Roman Civil Wars
Rubicon
These 2 foundational works of Greek myth and culture - the equivalent of a 2 part Greek Bible - were (traditionally) written by the blind poet Homer around 800 BC
the Iliad & Odyssey
The first Roman Emperor was, essetially, the last great man left standing in the Roman Civil Wars: Octavian, (the grand-nephew of Julius Caesar). Octavian ruled Rome with great success from 27 BC - 14 AD, and set the precedents that emperors would follow for the next 200 years. However, upon his accession, the Roman Senate gave him THIS title - by which he is more commonly known to history.
Augustus
Jesus Christ was arrested, tried and executed by TWO entities who held power in Judaea in 30 AD. WHAT were the two entities and WHY did each fear Jesus?
The Roman governor (Pontius Pilate) feared Jesus would foment a political rebellion
The Jewish Sanhedrin (High Priests) considered Jesus a blasphemer and feared he would supplant their own religious authority
They blamed the unjust execution of Socrates by Athens on the city's uneducated citizens who, in their minds, were given far too much power in the city's democratic system.
The breakdown of the Roman Republic is traditionally dated from the tribunates of the Gracchi brothers, Tiberius and Caius in the 130s/120s BC. Before the two brothers were killed in civil riots with the senatorial faction, these populares (people's champions) pushed an ambitious and diverse reform agenda to help the poor citizens of Rome. Can you name TWO areas they sought reform?
-Redistribution of public lands in Italy to poor citizens
-Expansion of Roman citizenship to more Italians
-Government distribution of grain to Roman citizens
Achilles
Hector
Arrow in the Heel
The Romans were very practical rulers. They were particularly remembered for the vast infrastructure projects they built throughout their empire. Name THREE types of infrastructure they were known for:
-Road System
-Aqueducts
-Entertainment Complexes (Circuses, Theatres, Colosseums, etc)
-Defensive Walls
-Sewage Systems
-Canals/Harbors
The Roman emperor Nero initiated the first Roman persecution of Christians in 64 AD when he falsely blamed ____________ on the Christians of Rome. Thereafter, several hundred were either thrown to lions in the arena or burned alive on crosses.
the burning of Rome
Western Civilization is traditionally said to be the product of TWO great foundations:
-The Greco-Roman secular heritage
-The Judeo-Christian religious legacy
Twice, during the Civil Wars, three powerful men supplanted republican government and divided supreme power amongst themselves. The first group of 3 were Caesar, Pompey and Crassus (60 BC - 49 BC) and the second group were Octavian, Mark Antony and Lepidus (43 BC - 33 BC). The Latin title of these oligarchies of three rulers were _________ .
Triumvirates
Romulus & Remus - the mythical founders of Rome - were the sons of the Roman God of _______ and they were nursed by a _________.
God of War (Mars)
She Wolf
This period of the Roman Empire (96 AD - 180 AD) was the peak of Roman stability, power and economic prosperity. During this long period, there were only 5 emperors, all capable men and all enjoying long, stable reigns. This period is know historically as the "Age of the ______ Emperors" and a key factor that enabled 5 competent rulers was ________ based succession.
Age of the Good Emperors
Meritocratic Succession
Of the early followers of Jesus, these 2 apostles stand out. St. ______ was the first bishop of Rome - meaning he is considered the first pope. The Romans crucified him upside down on Vatican hill in 64 AD.
St. _______ wrote over half the books of the New Testament & spread Christianity all over the Mediterranean world during 4 great missionary journeys. The Romans eventually beheaded him in 64 AD.
St. Peter
St. Paul
This Macedonian general, following his father's conquest of Greece in 338 BC, led a combined Greek-Macedonian force of barely 40,000 men into the Persian Empire and conquered it entirely in less than 11 years. This man, _______________ , died young after which his generals divided the massive empire into four parts which were known as the ____________ kingdoms.
