The Age of Pericles and Periclean Athens

The Age of Pericles refers to part of the Classical Age of Greece, when the dominant polis—in terms of culture and politics—was Athens, Greece. Most of the cultural wonders that we associate with ancient Greece come from this period. The Dates of the Classical Age Sometimes the term Classical Age refers to the entire expanse of ancient Greek history, from the archaic period, but when used to distinguish one era from the next, the Classical Age of Greece begins with the Persian Wars (490-479 B.C.) and ends with either the empire-building or the death of the Macedonian leader Alexander the Great (323 B.C.). The Classical Age is followed by the Hellenistic Age that Alexander ushered in. Besides war, the Classical era in Athens, Greece, produced great literature, philosophy, drama, and art. There is a single name that signifies this artistic period: Pericles. The Age of Pericles (in Athens) The Age of Pericles runs from the middle of the 5th century to either his death at the start of the Peloponnesian War or the end of the war, in 404. Pericles as Leader While he was not a king or dictator in charge of Athens, Greece, Pericles was the foremost statesman of Athens from 461-429. Pericles was repeatedly elected to be one of the 10 strategoi (generals). Aspasia of Miletus Pericles was strongly influenced by Aspasia, a female philosopher and courtesan from Miletus, who lived in Athens, Greece. Because of a recent citizenship law, Pericles couldnt marry a woman who wasnt born in Athens, so he could only cohabit with Aspasia. Pericles' Reforms Pericles introduced payment for public offices in Athens. Pericles' Building Projects Pericles initiated the building of the Acropolis structures. The Acropolis was the high point of the city, the original fortifiable area before the city of Athens expanded. Temples topped the Acropolis, which was behind the Pnyx  hill where the assembly of the people gathered. Pericles preeminent building project was the Parthenon  (447-432 B.C.), on the Acropolis. The famed Athenian sculptor Pheidias, who was also responsible for the chryselephantine  statue of Athena, supervised this project. Ictinus and Callicrates served as architects for the Parthenon. Delian League Pericles is credited with moving the treasury of the Delian League to Athens, Greece, and using its money to rebuild the Acropolis temples that the Persians had destroyed. This was an abuse of the treasury funds. The money was supposed to be for the  defense of Athens and its Greek allies. Other Famous Men in the Classical Age Besides Pericles, Herodotus the father of history and his successor, Thucydides, and the 3 famous Greek dramatists Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides lived during this period. There were also renowned philosophers like Democritus during this period, as well as sophists. Drama and philosophy flourished. The Peloponnesian War But then the Peloponnesian War broke out in 431. It lasted for 27 years. Pericles, along with many others, died of an undetermined plague during the war. The plague was especially deadly because people were crowded together within the walls of Athens, Greece, for strategic reasons connected with the war. Historians of the Archaic and Classical Period HerodotusPlutarchStraboPausaniasThucydidesDionorus  SiculusXenophonDemosthenesAeschinesNeposJustin Historians When Greece Was Dominated by the Macedonians DiodorusJustinThucydidesArrian fragments of Arrian found in PhotiusDemosthenesAeschinesPlutarch

