Test

Today we took a test and it was the last test of the 4th quarter. If we didn't have final exams that would've been the last test of the year. We have two days of school left, and then it's on to the exams. It was a two hour late bell and I didn't finish my lunch so I had to bring it to class with me, but I still didn't finish it because we had to take the test and my fries were cold by then.

going over stuff for the test tomorrow

These are the test questions for tomorrow:

• AD 476 to AD 1453 Middle Ages
• this new society has roots in:
• classical heritage of Rome 
• beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church
• customs of various Germanic tribes
• overrun the western halp of the Roman Empire causing:
• disruption of trade
• downfall of cities
• population shifts to rural areas
• decline of learning
• tribes had oral tradition, songs, but couldn't read Greek or Latin
• Romance languages evolve (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian)
• few besides priests were literate
• Germanic warriors' loyalty is to the lord of the manor he provides them with food, weapons, treasure. Result:
• no orderly govt. for large areas
• small communities rule
• Clovis rules the Germani people of Gaul, known as the Franks.
• in 496 he has a  battlefield conversion - he and 3000 of his warriors become Christians
• the Church in Rome likes this
• by 511 the Franks are united into one kingdom, with Clovis and the Church working as partners
• in 520, Benedict writes rules for monks:
• vows of poverty (live simply in monasteries)
• chastity (no material relations)
• obedience (listen to church superiors)
• his sister Scholastica writes similar rules for nuns
• they operate schools, maintain libraries, copy books
• Church revenues are used to help the poor, build roads, and raise armies. this is a theocracy.
• ost of the rest of Europe consists of smaller kingdoms
• Hammer defeats a Muslim raiding party from Span at the Battle of Tours

Germanic Kingdoms Unite under Charlemagne

So basically for the class we went over the same stuff that we did before on the slides throughout the week.

• 476-1453 AD: Romulus Augustulus: 13 year old emperor was told to step down, deposed as emperor. no more emperor, no more empire.
• this new society has roots in:
• classical heritage of Rome
• beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church
• customs of various Germanic tribes
• overturn the western half of the Roman empire
• causing: (TEST QUESTION)
• disruption of trade
• downfall of cities
• population shifts to rural areas,
• decline of learning
• tribes had oral tradition, songs, but couldn't read Greek or Latin
• Romance languages evolve (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian)
• few besides priests were literate
• Germanic warriors' loyalty is to the lord of the manor he provides them w/food, weapons, treasure
• result:
• no orderly government for large areas
• small communities rule
• Clovis rules the Germanic people of Gaul, known as the Franks (which is where "France" comes from)
• in 496 he has a battlefield conversion-he and 3000 of his warriors became Christians
• the Church in Rome likes this
• by 511 the Franks are united into one kingdom, with Clovis and the Church working as partners
• Church + Frankish rulers  = rise in Christianity
• in 520, Benadict writes rules for monks:
• vows of poverty (live simply in monasteries)
• chastity (no marital relations)
• obedience (listen to church superiors)
• Pope Gregory 1 ( Gregory the Great) goes secular (worldly power)
• church revenues are used to help the poor, build roads, and raise armies
• this is a theocracy
• Gregory's spiritual kingdom (Christendom) extends from Italy to England, from Spain to Germany
• Clovis rules  the Franks in Gaul until his death in 511.
• most of the rest of Europe consists of smaller kingdoms (seven in England alone)
• Clovis' desendants include Charles Martel, known as Charles the Hammer (great name!)
• Hammer defeats a Muslim raiding party from Spain at the Battle of Tours in 732
• (if he hadn't won, western Europe could have become part of the Muslim Empire - that's huge!)
• Charles Martel's son is Pepin the Short
• he works with the church and is named "king" by the grace of God by the pope (Popes do that?)
• Pepin the Short dies in 768, leaving two sons
• Son #1 - Carloman - dies in 771
• Son #2 - is Charles, known as Charlemagne, meaning Charles the Great
• six feet four inches of rocking ruling warrior greatness!
• Treaty of Verdun - the three grandsons of Charlemagne split the empire up into three parts 

