While reading about the scientific revolution I came across the comments early in our reading regarding Hiroshima. This horrific and tragic event really does show us the good and bad sides of science. The lecture was quoted saying " the fact remains that this was science in action" That is very true many things today are evidence of Science in action. Modern Warfare is even and example of this. We went searching for WMD's and yet before this was made a common phrase the science of these weapons was already being used. We had Agent Orange in Vietnam and We hear about Anthrax threats as part of our regular news. All of these came from Science. In Desert Storm the WMD's were being used and the effects are evident in our Veterans who are facing illness as they age. Yet 16 years ago they were not thinking about WMD's they were thinking about burning oil fields and getting home. Science gives us both good and bad but we rarely think about it until it impacts our daily lives. How much thought do we put into how our cell phone works, or even that 16 years ago cell phones were called car phones and were a luxury item. Now even the poor can have a cell phone and Most homes no longer have land lines but cell phones as their primary phones. In our reading it mentions that "Science gave us nylon, fluouride, latex paint, 747's, ..., and PEZ" it also gave us "Heroin, ..., nuclear waste, dioxin, sarin gas, and the atomic bomb" I could even take this to the extreme that science gave us the Latte and the Mocha. After all a Cappucino machine took an invention at some point and it evolved from there. I know we dont think about it while we sit in a coffee shop but at some point the mechanics of the machine was determined and made. Even Meth is a scientific invention. I had a friend once tell me that they were taught the basics of meth in the military as a way to make a poison.
I think the comparision of Science to the Gospels makes a great deal of sense. after all the Gospels did change the world. Think about it have the scriptures and stories of Christ influenced the who world by changing the main world religion. And Science brought us out of the era of candle light and into a world where we can function and live 24 hours a day. We can even farm at night with the technology. I dont think a farmer 1000 years ago would have ever dreamed of extending his work days with artifical light.

I also find it fascinating that Galileo Died in 1642 and Newton was born prematurely at the end of the same year. I have a friend who has a saying that everything happens for a reason. I hear it from many avenues but when I told her this fact she commented that maybe in the grand scheme Galileo had to die so that Newton could study his work, afterall with the Catholic church taking the stand they did on Galileo his death would have made it a pretty fascinating story to follow up on. I found her take very interesting. I mean who is to say that the same advancements would have been made had their lives overlapped even a year or two. It makes an interesting subject of topic. I am sure some pychic or something has a really great story as to why they have this year in common.

I also loved the fact that Newton commented "If I have seen further it is because I stood on ye shoulders of giants" He may have been a recluse but at least he realized where the foundations of his studies started.

Influenced by the Church

With the Trial of Galileo we see a prime example of the Church pressing their influence in the arena of science. Galileo and his teaching were glowing examples of free thinking and discovery. Today it is proven that the Earth moves around the Sun. However at the time of Galileo his teaching were considered heresy because the did not agree with the Bible. When Galileo was placed on trial it was not the people who tried him but the Church and his sentence was handed down by clergy. Galileo was forced to deny the teaching he believed in. He spent his whole life focused on science and yet in the end the Church won, If only he had lived to see his theories proven. Galileo was a thinking and he was many years ahead of his time. I remember as a child my dad taking me to the planetarium and we saw a wonderful presentation based on Galileo. As I got older my father encouraged me to seek out science and I have always had a wonderful love of the stars and astronomy. My love of these things came from that day in the planetarium and seeing what one man went through for his beliefs. Today If the Church were to press a scientist or a philosopher to deny his teaching the said person would just walk away from the Church. Yet for Galileo the Church was the final say in all matters. I can even see that in his Abjuration that he states his denial just as the sentence reads it should be stated and I can even see in my mind him feeling it was better to Abjure his teaching then to fight, after all he was an old man and probably fairly exhausted.

Elizabeth I ...

I think we see a valient effort by Elizabeth I to keep the moral of her country and troops focused. Already at this time the stories of valour and victory were spreading through England as the early legends of Arthur and Robin Hood started instilling beliefs of integrity and valour in the people. Elizabeth makes a very wonderful speach which highlights her ability to hold the crown of England in a manner that the English people were familiar with. Her father made many changes to England and in respect to the protestant beliefs it was still very young. She able to express to her people that England was strong even though she, as a women, lead them.

I think her speach is important to remember as we look at the integrity and pride instilled in the british people even to this day. A co worker or mine is a british citizen and while her husband is american and she lives and works here he is determined to remain british until she dies. She loves america and the people here but she is proud of her homeland and hopes to return once her husband can retire. She told me that the stories of the monarchy and words from each ruler since the Tudors have been a key part of the culture and her education. She was very familiar with this passage and found it wonderfully amazing that "an american would pay so much attention to our dear Elizabeth" **add a wonderful accent from just out side of london**

Elizabeth I showed us that she was aware of the wants and needs of her people with these wonderful words. and I think it is amazing to see that she truly was a 'commander and chief' of her troops in a way that only a few think of anymore.

