Ancient Greek History Athens

Ancient Greek History Athens Ancient Greek history may reveal the secrets of the Greek glorious past, when all political and cultural life of the state was concentrated in a polis. Probably, the most powerful Greek polis was Athens. Exactly political life of Athens inspired this essay. In the writings of some prominent ancient historians one may find a lot of essential information about the political life of Athenian polis and the Athenians themselves.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ancient Greek History: Athens specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The works of these historians give an opportunity to state that in spite of the fighting and dying in wars, the Athenians contributed to the good of their polis. The essay is focused on desires and motives of the Athenians that led them to this contribution. Also, it seems to be necessary to understand how these desires and motives affected the political and cultural life of Athens. Herodotus (484-425BC) describes the sea battle of Salamis (480 BC), one of the Greek-Persian wars. The battle took place in Aegean Sea, near the island salamis. The Greeks achieved a glorious victory. The extremely powerful Athenian military fleet was a reliable stronghold of the entire ancient Greece that time. The Athenian citizens were evacuated from the polis. When the Persians were located in Athens, the Athenian army was positioned in the Eleusinian bay. In spite of the fact that the number of Persian ships excelled that of Greek ones, the masterful military strategy of the Athenians gave them an opportunity to win the battle. Herodotus writes: â€Å"†¦the Hellenic fleet reached its full number of three hundred and eighty ships† (Herodotus, 430 BC). Proceeding from the Herodotus’ writing, one may find that Themistocles, an Athenian political leader and a military general, tried to focus the Athenian power on sea, in contrast to his â€Å"bitter enemy† Aristides, who was f or the land superiority; Herodotus calls him â€Å"the best and the most just man in Athens† (Herodotus, 430 BC, LXXIX). However, their military union allowed them to win. The historian notes that it was a truly glorious sea battle: ‘Yet they were brave that day, much more brave than they had been at Euboea, for they all showed zeal out of fear of Xerxes, each one thinking that the king was watching him† (Herodotus, 430 BC,LXXXVI). This way, Themistocles’s fleet sank many Xerxes’ ships, and destroyed the army; however, some of Persian ships managed to escape. Herodotus underlines that after the victory, they were ready to fight again with Persian enemy, and prepared for other battle (Herodotus, 430 BC). Thus, the Athenians showed the military unity in the battle of Salamis. In the face of the common danger, the Greeks were able to unify their strengths, and achieved the victory.Advertising Looking for essay on ancient history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The period of tyrannical Pisistratus’ rule found its descriptions in the writings of some historians. Herodotus describes one of his sons, Hipparchus, and his assassination. Also, he writes: â€Å"the Athenians were subject for four years to a tyranny not less but even more absolute than before† (Herodotus, â€Å"The Assassination of Hipparchus, n. d.). According to Herodotus, he ruled with his brother Hippias. Hippias was responsible for economical and political aspect of Athenian life, Hipparchus was interested in the arts. The historian notes that he had a vision of his death from his dream. The representatives of Gephyraean clan (Harmodius and Aristogeiton) murdered Hipparchus. The reason is obvious: Hipparchus was in love with Aristogeiton’s woman, Harmodius; after his death, Hippias turned into an even crueler tyrant. However, the citizens could not stand it for a long time, and f inally, â€Å"the Athenians got rid of their tyrants† (Herodotus, â€Å"The Assassination of Hipparchus, 430 BC, LXV). However, Lacedaemonias’ army contributed to the tyranny end, as well. Thucydides (460-395 BC) also described the period of Pisistratus’ rule, the tyranny of his sons, and the circumstances of Hipparchus’ death. He writes: â€Å"The commons had heard how oppressive the tyranny of Pisistratus and his sons had become before it ended, and further that that tyranny had been put down at last, not by themselves and Harmodius, but by the Lacedaemonias† (Thucydides, The Assassination of Hipparchus, n. d.). As one may see, the Athenians experienced hard times under tyranny, and were able to drive the tyrannical family away. The successful revolt was a natural response to it. However, there are other essential pages in Athenian political life. In one of his writings, Thucydides mentions Theseus, king of Athens. It was the time, when there we re many independent towns