Parsing

Dico- present indicative passive 3rd person plural of "dico" meaning "to say"
Nasse- present infinitive active 2nd person plural of "nasso" meaning "to swim"
Lecti- perfect participle passive 3rd person plural of "lego" meaning "to gather"
Optantes- perfect participle present 3rd person plural of "opto" meaning "to choose"
Avertere- future indicative passive 2nd person plural of "averto" meaning "to turn away"
Vada- present indicative active 2nd person plural of "vado" meaning "to go"
Decurre- future indicative passive 3rd person plural of "decurro" meaning "to hasten"
Verrentes- "present participle 3rd person plural of "verro" meaning "to sweep"
Fecit- perfect indicative active 3rd person plural of "faco" meaning "to make"
Cursu- present indicative passive 3rd person plural of "corre" meaning "to run"
Imbuit- present indicative active 2nd person singular of "imbuo" meaning "to wet"
Tortaque- perfect participle passive 3rd person plural of "torto" meaning "to turn"
Incanduit- perfect indicative active 3rd person plural of "incandui" meaning "to grow"
Condeti- present participle passive 3rd person plural of "candeo" meaning "to be brilliant"
Admirantes- present participle passive 3rd person plural of "admiro" meaning "to admire"
Viderunt- perfect indicative active 3rd person plural of "video" meaning "to see"
Fertur- present indicative active 3rd person plural of "ferto" meaning "to bear"
Tene- present indicative passive 3rd person plural of "teneo" meaning "to hold"
Concessit- present indicative active 3rd person plural of "concedo" meaning "to withdraw"
Amplecititur- present indicative passive 3rd person plural of "ampleceotr" meaning "to combine"

Review

You do not question (our understanding is wrong) why me, why you say disgraceful things about the gods, Leuconoe, neither do the Babylonian numbers tempt you. It is better to endure anything at all! If it is the greatest valued thing on earth or if it is the greatest tribute to Jupiter, what does not oppose to weaken us dwarfs the Tyrrenhum sea, be wise, bring out the drink and briefly walk around as we retreat. Do not talk more than needed, and flee from insults: Seize the day, and have little trust in tomorrow.

edite: 2nd person plural present imperative active of "edito" meaning "to eat"
sunt: 3rd person plural present indicative active of "sum" meaning "to be"
metaque: 2nd person singular present imperative active of "meto" meaning "to reap"
evehit: 3rd person singular present indicative active of "eveho" meaning "to carry out"
certat: 3rd person singular present indicative active of "certo" meaning "to match"

The difference between Luke and Matthew in the second chapter of their books is that Luke focuses more on the annunciation to the common people whereas Matthew focuses more on the flight to Egypt and the Magi than the actual annunciation to the people. Luke shows his focus on the annunciation by talking about the angels coming to the shepherds in the field, as the shepherds were the lowest of the low in society and Matthew shows his focus of Jesus' regal person by showing that he was visited by the magi who were the more higher educated and wealthy of society. Luke constantly mentions that Jesus was born in the city of David as if to make up for what connections he did not make in his chapter one like Matthew did. Matthew also later shifts the focus to Egypt because he wants to show the Jews that Jesus is the second Israel by coming back from Egypt after being exiled their for a short while. Also in the beginning Matthew mentions Caesar while Luke mentions Augustus and Matthew also talks about the immaculate conception while Luke begins with the census by Augustus for Judea.

Horace: Horace Bio
Horace: Horace Bio
Livy: Livy Bio
Livy: Livy Bio
Ovid: Ovid Bio
Ovid: Ovid Bio

Gregorian Chants

Pope Gregory the Great invented Gregorian Chants between 590 and 680AD. The chant used a single line of melody and were said in Latin by a group of voices in unison called monophony. The chants were learned orally during a priests monastic life and it took a very long time to learn. The chants were spread by Charlemagne during his reign as Holy Roman Emperor and he threatened by penalty of death if the congregations did not sing the chants. The chants soon became part of the liturgy, and coordinated with the lesson of the day. The congregation, of course, did not understand the chants as they were said in Latin and the masses did not speak or learn to speak such a difficult language, or any other language other than the one that they spoke.

http://www.musicoutfitters.com/gregorianchants.htm

Roman Weapons and Armor

The basic equipment of a Roman soldier during the peak of the Roman Empire included the following:
- Cassis- The Helmet
- Lorica Segmentata- The segmented armor which was for fitting and made it easier for the soldier to move around in.
-Gladius- Sword, 18-24 inches long and was used for short thrusts and stabbing.
- Pilium- The medium height throwing spear which was used for harassing the enemy before they attacked.
- Scutum- The shield which was used for such formations as the testudo or the tortoise formation.
- Red Battle Cloak- Use to represent the colors of their country and republic.
- Sandals- Used so that their feet didn't hurt too bad after those long marches.

http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Greeks/Romans/weapons/weapons.html

Bagpipes

When one thinks of bagpipes they think of Scots with their kilts and tassels on playing in such movies such as Braveheart before a major battle. This would lead one to believe that it was in fact the Scots who invented the bagpipes, but this is wrong. It was, in fact, the Romans who invented or at least brought over the bagpipes to Briton during the conquest of Britannia. We know this because in Suetonius account of the Fire of Rome he says that Nero was playing tibia utricularis which is basically the Latin word for what we know today as the bagpipes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A748208

Nero's Fire

When many people think of the Great Fire of Rome during the reign of Nero, they often conjure up the picture of Nero himself playing the violin. There were,though, in fact no violins during this time period. Anyhow he burned the city down on July 18 64AD and then blamed it on the Christians. This is what then started the persecution of the Christians in Rome, and after this Nero began to rebuild the old part of the city with his new Golden Palace called the Domus Aurea. This is what many believe to be the reason why Nero burned down the city.

http://ancienthistory.about.com/b/2009/07/18/neros-fire-in-rome.htm

The Huns

The exact origin of the Huns is unknown. Legend has it that they were driven out after the death of Xiong Nu or some time after the death of Xiong Nu. Either way their culture was very diverse and they were by far the most fearsome of the barbarians in the Roman Western Empire. Their use of horse riding in combat was like nothing ever seen before, and their mastery of the bow was remarkable. The Romans had no way of stopping them, so they had to pay a fee to get them to stop attacking them. They eventually invaded Gaul but some time after that collapsed.

http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=huns

Greece to Restore Birthplace of Classical Theatre

The ruined theater under the acropolis in which Euripides and other playwrights performed their work for over 2000 years will be restored over a period of 6 years. The 9 million dollar program will be complete in 2015 and will include the modern additions to the surviving stone seats in the theater of Dionysus. The theater first saw action in the 6th century BC and witnessed plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, as well as Aristophanes.

http://blog.taragana.com/e/2009/11/25/greek-authorities-to-restore-ancient-athens-theater-where-classical-plays-were-first-performed-64473/

Demotic Script

Demotic Script lasted for about 1000 years and belongs to the last period of Egyptian history. even after demotic script was introduced the hieratic script was still used, mainly for religious purposes. Demotic did, however, win out on being used in business and everyday use because it was a lot easier to write and but not as easy to read. This is because most of the forms of the characters were almost exactly alike. 660BCE was the first example of Demotic writing, while 425AD was the last known example of its use.

http://i-cias.com/e.o/demotic.htm

Rosetta Stone

The Rosetta Stone is a stone found by Napoleon on his expedition in Egypt which had three writings including Greek, Demotic, and Hieroglyphic. It used three languages because the hieroglyphs were religious, Demotic was the common script of Egypt, and Greek was the language of the rulers at the time. It was carved i n196BC and found in 1799. With this discovery they were able to translate the hieroglyphs and solve the lifelong mystery of what the tombs were saying. It is currently on display at the British Museum of art.

