Whats so "ancient" about Rome?

History has left a trail all over the world with prominent marks and insignificant ones. me, Italy is one of the noteworthy attractions along history’s “trail”, as it one of the few great empires in the ancient world. Its influence is still present in modern times and plays a big part in our architecture, government systems, literature, cuisine, and our perspective on occurrences in our everyday lives. (http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/prosperity/)Rome in many ways can be looked at as the role model for society and civilization today. W hat was once ancient is modern now. I believe the Roman Empire was made up entirely of “ancient” things in its day, but today many of those opinions, beliefs, and practices are present in the world today.

My opinion on the ancientness of Rome is based on the fact that ancient Rome existed in the B.C. times; plus Rome’s influence on today’s world. It normally is my belief that anything from the BC time period is ancient. I would normally also consider all of the practices and ideals from back then ancient as well. With Rome, though, I think it is a different case. Yes, Rome was ancient then, but looking at the influence it still has today I had to reconsider my opinion. Our principles, our government, and even the way we construct buildings is affected by Rome. I think this factor makes Rome not so ancient. If it is modern and present today, how can it be?

The Roman government is among the most well-known and chief elements from the Roman culture. It has had influence on the government of the United States in several ways. The US government’s Constitution and Bill of Rights were influenced by the Roman’s Twelve Tables. The US’s Bill of Rights was a revision to the Constitution, which was a set of rules and laws to be followed by the US people. (http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/billofrights.html) The Twelve Tables was the Romans earliest attempt at making a code of law. It was basically a set of standards for living by for the Roman population (the same idea as the Constitution, it just came first). It was also the earliest surviving piece of literature from the Romans. (http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/12tables.html). Though most of their “laws” are not similar to ours or even legal in our country, they are still in resemblance to our codes of laws and show that even back then, order was necessary in society.

It is true that many elements of the Twelve Tables do not resemble the laws we know today in the United States, but there are a few we have followed. "Putting to death... of any man who has not been convicted, whosoever he might be, is forbidden."(Twelve Tables, Table IX, 6). In simpler terms this is saying that it is illegal to murder an innocent man. Obviously, this law applies to us as Americans and I’m sure it does to most countries in the world as well. I have found that the laws under Table IX, the public laws, are the least bizarre and actually make sense. Most of them, in fact, are ones present in today’s society. Another law from Table IX is, "The penalty shall be capital punishment for a judge or arbiter legally appointed who has been found guilty of receiving a bribe for giving a decision."(Twelve Tables, Table IX, 3). This is a little clearer; it says that anyone who is bribed to making a decision shall receive capital punishment. I personally understand these more than others such as, "A dreadfully deformed child shall be killed."(Twelve Tables, Table IV, 1); this is of the table stating the rights of the fathers( paterfamilias) over the family. (http://www.csun.edu/~hcfll004/12tables.html)

When I think of Rome I automatically think of the colosseum and what a great feat this was for the Roman people. This brings me to my next topic: architectureRoman architecture has influenced the modern world in so many ways. From the cheesy look-a-likes of the colosseum and other Romanesque styling to the majestic intricately detailed buildings with great columns and arches, Rome has influenced our architecture in a very obvious way. The Romans were the first to work with new materials such as baked bricks and cement. They also revolutionized building with the arch. (http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/romans/architecture/romarch.htm)

The Romans ventured into different types of buildings in addition to using new materials. They made temples and basilicas, aqueducts and sewers, not to mention their grand amphitheatres like the colosseum. The Romans were very skilled at working with cement and bricks as well as making the new arch. In every way they either created or influenced most of the architecture used today. For example, one’s house may be built of bricks, with an arched porch. A skyscraper may be built with cement. The Romans revolutionized the way we build and design structures. (http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/romans/architecture/romarch.htm)

It is clearly evident that the Romans have been extremely influential in today’s world. They have given us an idea as to how we can set up laws to keep society in order. They have shown us how to build structures in new and innovative ways. The Romans are clearly a crucial part to our modern world and though one may think they are ancient they are not; because, if they are ancient, so are we.

Works Cited

"Bill of Rights: Primary Documents of American History (Virtual Programs & Services, Library of Congress)." Library of Congress Home. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. .

"Constitution of the United States - Official." National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 08 Mar. 2010. .

"Greek Mythology: From Rome to Today." HyperHistory.net. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. .

"Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Rome." FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. .

