quickly and quietly , weaving in between tall trees, careful not to make a sound.  Then Artemis stopped and pointed to a heard of about six deer eating grass in the clearing. “Watch what I do then try it yourself,” whispered Artemis as she drew an arrow from her pack and loaded it in her bow. Aiming it carefully she released the arrow and it went speeding toward a deer, and without a sound the deer fell over, dead. Now it was Allia’s turn. Nervously she drew aimed her bow at a deer and released, the shot was almost as good as the goddesses. It missed the deer by an inch and hit a tree, causing a loud crack as the arrow lodged itself into the old pine tree. Startled the remaining deer ran away, knowing that there was a hunter nearby. “Good shot,” said Artemis sarcastically. “Sorry” Allia mumbled, clearly ashamed “that was the first time I have ever used a bow.”
“Really? Well don’t worry I’ll teach you how to use it.” Artemis then rose to go inspect her prey.

                The pair hiked for the rest of the day until decided to set up camp. After a dinner of roasted deer Allia and Artemis laid down to go to sleep. Starring up at the bright constellations she pondered what the old nymph said to her. Why should she always loose to the goddess? Would she really kill her or worse if she was better? The old nymph was probably just jealous that she was chosen to hunt with Artemis, after all it was impossible to be better than a god or goddess. Then she slipped off into a peaceful sleep. Artemis on the other hand could not sleep. She was worried, Allia had talent, she could not deny that but did she have to much talent? She came so close to shooting that deer, closer than Artemis came the first time she shot a bow. Could this mortal possibly be better than her? Of course she could never amount to the goddess Artemis herself, right? After tossing and turning for many hours Artemis fell into a restless sleep.

                Artemis kept her word, she taught Allia how to shoot her bow. After many weeks of training Allia had mastered the art of archery.  She could make a perfect shot from over one hundred feet away, and she could take down an entire herd of deer without startling them in seconds. Artemis was becoming jealous, already Allia could hunt just as well as she could. The goddess then arranged a tournament to take place, where hunters from across the land had come to compete. Then she and Allia entered it, now they would see who really was the best.

                The morning of the competition Allia was visited once again by the old nymph who warned her of the jealous wrath of Artemis. “Don’t compete, you will surely anger the goddess!” The old nymph pleaded “ I’m begging you please don attempt to beat the goddess.”
“Never! I will compete. You cannot change my mind.  Now go I must prepare for the games!” Allia said as she quickly walked way. “ You will regret this and always wish you had not been so foolish and arrogant!” The old nymph cried.

                Throughout the games Artemis and Allia crushed the competition. They always made the perfect shot, never losing a single round. After days of competition and thousands of competitors had been eliminated it was down to Artemis and Allia in the finals. The both drew their bows and shot flawlessly. Every shot was perfect, always in the center of the target, landing exactly where the other arrow landed causing them to split down the middle. This went on for days, they always tied. The final day was windy making it almost impossible to shoot the targets. They both managed several faultless shots. Then Artemis, missed the arrow, just by an inch leaving Allia the victor.  Allia was amazed the crowd went wild with cheers, all except one, the old nymph that told her not to compete stood with her arms her head buried in her hands. As the crowd cheered for their new champion Artemis bubbled with rage and hatred for this girl that had beaten her. She swore she would have her revenge.

                That night Artemis snuck into Allia’s tent and imprisoned her inside an oak tree. No matter how hard Allia struggled she couldn’t escape her prison. Artemis did however show some mercy. On the nights when the moon was a crescent, like a bow in the sky Allia could hunt once more. From the sunset to sunrise she could be free, but once the warm rays of the sun touched her she fell asleep and woke up back in her prison. That is why the moon always changes phases, to release Allia from her everlasting prison.