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/writing/rosetta.html

Nova Vikings

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vikings/village.html

This PBS run program enables one to explore a Viking village from the 9th to 11th century as if it were still standing today. It allows you to explore the construction from archeologists sketches, the design of the houses fit for view from a walking standpoint, equipment used by Vikings such as the weapons and boats they used on their raids, the design of the harbors, and the clothing of the people from the time period.

Lombards (Part 1/5)

This video is once again from the series Barbarians II and the Lombardi tribe was another German tribe from across the Danube during the decline of the Roman Empire. They ruled a kingdom in Italy from 568 to 774 AD, but was taken away after the Pope sought Charlemagne king of the Franks to retake the Peninsula on which the Vatican sat. The Lombards ruled in an almost Feudalistic system in which there was the king and the dukes with their serfs and other workers under the protection of them in their province.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/346673/Lombard

The Franks (Part 1/5)

This video is from a part of a series called Barbarians II from the History channel, and is actually quite good. The Franks themselves were the first Royal family of France, and are originally from across the Rhine and a part of the Germanic tribes that invaded during the fall of the Roman Empire. During the fighting with other German tribes the leader, Clovis, converted to Roman Catholic Christianity and this helped save the Roman Empire from declining any faster. They defeated the Alamanni and the Arian Visigoths.

http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ab74

Vikings (1/5)

This is a part of the History Channel's Barbarian series and it talks about the history of the Viking people, who were from Scandinavia and continuously raided wide areas of Europe from 9-11AD.the word Viking comes from the Scandinavian work Vikingr which means pirate. The vikings seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of man power as they could get together any men that they want to go on a raid or destroy an army.

Who Should Own The Rosetta Stone

As of the current conditions, the British Museum owns the Rosetta Stone, which Napoleon found in Egypt; so the question remains which country should keep the Rosetta Stone? The argument is that the nation on which the artifact was found is the one that should keep it, but why shouldn't everyone especially those over seas not be able to enjoy it because of a nations greed. On the side of Egypts argument though, this was a major find that linked them to their past so that they were able to once again read the hieroglyphs on the inside of the many pyramids and tombs in Egypt. Each side has a solid argument, so should a law be made to solve this problem once and for all.

http://tierneylab.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/who-should-own-the-rosetta-stone/

Cleopatra

In 51 BC Cleopatra's father, Ptolemy Auletes, died and left the kingdom to her and her brother of twelve years Ptolemy XIII. At the funeral Pompey of Rome was left in charge of the children. Cleopatra marred Ptolemy XIII when he turned twelve, but soo dropped the documents saying so and basically ruled the kingdom herself as she printed her own coins and many other things. She soon had an affair with Caesar to help restore her to her position in 48BC after she was removed by a war with her younger brother. Later she had an affair with Antony in 41BC and they made a pact to join their militaries together against Octavian. Ultimately this alliance failed and Cleaopatra killed herself by snakebite and antony died by his own blade in 30BC.

http://www.touregypt.net/cleopatr.htm

Horace

Livy Book 21

Though I mentioned it before in this part of my work, which in the beginning of the total summary of my profession which for the most part I was writing, especially about every memorable war by which route and how they carried it about, that Hannibal led the Carthaginians carried out a war with the Roman people. For it is certain that no cities nor nations have thrown against one another arms with only his great supply or strength; And by no means were they unknown to the arts of war but were experts from the first Punic confrontation, and to that point the fortunes by Mars of the conquerors were the ones closest to peril. Yet their hate against the other was unlike the rivalry of any kind, the Romans were indignant as the conquered had taken up arms against the conquerors, The Carthaginians (Poeni) were upset with the imperious pride by which the conquerors conducted themselves about. Yet Hannibal was nine years old when he boyishly flattered his father Hamlicar to lead him to Spain, and when sacrifices were given during the end of the war in Africa, Hannibal was led to the alter and made to swear an oath with his hand touching the sacrifice that when able to, to destroy the people of Rome. The loss of Sardinia and Sicily wearied his spirit: But now the cession of Sicily had been made excessively in speed and Sardinia had been affected by the deceit of the Romans in Africa, even this was imposed as I mentioned above was intercepted.

Hannibal: Mythical Figure

Hannibal was very much feared by the Romans, and for good reasons to. Hannibal had completed feats that were once thought impossible by any mere man, but he had accomplished them with a seemingly uneasy simplicity. Some examples of his mythical accomplishments were the uniting of the Gaulish tribes two years after it disbanded, the destruction of multiple legions at the battles of Rubicon, Trebia, and Tresimene, the crossing of the Alps with his entire army including elephants undetected, and most importantly the reaching of Rome with his army.

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

Nova Roma

Carleton has five movie productions underway already this year, one of them being the much anticipated "Nova Roma" by Alexander Cooney. Cooney's movie is about his theory of what the world would be like if the Roman Empire never declined and fell. The staff includes 50 members from Minneapolis and St. Paul including a 22 member art staff. The movie will take place in the modern day and the Romans will have made many more technological advances than we have today, but they still enslave humans and make sacrifices. This movie will be out in 2010.

http://apps.carleton.edu/news/features/?story_id=587234

Secular Games

This Roman religious celebration, involving sacrifices and theatrical performances, lasted three days and nights and marks the end of saeculum and the new beginning of the next saeculum. Saeculum means a length of time roughly equal to the potential lifetime of a person or the equivalent of the complete renewal of a human population and was first used by the Etruscan people who were the original inhabitants of Italy. The games date all the way back to 509 BC and put down in 14BC as there were sacrifices to the gods of the underworld. Augustus revived them in 17BC and were also held by Claudia in 47AD in honor of the 800th anniversary of Rome's founding. These games even inspire Horace's Carmen Seculare.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/531988/Secular-Games

Horace

Born in Venusia on December 8, 65BC Horace was born into the family of a freedman who owned a small farm. They later moved to Rome so his father could be a coacter (an auctioneer) and sent his some Quintus Horatius to Athens to study philosophy and Greek. After the assassination of Caesar, Horace joined the army on the side of Brutus, where he spent most of the time routing instead of fighting. He returned to Rome after Augustas accepted everyone back and soon started to write poetry under the support of Maecenas , whom also supported such famous poets as Virgil. He died in Rome on November 27, 8BC. His works included Ars Poetica, The Satires, Odes, Epodon, Carmina, and The Epistles.