More Middle Ages

• describe how Christianity evolved from a "cult" into the full huge biggest religion in the world. (ESSAY QUESTION)
• a European Empire Evolves
• Franks control largest European kingdom
• the Roman province formerly known as Gaul
• Ruled by Clovis - the Merovingian Dynasty
• Major domo - mayor of the palace - ruled the kingdom
• Charles Martel - Charles the Hammer
• extended the Franks' reign to the north, south, and east.
• defeated a Muslim army from Spain at the Battle of Tours in 732 - historic battle!
• (that's as far as we got)

Germanic Kingdoms Unite Under Charlemagne

Main idea: many Germanic kingdoms that succeeded the Roman Empire were reunited under Charlemagne's empire
Why it matters now!: Charlemagne spread Christian civilization throughout northern Europe, which is where many of us came from.
Middle Ages = medieval period
500 - 1500 AD
medieval Europe is fragmented
1. invasions and constant warfare spark trends
     a. disruption of trade
          i. Europe's cities are no longer economic centers
          ii. money is scarce
     b. downfall of cities
          i. cities are no longer centers of administration
     c. population shifts
          i. nobles retreat to the rural areas
          ii. cities don't have strong leadership
2.invasions trigger changes in western Europe (cont.)
     a. decline of learning
          i. Germanic invaders are illiterate, but they communicate through oral tradition
          ii. only priests and church officials could read and write
          iii. Knowledge of Greek (and literature, science, philosophy) is almost lost
     b. loss of a common language
          i. dialects develop...
3. Germanic kingdoms emerge
     a. the concept of govt. changes
          i. Roman society: loyal to public govt.
          ii. Germanic society: loyal to family
               1. Germanic chief led warriors
               2. during peace, he provided food, weapons, treasure, a place to live (the lord's hall)
               3. During wartime, warriors fought for the lord
          iii. "the king? who's that? you want to collect taxes from me? who the hech are you?"
          IV. franks live in the Roman province of Gaul - their leader is Clovis
     b. the Franks under Clovis
          i. another battlefield conversion! (just like Constantine!)
          ii. Clovis and 3000 of his warriors are baptized by the bishop
          iii. the church in Rome approves of this "alliance"
          IV. Clovis and the church begin to work together
4. Germanic peoples adopt Christianity
     a. 511 AD - Clovis unites Franks into one kingdom
     b. 600 AD - church + Frankish rulers convert many
     c. fear of Muslims in southern Europe spur many to become Christians
     4. Monasteries and convents
          i. 520 AD - Benedict wrote the rules for monks and monasteries
               1. poverty, chastity, obedience, study
          ii. his sister Scholastica did the same for nuns...
     5. (pope) Gregory 1 expands papal power
          a. papacy=pope's office
          b. secular power=worldly power
          c. so... under Gregory the great...
papal power (power of the pope) is political power.
presented from the pope's palace
          d. the church can use church money to:
               raise armies
               repair roads
               help the poor
          e. Gregory the Great began to act as mayor of Rome, and as head of an earthly kingdom (Christendom)

Middle Ages

• feudalism: a political, military and economic system based on land-holding and protected alliances.
• in other words: the system is based on personal loyalty to people who can help you
• rich dude (lord): "I own land; I need people to help me work and defend it."
• tough dudes (vassals): "There are a lot of us, we can help the rich dudes hold onto their land."
• (in order)
• KING
• the most powerful VASSALS (NOBLES and BISHOPS)
• KNIGHT - mounted warriors who received FIEFS for defending their lord's land
• PEASANTS(mostly SERFS) - landless, powerless, moneyless, right-less; just working the land for "the man" (their lord)
• MANOR: the lord's estate
• the lord's manor house
• a church
• some workshops
• 15-30 families
• all on a few square miles
• good news: its a self-sufficient community
• bad news: its harsh if you're a peasant
• PEASANTS ARE POOR AND HIGH TAXES 
• tax on grian 
• tax on marriage
• church...(that's as far as we got today

Rome Test

Today we took a big test on Rome, and basically it was the 40 question test with stuff added to it, and we all got our grades back before the end of class. For the rest of class, we were allowed to do whatever, and i was doing my Brain Flex for Mr. Perry that's due next Friday.

