Roman Post 4: MVP

Constantine is the MVP of the Roman Era. Also known as Constantine the Great, he was born circa 271 AD to Constantinus I and Helena. Constantine defeated all of his challengers and kept his powerful position as emperor. He is most known for reuniting the empire that would have been divided between many different emperors. Constantine was the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity.

He was so awesome that in the Christian church, he is known as Saint Constantine. Constantine successfully fought against the Franks, Alamanni, Visigoths, and Sarmatians during his reign. In his 31-year rule, Constantine kept the entire empire together and after his death Constantinople was named the new capital of the Byzantine empire. He was also the first to use a cross as an emblem in his flag. He earned the nickname "The Great" from the church for his many great contributions to the religion. This is why Constantine THE GREAT is the obvious MVP of the Roman era!

Roman Post 3: Venn Diagram

Roman Post 2: A Paragraph

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/famousromansdropdown.htm
http://www.google.com/search?q=julius+caesar&hl=en&safe=active&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=pEs&tbs=tl:1&tbo=u&ei=LoknS4CyOI-YtgeJ9f3SCw&sa=X&oi=timeline_result&ct=title&resnum=13&ved=0CDoQ5wIwDA

We should use the BBC History website because BBC is a legitimate news source. BBC has been around for awhile and it is a nice credible resource. If I was going to do a report on the Roman Empire, I would use information from BBC for sure. I would also use Social Studies for Kids because that is also a credible resource and it is also easy to comprehend for those who have difficulty understanding the sophistication of BBC. Social Studies for kids is a great website because they have information on everything! I would also use the Julius Ceasar timeline because I like to know the chronoligical events of things. It helps me sort all of the information and how certain events affected other events after that.

Roman Post 1: 6 Lists of 5 Facts

Section 1: Founding the Roman Republic

1. The Forum was the center of all Roman business
2. Praetors were officials who oversaw the Roman legal system.
3. Patricians were  powerful landowners controlled the government and inherited their power
4. Plebians were farmers and workers who made up the majority of the population.
5. Legionaries were citizens who made up the major unit of the Roman army.

Section 2: Rome Expands its Borders

1. Carthage was a powerful city on the north African coast, was a great commerical power that Rome feared would control the Mediterranean.
2. Sparticus, a Roman slave, led a revolt in 73 B.C. in which more than 70,000 slaves took part.
3. During the Third Punic War, Rome completely destroyed the city of Carthage.
4. One of the greatest generals of all time, Hannibal, a Carthaginian, assembled a huge army and harried the Roman countryside for years.
5. the Roman general Scipio defeated the Hannibal and his army and forced Carthage to give up its colonies in Spain.

Section 3: The Birth of the Roman Empire

1. Together, the Five Good Emperors - Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius - ruled Rome well for almost 100 years.
2. Caesar, Licinius Crassus, and Gnaeus Pompey formed a political alliance called the First Triumvirate in 60 B.C.
3. The Julio-Claudian Emperors, relatives of Julius Caesar, ruled for 54 years.
4. Marc Antony helped Caesar's grandnephew, Octavian, inherit Rome and ruled with him in the Second Triumvirate.
5. Brave leaders such as the Gracchi tried to implement reforms that would save the Roman Republic.

Section 4: Roman Society and Culture

1. The government passed new laws as needed and judges reinterpreted old laws to fit new circumstances.
2. Growing trade, good transportation, a strong government, revised laws, and a strong army all helped to unify and strengthen the Roman Empire.
3. For centuries people thought Galen was the greatest authority on medicine.
4. The Aeneid tells the story of Aeneas, the prince of Troy.
5. Roman engineers were masters at building roads, bridges, arenas, and public buildings.

Section 5: The Rise of Christianity

1. Rabbis were Jewish scholars who interpreted scriptures and were learned in Jewish laws, and became the leaders of Jewish congregations.
2. The emperor Hadrian banned all Jews from Jerusalem, which resulted in Jewish communities outside of Jerusalem.
3. Many Christians became martyrs - people put to death for their beliefs.
4. Today the Trinity is a central belief of Christians.
5. The Latin word "pope" means "father" in English. Any decisions made by the pope were equivalent to those coming directly from the disciples, who had received their authority from Jesus.

Section 6: The Fall of the Western Empire

1. Inflation, a rise in prices caused by a decrease in the value of money, became so severe that people stopped using money.
2. The Huns, nomadic people from central and southwestern Asia, posed an ever-growing threat to Rome in the late empire.
3. Although the A.D. 476 overthrow of Romulus Augustulus is often seen as the "fall" of the Empire, the empire in the East remained until AD 1453
4. The Vandals, a Germanic tribe, proved to be a serious threat and sacked Rome around A.D. 455.
5. In AD 324, Constantine became the sole emperor again and built a beautiful capital city in the East.

Greek Post 5: Top 5

1. Democracy
2. Math/Science
3. Architecture
4. Justice System
5. Literature

I chose democracy as number one because America is a partially democratic nation and democracy is the best. The Greeks also made huge strides in math and science, with many theorems and laws that are still used today. Ancient Greeks built hundreds of temples, shops, stadiums and public places that are still standing today. The two most famous are the Acropolis and the Parthenon.  The justice system derived from the Greeks is very similar to the justice system used today in America. Lastly, Greek literature has had a huge impact on society; the famous Illiad and Odyssey are still read in classes today. 

Greek Post 4: Cover Picture

I would chose this as a cover for the Greek unit because the ancient Greeks were famous for many things, but the Olympics were arguably one of their most famous rituals. The Olympics are still a big deal today and some of the games of ancient Greece are still played in the Olympics today. 

Greek Post 3: Greek Mythology/Family Tree

Greek Mythology Stories
Mythological Greek Name Meanings
Greek Mythology For Kids
Women in Greek Mythology