Roman Life:
Hannibal crossing the Alps: One of the greatest military achievements of ancient warfare. Happened during the 2nd Punic War. Took 16 days for his army to cross. Many of their elephants did not survive the journey.
Why he crossed the Alps: He thought that it would give him a better chance against the Romans if he came down with all of his war elephants. The wars were fought over pure mutual hatred between Rome and Carthage.
Roman Trade: Ver vital to the Roman empire. Most common trade items: beef, corn, glasswar, iron, lead, leather, marble, olive oil, perfumes, purple dye, silk, silver, spices, timber, tin, and wine. Main trading partners: Spain, France, the Middle East, and North Africa. Made trade very simple by only using 1 form of currency. They 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.
Discussion (1st question): I believe it wasn't very smart of Hannibal to cross the Alps with his elephants.
Discussion (2nd question): I would rather have trade on the sea
Roman Ag. : Used crop rotation. Sometimes had to import food because of mountains. After conquering Egypt, they were able to import lots of wheat. Most of crops raised on large estates called latifundias. Cicero considered farming the best of all Roman occupations. The main crop was wheat, and bread was present during almost every meal. Majority of work done on the farm was by slaves and servants. Farms created main source of income for Romans. Certain types of food were given out to the public for free (corn, wheat, etc). 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 share cropping forced labor (slaves), and other arrangements in which farm owners lended farms out.
Question: I would put more money into smaller farms because there is a capacity to be more of them.
Slavery General Info: Ancient Rome depended on slaves. Most slaves were foreigners and unlike most places it did not depend on race. Not uncommon for desperate Romans to sell their children into slavery. When freed, they could work the same jobs ans 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 the masters switched places. During this celebration the master performed all the tasks that a slave would normally do. It was a way that masters would show appreciation and respect for slaves.
Slavery: Manual labor/domestic services. Could be highly educated and skilled, worked as teachers and physicians. Slaves tasks would include working on farms=produced the food and materials the cities depended on. Businesses-managed shops for store owners, in charge of shop keeping, lending money and selling of merchandise. Public Buildings-worked on aqueduct systems, built roads and bridges and arenas.
Question: I would rather be a small time farmer than a slave because you wouldn't have to answer to someone else, and you could earn at least a little bit instead of nothing.
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 means save the gladiator that's down and thumbs down means 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 fight tigers and lions. Criminals were sentenced to fight wild beasts at the games but without and skills, weapons, or armor.
Question: I would rather fight in a Coliseum fighting for a chance at life. I would rather have a 50% chance of life than a 100% chance of death.
Emperors: Tiberius: adopted son of Augustus-ruled for 22 years and 6 months. He was possibly assassinated by Caligula. He was a cruel tyrant who put men to death upon mere suspicion.
Caligula-great nephew of Tiberius: ruled 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, and marched it hundreds of miles, and then commanded the soldiers to gather the shells on the beach and carry the back to Rome.
Claudius I: nephew of Tiberius and uncle of Caligula-served 13 years 9 months. probably poisoned by his wife Agrppina. He was a weak and foolish emperor who allowed the cruelest of acts to be committed in his name, and then forgot them, and invited the people to dinner whom he had just put to death.
Nero: served for 13 years 8 months-stepson and adopted son of Claudius. He was a monster of vanity and cruelty.
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