near Athens. The historian states that this king was â€Å"of equal intelligence and power†, whose main organizational feature in policy was â€Å"to abolish the council chambers and magistrates of the petty cities, and to merge them in the single council-chamber and town-hall of the present capital† (Thucydides, 431 BC, XV). As Athena was the main goddess honored buy the Athenians, Theseus established the traditional feast: Synoecia. Thucydides believes that â€Å"from him dates the Synoecia, or Feast of Union; which is paid for by the state, and which the Athenians still keep in honor of the goddess† (Thucydides, 431 BC, XV). Thus, the king preserved the Athenian traditions, and became one of the Greek heroes. Nevertheless, the peaceful golden period finished, and Athens was involved in the military conflict. Thucydides dedicated several works to the Peloponnesian war, where Sparta (Dorians) and Athens (Ionians) took part. There was a long tension between them; the reason lies in their political life. Athens was a democratic polis, while Sparta’s political rule was oligarchy.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Ancient Greek History: Athens specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thucydides mentions Pericles as a famous Athenian ruler (Thucydides, 431 BC). Under his rule, Athens experienced the golden peak of their political, economic and cultural development. He turned Athens into the sea mistress: the polis had the most powerful fleet in ancient Greece. However, Peloponnesian war became the fatal event in the history of Athens. It was a tragic page of the Athenians; many citizens died in that war. In his work, Thucydides describes the funeral and Pericles’ oration. The author writes: â€Å"the dead are laid in the public sepulcher in the most beautiful suburb of the city, in which those who fall in war are always buried† (Thucydides, 431 BC, XXXIV). The Athenian ruler, Pericles pronounced his eulogium on the elevated platform near the sepulcher. His embittered speech was saturated with deep patriotism and bitterness of defeat. Pericles recollected the glorious background of the Athenians. Also, Pericles mentioned that the Athenian constitution is unique that makes democratic, liberal and highly-developed Athens a pattern for others to follow. He stresses the powerful military policy that makes Athens different from its antagonists. He tells the following words: â€Å"We throw open our city to the world, and never by alien acts exclude foreigners from any opportunity of learning or observing, although the eyes of the enemy may occasionally profit by our liberality; trusting less in system and policy than to the native spirit of our citizens; while in education, where our rivals from their very cradles by a painful discipline seek after manliness, at Athens we live exactly as we please, and yet are just as ready to encounter every legitimate danger† (Thucydides, 431 BC, XXXIX). It is obvious that the Athens ruler realizes all the valor of those who died in one of numerous Peloponnesian wars. Pericles’ speech reflects all the glorious pages of Athenian history and military policy of their neighbors. However, Thucydides draws reader’s attention to another episode of the Peloponnesian war. In one of his works, he describes Mytilenian debate that occurred in Athens in the period of the Peloponnesian wars. In general, these wars were the result of political and ethnical diversity of Greece, where the Athenian played the role of authoritative centre. Nevertheless, the Mytilenians’ (from the island Lesbos) rebellion that signed their desire to defeat Athenian authority, did not have success, and the Athenians divided most of the Lesbian land (Thucydides, 427 BC). The analyzed historians’ works give an opportunity to make some general conclusions about political m otives and desires of the Athenians in the period, when Athens was considered to be the powerful political and cultural centre. The glorious battle of Salamis proves the Athenians’ desire to defeat the foreign enemy, the Persians.Advertising Looking for essay on ancient history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The victory of Greeks would be impossible without powerful military unity of several Greek peoples (Ionians, Dorians, etc.). Moreover, the Athenians managed to overthrew their tyrants (Pisistratus and his sons) that showed their negative reaction to the tyranny (Athens was a democratic polis). However, ancient Greece flooded in internecine wars, and the Peloponnesian wars worsened the political situation for the Athenians. Nevertheless, such prominent figures as Theseus and Pericles were those political leaders that improved the life of the Athenians. Sea military power, constitution and successful political way of life gave Athens an opportunity to prove their significance.