A problem with the Tudor Dynasty...Wikipedia Anaylsis #3

Lady Jane Grey

Lady Jane Grey, also referred to as Queen Jane, was a claimaint to the throwns of both England and Ireland. She was the Grand-Niece of Henry VIII. With a great amount of influence from Jane's Father-in-law, John Dudley 1st Duke of Northumberland, Henry VIII's son Edward I willed the crown to Jane under the "Devise of the Succession". Edward made this move as part of his effort to exclude his sisters Mary I and Elizabeth I from succession. In July of 1553 when Edward I died at the age of 15 Jane was declared Queen despite the Third Succession Act of 1543.

However Jane's claim to the thrown was threatened with in 9 days. Mary Tudor managed to find enough evidence to prove her claim and Parliament support her claim by revoking Jane's. mary placed Jane and her husband in the London Tower. John Dudley was executed on 21 August 1553. Jane and her husband her tried and found guilty of high treason. The sentence for Jane was 'burned alive on Tower Hill or beheaded as the queen pleases'. Jane's life was originally spared until the Protestant rebellion in 1554. During this time many of the nobles called for Jane to be restored to the Crown. During 1554 Jane was executed in private as her cousins orders.

Jane is considered to have held the shortest rule of England. She is also referred to as the Nine Days Queen of England. In some areas, where recognized, Jane is considered the First Queen Regent of England.

Jane was the Oldest daughter of Henry Grey, Marquess of Dorset. She was born around 1536/1537 and the exact date is unknown. Jane's mother was Lady Frances Brandon the daughter of Henry VIII sister Princess Mary. This made Jane 1st cousin to Edward I. At the age of 10 Jane was sent to live with the Queen Consort Katherine Parr. Several suggestions were made regarding the marriage of Jane, including a union between Jane and Edward I. After many proposed marriages Jane was married to Lord Guilford Dudley. Through many changes in law Mary and Elizabeth had many struggles regarding their status as heirs. However many felt that the Protestant cousin Jane was the more logical and direct heir to the thrown. She was even named heir by 15 year old Edward I as he lay in his death bed. However Mary found enough evidence to have this overturned. Many things effected her Trial and Execution including the Protestant rebellion lead by Thomas Wyatt the younger. It is says that prior to her death Jane recited Palsm 51. Historian Albert Pollard called Jane "the Traitor-Heroine of the Reformation".

1. This article is 2734 words long and is approximately 8 pages single spaced.
2. I started by searching for 'Tudor Dynasty' and while reading the article I found the name Lady Jane Grey under the Problematic Succession segment.
3. This article does not have a disambiguation link.
4. The discussion page for this article includes information regarding the name change of the House of Windsor, the Issues regarding the accruacy of Lady Jane's Birthday, a debate over Lady Jane vs Queen Jane I regarding her title, and lots of comments regarding the highly inaccurate nature of the article including repeated edits considered to be vandalism
5. This page listed history starting in July 2003 until November 17, 2008. I had some difficulty with locating the exact number of edits for this page as Wikipedia provided pages and pages of repeated information and I was unable to locate the count function I have previously used.
6. There are 5 external links provided
7. This article Contains 17 reference links
8. There are no further reading links provided for in this article.

I think this is an incredibly fascinating article. The idea that one person had had such and impact but also gave up so much. After all 9 days to be Queen seems to be hardly worth the cost paid. I think this article is a wonderful insight into the happenings of England after Henry VIII and the problems caused by his mulitple marriages. Henry VIII seperated England from the Catholics to facilitate his Divorces/Annulments however the long term impact of this is usually seen only in the aspect of England being Protestant. I found this article wonderful and informative to show that more was at stake then just the religion of England. I highly recommend this article as further reading into the House of Tudor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Jane_Grey

the Ideas of Luther

It amazes me as I read the words of Martin Luther how much like a modern translation of the bible it sounds. In making his points regarding the main teaching of Christianity at the time he explains the verse in what was seen as lay-man's terms. To me it seemed to read very similar in nature to the NIV version of the bible. It seems that while Luther was trying to express his views he actually gave us a very basic modern translation of the bible.

In explaining about the freedom of the christian man it is also very evident that it is a man's world and that to be a christian woman does not give you any of these freedoms. At this time we see that the views of Christianity were very geared towards men not only in right but also in beliefs. Even though the world has advanced to allowing women more freedoms and rights many christian churches still view their beliefs in this respect. This is very evident not only in the writings of Luther but much of the history of the church we have studied up to this point.

