Essays on Gods

The Japanese culture and mythology reflects back to ancient times and just like the Christian creation story, they too have their own creation story. They believe that the world did not just appear and become what it is today as we see it. Instead, they believe that there were powerful sources that are responsible for the creation of heavens, the earth and oceans. Interestingly, Japan has a unique myth about the creation of each of her islands. Although its history has gone through a lot of dynamism and change, including various cultural aspects, the islands have maintained their religious ...

The Cave

Plato’s The Cave is an allegorical story which Socrates was telling one of his followers Glaucon to explain to him the difference between a philosopher who seeks wisdom and others who aim to remain in ignorance. In the story, Socrates tells of a group of people who have been chained facing an empty wall their entire lives. They are unable to look anywhere, except the wall. Right behind them is an assembly line of items that are constantly going by which are reflected onto the wall by the light which comes from the fire that is behind the ...

Homer and Hesiod are famous for their work concerning poetry. This paper compares them as poets. To begin with, Hesiod was a well-known Greek poet, who was identified as a hard worker throughout his work between the 750 and 650 BC. He wrote his story in the first European poetry using the similar words used by the ancient writers. During this period, Hesiod was trying to establish a relationship with the Greek religious clients. Viewing the scholars’ arguments, they pointed out Hesiod as the main source of the Greek mythology, knowledge on farming, and a great timekeeper. He analyzes ...

Introduction

Pre-Spanish Era Religious Practices Political Structure Material Culture Spanish Occupation Material Culture

The Culture after the Spanish Conquest

Religious Influence of the Catholic Spanish and the Remaining Ethnic Groups Influences of the Protestant Church Religious Fighting between the Roman Catholic and Protestant Church Current Economic and Cultural Development Cultural Development Introduction Argentina is considered by Calvert, Donghi and Eidt (2016) as the eighth largest country in the world but is considered to be only third within Latin America (Buenos, 2014). The reason for this is that the land area of Argentina with 2.78 million square kilometers is larger than Mexico and the Texas state combined ( ...

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a literary work in the form of a poem traced to ancient Mesopotamia. It is believed to be one of the earliest literary pieces in the history of the world. It was authored originally in the Sumerian Cuneiform language dated between 2700BCE to 2500 BCE. The protagonist of the myth is one Gilgamesh, an ancient ruler, and warrior who ruled the city-state of Uruk. He is revered for having built the magnificent temples and massive walls of Uruk (Gardner & Maier 1984). The Old Testament, on the other hand, is widely borrowed from Torah which ...

In 399 BC, one of the greatest ancient thinkers, Socrates, faced the trial upon the accusations of his corrupting influence on the Athenian youth, rejection of gods recognized by the Athenian state and invention of new gods. In the course of the trial, the philosopher was given an opportunity to defend himself, and his speech interpreted by Plato under the title Apology has survived until nowadays as a prominent example of rhetoric and argumentation. Socrates moves from explanations of his actions to critique of the values and misconceptions of his accusers (particularly, Meletus). Although one would expect a person ...

Poems on Passing the Ruined Capital of Ōmi

The sections of the poem are as follows: it consists of a long chōka, and there are two envoys following it. In the first longer part, chōka, Hitomaro mentions the ruler who has chosen to move the capital from the location “under heavens” (Shirane, 2012) to a “wild place” (Shirane, 2012), and wonders how the ruler could have made such a decision. The author also describes the present desolation of the former capital, as its ruins stand in the spring sun. The contrast between the observed ruins, the broken, demolished city, and the past majesty of the ...

Nowadays, it is extremely hard to imagine the world where there is no war, no blood and no struggle for power and influence. We get upset when we turn on the TV. However, it is important to remember that people were at war with each other from the very beginning of civilizations. People were militant because they wanted to conquer new lands and prove their strength to their neighbors. Many wars, including the legendary Trojan War, were fought for women. The entire nations were brought up prepared to go to war with other empires, including Spartans, Persians and Romans, ...

The universe itself created the gods.

The Titans came first. Olympus. Olympus was located at a region above the mountains of the earth, commonly thought of in Mt. Olympus.

