Are there parallels between the Rome/ Jerusalem reality and our contemporary world?
When trying to find parallels between the Rome/ Jerusalem reality and our present world, it is difficult to find a present day scenario that is identical to that of Rome and Jerusalem. However, it is easy to see similarities. First, we said the Roman army acted as a high priest, and the emperor was the General of the Army. The emperor was also seen as a “god” by the people. Secondly, Rome was socially stratified as shown by the control of the slaves by their masters. These slaves had to obey anything their master asked of them whether or not it was morally or ethically right.
In Jerusalem, everything was practically the opposite of Rome. Jerusalem was a “Temple City” in which life was connected with the temple, religion, sacrifice, etc. It was not dominated by the military. This was the most important principle. In regards to the God, no one was as important as him, and no leader would be looked at as a god. Lastly, respect and ethics had to be shown between people of all classes.
As I try to parallel Rome to a present day country, I picture North Korea over and over agin because of their government and military. Kim Jong-Il is a tyrannical leader, who has control over the entire country. Anything he says goes, so there is a sense of social stratification because he acts as the master while his people act as slaves. I present this relationship because of the seclusion and rules he has put in place in North Korea. The following piece from the U.S. Department of State depicts Kim Jong-Il’s control,
“Due to its isolationist nature, North Korea’s human rights record is difficult to evaluate. However, North Korea maintains a record of consistent, severe human rights violations, stemming from the government’s total control over all activity. All sources of media, such as radio, television, and news organizations, are controlled by the regime and heavily censored. North Korea is ranked second to last on the World Press Freedom Index.”
He has also built a country that has a massive military just like the Romans, and is a leader who is feared by his people along with those surrounding North Korea. I am sure the lower class in Rome feared that at any time they could be mandated to become a gladiator or slave. Not only this, but Rome created fear amongst the surrounding countries because of their will to grow their territories. North Korea has created fear in the United States and many other countries with their possible production of nuclear weapons, which I am sure is happening. In the past year in the United States, I have seen numerous stories on CNN, ABC, and NBC surrounding North Korea and their production of nuclear weapons, which creates a fear of possibly being attacked. Overall, North Korea and Rome are similar by the fear they have instilled in others, the size of their military, and the social stratification.
In terms of Jerusalem, it is easy to parallel South Korea to it because of North Korea being my example for Rome. Even though South Korea is the religious country Jerusalem was, the tension between North Korea and South Korea can very much compare to that of Rome and Jerusalem. On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, which was a shock to everyone. This began the Korean War which lasted until July 27, 1953. Since this time, many negotiations have taken place to try and create a unified Korea, but often North Korea has showed its hostile nature with its attack in Myanmar in1983, the bombing of an airliner in 1987, and most recently a North Korean torpedo hitting the war ship, Cheonan, on March 26 of this year (2). The constant attacks on South Korea can be compared to the several attempts by the Romans to destroy Jerusalem.
The Rome/Jerusalem reality is similar to the North Korea/ South Korea reality. North Korea though has many similar qualities that Rome had such as: its military, social stratification, and tyrannical ruling, whereas, South Korea merely compares to Jerusalem because of the hostility shown by North Korea to South Korea. However, the most important aspect of the Rome/ Jerusalem reality was that Rome continually invaded Jerusalem until they were able to bring down the temple, which could possibly be the case with North and South Korea. Hopefully this will not be the case, but it is hard to tell with Kim Jong-Il and their government.
1. U.S. Deparment of State. 9 March 2010.http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2792.htm.
2. U.S. Backs South Korea in Punishing North. 24 May 2010. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37309788/
Monday, August 30, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Hum 225: Art and Culture of Rome 8-24
Marcus Aurelius
Palazzo dei Conservatori
Bronze Statue Once Covered in Gold
There are many aspects of the Marcus Aurelius statue which we can interpet. First, Marcus Aurelius is riding horse which tells us he was a man of power and importance. At the same time, his horse standing and not in the air signaling he was not a warrior. In the original statue, Marcus Aurelius was covered in a thin layer of gold. Only the gods and most prominent figures in Rome had the gold covering. The fact that the Gods were also covered in gold allows us to understand the respect and importance of Marcus Aurelius.
