Maximinus Thrax

     On March 20, 235 A.D. I, Gaius Julius Verus Maximinus Augustus, more commonly known as Maximinus Thrax or Maximinus I, became emperor of Rome. I was the first emperor of foreign blood, being a Thracian. No one knows exactly when I was born or who my parents were. The best guesses to date are 173 A.D. with my parents being a Gothic man and an Alanic mother. I was born to a low ranking family and joined the military. I eventually rose to become a general of a squad of Ponnonian warriors. They became angry with Emperor Alexander due to his payments to the Alemanni and his avoidance of war. The senate looked upon me as a barbarian due to my military background and massive stature. Even so, this could not stop them when my squad and I assassinated Alexander and the Praetorian Guard pronounced me emperor.
     The senators were very unhappy to have a peasant as an emperor, and I angered them more by promoting my son Maximus to Caesar. I disliked the nobility and if there was even the slightest suspicion of a plot against me, I had any of the suspected executed. I immediately eliminated many of the close advisors of Alexander. It turned out later that my ruthless executions proved to be beneficial to my life. In my extreme caution I managed too foil two plots against my life.
     My rule is often referred to as the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century. The main reason is because the Senate was so focused on removing me they left some matter unattended and truly began the toward the end of my reign. My first action was to appease the military's wishes and go to war with the Alemanni. We won though suffering heavy casualties. This was when I raised my son Maximus to Caesar, and Prince of Youths, and also deified my late wife Paulina. I then launched a second assault into Germania easily defeating a large Germanic tribe and essentially securing the German Frontier for awhile. Finally I set up camp in Pannonia and fought the Dacians and Sarmatians during the winter of 235 A.D. and early 236 A.D.
     Early in 238, in Africa, a treasury official's extortions through false judgments in corrupt courts against some local landowners ignited a full-scale civil war in the province. The local landowners finally claimed victory and entered the offending official's office and murdered him then appointed Gordian I and Gordian II as co-emperors. The senate took this opportunity to remove me from power and appointed them the title of Augustus. I immediately gathered my army and marched against my own empire of Rome. When I arrived they closed the gates to me and my army. Meanwhile a neighboring province to Africa marched on the revolt and put it down killing Gordian II, and causing Gordian I to hang himself with his belt. This greatly jeopardised the Senate so they appointed two new men as co-emperors, Pupienus and Balbinus. Then a revolt of the citizens forced to elect a third man, Gordian III as Caesar.
     Finally, late in 238 A.D. my troops were faltering in their attempts due to famine and disease. One night a group of my own men, Parthica II, assassinated me. They finally grew tired of my constant warring, even though I had doubled their pay. Many of my decisions helped the military but hurt the citizens due to much higher taxes that were required for my nearly constant warring and the military pay raise. Many of my policies were not great and I may not have been the greatest emperor but I did capture a lot of new territory and secure the German frontier. Some of my decisions could have been better and maybe helped more than just the military but I was very satisfied with my rule and feel that I achieved my goals of making military life better,

Christmas Project Notes

Faith Cline, Botswana: 1. Exchange gifts after midnight
2. Dress up in nicest clothes
3. Two types of education, primary and secondary

Dale Scott, Costa Rica: 1. Decorate Christmas trees
2. Most are Catholic and attend church on Christmas
3. More teachers than police officers in Costa Rica

Lindsay Crowther, Bosnia: 1. Celebrate Christmas with a traditional stuffed turkey
2. Grandfather Frost delivers presents
3. All children must attend school of some kind

Mark Hill, Norway/Brazil: 1. They make baskets of colored paper to hang on a Christmas tree
2. They bring porridge to a statue of a gnome
3. Children walk around asking for cookies on Christmas day
John Terwilliger, Romania/England: 1. Children make stars from paper
2. Celebrate from December 24 to January 7
3. Free schooling, schools are similar to those of America

Daniel Ware, Turkey: 1. Christmas lasts 20-30 days
2. There is no eating smoking or drinking during this time
3. They fast from sunset to sunrise

Caleb Hudkins, Zimbabwe: 1. Very festive, begin celebrating a month before Christmas
2. Host feasts on Christmas Eve
3. Education consists of 5 levels

Josh Stuart, Brazil: 1. Create nativity scenes
2. Santa Claus is Father Noel in Brazil
3. Primary school last 7 years