The Seasons

Ambrosia Nectar (see chart)

Lesser Gods

Aphrodite Ares god of love

Hymen

Hebe, daughter of Zeus and Hera and wife to Hercules. Ganymede Iris The Graces—three of them, he daughters of Zeus and Eurynome. The Muses (goddesses of the arts)—they are nine of them, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, companions of Apollo. Some mortals went to Mount Olympus, and some achieved god status. Gods of the Waters Poseidon Ocean ruled the great river, husband to Tethys. ...

In the ancient Rome, cults had a different meaning. Other than referring to the current brainwashing institutions or deviation from the mainstream beliefs, Romans used cults to worship gods who affected their daily lives (Crawford, 2011). With time, Romans created new gods and cults and this lead to the creation of the imperial cult. After the death of Julius Caesar, the Roman state recognized him as a god. In 29 BC, Caesar’s adopted son Augustus permitted the building of temples for Caesar in Asia Minor marking the first manifestation of the Imperial cult (Pollard, 2011). Augustus used a ...

People often juxtapose their world to the world of nature. More and more often modern people, in contrast to those living in ancient times, express an opinion that they are masters on the earth and, therefore, have a right to exercise dominion over animals, plants, and nature on the whole. However, in most cases, people are just slaves of circumstances and of the environment in which they happen to exist. Disgrace, a Booker-prize winning novel by J.M. Coetzee (1999), is all about that coexistence of the two worlds – the world of nature and the world of people who want ...

The Lament for Prince Peer of the Sun, of The Lament for Prince Kusakabe, is among the earliest poetic works of Kakinomoto no Hitomaro that have survived until modern days. The poem, which is an elegy in form, was originally intended to commemorate the late Japanese crown prince Kusakabe, a successor of the emperor Tenmu. The beginning lines of the poem point to the place of Kusakabe’s temporary burial palace and express the poem’s relation to the mourning period following Kusakabe’s premature death. The first meaningful section of the poem is a clear allusion to Japanese ...

Introduction

The White Temple, Uruk at Iraq circa 3200 B.C.E., and the Stepped Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, circa 2630 B.C.E. execute the basis for architectural comparisons. Despite the ancient origins of each respective architectural building, several components of the designs such as composition and style, will attempt to inform a cogent analysis and discussion herein. Each structure holds a particular meaning or function in its architectural design. A brief overview of history of the White Temple at Uruk, Iraq, will reveal that the citizens of this ancient dwelling eventually abandoned the region until approximately 300 AD, due to a ...

‘Oedipus the King’ was written by the Greek playwright Sophocles. Though a tragedy, like many from the Greek classics, it is laden with meaning that finds relevance even today in the modern world. The story contains a riddle about a murder and how it politically affects the state. The story, in a few words, is about the downfall of a brave warrior. This theme recurs in all cultures and can be found in almost any literature in the world. Since the theme is universal, folk cultures are replete with ballads to depict such tales. With the development of literature, ...

Why do the myths, works of art and literature history and artwork concerning the Trojan war furnish such a great opportunity to engage all the major questions of life and society and of the humanities The Trojan War which is a legendary conflict between the people of Troy and the Greeks is said to have been fought for about 10 years with great influence from the gods. The myths and the arts value the Trojan War because it shows that mortals are subject to the fate decided upon them by the gods. In this case, Zeus saw that the ...

Summary

Different people from various backgrounds hold diverse beliefs on the origin of the world. Lewis, for instance, had the belief that the root of the world was from the darkness and beautiful distant sounds like those that emanate from far away singers. The Ohlone individuals in San Francisco believe that the head being was Coyote who created the world. The people influenced by Genesis hold that the world came being from the fall of refinement. Bestowing to the Pomo on the other side, a tribe in Northern California, the sphere was molded when a god set rolling the wax ...

Introduction

Systems of writing have been cited as one of the earliest and greatest inventions of human beings. Kanji is a broad term used to refer to logographic characters widely used in the Japanese writing system. In Japanese, Kanji simply means “Han Characters.” Kanji is therefore inherently Chinese which was adopted by the Japanese due to their close interactions in trade in the early years dating back to around 57AD (Rodgers 25). As a result, therefore, some modifications and alterations have been done on the initial Japanese Kanji to fit it into the Japanese language. Japanese Kanji has undergone tremendous ...