"Roman Architecture - History for Kids!" Kidipede - History and Science for Kids - Homework Help for Middle School. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. .

"Rome.info History of Ancient Rome." Rome.info Rome Tourist Information, Ancient Rome Travel Guide. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. .

"Rome's Influence - Lesson Plan Library." Discovery Education Classroom Resources. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. .

"THE TWELVE TABLES." California State University, Northridge. Web. 05 Mar. 2010. .

More on Roman History

• Rome was the starting point of propaganda
• Many people look back to Rome for the start of this
• The Resgesti were plaques all around Rome that told what Augustus did after he die
• Augustus dies in 14 C.E., Tiberius takes over
• Caligula comes next, he is a nutcase, relations with his sister, threw people off cliffs, tried to make his horse a senator
• Claudius was next, very strange, shy, anti-social, didn’t do much, scared to death to be an emperor
• Nero is next, another nutcase, burned down half of Rome to make a park in his honor, put a palace on the property and a giant statue of himself, blamed Rome burning on Christians, he is forced to commit suicide and says, "The world has lost a great artist" when he commits.
• This ends the Julio-Claudian Dynasty
• Vespasian is the next emperor
• Wanted Rome run "military style"
• Restored order
• When Roman emperors died, they became state gods, taxes had to be paid once a year to the state gods.

• Vespasian dies
• His son, Titus, takes over
• 1st: He finishes the Vespasian Amphitheatre
• 2nd:

• Titus dies
• Replaced by Domitian(a blood relative)
• Tough guy
• Builds bath complexes(more like a modern-day health club)
• Assassinated

• Replaced by Nerva
• The start of the "Good Emperors"
• Nerva(96-98(
• Trajan(98-117)
• Hadrian(117-138)
• Antoninus Pius138-161)
• Marcus Aurelius(161-180)
• Nerva starts the practice of choosing the heir to the emperor instead of just making the closest blood relative emperor
• He picks Trajan
• A military genius
• Monument - "Trajan's Column"
• It has the story of a battle around it to the top

• Era of the Emperor Hadrian - a renaissance man
• Philosopher
• Architect
• Statesman
• World traveler
• First roman emperor to not be form Italy
• He was from Spain
• He has a beard(trademark of Greek philosophers)

• Rome is very multi-cultural
• No matter what you looked like you were a Roman
• • Marcus Aurelius
  • Roman Empire reaches its height and expands no further
  • Septimius Severus
  • First African emperor of Rome
  • LAST dynasty of Rome
  • LATE ANTIQUITY
  • Age of the Soldier Emperors - third century CE
  • Emperors are generals and do not last long at all because of civil warfare
  • Diocletian - fundamentally alters the form of Roman government
  • Gets rid of Principate and starts the Dominate - a very totalitarian style of government.
  • Tetrarchy - rule by four. Two halves - the west and the east, two guys in charge of each.
  • Battle of the Milvian Bridge
  • Constantine wins and becomes sole emperor of Rome
  • Constantine saw a vision of the Christian cross on the day of the battle
  • Has all his soldiers paint the Chi Ro on their shields
  • He declares Christianity in Rome to be LEGAL
  • Constantine
  • Moves the capitol of Rome from Italy to Constantinople (modern city of Istanbul)
  • Roman Empire is forever altered
  • Rome is sacked in 476 by the Germanic tribes
  • Gibbon - Rome FALLS
  • Toynbee - Rome evolves into Europe
  • EARLY CHRISIANITY
  • It was illegal at first, and they had to meet in secret
  • They did this in the Catacombs
  • It spreads around Greece and Rome itself and then it really takes over
  • Janius Bassus
  • Jesus is shown as a Sheppard in early Christian art
  • They depicted him in a way that others wouldn't recognize because it was illegal
  • Fish imagery is used as a code
  • BYZANTINE EMPIRE
  • Christianity is becoming the standard religion of the Roman world
  • Justinian I - had his palace in Rowena, north of Rome
  • He tries to merge the Church and the state together