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

Hero Story

Dimitri was born into a modest middle class family in Kiev, Russia. His father had died when he was only eight years old and his last dying words to Dimitri were, “Protect them,” which were the words that Dimitri would live and abide by for the rest of his life. After his father’s death he and his mother were adopted into his Uncle’s family where he learned the art of hunting and stealth in the Kiev forests. Dimitri’s apparent skill in the art prompted his uncle to send him to a military school with board. Here Dimitri learned the virtuosity of command and strategy toward which he would follow in his Father’s footsteps of serving in the army, which after his father’s service in The First World War had been taken over by the Communist regime of Lenin and recently been replaced by Stalin. The school, Dimitri found, was more of an agenda than an actually learning facility as it taught more about tactics pertaining more about the politics of the Communistic military than the actual strategy that is essential in driving a successful battle. Because of this the school did not produce traditional military officers but rather political war Commissars.
Nonetheless Dimitri excelled and by the end of his graduation in the beginning of the month of July, he was riding home to Kiev by way of the train from Moscow. The trip itself took four days, and Dimitri was excited to spend his three months of leave with his Mother and Uncle. Un fortunately his trip was cut short when he was recalled two days into his trip, back to Moscow to be assigned to a position on the front. Dimitri was afraid for his family, as they were only miles away from the front lines and hoped they would be able to get out alive, as the Russian line quickly collapsed to the German Blitzkrieg. Dimitri received his orders from headquarters, and headed with his newly drafted unit over to Rostov to link up with the 11th Army to help repel the Germans.
As he and his unit rode in the truck bed over to the front lines they were hit by a shell and thrown out of the truck. Many were killed and Dimitri was thrown unconscious into a bush, where he was concealed from the outside. After about four hours Dimitri came to and quickly looked out from his concealed position. There he saw that the front line had fallen all the way back to his position, so he quickly jumped out of the shrub and grabbed a rifle. He used his knack for hunting to continuously knock off the enemy until another shell knocked him out. The next thing that Dimitri saw when he came to again was that he was in a truck with many other prisoners and civilians who were marked with a star. Dimitri asked a guard when they stopped the truck, “Where are we going?” The guard replied, “Der Arzt.” This would not be the traditional doctor that Dimitri was expecting though, and it would certainly be his last.
Dimitri met Doctor Josef Mengele in Camp Koldichevo, and was quickly placed in an isolated room for one of the doctor’s special treatments. Dimitri was given a shot of what looked like water, but with a brackish tint. Dimitri became horribly sick within the next few days, and was diagnosed with Malaria. He was given a series of tests, which came to no avail, until he finally became well on his own. The doctor noticed Dimitri’s unusual strength and assigned him to another room where he was burned with gas and placed in a special bed next to the doctor’s office where his burn was continuously aggravated with the poking of wood shavings and glass. It wasn’t until three days after he was exposed to the gas, that he was given a strong dose of sulfonamide. Hours after the dose he began to contract a metallic tint to his skin. As the hours grew so did the color of metal on his skin. The doctor took quick note of this, thinking that it could have been a possible reaction between the sulfonamide and the various malarial treatments that they had given him to have Dimitri receive this metallic look. Dimitri also noticed that he felt much better and stood up, feet clanging to the floor. The doctor took one step back but Dimitri was too quick and crushed him with one blow. It seemed as if this new metallic skin had given him super strength. As he walked out of the camp he was shot at by various guards, but he took no damage; the bullets just seemed to bounce off of him. He crushed the gate and picked up a weapon from a fallen guard and killed the rest of the camp personnel, freeing the rest of the prisoners along with himself.
He and his unit continued to fight as resistance behind enemy lines until they reached their own at the city of Stalingrad. Here he was to report to commanding officer to be reassigned once again, and this time on a secret mission along with a unit of veterans trained in special tactics. They were assigned to go underground into the sewers, and come out behind the city and harass the enemy supply lines. As the Germans could not get supplies into the city, the German force in Stalingrad surrendered and the tide of the war turned. His new mission was a recon in Kiev, his old home; it was there he hoped to make his greatest mark by finding his family.

Horace Quotes

Whichever way the wind takes me, I will go.
Quo me cumque rapit tempestas deferor hospes.
Epistles 1.1.15


He appears mad indeed but to a few, because the majority is infected with the same disease.
Nimirum insanus paucis videatur, eo quod Maxima pars hominum morbo jactatur eodem.
Epodon 8.7

Many heroes lived before Agamemnon, but they are all unmourned, and consigned to oblivion, because they had no bard to sing their praises.
Vixere fortes ante Agamemnona Multi: sed omnes illacrimabiles Urgentur, ignotique longa Nocte, carent quia vate sacro.
Carmina 4.9.25

It makes a great difference whether Davus or a hero speaks.
Intererit multum Davusne loquatur an heros.
Ars Poetica 124

Patience makes lighter what sorrow may not heal.
Omnes una manet nox Et calcanda semel via leti
Odes 15

