- •Белорусский государственный университет Кафедра английского языка гуманитарных факультетов
- •Абрамчик е.Ф., Поваляева в.Н., Турляй л.П., Козел л.А.
- •History as a Science
- •Preview
- •Text 1. Understanding History
- •Text 2. How do We Know?
- •Text 3. Examining Archaeology
- •Text 4. Museum – Source of Knowledge and Impressions
- •Polydialogue. The University-wide Open Days
- •The usefulness of archives
- •Video. Dartmoor National Park
- •Vocabulary
- •Follow-up
- •Vocabulary
- •Follow-up
- •Vocabulary
- •Before you view
- •Vocabulary
- •Comprehension tasks
- •Follow-up
- •Writing tasks
- •Finally …
- •Unit 2 first steps toward civilization
- •Text 1. The Early Accomplishments of Homo sapiens
- •Text 2. Setting the Stage for Civilization: The Origins of Food Production
- •Text 3. The Gradual Transition From Food Gathering To Food Production
- •Text 4. The Transition to a Sedentary Way of Life
- •Ex. 1. Translate the text into English.
- •Unit III classical civilization. Ancient greek culture
- •Text 1. The ancient Greeks
- •Text 2. The Evolution of Democracy
- •Text 3. Sparta and Athens
- •Text 4. The Age of Pericles
- •The economy of Athens
- •Text 5. Religions and sports festivals
- •Text 6. Greek Drama
- •Text 7. The Spread of Greek Culture
- •The Golden age of Greek Theatre
- •The tragedy form
- •Александрия
- •Unit IV ancient rome and its socio-political development. The roman empire
- •Text 1. The Rise Of The Republic
- •Text 2. Overseas Expansion
- •Text 3. The Fall Of The Roman Republic
- •Text 4. Greece and Rome
- •The Birth of Rome
- •Text 5. The Early Empire
- •Text 6. Social Rank in the Empire
- •Text 7. The Roman Economy
- •Rich and Poor
- •Золотой век
- •Unit V rome and the christians
- •Text 1. The Early Christians
- •Text 2. Rome and the Christians
- •Text 3. The Decline of Rome
- •Text 4. The Fall Of Rome
- •The Causes of the Fall
- •Христианство
- •Unit VI the middle ages
- •Text 1. The Middle Ages. Their Classification and General Characteristics.
- •Text 2. Byzantine and Its Influence on Neighboring Countries
- •In the Field of Learning and Religion
- •Text 3. Medieval Europe
- •Text 4. The Spirit of the Renaissance
- •Features of Renaissance Art
- •Ex. 2. Translate the text into English. Феодальная система в Западной и Центральной Европе
- •Discussion
- •Text 1. Primordial Belarus – From Forest Tribes to the Decline of Polatsk
- •Text 2. The Development and Flourishing of Great Lithuania
- •Text 3. Belarus after Vitaut: its Golden Age and Decline
- •Text 4. Belarus after the Third Division of Rech Paspalitaya
- •Dialogue Travelling Broadens the Mind
- •B. Some old and Rare Books in the Francisk Skaryna Library in London
- •Part III
- •Britain
- •Preview
- •Reading Text 1. Primitive Society on the territory of the British Isles
- •The Earliest Men
- •The Celts
- •The Primitive Communal System
- •Word Check
- •Comprehension
- •Text 2. The British Empire
- •Text 3. Economic and Social Changes
- •In England in the 18th and 19th Centuries
- •Text 4. Modern Britain. Stability and Change.
- •Rich and Poor
- •Unit II american continet:
- •Its first civilizations and colonies.
- •Text 1. From Early People to Colonies.
- •Text 2. Colonization of America. War For Independence
- •Discussion
- •Text 3. Constitution. Bill of Rights.
- •Comprehension
- •Word Check
- •Ex. 2. Discuss which of them one can find in a) democratic society
- •Text 2. The European Union Read the text and say in a few words the main points of the text
- •Text 3. United Nations Read the text and assimilate its information
- •Security Council.
- •Translation
- •Unit II outstanding people
- •Text 1. The “Father of History”
- •Text 2. Alexander the Great and his Influence
- •Text 3. Elizabeth I.
