Letter to my future self

Dear Future Self,

    After this year there is a good chance that you can handle almost anything academically.  This year presented a whole new set of challenges that most of us never thought that we would ever face.  We are living through one of the biggest world events in recent history.  This is my generation's Vietnam.   For a long period, I understood that I would never face a major world event.  I was sadly mistaken.  I can now tell my grandkids, "Back in my day...".  After this year I should be ready for almost anything.  I have worked hard to teach myself and makeup where the lack of being able to ask questions of the teachers, and where I would be able to talk with my friends I had to resort to my cell phone.  I think I have begun to go a little crazy due to lack of human interaction, although I have been working still since my job is still considered essential and that has helped but I still do miss going to school and seeing all of my friends. 

    This Year has proved challenges like no other year I have ever faced in school.  I believe that this is the most that my grades have ever hurt in school, but I have still been able to keep them all up abovea  90% to keep straight A's, but not being able to hear all of the teacher's instructions and lesson.  It has helped to occasionally receive video lessons or a live class.  This learning to work on my own will definitely help me in the future though, at times I know some college classes may function similarly.  Even in nonacademic situations, it is always beneficial to be able to work on your own and get things done because you will not always be able to have helped form other people.  Also, I have become more familiar with what works for me in the order of learning.  

    Continue to work hard and have fun doing it,

            Past Self

rise of the emporers

• After Ceaser's death, his great-nephew/ adopted son takes control at 18
• forms his own triumvirate 
• Mark Antony, powerful general
• Lepidus, powerful politician 
• second triumvirate 
• Octavian forces weak Lepidus to step down
• He and Antony become rivals 
• Antony partners with Cleopatra of Egypt - Militarily, personally, politically, and economically 
• Octavian beats them at the battle of Actium 
• Octavian now the unchallenged ruler of Rome  
• Given title Agustus meaning chosen one 
• also given title Imperator or Supreme Military Commander
• this is where the word Emporer comes from 
• Rome is now an Empire, not a republic
• Octavian ruled as Emporer for 40 years
• began the period of peace and prosperity called pax Romana 
• 207 years long from 27bc-180 ad 
• he expanded Rome further into Africa 
• set up civil services to help the gov 
• built roads
• collected taxes
• established a postal service 
• administered grain supply 
• building public facilities such as aqueducts and other buildings
• police department 
• fire fighting organization 
• Died of natural causes
• Tiberius 
• AD14-AD37
• excellent general, but reluctant Emporer
• after the death of his son, he exiled himself and left prefects in charge
• died at 77
• Caligula
• AD 37 - AD 41
• won a power struggle after Tiberius' death 
•   known for extravagance, cruelty, and perversity  
• killed by praetorian guards and members of the court and senate looking to reform Rome
• Claudius 
• AD 41 - AD 54
• suffered from limp, studdering, slobbering, and shaking, possibly from cerebral palsy 
• ruled well, performed public works 
• started conquest to Brittain 
• poisoned by his last wife so her son Nero could rise to power
• Nero
• 54-68
• emphasized arts 
• huge fire in 64 wanted to rebuild Rome
• hugely overspent raided temples for money

Julius Ceaser's fall

I will be taking my test on ancient Rome on June 2 from 1:25-2:15

Plebs have a history of revolting

• How to keep the plebs from revolting 
• the Juvenal  poet said that all Rome desires are bread and circuses 
• give them bread, free grain from the state, and entertainment to keep them distracted and peaceful 
• Tiberius Gracchus noticed the benefits in helping the plebs 
• Military generals also used this ideal when the gave the soldiers some of the lands that they conquered
•  made soldiers loyal to their leaders, not necessarily to the republic 
• Julius Ceaser (100-44BC)
• Very powerful and successful general 
• COnquered large amounts of territory including Gual 
• made the common folks happy 
• He also had many friends in high places 
• include Pompey 
• Crassus
• these three men formed the triumvirate  
• Ceaser crossed the rubicon, the point of no return into Gual 
• Frist Ceaser served as a consul for one year
• he then appoints himself as the governor of Gual 
• Ceaser's army clashed with Pompey in Greece Asia, Spain, and Egypt 
•  In 44 bc he is named dictator for 6 mo then life 
• Ceaser made many reforms
• made people in provinces citizens 
• expanded senate 
• c\made jobs for the poor, mostly through public works
• increased pay for soldiers 
• started colonies where those who didn't own land could own property 
• Ceaser was assassinated on March 15 44 BC 
• assassinated because people saw Ceaser's rise in power as a huge threat to political viability 
• they lured him into the senate and stabbed him 23 times 
• even by his friend brutus 
• Octavian named Ceasers sole heir 
• ends republic

Essay Planning

Opening 

• US and roman governments very similar
• US gov based off of the roman government  
• both republics 
• both have three branches
• Judicial 
• Executive 
• Legislative 
• Both even ha legal code
• THESIS: While the US government was based on the Roman government, they are both very similar to each other, but with there similarities there are several differences due to their differences in time when they were created, and the people that the governed.