I teach that all are men are mad.
Doceo insanire omnes.
Satires.2.3.81

Essay

Ovid was Roman poet who wrote about love seduction, and most importantly mythological transition. Ovid completed Metamorphoses in 8 AD and remains one of the most popular mythology books today. The set of work includes 15 books of poems, including the one that is going to be discussed, Metamorphoses Book II. Book II of Metamorphoses includes episodes with the main characters of Jupiter, Callisto, Europa and Phaeton. In the case of the eighth story of Metamorphoses Book II the main characters include Minerva, Aglauros, and Mercury. The following will be breaking down and discussing the six parts of structural analysis which are plot, hermeneutics, semic, symbolic, reference, and diagetic. All of these parts of structural analysis combine themselves to help the reader fully understand the story and what the author is trying to present in his work. In the case of The Story of Aglauros, transform'd into a Statue these play an almost imperative role in understanding the poetry by dissecting each part of it to try and understand the authors meaning, and perhaps even the moral or humor behind every line and stanza.
The plot of the story opens up with the opening of Minerva’s feast, in which all of Minerva’s maidens had to come and pay homage to her. During this an evil maiden named Aglauros came to pay homage to her goddess Minerva, but was not true to Minerva’s core values as she had an evil heart. The author even goes as far as to say that Lucifer himself expelled the maiden from the depths of Hell. As Aglauros prepares herself for the festivities Mercury comes in all dressed up in his armor and passes her by. Aglauros catches him and asks what his business here is, and he replied that he was her to marry one of her sisters to make her an aunt. Aglauros knows that as a maiden of Minerva that she nor her sister may marry because they must stay celibate as a maiden of Minerva. But she takes interest in Mercury instead and agrees to help him marry her sister only if he brings Aglauros a gift, probably of money. As a result Minerva becomes deeply upset and sends someone to deal with Aglauros as she did not heed Minerva’s warning of staying out of love’s affairs. Minerva then sends a god to go to the house in which Aglauros sleeps and the god touches her with her thorny and defiled hand and tells her that she has disobeyed Minerva and must pay the price. Aglauros goes to get up after her but finds she cannot as she has started to turn into a statue, in which is the state that she will ultimately end up in and remain in forever.
The semic part of this essay, or the connotation that Ovid is trying to make to real life is that when one decides to deviate from a course that one has already decided and committed to that one must suffer the consequences as a result of their decision whether it is made in poor or good-hearted spirit. In the case of Aglauros, she had already made the decision to remain celibate to Minerva for the rest of herself as a maiden, but had other thoughts as she was jealous of her sister going to get married. Aglauros had already made a promise to stay celibate and after Minerva got word of Aglauros’ plan she warned her of what might happen, but Aglauros decided to ignore Minerva’s warning and as a result suffered the consequence of turning into a statue. Although one will not turn into a statue if they break a promise, they will still ultimately suffer a consequence undoubtedly harm the person who the promise was made to, and perhaps even in the long run even the one who made it. Aglauros also mainly suffered from her own envious heart as she was jealous of her sister’s marriage. This is the main connotation that Ovid is trying to get across. Because of Aglauros ruining the chance of her sister getting married, even after Minerva’s warning, she is turned into a statue so that she cannot meddle in anyone else’s affairs ever again. The lesson in this is that no one should meddle in someone else’s affairs with an envious heart on the mind.
There are very many different examples of Hermeneutics in the poem about Aglauros getting turned into a statue. One such example is when Minerva calls upon another god to take care of Aglauros for her, and the statements are, “She never smiles but when the wretched weep,
She pines and sickens at another's joy.” The parallels in this are very similar to each other in the way that they are both emotions in the beginning of the statement that have an opposite connotation to what a normal person would associate with the reaction. For instance the first line says that she only smiles when the wretched weep, which is different in that most people get upset when other people are sad and the other line says that she gets sick at the notion of another’s joy whereas other people are happy when other people are happy. Ovid takes two total polar opposite emotions and associates them each to a total polar opposite association of reaction. Another example of parallelism in the story is, “In tears all night, In darkness all the day.” In this Ovid is using the opposite of normality only this time for days not emotions. This example is showing that the evil god spent all their time in the darkness and as a result was evil. The use of night with the darkness of day is a sort of oxymoron in that you would have night and light in the day or just night. Without light, though, you would have nothing to compare darkness to, which is what Ovid maybe trying to point out as the evil god spends all their time in the darkness that they know no light. A final example of parallelism is, “Consum'd like ice, that just begins to run, When feebly smitten by the distant sun; Or like unwholsome weeds, that set on fire Are slowly wasted, and in smoke expire.” In this example Ovid is using two illustrations of something dying or going away just as in the story Aglauros dream of marriage leaves her as she turns to stone.
The symbolism in the poem includes the feast in which all of the Maidens gather to celebrate Minerva. Minerva, of course, is the goddess Athena in Greek religion and they celebrated the feasts of their gods to in Greek religion. The Romans, though, celebrated more often, and so often in fact that about one day in four was a celebrated feast with sacrifices and games in honor of the god or goddess in whose name it was celebrated in honor of. The feast of Minerva lasted five days, and all offerings were made by all artists, mechanics and scholars. Games would also be held at the feasts, so these became a very important day or series of days in Roman citizens lives. Another symbol in the story is the aegis which was, as stated in the Iliad, a shield or buckler of Pallas Athena or Zeus and was fashioned by Hephaestus. This is the buckler that Athena would wear when she became angry, which in this case of the story she became angry with Aglauros and put on the buckler. The buckler also linked the gorgon and serpents upon herself which was who was used to kill Aglauros because Medusa, whose powers were transferred to Athena with the buckler, could turn people into stone.
Referential analysis in the story consists of the Temple of Minerva which was built between the Via Labicana and the Aurelian Walls and just inside the Anio Vetus and on Anventine Hill. The architecture consists of Roman secular architecture with some Greek columns. Another piece of architecture is the apartment in which she was staying at during the time at which she was turned into stone. During the Roman period, though, they were called insulas. These insulas were the homes of the plebs, and as a result of urbanization single house homes were scarce on the market and as a result of the scarcity they were very expensive. As a resolution to the problem apartment buildings were built because they could build up when they needed more room. The top floors were the cheapest as they were without running water and other necessities. These were limited to the poorest of the poor and all of the rooms of the apartments overall, were relatively small compared to the apartments of today’s housing market.
The diagetic part of the poem appears as one pattern throughout the poem. The poem expresses a positive tone and then a negative tone, and continues this pattern for the rest of the poem alternating about every other stanza of the poem. The opening stanza has a positive tone as it talks about the opening of the feast of Minerva and everybody is cheerful and enjoying the festivities and this continues for the next two stanzas. Then in the fourth stanza of the poem it talks about the darker part of the poem with it being about the person that Lucifer expelled and was going to the feast of Minerva, and then in the fifth stanza it takes a more positive, heroic approach as it talks about Mercury going to the feast to tell Aglauros that he is going to marry her sister. In the rest of the poem it takes a dark stance as envy takes over Aglauros heart and steers her to ask for a reward before he can marry his sister. This is followed by Athena’s warning and then the transformation into the gorgon to go and turn Aglauros into the statue. This is the pattern that sets the mood throughout the poem.
Without the tools of structural analysis to properly examine a piece of work, one is not able to understand the work full enough to know what the author’s message is. The dissection of the plot of the story allows for the reader to examine what is happening and what the possible message or moral of the story is. The semic part of the story allows for the reader to understand what connotations the author is make to real life and what he’s trying to relate, while the hermeneutic part of the analysis allows for the parallelism of the story to be explored to understand the emotions of the characters and mood of the story. The symbolic part of the analysis allows for the reader to explore the parts of the story which have meaning behind them or that the reader has to understand to completely recognize what is happening in the author’s work. Referential Analysis allows for the reader to understand what is happening in the story just like the symbolism part but only with the explanation of the buildings, and the diagetic part of the story allows for the reader to understand why the author puts the elements of the story where they are just as in the story of Aglauros where there is a positive and dark pattern of the setting. In the case of The Story of Aglauros, transform'd into a Statue these play an almost imperative role in understanding the poetry by dissecting each part of it to try and understand the authors meaning, and perhaps even the moral or humor behind every line and stanza.

Werewolf Poem

Lycaon served the flesh rejected by the gods,
Virgil changed the tale from with herbs he ate to change,
But Church ends all the doubt with sword,
Farmer's scare is no more but gone.

History of Sicily

Sicily has been controlled by many great ancient powers such as the Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Spanish, Islamic, Byzantine, Catalan, and Hohenstaufen. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and its strategic importance for trade among the nations of the Mediterranean is of the utmost importance for getting the upper hand in trade. Greece began to colonize Sicily in 750 BCE, and the natives were absorbed into the Hellenic culture. During the Peloponnese War Sicily, particularly the city of Syracuse, was the target of the Athenians and there the Athenians lost the war. The Carthaginians also held some land on the western side of Syracuse while to the northern end the Romans had made themselves at home. During the First Punic War the Romans crushed the Carthaginians while in the Second Punic War the Carthaginians tried to take the island but utterly failed. the Vandals took over the island in 400 AD, then the Goths took it over in 488 AD, and then the Byzantines took it over in 535 but the Saracens soon conquered it in 652 AD. After the Byzantines took the island once again soon after they moved the capitol to Syracuse in 660 AD.

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

Crete Quarry Could be OriginalSite of Greek Labyrinth

An Anglo Greek team believes that they have found a wall that has as much claim to be the Labyrinth as the Minoan Palace at Knossos 20 miles away, which they have found in their dig at Gortyn. The labyrinth was once told to have held the Minotaur, which came from the King's wife and a bull. the 2 1/2 mile long tunnels of interlocking chambers and dead ends was once widely visited, but when Knossos was discovered it fell into neglect and was even used as a Nazi ammunition dump at one point during World War II.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/greece/6343458/Crete-quarry-could-be-original-site-of-ancient-Greek-Labyrinth.html

Rough Draft

Plot: Mercury was a god from Greece who made Minerva mad. During the maiden's festival for Minerva he came down to see Minerva and he told her that he had come to see her sister. Mercury was also a messenger of Jove the god of of love. To this Minerva became very mad and started secreting green and she became hideous. To this she then looked at him and he turned into stone.

Hermeneutics: The parallelism in this poem are Minerva's eyes. In the beginning of the story she is using her eyes for the greater good to watch over the Virgins of Greece which is a nice thing. In the end of the story though she uses her eyes for the worst and she turns Mercury into a statue.

Semic: The connotation in this story is that sometimes what we do doesn't turn out the way we want it to. There are some things or people that get in our way and we are frozen and cannot do what we intended to do. This can even be a bad person being victorious as well, because love doesn't always win.