Courtney Nuzum, Australia: 1. Very similar Christmas as America, Christmas trees, feasts, etc.
2. Education is compulsory and free
3. College is shorter but longer days

Hannah Greg, Philippines: 1. Celebreation starts on December 16
2. Education is very important for ages 7-13
3. Private schools are modern and contain several American teachers

Gabrielle Kyle, Ireland: 1.Must write a play, work for charity, or produce a magazine to graduate
2. Santa Claus is typically known as Santy
3. Leave a carrot for Rudolph traditionally

Abby Suder, Bolivia: 1. Very religious Christmas
2. Fireworks are set off in cities
3. Education is divided into 4 levels

Viola Donegia, Thailand: 1. Students do not get the day off
2. Most of Thailand is Buddhist so Christmas is not widely celebrated
3. Uniforms are required in schools

Sara Cleavenger, New Zealand: 1. Celebrate Christmas twice a year
2. Santa is referred to as Father Christmas
3. Education system is rated 7th in the world

Menu

     Starting off we'll have an appetizer of eggs with a light layer of melted cheese with raw oysters and sliced pears on the side.
     Next we will have a salad containing lettuce, fresh mint, dates, assorted nuts, coriander, and parsley with a light coating of olive oil and vineger.
     For the main course we will have a dish consisting of pork, lamb, and chicken with a side of baked mushrooms, assorted fruits, and shrimp.
     After the main course we'll have a light soup with mushrooms and parsley as well as a side of bread.
     For the next course we will have roasted ostrich with a light drizzle of garum sauce with bread and fruit.
     Before dessert we will have dormouse stuffed with minced pork and various vegetables, also served with bread.
     Finally, for dessert we'll have cheese combined with flour, honey and egg into a batter that then baked until it had risen like a soufflé. When set, the dessert was brushed with honey, topped with poppy seeds and served on a plate and eaten with a spoon. This dish is similar to modern day cheesecake.
      Various wines will accompany all meals.

Invitation

You're invited to a
Dinner Party!!

Host: Publius Poling

Theme: Coliseum Fighters

Come and join the festivities as if it were the coliseum! Dress like a fighter or a spectator. The entry hall into the living room will look like you're walking down into the coliseum to fight. There will be curtains hung like a gate that you will walk through into the living room dressed just like the coliseum. Then we will proceed into the dining hall/ which will look like a traditional dining hall. After we finish the meal we will return to the Coliseum-like living room to enjoy the festivities. Please feel free to come and enjoy the food and festivities!!

Guest List
1. Balpina Cline
2. Tertia Smallwood
3. Dylan
4. Agnipeinia Nuzum
5. Gnaeus Hill 
6. Sextus Terwilliger
7. Pliny Hawkins
8. Serbius Stuart
9. Spartacus Scott
10. Camilla Robinson

Studying abroad in Greece

     Greece's education goes in three stages, primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary education is divided into kindergarten lasting one or two years, then primary school lasts six years. Secondary is seperated into two section, Gymnasio, or middle school, which lasts three years and Lykeio, or high school. After Lykeio students have the option of attending a university, polytechnics, technilogical education institute, or an academy. Academies are usually for military or the clergy. An undergraduate course lasts four years typically, five years in polytechnics and some art schools, and six years in medical schools. Postgraduate courses last one to two years and a doctorate last three to six years.
     You must be at least six years of age to begin attending school. All public schools and universities require no tuition and textbooks are provided free. There is no failing a grade but any students who fall behind must take remedial courses aside from their regular schooling, similar to summer school in the United States. When students reach the Gymnasio section of education they may either go into a general gymnasium which is automatic or pass an exam of either music, sports, art, science or clergy. Required courses throughout all grades include, Modern Greek Language, Modern Greek Literature, Ancient Greek Language, Ancient Greek Literature, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Social and Political Studies, Physical Education, Art, Music, Religion, History, Computer Studies, Technology, English, 2nd foreign language, School Vocational Guidance, Economics, Geography. Some others are offered but these are required.
     Greek schools are similar to the those in the United States. They go five days a week and start and end around the same time most American schools do. They are different in that they only go to school between four and eight hours depending on the grade and courses the student is taking. Its also different that they go one more year in primary school, or elementary school in America.
     A typical day in school in Greece begins with starting class at 8:15 and you will go through your courses which may include any of the ones listed above which may last between thirty and forty-five minutes. After each class you get a five to ten minute break. Once a month you take a walk and a trip to a museum, monument, etc. Classes vary daily because you need so many hours of every class a week in order to pass. That's a typical day for a high school student in Greece.