Equality for All Essay - 745 Words

Equality for All Illegal, unconstitutional, disgusting and sinful are only a few words people use to describe what I consider a personal right. Gay marriage has been a topic of discussion in the United States for the past couple years. Lately the subject has increased along with the arguments from both sides of the spectrum. I am a gay male and look forward to finding the man of my dreams and marrying him some day but this can only happen if the minds of certain individuals change along with the laws prohibiting it. Gay marriage should be legal throughout the country; it does not hurt anyone and can be beneficial for many. Some individuals label gay marriage as weakening the definition and respect of the institution of marriage.†¦show more content†¦Gay marriage would also help out local communities in multiple ways. Same sex couples cannot naturally reproduce and adoption numbers would increase. According to a study done by UCLA school of Law and the Urban Institute, â€Å"Same-sex couples and homosexual singles applying for adoption tend to be older, better educated, and have more economic resources than their heterosexual counterparts† (Wagner 7). This would help in many different areas including: fewer children in foster care and orphanages which means less government money being past to that direction, couples sending their adopted children to local schools which would increase local school funding, and these children growing up in loving families and getting the education they need to assist in the economic areas of the country. There are benefits to the same sex couple that come with marriage also. These include: joint ownership of possessions shared between the couple, medical decision-making in tough situations, insurance coverage for one’s partner and most of all love is love we should be able to love who we want and marry them. So why can we not agree that this would be a great move for the United States to legalize gay marriage? The q uestion is still being asked to many people. Slowly but surely we are getting closer to equal rights for everyone, but weShow MoreRelatedTrue Feminism : Equality For All1497 Words   |  6 PagesTrue Feminism: Equality for All Throughout history, feminism has proven to be a powerful movement with a simple goal in mind: equal rights for women. Since the earliest forms of feminism in the eighteenth century, women have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds and made leaps and bounds in the direction of that goal. Today, women are in a better position than they ever have been in American history, or the history of the world, but the goal has still not yet been met. Freedom fighters advocatingRead MoreFeminism And The Equality Of All Sexes1401 Words   |  6 Pagesfeminism truly is, how it fit into gender equality, some good examples of feminism, and what feminism is still working for. 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In the current form of affirmative action, it is impossible to create a truly equal society. It was originally used as an equal opportunity measure to allow qualified minorities into positions they were denied because of race. However, affirmative action has become a system of racial quotas that lowers standards for minority applicants in order to give themRead MoreEquality for All: Gay Marriage Essay1430 Words   |  6 Pagesorientation the right to wed, but I hope to be a part in gaining that benefit for those that have been previously denied it. Also in the process of researching, I hoped to gain an understanding of whether or not the arguments of those who oppose equality can disconfirm the reasons to allow gay couples to get married. The controversy over gay rights is quite complex with many discrepancies between both sides. 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Ambiguity in Princess Mononoke Essay Example For Students

Ambiguity in Princess Mononoke Essay In the movie Princess Mononoke, Ashitaka, Lady Eboshi, and the Spirit of the Forest are some of the many ambiguous characters. But what is ambiguity? Ambiguity is when somebody is doubtful, uncertain or unclear. In the movie, Ashitaka is in a war between nature and the people of Irontown. The people of Irontown and the ruler, Lady Eboshi, created the deadly weapon, the gun, and are trying to destroy the forests and its inhabitants for the iron, while nature is trying to defend the forests. Throughout this conflict, the people and nature realizes that they cant live without each other and eventually they make peace. One of the main characters, Ashitaka, shows many ambiguous moments after he gets cursed. Ashitaka is a brave young man, and he is a good being. He is kind to the people of Irontown by saving and caring for them many times and to the nature as he tries to stop the war and make peace. But, when his arm gets cursed by the demon his arm would be evil by trying to kill people. The curse had to be cured or else he will have a slow and painful death. He journeys to the Far East looking for a cure and to find out what created the demon, starting his own little quest. Also at many times, when his arm tries to attack people he controls and calms it by putting it underwater or by squeezing it. Putting his arm underwater and squeezing it helps him take control of his arm as the cool water helps it become calm, and by squeezing it showing his arm that hes stronger. Another character that shows ambiguity is lady Eboshi. She is the inventor of the unbeatable weapon, the gun, and she wants to rule the world with it. But, to create more guns and ammunition she needs lots of iron. Because of the major need of iron, she destroys forests and all the living creatures trying to stop her. Although she is a powerful and cruel lady destroying lots of forests and killing animals, she is a good leader for Irontown. She is very caring for her people and especially for the women, giving them jobs. She also creates lighter guns for easier use, and her people respect her greatly for her heroism. In the end of the movie when the giant, The Spirit of the Forest, collapses and dies his dead body revitalizes all the plants and trees, giving them a new life. That is when Lady Eboshi realizes that she has to create a better town and make peace between nature and her people. And finally, the last ambiguous character is the Spirit of the Forest, also known as the Nightwalker. This creature is the guardian of nature and keeps peace in the forest, also reviving Ashitaka in the movie when he gets shot, but when it gets decapitated by lady Eboshi it becomes a creature of destruction. While the men ran away with the head, the headless creature destroys and sucks the life out of all the living things while searching for the head destroying almost everything. In conclusion, in the end of the movie a new life begins where a better town is created and Ashitaka is cured from his curse. I think th e director is trying to say that everybody is ambiguous at times, but its how you control it that counts.