Alexander the Great
Successor
On 2 occasions, once during the 1st Civil War (Marius vs. Sulla) and again during the 2nd Civil War (Murderers of Caesar vs. his Avengers) lists of enemies were published in Rome known as ______________ . The names on these lists were identified as "enemies of the state" whose property was confiscated and they to be were to be hunted down and killed by any citizen who was able.
Proscription Lists
In the Roman myth of Sabine Women, Romulus has founded Rome but there are no women. So, he proclaims a religious festival and invites the neighboring Sabine people. The Roman men, upon a preplanned signal, each seize a Sabine woman to be their wives. The Sabine men come back with an army the following year to take back their women and punish the Romans. When the battle is going against the Romans WHAT do their Sabine wives do and HOW is this emblematic of women's roles in most Roman myths?
-They run out into the midst of the battle and stop the fighting. They convince the Romans & Sabines to stop their war and merge into one people.
-Roman women are seen as PATRIOTIC and NURTURING and SAVE THE DAY through their femininity when the Roman men prove unable.
What was the Pax Romana (Roman Peace)
This was early period of the Roman Empire (27 BC - 180 AD). Although the Romans lost their republican freedom, the emperors who ruled the Mediterranean world provided an unprecedented era of stability, security, peace and prosperity. The Pax Romana was the longest period of general peace the Mediterranean world would enjoy until the 1800s.
-Cannibalism
-Incest
-Atheism
-Unpatriotic
-Haters of Mankind
Perhaps the most foundational ideal that underpins Western Civilization is a general preference for ____________ over the ___________ . This notion is the very foundation of the Western systems like democracy and capitalism. This ideal is famously demonstrated using 3 stories:
-Jesus' parable of the lost sheep
-Benjamin Franklin's story of 99 guilty murderers
-Moses Maimonides metaphor of one soul in a scale balancing evenly with all the souls on earth
Individualism OVER the Common Good
The suicide of Cleopatra and Mark Antony in 30 BC was a monumental milestone for the entire Mediterranean world. Their deaths can said to have ENDED several ages and BEGUN several more. Can you name at least TWO?
-Last Egyptian dynasty ends after 3,000 years
-Last Successor kingdom (from Alexander the Great's Empire) falls
-The End of the Roman Civil Wars & Republic
-Beginning of the Roman Empire
-Beginning of the Pax Romana (Roman Peace)
Despite the influence of mythology upon Greek civilization in a cultural sense, describe the difference between the Greeks' relationship to THEIR many gods (i.e. Zeus, Hera, Athena, etc.) and the relationship to God in the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam).
Abrahamic religions = God is perfect, sinless and the only divine being. He provides laws and moral standards for living that humans must follow for rewards/punishments in the afterlife.
Greek religion = transactional. Their many gods are NOT sinless whatsoever, but reflect human imperfections. Worshipping them properly brings rewards in THIS life. The gods, however, do not provide laws or moral codes that humans are expected to follow.
During roughly the first 200 years of the Roman Empire's imperial government was known as the "Principate". How did the emperors maintain rule under this framework?
They kept facade of are republican government in place to "ease" the Roman people into accepting the new way of things. There were still consuls and the senate as well as the old republican ceremonies. All the power, however, was ultimately in the hands of the emperor.
St. ________ the mother of the emperor __________ the Great, was a Christian who heavily influenced her son to convert. The turning point, however, was his vision of a Christian symbol in the sky prior to a great battle. After painting it on the shields of his soldiers, he won the battle, became a Christian himself and permanently ended the Roman persecution of Christians.
St. Helena
Constantine the Great
PERSIANS
-Largest empire on earth
-Huge advantage of population, wealth, resources, and
-Unified under one king, while the Greeks were a collection of independent, squabbling city states
GREEKS
-Homefield advantage since they were on the defense
-Greeks fighters were citizen soldiers - not conscripts - who had political rights in their societies and were fighting voluntarily to protect their freedom, families and way of life