Rome Fades Away

• 2 emperors
• Diocletian
• he rules from 284-303
• its cool to persecute Christians
• Rome needs a big army (4,000 strong)
• Rome needs a big government (20,000 officials)
• Constantine 
• rules from 306-337
• its cool to BE a Christian
• conversion to Christianity via a cross in the sky (conquer by this!)
• 313 - his Edict of Milan proclaims freedom of worship
• built a new capital in the East
• Byzantium, soon to be known as Constantinople 
• Edict of Milan
• a proclamation that gave religious toleration for Christianity
• the political agreement concluded in Milan between the Roman emperors Constantine 1 and Licinius in February 313
• life in the Fourth century:
• country dwellers are getting bankrupted by tax collection
• new farming system: peasants work for elite landlords on large farms
• peasants can avoid paying taxes, but they are getting hit just as hard by the landlords
• paying off debts and being "allowed" to live on the land, in exchange for endless back-breaking work (such a deal!)
• landowners hold local power as counts and bishops, wielding more real power than the faraway empire
• foreshadowing feudalism
• Rome's power is decreasing, while nomadic barbarians  gain power
• Western Empire is too poor, begins to be neglected 
• Huns migrate from China to eastern Europe
• Visigoths take over Spain, and actually capture and loot Rome itself in 410
• Vandals control Carthage and the western Mediterranean 
• Other barbarian tribes:
• Ostrogoths in Italy
• Franks in Gaul
• Angles and Saxons in Britain 
• from the beginning:
• 500 BC - the monarchy is abolished
• 450 BC - the Twelve Tables are established
• through the glory days:
• 44 BC - end of the line for Julius Caesar
• 27 BC - 180 AD - the Roman Peace (pax romana)
• to the bitter end:
• constant fifth century invasions by barbarian tribes left the western Roman Empire shattered and crumbling
• the last emperor was a teenage boy installed in 475 by his father
• barbarians deposed Romulus Augustulus without bothering to kill him

The decline of the Roman Empire

• Jesus' followers believe he is the Messiah and Savior who has risen from the dead
• Saul (the persecutor) becomes Paul (the evangelist), spreading Jesus' message (one true God, not Roman gods)
• Christianity evolves from cult status to established, official structure.
• Priest, bishops, pope (Bishop of Rome)
• Christians and Jews were monotheistic (believing in one god)
• this conflicted with Roman beliefs
• persecution against both was common 
• Christianity appealed to the poor, and since there were many poor, their numbers grew
• as it grew, even some Roman leaders embraced Christianity
• AD 313: Constantine has a battlefield conversion
• He issues the Edict of Milan
• Not only no persecution, but actual approval of Christianity, eventually making it the official religion of Rome
• the Roman Empire and Christianity are now linked in power and influence

Test!

We took a test, and our average was 87.5%, and everyone was pretty much happy with their grades. It was a large test, and I felt pretty bad about it until i saw my grade. We pretty much did that for the whole class.

Test tomorrow

• City-State and Empire - the Roman Republic
• where did the first Indo-Europeans settle around 750 BC?
• shores of the Tiber River, in the low-lying "Seven Hills" of central Italy.
• what three groups of people dominated the culture of early Rome?
• Latins (came in first), Etruscans, Greeks
• who was Tarquin the Proud, and what was so significant about him?
• last of the Etruscan kings.
• describe how Rome moved from a monarchy to a republic
• ruled by kings, advised by rich patricians, after Tarquin the govt. became res publica or a republic
• describe difference between a patrician and a plebeian
• patrician: upper-class, landowning, established, connected, powerful. 
• Plebeian: common people, workers, small-time farmers, some wealthy non-patricians
• define:
• senate: govt. assembly of 300 (unpaid) patricians
• consuls: two senators who led the govt. and military for one-year terms, could veto each other
• tribunes: leaders of the plebeian assembly; first rather powerless, gaining ground over the years
• what is so important about the Twelve Tables?
• marked the 1st time that laws were written down in Rome
• set up to protect plebeians who were getting pushed around by patricians
• publicly displayed in the Forum
• the Roman Republic serves as a model for what modern document, and what modern govt.?
• the Constitution of the US and its separation of powers
• Senate / Assemblies - US Senate / House of Reps/Consuls / Dictator - Pres. of the US / senate could act like judges - like our Supreme Court
• why only the rich could serve in the Senate?
• members were not paid, but worked their way up from low-ranking magistrates to higher ones. they meed to spend a lot to look good, popular, and powerful, making them electable. Plebes couldn't afford to do that.
• the kings who ruled between 600 and 500 BC ordered the building of Forum, Rome's Political center.

