LAST DAY

Reading all my emails and goodbyes is feeling me with sadness knowing that I did not get a quarter of my year. I did not get spring sports, the last day jitters, the last day clean-out, or anything exciting about the end of the year. The spring is my favorite time in the school year and knowing that I didn't get to spend it with my teachers and classmates bums me out. Today is the last day I will ever be a freshmen and I didn't even get to finish out at the school I love. I want to say thank you to you as well for making my jc experience so fun. I do not have many plans this summer besides going down to Bethany a few times. I will be going to physical therapy and probably be bored out of my mind. I pray constantly for a normal sophomore year. I do not have any suggestions for you the class was great.

western civ day fifty-six

LAST BLOG!

This Corona-cation is something to remember! For the last couple of weeks, we have been stuck at home doing online school for the rest of our freshmen year. There has been up and downs. Everything has been cancelled. Most stores and buildings have been closed unless they were deemed essential. We had a stay at home order so everyone had to quarantine for a couple of weeks. Every 2 weeks they would just push the date that we were going back to school further until it turned into not going back the rest of the year. When we left in March, after cleaning out our locker and saying bye, we never would have imagined not going back to school. Everyone has to wear a mask and its been about 3 months and things are just going back to Phase 1. You have to stay six feet from anyone and wear a mask everywhere you go unless its outside. Everything is closed! This is a very odd time and everyone is trying their best. It is hard to not see your friends and extended family. You don't realize how much social interaction impacts you until you cannot have any. I appreciate this time because I was taking school for granted and now that I do not go to school anymore I miss seeing my friends and teachers. I don't think life will be back to normal for a little while and certainly not this summer. I am excited for school to end but also I am upset because it gave me something to do everyday. I think that this summer is going to be very boring and won't really feel like summer. I am very excited for sophomore year and to go back to school and see everyone!

western civ day fifty-five

NOTES

• Caesar's grandnephew/adopted son (octavion) takes over at 18 with his own triumvirate 
• Mark Antony- experienced general
• Lepidus- powerful politician
• Octavion, Mark, and Lepidus make the new triumvirate
• Octavian forces Lepidus to retire
• Octavian and Mark become rivals
• Mark partners up with Cleopatra 
• Militarily 
• Personally
• Politically
• Economically
• Octavian defeats them at the Battle of Actium
• Octavian is the unchallenged ruler of Rome
• Given the name "Augustus"- exalted one
• Given the name "imperator"- supreme military commander 
• Rome is now an empire not a republic
• Octavian ruled for 40 years as emperor (27 BC to 14 AD)
• Began the era of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana 
• Pax Romana was 207 years long 
• 27 BC to 180 AD
• Octavian's accomplishments
• expanded the Roman Empire firther into AFrica
• set up civil service to run government
• built a network of roads
• collect taxes
• postal service
• administered the grain supply
• built public facilities (buildings, aqueducts)
• police department 
• running fire-fighting organization
• Died of natural causes
• After Octavian's death power went to emperors:
• Tiberius 
• ruled from 14 AD to 37 AD
• excellent general- reluctant emperor
• exiled himself from Rome and left his prefects in charge 
• died at age 77
• Caligula 
• Ruled from 37 Ad to 41 AD
• won a power struggle after Tiberius death
• known for his cruelty, extravagance and perversity- insane tyrant
• assassinated 
• Claudius
• ruled from 41 Ad to 54 AD
• might have had cerebral palsy- limp, shaking, slobbering, etc
• last adult male in family 
• built roads, aqueducts, canals, and started the conquest of Britain
• died by poison- wife's plan
• Nero
• ruled from 54 to 68
• loved the arts
• huge fire in 64
• wanted to make Rome more majestic 
• hugely overspent- raided temples for money

western civ day fifty-four

I will be taking my test on June 2 at 9 am.