Analysis Of Girodets The Revolt At Cairo

Analysis Of Girodets The Revolt At Cairo At first glance, the eye is immediately drawn to the naked Arab man on the right. His sword is raised in defence of the French charge; his left arm cradles a stricken Mamluk warrior in lavish attire. To the left of the painting is a French soldier advancing on the rebels with sword raised in obvious intent, stepping over the body of a fallen native who is dressed in classical white robes. At the centre of the piece is a helmeted hussar, looking up at the Arab warrior with a steely resolve; sword pulled back in anticipation. Underneath him is a turbaned black man in the thick of the melee, with a raised dagger in one hand and the head of a French soldier in the other. The scale of the work is massive (365 x 500 cm), and the brushwork is very fine in the classical style, leaving little evidence of the brush strokes on the canvas. Beyond the highlighted characters, Girodet employs a fairly dark palette of reds and browns, in keeping with the everyday, grubby violence of the scene, and to better accentuate the main players. This combination of light and shade lends the painting a great depth of field. The light falls from the upper-left of the picture plane, but the figures are arranged in such a way that only the Mamluk warrior and his Arab protector are fully illuminated. They are very alluring to the eye, and Girodet seems to have taken great care to invest them with much humanity. The naked warrior is depicted in a classically sculpted pose, a look of sickened horror on his face at the sight of a French offensive in the mosque. The charging Hussar’s face on the other hand, is portrayed in deep shadow under his raised sword arm, obscuring his features and thus demoting his status. Although there is no actual blood depicted in the piece, the flashes of red on the hussar’s trousers and the Mamluk’s cloak provide a striking suggestion. It is important for us not to assume the artist’s thinking or impose our own moral agenda on the piece . However, it is difficult not to come away from the painting with our sympathies leaning towards the exotic figures. This was undoubtedly not the commissioned intent, but Girodet’s subversion seems to be quite evident. The most obvious distinction between the two main protagonists is that the naked warrior is in a defensive stance, and protecting the Mamluk into the bargain, while the French hussar is very much on the attack. In a distortion of French Neoclassicism, Girodet bestows all the desirable attributes of classical tradition: bravery, honour, loyalty, on the indigenous. Their illuminated faces seem to portray the majesty of all human emotion in this moment of high melodrama, while the hussar, lessened by his own shadow, is reduced to a cipher for French military ambition and ignominious cultural disregard. He is violently portrayed, with a single-mindedness of purpose and no compassionate aspect: A whirling automaton in service to the Empire.

Evaluating practice through theories and models Essay

Evaluating practice through theories and models - Essay Example These nursing theories essentially provide the scientific bases for the claim that nursing is not only an art but also a science (Parker 2010). In this essay, three nursing theories will be analysed and criticised purposely to understand and learn how to effectively use these theories in everyday nursing practices. Then, Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit theory will be applied to a case study (see Appendix 1). Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring The Theory of Human Caring, according to Watson (2000), was developed between 1975-1979 as her initial attempt to distinguish nursing from other health professions by combining the seemingly irreconcilable concepts of science and caring. She also regards her theory as â€Å"a humanistic approach to nursing that emphasizes human-to-human responsiveness rooted in upholding humanistic values† (Kim 2006, p.301), as she pays attention not only on patients but also on nurses, believing that both are interconnected. Watson (200 0, p. 2) expands this further by explaining that nursing like teaching is not simply a job that can be mechanically done, but it is â€Å"a life-giving and life-receiving profession for a lifetime of growth and learning† which only becomes possible if caring is incorporated in nurses’ daily works and lives. Thus what distinguishes the nursing profession is caring and love. Watson’s theory is a good reminder to nurses of four important points: that the patients are all human beings that deserve equal care and love; that the knowledge and skills of nurses are only tools to assist them in which therapeutic effect depends on how much nurses care; that healing is a two way-process both in going through the healing process and in benefitting from it; and that nursing as a caring profession is a humane profession because without care humanity may perish. Furthermore Suliman et al.’s (2009) study, which aimed to assess the effectiveness of Watson’s theory in a multi-cultural environment found that Watson’s theory is measurable using the caring Behaviour Assessment Tool and is applicable to patients of various cultural backgrounds. However, it may be argued that Watson’s theory is too subjective as it greatly depends on the nurse’s commitment and caring consciousness. Every individual has his/her own way of expressing and accepting care. Thus, the expression of Watson’s theory may vary along individual personalities and cultural backgrounds of nurses and patients. Remaining two models will be discussed in the assignment 1. Case study, Applying Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory (Case: see Appendix 1) Introduction The author chose the application of Orem’s Self-Care Deficit theory on this case for two important reasons. Firstly, the aim of Orem’s theory fits well in the case. Secondly, Orem’s nursing process is clearly defined in terms of objective and technical components. Thus, thi s will be a good learning exercise for the author as to how nursing for self-care is conducted. In Orem’s theory (1959-2001), the nursing process is the method by which nurses can determine the person’

