Presentations

Today in class we started our presentations for our projects on ancient Greece. We got through three presentations in total today, and we're going to finish up the last two on Monday when we come back.  I thought most of them were well prepared and good quality, and I really enjoyed the extra add-ons that accompanied some of the presentations. We had cupcakes, grapes, cheese, grape juice, bread, and more. My groups presentation went really well and I'm glad that we got ours over with so I don't have to stress over the weekend. I look forward to seeing the other presentations on Monday!

Sick day two

I was sick again today and couldn't come to class

Sick day

I was home sick and couldn't come to class today.

Test Day

Today in class we took our test on Ancient Greece. I finished relatively early which left me plenty of time to do both my blog and some other work for my other classes throughout the day. I didn't think the test was super hard, but it was challenging, and rightfully so. We're nearing the end of our freshman year at JC so we should begin to be prepared for the start of our sophomore year. More challenging tests and less babying comes with that. I'm hoping I did well enough on the test to bring my grade up a few points, but if not i'll still be happy with my overall grade in this first quarter of Western Civilization.

March 21st

Today in class we finished the last slides of the powerpoint and reviewed everything we've done over the past few days. The last notes we took today were the following:

Persian Wars
- Persian Empire was massive compared to Greece, which was tiny

Greek Army:
- Iron Weapons
- Hoplites who have trained since they were young
- Spears, swords, and shields
- Fought in Phalanx formation
- Homefield Advantage
- Very motivated to protect democracy

Persian Army:
- First archers
- Cavalry (Soldiers on horseback)
- Lightly armed infantry
- Huge numbers
- Long way from home
- Professional Army (Hired mercenaries)

The Greeks won!!

After we finished taking notes, we went back to the beginning of the powerpoint and reviewed the information that will be on our test on Monday, 3/25/19

Sick day

I was home sick today and missed class.

Classwork March 14th

Today in class we watched John Green's video on the Odyssey, listed below are the questions we were assigned to answer while watching the video.

1. How long did it take Odysseus to return home from the Trojan War?

           It took Odysseus 20 years to return home from the war, after being stuck on Ithaca.

2. According to Google Maps, how long should this trip have taken?

            According to Google Maps, it should've taken two weeks.

3. According to archeological evidence, when did the Trojan War occur?

            According to archeological evidence, the Trojan War should've occurred around the 12th        century BCE.

4. When did Homer compose The Odyssey?

            Homer composed The Odyssey in the 8th century BCE.

5. What is the definition of "epic poem"?

            The definition of an epic poem is: A long narrative poem; on a serious subject; written in a grand or elevated style; centered on a larger-than-life hero.

6. Who is Odysseus' wife?

             Odysseus' wife is Penelope.

7. Who is Odysseus' son?

             Odysseus' son is Telemachus.

8. What happens in the cave of the Cyclops?

             They feast on the cyclops' goat cheese, and expect the cyclops to greet them with gifts. The cyclops is not happy and begins to eat Odysseus' friends. Odysseus ends up tricking the cyclops and escapes.

9. Is Odysseus a hero? Why or why not?

             Odysseus is a hero if you're looking at it the same way the Greeks did. Heroism didn't mean perfection, it meant that you had an extraordinary attribute or ability, and according to the epics, Odysseus does.

10. What is considered one of the most beautiful lines in all of Homer?

             One of the most beautiful lines of Homer is when Penelope and Odysseus settle things when Odysseus gets home. The epic reads, "...And so she too rejoiced, her gaze upon her husband, her white arms round him pressed as though forever.".

March 13th

Today in class we continued the power point on Ancient Greece. These were the notes I wrote down:

Ancient Government
- in the seventh and sixth centuries BCE, aristocrats ruled the government
- rich people wielded much more influence in society
Aristocracy
- Aristocrats: members of the ruling class
- They attended symposiums: a place with many entertainment sources where men would make government decisions
Polotics
- no women (other than entertainment)
- no middle class
- no slaves
- sometimes aristocrats were even excluded from the inner circle
Tyrants
- sometimes aristocrats would get help from hoplites (well-armed soldiers) to set up their own government
- tyrant: someone who rules outside the framework of polis
- modern day tyrant: an abusive or oppressive ruler
Draco (621 BCE)
- all athenians are equal under the law
- death is the punishment for most crimes
- debt slavery is ok
Solon (594 BCE)
- outlaws debt slavery
- all athenian citizens can speak at the assembly
- any citizen can press charges against wrong doers
More Reforms
- allowed all citizens to submit laws for debate
- created Council of Five Hundred
- only free adult male property owners born in Athens were considered citizens
- women and slaves were foreigners

March 7th

Today in class we started the powerpoint on Greece. It was a little bit of a review from the textbook pages we began yesterday, but it went more in depth and explained things that were unclear in the textbook. I recognized most things that were on it, but wrote down the things that were more in detail:

- All of the worlds greatest civilizations have been on rivers or bodies of water (ex. Mesopotamia on the Tigris and Euphrates)
- Greece was completely covered in mountains, which made it hard for natives to navigate throughout the islands and mainland
- There were nearly 2000 islands

Everything else I thought I had knowledge of already, or had already written it down.