Christmas in Zambia

Facts about Christmas in Zambia
1. Many churchs show nativity scenes for several days before Christmas.
2. One or two days before Christmas locals begin caroling for charity donations.
3. On Christmas day children are encouraged to bring presents to church for less fortunate children or children in the hospital.
4. After church it is a custom that adults go to one house and children to another to have parties and feasts.
5. Decorations donated by citizens of the towns are usually spread along buildings throughout town.

Plum Pudding Recipe, Zambian Christmas dessert

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs

4 ounces shredded suet

3 eggs, beaten

1 small carrot, grated

1 apple - peeled, cored and shredded

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped blanched almonds

2 ounces preserved stem ginger in syrup, chopped

1/8 cup ground almonds

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

3/8 cup halved candied cherries

1/3 cup raisins

3/8 cup dried currants

3/8 cup golden raisins

4 ounces candied mixed fruit peel, chopped

4 plums, pitted and chopped

1 lemon, juiced and zested

1 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup ale

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, bread crumbs, suet, eggs, carrot, apple, brown sugar, chopped blanched almonds, stem ginger, ground almonds, cherries, raisins, currants, golden raisins, mixed peel, plums, lemon juice and zest, mixed spice, baking powder and ale. Let each family member take a turn stirring and make a wish. If you have used more dry fruit than fresh, add a little extra ale to make the mixture less stiff.
2. Grease 2 large or 4 small pudding basins. Fill with pudding mixture about 7/8 full. Cover tightly with greased waxed paper, then foil; secure with string. Stand pudding on a trivet in a large pot of boiling water that reaches halfway up the sides of the pudding basin. Steam puddings over medium-low heat in boiling water 10 hours for large puddings, 5 hours for small puddings, topping off water regularly until quite firm and set.
3. If not serving immediately, let cool completely, then replace covers with fresh waxed paper and foil and store in a cool, dry place, basting from time to time with rum or brandy, for up to 3 months. To serve, reheat by steaming 2 to 3 hours.

Map of Zambia



Budget

*Amount had to spend $5000
*Amount spent on travel $2568
*Amount spent on lodging $630
*Amount spent on food $53
*Amount spent on tourist attractions $52
*Amount spent on souvnirs and other items $71
*Total spent $3374
*Money left over $1626

Day 2

     I slept in this morning to get past the jet lag and rest up before my long week here. When I finally did get up i decided to go nearby to the unbelievable Victoria Falls. It is the highest waterfall in the world at 108m or 360 feet. On the bus trip there i got see some more of the forestry and some of the wildlife. When I arrived I paid the $10 entry fee and then the guide advised me on the best things to do. One of his suggestions was crossing the footbridge above the waterfall to the buttress called Knife's Peak. After observing from where I was for awhile then to get some better pictures I crossed the footbridge. I felt a little unsafe as the water rushed beneath me but once I crossed to the other side i realized it was worth it. The view was far better from this side and you really got a feel for how powerful and high this waterfall. When it started getting dark I decided it was better to return the safer side and prepare to leave. I visited the on-site restraunt to get a quick meal of thick nshima or a porridge like meal accompanied by dried fish for $6 before heading back to my hotel.

Day 7

     I had a short day today because I had to get on a flight at 7 PM. I flipped through my tourist book to try to find a fun quick thing to do to spend my last day in the lush South African country of Zambia. I also didn't want to travel to far from Lusaka beecause I needed to be able to get the airport easily and on time. With today being Sunday I decided I'd check out the famed Zambian Sunday Market. This is one of the things that people had been talking about aroung the city of Lusaka all week and since it was in the Arcades Shopping Center's plaza and I was staying in the local hotel I decided it would be a great idea. I went fairly early to the Sunday Market but it was already thriving with locals. Tourists didn't show up until around eleven o'clock but they just added to massive population that had gathered there already. There were various vendors selling all sorts of things. They had local pottery, paintings, small scale sculptures and statuettes, skins of the native animals such as crocodiles and some furs. They also had food stands with veggies and various types of meat but since I was heading home I had no interest in these things. I ended up buying a vase, a bowl, a small statue, some crocodile skins and a few pieces of the local jewelry made of things like elephant tusks and rhino horns. I spent my entire day here and about two hours before I needed to head for my flight I went to Rhapsody's once again to have an elegant African meal before going home. After all this I had spent around $85. I got on the bus to head to the airport and I watched out the windows as the city passed by. I reached the airport and as my plane climbed I waved a final goodbye to the lush green forests and parks of Zambia.



