Anna's Human Geo Blog

        Today in class we learned a lot. Hippias, although he had a fun name, was not a fun person. Hippias was a tyrant, both definitions of tyrant. He ruled from 527 to 510 B.C.E. After his brother was murdered, he became extremely harsh, and turned into an oppressive ruler. Due to this draconian ruling, he was ostracized. Ostracize means to cast away from power, so Hippias was expelled from from Athens. This was considered worse than being killed, because it was humiliating. When he was sent away, so was his dignity. The new ruler was to be decided between Isagora and Cleisthenes. They, of course, were both aristocrats. Isagora had the support from Spartans and fellow aristocrats. Cleisthenes had the support from the majority of athenians. Although you would have expected Cleisthenes to win, he, nevertheless, didn't. Unfortunately, this was not a good decision, because he was a tyrant, according to the modern definition. He ostracized Cleisthenes because he didn't like him,

        Today we learned about Draco and Solon. The Draconian way of punishment was established in six twenty one B.C. This form of government was extremely strict. The adjective draconian is defined as overly harsh. This is completely accurate. For example, if someone stole something, like a lollipop from the store, they would get their hand chopped off. In this method, ALL athenians (rich or poor) were equal under the law, concerning punishment for something. In Draconian laws death was a very common persecution for many crimes. Also, debt slavery was allowed. This is when you worked as a slave to repay someone. After these horrid times, there was a new guy in town.  Solon reforms in five ninety four B.C. This style of punishment was way less strict. He outlawed debt slavery. This new form of government was much more preferred. He also allowed any citizens to press chargers against wrongdoers. We had a great class.

        Today in class we learned about aristocrats. They are members of thee ruling class. These people attended meetings where elite men enjoyed wine and poetry. They also had performances by women, whether it be dancers, or acrobats. The also discussed politics during the event. It seemed odd that they would mix these two 9different styles of living, but they did. You could never be able to enter their inner circle. These politicians were extremely exclusive. Outsiders could only be entertainment, not politicians. Hoplites were well armed soldiers who ceased control. A tyrant in todays time is considered to be an abusive, cruel, oppressive leader who was hated by the people. Yet, back then a tyrant could be a good thing. They were leaders who who ruled outside framework of the polis, and was loved by the people. The definition definitely has changed. We learned a lot in today's class.

What a surprise, I was sick again, and was not in class. Gotta love mono!!

        We started class off today by discussing the use of computers during class. I think that in the end it's the child's fault for being on youtube when they're not suppose to be. They are maturing and should be able to make the decision of missing out on class. Because, you reap what you sow. I think the parents should tell their child to stop watching youtube during class, and if he disobeys the family can decide a punishment, because in the end, this problem only has little to do with the school, and more with the kid. I understand if the teacher says the class has twenty minutes to do what you would like, and he choosing to take a little break and watch some youtube. It becomes the schools problem when they are disrespecting the teacher by watching their screen while the teacher is teaching. It shows no respect or gratitude toward the teacher, and causes others to do the same when they get distracted by your screen, and put their focus on the laptop instead of the t

        Today in class we discussed the age of culture decline. This time occurred after the Dorians dominated. This happened 1150 - 750 B.C.E. They ruled for four hundred years. This was not the proudest years in history. We have found zero records of writing during this tome of four hundred years. In addition,  we learned about a story teller. His name was Homer. He lived in what is known as the "Greek Dark Ages". This was because during this time things were far less advanced. He wrote the Trojan War epics. An epic is a long narrative. Homer spread his infamous stories through oral tradition. Oral tradition is word of mouth. Homer wrote the Illiad and the Odyssey. Some wonder if Homer was a mythical creature, like in his stories, because he told all his stories as a blind man. The "homeric question" is if there really was a Homer? Homer was a blind wandering minstrel yet a heroic figure. Some are considering that the Illiad and the Odyssey may have been n accumul

        Today in Wester Civ we learned more about Greece. We reviewed what we learned last class and then moved on to more information. Greek city-states developed and were very important. This occurred round 750 B.C. Greece had a varied climate. It went from 48 degrees to 80 degrees. They had a very outdoor life. We also need to be able to identify the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, Adriatic Sea, Peloponnesus, Athens, Sparta, Crete, Asia Minor, Macedonia. This is shown in the map below. Greece is a mountainous peninsula surrounded by water. Thus, Greece did not have much land for farming. This led to the need of trading in order to get supplies to provide for the people. Greece would not survive if isolated, because these supplies are necessities to sustain life. Greeks were sea fairing people. Although Greece may be small in size, they are huge in influence.  

        Today I had my first class in Honors Western Civilization. We learned about Classical Greece. This time period is from two thousand B.C to three hundred B.C. During this time democracy developed. This meant that the citizens exercised power. Additionally, Greek culture can be found through art and literature. Greek culture is based on interactions between mycenaean, Minoan, and Dorian cultures. In Greece the first civilizations were around rivers. Rivers were used for transportation and trading. For example, Egypt is around the Nile River. Also, Mesopotamia is around the fertile crescent. The fertile crescent is between the Tigris and Euphrates River. Also, India is around the Indus River. And Lastly, China is around the Huang He River. These are the key rivers. The three seas are the Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Aegean Sea. Also, referring to the Mediterranean Sea. Mediterranean means middle earth, and it is in the middle of the land. We had a great class today, and I'

I was absent on Wednesday.

        Today was our first day back at class. It was hard getting back into a studios mindset. Nevertheless I found focus and was able to comprehend what we learned in class. The world is organized into three sections. They are country, nation, and state. A country is an identifiable land area. A nation is a population with a common culture. A nation is a group of people larger than a single tribe or community, which may share a common language, institutions, religion, and/or historical experience. A state is a population under a single government, it is synonymous with a "country". An independent state has boundaries, a distinct border. It also has people living there on a daily basis. In addition, is a an organized economy, concerning trade and money. An independent state also has a government, transportation, sovereignty, and provides education. Lastly, it has external recognition. We had a great class, considering it was our first day back!