Today in western Civilization class my group finished our Power Point on the Three Punic Wars.  The First Punic War:

• The first Punic War began in 264 BC

• It was the first of three major wars fought between Rome and Carthage

• The first war lasted from 264 BC to 241 BC
• The first war was fighting over the Mediterranean Island of Sicily

The Second Punic war:

• The Second Punic War lasted from 218-201 BC
• Between the Roman Republic and Carthaginian Empire
• Carthage (Purple)  had Northern Africa and half of Spain in their control

The Third Punic War:

• This war went on for three years, from 149 to 146 BC
• Resulted from the Roman Senate convincing their colleagues that Carthage was still a threat
• In 149 BC, Carthage broke their treaty with Rome by attacking a neighboring city

Today in Western civilization class we worked on our Roman Project.  My group did the three Punic Wars.  We didn't get a lot of work done today, but we are planning on doing the rest tomorrow.  While researching, I learned a lot of interesting facts about the three Punic wars.  I did the first punic war. Anthony did the second, and garret did the third.  The Three Punic wars were fought between Rome and Carthage, a city state on the northern end of Africa.  The first war was mainly over sicily, because Rome wanted full control over the island, but Carthage was controlling over half.

Today in Western Civilization Class we had a concert from Chi Cago, who is a very good rapper, and much better than Flop Rida.  I don't know if I want to do a rap battle for Rome because I have a feeling I wouldn't be able to come up with lyrics, and i would mess up a lot.  Chi Cago's performance today was very good, and I would like to get his autograph, that's for sure.  The videos that we heard from the play that costs too much money, were very cool and pretty interesting to listen to.  If we were able to get tickets for a cheaper price, I would like to go to that play.  It seemed very interesting and cool  how they fit historical facts, into a rap, that made snee and was even funny at times.  I would never be able to do that, even with Rome.

For Western Civilization Class today, we had to read pages 152-159, and answer question 1 on page 159.
1. Republic- form of government in which power rests with citizens who have the right to vote for their leaders.
Patricians- Were wealthy landowners held most of the power.
Plebeians- The plebeians were the common farmers, artisans, and merchants who made up most of the population.
Tribunes-  Plebeians would create their own assembly and vote for a representative called a tribune.
Consuls-Rome had two officials called consuls who commanded the army and directed the government, but their term only lasted one year, and couldn't be elected again for another ten years.
Senate- The Senate was the aristocratic branch of Rome's government.
Dictator- A leader who had absolute power to make laws and command the army.
Legions-  Large military units, where Roman Soldiers were organized.
Punic wars- The long struggle between Rome and Carthage, and between 264 and 146 BC, Rome and Carthage fought three battles.
Hannibal-  The mastermind behind the Second Punic war, who was 29 years old and wanted to avenge Carthage's defeat in the first Punic war.

Today in Western Civilization Class we watched a movie, and we watched the battle against Persia at Gaugamela.  I thought it was  very good movie, and portrayed battle back then  as to what it was actually like.  The part where one of the Greeks decapitated a Persian and swung his head around was by far the coolest part of that battle.  When King Darius III fled at the end when Alexander broke through, you got to see how much Alexander wanted to kill him.  He ran thorugh two ranks of Persians and through a spear at him.  But, being a coward King darius fled, without trying to fight him.  Know I can see why one of his officers killed him.