Theme, Charractor Development, and Symbolism in The Fall of The House Research Paper

Theme, Charractor Development, and Symbolism in The Fall of The House of Usher - Edgar Allen Poe - Research Paper Example The personification of the mansion implies a lot of things which is discussed in this paper along with the theme and character development in the story. Edgar Allan Poe is considered as one of the unhappiest nineteenth century American poets, who wrote great horror tales and detective stories. His works can be included the gothic genre, and dealt mainly with deaths, unknown diseases and madness. The peculiarity of his themes arises from the mishaps in the life of Poe. He lost his parents at a very early age, his brother died when he was young and his only sister became insane later. â€Å"In his supernatural fiction Poe usually dealt with paranoia rooted in personal psychology, physical or mental enfeeblement, obsessions, the damnation of death, feverish fantasies, the cosmos as source of horror and inspiration†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849)). ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ is one of his best short stories, in which he narrates the story of an insane man, Roderick, who buries his twin sister alive out of mere superstition only to find her returning after a few days. Roderick dies out of terror as the sist er dies and falls onto him. In this paper, the theme, character development and symbolism in the story, is going to be discussed. The main theme in the story is the decline of an ancient incestuous family and the psychological effects it has on its members and probably the physical effect on the mansion. There are various interpretations about the theme in the story. The story narrates the theme of duality with the characterization of Roderick and his sister. It means that Roderick and Madeline, his sister are not two people, but one. The old mansion gets destroyed with the death of Roderick and his sister, giving a direct relation between the members of the family and the mansion. â€Å"An interpretation of the story is that the Usher House represents the main character’s psyche or personality. The fissures

Critical Book Review of No Shame in My Game by Katherine Newman Essay

Critical Book Review of No Shame in My Game by Katherine Newman When someone thinks of the poor they instantly imagine a homeless man sleeping in a cardboard box or the nearest garbage can, but the working poor especially in the inner-city is commonly overlooked by society. However the working poor, in this case the working poor in the inner-city, are people advancing to try and make their lives better. They are taking minimum wage jobs so that they can barely afford a roof over their heads. Within Katherine Newman?s novel No Shame In My Game, she studies the working poor in the inner-city to draw conclusions about how to help them and dispute common stereotypes and the images people commonly view. Newman?s conclusions along with the way she had conducted her case study will be evaluated for her positive and negative points while searching for any biases she may have portrayed within her novel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even before I started reading Katherine Newman?s novel No Shame In My Game I had learned a little about Newman?s background, which may cause her to have a bias towards her case study. Newman is clearly within the middle class even perhaps towards the upper end. She is a Harvard anthropologist that would seem to have never experienced such situations as her subjects. Like most of the middle class she could simply have thought that the poor were only the few men in cardboard boxes in rough neighborhoods and not truly consider the working poor in the inner-city until the case study was started and her thesis written. This could greatly affect her procedures in observing data with her hundreds of subjects over the span of a few years. The thinking of someone who is not within the working class may flaw the order and process at which the case study was conducted. There may be variables that Newman did not consider and did not research that could change her data and con clusions. Using the social scientific method to collect data and revise her hypothesis involves knowing all the angles and variables that are applied, but if an extra variable were to present itself it would call for a change in the hypothesis. This one change could alter all of Newman?s conclusions and data she presents. Newman presents her supporting evidence largely with statistics although I do not believe many of her statistics are real world numbers for her exact case study but her observ... ... values as the middle class does. The working class has to first follow the same cultural values as the middle class if they hope to one day become part of the middle class. This thinking is not entirely flawed but unfortunately it is not enough to raise ones ranking in society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Newman had set out to answer a question: ?What might be done to reverse this scenario [the working poor being subjected to a worse lifestyle than the unemployed on welfare] (and what can be done) to build upon the advantages that a life on the job offers? (Newman, xv). I believe she had answered her question in a manner that proves useful and insightful. The conclusions that Newman had drawn where evaluated to being positive on some aspects while neutral on others. However I do not agree with some methods she used and data she used within her case study but nonetheless it still grants the audience a clear view of the working poor in the inner-city. Her slight bias could have caused her to conduct the research and study in a less accurate manner but she has proceeded to explain her train of thought well through the novel. As a whole Newman?s case study grants a view into the ?true? poor of America.