Although i think the reading of Luther is just as intriguing when you substitute woman for man and little of the meaning is lost. However it is also fascinating to see how many of Luther's ideas have survived all of the different religious movements to now.

so much trouble just for a divorce

i find it incredible how Henry VIII set out just to get a divorce from an act forced on him and he ended up being the key factor in the division of England from the Catholic Church. Honestly Henry just wanted to marry the Girl of his dreams Anne. Instead he had to marry her in secret while waiting for Parliament to decide that he was divorced from Catherine. Sure he probably went about things in the wrong way and looking for the fast way out but in the age of thoughts and questions his action allowed for a change that needed backing to make it work. Many of the British people wanted to be independent of Rome. They wanted to have the powers and the lands that the catholic church did without all the hassles. So these reformers slipped in when Henry made a stir and set out to change England. I think that when it comes down to it that is was a huge headache to Henry to have to deal with all these changes and all the politics just to get a marriage fixed. and when it came to it his daughters were both seen as illegitimate. They both eventually became queen but What was Henry thinking? he really just wanted a new wife and instead he sparked a religious revolution.

Upset in Europe.

At the end of the Hundred Years' War we see many new and notable monarchies come to the for front. On of these is Henry the VII the first Tudor King of England. He came to the thrown after a time known as the War of the Roses. These Symbols of a white rose vs a red rose have played many parts in our culture today, including Alice in Wonderland. The York and Lancaster families were very prominate predessors to the Tudors and the legacies of each of these families had a long lasting impact on England. The Tudor Rose is a combination of the York white rose and the Lancaster red rose. I think it would have been very interesting to discuss the War of the Roses more in our reading but it is important to remember that England was not the only contry having wars over throwns.

France was struggling and ultimately Louis XI became the winner. Germany eventually gained control of Burgundy, Belgium and Luxembourg as well as many other regions. The Duke of Moscow, Ivan III, declared himself Tsar of Russia. and Spain fought the Trastamaran Wars.

Each region of Europe was in strife and change. These changes started to show us the first divisons of the regions of Europe. I think this period of time was influencial in the divisions of Europe and we still see the Effects of these monarchy changes in Modern Europe today.

edit to Illness article

Dr Knox provided a link in comment to my article that shows that the nursery rhyme ring around the Rosey is believed to not be tied to the Plague. I received this information through another article i read (linked in original posting) But It is good to see other people have researched it and can not find evidence of this link.

Illness at the Extreme

the 14th century brought many changes to Europe and the world as it was known at the time. The Plague or Black Death as it is known drastically impacted the world as it was known. Trade routes carried this plague from China to Russia and everything in between. The effects of this illness was severe and often effected whole families and towns. Some towns lost as much as 75% of their population over several outbreaks of the plague. Many people don not realize that the Bubonic Plague was not just a medieval illness. This plague is still known in the modern world.

I find it very interesting that the common children's rhyme "Ring around the Rosy" is believed to be referring to the lesions and the rapid mortality of the disease. The words of this song when thought of in this context are very morbid and it is hard to believe that children are taught this rhyme regularly. "Ring around the Rosy Pocket full of posies Ashes Ashes we all fall down" What a thought to share with young children...

I found a very interesting article dated May 10, 2004 by Carmen Walker of National Geographic. This article suggests that the plague might have originated in the Nile region Several thousand years before the major outbreak in Europe. The theory presented is that the Nile Rats were the original carriers and that Fleas are native to Egypt and were the first parasite of the Nile River Rats. The article also discusses that the Plague has become more common in recent years and during the 90's it showed the most presence in the Island nation of Madagascar. Which to this day sees 500 to 2000 cases per year. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/03/0310_040310_blackdeath.html

The CDC has information available to the public regarding the Bubonic plague. On their website they talk about and list high risk regions were rodents are more prone to carry the plague. These areas include the Western United States, southern Africa and Middle Asia. This website also includes countries that reported the plague between 1970 and 1998. This list includes the United States, Brazil, China, India and South Africa just to name just a few. The last significant urban outbreak listed by the CDC in the United States was in the LA area in 1924-1925. The United States averages 10-15 reported cases of the Plague each year with the World Health Organization reporting 1000 to 3000 documented cases world wide each year.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/plague/

I find it interesting that historically the Bubonic Plague has had major ramifications on the world population which also impacted the culture and structure of living in the 14th century and very few people realise it still exist to this day. Every person who owns pets (a common practice in the US) has a possibility of being exposed to the Bubonic Plague. That sure makes me want to make sure my cats have up to date flea medicine at all times.

agriculture advancement

many advancements in agricultural technology came during the medival era. I find it fascinating how many of these advancements are still used today and are common practice each day on farms around this country and around the world. Heavy Wheeled Plows became common in use in villages centered on farming. the cooperative style of village allowed for more animals to make the use of these plows more feesable.
Crop Rotation also found its routes in medival uses. Many fields became over used causing a shortage of crops for the peasants. Eventually peas and beans became common crops to offset grains. This took some getting use to by the people but the benefits of these plants were found to be more far reaching than as food stores. These plants restored the soil and made them usable again. We still see this all around in farming communities. Corn husks are plowed under, Hay is used to protect plants and fields and crop rotation is evident in many areas.
Many things pertaining to the care of horses came about due to these changes in farming. Horses were used to pull the plows yet they often sunk into the fresh turned earth due to this the horseshoe was developed. These prevented the hoofs of the horses from getting soft and allowed full use of the horses on a regular basis. Also with the use of horses to pull plows the need to have better harnesses and collars became evident. Because horses were not built in the same manner as oxen the need for special collars became evident. These new collars helped control the horses as well as provide for a way to harness multiple horses to the plows to increase power available. This allowed for one plow to do more work.
These inventions helped increase farming productivity which allowed for peasants to persue other endeavors.

