study guide

9. What is Pax Romana?

* After Rome became an Empire (Starting with Augustus) they had a period of relative peace for about 200 years.

3. How did the life of the people and the culture change from Republic to Empire?

* As Rome conquered other areas, their empire grew. Emperors continued to conquer territories to control other area and trade. They allowed citizenship based on differing criteria of the people they conquered. Rome grew richer through trade as they conquered. Romans used coins to pay for goods. The first 200 years of the Roman Empire was a time of general peace called the Pax Romana.

17. Explain how Rome and Greece influenced U.S. politics.

* Both influenced our politics we have today. * Greeks (Athens) through democracy - rule by the people (although Athens had a direct democracy, we have a Representative democracy), civic participation * Rome - Republic - elected officials, checks and balances (making sure that not one part of government or person becomes too powerful - we have three branches) and civil laws.

6. What impact did Christianity have on Rome?

* Christianity was not popular in the beginning and many were persecuted for their beliefs. However, as it grew, Roman emperor, Constantine became a Christian. Later, emperor Theodosius made Christianity Rome's official religion.

16. List some of the important Roman leaders and what they accomplished.

* Cincinnatus - farmer who was chosen to be dictator in time war and gave up power before his time was up when he didn't have to. * Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus - both were tribunes who wanted to help the poor by making some Roman farms public. Both died because of riots or assassination. Violence was used as political weapon as a result of this. * Gaius Marius - allowed common people to join the army for the first time and became powerful b/c his army was loyal to him but was later challenged and defeated by Lucius Cornelius Sulla. * Lucius Cornelius Sulla - consul who raised his own army to defeat Marius and named himself dictator and used his power to punish his enemies * Julius Caesar - Roman general who became dictator for life after defeating Pompey's army. Later stabbed multiple times (assassinated by Roman Senators). * Octavian / Augustus - Caesar's adopted son who tracked down Caesar's killers along with Marc Antony and became the first Roman Emperor and renamed himself Augustus. He changed the nature of Roman government, and built great buildings and made Rome more beautiful. Created fire departments and a police force to protect the city's people. Also worked on improving Rome's road network. * Diocletian - broke the empire into two since it was becoming too large (Western and Eastern Roman Empire). * Constantine - became the first Christian emperor and tried to reunite the empire for a short time * Theodosius - made Christianity Rome's official religion * Justinian - Eastern Roman Empire - created Justinian's Code

10. Following Pax Romana, describe the events that led to the eventual downfall of the Western Roman Empire.

* Corrupt officials, Romans became more focused on luxury, invasion of foreigners like the Visigoths and Vandals, disease, and Rome had stretched its empire too far to govern efficiently.

1. What are the similarities and differences between the Greek Political System and the US Political system?

* Direct Democracy in Athens: All citizens met as a group to debate and vote directly on every issue, there was no separation of powers, citizens created laws, enforced laws, and acted as judges, and only free male citizens could vote - but women and slaves could not. * Representative Democracy in the U.S. today: citizens elect representatives to debate and vote on issues for them, there is a separation of powers (3 branches of govt) - citizens elect some people to create laws, others to enforce laws, and others to be judges, and men and women who are citizens have the right to vote.

8. Explain what Hellenistic is, how it was created, and the influence it had on the surrounding area.

* Hellenistic - means Greek like - Greek culture spread through cultural diffusion - the blending of ideas between separate cultures. As Alexander the Great conquered most of the known world at the time, he spread his love of Greek ideas and architecture, building cities wherever he conquered and encouraged many Greeks to move to these new places.

11. Briefly describe the two societies that in Eastern Rome following the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

* Justinian - he ordered officials to remove any out-of-date or unchristian laws. Then he organized a new legal system called Justinian's Code - simplified Roman law, which helped guarantee fair treatment for all. * Byzantine Society - non Roman influence took hold that were more Greek than Latin. Christianity was important in the eastern empire and is reflected on the Byzantine's beautiful works of art and churches.

4. What were the causes and effects of the Peloponnesian War? Who was involved? Why did they fight? What happened during the war? Who won? What happened after the war?

* Peloponnesian War - fought between Athens and Sparta. Sparta won. * Causes = Athens was part of the Delian League which was created b/c of war with Persia and to protect trade in the Aegean Sea. Sparta was part of the Peloponnesian League for similar reasons. Athens was using the money that other city-states contributed to the league for the city of Athens. They were also taking charge over the other city-states as far as decision being made in the Delian League. Other city-states including Sparta feared that Athens was becoming too powerful. Sparta and Athens went to war. * Effects = Sparta won, leaving the city-states in Greece more vulnerable to attack from invaders (like Macedonia in the North and King Philip).

