Catiline: Corrupt Traitor or Ambitious Social Reformer?

Cicerone denuncia Catalina (Cesare Maccari, 1888)

Catiline's Legacy: What Do You Think?

Catiline has been viewed through Cicero's eyes in the history books of our time.  As such, he has been labeled a corrupt traitor and ambitious revolutionary full of evil, sparking a revolution simply for personal gain.  Recently, however, some have argued the opposite: that he was a champion of the poor and the poverty-stricken, both in Rome and the surrounding Italian countryside, urging revolution for social reform.  Where do you stand on this argument?  Was Catiline a corrupt traitor, or an ambitious social reformer?

Before posting, please read the "Legacy" section (at the end) of Wikipedia's entry for Catiline.  The entry can be found at the link below.  After reading the short excerpt, please answer the question above. 

Catiline Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catiline

Remember to use your Latin name when posting...we don't want your personal information floating around out there on the web!

HELP!!! The Midyear Exam Blog

Feeling confused? Overwhelmed? Scared?

Take a deep breath, it's going to be OK.

Please post any and all questions that you may have about the Midyear Exam after looking through the study guide.  This will help me decide what we need to review in class on Thursday/Friday.  I can also answer questions on the blog, so check back if you do post a question.

And if a classmate asks a question that you know the answer to, go ahead and answer it!  Help each other out.

Good luck studying, and if you need anything, let me know!

WAIT A MINUTE, THESE SATURNALIA TRADITIONS SOUND FAMILIAR...

IO SATURNALIA - Saturnalia Influences on Christmas

One of our Essential Questions asks how our modern culture has been influenced by classical culture.  How about the holidays?!  Please do some research online about Saturnalia: when is it, how it got started, how it was celebrated, what it was all about, the history of it, etc.  Then, armed with that knowledge, write a short paragraph (5-6 sentences) that highlights some of the interesting facts that you discovered in your research.  You should also include a few sentences that describe some of the Christmas traditions that were derived/stolen from Saturnalia.

RESPONSE DUE: MONDAY 1/3/11

THAT BIG OLE' WOODEN HORSE: WOULD YOU LET IT IN?

Virgil's Aeneid - Laocoon and the Killer Snakes

Over the last few days in class we have translated, read, and discussed excerpts from Virgil's Aeneid that explain how the Greeks were able to sneak a giant wooden horse full of soldiers (including the famed mastermind Odysseus) inside the walls of Troy, leading to its downfall.  The Trojans were clearly tricked, but would you have been?

Imagine that you are one of the citizens of Troy standing down on the beach the morning the wooden horse shows up.  You hear Sinon's speech.  You hear Laocoon's response.  You know the treachery of Odysseus, but at the same time you witnessed the snakes.  Do you vote to bring it in, or leave it out?  Explain your answer.  Don't forget...use your Latin name when you post!

RESPONSE DUE: MONDAY 1/3/11