- •Text 4. John Fitzerald Kennedy.
- •Contents
Text 5. The Early Empire
Read the text and do the tasks that follow.
Caesar had seized control of the government of the Roman world in 49 B.C., making himself dictator for life. As dictator, Caesar seemed to have little respect for the constitution. According to the constitution, a Roman leader was supposed to share power with the senators. But many senators thought Caesar acted as if he were above the law. They thought he treated them as servants. They saw his behavior as haughty and insulting. Many began to think of him as both a personal enemy and an enemy of the Roman Republic.
Senators and other Roman citizens whispered among themselves that Caesar intended to make himself king. If he did so, he could establish a dynasty. His family line would rule the Roman world even after his death, and the Senate would then have no role in choosing the next leader. Outraged, more than 60 senators met secretly. They planned how they would assassinate Caesar – murder him for political reasons. One leader of the group was Brutus, the so-called friend of Caesar.
When Brutus and his men killed Caesar on the ides of March, they thought had saved the Republic. But by the end of that day, the assassins had to hide from angry mobs of Romans citizens. Many were outraged by Caesar’s murder. Caesar was well liked because he made many reforms that improved people’s lives. For example, he reorganized the government and lowered taxes. He founded new colonies and gave people land to farm. He hired people to build temples and public buildings. He made citizens of many people in the colonies.
A power struggle followed Caesar’s death. Caesar’s adopted son Octavian was the leader of one group that was fighting to control Rome. He defeated his rivals in 32 B.C. and led Rome into a new era.
Octavian brought peace to the Roman Empire and became a popular leader. In 27 B.C., the Senate voted to give him the title Augustus, meaning “respected one.” He ruled the empire until A.D. 14.
Augustus learned from his father’s mistakes. He continued many of the reforms that had been started by Caesar. He knew that the people wanted a republic.
But Augustus held the real power. He controlled almost all of the military troops. He appointed the most important officials of the government – those who governed the provinces. He carefully avoided using the title of king. Instead, he called himself “first citizen” to show that he was one of the people.
Augustus ruled an empire. He is considered to be the first Roman emperor. The people welcomed him. They desperately wanted peace and order after the time of turmoil that followed Caesar’s death.
During the 41 years of his rule, Augustus built or restored 82 temples. Most of them were dressed in the smooth marble from the quarries that were just opening north of Rome.
Augustus also worked to improve life in the city of Rome. With a population of nearly one million people, Rome had no city services. Augustus created a police force and fire brigade. He set up a department to supply food to the city’s citizens.
The Roman Empire beyond Italy was divided into about 40 provinces, or territories. Each province had a governor, who was appointed by the emperor or named by the Senate. The governors’ work included keeping order and collecting taxes.
Augustus and the emperors who followed him expanded the empire by conquering new territories. At its peak in A.D. 117, the Roman Empire had a population of about 60 million. This was more than one-fifth of the total population of the world at that time.
Augustus’s reign marked the beginning of a remarkable period in Rome’s history. For more than 200 years, the vast Roman Empire was united and, for the most part, peaceful. This period from 27 B.C. to A.D. 180 is called the Pax Romana, or “Peace of Rome.”
Augustus established a new way of choosing emperors. Each emperor chose his successor from his family or adopted someone he thought would make a good emperor.
During the 200 years after Augustus’s death, four family lines, or dynasties, ruled the Roman Empire. Some emperors in each dynasty ruled wisely. Others were cruel or foolish. Each of the four dynasties ended with the violent overthrow of an unpopular or unfit emperor.
Despite resistance to Roman rule in some provinces, the empire remained unified during the PAX ROMANA. However, maintaining unity was a large task. Over the centuries, the Romans conquered vast areas and diverse peoples. These millions of people spoke many different customs, and worshiped different customs, and worshiped different gods. The Roman emperors, though, managed to unify them.
They did so in several ways. They encouraged the conquered people to build cities. They made these people Roman citizens. And they involved them in the government of Rome.