Today in Western Civilization Class, we had to come up with questions that we would like to see on the test.
1. At what age did Alexander the Great die, and where did he die?
Answer: He died at the age of 32, and in Babylon.
2.  How did Alexander the Great die?
Answer: He either died of typhoid fever, malaria, too drunk, murdered from poison, but historians really do not know how he actually died.
3.  what empire did Alexander conquer, but let them keep their kingdom?
A. India
B. Gaza
C. Tyre
D. America
Answer: A
4.  Who was Alexander's PR Man, his own "Homer", to pass on Alexander's legend?
Answer: Calisthenes, Alexander wanted his own Iliad
5.  Who was Alexander's model for wanting his own "Homer"?
Answer: Achilles, the hero of the Trojan
6.  Who ended up killing King Darius III?
Answer: His own officer killed him, because he kept backing out of the battle when it started to go downhill.
7. Describe two of Alexander's role models?
Answer: Alexander's teacher- Aristotle who taught Alexander. About the Iliad, Achilles.
Mother- Taught him the compassion, and that he is half god, Zeus is his father
Father- Taught him war tactics, very successful general.
Achilles- Hero of the Trojan War
8.  Who did Alexander kill while he was drunk one night?
Answer- One of his military officers who fought under King Phillip II and he saved Alex's life, and Calisthenes- Alexander's PR Man, who wrote down everything that Alexander did.
9. Who were the war tanks of ancient wars, and who introduced them into battle against Alexander?
Answer: The Indians introduced elephants that were the tanks of battle.

Today in Western Civilization class we watched more of the movie- Alexander the Great- The Man Behind the Legend.  Alexander is relentless a forces his troops to cross through the Himalayan Mountains which are 20,000 feet high.  One night, Alexander got drunk, and killed someone who saved his life, and someone who had fought under is father.  He also killed Calisthenes, because he refused to worship Alex as a god.  turning point of Alexander.  His empire covered 2,000 sq. miles.  It stretched from Greece to Afghanistan.  He marches on to India where he is meant by 50,000 men, and about 200 war elephants which were the tanks of ancient wars.  Alexander defeats the Indians, but he lets them keep their empire.  Alexander wants to go further, but his men can't go any longer, and he his forced to go home, and he takes a hard route, where two-thirds of his men die.  Alexander wants to make Babylon his new headquarter to make it easier to rule his kingdom, but after 11 feverish days, he dies at the age of 32.  It is unknown what he died of maybe typhoid fever, malaria, murdered, poisoned, or even too drunk.  After Alexander died, he was moved around, and now it is unknown where his remains are today.

Today in Western Civilization class we watched more of the movie Alexander The Great- The Man Behind the Legend.  Alexander fought the Persians- he used a phalanx, which scared the Persians.  Alexander realized the Persians had a lot of archers, which means their ground soldiers were probably not the greatest.  They Screamed, "Allalalalalaaaaa" as they moved forward, and when Alexander broke through their lines, and got to King Darius III, he fled in fear.  At the end the Persians had 50,000 casualties.  Tyre- Alexander conquered after several long months.  As a message to other cities not to fight Alexander crucified, and brutally murdered thousands of people.  Then Alexander moved to Gaza, where he killed every single man in the city, left woman and children to spread the story.  He then went to Egypt, where they surrendered without a fight, and he let them practice their own religion.  Hellenistic culture started to form.

For Western Civilization class we read pages 146-149, and took notes.  Hellenistic Culture in Alexandria.  As a result of Alexander's policies, a vibrant new culture emerged.  Greek culture blended with Egyptian, Persian, and Indian Influences.  This blending became known as Hellenistic Culture.  Alexandria, Egypt became the foremost center of commerce and Hellenistic culture.  Aristarchus of Samos, reached two scientific conclusions: He estimated the sun to be 300 times the size of Earth.  Although he was way off, he disproved the belief that the sun was smaller than Greece.  He also came to a conclusion that Earth and the other planets revolved around the Sun.  But it was not accepted.  Astronomers accepted Ptolemy's view of the solar system that the earth was at the center for 14 centuries.  Archimedes, studied at Alexandria, and accurately estimated the value of pi, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to it's diameter.  Aristotle and Plato also played a huge role in philosophy and teachings back then.

Today in Western Civilization Class talked about the Holocaust, and did not talk about Alexander the Great.  During the Holocaust, Germans, and Nazis, led by Hitler persecuted, and successfully escorted and killed 6 Million Jews.  Even though we have so many historical records, sowing that the Holocaust was real, people still say that it never happened.   It is amazingly horribly, how the rest of the world let Hitler, successfully take, and kill millions of Jews, and the outcasts.  The Holocaust Museum is located in DC, and is five floors which has millions of facts based on the Holocaust, and what happened.