Euthyphro

. The argument in Euthyphro sounds in line 5 section 7 as follows: «what is dear to the gods is pious, what is not is impious.» . Euthyphro consists of a dialogue between Socrates and EuthyphroEuthyphro argues that the pious was what he was doing then, to prosecute the wrongdoer. Socrates has opposite position and supposes that what is loved by the gods is also hated by them. Socrates is arguing against prosecuting Euthyphro’s father for murder. Socrates concludes that people recognize that the pious is loved because it is pious, not pious because it is loved. On the other ...

“Oedipus Rex”, “The Glass Menagerie”, “The Angels in America”

The tragedies have always seemed to attract a wide range of audience because of the depth of the emotions revealed there and the turns of events which would be dreadful and inescapable, the complexity of its characters and main issues present in the plays, as well as because of a possibility for the spectators to connect to the events happening on the stage and empathize with the protagonists. When considering the tragedy as the work of art, it is essential to view it from historical perspective, too, and try to reveal its very origins and the basic ideas which ...

How do the gods interact with each other in the council scene of Book 1? What reasons do they give for their actions towards humans? The gods are respectful towards each other. They speak in turns and determine the fates of human beings. However, sometimes they disagree in opinion as in the case of Poseidon disagreeing with the other gods concerning Odysseus. The gods expect human beings to obey them, and failure to do so results in punishment to the human beings. The gods make the rules of the land and expect human beings to abide by these rules.

How does Athena visit Telemachus? Does he recognize her?

...

Pseudoscience is a belief or the process that attempts to trap the ideas, methodology and techniques from science, but it is not able to achieve them on its terms. On a wider note, the pursuits of the knowledge about in Pseudoscience involve considerable elements of guesswork, intuitions, and the experiments which do not adequately test the theory. Further, in pseudoscience, the results may be incorrectly interpreted or sometimes entirely wrong. The movie “The Chariots of the Gods” by Erich von Daniken uses considerable descriptions and the pseudoscience to the support the thematic ideas as depicted. Von Daniken describes being ...

Spirituality is explained differently by numerous scholars belonging to different epochs and periods. Some describe it as "the human response to God's gracious call to a relationship with himself “(Zinnbauer et al., 1997); nowadays there is a tendency to affiliate spirituality to individual phenomenon and define as “personal transcendence, supra-conscious sensitivity, and meaningfulness “(Zinnbauer et al., 1997). Mentioned definitions can be true, yet, what matters is the angle one looks at. This paper aims to tackle different associations and definitions of the term spirituality. Furthermore, it looks at the interconnection between the notions of scientism, postmodernism along with the ...

Harlem Renaissance Poets: Essays on Langston Hughes’s “Jazz Band in a Parisian Cabaret” and Countee Cullen’s “Heritage” and Harlem Renaissance-Inspired Poem (Student’s Full Name) (Name of Professor) Harlem Renaissance Poets: Essay on Langston Hughes’s “Jazz Band in a Parisian Cabaret” and Countee Cullen’s “Heritage” and Harlem Renaissance-Inspired Poem According to David Chioni Moore (1996), there “exists and existed in this century a black culture that is neither African, Caribbean, American, nor European, but is rather all of these at once and more” (p. 49). The previously mentioned statement encapsulates both the dilemma and the ...

Comparing Sculptures of Ancient India and Greece

Since the very dawn of art, sculpture had been one of the most important to the artists of almost every nation. The way a nation makes sculptures reflects their mentality, way of thinking about themselves, the surrounding world and their gods. Every nation had depicted their divines and humans in a specific fashion and in those very interesting peculiarities are be observed. In this essay we will compare the sculpture of Ancient India and Greece, find similarities and differences in their ways of depicting the humans and gods, the correlations between god and human sculptures and their reflection in ...

Gods at War

How Can You Keep the Gods From Taking Over Your Life? Idolatry is something which Christians must guard against during the entirety of their lives. Particularly today, with consumerism being as rife as it is, idols can be easily picked up just by going about daily life. The bible counsels against idolatry in many sections, including the (arguably one of the most important verses on the subject) you shall not make for yourself an image of anything in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship ...