Symbolic: A symbol in the story is darkness because in the story it says that darkness lasts all of her days. In real life though it does not last all the day, it only lasts a part of the day. This is symbolizing that Minerva is evil and the darkness which refers to Lucifer's rule.

Reference: The Minerva's temple of Virgins in Greece

Diagetic: ?

Vatican City

The Vatican City is the only country in the world to have Latin as their official language. The Vatican is located on the opposite side of the Tiber, and in 14 BC Agrippina the Elder drained the hill for her gardens and then the Circus Gaeii was built there by Nero. The area then became the site of the Martyrdom of Christians after the Great Fire of Rome. The Circus of Nero was separated by the Via Cornelia. Saint Peters Basilica was built during the beginning of the 4th century.

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

Tour of Rome

This website is the official website for Italy Guides. It has the ultimate guide for touring Rome to its fullest and most absolute potential. It includes audio podcasts, videos, pictures, and other methods of trying to give the client the best experience possible.

History of Halloween

Halloween is celebrated on the 31st of October, which falls before the Catholic holiday of All Saints Day. Its origins though come from the Celtic pagans, as the Church tried to adopt some of the pagan holidays and turn them into Christian ones to try and convert the pagans more easily. The Celts believed that on this day of Samhain, the border of the dead world and the living world became thin. As a result The family's spirits were honored to help fend away the harmful spirits. The fending off of spirits was done by the wearing of masks and costumes. This is how we got Halloween today.

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

'New Atlantis' Reveals Ancient Secrets

The world's oldest Greek town, the town of Povlepetri, was engulfed by the sea more than 3,000 years ago. Scientists have known for 40 year that the town laid there but divers have not had a chance before to get a chance to study the remains. Th artifacts found there have been found to be dated back to almost 5,000 years ago making the city 1,000 years older than initially expected. The city has been found to contain streets, the first Pillar tombs, crypts and other buildings all contained on 9,000 square-miles of sea bed.

http://www.myfoxillinois.com/dpp/news/dpgo_Underwater_City_Reveals_Ancient_Secrets_mb_200910241256407786860

Famous Ancient Roman Quotes

There is apparently a site that contains famous quotes from almost every famous Roman person that you could possibly think of. These people range from Scipio Africanus to Marcus Terentius Varro. One of my famous quotes is from Cicero and it says "A man with courage is also full of faith." This very much describes a Christian person in general, and how one should lead a Christian life.

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/nationality/roman_quotations.html

My Family's Coat of Arms

I thought it would be kind of interesting to look up my family's coat of arms for a blog post, and little did i know it would have some Latin in it. The name Boyd itself is Scottish and Gaelic. The Scottish version of Boyd comes from the Scottish Isle of Bute and the Gaelic version means Blonde Haired. I know for a fact that my ancestors came from Scotland, so that rules out the Gaelic one. Not to the Latin part; above each coat of arms is a Latin word. The particular one for my family was confido meaning "to rely upon." This would probably mean that, since Scotland was a clan based nation, that other clans that were allied with them could rely upon them in any time of need or war.

http://www.houseofnames.com/xq/asp.c/Origin.SC/qx/Boyd-coat-arms.htm

A Funny "I Feel Lucky" Link

We were making fun of the French military prowess, or rather lack of, in history class one day when Mr. Del Puppo brought up the interesting fact that if you typed in French Military Victories on Google and clicked it would come up with a link that said Did You Mean: French Military Defeats? OF course it didn't work in school because no humor is allowed with the tyrannical SonicWall on the prowl, so I checked it out when I got home, and I have to say it was quite worth it. It covers French Military defeats from the Gallic Wars all the way up until the Present Day. The link is below.

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/france.html

The Truth About Caesarian Sections

Many people think that Julius Caesar received his name from being born by Caesarian section, but this is not the case. The first Roman Caesarian section was used to remove the dead child from the mother's womb, and since Caesar was very much alive and not dead, he was bor by natural childbirth and not a Caesarian section. Later in history this changed though. Raymond Nonnatus (from the Latin word non natus "not born")was born by Caesarian section but his mother died. Robert the II of Scotland was also born of Caesarian section. The first case in which the child and mother lived in the Caesarian section didn't happen until the 1500's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesarian_section#Etymology

Temple of Vesta

The Temple of Vesta was built in the 7th Century B.C.E. by Numa Pompilius. This temple is the remnant of a late Etruscan Temple which is most noticeable by its circular shape. It was guarded by the Vestal Virgins and important documents such as Senators will were kept inside. The use of Corinthian Columns and marble also shows the effect of Greek architecture on the people of Rome.

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

Hagia Sophia

Meaning "Church of Wisdom", this church was built by Emperor Justinian of the Byzantine Empire. For one thousand years this giant Orthodox basilica reigned supreme as the worlds largest Cathedral in the world, until the Seville Cathedral was built in 1520. The church contained Holy Relics such as a 49 foot silver iconostasis. It was also the seat of the Eastern Patriarch and was the religious focal point for the Eastern Orthodox Religion. It was also the site of the place where the start of the Great Schism took place with the excommunication of Cerularius by Cardinal Humbert. In 1453 Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and the basilica was converted into a mosque where the bells, whistles, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed along with the mosaics being plastered over. Finally in 1935 the mosque was converted into a museum where the relics and building itself can be viewed by everyone.

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

Italaian Government Investigates Claims of Mafia Radioactive Waste Dump

After coming under pressure from European officials the Italian government sent the Mare Oceana out to check on what is a supposed tanker called the Cunksky was sank off of a tip by a tip from 1992. Apparantly 130 barrels of radioactive waste was dumped into the Mediterranean. This could serve to be very hazardous for the ecosystem in that area and teams are being sent out now to investigate the wreckage that has been found at the bottom of the Mediterranean.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,656681,00.html

Ancient Roman Names

Choosing a Roman name was an important step and achievement in one's life. If the person choosing a Roman name was a person who was not a citizen but becoming one, this would be the final step into becoming a Roman citizen. Names were also important because they defined and described the person they were named for. Names were also made up of three parts the praenomen, nomen, and cognomen. The praenomen was the given name, the nomen was the gens or clan name, and the cognomen was the family name with a gens. For example Gaius Julius Caesar. Gaius is the given name, Julius is the clan name, and Caesar is the family name with a gens.

http://www.novaroma.org/wiki/Choosing_a_Roman_name

Romes Rich Past Stalls Metro Line Expansion

The construction of Metro C has been put under a grinding halt while excavation of Roman artifacts take place where the 15 mile long subway is to be built. Building this new subway would massively relieve congestion from the traffic above and is necessity and top priority among the Italian Government. The problem of finding Roman sites and artifacts has plagued the Roman construction projects since they first began. Unfortunately for the officials, they have to most likely find another place to build the metro because they have uncovered Hadrian's Ampitheatre.
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/archeology-stalls-rome-metro/story?id=8888103

Bubonic Plague In Rome

The Bubonic Plague was the most feared disease in the Medieval and Ancient world. The disease first emerged in Constantinople and later spread to the rest of Europe by the fleas that carried the blood of the infected person on rats. The plague later spread to China in 1328. The plague killed 1/3 of the people in all of Europe. The signs of the plague were giant black swellings under the legs and armpits and then in two days they would die. Treatments ranged from crude surgery to magic. It didn't work either way.It usually spread quickly in crowded villages.

