* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Constantine: NAME: Flavius Valerius Constantinus OCCUPATION
Survey
Document related concepts
Senatus consultum ultimum wikipedia , lookup
Travel in Classical antiquity wikipedia , lookup
Roman infantry tactics wikipedia , lookup
Military of ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Food and dining in the Roman Empire wikipedia , lookup
Education in ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Roman funerary practices wikipedia , lookup
Constitutional reforms of Augustus wikipedia , lookup
Roman Republican governors of Gaul wikipedia , lookup
Roman army of the late Republic wikipedia , lookup
Roman economy wikipedia , lookup
Roman historiography wikipedia , lookup
Early Roman army wikipedia , lookup
Culture of ancient Rome wikipedia , lookup
Demography of the Roman Empire wikipedia , lookup
Transcript
Constantine: NAME: Flavius Valerius Constantinus DEATH DATE: March 22, 337 OCCUPATION: General, Political Leader, PLACE OF BIRTH: Niš, Serbia Religious Leader, Emperor PLACE OF DEATH: Ancyrona, Turkey BIRTH DATE: c. February 27, 280 AKA: Constantine the Great Constantine was the first Christian Roman emperor. He lived in the Eastern Roman Empire, and chose his capital to be the small town Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople. The western side of the empire, which included the city of Rome, became less and less important to the Eastern Roman Empire. Byzantium was located in a perfect position to trade with the east and the west. Rather than send traded goods onto to Rome, Constantine kept most of the goods in his own half of the empire. He also took money from the Roman treasury and used it to help build his city, Constantinople. This weakened the Western Roman Empire. In 305 he was passed over in imperial succession, so Constantine fought a series of civil wars, finally becoming the sole Roman emperor. He ascribed his success to his conversion to Christianity. He renamed Byzantium as Constantinople and made it his capital. He was a pagan most of his life, but his sense of justice, and his conviction of the growing importance of the Christians, both as a moral and political element in the life of the Empire, had from the very first induced him to protect them. As early as 313 he had granted them toleration, and since then continued to favor them more and more decidedly. During the latter years of his life, Christianity became the state religion, the pagan temples were closed, and sacrifices forbidden. Yet it was only a short time before his death which occurred 22nd July, 337, that he would allow himself to be a baptized christian. As an Emperor, Constantine ranks very high. He was beloved by his people, for whose welfare he seems to have honestly labored. Severe and even sanguinary towards individuals, he was just and moderate toward nations. He conquered every enemy, organized a new and better mode of government for his vast dominions, crushed all conspiracies and revolts, and passed the close of his life in peace. Hannibal: NAME: Hannibal DEATH DATE: c. 183 BCE OCCUPATION: General PLACE OF BIRTH: near Gebze, Turkey BIRTH DATE: c. 247 BCE PLACE OF DEATH: Turkey Carthage decided to fight Spain, and make up the land they had lost there. The general took his army and his nineyear-old son, Hannibal, and left for Spain. Before he left home, he made his son swear that as soon as he was old enough, Hannibal would fight the Romans and make them pay for all the lives they had cost. Hannibal promised. That was the beginning of the legend of Hannibal, military genius. Over the next several years, while fighting in Spain, Hannibal learned to be a strong leader. His Dad and his men had taught him well. But mostly, he was naturally tricky. Hannibal won most of his battles by coming up with clever ideas. One time, while fighting at sea, Hannibal had his men dump barrels full of live snakes onto the deck of an enemy ship. The enemy had not expected Hannibal to do that. They weren’t prepared to fight snakes. Hannibal won that battle easily. A few years after his Dad died, the soldiers in Spain chose him to be their new general. He was only 26 years old at the time. Hannibal did not hesitate. He took the job, married a Spanish princess, and started wars with several cities in Spain. His plan was to conquer all of Spain. Spartacus NAME: Spartacus BIRTH DATE: c. 109 BCE OCCUPATION: Folk Hero, Warrior DEATH DATE: c. 71 BCE He was born a freeman. He joined the army, but he ran away. When he was caught, he was sold into slavery to work as a gladiator. Some gladiators were freemen. But most, like Spartacus, were slaves, who had been sold to a gladiator school. When these men were not fighting, they were locked up in the gladiator school, to make sure they did not escape. Rome sent an army of 3000 soldiers to capture the runaway slaves. Spartacus attacked from the rear. The Roman army was defeated. Rome tried again. This time they sent 6000 men. Spartacus won that battle as well. When other slaves first heard that Spartacus had escaped, some ran away and joined Spartacus. But when Spartacus and his men defeated the Roman army, many slaves ran away to join him. The people knew Spartacus. He was a gladiator. He was famous. Rome's slaves felt if they could reach Spartacus, Spartacus would keep them safe. In a very short amount of time, Spartacus and his followers had swelled from 70 to over 100,000 people. Catching Spartacus was not easy. Spartacus and his followers spent their first winter with plenty of good food that they stole from the surrounding countryside. They prepared for battle. They made weapons. They drilled. The gladiators taught others how to fight like a gladiator. Spartacus and his followers were hunted for two years. They defeated every effort to capture them. When Rome finally caught up with him, they killed Spartacus and everyone with him. Julius Caesar was a great general and an important leader in ancient Rome. NAME:Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus DEATH DATE: 44 BCE Augustus PLACE OF BIRTH: Rome, Italy OCCUPATION: General, Dictator PLACE OF DEATH: Rome, Italy BIRTH DATE: c. 100 BCE During his lifetime, he had held just about every important title in the Roman Republic including consul, tribune of the people, high commander of the army, and high priest. He suggested new laws, most of which were approved by the Senate. He reorganized the army. He improved the way the provinces were governed. Allegedly the descendent of Trojan prince Aeneas, Julius Caesar's auspicious birth c. July 13, 100 B.C., marked the beginning of a new chapter in Roman history. By 31, Caesar had fought in several wars and become involved in Roman politics. After several alliances, he became dictator of the Roman Empire. This led to a senatorial coup, and Caesar's eventual assassination, on the Ides of March. The Romans even named a month after him, the month of July for Julius Caesar. When Julius Caesar said he had something to say, the people flocked to the Forum to hear his ideas. His ideas had been good ones. The people trusted him. Julius Caesar told the people that he could solve Rome's problems. Certainly, the Republic had problems. Crime was everywhere. Taxes were outrageous. People were hungry. Many were out of work. It was easier to use slaves to do work than hire Roman people, but the dependency on slave labor was causing Rome unemployment problem.