This course has allowed me to become more aware of South Asia, not only with its geographic value, but more so about the unique culture, economic, traditional and religious aspects. I likewise learned of the existence of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SARRC), and its global importance given that it comprises about one-fifths of the world’s population. As such, the member-nations that make up SARRC, which are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, are unique in their own way but nevertheless exhibit similarities common to the South Asian culture. For one, I ...

Prometheus Bound by Peter Paul Rubens

Prometheus Bound is an oil painting showing the punishment of Prometheus. It was being painted between 1611 and 1618 by Peter Paul Rubens. This is a joint work including the eagle painted by the animal painter Frans Snyders though Kimball notes that Rubens himself stated to be an original by his own hand (67). The artist himself described his work as “the flower of my stock (Atkins)”. The Greek play Prometheus Bound was the basis of the painting. The painting is a prominent example of Baroque art. It is the central piece in the PMA’s exhibition “The Wrath ...

Western society (and to a lesser extent near-Eastern society as well) has felt the impact of the Classical world for thousands of years. The philosophy and political processes have all made their mark in one way or another, but it is the impact which Classical mythology has had on the world at large which is most well-known (or is at least more visible). From the use of classical imagery in famous paintings and sculptures, to the slightly less salubrious twisting of Greek fertility Gods into representations of Evil, classical mythology and imagery has saturated our culture from almost the ...

When analyzing and comparing two works of art, there are many aspects that one must take into account, especially if they belong to different mediums. Even though there may be many differences, one can still find similarities between two masterpieces. This is more significant if they belong to the same historical and ideological context, as in the case of Sandro Botticelli’s painting “The Birth of Venus” and Agnolo Poliziano's poem “Stanze per la Giostra”. They were both important exponents of the Renaissance’s humanist movement, which sought to recall the importance of man, including the rationality and mythology ...

The Greco-Roman myth is characterized by familial power struggles which mean that power structure was primarily hereditary as power revolved around one family. Familial power structures are reflected by the way Zeus allocated responsibilities to his sons and daughters. The gods, such as Zeus father, killed their sons for fear that they would usurp them while there were also incidences where gods would be dethroned from power. The Greco-Roman myth reflects the way power struggles interfere with the functioning of the society and the extent to which those in authority are willing to go in sustaining their authority and ...

Islamic Architecture in India

The diversity has always been a distinguishing cross-cutting feature of the whole mankind. Consequently, the modern world has always been a multicultural one since the dawn of times and it is absolutely impossible to establish particular borders between the cultures, as such phenomena as cross-cultural communication has existed during the whole timeline. On this point, it is important to mention that the emerging of any culture first of all depends on the location of its carriers. In other words, it strongly depends on the geographical matters. That is why such rapid cultural differentiation appeared, which has manifested, first of ...

Q1: Comparison of Ancient Greek and Egyptian Architectural Designs

There are great similarities in the ancient architectural designs of pyramids in the Egyptians Old Kingdom and the Greek temples of Acropolis that were constructed within the age of the Pericles. The ancient Egyptian and Greek Civilizations are home to some of the oldest architectural structures and designs in history* . However, the evolution of architectural designs in these two civilizations has had different and similar aspects, and is also thought to have taken place within the periods of 1150 BC to 146 BC. In addition, the two civilizations existed in different geographical conditions, implying that the architects in these ...

Colonization is a process in which imperial power systems dominate a region and its components. It features, among other things, cultural domination, political subjugation, religious assimilation and economic exploitations. The colonists used these measures as tools of winning control of the helpless people. Colonization has a close link to massive exploitation and assimilations of new cultures and it further involves actual or threat of use of force. The colonizers were formidable icons and commanded loyalty through aggression. In light of colonialism, established cultures disintegrated. On the case of Britain emperialism,Tarique noted that, “as one of its legacieshas been ...

Managing the gods in our lives

Idleman has talked about god of food and god of sex in her book. Food is generally good because it helps in the physical growth, but people must desire to have the food that will nourish their souls forever. People often get hungry after eating, meaning that they want to eat time and time again, but its because they already chose to worship the god of food that control them. On this note, they should yearn to replace that god with the living God, and surely they will realize how good is the Lord (Psalms 34: 8). Besides, Matt ...