I think these inventions are important not only to the advancement of the medival culture but have played a vital role in modern farming.

Wikipedia Assignment #2 week 7

CRUSADES

The Article in which I decided to work on was titled Crusades.

The Crusades as they have become known consisted of multiple military campaigns of a religious nature. Many of these were fought between the growing Roman Catholic Church and numerous other enemies. These enemies included any political enemy of the pope, Muslims, Slavs (Pagan), Jews, Greek and Russian Orthodox and many others seen as heretics to the Pope. These were with the Popes blessing and often started with a religious aim. the 1st crusade was a call to arms to save Jerusalem from Muslim rule. The 4th crusade included the sack of the Christian city of Constantinople. The 6th crusade did not receive the blessing of the pope. The 7th and 8th crusades were seen as victories and the 9th crusade marked the final crusade of the middle ages. Many pilgrims were making their way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and during this time the church was destroyed and rebuilt. Many pilgrims were captured and many clergy died. When the Muslims of the area figured out the economic influence of the pilgrims the persecutions stopped but the Christian world was already angry. In 1063 Pope Alexander II gave his blessing to the Iberian Christians in support of their war against the Muslims in their area. Much propaganda and promises of salvation fueled the drive of the Crusades. The first crusade was from 1095-1099 with the plea of Byzantine Emperor Alexius I for assistance at the Council of Piacenza as the first major movement towards the Crusade to Jerusalem. 1099 the city of Jerusalem was attacked by the Franks. The Jews and Muslims of the city combined forces against the invasion. However the Crusaders succeeded in entering the city and proceeded to massacre all the remaining Jews and Muslims. The 2nd Crusade covered the years of 1147-1149 while the 3rd covered 1187-1192. The 3rd Crusade resulted from Saladin, Sultan of Egypt, regaining control of Jerusalem. Pope Gregory VIII called for a crusade in which many prominent figures in leadership of Europe responded, including Richard I of England (Richard the Lionheart). The 4th crusade covered 1202-1204 and was followed by the Children's Crusade of 1212. Many facts of this crusade are either misinterpreted or fictitious but the story is of 37000 children marching on crusade to Jerusalem due to the failure of their elders. None of the children returned home and all were lost at sea or sold into slavery. The 5th Crusade covered 1217-1221 while the 6th Crusade took place from 1228-1229. The 6th Crusade was repeatedly vowed to by the Roman Emperor Fredick II and when he failed to act Pope Gregory IX excommunicated the emperor in 1228. We see the Templars Fight Egypt in the 7th Crusade during 1248-1254. The 8th Crusade was relatively short during 1270 and the 9th and Final Crusade, 1271-1272, of the Middle Ages was demeaned a failure. Many other Crusades of note took place however none on the scale of the Crusades to Jerusalem. Due to the length and knowledge based in this article I will stop my summary here.

-This article is titled Crusades and the search term used was 'Crusades'
-The word count for this article was 10138 words and 24.5 pages printed.
-The Disambiguation Link for this article provided references to Military, Political & Cultural, Entertainment and Sports. It also contained other references and uses including Catholic Kings vs Northern Pagans, Cross References to Film, Use of the term Crusaders in modern culture including a reference to the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corp (side note i had several friends who marched with this organization in the late 1990's). Many references to Television. Definition provided by this link: one of a series of Wars between Roman Catholic Europe and Muslim Polities or other enemy.
-The Discussion page included notation that the article had been removed from the 'History Good Articles' suggestion list. Needed suggested edits for renomination. Part of 9 wikiprojects and a suggestion for a image subtitle alteration. Also included multiple edit suggestions
- The History page showed 5831 edits starting with December 21, 2001 and the most recent at time of research on October 2, 2008
-This article contained 10 external links including link to Knox, Crusades course through BSU.
-This article contained 1 reference and 49 notes
-There were no further reading links to outside sources however there were 36 see also Wikipedia links.

This article Covered a large amount of information regarding the crusades. I only summarized a small portion of the article due to the magnitude and detail of the article. I would highly recommend it as a starting point for anyone seeking a starting point in the study of the Crusades. I think this article can provide many search suggestions and starting points for the amateur historian as well as the student. The article does focus more on some facts than others and at times can seem very overwhelming. I personally had to reread several sections a couple of times to grasp the full data contained. While it does seem like a very large and daunting article it provides a great amount of information and historical content to the reader. I recommend this article to the history buff or student.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades

Charlemagne and the first Europe

I find it very fascinating that while Christianity spread the Empire struggled with divisions and wars. Yet out of this we find a french king who through his long life and just handling of his conquered lands is crowned Emperor. Not only is he crowned Emperor but the glory of Rome is forever tied to the Christian faith from his rule forward. The Pope becomes the one to crown the Emperor much to Charlemagne's dismay. Yet when Charlemagne helped with the disagreements in Rome it proved that he was a respected king not only in his lands but through out the west. Charlemagne left a legacy that he may not have even realized. His grandsons set the stage for modern Europe. They created the regions that still exist today in much of the same areas. France, Germany and the Neutral states of the central European region all can trace their roots to that of Charlemagne. I find the idea of a man who was uneducated but loved to have edducation around him incredible for the time frame. Charlemagne helped establish the preservation of the classics, he encourage the scholary professions and is responsible for the script we use as our basics today. Much was lost of the early documents and histories but from Charlemagne forward very little is lost. The preservation of history was his greatest sucess but all he was aware of was unifing and ruling his people. Several years ago I watched a special on history channel that showed the possibility of our King Arthur legends being link to Charlemagne. While these were british legends as you read about the man you can see that many of the sucesses of Arthurs are parallel to those of Charlemagne. He may not have been the man the stories were based on but the way he handled his people and lands was passed on to influence these great medival stories.

Pagan to Christian

We know from our studies that the Greek and Roman Cultures were Pagan. Not only were they pagan but they were Polytheist in nature. Each have a group of gods who are tied together in a Pantheon. This was a prevelent practice not only in Greece and Rome but through out the Ancient world. Yet over the course of 250 years of Roman Rule the World became Christian. However it took several hundred more years for the beliefs of Christians to spread through the world. This marked a major change in thinking. We may think that the religious persecution of the time was pagan vs christian but much of the persecutions came from within the Christian world. Many sects were already forming. You think we have a divided religious culture now. The divisions of the late antiquity era were small yet prominate. Rome ruled these changes so the Roman Catholic sect thought they were the best. Ulitmately the Arian Catholics disapeared and the Greek Catholics took there half and continued on through history. We also had our first contact with Islam during this period. We may think that the religous based wars we have now are new or that they can be resolved yet these wars go back Thousands of years and even though in history we only see this from the change of common era these wars can be traced back to early Isreal and Babylon. The fights may be on a much bigger scale and but the issues remain the same. Pagans are trying to keep their corner of the world alive. Christians are trying to fight for their causes and the Islamic people feel that the old ways are the best and the modern world is corrupt. There is no way to say which is right or which is wrong. We have seen each group in power and the things that were done to each group. First the Pagans resisted the Christian ideas and the Christians had to meet in secret to avoid detection. Then the Christians took over they took the holidays and other days important to the Pagans to make them feel welcomed. Yet they were killed, hunted and tortured for their beliefs. And this did not end in the medival ages. Even as recent as early American history do we see these events take place.

I feel that be discovering the history of religions we learn the things that help us understand the state of our world. After all how many people realize that it took until the 7th century for Christianity to really take off. Yes Constantinbe coverted in 312 and gained the church a protected status but the persections on both sides continued and do continue. How many of us have learned from this history and can have an open mind about peoples beliefs. In my home town we have many Mosque, Severl major Synagogues, Catholic parishes and Convents, and LDS Temple, several Buddist Temples, Covens and Groves of different Pagan Traditions and many other major religious centers of note. Yet on any particular day of the week one religion is picketing another, or slinging persecution from their pulpit. You would think a city with so many religions of note would be more tolerant and understanding but even for a liberal and open area the persecutions and hatreds that date back to the change of religion in Rome are abundent everyday of the week.

a studious link

I find it very interesting that the Romans valued the Greeks enough to teach their children with a core of greek education. We do know that lituature was the core of this education and that the readings included Homer, Hesiods, Plato, Aristotle, Herdotus and Thucydides. As We grew up in school our education included the works of these writers. I was only 10 the first time my father and I read about Jason and the Argonauts. When I was in middle school my parents encouraged me to read books and history. On my own i discovered Homer, Herodotus and many others. I read these works several times before my education included them. We hear how education has declined in american schools and yet when speaking with my friends their children have no knowledge of these great works. Obviously they have been key to the education of the young since before the modern era. The stories and philosophies of these men were key in the daily lifes of the Romans and even today we can learn much from them. Man of the things we know about come from these men. Not only were these works key in the education of Roman children but they shaped the writings of this time. After all we read that Aeneid is written as a Roman version of Homer's Odyssey. Because of the great value placed on greek litature we see many libraries not only in households but in the cities of the empire.