1st paragraph 

• One of the branches that they both shared was the executive branch 
• in both govs, this was a person or small group of people that helped to make the laws and controll military
• even though this branch exists in both goverenments there were several differences
• for the roman s there are two people in this branch, and serve 1 year term
• in US made of 1 person with their VP 4-year term 
• Both groups can veto proposed laws, and they are both in charge of the military.
• This branch is on of the most similar between the two governments

2nd Paragraph 

• Both governments also shared a legislative branch made up of many people who helped to make laws
• each made up of two houses, but these houses were both different 
• in Rome, there was the 300 strong senate and the assembly made up of 193 people from each tribe
• in the US there is the senate which has 100 members
• house has 435 members
• both similar, but several small differences

3rd paragraph

• the third and most different branch is the judicial branch 
• in rome there were praetors chosen by assembly served one year
• in US Supreme justices nominated by pres, serve lifetime 

Closing

• although the US gov was based off of roman it is sim, but still has many differences
• similar in many ways, but different because they were founded by different times and people, similar because they were both made when the people escaped an oppressive gov and leader

essay question

For my essay, I will compare the similarities and differences between the Ancient Roman Republic and Our current republic.  I think that this will be one of the easiest options on the list because we received so much inf4romation on this topic.  Furthermore, I believe that it will be easier to format than the other options because there are three branches that I can format the essay into, comparing each branch from the two governments on each side.  I believe this will be a fairly easy essay to write and format. 

The Empire

• Newfound wealth and expanding boundaries are bringing issues to Rome
• Discontent in lower classes
• military disorder 
• Economic Turmoil
• As Rome grew the gap between rich and poor grew
• The wealthy owned huge estates and many enslaved people
• Many POWs from past wars
• Smaller farmers, Ex-soldiers, found it hard to compete with the huge expansive farms
• sold their farms, becoming homeless
• Became regional farm workers or went to cities to try to find work 
• became part of the Urban Poor, 1/4 of Rome's population 
• Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus tried to help Rome's Poor
• As tribunes, they tried to limit the size of estates and  give land to the poor 
• Because of their ideas, they both met gruesome ends as they made enemies of many senators 
• A civil war ensued after their deaths
• Military Upheaval 
• Once loyal military began to break down 
• Generals began seizing power for themselves
• offered the poor land and the poor owed all allegiance to their commanders 
• It became possible for a military leader who was backed up by his forces to seize power by force
• Julius Ceasar's Take Over
• Ceaser joined forces with Pompey and Crassus to creat a triumvirate and rule Rome 
• Ceaser Was a genius military leader
• served one year as consul and named himself governor of Gaul during 58-50 bc Ceaser led his tromps on a trip to conquer all of Gaul
• Successes in Gual made him very popular 
• Pompey began to fear Ceaser's Ambitions
• Ceaser defied the senate's order making his armies march on Rome, Popey fled leaving Ceaser to take control 
• Ceaser's Reforms
• Ruled as an absolute ruler who held all power
• Made some reforms 
• Granted citizenship to people in Roman provinces 
• expanded the senate
• He helped the poor by creating jobs
• Many nobles began to grow weary of Ceaser and on March 15, 44bc he was stabbed to death 
• Beginning Of The Empire 
• After Ceasar's death, civil war broke out again in Rome 
• destroyed what was left of the republic 
• Ceasars 18 yo Grand Nephew, Mark Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus joined forces to take the Assasins out of power 
• Ruled for 10 years as the second triumvirate
• Ended in Jealousy and violence
• Octavious forced Lepidus to retire and he and Antony became enemies
•  While leading troops in Anatolia Antony met Cleopatra and fell in love with her
• he followed her to Egypt 
• Octavian said that Antony would lead from Egypt and another civil war broke out
• Octavian defeated forces of Cleopatra and Antony  
• Cleopatra and Antony committed suicide
• Octavian restored some ideals of the republic but became the absolute ruler of Rome
• eventually accepted the title of Agustus  
• Vast and powerful Empire 
• Rome was at its peak from 27 bc to 180 ad a period of peace called pax Romana occurred
• Controlled 3 million square miles of land 
• Sound Gov
• Held their empire in part from their efficient govRulers helped
• Agustus was Rome's most able leader 
• Stabilized the frontier, Glorified Rome with the huge buildings
• created a system of government that existed for centuries
• After Agustus died in 14 Ad his system of gov maintained the empire
• Agriculture and Trade 
• Ag was the biggest roman  industry 
• Almost 90% of people in Rome were involver in ag 
• Luxury items were shipped in through trade 
• The Roman World
• Slaves and captivity 
• widespread in essential to the economy 
• most slaves were conquered people 
• worked in city and on farm
• Gods and Goddesses 
• at first worshipped powerful spirits or forces
• gov and religion closely involved
• Society and culture 
• many lived extravagantly 
• but many more barely had necessities 
• many games such as gladiators and races to entertain people

Punic wars

• The Roman legion consisted of 5000 soldiers of highly trained elite infantrymen selected from Roman citizens
•  within the legion, there were centuries of 80
• the mounted part of the army was the calvary 
• the soldiers carried a dagger shield and armor and wore a tunic 
• Punic wars were wars between Rome and Carthage 264-146 BC
• three total wars 
• first punic war (261-241)
• Naval battles for the strategic point of Sicily
• Won by Rome
•  Second punic war (218-201 BCE
• 29 yo general Hannibal almost takes Rome 
• Attacks Rome from the north, Spain, crossed the alps 
• Lies siege to the peninsula for close to 15 years, but never gets all of the way to Rome 
• Third and final punic war (149-146)
• Rome wanted to wipe Carthage off of the face of the earth 
• Roman generals Scipio, Tiberius Gracchus, and others mercilessly attacked the city 
• Carthage burned for 17 days 
• When the war ended 50,000 of the last people were sold into slavery 
• Carthage's territories were annexed making the Roman province of Africa
• Slaves poured into Italy 50k Carthage slaves, 150K Greek Pow 
• By the end of the 2nd century, there were more than 1000000 slaves in Rome 
• Small farmers lost their land to aristocrats if couldn't pay debts because of fighting a war
• massive farms became expansive estates called latifundia
•