7. Explain the important achievements of Philip II and Alexander the Great and who each of these people are

* Phillip II - King of Macedonia (North of Greece) and the father of Alexander the Great. He had a powerful army - phalanx, group of warriors who stood close together in a square with shields and long spears. * Alexander the Great - took over after his father's death and went on to conquer most of the SW Asia world, which included Mesopotamia, Egypt, and all the way to the Indus River Valley. Considered one of the world's most famous conquerors and died of sickness by the age of 30. He loved all things Greek and spread Hellenistic culture (greek like) when he conquered, building many cities modeled after the Greeks and named many after himself, Alexandria (famous - Egypt for library which held many Greek books and others of the ancient world)

12. Describe the social structure of the Romans.

* Plebeians - they were the commoners of Rome. They made up about 90% of the population. Many were farmers, artisans, etc. Some owned land but many did not and were poor. * Patricians - wealthy landowners (aristocrats) who made laws early on. The Senate was made up of patricians who owned land and passed their Senate seats down to their sons since women could not participate in government.

13. How did the social structure change? Think about how changes in the government gave different groups of people power.

* Plebeians started to demand more say in the government and the patricians were worried that they would have a rebellion on their hands, so they created assemblies and tribunes (part of the Roman Republic Tripartite government). They were able to help make laws and elect consuls. They also had the power to veto laws. They also demanded Rome's laws to be written down and displayed in the forum so everyone would know what laws they were breaking (The Laws of the 12 Tables).

2. Define the following terms and explain and explain their importance on Greek Democracy:

* Polis - Greek word for city-state (remember Athens and each individual Greek city-states ruled through a polis * Civic participation - Greeks were expected to participate in their city affairs (Athens - all citizens could participate in debating and voting on laws) to make their city- state stronger * Voting rights - in Athens, every male citizen could vote but women, foreigners, and slaves could not. * Legislative bodies - In Athens, they had a council of 500 who chose the laws to be debated and voted on by the citizens. The council of 500 were chosen by lots from the general population of citizens in Athens * Written constitutions - the U.S. Constitution is the law of the land - laws cannot be passed that go against the Constitution (written plan of government) * Rule of law - no one (including our government leaders) can go against the law

15. Detail the events of the Punic Wars. Who was Rome fighting? Who eventually won and what happened to the Loser? What were the lasting effects of the Punic Wars?

* Punic Wars were fought between Rome and Carthage (Punic = Phoenicia). Hannibal, a great general for Carthage used war elephants to try and conquer Rome but failed. * Causes - Rome and Carthage went to war three different times. Basically fought over control of land. First Punic War was fought over the island of Sicily. The Second Punic War was fought over land in Europe. The Third Punic war ended Carthage for good. They finally burned, killed, and enslaved surviving Carthaginians. * Effects - Rome had expanded its empire to most of the Mediterranean Region, including Carthage in North Africa.

14. Explain the importance of Latin and its influence it had on culture and other languages.

* Romans used Latin for official business and governing. It spread throughout its empire and into areas it conquered. Romance languages - include Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romania. Non-Romance languages include English although we use many Latin phrases today.

5. Describe the setting in which Christianity was founded. Explain what was going on in the empire that allowed Christianity to rise so suddenly.

* Rome had become hostile towards Jews and many Jews were dispersed throughout the empire. They banned all Jews from Judea. Jesus of Nazareth. Many Christians believe he was the Jewish Messiah. After he was crucified, his disciples and Paul of Tarsus spread word about the life and teachings of Jesus. Paul spread it to non-Jews in addition to Jews.

2. How did Rome go from a Republic to an empire (Imperial Rome)?

* Rome originally was run by kings. * Then it became a Republic with a tripartite government. * Eventually, violence was used as a political tool and the government became more corrupt. Julius Caesar was a general who became dictator. His son, Octavian who was eventually renamed Augustus, became the first Roman Emperor, succeeded by many thereafter.

1. Explain how the Roman Republic contributed the following democratic ideals: separation of powers, rule of law, representative government, and civic duty.

* Separation of Powers - Rome had a system of checks and balances - method to balance the power in government by having a tripartite government (3 parts) - Magistrates, Senate, and the Assemblies and Tribunes. See chart p. 303 for a detailed version of the Roman Republic government. * Rule of law - everyone was accountable for the laws under the Laws of the 12 Tables - written laws that Rome displayed in the forum b/c the plebeians complained that they did not know the laws they were accused of violating that were originally created by the patricians. * Representative Government - Rome had a republic before becoming an empire. Republic is a type of government (U.S. is a Republic) in which citizens elect the people to make government decisions for them. * Civic Duty - people participated in their government b/c they felt it was their civic duty, or their duty to the city. It included doing what they could to make sure the city prospered

4. What contributed to the growth and longevity of Rome?

* Strong Military leaders - conquered hostile neighbors * Roman Republic - allowing conquered people to have some citizenship rights - made them less hostile

7. Describe the holy books and leaders of Christianity.

* The Christian Bible is made up of two parts. First part - Old Testament (largely the same as the Hebrew Bible). Second - New Testament, is sacred to Christians - contains accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus and the early history of Christianity. The teachings of Jesus was salvation, or the rescue of people from sin. Many of his teachings dealt with how people could reach the kingdom of God. Jesus warned people who loved money or good more than they loved God would not be saved. Many people have interpreted his teachings differently leading to differing Christian denominations. * Leaders - Jesus of Nazareth (Messiah according to Christians), 12 Disciples that followed Jesus around and saw him after the resurrection and wrote about Jesus (Ex. Peter, Luke, and John). Paul of Tarsus - spread the ideas to Jews and non-Jews.