If you look at the horse, you will see right front leg in the air and its head is giving the impression that it is being pulled back. This gives a sense that Marcus is telling the horse to stop, but for what reason. Supposedly, a barbarian who had just been conquered was asking to be killed. Marcus, however, shows that this person no longer free by telling him he will be a slave and not be killed. The extending of Marcus’ right hand, to me, is him telling the people that they are now part of Rome, and are under his rule. All of their freedom and privileges have been stripped away since they were conquered.
Hercules Statue
Palazzo dei Conservatori
Bronze Statue once covered in Gold
The statue of Hercules is covered in gold, just as Marcus’ Aurelius was, because he was one of the Roman Gods, which once again is a symbol of standing and power. Since Hercules is the God of Strength, there are many attributes that symbolize this. First, his statue depicts him as extremely muscular. This can be seen with his calves, biceps, triceps, and chest. The odd part about the statue is the size of his head compared to the rest of the body especially his hands. It is much smaller in relation to the rest of his body. This could be symbolic for the type of person Hercules was meaning he would act out instead of thinking through solutions.
Another aspect of which relates to him being the God of Strength is the enormous club he is holding. In the other hand, he was shown holding something. While I could not depict it, I would imagine it is a body part of someone he had killed. He is also in a relaxed posture looking out into the distance. For me, the statue depicts a time soon after recently being victorious and looking out over the recent bloodshed, especially, since the club is not being held in a manner to which he would plan to use it.
Palazzo dei Conservatori
Bronze Statue Once Covered in Gold
There are many aspects of the Marcus Aurelius statue which we can interpet. First, Marcus Aurelius is riding horse which tells us he was a man of power and importance. At the same time, his horse standing and not in the air signaling he was not a warrior. In the original statue, Marcus Aurelius was covered in a thin layer of gold. Only the gods and most prominent figures in Rome had the gold covering. The fact that the Gods were also covered in gold allows us to understand the respect and importance of Marcus Aurelius.
If you look at the horse, you will see right front leg in the air and its head is giving the impression that it is being pulled back. This gives a sense that Marcus is telling the horse to stop, but for what reason. Supposedly, a barbarian who had just been conquered was asking to be killed. Marcus, however, shows that this person no longer free by telling him he will be a slave and not be killed. The extending of Marcus’ right hand, to me, is him telling the people that they are now part of Rome, and are under his rule. All of their freedom and privileges have been stripped away since they were conquered.
Hercules Statue
Palazzo dei Conservatori
Bronze Statue once covered in Gold
The statue of Hercules is covered in gold, just as Marcus’ Aurelius was, because he was one of the Roman Gods, which once again is a symbol of standing and power. Since Hercules is the God of Strength, there are many attributes that symbolize this. First, his statue depicts him as extremely muscular. This can be seen with his calves, biceps, triceps, and chest. The odd part about the statue is the size of his head compared to the rest of the body especially his hands. It is much smaller in relation to the rest of his body. This could be symbolic for the type of person Hercules was meaning he would act out instead of thinking through solutions.
Another aspect of which relates to him being the God of Strength is the enormous club he is holding. In the other hand, he was shown holding something. While I could not depict it, I would imagine it is a body part of someone he had killed. He is also in a relaxed posture looking out into the distance. For me, the statue depicts a time soon after recently being victorious and looking out over the recent bloodshed, especially, since the club is not being held in a manner to which he would plan to use it.
Hum 325 8-23
British Journalist H.V. Morton once said the history of Rome is, “exhilarating and oppressive for the traveler.” After visiting the city, it is easy to relate to what Morton is saying. I have spent all of my life in the United States with most of those years being in Ohio. Moving to another country brings about a lot of differences to everyday life, which requires changes. These differences have led me to find what I find about Rome exhilarating and oppressive. So far, I have found the endless number of activities and scenery exhilarating while the lack of air conditioning and food oppressive. As far as public transportation I have experienced it from both sides with it being exhilarating and oppressive.