Internet Predators Essay

Internet predators and pedophiles are a major concern of our country today. The danger and potential risks that these men are committing on children has to be stopped right from the start Law enforcement and local police have set up predator crack down teams to lure and catch these sexual deviants and get them out of the suburbs and towns before they can cause any harm. The police use entrapment in certain cases to convict and put away these men which some say is unethical and a violation of these men’s rights. Defense attorneys are arguing that police unrightfully cause these men to commit crimes and that these men would have never tried to solicit these girls if it weren’t for the police starting the conversations. The only productive method of catching these men is by causing them to act upon their feelings and lure them to get with these girls. Though unethical, I believe that the methods these police use are the only ways to stop them from committing these crimes and endangering society’s children. Child molestation cases are hidden from the public in order to preserve the privacy of the victim. The downside to this is that this also protects the criminals. Studies revealed that only a small percentage of people accused of child molestation have their names published. A smaller number of cases are even printed in articles. What we mostly see in the papers are the arrests and the arraignment. The outcomes of the cases are rarely heard. (Copp, 42) As much as the internet has become quite helpful in technology and interconnectedness, it has also placed the lives of our children at risk. Sexual predators lurk the worldwide web because they can be anonymous when they are on the internet. A child has no idea who he or she is actually talking to. The sexual predator can present himself as a relative or a school friend. It is hard to tell who the actual person is on the other end. Before, sexual predators interact with the children on the playground. Today, they can do the exact same thing while the children are in the comfort of their own homes. (Philaretou, 2) Child sexual exploitation can happen to anyone – regardless of their ethnic, social, economic and religious background. The internet increases the chances of this occurring because it is a worldwide and powerful medium. Pedophiles and sexual predators can easily turn their computer on and log on to the web and easily get the names and addresses of their victims. As sick as this may sound, the reality of it is that there are a number of child predators who get together and swap child pornography through their internet connection. They share their conquests and discuss ways on how they can lure more children online. They also exchange seduction techniques. These excite their addiction so they go for the hunt even more. (Philaretou, 3) Through these group conversations on the internet, the sexual predators exchange techniques on how they can avoid being detected by the police. When they are not on the internet, pedophiles and sexual predators are loners. They do not commune as much with other people as they do so when they are online. (Philaretou, 4) The most common way for sexual predators to interact with children through the internet is by visiting chat rooms and exchanging instant messages and email. Sexual solicitations are made even as you read this very statement. 25% of kids participate in real time chat and a number of them are already interacting with a predator – whether they be aware of this or not. (Philaretou, 5) This becomes a problem because predators establish an intimate relationship with their potential victims through their online interaction. Teenagers use online forums in order to deal with their problems. This is the very first place predators go to in order to look for their victims. They seduce their targets through affection, kindness and time. They exert so much effort to establish a trust with them through the internet. They know the interests of their victims, such as the latest movies, TV shows, music, books and sports, in order to converse with them more. (Kincaid, 65) They sympathize with their targets by listening to their problems. As soon as the trust has been formed, that is when the sexual predator slowly introduces sexual content to their conversations. Some even shows the child sexually explicit photographs or videos. Worse, these sexual predators may even schedule a victim with their targets so they can meet and personally interact with one another – which often leads to rape, sexual exploitation, kidnapping and worse, murder. (Kincaid, 66) Because of this problem, television and media do what they can in order to alleviate the problem. Dateline NBC created a series titled â€Å"To Catch a Predator† intended to catch child sexual abusers before they actually do the deed. By using hidden cameras, these investigations have an undercover sting operation assisted by an online watchdog group called Perverted-Justice. The police are active participants in the procedure. These lead to the arrests of sexual predators. (Drake, 34) To elaborate it further, this is how â€Å"To Catch a Predator† does it. They build the profiles of minor children on networking websites. They also enter the chat rooms disguised as children and teenagers. They wait for an adult to be the first to message them. The dialogue begins. Once the conversation becomes sexual, the police encourage them even more by making it appear that minors want to know more. Through this interaction, the legal officers are already gathering evidence from the alleged sexual predator. These come in the form of conversations of sexual content via chat or email, pornography and pictures. (Burgess, 122) This brings us to the argument presented in the introductory paragraph of this paper. The sexual predators claim that it is the police who start asking them about solicitation. This is the policemen’s method of entrapment. Sexual predators believe that through the conversations triggered by the police, they wouldn’t be soliciting girls in the first place. This is the case of extreme measures. The police must do something ‘unethical’ in order to prevent an act that is more ‘unethical’ (raping a minor) to happen in the first place.