Roman Timeline

1. Marius and Sulla were Roman saviors
2. There is a great deal of hostility between the patricians and the plebeians
3. They are both sent as generals to control land disputes throughout Italy
4. Troops are very loyal to their own leader
5. The first civil war is between Marius's army and Sulla's army
• Sulla threatens to march on the city of Rome
• Sulla wins the battle and Marius has to flee Rome
6. Julius Caesar runs for senate
• His family is the Jull
7. The highest position in the senate is the consul
8. Caesar has to either go back to trial in Rome or go to Rome with his army, thus starting a civil war
9. Caesar crosses the Rubicon and says in Latin, "the die has been cast" - "Alea iacta est"
10. The battle of Pharsalus was a decisive battle during the civil, Caesar wins and beats Pompey the Great of Rome
11. Caesar has an affair with Cleopatra , the pharaoh of Egypt, thus making Rome and Egypt allies
12. He comes back to Rome a hero and named dictator for life
13. Octavian and Mark Antony have defeated the Tyrannicides(people involved or the actual killing of a tyrant)
14. Octavian was Julius Caesar's nephew
• He was named Caesar's heir when Caesar died
• In his will, Caesar adopts Octavian as his son
• Octavian refers to himself as Caesar's son from now on
15. O an MA form an alliance
• Together with Lepidus they for the Second Triumvirate
• They split up the world of Rome amongst themselves
• O gets the West(Italy and to the west)
• MA gets Greece and Egypt
• Lepidus gets the east
• He gets out of the picture
16. MA forms an alliance with Cleopatra of Egypt
• They have an affair
17. MA and C go to war with Octavian
• It is a large sea battle
• Octavian and his right-hand man, Marcus Agrippa defeat the navy of MA and C
• MA commits suicide
• C goes back to Egypt and commits suicide
• She lets a poisonous snake in her bed to bite her
18. Octavian goes back to Rome to lead and is renamed Augustus
19. He becomes the first emperor of Rome
20. The senate gives him great power and the Empire is ended
21. He is the first emperor and the first of the Julio-Claudian dynasty
• The emperors of the Julio-Claudian dynasty are:
• Augustus
• Tiberius
• Caligula - assassinated SUETONIUS
• Claudius
• Nero - burns down half of Rome - assassinated(forced to commit suicide)
22. After Augustus dies his heirs are not as decent as he was
• Augustus wanted peace restored in Rome
• The heirs were rather mean people

Rome

• Rome was an empire unlike Greece
• The Roman empire still influences our world today in architecture, engineering, etc.
• Aneas falls in love with Dido; the Gods say he must leave her in Carthage to go to Italy; she kills herself out of despair

1. Aeneas / Trojans defeat Latium
2. Iullis becomes King; sets up capitol in Alba Longa (SE of Rome); for many generations it is the center of Trojan civilization (Rome does not exist yet); conquered by Rome
3. The story of Rome's existence: Two twin boys Romulus and Remus were raised by a she-wolf, they grow up and declare war on each other; Romulus wins, Remus is dead; Romulus founds a city: Roma which is Rome.

• The Tiber River runs though Rome
• Rome was founded in 753 B.C.E. on seven hills
• As Athens was going through the Persian Wars and Socrates and the Classical Age etc., Rome was very rural and not even on the maps, it was only a village
• Roman Society - Two classes: The Patricians: money, power, influence; The Plebeians: everyone else.
• The Struggle of the Orders is the conflict between the Patricians and the Plebeians; the Plebes made up a senate which makes a problem for the Patricians
• The Punic Wars - 264 - 146 BC
• Tarquin the sixth raped the wife of a Roman Patrician: Lucretia; she kills herself; the tarquins are kicked out.
• The Roman Republic is founded in 509 BCE by Lucius Junius Brutus

4. Struggle of the Orders / Tribune of the Plebs
5. Roman Expansion / Pyrrhus
6. 1st Punic War

• Alexander III
• Also known as Alexander the Great
• Born in Macedonia in July 356 B.C.
• His father was the king of Macedon
• His father was assassinated when he was 19, he took over the throne
• He gets revenge on his father's killers
• Alexander decides to take revenge on the Persians for invading during the Persian War many years before
• He makes his name as the guy who invades Persia
• He conquers the ENTIRE known world
• First he goes to Troy, lands on the shore (a symbolic gesture…) he hurls his spear at the seashore where it sticks in the ground, he says "By this spear I claim Persia"
• He goes to a village called Gordian
• The legend in Gordian is the Gordian Knot, a knot on an ox-cart in a field that whoever can figure it out will conquer the world
• He slashes it with his sword after saying "it does not matter how the knot is undone"

• He makes his way to Cairo
• The Egyptians love him because he wants to take revenge on the Persians whom they hate
• Alexander founds the city of Alexandria in Egypt
• He and a small group head up the Nile out into the desert to the Siwa Oasis
• There is an oracle in Siwa (oracles were really important in the ancient world), as soon as he gets there they greet him as the son of God, they tell him he is the son of the God Amon(the equivalent of the Greek God Zeus)

• He goes back to Egypt and knows he is ready for war
• The capital of Persia is Persepolis (the Persian Empire is the greatest empire at that time)
• Alexander invades through Mesopotamia(modern-day Iraq)
• In 333 B.C., A meets Darius, the king of Persia, on the battlefield

Does Power Corrupt?