A dynasty of three

The Flavian Dynasty as it is referred to was just a rule of three family members who promoted much change in thinking in Rome. After all with Vespasian (70-79) we see a man who was older, and had a strong background in the empire. He was well traveled and while he was not Roman himself became an example of the path to becoming emperor. He was not the most brilliant of men but he was a strong firm leader who honored the traditions of the time. Vespasian greatest legacy has stood to modern times. The Colosseum was commissioned under his rule.
He raised his sons with this same manner and while his two sons were very different men they too influenced Rome. Titus was the first son to follow in dad's footsteps. Titus ruled from 79-81. Titus was experienced in Palestine and had been left by his father to command the legions during the sack of Jerusalem. During the two brief years that Titus ruled he was faced by the eruption of Vesuvius and the opening of the Colosseum. Titus was a well loved emperor. His untimely death was a hard transition for Rome to undergo. Upon the death of his brother Domitian became the next Flavian to rule Rome. The empire was struck with a great change in thinking regarding the emperor. Domitian wanted his subject to see him as a god. This was the first instance of this thinking in Roman tradition. Domitian was an efficent and effect ruler. He did his own thing and made sure the senate knew they were not needed. He threatened the checks and balances that had been placed on the emperor. He was ruthless in his efforts and taxed with out any sort of mercy or remorse. Domitian's rule became so fierce that the senate played a major part in his assassination.

While these events only spanned 26years we see a great amount of influence from this rule of three. The father set the example for his sons. One sone followed in his stead and kept the peace. The other sought his own riches and power. It strikes me that the history of these three men sounds very much like the roots of the parable of the prodical son. Wether you are familiar with the story or not the basic of the story is that one son stayed with his father and did is he should while the other ventured out and caused great heart ache. Yet when the latter son returned home the father welcomed him with open arms. I find it fascinating that in this respect the son who followed their father the closest had the shortest life and the prodical son was the one of the three who ruled Rome the longest and was hated the most by his people. This small dynasty gave us one of the greatest historical treasures and examples of architecture. The Colosseum is known by recognition through out the world and is the starting point for the designs of all stadiums. When we sit at a football game or a theater we are joined through history to these three men. So while in the grand scale of Roman history these men only platy a small brief part I think we owe them much.

The Fall of Carthage

We all know the stories of Hannibal and Carthage...But it is the time and the hows that make these accounts legendary. Prior to 264 Rome and Carthage lived basically as neighbors with no real quarrels. All it took was a small city called Messana to mess that all up. Granted it took over 100 years from this little quarrel to the actual fall of Carthage but the dominoes were tipped and the eventual end of the great city of Carthage was soon to be seen. In 218 Hannibal got his greatest wish and the opportunity to deal with Rome came. Hannibal first fell into legend with his trek across the alps with his war elephants. The cost of this trek was never as well known as the fact that he made it. When he arrived in Italy he only have 2 dozen elephants. But what most don't realize is that Hannibal was not the only one to make this trek. His brother Hasdrubal made this same trek in 208 to come to the aid of his brother who was suffering greatly in southern Italy. The true defeat of Carthage came after Hasdrual was defeated in 207. It took five years for Hannibal to leave Italy after his brothers death but he did return home to help his beloved city face Scipio Africanus who had been in Africa causing problems for Carthage since 204. The True fall of Carthage took place when Carthage was defeated at Zama using the same tactics Hannibal had developed in Italy. It was not long after Hannibal's return that he lost this battle. Even though Hannibal left Carthage and the city continued to trade Rome was not free of the influence of Hannibal. Even after his death the men of Rome feared that they would loose their influence in the African City. The fall of Carthage took place in 202 but Rome spend another 64 years fearing it. In 146 Rome destroyed the city by burning it to the ground. Leaving no habitable location for the people. All of the Carthaginians were sold into Roman slavery and the Roman empire slept easy at night.

It amazes me how one man who had so little when he came to Italy built a reputation that caused Rome to destroy a who city almost 2 full generations after his death. The Roman military learned much from the battles with Hannibal and I think what frightened them most was the fact that Hannibal did everything before them. The Punic Army was a tactical for that is still studied to this day. And I find it funny that the Elephants were so feared that the 2 dozen became hundreds as the legend grew yet Rome came up with an expectational way to defeat them when the numbers were really in the hundreds.

Analysis #1 Week 3

Wikipedia Analysis #1 Article title 'Greek mythology'

The stories and traditions used by the Greeks to describe nature and everyday occurrences have come to be referred to ask Greek Mythology. It is believed that the oldest record of these myths is found in the epic poems Iliad and Oddessy which focus on the era of the Trojan War. Many archaeological finds have added depth and understanding to the cults, rituals, and beliefs that are included in this mythology. Many literary classics are based on stories of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes from the different regions of Greece. Stories written by Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, Theocritus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes, and Arnobius are just a few of the poets and playwrights that have passed these stories on to us. These writers also show us that the mythology and beliefs were ever changing and developing while sticking to the main stories and traditions. We see in the Greek Myth of creation the battle between father and son for the ability to rule. This is a parallel to many stories in Greek History. We are also shown that while the Greeks celebrated and worshipped the Olympian Gods they also recognized many local spirits that were found in trees, rivers, and the sea. Within Greek Mythology there are many different eras of thought these include the age of the gods, the age of gods and humans, and the age of heroes. Each age shows different aspects and stories. The age of the gods deals with the events that effect the gods and not man, such as the creation story. The age of gods and humans shows times in which the gods interacted with man either for punishment or for love. The Heroic age is the stories of the mortal men who are extraordinary in talent and their exploits. The main themes are of military nature including the Trojan war and the Argonauts. With the rise of philosophy the fate of Greek mythology can be seen in many different lights. Some feel that the beliefs just vanished while there is much evidence of local cults staying very popular. Many modern philosophers and have studied the mythology of the Greeks to find explanations for the behavior of man. These men included Freud, Jung, Segal, and Kerenyi. We know little of the origins of these stories but they have fascinated modern man enough to be depicted in some the greatest works of heart in our history.

