Peloponesian war

I think that the Pelopponesian  War was inevitable. Both Athens and Sparta were very powerful nations, and with Athens increasing the size of her fleet, Sparta began to form an alliance, the Pelopponesian League. Both sides were dragged into the war by allies, so because of the power craze that is part of human nature, and the alliances, the war was, in my opinion, inevitable.

Grecian Government

After the Dark ages Greece went through several changes in their government. First there arose the monarchy. where all of the polises were ruled by a king, who were similar to our modern day president. They were elected and they reigned for a certain period of time.
         
         The Monarchy was followed by the aristocracy beginning around 750 B.C, where several nobles ruled over the people, then the Tyrants came into power. Tyrants in the Greek sense were just ruler who came into power by unusual means. These tyrants came to power through force, and appealed to the commoners and even began to even out the levels of authority. Some tyrants such as Solon made it so that the population grew by narrowing down the requirements for citizenship. Cleisthenes then took over Greece and created the Democracy, where all of the people ruled, not just one person, or a select few.

Diomedes

Diomedes did show hubris because Athena gave him very specific order and he flagrantly dissobeyed her. "You must not fight the immortal powers head-on, all but one of the deathless gods, that is- if Aphrodite daughter of Zeus slips into battle, she's the one to stab with your sharp bronze spear." Diomedes followed the second part of Athena's instructions, he stabbed Aphrodite, but then he proceeded to attack Apollo, to no avail. Through Diomedes actions hubris is shows, as he disobeyed the gods and attacked Apollo.

The Iliad Book III

Character Analysis:

Paris: In book three of the Iliad, Paris is portrayed as a coward 3.34 - 41. When we first see Paris he swaggers up to the front lines, but as soon as he sees Menelaus, he shrinks back in fear and goes to hide behind his soldiers.

Hector: Hector, brother of Paris is seen to be one who hates cowardice and upholds heroism 3.43 - 69. He is seen mocking his brother for being a coward, and he tells Paris how much of a disgrace he is to them.

Menelaus: After first meeting Menelaus in book three, we see that he is powerful, as in strength, and that he is vengeful, 3.23 - 33

Helen: We see Helen as beautiful 3.86 - 91. But we also see that the war was not her fault, and that she misses her home, and her people 3.210 - 214.

Priam: We do not see much of Priam but our brief glimpse of hom shows that he might not have a full respect for the gods, he blames the gods for the war, and for Helen's capture 3.191 - 201.

Philosophical Idealism

What are the best arguments for or against Philosophical Idealism?

Idealism is the belief that everything that is perfect is not physical but an idea, or something spiritual that can be broken down into one base "element". As proof for this belief, people have turned to nature, and ideas such as numbers. In nature animals, people, trees, flowers, etc. come into being or existence, and eventually leave this world. But ideas such as numbers live on always, and they do not change.

Minoans Vs. Mycenaeans

The Minoans and Mycenaean, while seemingly similar were actually quite different. For one, the location. The Minoan Civilization was an island civilization, whereas the Mycenaean civilization was located inland. Because of the Minoans being located on an island, they were sailors, and their land was open, unlike the Mycenaeans who closed themselves in, even in the palaces, the Mycenaeans' main room was enclosed and dark, while the Minoans' main room was open and near nature. The art also shows that the Mycenaeans were more war focused, while the Minoans' were more focused on everyday life.

The Iliad: Book 1

The first book of the Iliad starts off with the Rage of Achilles and Agamemnon. Agamemnon and Achilles had conquered yet another territory, and Chryseis, daughter of Chryses, priest of Apollo, had been taken as a prize for Agamemnon. Distraught, Chryses begged Agamemnon for his daughter, and offered him much wealth, but he was dismissed by the King Agamemnon. Apollo, angered by Agamemnon's actions he struck Agamemnon and his crew with a sickness that would only be lifted when an offering was made to him, and Chryseis was returned to her father. Agamemnon and Achilles argue over this information, causing Achilles to leave the group and ask his mother Thetis for help. Thetis agrees to help her son, so she goes to Zeus to ask for his help. Meanwhile Agamemnon and his crew offer sacrifices to Apollo and return Chryseis to her father, and then Celebrate Apollo. With a little prodding Zeus agrees to help Thetis and Achilles, so that Agamemnon and his crew will realize just how much they need Achilles. Hera, Zeus's wife is not pleased with Zeus' consent, so she pesters him until he threatens her, leaving her terrified. Her son, Hephaestus, comes to comfort her and give her advice, which she wisely accepts. The gods have a celebration, and the night ends in peace.

Myth and History

What is the relationship between myth and history? Has our understanding changed because of the work of archaeologists?

