ancient-rome-notes
ancient-rome-notes
Rome
History 101 - Lecture Notes Date: September 15, 2024
Major Developments
Twelve Tables - First written Roman law code (451-450 BCE)
Conquest of Italian Peninsula (completed by 265 BCE)
Punic Wars against Carthage (264-146 BCE)
Social War and reforms of Marius and Sulla
Cultural Achievements
Development of Roman law
Architectural innovations (concrete, arch, dome)
Latin literature's golden age
Spread of Roman culture throughout Europe
External Pressures
Germanic tribal invasions
Persian Empire in the East
Division into Eastern and Western Empires
Fall of Western Roman Empire (476 CE)
Further Reading
Gibbon's "The History of the Decline and Fall of
I. The Enlightenment
Core Ideas
Reason and rationality
Scientific method
Natural rights
Progress and reform
Religious tolerance
Key Philosophers
John Locke
Natural rights
Social contract theory
Voltaire
Religious tolerance
Freedom of speech
Rousseau
Social contract
Natural state of man
Montesquieu
Separation of powers
Political theory
Key Figures
Galileo Galilei
Isaac Newton
Robert Boyle
Antoni van Leeuwenhoek
Key Events
Boston Tea Party
First Continental Congress
Declaration of Independence
Major battles and French alliance
Constitutional Convention
Stages
1. National Assembly and Tennis Court Oath
2. Storming of the Bastille
3. Declaration of Rights of Man
4. Reign of Terror
5. Directory and rise of Napoleon
Impact
End of absolute monarchy
New political ideas
Nationalism
Modern citizenship
V. Industrial Revolution
Technological Changes
Steam power
Factory system
Transportation revolution
New manufacturing processes
Social Impact
Urbanization
Working class formation
Middle class growth
Social reform movements
Primary Sources
The Social Contract (Rousseau)
Common Sense (Paine)
Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Rights of Man
Wealth of Nations (Smith)
Discussion Topics
1. How did Enlightenment ideas influence revolution?
2. What was the relationship between science and philosophy?
3. How did these revolutions change society?
Manor System
Self-sufficient economic units
Three-field rotation system
Common lands and rights
Role of the Church in manor life
Cultural Role
Preservation of classical learning
Development of education
Art and architecture
Music and liturgy
Study Questions
1. How did the feudal system maintain social order?
2. What role did the Church play in medieval society?
3. How did the Crusades affect European development?
Cultural Developments
Humanism and its spread
Development of perspective in art
Scientific observation
Vernacular literature
Architectural Innovations
Brunelleschi's dome
Revival of classical forms
Urban planning
Palace architecture
Key Figures
Erasmus - Christian humanism
Thomas More - Utopia
Albrecht Dürer - Art and printmaking
Jan van Eyck - Oil painting techniques
Other Reformers
John Calvin
Predestination
Geneva reforms
Ulrich Zwingli
John Knox
Catholic Counter-Reformation
Council of Trent
Jesuit Order
Religious art and architecture
Educational reforms
Key Concepts
Humanism - Focus on human potential
Perspective - Artistic technique
Reformation - Religious reform movement
Counter-Reformation - Catholic response
Important Works
The Prince by Machiavelli
In Praise of Folly by Erasmus
95 Theses by Luther
The Book of the Courtier by Castiglione
Discussion Questions
1. How did the Renaissance change European society?
2. What were the main causes of the Reformation?
3. How did art reflect Renaissance values?
Major Developments
Trench warfare
New military technology
Total war concept
Russian Revolution
U.S. entry into war
Peace Settlement
Treaty of Versailles
League of Nations
Territorial changes
War guilt clause and reparations
Cultural Developments
Modern art movements
Mass media
Women's suffrage
Scientific advances
Cultural changes
Major Events
Blitzkrieg warfare
Battle of Britain
Operation Barbarossa
Pearl Harbor
D-Day
Holocaust
Atomic bombs
Aftermath
United Nations
Cold War beginnings
Decolonization
European reconstruction
Major Crises
Berlin Blockade
Korean War
Cuban Missile Crisis
Vietnam War
Soviet-Afghan War
Key Terms
Total war
Fascism
Holocaust
Cold War
Deterrence
Globalization
Important Documents
Fourteen Points
Atlantic Charter
UN Charter
NATO Treaty
Helsinki Accords
Discussion Questions
1. How did WWI change warfare and society?
2. What factors led to WWII?
3. How did the Cold War shape the modern world?