The Epic of Gilgamesh is regarded as one of the earliest extant written works and is in many ways the foundation for every story that would come after it, from the Biblical story of Noah and the flood to today’s action-adventure superheroes. The Epic of Gilgamesh tells a tale of gods and monsters, and of two heroes—King Gilgamesh and his companion, Enkidu—whose impossible feats of strength, bravery, and cunning would fit easily alongside those of figures like Perseus and Hercules. Like the myths of other well-known heroes, Gilgamesh and Enkidu undertake quests, first killing the Humbaba, ...

The book of Deuteronomy 6:15 says that “For the Lord your God, who lives among you, is a jealous God.” The scripture means that God is envious about what people do, especially if they are not doing them for the glory of God. It also means that not everything that people do is pleasing in God’s eyes, and He rebukes some of the activities human beings engage in. Idleman talks extensively about the jealous God. Just to reflect on a jealous God, she says that everything in the universe belongs to God and nothing can be compared to ...

Nowadays, Hawaii is one of the most popular travel destinations. The first associations that come to one’s mind hearing about Hawaii are board surfing, aloha, hula, and incredibly beautiful ocean and sky. However, despite the seeming enervation, Hawaii islands have a rich history rooted in the history of the Polynesian Triangle. This paper aims to discuss the history and culture of ancient Hawaii and the kingdom. As well as New Zealand and Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Hawaii is one of the corners of the Polynesian Triangle. Most cultures of the islands in the Polynesian Triangle have similar Polynesian ...

The topic of Piety has been best discussed and covered by Plato in the dialogue between Socrates and Euthyphro. The two speakers engage in a verbal discussion on the applicability as well as the meaning of the word Piety. This essay will start out with a brief overview of the dialogue and will proceed to critically examine the concepts discussed between Euthyphro and Socrates. Lastly, the essay would also briefly discuss Plato’s view from my own viewpoint, while also examining my own notions of Piety.

Overview

The story starts out as a dialogue between Plato and Euthyphro. While Plato ...

Introduction

Oedipus Rex (c. 430 BC) of Sophocles is the story of the supremacy of the gods who command the fate of men, no matter their station in life. Oedipus, son of King Laios, who was abandoned by his father after having his feet nailed hearing a prophecy that he would die from his son, returns too Thebes to rule in the land which had just lost its King. He had killed an old man while on his way and manages to outwit the Sphinx with her cryptic riddles to enter the Theban walls where he is hailed King and ...

Socrates can be justly named the father of Western philosophy and as a consequence of the science itself. Even given that we have no factual evidence, except literary sources, of his existence at all, he still is regarded as one of the greatest if not the greatest philosopher in the history of Western thought. He is given such credits not without a reason. Despite his claim that he only knows that he knows nothing when reading his dialogs written by Plato, his most notable disciple, I got stunned and impressed with his wisdom and insight. In Euthyphro, the story ...

In the past, people respected their religion and did everything good to show respect and belief in their religion. When we take a case of Christianity for example, they respected each other according to the word of God that taught on loving their neighbor with the same love they have for themselves. Most importantly, many individuals particularly Americans believe that morality is not possible without the belief in God (Pew research Center, 2007). In the past, people had a strong love for their neighbors and helped them in every situation they could, to show their obedience to God’s ...

Initial Tension

The initial conflict in this story is between Odysseus, his family, and the society. Telemachus' father is not in the kingdom. Calypso is obsessed with Odysseus and traps him on an island. He feels helpless as he thinks of a way to escape the island. Consequently, men with evil ambitions conspire to make Telemachus' mother their wife. Telemachus considers it so disrespectful, none of these men would even think of courting his mother if his dad were present. Furthermore, no one had confirmed that his father was dead. If anyone were to marry Odysseus wife, then they would assume ...

In What Ways Were the Romans Heirs to the Greek Civilization?

Introduction There is a consensus among scholars that the major influences of the Roman culture were the Greeks. Among the major proponents for this theory are authors, Roy Matthews, Dewitt Platt and Thomas Noble; and the renowned historian, Eugen Weber. In their book, ‘The Western Humanities, Volume 1: Beginnings through the Renaissance,’ Matthews, Platt and Noble developed the idea that Western culture, which developed from the Romans, was actually a product of the Hellenistic culture that dominated the Mediterranean region in the past (Matthews, Platt, & Noble, 2010). Similarly, in his video instructional series, ‘The Western Tradition,’ Eugen Weber presented ...

