Journal Question 2

The Roman people did not want a dictator or a king. Do you think Augustus and the emperors that followed him were any different?

I believe that in some ways Augustus and the emperors were like kings and in some ways they were not. At first, Augustus shared power with the Senate. They advised him and helped rule. However, he still had complete governing and military power.  The emperors were also unlike kings in the fact that they could choose who ruled next. It did not have to be the oldest son. Emperors could adopt or chose someone in their family. In many respects emperors were similar to kings. Their rule was absolute. Emperors could over through one another by force and then claim the throne. Though they did not call themselves kings, Augustus was named the first citizen, they were glorified ones. After they died, they died emperors were worshiped as gods.

Alexander the Great Essay

The greatest commander of all time, Alexander the Great was not only a leader but also a warrior and cultural aficionado. He was a living legend. Since the day he was born, Alexander III was destined to rule. From being the king of Macedonia, Alexander went on to becoming an emperor. His short lived empire spanned from Greece to India to Egypt to the Balkans. Alexander defined the word “great”.  His unmatched conquering reformed the world.  Meet Alexander the Great, the greatest commander the world has ever seen.

Alexander’s father, King Philip II and mother Olympias wanted only the best education for their darling son. At first Leonidas, possibly the brother of Olympias, was Alexander’s tutor. He was very harsh and strict. This taught the boy discipline which he used in the long march across Asia. Next, Alexander was taught by Lysimachus who gained Philip’s favor by referring to the young boy as Achilles. Alexander learned to play the lyre and gained an appreciation for the fine arts. Finally, Aristotle the Greek philosopher was Alexander’s private teacher and mentor. He learned everything from philosophy to government to medicine. Alexander himself even said, “My father gave me life, but Aristotle taught me to live.” This meant that Aristotle had a profound influence on Alexander, molding him into the great leader he would become.

As a child Alexander was immediately recognized for his cleverness of mind.  Legend says that when Alexander was merely 13 Philip wanted to buy a horse. The horse master brought the horse over. However, it was acting wild and neither Philip nor his friends could control it. In disgust, Philip ordered the horse to be sent away. Alexander said it was such a shame that they were passing off such a majestic creature. He said he would be able to tame it.  Philip bet against Alexander; if he won, then Alexander would pay for the horse out of his own pocket, if Alexander could tame the horse, then Philip would get it for him. Alexander noticed that the horse was shying away from his shadow. He led it to the sun so the shadow was behind him. Then Alexander mounted the horse and took off.  According to the historian Curtius Rufus, Philip actually wept for joy saying, “Macedonia is too small for you; you must find a kingdom big enough for your dreams.” This rang true. Little did Philip know, Alexander would end up conquering most of the civilized world.

What made Alexander such a great military leader? It was probably a combination of characteristics: his decisive planning and bond with his soldiers. Not once was the Macedonian Army beaten. Every land they attacked, they came to conquer. Alexander proved his military prowess at a young age. When his father was away conquering, Alexander crushed a Thracian revolt. He was only 15. Not only was he an intuitive battle planner, but he would fight at the front along with his men. He suffered numerous wounds. Most importantly, Alexander formed bonds with his soldiers. He would remember their names and accomplishments. Old veterans were sent home to their families. This loyalty he fostered meant they would follow him through any situation. He almost crossed all of Asia, through heat, rain and difficult battles before his army became worn out. None of this would have happened without his expert military leadership.  Even today he is revered as an ingenious battle strategist.

Not only did he conquer almost all of the know world, he had an enormous impact on culture across the globe.  Alexander was the driving force of the Hellenistic Age, a time where Greece was the center of the arts, science, medicine, and math. Greek was spoken across Europe and Asia. People in cities such as Babylon dressed like Greeks and read Greek literature. He accomplished this with strategic political planning. Every city he conquered Alexander left Greek leaders to teach the culture and help him govern from afar. To prevent rebellion, Alexander dressed like a Persian. He did this so they would not think they had a remote, foreign king. Alexander also married a Persian woman, Roxanne. Even early paintings of Buddha were done in the Greek style. Myths from India and Persia involve the Macedonian conqueror. His influence spans across the world, even today.

As you can see, Alexander the Great truly was a legacy. Full of tireless energy, intuitive ideas, and expert tactics he was the model leader. His empire, while it may have lasted for a mere 13 years, changed the world forever. Foreign cultures gained knowledge and new ideas from the Greek culture. Alexander had a huge effect on the world. Even up to the 15^th century Persians were using Greek art style. Generals today study his strategies. We can all thank Alexander, the truly great.

Ancient Greece Reflection

A couple weeks ago we completed our ancient Greece unit. It was engaging and full of discussion. We covered everything from the time of the Minoans to the conquest by Rome. I really enjoyed the Socratic Seminar at the end where we discussed the Greek contributions to the world. I thought it was a thorough way to end the unit. It was difficult for everyone to speak. We would occasionally interrupt each other or one person would dominate the conversation. I wish we had more time to discuss because we did not get through some of the main contributions of the Greeks such as democracy. We also had to write an essay about whether Alexander the Great was really that great. It was fine but I think it would be more interesting if we wrote a biased biography about someone of our choice (obviously applying to that time period). I would also have liked to learn more about different city states besides Athens and Sparta. What about Delphi? I think a hands on project would make this unit (actually any) more engaging and interesting. Perhaps for Rome we could build our own miniature aqueduct. :)

Journal Question 1

Describe the ways the Roman genius has benefited the world. Provide concrete examples.

500 years ago the people of central Italy marveled at the aqueducts and paved roads that they thought had been put down by giants. Only in recent centuries have we come to rival the power of ancient  Rome. Their 2,000 year ideas continue to influence the world today. Innovations in engineering, political science, military, and legal practice are only a fragment of Roman contributions. What was their key to success? A combination of standardization, initiative, and aggression gave them an upper hand. 

 One of the great contributions of the Romans is military organization. They started full time armies. Soldiers could enlist for up to 20 years at a time. This gave them a highly trained and expired military force. Still today, people can make the army as a profession.  During the time of the Greeks farmers would only serve during times of emergency. Having a full time army meant that there was always a defensive force at hand. This way they could continue conquering or rush to aid Rome if it was under siege.

Legal affairs are another contribution. Many modern courts still base themselves upon the Roman example. They were the first to initiate the professions of lawyers and judges. During the time of the Greeks the accused and the accuser argued their case before a citizen jury.  Romans used a fair judge who would asses matters using rights and common sense. Lawyers defended their clients views. 


The Romans were the first to use running water. They did this buy running a pipe from a mountain spring down into a stone aqueduct. Everything from fountains to public baths to private bathrooms used running water. Even today in Rome the aqueducts are still in use. The Romans were also first to tax the use of private water in houses. They created  the first sewers (still used in Rome). Now there was adequate plumbing. Disease was cut down because the city was cleaner.


Romance languages such as French, Italian, and Spanish are all based on Latin. English, though it is a Germanic language has Latin roots. 


Many great ideas and inventions can be attributed to the ancient Romans. Though we many not know it, their genius affects us everyday. Where would we be without them?