These new cities that the people in the provinces built followed the model of Rome. The city center surrounded a main square called the forum, like the one in Rome. The new cities also had temples for Roman gods, as amphitheater for games, and public baths. These and other public buildings were patterned after the ones in the city of Rome. The ideas of the Romans, their customs, and their Latin language gradually spread from the cities into the surrounding areas.
As a second way of unifying the empire, Rome gradually granted citizenship to people in the provinces. In A.D. 212, Emperor Caracalla granted citizenship to the entire free population of the empire. As citizens, the people gained some important new rights. For example, citizens were protected by Roman law. They could do business and own property in Rome. They could also pass their property and citizenship on to their children.
As a third means of unifying the empire, Rome allowed officials in the provinces to govern their own cities. They collected taxes and kept order on Rome’s behalf.
Rome allowed some of these officials from the provinces to participate in the central government in Rome. By A.D. 200, more than half of the 600 senators came from the provinces. Some of these senators even became emperors. Emperor Trajan, for example, came from Spain. Septimius Severus, who ruled from A.D. 193 to 211, came from North Africa.
These policies of Rome made the people who lived in the provinces feel that they were a part of the empire. Therefore, most of them did not have any reason to rebel.
One of Roman’s greatest poets described the purpose of the empire in this way:
Remember, Roman, that it is for you to rule the nations. This shall be your task: to impose the ways of peace, to spare the vanquished and to tame the proud by war.
Virgil, Aeneid, c. 19 B.C.
For 200 years, Rome did just that. That Pax Romana is remembered as the period during which Rome reached the peak of its political and cultural achievement.
Word Check
Ex. 1. Vocabulary extension:
to seize – to take possession of (property, post) suddenly and violently;
haughty – arrogant, having or showing a high opinion of oneself;
to outrage – to offend, to insult – to give or allow (a title) smth.;
to appoint – to nominative;
to improve – to make better;
to encourage – to give hope, to support;
to involve – to get smb. or smth. into a complicated situation;
to impose – to force;
to spare – to show mercy to.
Ex. 2. Find words or expressions in the text which mean the following:
to murder smb. for political reasons;
a respected one;
a territory;
a person appointed by the emperor or named by the Senate;
(instance of) trouble, agitation;
succession of rulers belonging to one family;
the period during which Rome reached the pick of its political, a cultural achievement.
Ex. 3. Complete the sentences, use the words and expressions from the text.
Caesar … control of the government of the Roman world in 49 B.C., making himself … for life.
Many senators saw his behavior as … and insulting.
When Brutus and his men killed Caesar on the ... of March, they thought had saved the Republic.
Many were … by Caesar’s murder.
The Senate voted to give Octavian the title, meaning “… …”.
He … the most important officials of the government – those who governed … .
They desperately wanted peace and order after the time of … that followed Caesar’s death.
August also worked … life in the city of Rome.
Each province had a … who was appointed by the emperor or named by the Senate.
They … the conquered people to build cities and … them in the government of Rome.
Rome gradually … citizenship to people in the provinces.
Comprehension
Ex. 1. Say if the statements are true or false.
Outraged by Caesar’s behaviors the citizens of Rome met at the Senate to plan his resignation.
Octavian had seized control of the government of the Roman word and made himself dictator for life.
Augustus learned from his father’s mistakes. He intended to make himself king. If he did so he could establish a dynasty.
With a population of nearly one million Rome had all city services. There was a police force and a fire brigade. A department to supply food to the city’s citizens was set up.
The senator’s work included keeping order and collecting taxes.
The Roman Empire beyond Italy was divided into about the 40 Diasporas.
Augustus’s reign was beginning a century of decline.
These policies of Rome made the people who lived in the provinces feel that they were the vanquished.
Ex. 2. Answer the following questions.
Why do you think Caesar’s assassins might have expected the Roman people to approve his murder?
Why did the Roman people welcome Augustus’s rule?
What did Augustus do for the city of Rome and for the provinces?
What policies did the Roman emperor follow in order to unify the empire?
How did Virgil describe the purpose of the Empire?
Ex. 3. Speak on the following points:
the assassination of Caesar;
the Empire of Augustus;
the Pax Romana;
policies for the provinces.