Power can be so many different things to different people. It has different meanings for them and varied effects on them. Some can handle it while others cannot. Power can be dangerous and, in the wrong hands, lead to terrible things.

Power is the ability to do or act; the capability of doing or accomplishing something; political strength; influence and control. All of these things can be good or bad. Some people can have power and use it wisely. To control power, though, you must have certain traits such as responsibility, self-control, and willpower. Without these power will change you.

While some people can handle power, others cannot. They have trouble handling the responsibility that comes with it and make poor choices. Throughout history, powerful people have become changed by the power they hold. It gives you an ego boost and makes you feel dominant to others. Taking a look back in history to the early America, white people saw themselves having power over African-Americans. They used them as slaves and treated them harshly because they thought they held dominance because of their race. Their power corrupted their views on human life. Yes, power corrupts people, people do not corrupt power.

Time magazine argues a point in one of their articles titled “Does Power Corrupt? Absolutely Not?” As the title suggests, they say that power does not corrupt power; however it does “breed competence”. I completely disagree. Yes, some people can handle the physical and emotional strains that can be put on them by power, but others cannot. They may not be “bad” people before they gain power over something, but it can change them. It can make them do things they would have never dreamed of doing. It can completely and totally corrupt the person holding it.

Power corrupts because human beings are weak. We cannot always resist the temptation of something we strongly desire. If we have power we can abuse it to do things we would not and could not normally do. It can change people into something they are not for something they want. To some people, when they are introduced to power, it is like a person deep down in them, the person that tells them to do what their conscience says no to, comes out and takes them over. They cannot control it, they are corrupt.

Think about a time when you were a kid when you were given power. The little things like when you were given the choice of what to wear and what to eat, and how to decorate your room. Think about Christmas time and around your birthday when you got to pick out presents. It made you feel good. You could pick things out that you wanted. Now, for certain people given a lot of power, such as presidents and government officials, that feeling would be amplified so much that it may drive them wild to a point where they have been corrupted by power.

I have seen many articles besides the aforementioned Time article that argue people corrupt power instead of power corrupting people. Like I have said I do not agree with this. People can abuse power or get a little out of control with it, but they do not corrupt it. It corrupts them. It is similar to a boss at work. They have seniority over you. This gives them power. I’m sure they would not force you to do violent or crazy things like make you rob a bank for them, but they may feel supremacy to a point where they feel it is okay to make you do things for them like getting them drinks or food or doing work for them, even if it is not in your job description.

We are all human and we cannot always control things to the best of our ability. His makes us weak and a target to be corrupted by power.

Works Cited

"Does Power Corrupt? Absolutely Not - TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. .

Battle of Zama

1. Herodotus wrote the history of the Persian War
• Known as the father of history
• For the first time we have someone who writes a systematic sequence of historical events, particularly the Persian Wars
• He went to many different places to find historical events to record
2. Thucydides
• Lived close to the age of Aristotle
• Wrote the history of the Peloponnesian War
• Much better at recording history than Herodotus
3. Livy
• Roman historian
• Writes the history of Rome from the beginning with Romulus and Remus all the way up to his time during the time of the emperor Augustus
4. Carthaginians send in their elephants towards the Romans
5. The Romans blow the horns, thus scaring the elephants backs into the Carthaginians
6. The Carthaginians are forced to retreat

Punic Wars

• Rome was an empire unlike Greece
• The Roman empire still influences our world today in architecture, engineering, etc.
• Aneas falls in love with Dido; the Gods say he must leave her in Carthage to go to Italy; she kills herself out of despair

1. Aeneas / Trojans defeat Latium
2. Iullis becomes King; sets up capitol in Alba Longa (SE of Rome); for many generations it is the center of Trojan civilization (Rome does not exist yet); conquered by Rome
3. The story of Rome's existence: Two twin boys Romulus and Remus were raised by a she-wolf, they grow up and declare war on each other; Romulus wins, Remus is dead; Romulus founds a city: Roma which is Rome.