Rome and the surrounding area is filled with an endless amountof activities to do. In the past week and a half, I have went biking on the Via Appia Antica, rented a paddle boat on Lake Albano, went out to Campo Di Fiori to experience the nightlife, hit on red clay tennis courts for the first time, and visited numerous historic sites. The only options I would have had in Dover would have been to go to the park, ride a bike, or hang out on my porch. While all are very relaxing, it is nice to stay busy and gain meaningful experiences here in Italy.
During all of these activities, I have been able to see the extradinary scenery. The best example I can give is riding down the Via Appia. While riding on the road, there were numerous tombs, upscale houses that were gated off, colorful plants, and large country sides. Also, the road was made of large stones, which had become very unlevel leaving for a very bumpy ride. What catches my eye the most is the structure and style of all the buildings.
The use of the trains and buses has been a new adventure for me. Before I came over here, I rode the subway maybe two or three times in New York. So finding what trains and buses to take on a daily basis has been a neat adventure. I have always had my own car, and never relied on someone else to transport me. Even though this may not seem like a big deal, I have always wanted to experience everything there is to offer. Obviously, the downside is not having the ability to go to a certain place a certain time like the tennis courts. This makes us have to lay everything out and have it planned, so we can catch the right trains and account for time to walk the rest of the way. I am definitely not one of those people that like to plan out every second of everyday and would rather be flexible.
Suprisingly, I have not been amazed by the food. The first couple days I was very into the new kinds of subs and the Italian pizza, but I am very much a fan of home cooking and eating healthy. While I can find healthy food, it is hard to find food to help with my blood pressure since everything is pizza, pasta, salami, or prosciutto all of which are high in sodium. Therefore, my lack of control over what I have to eat especially with dinner has not allowed to experience the food in the same capacity as others. This is why I much more prefer picking and cooking my own food at home.
Lastly, the lack of air conditioning in public places such as: restaurants, shops, and site visits gets to me after all the walking we do outside in the sun during the hottest time of the day. The worst is in the trains on the way home from a day in the city. If there is no air conditioning in our car, I usually become exhausted and fall asleep. Thankfully, we head to Casa Mennesiana afterwards where it is air conditioned, and I can get my second burst of energy.
This past week and a half in Italy and specifically Rome has opened my eyes to many of the differences from where I live to here. I have always been told about these differences, but it really doesn’t set in until you can actually experience it for yourself. Through these experiences I have been able to relate what I have found exhilarating and oppressive in Rome. The number of activities, scenery, and public transportation were all exhilarating for me. While I found public transportation exhilarating, I also found it oppressive along with the food and lack of air conditioning.
Rome and the surrounding area is filled with an endless amountof activities to do. In the past week and a half, I have went biking on the Via Appia Antica, rented a paddle boat on Lake Albano, went out to Campo Di Fiori to experience the nightlife, hit on red clay tennis courts for the first time, and visited numerous historic sites. The only options I would have had in Dover would have been to go to the park, ride a bike, or hang out on my porch. While all are very relaxing, it is nice to stay busy and gain meaningful experiences here in Italy.
During all of these activities, I have been able to see the extradinary scenery. The best example I can give is riding down the Via Appia. While riding on the road, there were numerous tombs, upscale houses that were gated off, colorful plants, and large country sides. Also, the road was made of large stones, which had become very unlevel leaving for a very bumpy ride. What catches my eye the most is the structure and style of all the buildings.
The use of the trains and buses has been a new adventure for me. Before I came over here, I rode the subway maybe two or three times in New York. So finding what trains and buses to take on a daily basis has been a neat adventure. I have always had my own car, and never relied on someone else to transport me. Even though this may not seem like a big deal, I have always wanted to experience everything there is to offer. Obviously, the downside is not having the ability to go to a certain place a certain time like the tennis courts. This makes us have to lay everything out and have it planned, so we can catch the right trains and account for time to walk the rest of the way. I am definitely not one of those people that like to plan out every second of everyday and would rather be flexible.
