The importance of studying Rome

The importance of studying Rome

It is important to study Ancient Rome because Rome’s past and today are similar. Many Roman buildings, entertainment, letters and numbers, the legal system, and language have an affect on us today. These affects are both good and bad.
The positive affects of Rome can be seen in our architecture today. A lot of our government buildings consist of beautiful Roman arches, domes, and columns. Our streets, sewage, and public water systems are also similar to the Romans. Like Rome, large arenas and stadiums are built to show competitive and athletic competitions. Theaters, dinner parties, and games we enjoy today began in Rome. The letters we use today are similar to the Roman alphabet, and Roman numerals are still commonly used. The Roman calendars, days of the week, and months of the year are the same as today. Many of the Rome’s legal systems have been copied, and the Latin language is frequently used today as well.
The Roman way of life has also negatively affected today’s society. The legal system turned into statism. The Romans believed that with a strong government, they could rule the world, but instead they divided their citizens. Their games were corrupt, and had a negative influence. The Roman eventually became lazy and expected the emperors to provide for them. These negative affects mirror society today.
In both positive and negative ways, the Roman way of life still affects us today. Rome is the core part that makes the world what it is today, which is why it is important to study Rome.

My Favorite Topic of the Year

My Favorite Topic of the Year

Jesus was born to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem. Shepherds were told by angels to visit the child, they were the first to witness the birth. Wise men also witnessed the birth by following a bright star in the sky, which led them to the child. The wise men arrived a year after the birth of Jesus, and they gave Him kingly gifts. Jesus and His family fled to Egypt because Herod wanted Jesus to be killed. Jesus grew up in Nazareth working as a carpenter.
Jesus began His ministry at age 30 in 32-33AD. Jesus called upon 12 men to follow Him and learn from His ministry. The 12 disciples were: Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Mathew, Thomas, Simon, Judas Iscariot, James, and Judas. The ministry of Jesus consisted of Miracles and preaching about God.
Palm Sunday was the first event of Jesus’s final week of ministry. On Palm Sunday Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, and the people cheered, “Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” Jesus held a dinner with His 12 disciples, this dinner was called the Last Supper. After the dinner, Jesus was captured in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus was abused by Roman soldiers, but He remained silent. He was brought to Pontius Pilate, the governor made the decision to let the Jews deal with Jesus. Jesus was forced to carry His cross to Golgotha, there He was given a crown of thorns, and was mocked as He died on the cross. After His death, the sky went dark, old tombs were broken open, and the veil in the temple was ripped.
Jesus was resurrected on Sunday morning, three days after His death. His disciples rejoiced at His resurrection. Jesus’s resurrection was witnessed by hundreds of people over the next 70 days. He was eventually taken up to heaven, and on the day of His resurrection, the holiday of Easter is celebrated.

The fall of the Roman Empire

The fall of the Roman Empire

Commodus was the son of Marcus Aurelius, and he became emperor of Rome in 180. He was not a very good ruler, and he renamed most everything. The city, the senate, the legions, the calendar, and the fleet that imported grains to Rome, all the names were changed. The final straw that led to the assassination of Commodus was when he declared he had the prowess of Hercules and was descended from Jupiter. His reign lasted from 180 to 192.
Pertinax and Didius Juliuanus reigned for three months between Commodus and Septimus. Septimus Severus served as emperor in 195 AD. He brought peace and stability to Rome, and his reign ended in 211 AD. After Septimus, 27 rulers reigned during 70 years. Diocletian eventually restored some order to Rome by unifying the divided factions of Rome in 285.
Diocletian organized a system called The Tetrarchy System. The purpose for this system was to divide the responsibility of governing the empire. There were two rulers in the East and two rulers in the West. The emperors of the East were called “augustus”, and they were assisted by “caesars.” The first transition from Diocletian and Maximian to Constantius and Galerius went smoothly, but this was the only smooth transition. The Tetrarchy System ended after the defeat of Licinius, the “augustus” in the East.
After the death of his father in 306, Constantine became the 57th emperor of Rome. He was given a good education because everyone knew he would be their next ruler or high ranking official. After defeating Maxentius in The Battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine was given full control over the Roman Empire. He became a Christian, and instituted Christianity as the new state religion.
The Western Roman Empire fell due to the split of the empire, lack of military cohesion, economic struggles, political rivalries and turmoil, and moral decline. Another cause was all the barbarian invasions. The intent of dividing the empire was to strengthen the empire, giving each emperor the ability to focus on his region. This worked out terribly as the two emperors fought each other frequently. Their military fought ineffectively against the barbarians because the Roman soldiers were former barbarians, so it was like fighting family. Many wars and overspending were a problem for the empire. Resources could not be harvested once the empire was no longer expanding. During the 2nd and 3rd centuries there was a lot of inconsistent and ineffective leadership. Many emperors were murdered, which weakened the government. This all led to the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Ambrose, Irenaeus, and Polycarp

Ambrose, Irenaeus, and Polycarp

Ambrose was born in 304 to a Christian family. As an infant, a swarm of bees swarmed around him and left a single drop of honey on his face, so bees and honey were used as a symbol to represent Ambrose. This led the people around him to believe he would have a smooth and sweet speaking style. He studied well and followed his father into Politics. Ambrose tried to avoid becoming the Bishop of Milan, but later accepted it. He gave up everything and devoted his life to studying Scripture.
Irenaeus was born to a Christian family in Smyrna. He was educated to become a priest, and was appointed during the time of Marcus Aurelius. He preached against Montanism and Gnosticism. Montanism was founded by Prophet Montanus, it promoted strict self-discipline. Gnosticism promoted the physical world.
Polycarp was a student of John and Bishop of Smyrna. His writings are the oldest surviving Christian work today. He was arrested by the Romans at age 86, and would not recant his faith. His famous quote before his death was, “Eight and six years have I served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King and Savior? Bring forth what thou wilt!”

Constantine

Constantine

After his father’s death in 306, Constantine became the 57th emperor of Rome. Many believed that Constantine would become the next emperor, or at least a high ranking official, therefore he was given the privilege of a good education.
Constantine lived in the court of Galerius, but when it was no longer a safe place for him to live; he joined his father in Britain. Constantine defeated Maxentius in The Battle of Milvian Bridge, which gave him control over the Roman Empire. After this battle, he instituted Christianity as the new state religion. After Constantine’s death in 337, The Constantinian dynasty ruled Rome for many generations.
Constantine was remembered for many wonderful accomplishments such as promoting the developments of the arts and sciences, and building the Hagia Sophia and other famous buildings in Constantinople. He also developed Byzantium into a strong, wealthy part of the empire. Constantine’s greatest accomplishment was reuniting the empire in 325 and establishing Constantinople as the capitol.

The Treasure Seekers

The Treasure Seekers

The Treasure Seekers is an excellent book for those who enjoy silly adventure books. The story is about a family whose mother died and the father’s business is going downhill. The six children go in search of ways to restore their family’s wealth. This is the second book I have read by E. Nesbit; my only wish is that the book was longer.
The story seems to be written more for children to read, but some parts can apply both to young and old. E. Nesbit did a fantastic job at telling the story from a child’s perspective. The book was both enjoyable and delightful.
I found myself wanting to continue to read this book. The story teaches readers about family values and how to overcome difficulties in life.