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/science/medicine/plague.htm

Horace 1.9

It was by chance that I was walking down the Sacred Road, just as it is a hobby of mine,
And our of ignorance mused about my trifles entirely intent upon this:
A certain person by whose name I am aquatinted with,
ran up to me and seizing my hand, "How are your affairs, sweet friend?"
"Pleasant to this moment" I said, "I wish for what you long for."
The flatter started with me still, "What do you wish for?" I said at him.
But, "You have knowledge of me," he says, "We are teachers."
To this I said, "On account of this you have more of my presence."
Looking to get away separating from him I walked with a constant swiftness, sometimes stopping,
Talking in the ear of my boy, with sweat flowing past my ankles. "O! Thou, Bolanus, lucky were you in the head!" He kept affirming this and that, praising the walls and the city, and when I did not respond to him, "You desire to go," he inquired, "To go away: I saw it a while back: but you did nothing: I will hold fast to you all the way: I will follow you from this place, where are you now going."
"You need not drive further round: I am viewing someone you do not know:
He lies long off the Tiber near Caesar's gardens."
"I have nothing which needs paid attention to and I am not lazy: I will accompany you all the way."
I let down my ears, like that of an ass with an uneven mind, with a heavy load upon his back.
He began this: "If I know myself well, you will not compose a friend more than Vicus or Varius: For who can write or drive more verses than me? Who can stir a limb as delicate? Who is jealous and even Hermogenes of my singing. "
This was a spot to interrupt him, "You have a mother, who thinks about your well being?"
"I do not have anyone. All are buried."
"Happy them. Now I hold out. Confide in me. For the sorrowful stand is here, which Sabella a sang from a stirred urn that a boy: "This boy shall be harmed by not the drink nor any hostile enemy nor the double-edged sword nor the side of pain however he will be consumed by a talkative person: The talkative ones, if he is wise, he will escape them and will live a long time."
We came up to the temple of Vestae, a quarter of the day now passed, and he had to hastily respond to a cause which he had constructed and lost the altercation.
"If you love me," he inquired, "you will wait this small time."
"If I am lost or have the strength to stand or have knowledge of the laws of justice:
and you know I am in a haste."
"I am fluctuating what I should do," he inquired, "should I keep hold of my cause or let go of it."
"Me, I have sodality."
"I will not do it," he said, and began to commence: I, as it is hard to contend with ones conqueror, followed him.
"In what manner are you with Maecenas?" hence he strikes again. "He is of a few men well and healthy in the mind. " "No one has made use of the right luck. You should hold a great auditor, who would be able to hold second, if you consigned this man: I am undone, not exceeding at everything."
"We do not live like this way which you imagine; There is not a house like ours that is free from the magic of these alien evils: No one I have come in the way of to know is more wealthier than he. Each person has its own place."
"You have made known greatness, with difficulty of credibility."
"And yet he has this."
"You inflame my longing to be near this person"
"You only need to be determined: which is your manliness, it will be subdued: and he is able to be conquered with which first approach to him is difficult."
"I will not be missing myself: I will corrupt his servants with presents: and if I am excluded, I will by no means desist from trying: I will seek out and meet him in the streets. Nothing great in mortal life is subject without great toil."He continued on this, Fuscus Arristus met me, a dear friend of mine and one who has knowledge of him beautifully. We stand still.
"From where did you come and where are you going?" he asks and responds. " I commence to pluck and press my hand against his arm, nodding, twisting my eyes, so that he might take me away from him. He makes an upright laugh, that sends me a shooting disgust: My liver burned with bile.
"Certainly you wanted to affirm something with me in private."
"I recollect well, but have no memory of it now. Today is the thirtieth day of the Sabbath. Would you deride the Jews?"
"Not me," I inquired, "I have moral obligation."
"But me: I have a small weakening, one of many things. Please forgive me: we will speak another time."
The sun has darkened upon me today! He leaves me and puts me under the butcher's knife.
His adversary met him on the way and said, "Where are you going, you are repulsive?" he cried with a loud voice, "Are you granted before?"
I generally oppose my ear. He is seized into the courtroom. There is a great cry on both sides , a flock from all parts. Thus Apollo made haven in me.

Parsing:

1. Accurit- present indicative active third person singular of "accuro" meaning "to run"
2. Est- present indicative active 3rd person singular of "sum" meaning "to be"
3. Meditans- present participle neutral accusative singular of "meditor" meaning "to reflect"
4. Inquam- present indicitive active 1st person singular of "inqum" meaning "to say"
5. Occupo- present indicitive active 1st person singular of "occupo" meaning "to occupy"
6. Docti- perfect participle passive nominative plural of "doceo" meaning to cause "to know"
7. Sumus- present indicitive active singular 1st person of "sum" meaning "to be"
8. Eris- future indicitive active 1st person singular of "sum" meaning "to be"
9. Discedere- future indicitve passive 2nd person singular of "disceo" meaning "to go apart"
10. Consistere- future indicitive passive 2nd person singular of "consisto" meaning "to stand still"
11. Dicere- present subjunctive passive of "dico" meaning "to dedicate" 2nd sing
12. Sudor- present indicitive passive singular 1st person of "sudo" meaning "to perspire"
13. Garriret- imperfect subjunctive active third person singular of "garrio" meaning "to chatter"
14. Lauderet- imperfect subjunctive active 3rd person singular of "laudo" meaning "to praise"
15. Misere- perfect indicitive active 3rd person plural of "mitto" meaning "to cause to let go"
16. Agis- present indicitive active 2nd person singular of "ago" meaning "to drive"
17. Visere- future indicitive passive 2nd person singular of "viso" meaning "to look at"
18. Cubat- present subjunctive active 3rd person singular of "cubo" meaning "to lie down"
19. Demitto- present indicative active 1st person singular of "demitto" meaning "to send down"
20. Perfiit- perfect indicative active 3rd person singular of "subeo" meaning to "come under"
21. Incipit- present indicative active 3rd person singular of "incipio" meaning "to take hold"
22. Scribere- future indicative passive 2nd person singular of "scribo" meaning "to scratch"
23. Adoleverit- future perfect indicative active 3rd person singular of "adolesco" meaning "to burn"
24. Cecinet- perfect indicative active 3rd person singular of "cano" meaning "to utter a melodious tune"
25. Consumet- future indicative active 3rd person singular of "consumo" meaning "to devour"


Scavenger Hunt:

Plot: The beginning of the plot of Sermonum 1.9 or the exposition begins with Horace walking down the Sacra Via and then a man that he only knows by his name runs up to him and begins talking to him nonstop. The man continues to talk as they walk down the irritating man begins to talk about himself as a learned man just like Horace. Horace looks for a way out of this conflict with the man and tells him that he does not want to be a nuisance as he has to go visit a friend far away when they reach Caesar's Gardens and again at the law courts trying to get the man not to abandon his cause and end up abandoning him. This is where it reaches its climax, as Horace has grown tired of the man following him and has tried every possible way to get out of it even almost bold face telling him he does not wish to be with him, but the man claims he is not lazy, has no family to tend to, and has nothing else to do. Horace then runs into a friend who knows the man and the man pretends to not understand the meaning of Horace's nudges to help him escape. The man then leaves Horace with the irritable man and goes away. Fortunately though the annoying man's lawyer finds and confronts him saying that he needs to come back to court so they can finish the unresolved case. Horace is then finally away from the man.

Hermeneutics: The difference between the road at the beginning of the literary work and the end are drastic in this part of parallelism. The road at the beginning seems to be an escape from his life inside the city where he is ever busy with the parties and celebrity life of being a famous poet in Ancient Rome. Unfortuanately what he tries to get away from catches up with him, as the annoying man catches him and talks to him for over a quarter of the day irritably. The road here becomes a means of escape from the person instead of from the society.