In chapter 8 of the book What God Wishes Christians Knew, Gilham gives his views on the new covenant, the role of Christian law in the lives of Christians and the four gospels. He starts off by expressing his interpretation of the new covenant. Gilliam believes the account of the new covenant began in Acts chapter 2 rather than the modern theological thought, Matthew chapter 2. 1 He is of this view for some reasons. First, though Gillham believes that the Bible is inspired of God he does not believe that alterations to verses, chapter divisions made by editors ...

Bible is one of the few books that I read for guidance to take decisions related to my life. It was introduced to me by my mother. I have started by reading the new testament. Jesus is my hero in the bible. His life and teaching inspire me. With rest of the chapters that does not involve Jesus, helps me to understand the social and culture situation that prevailed during his time. Inspire of the primitive and narrow thoughts of people who existed in that time, Jesus was a liberal thinker. His teachings are relevant even today. I don’ ...

The Divine Comedy is a Medieval Poem that represents a journey of hell, heaven, and paradise. Dante’s journey explores the specifications that he and other people may acquire when determining their outcome of heaven or hell. His words express the sinfulness that occurs on earth and the reflection it has as punishment. The souls’ punishment of Hell reflects the disadvantage of traveling to Heaven. In Inferno, the sinners symbolize the hatefulness that occurs and the price that their souls pay in Hell. “He talks about the wrath of God and the souls coming together from every country”. . Dante ...

After analyzing the monuments of art, handed down to us from a distant era of the ancient Egyptian civilization, we can definitely identify the two main themes in the art of Egypt in the period around the IV millennium BC to 332 BCE. This is the theme of power and the theme of death. The power of the Pharaoh over the borders of Egypt, the Egyptian state supremacy over the neighboring tribes and kingdoms became firmly established. The question was how to combine it with the death, which is the worst thing that awaits man? It is not possible ...

The paper will look at the Analects of Confucius in comparison to the Epic of Gilgamesh in regards to the beliefs of the Chinese and Mesopotamian people. The cultures of China and Mesopotamia were made up of completely different political and religious structures and principles. This does not mean that there were not some areas with similarities. First Confucianism is a complex system of values and religious practices that were passed down by Confucius and his followers in a collection of quotes called the Analects of Confucius which were written between 551-479 BC. Confucius was a philosopher and a ...

The Pantheon

Moore, David. "The Pantheon." Roman Concrete. (1995). Web 26 June 2016. The Pantheon impresses with its size but it looks peaceful inside it. Solid wall round the perimeter has many niches. The idea of the Pantheon is in harmony with the surrounding world. The height of the building is equal to the diameter of the rotunda. People enter the temple through the lobby, which goes into a portico with 16 columns. Each column looks very massive. Their main parts are made of Egyptian red granite, and base and capitals - from Greek marble. Despite the impressive size of the ...

Sarcophagus with the triumph of Dionysos is one of the most important specimens of the sculptural art of the Roman era. There are many other unique items of the Late Antiquity, which were dedicated to Dionysus; however, the sarcophagi represent a particular elegance and high quality. In 1972, the sarcophagus was bought out and is now exhibited at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. It was made of marble in AD 190– 210 in the Roman Empire (Hägele, 2013, p. 107). In addition, it has a large size: 77.5 x 208cm (Hägele, 2013, p. 107). Most likely ...

The Divine Command theory also known as Theological Voluntarism is a theory that holds the view that morality is dependent on the commands of God and that moral obligations mean obedience to God’s Word (Divine Command). In other words, for an action to be considered morally right, it must be in line with the commands of God or the character of God. The viewpoint of these commands is not static and as such is different from one religion to another. Philosophers hold different opinions on this theory; as a result, it has been defended by some and opposed ...

VOICES OF THE UNDERREPRESENTED IN ANCIENT ATHENS:

Voices of the Underrepresented in Ancient Athens: Women Ancient Athens was the center of the Ancient Greece and the marvelous and outstanding city that brought us democracy and important values of Western Civilization. Nowadays, due to works of famous Greek scholars and writers, we have enough information about how the Athens’ government was organized and who were the main rulers of the city, and we know that such social groups as metics, slaves, children, and women were underrepresented there. The aim of this paper is to study the role of women in Ancient Athens and the views Athenians had ...