• The Tiber River runs though Rome
• Rome was founded in 753 B.C.E. on seven hills
• As Athens was going through the Persian Wars and Socrates and the Classical Age etc., Rome was very rural and not even on the maps, it was only a village
• Roman Society - Two classes: The Patricians: money, power, influence; The Plebeians: everyone else.
• The Struggle of the Orders is the conflict between the Patricians and the Plebeians; the Plebes made up a senate which makes a problem for the Patricians
• The Punic Wars - 264 - 146 BC
• Tarquin the sixth raped the wife of a Roman Patrician: Lucretia; she kills herself; the tarquins are kicked out.
• The Roman Republic is founded in 509 BCE by Lucius Junius Brutus

4. Struggle of the Orders / Tribune of the Plebs
5. Roman Expansion / Pyrrhus
6. 1st Punic War

• Alexander III
• Also known as Alexander the Great
• Born in Macedonia in July 356 B.C.
• His father was the king of Macedon
• His father was assassinated when he was 19, he took over the throne
• He gets revenge on his father's killers
• Alexander decides to take revenge on the Persians for invading during the Persian War many years before
• He makes his name as the guy who invades Persia
• He conquers the ENTIRE known world
• First he goes to Troy, lands on the shore (a symbolic gesture…) he hurls his spear at the seashore where it sticks in the ground, he says "By this spear I claim Persia"
• He goes to a village called Gordian
• The legend in Gordian is the Gordian Knot, a knot on an ox-cart in a field that whoever can figure it out will conquer the world
• He slashes it with his sword after saying "it does not matter how the knot is undone"

• He makes his way to Cairo
• The Egyptians love him because he wants to take revenge on the Persians whom they hate
• Alexander founds the city of Alexandria in Egypt
• He and a small group head up the Nile out into the desert to the Siwa Oasis
• There is an oracle in Siwa (oracles were really important in the ancient world), as soon as he gets there they greet him as the son of God, they tell him he is the son of the God Amon(the equivalent of the Greek God Zeus)

• He goes back to Egypt and knows he is ready for war
• The capital of Persia is Persepolis (the Persian Empire is the greatest empire at that time)
• Alexander invades through Mesopotamia(modern-day Iraq)
• In 333 B.C., A meets Darius, the king of Persia, on the battlefield

Socrates, Plato, & Aristotle

Greek leaders. (http://www.2020site.org/socrates/overview.html )
Plato, one of the earliest philosophers, was born in Athens around 427 B.C.. His mother remarried to a friend of Pericles when her husband died; this politically connected Plato to the oligarchy. He was against the Sophists, but focused on values instead of science. (http://library.thinkquest.org/18775/plato/biop.htm )
Aristotle was one of Plato's students. He was born in 384 B.C.. He left Athens for Asia minor when Plato willed the academy to someone else. He returned in 335 B.C. and was once again turned down for the presidency of the academy. ( http://library.thinkquest.org/18775/aristotle/bioar.htm )

Works Cited
"Overview of Socrates' Life." 2020 Site - Wedding invitation wording, family crests, trees and other eclectic information at 2020. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. .
"Aristotle - Biography." Oracle ThinkQuest Library. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. .
"Plato - Biography." Oracle ThinkQuest Library. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. .

Weekly Article 4 - Is History Created "By the People" or by Individuals?