HARRIS Surname Meaning and Origin

Harris is generally considered to mean son of Harry. The given name Harry is a derivation of Henry, meaning home-ruler. Like many patronymic surnames, the surnames HARRIS and HARRISON are often found used interchangeably in early records - sometimes with the same family. Harris is the 24th most popular surname in the United States according to the 2000 census and the 22nd most common surname in England. Surname Origin: English, WelshAlternate Surname Spellings: HARRISON, HARIS, HARRIES, HARRISS, HARRYS, HARYS, HERRICE, HERRIES Fun Facts The popular Harris Tweed cloth takes its name from the Isle of Harris in Scotland. The cloth was originally handwoven by islanders on the Isles of Harris, Lewis, Uist and Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, using local wool. Famous People with the Surname HARRIS Arthur Harris - Marshal Arthur Bomber Harris, Commander in Chief of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command during World War IIFranco Harris - NFL running back, Pittsburgh Steelers. Best known for his immaculate reception during a 1972 AFC divisional playoff gameBernard Harris - 1st African-American to walk in spaceJillian Harris - star of the reality TV show The Bachelorette, 5th seasonNeil Patrick Harris - American actorMary Harris - early 1900s labor organizer; best known as Mother Jones Genealogy Resources for the Surname HARRIS Harris Y-DNA Project: If you are a male and have the Harris (or a variant spelling of the) surname, then this Y-DNA project invites you to join to help establish as many Harri lines as possible.HARRIS/HARRIES/HERRIES/HARRISS Genealogy: Genealogist Glenn Gohr has compiled a nice collection of information and genealogy on Thomas Harris (c. 1586 of England and Virginia, as well as general information about the Harris surname.Harris Family Genealogy Forum: Search this popular genealogy forum for the Harris surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Harris query. There is also a separate forum for the HARRISON surname.FamilySearch - HARRIS Genealogy: Find records, queries, and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Harris surname and its variations.HARRIS Surname Family Mailing Lists: RootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Harris surname.Cousin Connect - HARRIS Genealogy Queries: Read or post genealogy queries for the su rname Harris, and sign up for free notification when new Harris queries are added.DistantCousin.com - HARRIS Genealogy Family History: Free databases and genealogy links for the last name Harris. Cant find your last name listed? Suggest a surname to be added to the Glossary of Surname Meanings Origins. Sources: Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Avotaynu, 2005.Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, 2004.Hanks, Patrick, and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.