Semic: Annoyance/Conversation (Connotation)
The connotation that Horace is making with his satiric material is that he is making fun at the awkward points in our lives when we are stuck with a person we do not wish to be paired up with or don't want to see because for some reason or another they irk us. Horace, by using the man on the road that he cannot get rid of, is being very truthful but also being funny by showing the side of human nature that gets on everyone's nerves and that some people even hate to acknowledge because they are the annoying ones. Horace is trying to turn an angry and annoying situation into a funny and slap-stick humor type of work which sheds a better light on the awkward side of human nature.

Symbolic:
a. The first symbol is the word servant which is mentioned various times throughout the work such as when Horace turns to talk to his slave to try and get away from the annoying man and another time when the man says he would spoil Maecenas' slaves with presents. Servants were a symbol in this work because they were a big part of Roman society, and this piece of information is important to bear in mind to be able to successfully understand Roman poetry and thinking. In a way Horace is comparing himself to a slave because he is tied to this man that he cannot get rid of , just as a slave is tied to his master.
b. The second symbol I picked out was an urn that was mentioned in the foretelling of the annoying man's death. The urn is also an important symbol because the Roman people were a very superstitious people who believed very much in and depended on the Omens. Caesar, on the day of his assassination, disregarded the Omens and was killed and every battle was looked at for Omens to decide whether or not the armies would fight the next day. The urn telling the man that he would die from a talkative person is blatantly ironic and very humorous. The point that Horace may be trying to make here is that sometimes that things in life are ironic.

Reference: Architecture
a. Caesar's Gardens- Caesar had these garden's by his palace and after his death they were turned into a park and given to the people.
b. Temple of Vesta- The temple used Greek architecture with Corinthian marble columns and a central cella. There was also 20 Corinthian columns that were built on a podium that was 20 meters in diameter. All the temple's to Vesta were round and faced the east to represent the connection between Vesta's fire and the sun as sources of life. A hearth inside held the sacred fires and the Vestal Virgins guarded important wills and documents of the senators.
c. Roman Courts- The courts usually had a dome on the top and Corinthian columns out front. Inside there was a podium surrounded by a half-circle of seats just like a Greek theatre so others could hear and see the speaker properly.

Diagetic: Roman Satire's biggest author was Gaius Lucilius. Roman satire is not attributed to the Greeks as the Roman had their own type of satire long before the Greek arts grew among them. The development was a legitimate indigenous growth of their own type of art. Roman satire consisted of making fun of everyday life, politics, wars, administration of justice, eating, drinking, money-making and money spending. The satire wished to expose the bad of the government, the middle class, and the vulnerability of the mob or lower classes. There was no stoicism or rhetoric like the Greeks, just plain making fun of other people kind of humor, much like we have it today.

Parsing Check

est- 3rd person singular present indicative active of "sum" meaning "to be"
cubat- 3rd person singular present subjunctive active of "cubo" meaning "to "
habeo- 3rd person singular present indicative active of "habeo" meaning "to have"
demitto- 3rd person singular present indicative active of "demitto" meaning "to send down"
scribo- 1st person singular future indicative active of "scribo" meaning "to scratch"
tenebo- 1st person future indicative active of "teneo" meaning "to hold"
incipit- 3rd person plural present indicative active of "incipio" meaning "to take hold of"
Perfiit-3rd person singular present indicative active of "subeo" meaning "to come under"
erat- 3rd person plural present indicative active of "sum" meaning "to be"
esse- 3rd person singular present indicative active of "sum" meaning "to be"

Literary Terms

• Alliteration- repetition of the same sound beginning several words in a sentence
• Anacoluthon- lack of grammatical sequence; a change in the grammatical construction of the same sentence
• Anadiplosis- ("doubling back") the rhetorical repetition of one or several words
• Anastrophe- transposition of normal word order; most often found in Latin in the case of preposition and the words they control. Anastrophe is a form of hyperbaton
• Antistrophe- repetition of the same word or phrase at the end of a phrase
• Antithesis- opposition or contrast of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction
• Aporia- The expression of doubt (often feigned) by which a speaker appears uncertain as to what he should think, say or do.

Mini-Colisseum Unearthed Near Rome

British archaeologists have uncovered a mini Colosseum in a seaport of ancient Rome. The early third century remains were found outside of Ostia The amphitheater here wasn't just used for Gladiatorial games but for private theatrical plays as well. The amphitheater was found inside what was a palace built by Emperor Trajan a year earlier. The structure measures 138 by 125 feet and could hold up to 2,000 people.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gNsVSXbgNg9Tl15-yVL4-W4bmttAD9B2BQIG6

Mythological Bird

In Ancient Phoenician mythology the phoenix and has a colorful feather scheme with a tail of Gold and scarlet with a lifespan of 500 to 1,000 years. It has a nest of twigs and myrrh and combusts into flames when it dies to reveal the egg of a new phoenix. The new phoenix will live as long as the old phoenix. The phoenix was used in later Greek mythology and even as far away as Japan. It as also used in the Egyptian book of the dead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_%28mythology%29

Epicurus

Epicurus was an Ancient Greek philosopher who lived from 341BCE-270BCE. He founded the philosophy of Epicurianism. His materialism led him to attack superstitious ideas and divine intervention. He believed that to seek true peace, one must seek modest pleasure to be free from pain and fear. his philosophy was a form of hedonism and its advocacy of a simple life made peace apparently attainable. He told his followers to abstain from evil pleasure such as sex and appetites and keep to simple pleasures and live a Spartan lifestyle. He believed that one should not be gluttonous with food and sex because you may not be satisfied the same way when you eat a second meal or may become disatisfied with your partner. This idea flourished during the Roman era and later Greek era.His philosophy was also a main opponent of Platonism, and then later Stoicism as well.

Carmina 1.37

Delicious Link

http://delicious.com/tyguy11

Battle of Pharsalus

The battle of Pharlasus was a part of Caesars Civil War against the Senate. On August 9, 48BC the Populares and Optimes forces met in Pharlasus in Central Greece. The Optimes faction was controlled by Pompey and many other Senators, while Caesar controlled the Populares. Caesar was outnumbered more than 2-1 but he still over came and suffered only 1200 casualties compared to the 6000 casualties suffered by the Optimes. After this battle Pompey fled to Egypt where his head was cut off, and the Civil War was almost over as Caesar only had to face Pompey's two sons.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=decisive+battles+history+channel&hl=en&emb=0&aq=1&oq=decisive+#

Pyrrhic Victory

A Pyrrhic Victory is a victory that causes devastating loss to the victor. This term is named after King Pyrrhus of Epirus, who suffered many casualties after defeating the Romans at Heraclea in 280 BC and Asculum in 279 BC during the Pyrrhic wars between the Greeks and Romans. In every battle fought with the Romans, the Roman's lost more men but in turn they also had a larger supply of men to draw from. Therefore Pyhrrus lost more men in the long run, and eventually lost the war in the long run. The campaign is described by Dionysius in the following writing:
"The armies separated; and, it is said, Pyrrhus replied to one that gave him joy of his victory that one more such victory would utterly undo him. For he had lost a great part of the forces he brought with him, and almost all his particular friends and principal commanders; there were no others there to make recruits, and he found the confederates in Italy backward. On the other hand, as from a fountain continually flowing out of the city, the Roman camp was quickly and plentifully filled up with fresh men, not at all abating in courage for the loss they sustained, but even from their very anger gaining new force and resolution to go on with the war."
Some modern examples would be the Battle of Bunker (Breed's) Hill during the Revolution in which the Americans killed and wounded hundreds of British soldiers while only losing a few of their own by comparison. Despite all the casualties that the British took, they still took the hill. Another example of a Pyrrhic victory is Napoleon's siege of Moscow. Though he took the city of Moscow, he lost over 1/3 of his army in the venture. This is the ultimate form of a Pyrrhic Victory.