History is the events that make up our past that shape the future. The past is everything before the present, so with every second that passes it grows larger by one second. You may ask how you create history or who creates history; can an individual alone create history or can only a large group of people such as a nation? The answer to this last question is both; individuals and groups of people can create history.
When you really think about history you probably only think about the major events you have learned about or heard of in the news. These events may be medical breakthroughs, record-breaking events such as the first manned-mission to land on the moon in 1969, or tragedies such as the September 11th attacks in 2001 on the World Trade Center. These things most definitely shape our future and are major events in history. But, were these events caused or brought about by individuals alone or by large groups of people.
The landing on the moon, for instance, was commanded by only one man, Neil Armstrong, though two men set foot on the moon for the first time on July 20th, 1969. The first thing to jump to my mind is that this event was created by one person, Armstrong, but then I think about all of the people working at NASA and everyone that contributed to safely putting him there and bringing him back. This event was definitely created “by the people”. Most medical breakthroughs and cures for diseases are worked on and formulated by teams of scientists and doctors, so this, like the moon landing, was created by the people. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_landing)
Major events of history that are sometimes overlooked by people are that battles that occurred many years ago in places such as ancient Greece. Governments that were overthrown and battles that changed things back then were created by the people as well. There weren’t certain people that went alone to fight. They went with armies, or else a battle would be pointless, unless it was one on one. There are not many events widely popular today that were created by individuals, especially not ones other than scientific breakthroughs.
Events that have been shown on the news and events you have heard about, either tragedies or good things, that are popular are usually the only events most people consider to make history. A lot of events like these have a leader. Some people would consider this person alone to have “created” the event, but others would zoom out and look at the big picture. By this, I mean that they would think about all the people who backed up and supported this leader. Take Barack Obama for example. He made history being the first African American president of the United States. There are two different views on how he did it. Either number one: he did it alone; or number 2: he succeeded in his campaign for president with his skills as well as all of the others that supported him, like the voters, his family, friends, and his administration. I believe the second view to be more reasonable. You cannot do everything in life alone; you need supporters and people to back you up.
Another event that I think there are two views on is the plane crash of flight 1549 on January 15, 2009. When the plane took off from LaGuardia Airport in New York, it struck a flock of geese, consequentially both of the aircraft’s engines lost thrust. The captain, Chesley Sullenberger, had nowhere to go as there were no airports close enough for them to land. He managed to safely glide the plane into the Hudson River, though, saving everyone’s life. This event was a tragedy that instead of ending in despair, it ended in happiness. Because of one man. I believe this event, the safe landing, was created by an individual alone and not “by the people”. Yes, there were others that helped him, such as the co-pilot, and the air traffic controller, but he alone had the skill to safely land the plane. (Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger)
Someone not so popular today is Dr. Rosalind Franklin. She was a British researcher working at King’s College in London. She captured the famous “Photo 51”. This image was taken using a technique called crystallography. I won’t get into details, but she single-handedly photographed a sample of DNA and identified its double-helix structure. Her work was stolen from her though by someone who worked at the college and given to two men, Watson and Crick, who received her credit. The point is that she was an individual who made history and that her discovery was one of high importance to today’s perspective of science and medicine. (http://www.rosalindfranklin.edu/)
Another thing about history that is overlooked is that you create history every day. History isn’t just the big things happening in the world today, it is what is in our past. We make history every second of the day by ourselves and with our friends, family, classmates, and other people we may hang out or work with. Just because we are not breaking any records or doing something for the greater good does not mean we are not making history. You make history by just doing your homework. There are bigger things in your life though. You probably will not remember every homework assignment you do, but you most likely will remember things like getting an A on a big test, your SAT scores, and some of the high-level classes you get into. Most people do not remember all of the bad things in their life, probably because they do not want to, but they do remember the good times and all of their accomplishments. Good or bad, all of this is history. We create ours by ourselves as individuals.
Works Cited
"Chesley Sullenberger -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .
"Moon landing -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .
Welcome to Rosalind Franklin. Web. 19 Feb. 2010. .

Ancient Greek History

• Most historical facts from ancient Greece come from Herodotus - he is regarded as the "Father of History" in western culture.
• Thermopylae - The Battle of Thermopylae - Greece (led by the Spartans) vs. The Persian Empire
• Lycurgus was the first of the Spartan leaders to create a system of laws - thus beginning the "Age of Tyrants", Athens, ca. 650-510 B.C.
• By 650 B.C.E. Sparta is the most dominant military power in the region
• King Leonidas was the Spartan general that led the Battle of Thermopylae
• Spartans fought in PHALANX FORMATION during battles
• Pericles was the most powerful leader in Athens during the classical age

• The Peloponnesian War -
• Athens vs. Sparta
• Athens attacks by land and sea and still continues their trade routes
• Athenian port - Port of Piraeus
• Athenians build two walls from the port to the city center(6 mile trip)
• Every summer Sparta and Athens fight - Athenians are pushed back to the city by the Spartans and blocked inside
• No food and no crops outside
• The plague spreads inside the city - Pericles dies
• A truce is made and the Spartans leave

Egyptian Pyramids

Weekly Article 3 - What is Important?