Myths are stories that have been made up to fill in the gaps of the unknown. Myth supports history, because most Myths are based on the culture and the ideas of that culture. History is fact, actual life of those in the past, so with the work of archaeologists, certain historical facts are verified, so some myths remain the same and others are found to be truth and not just stories.

Assyria

How does the history of Assyria offer support for both geographic determinism and a deuteronomic view? Which approach better explains the course of Assyrian history? Why?

Assyrian history offers support for both geographic determinism and deuteronomic history. Due to Assyria's location near the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Trade and communication was easier, but it was also easier to attack other countries. In the Bible God said that if the Jews continued in their evil ways they would be taken captive by their enemies, and forced into exile. The Assyrians, when they took over a land would torture their captives and send them into exile. So I think that the deuteronomic view is best supported by the History of the Assyrians.

Phoenicians

Who were the Phoenicians and what did they attribute to the civilizations of the Ancient Near East?

The Phoenicians were descendants of the Canaanites who inhabited the coast of modern Lebanon. They invented the Alphabet, which is a much easier writing system than cuneiform and heiroglyphics, the Phoenicians are known for their wood, ivory, and purple dyes, and they are known for being the first civilization to conduct trade across the Mediterranean Sea.

Historical Reputation

Should Ramses II have been so concerned about his reputation in history? Is historical reputation important for leaders today?

I do not think that Ramses II should have been so concerned about his reputation in history. Ramses II's reputation was based on lies. He falsely claimed achievements that were not his own, such  as designs for building, and even a victory at the battle of Kadesh-Barnea. I don't think that a person should become obsessed with their reputation, but they should pay attention to it, The same goes for leaders today. Not obsession, but attention.

Early Egypt

Are the similarities between Early Egypt and Sumer so great that the two civilizations ought to be regarded as influencing each other?

 I do not think that these two civilizations can be regarded as influencing each other because they are two very different civilizations. Yes, both Sumer And Egypt had writing systems, but they are two very different forms or writing. Also Egypt was very isolated, they were surrounded by mountains, deserts, and the Mediterranean Sea. So there was not much of a chance that Sumerian influence would have made it to Egypt.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of absolute monarchy as a form of government?

I think that the only time that absolute monarchy is a good thing is when there is a very good, just ruler (like Jesus) who will do exactly what is right for all. If the ruler is good, then all of their decrees will be made and put into effect immediately, and everything would be great. Unfortunately if the ruler was corrupt, then no one would have the power to say anything against the king, or to stop him. If absolute monarchy was to succeed, a perfect ruler would be needed.

The Torah and the Code of Hammurabi

The Code of Hammurabi does in some ways resemble the Torah. Both law codes are believed to be handed down to the leader from God or the chief god. Also both, the Torah and the Code of Hammurabi were meant to achieve justice, and they both displayed the idea of Lex Talionis, the Law of the Claw. In other words " Let the punishment fit the crime." When a crime was committed the law tried to get the punishment as close to the crime as possible in order to avoid further crime.

On the other hand the Torah emphasized monotheism, with the focus on one god and one god only. The Code of Hammurabi however expresses the idea of polytheism. As for punishments the Torah does have punishments but also the wrongdoer must repay the person he wronged, while in the Code of Hammurabi either the wrongdoer is severely punished, or they must repay, but not both.

The Code of Hammurabi

2). Respect Nature, it just might save you one day, then again it might not. This code is talking about settling an argument by letting the river judge whether you are guilty or not, if you float you live and you get the house and belongings of your accuser, if you don't you die. This shows just how important nature is because a river is taking the place of a judge, almost like it is a higher authority.

5). Justice was very important because if a judge incorrectly records a case, he would have to pay a fine 12 times over and he would be removed from his seat as judge publicly and permanently.

9). Stealing is a crime punishable by death, If a man loses a possession and that possession is later sold by a merchant, the judge would determine whether or not the merchant is a thief. If he was then he would be put to death.

26). Loyalty is rewarded, cowardice is not. If a man has been drafted into the army, but instead hires a mercenary to go for him, the man will be put to death and the hired mercenary will inherit all of his property.

32). Soldiers were valued, If a soldier were to be captured in war, and was bought by a merchant, the soldier if he was able could buy his own freedom. if the soldier was not able, then his community temple could buy his freedom, if not the temple, then the court, although his previous belongings would not be included in his purchase of freedom. Those would be sold separately.

What to do?

Should a country's system of justice try to "give to each what he deserves," or should the justice system primarily try to reform wrongdoers? Why?

I kind of agree with both, but at the same time I don't really know. Some people are victims of circumstance while others chose to do their wrong actions. Reform should be given to all, but also people do need to learn from mistakes, and some do need to be punished. This question is very complex, and I cannot choose one side.

Gilgamesh "episodes"

 Prologue:   An introduction to Gilgamesh, his character, and his rule.