5. Who were the Greek philosophers and what important contribution did each make?

Greek philosophers- started to think about reasons for many of the mysteries in the world around us instead of relying on the Greek gods and goddesses being the cause for these mysteries. Thales is regarded as the first philosopher in the Greek tradition. He influenced many others. They believed in the power of the human mind to think, explain, and understand life. * Socrates - among the greatest - believed that people must never stop looking for knowledge - he was a teacher and thinker - developed the (Socratic Method - learn by asking questions with questions). He wanted to make people think and question their own beliefs, which made many people angry and he was sentenced to death by drinking poison. * Plato - one of Socrates's students - was a teacher and philosopher - created a school the Academy, to which students, philosophers, and scientists could come to discuss ideas - he also wrote many works - most famous was called The Republic - it describes Plato's ideas of an ideal society that would be based on fairness to everyone * Aristotle - was Plato's student - taught that people should live lives of moderation, or balance - he also believed that moderation was based on reason, or clear and order thinking - taught Alexander the Great.

8. What were some Roman achievement? Government? Engineering? Architecture? Art? Philosphy? Be specific.

Rome borrowed may ideas from others. Etruscans and Greeks are examples. * Government - Republic (election of government officials to make governing decisions, The Laws of the 12 Tables, Checks and Balances. * Engineering - aquaducts, sewer system, arches, cement used for structures, domes, colosseum - Rome created and built things based on their practicality. Roman Roads were also built out of paved stone and used for the army to quickly move around the empire where needed. * Art - Rome created art based on realism. If the person had wrinkles, then they showed that through various forms of art. Mosaics, frescos, statues, etc.. * Architecture - arches, dome topped buildings (Ex. The Pantheon), colosseum, and used greek columns * Philosphy - admired Greek thinking and borrowed ideas of Greek mythology including renaming their gods and goddesses.

3. Compare and contrast the Athenians with Spartans. What values did each emphasize? How did each treat women? Was there any type of social hierarchy?

Values = emphasized education and democracy; although they had a strong military (men had to serve for 2 years and then during time of war) Women = had no rights and were not allowed to go anywhere without their husbands Social Hierarchy - men who were citizens (parents had to be Athenian born) were considered all equal; however, foreigners, women, and slaves did not have these same rights Values = military training for boys starting at age 7 - the importance of Sparta was more important than family. Men had to serve in the military for a long time and live away from family until the age of 30 - education was just for basics - reading and writing Women = had more rights, trained to be strong and take care of Sparta while men were away Social Hierarchy - Spartan men had the most power, followed by women, and slaves (helots) who had no power

6. What were some other Greek achievements?

Writing and Mythology * Mythology - stories that helped to explain natural events involving Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and everyday people. * Famous - The Iliad and Odyssey produced by Homer (blind poet). * Other important writers were - Sappho who wrote lyric poetry, Aesop who wrote fables (life lessons with animals as characters), * dramas and plays (usually performed by one actor who played both females and males) - Aeschylus and Sophocles were one of the best tragedy writers. Comedy writer, Aristophanes used comedy to make serious points about war, courts of law, and famous people. * Thucydides was a historical writer who wrote about the Peloponnesian War. Architecture, Art, and Sculptures * Arts - statues- tried to make their statues look perfect (Classical Greek artists, Hellenistic sculptors wanted their statues to show how beautiful people and focused on the movement of the body * Arts - paintings - admired for their realism and detail - many scenes were created using only two colors, black and red * Architecture - Greek columns were used to hold up the roofs of the buildings, usually had carvings decorating the top of columns. Famous example, Greek Temple, The Parthenon - surrounded by Greek columns - temple built for Athena in Athens * Science and Mathematics - Euclid, interested in geometry, the study of lines, angles, and shapes. * Medicine- Greek doctors studied the human body to understand how it worked. Most famous Greek doctor - Hippocrates, wanted to figure out what caused diseases so he could better treat them - better now today, though for his ideas about how doctors should behave (Hippocratic Oath - doctors today take this oath to put patients first). * Engineering - water screws used to bring water to the fields, brings water from lower level to a higher level was invented by Archimedes. Other created mechanical toys like birds, puppets, and coin-operated machines.