Suprisingly, I have not been amazed by the food. The first couple days I was very into the new kinds of subs and the Italian pizza, but I am very much a fan of home cooking and eating healthy. While I can find healthy food, it is hard to find food to help with my blood pressure since everything is pizza, pasta, salami, or prosciutto all of which are high in sodium. Therefore, my lack of control over what I have to eat especially with dinner has not allowed to experience the food in the same capacity as others. This is why I much more prefer picking and cooking my own food at home.
Lastly, the lack of air conditioning in public places such as: restaurants, shops, and site visits gets to me after all the walking we do outside in the sun during the hottest time of the day. The worst is in the trains on the way home from a day in the city. If there is no air conditioning in our car, I usually become exhausted and fall asleep. Thankfully, we head to Casa Mennesiana afterwards where it is air conditioned, and I can get my second burst of energy.
This past week and a half in Italy and specifically Rome has opened my eyes to many of the differences from where I live to here. I have always been told about these differences, but it really doesn’t set in until you can actually experience it for yourself. Through these experiences I have been able to relate what I have found exhilarating and oppressive in Rome. The number of activities, scenery, and public transportation were all exhilarating for me. While I found public transportation exhilarating, I also found it oppressive along with the food and lack of air conditioning.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Hum 225: Art and Culture of Rome 8-17
Santa Maria dei Miracoli & Santa Maria in Montesanto
Piazza del Popolo
Churches made of Stone
These two churches are very interesting in the fact that they both look identical but have different structural plans. Where they are built three roads are divided the: Via del Babuino, Via del Corso, and Via di Ripetta. These roads divide out from the point of the Piazza del Popolo; however, they are not the same width and length. This makes the fact that Rainaldi, Bernini, and Fontana were able to construct these two churches to look identical shocking. Their composition of the domes, columns, doors, and outer decorations were perfect in helping create this illusion. Also the use of lines and space were vital with how the streets were positioned.
What I found more interesting was the design of the structure surrounding the bell. For how much work they put in to create the illusion of these two churches being identical, the design of the structures surrounding the bells were obviously constructed to not look similar. So in a sense, I feel as though the designers wanted people to know the churches were different, but they didn’t want to make it obvious. The last aspect of these churches I noticed was the attention to detail put into the statues, tops of columns, and the structures covering the bells. Even though this was normal for the structures built back then, it is amazing to think of the craftsmanship and time it would take to chisel out these various designs.
Arch of Constantine
Close to the Colosseum
Stone
The Arch of Constantine was made to commemorate Constantine I victory over Maxentius. It is mostly made out of older monuments, which shows how the era affected the art. During this time, the marble from temples, forums, and other structures were being reused, so the idea of “recycling” or “reusing” was very popular. The Arch of Constantine took pieces from the Forum of Trajan, reliefs created for Marcus Aurelius, and the roundels from Emperor Hadrian. In a column I read, it mentioned how the decorations constructed particularly for the Arch were of poor quality.
The poor quality of these decorations is symbolic of how the knowledge and craftsmanship was not passed from generation to generation resulting in the demise of the Roman Empire. Along with the poor quality of the decorations, the idea that Constantine I had to take pieces from previous monuments depicts the notion that this generation relied on the previous generations. In the beginning and at the peak of the Roman Empire, it was unthinkable what they were able to achieve. This superiority could have caused future generations to lack the desire and motivation to be innovative and simply rely on what their predecessors achieved. It is equivalent to a rich father and mother having a son who simply does nothing but mooch of his parents because the resources are there for him. This is the easy route, but after a while the resources are run dry and with little movement forward future generations begin to feel the burden of this.
Piazza del Popolo
Churches made of Stone
These two churches are very interesting in the fact that they both look identical but have different structural plans. Where they are built three roads are divided the: Via del Babuino, Via del Corso, and Via di Ripetta. These roads divide out from the point of the Piazza del Popolo; however, they are not the same width and length. This makes the fact that Rainaldi, Bernini, and Fontana were able to construct these two churches to look identical shocking. Their composition of the domes, columns, doors, and outer decorations were perfect in helping create this illusion. Also the use of lines and space were vital with how the streets were positioned.