Day 6

     Today I started travelling back to toward Lusaka to be closer to the airport but I wanted to see more of the exotic animals that I hadn't seen in the national park. In my tourism book I noticed a place called Kalimba Reptile Park that was just a few miles northeast of Lusaka and only a short distance from the airport. I decided this would be a great way to see the exotic reptiles that are native to Africa. I paid an entry fee of $15 then continued to the exhibits. Some of the venomous ones like the black mamba and the puff adder were kept in enclosures behind glass walls to avoid children and even adults from being bitten. They had an on-site clinic just in case someone was bitten but I felt very safe throughout the venomous and even the less restrained non-venomous section. In the non-venomous section I saw a variety of the largest snakes anywhere in the world, like the boa constrictor, several pythons, and anacondas. I also saw several large crocodiles who were quite menacing. I then went to the braii grill and had a crocodile burger for $7. Then I back to Arcades shopping center to the hotel I had previously stayed in, Protea Hotel for $188, then went to bed to prepare for my short day then my very long flight.



Day 5

     I got up especially early this morning so I could make it to South Luangwa National Park in time to see as much as possible after the bus ride there. I caught the earliest bus I could and arrived at the park very early, I paid the $25 fee and immediately went to the two cheetahs they are housing here. The main exhibits here are the cheetahs and several lions but they support many other rare animal and plant types that you can't see in very many other places around Zambia. The cheetahs had just woken up when I arrived and were out stretching and bathing in the morning sun waiting on their breakfast. Next I went and saw the lions, most of which were still sleeping. There was a pretty amazing elephant exhibit that I spent a lot of time taking photos of. I spent he majority of my day wandering about the park seeing the variety of animals. As the sun started setting I went to the pool to cool off before going to the Braii grill to eat a satisfying dinner of imported American steak for $9. Finally I went to my the on site lodge, Mfuwe Lodge for $230.



Day 4

     After my heavy meal the the night before I needed to go to the gym in my new hotel at Arcades, called Protea Hotel for $188, and run for awhile before going to bed so I slept a little late this morning. After getting up around eleven o'clock I decided to head to the National Museum which was fairly close to my hotel. All I got to see on my short trip there was a few of the buildings in the shopping center and the city, I was already missing the forests I could see at my previous hotel. Upon my arrival I was charged a $2 fee and directed to the highlights of the museum, some Zambian contemporary paintings and sculptures. On the lower level of the museum I saw displays that some describe as a snapshot of Zambia's past and present. On the upper floor there were several exhibits of cultural, ethnographically and archaeological discoveries and displays. Finally I came back to easily the most interesting exhibit in the museum, the witchcraft display. In this display I saw things you would not see or hear about anywhere else in Zambia.



Day 1

     As we cruised into Clarksburg Airport I could barely contain my excitement for my trip to the South African country of Zambia. It's a long and expensive trip with a round trip ticket costing around twenty-five hundred dollars and the trip lasting nearly twenty-five hours but visiting an exotic country such as Zambia will be worth the expense.
     After the exhausting flight I exchanged my US dollars for Zambian Kwacha which is to about 4715 Kwacha per dollar then rested shortly at the airport while waiting for the bus to take me to my hotel, Fawlty Towers. Throughout the long drive to my hotel near Victoria Falls I observed many of the lush forests and beautiful sights around Lusaka. When I arrived at Fawlty Towers I checked in to my room for twelve US Dollars or 56,580 Kwacha. The rooms were quite lavish and the hotel had a beautiful enclosed garden with a free-form pool to relax in before preparing for my week in Zambia.

Day 3

     I got up early this morning anticipating an exciting day in Lusaka's shopping centers. My first target was Rhapsody's, a restraunt in the Arcade's shopping center on Great East Rd. It's a very popular restraunt famous for it's Zambian cuisine though it is very expensive. It is mainly visited by NGOs or Nongovernment Organisation and tourists due to its high prices but occasionally you will see locals dining here. The restraunt doesn't open until around noon so I spent some time shopping around in the mall before I went.
     First I went to Blockbuster movies and picked up a movie to occupy my time after my dinner at Rhapsody's. Next I visited Planet Books and browsed for a tourist's guide to the country and some books about Zambia in general. I ended up with a couple of books to help me on this trip. Finally I quickly went to Barclay's Bank to get some extra cash just in case I ran out at Rhapsody's.
     Around 8 o'clock I headed into Rhapsody's and had an elegant dinner of a smoked salmon, avocado and zucchini ciabatta and finished up with a "Death by Chocolate" cake, a chocalate covered in drizzled chocolate and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream which totalled up to 77,000 Kwacha including the books and movie rental.