What is important? A question whose answer differs between individuals, families, religions, and cultures. Some people say their families are most important along with the people they love. Certain religions acknowledge only religious practices as important and ban things such as music or television. What matters to you and what is most important to you depends on who you are in depth and in a broad perspective.
What things have importance varies greatly in different countries as well. In some places such as Italy, food is a great part of their culture and plays a big role in their society. This makes it important to the people that live there. In America, we value our democratic government versus places with dictatorships such as Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Sudan (http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Dictators_and_Non-Democratic_Governments).
My topic is Ancient Egypt and the pyramids, but I will also talk about the United States, people, and aspects of their culture to identify what is important. The Egyptians believed death and the after-life was of extremely high importance. They thought that the after-life was a place they went when they died that was free of pain and cruelty and filled with happiness. They believed they would live a longer life here in peace. Death and furthermore, the after-life was of the utmost importance (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_did_Egyptians_think_the_after-life_was_so_important). Their life on earth was not as important as the after-life and that importance was and still today is recognized by the massive monumental pyramids symbolizing the greatness of the pharaohs or other high-ranking people in ancient Egypt. These pyramids are the burial sites for the leaders and the gateway to the after-life so it is not surprising that they are so huge and majestic since death had such a high importance and was so valued in ancient Egypt (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/egypt_importance_01.shtml).
Although death was the single most important thing to the ancient Egyptians, the ancient Egyptians valued other things as well. They regarded art as an important subject in many different forms. There is the form of paintings, statues, and monuments such as the pyramids. There is also the art form of their alphabet. They wrote using hieroglyphs. These glyphs were a grammatical alphabet in which each glyph described the picture, what it meant, and also how to pronounce it. This was a very important thing easily identified by the painstaking detail in glyphs found inside the pyramids in Egypt (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/egypt_importance_01.shtml).
There are some similar acknowledgments of what is important shared by people of the same religion, culture, and ethnicity. Again, though, the answer varies depending on the region, family, and the individual’s morals. It is not a question that can be correctly answered with a single statement for a large group of people and that is why I think it depends on all of the aspects of culture and what yours is. I think that the most important things in life are the people you love, the people that love you, and what someone can say about you as a person, friend, brother, sister, or whatever you are to them. I think what you can accomplish in life is also important and should not be given a mere glance especially if you have some great achievements.
I believe war, good or bad, is also an important thing in the present and in history. War is a very useful technology that can allow for the ending to horrible crimes committed by countries and people. It is a technology in a way that we can use it to bring about a result we want to happen. If we want to conquer another country we can go to war with them to claim the territory.
All humans share the same set of important things needed to survive. Food, water, oxygen, and shelter. These things are not just important, but vital to our survival. Just as humans share these needs, many families share a similar set of beliefs. These beliefs justify what is important to them. For certain people wealth is important, for some it is a successful career. Others think material objects are necessary. Whatever they might believe is important it is most likely inherited through them to their children similar to how their traits are inherited. It is the same case with religions and people in certain countries and regions of the world.
Importance differs in so many ways and for so many people. The four key things to look at are our culture, religion, family values, and an individual’s morals. All of these things play a very important role in shaping what people will value and regard as important. They sculpt a person’s beliefs.
Religion, one of the key ingredients to a person’s values, is something in general that can be important or not. Some people regard religion as a stupid practice that just wastes your time and money. Thus, to them it is unimportant. To other, though, it is a very important aspect of their life and culture. And, because there are so many religions, some see different things as important.
I believe that family values are another key participant to shaping values and beliefs. Most kids end up thinking of the same morality as their parents. If your parents teach you that school is very important or that going to college is very important that is what you will most likely deem as important. The same as your parents teach you good manners and things like riding a bike or tying your shoes they teach and pass on to you their view on life and what should be respected and regarded as something of high-value.
I also think that culture is a major contributor to your views on what is important. If your culture thinks badly of things such as money and material things you will not think they are important to you in your life at all. You will think they are unessential. Your culture, if you believe in it and practice it, sets down some guidelines for how to live your life just as religion does.
Religion, culture, your family background, and your personal morals all come together to create what you deem important. In the end though I think it all comes down to values and what kind of life you live.
Works Cited:
1. "Dictators and Non-Democratic Governments - dKosopedia." Main Page - dKosopedia. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Dictators_and_Non-Democratic_Governments
2. "WikiAnswers - Why did Egyptians think the after-life was so important." WikiAnswers - The Q&A wiki. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_did_Egyptians_think_the_after-life_was_so_important
3. "BBC - History - Ancient History in depth: Ancient Egypt and the Modern World." BBC - Homepage. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/egypt_importance_01.shtml