Unit 2, Lesson 3: Early Romans

Lesson Objective: 10.1.3

10.1.3: Students relate the moral and ethical principles in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, in Judaism, and in Christianity to the development of Western political thought. Consider the influence of the U.S. Constitution on political systems in the contemporary world.

Lesson Introduction:

Like early Greece, early Romans contributed much to the future western culture, values and institutions. The early Romans began a republic, which allowed representative government. Roman access to the Mediterranean Sea and the development of their commercial road system gave them a powerful advantage over enemies like Hannibal of Carthage. Leaders, like Julius Ceasar and Augustus left a large mark on Rome as an empire. With the rise of Christianity, and the acceptance by the Roman emperor, Constantine, this new religion spread across Roman empire lands, becoming more of a world religion. Evidence of Roman culture and influence can still be found through Europe, North America, Asia and in Africa.

Reading Assignment:

● Chapter 6, Sections 5 (Roman Empire)● Chapter 22, Section 4 (Influence on American government)

Self-check Questions:

1. True/False: The major power struggles in the early Roman republic were between the military and civilians.

2. Which of the following did NOT contribute to the fall of the Roman Empire?A. Economic WeaknessB. Military instabilityC. Citizens’ indifferenceD. Removal of the Jewish population

3. The people of the Roman town of Pompeii were killed byA. a floodB. a volcanoC. an earthquake

D. a Hun invasion4. The family of languages that developed from Latin are called

A. Derived languagesB. Classical languagesC. Romance languagesD. Greco-Roman languages

5. Which was NOT true about the Roman code of laws known as the Twelve Tables?A. It was written downB. It was publicly displayedC. It gave legal protection to all citizensD. It allowed for flexible interpretation of the law

Application Assignments:

Write a 6 paragraph (including introduction and conclusion paragraph) compare and contrast essay about Greece and Rome. Include two comparisons and two differences. Choose between their political beliefs, economy, military, philosophy and/or leadership characteristics. Make sure to mention the influence Greece and Rome had on political systems, like the U.S. Constitution.

Speedback Questions:

1. Which of the following is not an achievement of the Roman Empire?A. The spread of a major religion throughout an empireB. The creation of aqueductsC. Network of commercial roadsD. All of the above were accomplishments of the Roman Empire

2. Which of the following is considered Greco-Roman culture?A. Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman culturesB. Greek, Roman, and Egyptian culturesC. Greek, Spanish and Roman culturesD. Greek, Jewish, and Roman cultures

5. Which of the following languages are considered Latin languages?A. Italian, Portuguese, MayanB. Spanish, Portuguese, HindiC. Portuguese, Spanish, ItalianD. Italians, Romanians, and Chinese

Final Exam Questions:

1. Which of the following was NOT a reason for the decline of the Roman Empire?A. a strong militaryB. the huge amount of money spent on defense, coupled with inflationC. the invasions by Germanic tribes and by Huns

D. the disruption of trade

2. Which of the following groups of terms best summarizes the legacy of the Roman Empire?A. philosophy, drama, architecture, religionB. technology, law, philosophy, poetryC. architecture, engineering, law, languageD. language, drama, art, religion

© 2013 Cassidy Baker