Zambian salad recipe

Ingredients

• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 cucumber
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sumac or za'atar (optional)

Preparation

1. Remove the pith and seeds from the peppers and dice them along with the tomatoes, onion, and cucumber. Toss together in a wooden or ceramic bowl.

2. In a separate small bowl, stir together the salt, pepper, lemon juice, and garlic. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Pour over the vegetables, mix, sprinkle with sumac or za'atar, and serve.

•Sumac powder, the ground berry of a Turkish evergreen tree, is available at www.ethnicgrocer.com. This Arabic ingredient, which was adopted into Israeli cooking, has a sour, fruity flavor.
•Za'atar, a spice mix made from wild oregano, sesame seeds, salt, and ground sumac, is ubiquitous in Middle Eastern cooking, often sprinkled on pita bread that's been drizzled with olive oil. Za'atar is available at www.penzeys.com.

Biography of Publius

Publius Servilius Casca Longus more commonly known as just Publius was the Tribune of the People during the assassination of Gaius Julius Caesar better known as Julius Caeser. Publius and his brother Gaius Servilius Casca or Casca were part of the conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar. Casca was even the first to strike Caesar after Tillius Cimber distracted him by grabbing his toga. Publius had a lesser part in the assassination compared to Casca but he was later used by Marcus Junius Brutus to tell the people that no one, aside from Julius Caesar, would be harmed. Publius joined Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus and died in 42 B.C, presumably by committing suicide after their defeat at the Battle of Philippi.

Caesar's Assassination

     We started plotting months ago. We never never met openly. Occasionally we met at someones house but mostly we met in small groups and relayed messages privately. My name is Publius Servilius Casca Longus and I am part of a plot to assassinate Gaius Julius Caesar alongside Marcus Junius Brutus and my brother Gaius Servillius Casca. We are the liberators of Rome. There are more than 60 people, both senators and peasants, in our conspiracy.We are led by Gaius Cassius, Decimus and Marcus Junius Brutus.      I fear that Julius Caesar may turn my beloved Rome into a dictatorship over which he will rule. He already possesses all the power of our military. While this isn't necessarily bad because he is a brilliant strategist and an excellent inspiration to the troops as well as a great warrior, but I feel he has too much power. He has also added new senators to tilt the scales of most votes in his favor.
     After several months of meeting in small groups we met one last time all together to compare ideas. We felt the time to strike was coming and we needed to act before Caesar could gain more power. We debated whether to attack him in the Field of Mars during the elections and shove him off the bridge while others waited below to kill him. Then we thought about ambushing him at the Sacred Way his way to the theatre. Then when a meeting was called for the senators on the Ides of March(15th of March) in the Hall of Pompey we knew this was the opportune time to make our move.

     Today is the Ides of March, 44 B.C. and we will be joining together for a senatorial meeting in the Hall of Pompey. Rumor has it that Caesar has been warned of this plot many times and he has taken it into consideration. He was considering staying away because of these warnings and because of ill health. Decimus Brutus, one he believes is a close friend, managed to convince him to join on this tragic day. He sat in his place and we gathered around him as if giving support to a petition he had been handed. Tillius Cimber moved as though to whisper a secret and as Caesar made a motion to wait until later Tillius grabbed his tunic and as Caesar cried "Why, this is violence!" my brother Gaius Servillius Casca stabbed him below the throat and Caesar immediately reacted by smashing his stylus into my brother's arm who cried out and fell away. Then the attack commenced in full. As Caesar saw Marcus Brutus coming toward him he mumbled "Kai su, teknon?"(you too, my child? in Greek) and pulled his toga over his head to hide his eyes from the shame before collapsing out of his chair. Later we were told that the only strike of the twenty-three wounds had been fatal. I had not actually stabbed Caesar in the scuffle but i had seen much. I now served a very important purpose assigned by Brutus. I was instructed to tell the people of Rome that no one, aside from Julius Caesar, would be harmed.

hellOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

KEELEY WAS HERE. (: