Hi folks! I want to use this week’s responses to dig into some of the key ideas of the course. Choose a question that you’re not sure about and talk about what you think is most important to understanding this aspect of the story.

Remember, the point here is not listing facts but interpretation. The questions on the review are meant to help you find a way of talking about the course material and making evidence-based assertions about how we can best understand the ancient world.

strepsiade represent the older generation of Athens trying to hang on the last parts of their tradition but at some point, you have to evolved to the new generation.

Some geographic factors that contributed to Rome's importance in central Italy include the Apennine Mountains, which provided Rome with protection against invaders from the east by dividing the peninsula in half. The mountainous terrain influenced agricultural practices, available resources, and the development of different trade routes, which made it possible for Rome to trade with other parts of Italy. The Tiber River provided Rome with access to fresh water, food, fertile soil, and the sea, facilitating the import of goods from the Mediterranean and the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Christianity was very dangerous for the Roman Empire because it challenged the traditional Roman religious and political order. Unlike Roman religion, which promoted worship of the emperor and the state, in addition to other deities, Christianity demanded exclusive devotion to one god and did not allow emperor worship. This refusal was considered unpatriotic and even treasonous. We read and learned that Christian communities refused to offer sacrifices to Roman gods or recognize the emperor's divinity, which led to tension and persecution.

Having vanquished Antony and Cleopatra, Augustus faced the daunting challenge of re-establishing order and legitimacy in war-torn Rome. Although he was the sole ruler, Rome as a city was healing from decades of political turmoil and civil war. Augustus had to regain the people's trust and that of the Senate, many of whom feared the restoration of monarchy. In doing so, he cleverly maintained the guise of a republic but held all the real power and became "princeps," or the first citizen. Through class, we were taught about how Augustus reorganized the army, transformed the tax system, and financed public works in an attempt to gain popularity. These acts allowed him to centralize power without appearing to be a dictator, and his rule was acceptable to Romans who had previously opposed kingship.

Homer and Hesiod also greatly enriched Greek culture by providing common mythology, moral values, and religious structure. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey promoted virtues like honor, fame, and greatness through characters like Achilles and Odysseus. Hesiod's Theogony provided a clearly articulated hierarchy of the gods, which formed the basis of Greek religion, and Works and Days emphasized justice, hard work, and morality. Their joint contributions formed Greek identity, offering moral teachings on heroism, fate, and the mundane that influenced both religious beliefs and social conventions.

Some of the ideals that Ancient Rome had regarding women were that they were to marry and bare children. Once married they would take control over the household. Women very much expected to take control of the private affairs while men took care of the public affairs. The marriage also had to be recognized by Roman law because it mean that property could be passed to children. There were three types of marriages, Confarreatio which was the most restrictive it was between father to father. The second was Coemptio was when a father sold his daughter to the husbands manus. It was an extremely common form of marriage. Lastly usus was the third type of marriage it was where women would cohabitate with a man for at least a year if she was able to stay in the home without any problems then she passed into the husbands manus. This was the type of marriage that most women in Ancient Rome preferred because it gave the women some sense of independence. Women were always the property of man wether that was their fathers or husbands. The only women who were exempt from this were the Vestigial Virgins whose job was too keep the sacred fire of the hearth goddess Vesta burning.

What was the role played by Homer and Hesiod in the development of Greek culture? I believe Homer and Hesiod were central to shaping Greek identity by providing a shared mythology, moral framework, and cultural values. Their works did more than entertain, they influenced religion, ethics, and social ideals. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey modeled values like honor, glory, and loyalty through heroes such as Achilles and Odysseus. These stories taught Greeks about arête (excellence) and how to balance personal pride with duty. Hesiod’s Theogony organized the gods into a clear hierarchy, laying the foundation for Greek religion, while Works and Days taught lessons about justice, hard work, and moral order. In the readings, Homer’s epics revealed how heroic behavior and fate shaped a person’s legacy, while Hesiod’s poems showed the everyday concerns of early Greek society, like farming, fairness, and divine justice. Together, these texts helped define both the spiritual and social foundations of Greek life and gave later generations a model for understanding the world.

The Peloponnesian War, which took place between 431 and 404 BC, was mostly because Athens and its Delian League became too powerful. This made Sparta, the main ruler in ancient Greece, feel threatened. Athens controlled the Delian League and treated its allied city-states like subjects instead of friends. This made Sparta and its Peloponnesian League angry and caused conflicts. The Athenian alliance was actually an empire that included most of the island and coastal states around the northern and eastern shores of the Aegean Sea. Sparta led an alliance of independent states that included most of the major land powers of the Peloponnese and central Greece, as well as the sea power Corinth. So, the Athenians had the stronger navy and the Spartans the stronger army. And guess what? The Athenians were also better off financially than their enemies because they had a huge war chest they had built up from the regular tribute they received from their empire.