St. Francis Of Assisi Essays (1365 words) - Franciscan Spirituality

St. Francis Of Assisi Page 1 History Paper Spring Term 2000 Prof. Fabrizio St. Francis of Assisi St. Francis is considered a legendary hero and a popular saint. He was born in 1181, the middle of a time of great increases and expansions in the medieval West, in Assisi, the place where this was strongest. His parents were Pietro and Pica Bernardone. His father was a wealthy silk merchant. St. Francis spent his childhood in extravagant living and pleasure-seeking. He was always in trouble and ran around Assisi with his friends, eating, drinking, and having a good time. He went to war to fight for Assisi against Perugia and was taken prisoner in 1202. Eventually he was released and once again, returned to his old carefree ways. He became seriously ill for a while but then returned to the wars in 1205. He experienced a vision of Christ at Spoleto which was then followed by another vision while he returned to Assisi. One vision was of Christ telling him, ?Go and rebuild my church. It is falling down.? These visions are what changed his lifestyle forever. Despite his wealthy, comfortable life, St. Francis chose a life of poverty. He wore rags and wooden shoes on his bare feet. His father became furious at this and threatened to disown him. Francis returned his father's money and clothes that he had taken to help rebuild the church and severed relations with his father. St. Francis rebuilt San Damiano with money begged from his townsmen. He went on a pilgrimage to Rome in 1206, identifying himself with the poor and helping to take care of those who suffered from ?leprosy'. For two or three years he lived alone, Page 2 History 1010 wandering. Eventually, seven disciples joined him. Some of them were older, some middle-aged, but they lived together as a community at the Portiuncula in Assisi, near a leper colony. Here, he devoted himself completely to his life's work of poverty and preaching. St. Francis and the other preachers stood out from the other Italian poor preachers of the time because they had respect for, and showed obedience to the Church authorities and their doctrinal orthodoxy. They lived in simple huts and their churches were small. They slept on the ground and had no tables or chairs, as well as very few books. In 1209, St. Francis founded the order of Friars Minor, which took the people of that time by surprise because by doing this, Francis presented poverty, chastity, and obedience in terms of troubadours and courts of love. After this, St. Francis gained many followers. Francis wished to preach to more people from farther around. In 1212 he went eastward, but was driven on to the Dalmatian coast. In 1214 he left once again, this time for Morocco through Spain, but, he became very sick and was forced to come back home. In 1219, he sailed from Ancona with twelve other friars, heading for Acre and Damietta. Francis managed to pass through enemy lines and meet with the Sultan who was very impressed but did not want to convert. St. Francis would not take all the rich presents he was given and he went back to the Christian armies. In 1221, Francis made a rule, which was approved in 1223 as the Regula Bullata. It canalized the Franciscan Order into the Church. Francis had already made a rule Page 3 History 1010 previous to the Regula Bullata, called the Regula Prima, in 1210. The Regula Prima began with a promise of obedience and reverence to Pope Innocent III and his successors. Most of it deals with the Gospels, which refer to renunciation and to the conditions of life of the followers of Christ. Also, it says that ?all brothers shall be catholic and live and speak as catholics. If any shall err from the catholic faith and life either by word or deed and shall not mend his way, let him be expelled from the brotherhood.' In 1212, Francis was joined by St. Clare who helped to establish the Franciscan nuns. St. Francis was known to have a close bond or relationship with animals. Stories are told about him preaching to the birds, telling them that God loves them and that they should praise Him for everything they have been given, such as wings to fly freely through the sky. There is also another favorite