April 26, 2011

After being gone all last week, I came back to Mr.Schick's class listening to him vent about the terrible Easter break he had.  Unfortunately, we had to listen to him complain most of the class.  After this, we started reading about Rome, since we are now starting off our Roman empire unit.  I was okay with reading the article, but I much rather prefer to watch a movie and/or documentary.  Following are the answers to the questions asked from the reading:

Define:
Republic- A political unit that is not ruled by a monarch, and in which citizens with the right to vote choose their leaders
Gravitas- the important virtue that emphasized discipline, strength and loyalty.
Pater Familias- "Father of the family" Held complete control over the family/property and represented the family
Toga- A loose garment worn by the citizens in Rome
Patrician- The "higher class" that dominated the Roman society.
Plebian- The common farmers, artisans and merchants
Legion- The massive military unit of Romans made up of 4-6,000 armed foot soldiers
Century- 80 person fighting unit within a legion

1. How did geography help Rome?
   The Italian peninsula is near the midpoint of the Mediterranean, dividing the sea into an eastern and a western half.  Rome itself, is located midway between the Alps and Italy's southern tip.  Which makes the city of Rome a central point within a central peninsula.
   
   
2. Why was each of the following groups important in Rome's development?
   (a.) Latins- The Latins were the very beginning of Rome's development, as they were the first people to settle in this region.  Rome began as a settlement of Latin shepherds.
   (b.) Greeks- Greek settlers established about 50 colonies in southern Italy and Sicily.  They brought this area into closer contact with Greece, making it become a greater civilization.  Also, the Greeks had great influence on the Roman Religious ways, as they worshiped the same god's, just using different names.
   (c.) Etruscans- The Etruscans were most importantly known for developing the Roman alphabet.  They also had influence on the architecture and trade of the early Roman civilization.
   
3. What were the values of early Roman society?
   
4. (A) How was the Roman household organized?
   The eldest man of the family the "Pater Familias" ruled the family/property and could sell or kill any family member without penalty, although usually they acted as the families protector.  However, the mother of the family was in charge of the daily running of the household.  She had the right to own land and testify in court although she did not have the right to vote.
   (B) What freedom's did women have in society?
   Women had the freedom to own property and testify in court, although she did not have the key right to vote.
   
   
5. How was the army linked into roman society?
   Both Plebeian and Patrician men were forced to live double lives, contributing their time to the army as well as being a farmer, artisan, etc.  All the men were required to serve in the army for 10 years, before he was aloud to hold a seat in the public office.