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

Mass Grave of Soldiers & Babies Found In Italy

10,000 mass graves have been discovered each containing 15-25 bodies of babies and soldiers who fought against the Carthaginians was found in the ancient Greek Himera in Italy. The burial was uncovered during a recent railway extension. The men of the grave died a violent death, and many still had arrow tips in them. The head historian believes that the remains were from a bloody battle fought there in 480BC described by Herodotus of Halicarnassus. The Greek colony itself served as a trade point for the Phoenician trade routes.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/12/081217-himera-mass-grave.html?source=rss

Help Build 3-D Rome

Ever since 2005 computer scientists at the University of Washington in Seattle have been wondering if they can put together a bunch of photos of a place, and reconstruct into a 3-D model. The technique would help the video game industry, the tourism industry, the movie industry, and preserve places for a lifetime. So after a while the team created a program that could make such a model, and decided to attempt to make a 3-D model of Rome using over 150,000 flckr photos. They have created models of Dubrovnik, Croatia using 57,845 photos already in 22.5 hours and one model of landmarks in Venice using 250,000 photos in 60 hours. The Rome project is still underway.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/090924-flickr-rome-build-day.html

Philosophers Timeline

Exact Date Pinned to Great Pyramid's Construction?

According to new research by a group of Egyptian scientists the Great Pyramid of Giza's construction began on August 23, 2470AD. The researchers based it off of the appearances of the star Sothis. Every year during the Nile floods, the star Sothis would rise early in the sky after a long absence.This marked the beginning of an inundation period, and all building began at the beginning of the inundation period. The year is marked as so, because this is when King Khufu took power and was supposed to be buried in this tomb. The team believes the Egyptians observed the star from July 17 to 19, and the inundation period began 35 days later—on August 23.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/090921-great-pyramid-giza-date-built.html

Warriors Timeline

Who Were The Anglo Saxons?

The Anglo Saxons were a Germanic tribe that came over from Germany during the beginning of the decline of the Roman Empire. They gradually invaded the island of England during the 5th century and eventually settled most of the island. There they made some of the most beautiful crafts during that period such as objects out of gold and enamel, allowed with other literary work such as Beowolf.Not only have they donated so much culture and other important aspects to the English culture, but there language is a direct descent from the English language. Much of their treasures were stolen through constant raiding by the Vikings, and the Saxons themselves were eventually kicked out by the Norman's King William in the 9th century.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jrxpPynTP9X11lpQ63w_J7s0klxQD9ATM94G0

Greek Roid Rage

Anabolic steroids did not just get there start recently in baseball or in the Olympics. They started in Ancient Greece to help pump themselves up for the Olympic Games, as they help cell growth rapidly grow. The practice of using Goats Testicles as s use of hormones for the steroids was quite common throughout many of all Greek Olympians. The practice was forgotten after the fall of Greece, but was rediscovered accidentally by German scientists in 1930.

http://hometestingblog.testcountry.com/?p=3684

Archaelogical Site More Than 3300 Years Old Uncovered

An archeological site in the Udaranchamadama area in Embilipitiya, Sri Lanka has been uncovered and the artifacts inside are 3300 years old, the oldest ever found in Sri Lankan history. Some of the artifacts found were grinding stones, painted pots, granite tools, along with other ancient artifacts. Excavations by professional archaeologists are to be completed in about two weeks. The excavation is expected to have found a whole village.

http://trak.in/news/3300-year-old-archaeological-site-discovered-in-sri-lanka/7246/

Ancient ShipWrecks Found

Five Ancient Roman shipwrecks have been recovered off a small Mediterranean island with all of their cargo, including pots, olive oil, kitchen tools, and unidentified glass objects. The ships were submerged in 330 feet of water and were found by archaeological officials scanning in deeper water to look for deep water finds. The ships apparently sank without capsizing. The find also sheds light on the trade routes of Ancient Rome. The largest wreck measured 65 feet.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/special_reports/59765452.html

Maecenas

Gaius Maecenas was born April 13, 70BC and died on October 8BC. He was the quasi-culture minister of Augustus, was born of Etruscan lineage, the grandson of Cicero, and took part in the campaigns of Mutina, Philipi, and Perusia. Maecenas was the biggest contributor to Roman poetry in the world. Virgil introduced Horace, Maecenas best poet, to Maecenas after Virgil himself was impressed with. Maecenas also had a famous Hellenistic-Persian gardens on the Esquilline hill on the Servian Wall. Next to it were libraries and the first hot water baths in Rome. His name has become the byword for a wealthy patron.

Baldwin’s Auction 62 & 63 to Feature Ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine Coins Print This Article

Baldwin's auction has once again selected a nice collection of Ancient Greek, Byzantine and Roman coins to sell in the United Kingdom.The collection includes a rare Greek Medallion, which is pictured above, and was presumed to have been awarded to Emperor Commodus after his African victory. There are a collection of over 400 lots, some of which include some Anglo Saxon coins, rare English ban notes, Christian VIII gold ducat.Overall this exhibit is bound to be one of the best ancient coin auctions this year.
a href="http://www.coinlink.com/News/ancients/baldwin%E2%80%99s-auction-62-63-to-feature-ancient-greek-roman-and-byzantine-coins/"

A Three-Day Battle In 30 Minutes

A reenactment of Hermann's Battle, a.k.a., the Battle of Teutoburg Forest, is taking place in South Central Minnesota. About 100 reenactors are taking part in the 9 A.D. battle between Roman legionaries and Germanic Barbarians. The equipment for roman style equipment is about $2,000 while the German equipment is somewhere in the same range. The reenactment will take part in 12 scenes, and the experience will be enhanced with sound effects of clashing swords and will be projected through KNUJ radio based in the same town as the reenactment, New Ulm. They said that they reenacted this specific battle because it was one of the turning points in the decline of expansion into Germany.

http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/local_story_262003633.html

Ki Animation Using Structuralism

Proairetic:The title comes on with circles surrounding it along with people coming in and out. A mother gives birth to a baby. The baby is born into a room surrounded by many people, and the people place a key around his neck and him in a cage. The baby crawls down the middle of a street with people walking on both sides, and grows into a child. The child swings in a cage and walks down the street once again. The people go in and out. HE gets married and they go into a room and close the caged door. They are in bed and then it goes to a bumpy road. HE walks down the middle of the road again and he grows into an old man. He sits on a park bench surrounded by a barred fence. He is surrounded by people in his grave and his key is taken away.
Hermeneutic: The squares, circles people standing around at birth and death, the two people coming in and out of the screen.
Semic: The study here perhaps would be the key's knowledge, which it holds about life.
Symbolic: The, again, key perhaps signifies the burden of life that he carries around everywhere that he goes.The circle represents the circle of life. The people going in and out represents people dying and being born.
Reference: In the beginning he has no key and is free and at the end he is dead and is free fro the key. The beginning of life and death are the allusions in this much as like when the grinch went down in the beginning and end of the story.
Diagetic: The direction that he goes into is a downward one, because he starts out great with the beginning of life but ends up with death, which is ultimately a downer.