1). Meeting Enkidu:   The creation and taming of Enkidu.

2).The Forces Unite:   Enkidu and Gilgamesh meet, fight, and then unite.

3).Into the woods:   Enkidu and Gilgamesh go to the forest, and slay the Humbaba

4).Ishtar's proposal:   Ishtar proposes to Gilgamesh, he declines making Ishtar angry, so she sends down the bull of heaven to kill Gilgamesh, but Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the bull

5).Haunting dreams:   The gods are upset because Enkidu and Gilgamesh killed the bull of heaven, and because the power of Gilgamesh and Enkidu rivals their own, so they decide to kill Enkidu. Enkidu receives dreams of his death and later dies.

6).At the death of a brother:   After Enkidu's death Gilgamesh wanders about mourning the death of his friend. He then begins to search for immortality.

7). Mission failed:   Gilgamesh attempts to complete the tasks for immortality, but sadly fails them all.

Side story:  Gilgamesh drops his "pukku" into the underworld and Enkidu volunteers to retrieve it. Gilgamesh gives Enkidu directions on what not to do in the underworld, which Enkidu ignores resulting in him getting trapped. Gilgamesh calls out to the gods for help, but his pleas are ignored by all of them except for Ea, who gets Enkidu out of the Underworld.

Written Law or Spoken Word

Is it better to be governed by fixed written laws, with little discretion on the part of the rulers, or to be governed by the best rulers we can find, using their discretion to try to achieve justice?

I think that it is better to have written laws, mainly because humans, no matter how hard we try, are very opinionated. So without a written law the leader can change the law to fit his own wants or desires anytime, but with a written law everyone is subject to that law, no exceptions. For example, Gilgamesh as king had to answer to none save the gods., he was free to do whatever he wanted, and he did (Myths of Mesopotamia pg. 51-52). the people were forced to take the matter to the gods since they were the only ones with power over Gilgamesh. So yes, a written law is much better than being at the mercy of the ruler's word, which can change at any given time.

The Epic of Gilgamesh

1). How and to what extent can the various versions of the Mesopotamian Epic help us to understand the history and cultures which produced them?

With most stories, they are generally not rewritten in various versions, mainly because that would be plagiarism, but also because it is just one story. Apparently not for the Mesopotamians, The Epic of Gilgamesh is obviously more than just a story, we may not know exactly what it stood for, but we do know that stories like this one are more important than just normal stories. Also these stories were passed down from generation to generation, meaning that the people had to memorize these tales. So we know that stories like this one were upheld, and that the Mesopotamian culture was one that would rely on memory.

4). How does studying these ancient texts challenge our contemporary understanding of authorship, authenticity and originality.

When we think about a book, there is one author or at most two, but in the ancient texts there are many "authors", and with the stories they tell, some come from other stories, while others are practically the same just with different deities. So that gets rid of the modern idea of originality.And as for authenticity, the myths are very similar, and some are even similar to the Bible. Some of these ancient texts are contradictions to our ideas of authorship, authenticity, and originality.

Ancient Sumer

1. What would a person looking at a modern city see as the largest and most important building or buildings? What does this suggest about the priorities of modern culture, as opposed to ancient culture?

Most people today would, when looking at our cities, see skyscrapers and huge industries giving the idea that our society is mainly about work and gaining money. Sadly, that is not far from the truth. In the ancient civilizations more temples would be seen, letting us know that those cultures revolved around their gods.

2. What is or are the most valid criteria if whether a culture should be regarded as a civilization? What qualities ought to be present in a society for it to be considered "civilized"?

There are three main qualifications that determine whether or not a society can or should be considered "civilized". The first criteria is that the society must have a writing system. The second is that they must have a devoloped social complexity and specialization of functions. Which means it must have the characteristics of a city. And the third and final qualification is the ability to work with metals.

Ice Cream of the gods

What ice cream flavor can best describe two Mesopotamian gods and two Greek gods, that is the question. Now what is the answer (in my opinion of course)?

For Tiamat, the saltwater seas and mother of all other gods, I chose Vanilla. Not because of her personality but because from her comes all other gods, and from vanilla you can get multiple flavors.

For Apsu I have chosen French Vanilla ice cream with chopped nuts and peanut butter chips as a topping. French Vanilla is a very sweet ice cream representing the Fresh Water seas or the Sweet Water seas, and the nutty toppings represent Apsu's annoyance with his children when they got too loud.

For Athena, the pale of grey-eyed goddess I have chosen an Earl Grey ice cream because the type of ice cream gives a common description, or epithet of Athena.

For Persephone I have chosen a Pomegranate ice cream or gelato representing the pomegranate seed that Hades tricked Persephone into eating.

