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Letter for Future-Self

Dear Future Me,      What does the post-quarantine future look like? I know that you weren’t expecting this to happen. In the beginning, all we knew is that there was a virus spreading throughout Asia coming from China. At first, kids at school would just make jokes about it because it wasn’t affecting us. After quarantine was announced as a potential possibility for America, I noticed some teachers were scared while some were skeptical. Mostly, there were feelings of uncertainty among all of us. It quickly became the main focus of every conversation, it was all anyone would talk about. Going into quarantine, it was hard to get any work done. It felt like there was so much was going on, it was hard to block out the noise. Focusing on homework felt strange and difficult amidst the current state of the world. I felt like my family members and I were getting more and more frustrated with each other and arguing a lot. I didn’t like being at home. I was scared to go outside for a while and
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Cyber #29

Matteo Scotto 5/29 Slides 43 - 52 After Caesar’s death Julius Caesar’s 18-year-old grand-nephew and adopted son, Octavian, takes over He’s joined by Mark Antony, an experienced general, and Lepidus, a powerful politician The three ruled as the Second Triumvirate for 10 years The alliance ended Octavian forced Lepidus to retire Mark Antony became Octavian’s rival Mark Antony partnered up with Cleopatra of Egypt (militarily, personally, politically and economically) Octavian defeats them at the Battle of Actium in 31 B. C. Octavian became the unchallenged ruler of Rome He was given the name of Augustus or “Exalted one” and The title of Imperator (Supreme military commander), a term from which we get the word “emperor” Rome was now an empire, not a republic Augustus ruled for 40 years as emperor (27 BC to AD 14) He began a stable era of peace and prosperity known as the Pax Romana (Roman Peace) Pax Romana was 207 year-long (27 BC to AD 180) The accomplishments Roman Empire expanded furthe
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Cyber #28

Matteo Scotto 5/27   I’ll be taking my test from 8:55 - 9:45 am on June 2. Notes on slides 32 - 42 Plebeian were kept happy and kept from revolting with two things (according to poet Juvenal) Bread (free grain form the state) Entertainment (Circus Maximus, Colosseum) Military change  Tiberius Gracchus (even though unsuccessful) recruiting plebeians while    promising land upon conquers Soldiers were loyal to their leader and not to Rome or the Republic  Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE) Successful general conquered huge territory of Gaul  Made common people happy Formed the First Triumvirate (“rule of three men”)  Joined by the popular general of Pompey (who conquered Syria and Palestine) And the wealthiest man in Rome Crassus Soldiers gave him devotion He crossed the Rubicon river in Italy (the point of no return) Served as consul (one year) Appointed himself governor of Gaul Pompey became his political rival Caesar’s armies defeated the general in Greece, Asia, Spai
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Cyber #27

Matteo Scotto 5/20 I find the creation of the Roman Empire very interesting.  I’m going to talk about how it “transformed government, society, economy and culture.”
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Cyber #26

Matteo Scotto 5/18 The Empire (pp. 160-165) Rome’s expanding saw many problems.   Rich landowners lived on immense estates where they had slaves (peoples captured during the various wars) to work the land.  Small farmers, once soldiers, found it difficult to compete with these large estates.  They sold or lost their land to wealthy landowners. They (one fourth of the Roman society) became poorer or jobless.   Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus , two brothers, attempted to help the poor by limiting the size of the estates and giving land to the poor.  The brothers made enemies and were seen as a threat.   They saw violent death which was followed by a period of civil war.  Julius Caesar , a military leader,  joined forces with Crassus and Pompey.  He was elected consul in 59B.C.  The three dominated Rome as a triumvirate, a group of three rulers. After Caesar conquered Gaul, he defied the senate’s orders and became Pompey’s political rival.  He defeated Pompey’s army in Greece, Spain and Egypt
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Cyber #25

Matteo Scotto May 14 The Roman Legion was made up of 5000 soldiers (exclusively Roman citizens) in infantry and cavalry. The three Punic Wars (264 - 146 BCE) were fought between Rome and Carthage.  The First Punic War (264 - 241 BCE) saw a series of naval battles for the control of Sicily with the Roman victory. The Second Punic War (218 - 201 BCE) started with the Carthaginian general Hannibal attacking Rome from North after crossing Spain and the Alps.  Rome was once again, able to keep the enemy out and win the war. The Third Punic War ((149 - 146 BCE) when the city of Carthage burned down and destroyed.  50,000 people left were sold as slaves and Carthage was added to the provinces of the Roman Empire. By the end of the second century there were over a million slaves in Italy (50,000 Carthaginians, 150,000 Greek POW, etc.).   This contributed to the economic and social changes.  The small farmers after fighting battles, couldn’t pay their debts.  They moved to Rome.  Their farms we
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Cyber #24

Matteo Scotto May 12 The fifth king’s widow named Servius Tullias king.  His daughter Tullia killed her husband and her sister to be with her brother in-law Tarquin. Tullia helped Tarquin take over the throne by having her father S.T. killed.  Years later, Tarquin’s son Sextus forced himself on a matron, Lucretia who in turn commited suicide.  This had the whole family expelled from Rome.  After witnessing this horrible family’s behavior, the people made sure not to be governed by kings for many centuries to come.   The king was replaced by two consuls.  The consuls with one year term were aristocrats (patricians).  With this dominance, the plebs (98% of the population) had to serve in the army and with no say in ruling.  Since there were no written laws, the patricians were using the system to their own advantage.   The plebs refused to serve in the army until they had some legal rights.  The Law of the Twelve Tables were finally posted in public in 450 BCE, and the tribunes were elec
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