Abstract

Jade has been an important part of Chinese culture since Ancient times, when it was used to make various weapons and tools. The reason for this is because it is believed to have positive powers. Some of the attributes attributed to jade are purity, gentlemanliness, the ability to send one’s soul on a positive journey and to prevent misfortune from befalling a person. This is why jade was used in burial rituals, sacrifices and other religious ceremonies. Nevertheless, despite the importance of jade to the Chinese culture for many centuries only the very wealthy were permitted to own ...

Introduction

Akira Kurosawa's Ran is based on the 16th Century play, King Lear, by William Shakespeare. The main plots behind the two works are identical. Besides Ran’s adapted parallel characters like Hidetora, there are theme similarities and differences. In both stories, a leader decides to divide his kingdom among three heirs and a child identifies their father’s undoing in both. The similarities and differences in the plots of the two works underpin major similarities and differences in themes. For example, both works capture the theme of conflict between authority and challenge within the family albeit not exactly in ...

When Pliny the Younger wrote a letter to Emperor Trajan, Christianity was an inferior religion to Judaism, and did not receive recognition. Many Christians faced persecution for their faith as was the case with those who Pliny the Younger killed. According to Tacitus what made the Christians very disagreeable to the Romans was that Christians did not supplicate to the Roman gods. His accusation was that all libels sent with no author must have come from the Christians, and by that claim, Tacitus meant that only Christians wrote libels. For that reason, the implication of the same is that ...

The play Antigone presents a duality concept that is represented by Antigone and Creon. Both are extreme characters and hold absolute principles that eventually lead to their collision. Antigone supports adherence to the laws of the gods while Creon is in support of the laws of the state.

This paper will evaluate the morality of either Antigone’s position or Creon’s support for civil obedience.

Antigone’s brother Polynices fought to take the throne from his brother Eteocles leading to their deaths. As a decree, Eteocles was provided a decent burial while Polynices was subjected to rot to death. Antigone protested Creon’s decree in lieu of observance of the laws of the gods. Both Antigone ...

According to Greek mythology, one’s personality ultimately affected the course of their lives. For instance, if one was considered wise, they were likely to live a good life. The contrary also holds true.

This paper will evaluate the role of fate and free will in Oedipus’ life.

Oedipus solved the Sphinx riddle whose solution lay in the three main stages of human life. As a child, Oedipus was sent out to die by his parents for fear of the fulfillment of prophesy. This stage was a work of fate as it was in relation to prophesy that depended on their action. As a young man, he set out on a journey to ...

Africa has traditionally been a continent of mixed fortunes, where real-life stories of hope and despair abound. African traditions, values and customs have been slowly influenced by colonization and eventual globalization that has turned the world into a global village. The novel, Things fall apart, is a reflection of the extent to which Africans were tied to their beliefs and customs, as a violation of those customs was regarded as being disrespectful to the gods. Resistance to the new values and beliefs as brought by the missionaries are resisted since the communities regard them as inclined on disrupting the ...

One of the most common characteristics of human societies is that they have established a distinct separation between what is good and what is bad. Nevertheless, throughout the different cultures, people have come to various conclusions as to what these entail. It is then logical to ask for the basis of morality, the main issue at stake in one of Plato’s great dialogues, Euthyphro. The two people that interact are Socrates and the eponymous character, the latter of which claims to know about morality. Nevertheless, by employing his maieutic, Socrates leads Euthyphro to make two arguments, neither of ...

Literary theory or literary criticism can be defined as the set of concepts, views and assumptions that form the bases for interpretation of one or another piece of writing. Literary criticism is employed in discussing and highlighting key ideas of writing. There are two objectives: to generalize knowledge of the subject matter of criticism – “the literature” – and to provide an interpretation. The term "theory" originates from the Greek "theoria". "Theoria" indicated a view or perspective of the Greek stage. (Iep.utm.edu) That is what literary theory offers in general, although some specific theories suggest complete systems for interpreting literature. At ...