Enuma Elish Vs. Theogany

In the Enuma Elish and the Theogany  there are the stories of the gods, who are in some ways similar and in some ways different. In both stories there is the overthrowing of the older Gods by the younger gods. in the Theogany,  Zeus and his brothers overthrow the Titans, and in the Enuma Elish, Marduk overthrows Tiamat and takes over the universe.
One of the differences between the two stories is that the gods in the Theogany act according to their own will, while in the Enuma Elish they take counsel with each other and actually have advisers or viziers.

Greek Worldview

The Greek worldview is focused on the gods, everything revolves around them. Mankind was created to worship the gods, and women were made to be a curse to man (Hesiod pp.20). The Greek gods, unlike our God, were not exactly role-models. In fact the gods are much like the mortals, they are deceitful (pp.19), violent (pp.8), and lustful (pp.29). For the Greeks, truth appears to be whatever the gods say it is (pp.4). Their entire worldview is focused on the gods, and their actions and decisions.

Aetiological Myth

Aetiology: Any study of causes, causation, or causality, as in philosophy, biology, or physics.
    An Aetiological myth is a story of why things are the way they are. They explain things in life, and nature. An example of this can be found in Hesiod's praise of the Muses. If a man is wise, or if he stands out, and  is looked upon by all people, it is not by his own wisdom. It is because the Muses stand by him and favour him. This story which was believed among the Greeks explained where mortal men gained their wisdom, and is an example of an Aetiological myth.

Worldviews and Mythology

1). What are the most significant contrasts between ancient worldviews and modern Western worldviews?
      One of the most significant differences between ancient worldviews and modern Western worldviews is that ancient worldviews was more focused on the supernaturalistic view of life, whereas the modern worldview is more science based. In our modern world when there is something that is unknown we attempt to solve it using science, but in the ancient times the answer had something to do with their gods.

4). How can understanding a culture's basic worldview help us better understand or interpret its history?
     Understanding a culture's basic worldview will lead to a better understanding of their history because people act according to what they believe. So if we can understand their beliefs then we can understand their actions and the way they lived their lives.

What is Mythology?
Mythology is a collection of a myths. Myths aren't necessarily lies, some may see them as lies, but some see them as the truth. A myth is a story or a belief, so mythology is a collection of  cultural beliefs that may or may not be true based on your point of view or culture.

Genesis 1-3: Analysis Questions

4). Does the text say anything about the relationship between men and women?
        Men and women are meant to be companions to one another, they are not meant to be alone. God created woman because he said that it was not good for man to be alone (Gen 2:18). "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to wife, and they shall become one flesh." (Gen 2:24). this verse shows that the relationship between a husband and wife is an extremely important relationship, the two are to join together in a bond that will not break. Later in Genesis chapter 3:16 God said that woman will subservient to the husband and that the husband will rule over his wife.

5).   What is the purpose of human existence according to this account?
        " The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it" (Gen 2:15). according to the passage the purpose of human existence is to take care of the earth and to have dominion over the earth (Gen 1:28-20).

6). What is the relationship between man and nature?
       Man is to have dominion over all living things (Gen 1:28-29). the earth was made for man as seen in Chapter 1:29 when God told Adam what was to be given to them for food, and again God told Adam and Eve to have dominion over the earth and to fill the earth and subdue it (Gen 1:28)

Bonus: How would you characterize the Hebrew worldview based on Genesis 1-3?
      I think that the Hebrew worldview is based on the idea that humans are superior and were created above everything else. Also the fact that there is a God and that he created the world and humans and that he has a purpose for mankind. that purpose, again, is to rule over the earth, to take care of it. I think that those ideas characterize the Hebrew worldview.

How to Read a Document

     How do you read a document? It sounds like a pretty ridiculous question doesn't it? During a Humanities class my fellow classmates and I received a document titled: How to Read a Document. My initial response was, I already know how to read a document. But upon further exploration I realized that I only partially knew how to read a document. To read and fully understand a document, specifically a historical document, there are several steps that must be taken.

     Level One: One must learn as much as possible about the author, not just the name of the author but everything, even what can be learned about their personal life. To whom was this document addressed? This is the next question that must be asked to further understand the idea behind the document. Finally one must take note of the story line in order to focus on what is being said and to gain a better knowledge of the material being read.

      Level Two: Dig deeper. Find out why the document was written. In order to develop an analysis one must be able to know the purpose of the document so that the techniques used become evident to the reader. What type of document is this? The form of a document can help the reader to further understand the purpose. What basic assumptions have been made? Some assumptions are left unsaid, some however are quite important to the text and the might be in the text, but they must be identified.

      Level Three: Get Personal. Figure out what makes the story true. Learn something new, information is everywhere in the text, it just needs to be found. Last but not least, what does the document mean to you? Why does it matter? These questions can be answered only when the reader has a true understanding of the text, and when the reader has a true understanding of the text they will know how to read a  document.