What I found more interesting was the design of the structure surrounding the bell. For how much work they put in to create the illusion of these two churches being identical, the design of the structures surrounding the bells were obviously constructed to not look similar. So in a sense, I feel as though the designers wanted people to know the churches were different, but they didn’t want to make it obvious. The last aspect of these churches I noticed was the attention to detail put into the statues, tops of columns, and the structures covering the bells. Even though this was normal for the structures built back then, it is amazing to think of the craftsmanship and time it would take to chisel out these various designs.
Arch of Constantine
Close to the Colosseum
Stone
The Arch of Constantine was made to commemorate Constantine I victory over Maxentius. It is mostly made out of older monuments, which shows how the era affected the art. During this time, the marble from temples, forums, and other structures were being reused, so the idea of “recycling” or “reusing” was very popular. The Arch of Constantine took pieces from the Forum of Trajan, reliefs created for Marcus Aurelius, and the roundels from Emperor Hadrian. In a column I read, it mentioned how the decorations constructed particularly for the Arch were of poor quality.
The poor quality of these decorations is symbolic of how the knowledge and craftsmanship was not passed from generation to generation resulting in the demise of the Roman Empire. Along with the poor quality of the decorations, the idea that Constantine I had to take pieces from previous monuments depicts the notion that this generation relied on the previous generations. In the beginning and at the peak of the Roman Empire, it was unthinkable what they were able to achieve. This superiority could have caused future generations to lack the desire and motivation to be innovative and simply rely on what their predecessors achieved. It is equivalent to a rich father and mother having a son who simply does nothing but mooch of his parents because the resources are there for him. This is the easy route, but after a while the resources are run dry and with little movement forward future generations begin to feel the burden of this.
Hum 325- Rome: Stories and Traditions 8-16-10
Growing up we studied the Roman Empire numerous times through all of our history classes. Each and every time I was amazed and astonished at the ability of the Romans Empire. Their ability to build structures one hundred feet high with stones weighting multiple tons is incredible. However, when I looked at the Roman Empire after our conversation Monday morning, I began to question what the future would have been if the Roman Empire existed.
Monday morning we read a paragraph in The Smiles of Rome, which questioned the “creation of such works since greater ones have been destroyed by time.” Some may argue that the work of the Roman Empire was the greatest during its era and beyond, but the point is look at what might have been. What if the Romans had decided the construction of these structures were not worth their time?
Much of what the Roman Empire did was ingenious and could not be duplicated for centuries. For example, they created a sewer and water system, retractable covering of sails for the Colosseum, an arch design to help support the weight of the stones, and much more. So what would have been if the Empire had not existed. Not only would these inventions and ideas not exist, but it would have presented another challenge.
Today, we are continually restructuring, changing, or inventing new structures, buildings, electronic devices, etc. The advancement is usually based off of current objects with some imagination. Therefore, the proposition of the Roman Empire never existing could have changed the entire appearance of the city today and slowed technological development for centuries to come. The city might not consist of fountains, piazzas, columns, or obelisks along with other cities whose creation were based upon these structures. As far as the obelisk, this brings about the influence of the countries which the Roman Empire had conquered. With no empire obelisks would not have been brought to Rome along with any other idea or structure that came about from the spread of the empire.
On Monday, we also discussed the reading in The Italians. From the discussion, I took away how the author was going to paint us a beautiful picture of Rome while showing us its imperfections. Therefore, I tried to notice some of their imperfections or flaws because we all notice the beauty of it. When Laura discussed the battles that took place between Gladiators and/or animals and the number of slaves the empire had, you can sense how barbaric the people were in these times. Of course, this was the normal back then, but now we look back in astonishment. The fact that over a thousand animals were killed in a week is amazing or how they sent Gladiators out into battles with no weapons is shocking. Also, the fashion how people could vote for throats to be slit is jaw dropping. In terms of slaves, it is unimaginable how many the Roman Empire had. In a column I read, they said it took somewhere near a thousand people to help built and hoist the sails for the covering of the Coloseum. Now think about the number of slaves needed to build the roads, Coloseum, fountains, forums, temples, and columns. The Roman Empire was truly blessed with its creativity and intelligence but at the same time had no consideration for those who were not up to their standards.
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