• bread and entertainment keeps the plebeians happy, alive, quiet, distracted, and docile
• Tiberius Gracchus recognized the advantages of courting the plebians
• military generals worked that angle- led an army that conquers a land, then gives them a share in the spoils
• solider's loyalty was to their military leader
• Julius Ceaser (100-44 BC)
• very successful
• conquered Gaul
• Serves as consul (one year)
• appoints himself as governor of Gaul
• made common people happy
• made friends in high places
• Pompey (general)
• Crassus (richest man in Rome
• those three men formed the first triumvirate (rule of three men)
• "Crossing the Rubicon"- crossing the point of no return 
• Pompey becomes jealous- becomes rival
• their armies clash in Greece, Asia, Spain, and Egypt- Ceaser won
• 44 BC he is named Dictator- for 6 months then life
• Ceasers Reforms
• grants citizenship to people in provinces 
• expanded the senate
• created jobs for the poor
• increased pay for soldiers
• started colonies where those without land could own property
• The senators saw Ceaser's rise of power as a threat 
• Lured him into Senate- stabbed him 23 times- even Ceaser's ally- Brutus 
• Senators were not punished
• Octavian was named Caesar's sole heir 
• End of republic 

weatern civ day fifty-three

I choose option A for my essay:
Compare and contrast the government of ancient Rome with the government of the modern-day United States.

western civ day fifty-two

Civil War- conflict between groups within the same country
Julius Caesar- military man; strong leader and a genius at military strategy; served one year as consul; joined forces with Crassus
Triumvirate- a group of three rulers
Augustus- "exalted one"- title given to Octavian
Pax Romana- the period of peace and prosperity

Notes

• As Rome grew, the gap between rich and poor grew wider
• Landowners lived on large estates
• Thousands of enslaved people
• Small landowners (former soldiers) couldn't compete so they sold their land to the wealthy landowners and became homeless
• Tiberius and Gaius tried to help Rome's poor by limiting the size of estates and giving it to the poor
• Generals started recruiting their own soldiers to gain power for themselves
• 58-50 BC Caesar led his legions in a campaign all over Gaul- won his people's loyalty and devotion
• Successes in Gaul made him popular with the people of Rome 
• Caesar's troops defeated Pompey's armies in Greece, Asia, Spain, and Egypt 
• 44 B.C. he was appointed dictator for life 
• Caesar granted Roman citizenship to many people 
• Expanded the senate
• Gave jobs to the poor
• Increased pay for soldiers
• Colonies of land where people without land could own
• Feared he was gaining to much power so he was assassinated 
• Civil war broke out after his assassination
• Octavian- 18 year old grandnephew of Caesar- joined general Mark and took control of Rome for ten years
• Octavian had the titles of Augustus and imperator- supreme military commander
• 207 years there was peace throughout the empire- rule of Augustus
• Augustus was Rome's ablest emperor
• set up civil service- paid workers to maintain government 
• glorified Rome
• set up a government that survived for centuries
• After he died the government he created maintained the stability of the nation
• Agriculture was a big part in Rome- 90% farmed
• Vast trading network
• Most people in Rome lived in the countryside and worked on farms
• Number of slaves reached 1/3 of the population 
• Roman law stated that slaves were property of their owners
• Government and religion were linked
• Worshipped powerful spirits - numina 
• Dieties- symbols of the state
• Expected to honor them 
• Social status was how you lived
• Rich- spent lots of money on homes and gardens, etc
• Most was poor- government supported with daily rations of grain
• The colosseum held lots of large events
• Christianity started to appear 
• Early followers were met with lots of brutality

western civ day fifty-one

PUNIC WARS

• 264- 146 BCE 
• Rome vs Carthage
• Three wars
• First Punic War
• 264-241 BCE
• Naval battles
• Rome wins
• Second Punic War
• 218-201 BCE
• General Hannibal (Carthage General) takes on Rome attacking from the North
• Never made it to Rome 
• Rome Wins
• Third Punic War 
• 149-146 BCE
• Carthage burned for 17 days after Rome attacked the city
• The last 50,000 people were sold into slavery 
• The rest of Carthage's territories were now named the Roman province of Africa
• They were both fighting for control
• Rome wanted to expand and then encountered the Carthaginian Empire and they had conflicts