Rome!

All we did today was go over some of the notes that we went over on Friday, and added some notes, and we listened to Mr Schick sh peal about all of it. we had the long class, and it is the longest class of my life, and all we did was take notes about Rome.

• Paul is instrumental in telling the world about Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and message.
• he travels far and wide: Cyprus, Anatolia, Athens, Corinth, Macedonia, Rome, Jerusalem, and maybe even Spain and Britain.
• he writes letters to many of those he spoke to - these epistles are a part of the New Testament.
• if not for the efforts of Paul, it is likely that Jesus remains an obscure preacher, instead of the central figure of the world's largest religion.
• Caligula - good start
• in addition to being Germanicus' son, he was Tiberius' adopted grandson and great-nephew 
• putting him next in line for emperor
• he started off well: granting bonuses to those in the military, declaring treason trials a thing of the past, and made government spending a matter of public record
• all in all, the first seven months of Caligula's reign were "completely blissful" (according to the historian Philo)... then... 
• ...bad finish for Caligula
• he began to fight with the Senate
• he claimed to be a god, and had statues displayed in many places - including the Jewish temple in Jerusalem (sacrilege!)
• other examples of cruelty and insanity: he slept with other men's wives and bragged about it, indulged in too much spending and sex, and even tried to make his horse a consul and a priest (at least that's what his critics said)
• assassinated by his own aides, AD 41 (aged 28)
• next in line: Clausius
• Ostracized by his family because of his disabilities (limp, slight deafnes, possible speech impendiment - thought to be cerebral palsy or polio), he was the last adult male in his family when Caligula was killed
• he rose to the occasion: he conquered Britain; he built roads, canals, and aqueducts; he renovated the Circus Maximus
• had an awful marriage to Messalina, who was quite often unfaithful to him, even plotting to seize power for her lover Silius through a coup - so Claudius had them killed
• meanwhile - religious troubles
• Christianity and Judaism: monotheistic
• Romans had many gods, plus at times the emperor was viewed as a god
• AD 66: a group of Jews called the Zealots tried to rebel, but Roman troops put them down and burned their temple (except for one wall)
• the Western Wall today is the holiest of all Jewish shrines
• half a million Jews died in the rebellion
• Persecution of Christians
• Romans were harsh toward those who would not worship the emperor
• especially Christians, who were viewed as followers of a new, upstart religion (cult)
• often used for "entertainment" purposes in the Colosseum (thrown to the lions, etc.)
• despite the oppression, Christianity grew quickly - by AD 200, around 100 percent of the people in the Roman empire were Christians.  

Notes

Today we were supposed to take a test, but Mr. Schick wasn't here so we don't have to take the test. Here are the notes for today:

• Caesar declared himself dictator, but he wasn't of terror, like Sulla, but he didn't show any signs of giving up high position like Sulla.
• in the west, the native languages of conquered European barbarian peoples began to be replaced by Latin
• In the East, Egyptian hieroglyphic writing fell out of use. 
• the empire's gods and goddesses came from Egypt and other lands of the eastern Mediterranean or beyond the empire's eastern frontier, and the language of the new Latin speakers began a lengthy evolution into the Latin languages of the present day.
• Caesar's murder did not restore the Republic; instead, his death produced yet another crop of warlords and yet more bouts of civil war.
• Mark Antony and Octavian were rival loyalists of Caesar, and each managed to attract some of Caesar's legions, which they used to fight a brutal war against each other in Italy.
•   the triumvirs declared that they intend to "restore the Republic", but they also had the Senate proclaim Julius Caesar a "Divine Being" -- not quite a god like Jupiter, but far above any ordinary mortal.
• princeps: "first citizen", a traditional Roman name for prominent leaders who were considered indispensable to the Republic that came to be used by Augustus and other early emperors.

That's as far as I got in class.