• This article is sixteen printed pages long with four pages of notes and contains 9,012 words
• The search term used was 'Greek Mythology' and the provided article was the main search return titled 'Greek mythology'
• Wikipedia does not supply any Disambiguation links at the top of this page.
• The discussion page for this article includes some requests for audio track, suggestions regarding a list of the Greek Gods, and several posts regarding inaccuracies on the page.
• This page was has a revision listed for 15 February 2002 and a current revision listed for 5 September 2008 with two hundred and ninety two edits listed during this time frame.
• This article provides four external links, seventy nine references and nine Further Reading entries.

This article is full of wonderful information however to a reader that may not be familiar with the subject matter their is too much information provided and not enough support for each area. It is a very daunting article and while it provides information that even I was not familiar with it is very hard to follow and extremely difficult to understand. I can see why this article has under gone so many revisions over the last few years. It would be much better to have a basic article that explains the premis of Greek Mythology and provide links to other sources for people who are interested in more information or support. I think that seperate pages are needed to discuss the different eras of mythology as well as the modern effects of these stories. The article does a great job in providing a full picture of Greek Mythology but it is missing key elements and references that even young children in school learn regarding Greek Mythology. I think this article can be laid out in a better format and much of the deatils turned into seperate pages. I would recommend this page only to individuals who have extensive knowledge of the stories of this mythology for historical information as opposed to an individual who may have no contact with these stories.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_mythology

Slavery In Ancient Rome

Manyof our insights into slavery in Rome come from the arts. Many playrights have taken the opportunity to pass this information through history to us. We see in various ways how slavery was similar yet different based on the time, the governement and the type of slave.

Life was not easy for slaves but even into modern times that was the case. Slaves were told what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat. They were also given their clothes and many only 1 outfit to last 2 years. Even farm slaves had to take great care to make their clothing last the harsh temperment of their position. We know though many different writings that slaves handled everything in a Roman household. This included cooking, cleaning, dressing the master, taking care of all needs, and anything else the master required. Many were seriously abused and hurt when things did not run as they should. Even if the slave was not responsible for the error. Many slaves were born into slavery and to them the master was the end all. Whatever the master said was the truth even if it was wrong. This is why slaves lived in their nitch for so long.

Slavery and the poor where the foundations inwhich the rich lived all they cared about was the reputation that was seen by their peers. Even a middle classes man could make his reputation seem higher if his servants followed their roles. The Slaves resprentated the majority of Rome yet it was the Masters who ruled all.


***My apologizies for this assignment being a day late. I am currently fighting bronchitis but doing much better now***

Athens vs Sparta

During the Era of the Peloponnesian War Athens made many strides to unite all of Greece. At time the choices made could have resulted in the unification of Greece. Would that have been the best for Greece? or was Sparta right in working to preserve the Greek City-State? I think there are many things to be said for both attempts. A united Greece could have remained United and preserved for years to come and ultimately changed the the history of Alexander and later Rome. A United Greek may have held and expanded in much the same matter Rome did and ultimately would have changed the complete course of European history. However key changes may not have taken place. Much progress was made by Alexander and Rome that as a modern society we still value and reference. Under Sparta's plan Greece continued to function as a world of City-States allowing each area to develop politics, warfare, and culture that ultimately led to contribute to the expansion of the modern world.

Athens learned many great lessons in the battles of the Peloponnesian Wars and while the faced great losses and hardship many things worked towards their benefit once they loss to Sparta. Athens once again became the center of the arts while Sparta continued to be the center of the military. Athens was able to experience peace and growth under the treaty with Sparta. Sparta never wanted to rule all of Greece they specialized in training soldiers and time after time in Greek history these soliders defended and helped the ideals of Greece and her City-States to maintain untouched.

I believe that while much good may have come out of Athens uniting all of Greece. A greater cultural legacy was created by Sparta protecting the legacy of the City-State. Even though this legacy only lasted an additional 250 years the lessons of warfare learned in these battles were passed on through history.

Marathon and Thermopylae

It has always fascinated me how the Greeks stood up to the Persian's many times over yet and that the basics of these two main battles is known by most modern children.

