10/8/2012

[4th LizzK]

• Hannibal Crossing the Alps
  • One of the greatest military achievements of ancient warfare.
  • happened during the second punic war
  • Hannibal crossing the Alps was known to be one of the major achievements of the second punic war
  • took 16 days to cross and many of their elephants didn't survive.
• Why he crossed:
  • He thought it would give him a better chance against the Romans if he came down with all his war elephants
• The wars were fought over pure hatred by one side against the other.I don't think he got anything out of this-- he lost more than he gained. He put so much at risk for a war based upon hatred.
• Roman Trade
  • Very vital to the Roman empire
  • Most common trade items: beef, corn, glassware, iron, lead, leather, marble, olive oil, perfumes, purple dye, silk , silver, spices, timer, tin and wine. 
  • Main trading partners: Spain, France, the middle east, and north africa
  • Made trade very simple by only using one form of currency.
  • Used the Tiber river, Mediterranean Sea, and the Black sea for a trading route.
  • Two-way trade routes extended to other commercial centers in lands as far away as Egypt, Germany, and China.
  • The empire's location around the Mediterranean Sea helped make all this commercial activity possible.
• It was helpful to have good location, if you have good location with more goods you have better ability to get those goods sold-- thus giving you more income-- thus making you sO POWERFUL. So if you have more money from the goods you done sold, you have more money to spend to build up your defense.
• Roman Ag
  • Used crop rotation
  • Sometimes had to import food because of the mountains
  • After conquering Egypt, they were able to import lots of wheat.
  • Most crops raised on large estates called latifundias.
  • Cicero considered farming the best of all Roman occupations
  • The main from was wheat, and bread was present during almost every meal.
  • A majority of the work done on the farm was done by slaves and servants.
  • Farms created main sources of income for Romans
  • Certain types of food were given out to the public for free.
  • Since the Roman Empire stretched through a lot of land, there were different climates to allow a mixture of crops produced.
  • Romans had 4 systems of farm management- work done by owner and family, tenant farming and sharecropping with forced labor(slaves), and other arrangements in which farm owner lended farm ground out.
• I'd rather be a small farmer, because being a slave would suck.
• Slavery General Info
  • Ancient Rome depended on slaves.
  • Most slaves were foreigners and unlike most places it did not depend upon race
  • Not uncommon for desperate Romans to sell their children into slavery.
  • When freed, they could work the same jobs as the Plebeians.
  • Debt slavery was common, where a person could work off a debt by becoming a slave for a certain period of time, depending on the debt.
  • Some slaves were forced to become gladiators.
  • Saturnalia, a christmas for the slaves in which the slaves and masters would switch places.
  • During this celebration, the master performed all the tasks a slave would.
  • It was a way that masers would show appreciation and respect for slaves.
• Slavery
  • Manual labor
  • Domestic services
  • Could be highly educated and skilled, worked as teachers and physicians
  • Slave tasks included working on farms: produced the food and materials the cities depended on.
  • Businesses: managed shops for store owners, in charge of shop keeping, lending of money and selling of merchandise.
  • Public buildings: worked on aqueduct systems, built roads, and bridges, and arenas.
• I'd be a slave now. Or maybe not. I don't know. I'd rather be educated and respected and given a *JOB*.
• Gladiator
  • The gladiator games were games fought between an armed man and a criminal, wild animal, or another soldier. They were fought in the Coliseum in front of large audiences. Many of the people who fought the criminals, and wild animals, risked their social standing and their lives for the glory. They had costumes and scenery which had to be put up as well.
• Gladiator Games
  • Thumbs up meant save the gladiator that's down and thumbs down meant kill him, let him die.
  • Order of Events at the Gladiator Games.
    • Animal hunts- they had a scene and the Emperor would use a bow from his box seat and shoot them.
    • The Bestiarii- These were gladiators trained to right tigers and lions
      • Criminals were sentenced to fight wild beasts at the games, but without any skills  weapons, or armour.
• I would rather die than have to hurt somebody/something who didn't do anything to me. I'm a criminal, I obviously did something wrong.
• Emperors
  • Tiberius - adopted son of Augustus, ruled for 22 years and 6 months. Possibly assassinated by Caligula. He was a cruel tyrant who put men to death upon mere suspicion.
  • Caligula  - Great nephew of Tiberius. He served for 3 years and 10 months. Assassinated in conspiracy involving senators and Praetorian guards.
    • He was insane and once threatened to have his horse made consul, and at another time, raised a great army, marched it hundreds of miles, and then commanded the soldiers to gather the shells and bring them back to Rome.
  • Claudius I - ephew of Tiberius and uncle of Caligula. He served for 13 years and 9 months. Probably poisoned by his wife Agrippina.
    • He was weak and foolish, allowing the cruelest of acts to be committed in his name, and then forgo them and invited the persons to dinner whom he had just had put to death.
  • Nero - 13 years and 8 months. Stepson and adopted son of Claudius.
    • He was a monster of vanity and cruelty, he was suspected of setting fire to the city and allowing more than two-third of ti to burn up in order that be might rebuild it finer than it had been before.