Persia had become so confident of victory over Greece under Darius. They even had many reasons to be in taking the Asia Minor Colonies. At the Battle of Marathon Darius was so confident of victory that he did not see the strategy of Miletus until it was too late. Not only did the Greeks attack at dawn but they pulled the Persian army into a trap by allowing the Persians to believe their center weak and broken. Miletus placed his trust and strength in the flanks which ultimately won him this victory. However Miletus had planned ahead and knew that Darius would still try to take Athens no matter the outcome at Marathon. He made his plans and used the rouse that Athens was fully defended even with the Army absent. When the greek army returned home to Athens the Persians returned home licking their wounds. But Greece knew better and started planning for the eventual return of Persia.

When Xerxes returned to Greece with the intent to conquer and return honor to his father he was met by a well prepared Greece. However Xerxes used treachory and tactic to deafeat the strong hearted Greeks who met him at Thermoylae. While Xerxes Navy easily defeated the navy of Athens his men were met by a small but couragous army inland. While it took several days to defeat this force he ultimately did and created a legend that gave the rest of Greece the morale to defeat his navy and eventually his army. Thermopylae and the story of the 300 Spartans is still used as a story of courage and sacrifice for the greater good of man. However Greece lost more than the few thousand that stood at Thermopylae, they watched their beloved city of Athens burn as Xerxes pursued them across the Gulf of Cornith. As the Greek Navy lured the Persians into the waters near Salamis Xerxes and his navy fell to pride while the Greeks showed great skill in Naval tactics.

To me the greater story of these battles is not the minor losses incurred at Marathon or the Courage of the men at Thermopylae but the great skill used at Salamis. The beginning of of true naval warefare was shown in the tactics used by the Greeks and on more than one occassion Greece showed the world that with skill the few can defeat the many.

Life in Ancient Greece

We have learned that in many of the Greek states including Sparta and Athens. Childhood was very different for that of modern children. Boys spent their whole lives growing up in school and the military. Many left home at a very young age. Lycurgus gave us a glimpse of the childhood of a Spartan boy in leaving home at 7 then playing war games until 18 when he actually served in the military. At the age of 30 they became adults (citizens) in the eyes of the State. Many married at this time and continued the traditions. Most took wives of a young age who had been trained in state education with the their male counterparts. Girls where sheltered more during their schooling by living at home yet they had the freedom to enjoy life and develop friendships. Girls often married at 16 when most of the boys they grew up with prepared for a life in the military. Spartan Boys eventually became Spartan Men who were warriors and heroes to those around them. They eventually became the stuff of legends. Spartan girls became Spartan Women at a young age and held the roll of mistress of the house. She held dominion over the slaves of the home and yet was not a citizen herself. Many Spartan women were held in high esteem as the mothers of great warriors even though their sons left them at 7 to become the men they did.

Aristotle and day to day democracy

The first question that comes to mind while reading Aristotle: The Polis. from Politics would have to be 'Is America really a Democracy?' This is a question that has been asked by many in recent history yet we still hear every day how lucky we are to live in a democratic nation that allows us to be free. But how free are we really? In the era of Pericles it is believed that "... Democracy came to mean the equality of justice and the equality of opportunity" as quoted from Lecture 6 by Steven Kreis. I ask you how equal are we really? In the American Justice society all criminals are not treated equally, innocent people sit in jail for things that had no knowlegde of and guilty parties walk our streets committing crimes. How is that Equal? It is not. Have you ever tried to deal with the court our court system when someone is innocent or you have knowledge of guilt. They don't really care. If it moves the paper off the desk then the innocent serve time and the guilty walk. How much opportunity do we really have? We walk down our streets seeking equality in our own home towns yet everyday someone who has come to our country illegially takes a job from a mother, or a home from a family. The world sees us as a land of opportunity but for our own people we are not. It took a majority of our history for women to rise above the status of 'slave'. Even now many in our country still feel as Homer "Each one gives law to his children and to his wives." This belief has contributed to the nature of abuse and inequality in our nation. With these situations arising in our country are we really fufilling the nature of democray or just the truth behind Aristotle's commentary?

As the United States of America we pride ourselves on our democratic nature. Yet as we prepare for a national election can we honestly say that our voice will be heard. In ancient Greece the only people who mattered may have been in the citizens but they had a say. In modern America we are all suppose to have a voice. With the size of our nation and the changes to democracy that are needed to facilitate this vast land we are no better off than the slave of Anciet Greece.

Aristotle may have been right in saying that the three classes of people are needed to make a state work and he was very clear on what would happen if the rich or the poor out weighed the others. Aristotle states "..of these two the one sort grow into violent and great criminals, the others into rogues and petty rascals.." He failed to mention what would happen when "the mean" grew beyond the rich and the poor. It is my belief that as a nation "the mean" has out grown the rich and the poor to the point were "the mean" covers all levels of the middle class. We have those who were rich and lost it all, we have those who were poor and started over, we have those who were "the mean" but are now becoming the poor. Yet the rich still hold the power of our democracy. Aristotle was of the opinion that the middle was the best. Obviously he could not see what the middle would be like 2000+ years into the future. But he obviously knew some thing about what would happen when democracy is truly embraced in his statement "..it has now become a habit among the citizens of states, not even to care about equality, all men are seeking for dominion, or if conquered, are willing to submit."