Exam

Part 1

Question: Explain why some scholars have called the Ancient Egyptians a "death obsessed" culture. Do you agree?

Thesis: The Ancient Egyptians did have a "death obsessed" culture; death affected everything they did from the architecture of the pyramids, to the kings and queens, to how they acted in their daily life.

Primary Source #1:

"Ho! king Neferkere (Pepi II)! How beautiful is this! How beautiful is this, which thy father Osiris has done for thee ! He has given thee his throne, thou rulest those of the hidden places (the dead), thou leadest their august ones, all the glorious ones follow thee (Pyr. 2022-3)."

Mircea Eliade "From Primitives to Zen": THE DEAD PHARAOH BECOMES OSIRIS

http://www.mircea-eliade.com/from-primitives-to-zen/167.html

Primary Source #2:

"[The dead will say:]
Homage to you, Great God, the Lord of the double Ma'at (Truth)!
I have come to you, my Lord,

And I have destroyed wickedness for you.
I have committed no evil upon men.
I have not oppressed the members of my family.
I have not wrought evil in the place of right and truth.
I have had no knowledge of useless men.
I have brought about no evil"

Book of the dead: Chapter 125. The Judgment of the Dead.

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/EGYPT/BOD125.HTM

Primary Source #3

" Thy Ba shall not depart from thy corpse and thy Ba shall become divine with the blessed dead. The perfect Ba's shall speak to thee, and thou shalt be an equal amongst them in receiving what is given on earth. Thou shalt have power over water, shalt inhale air, and shalt be surfeited with the desires of thy heart."

Mircea Eliade "From Primitives to Zen":SURVIVAL AS BA and survival in the tomb are complementary

http://www.mircea-eliade.com/from-primitives-to-zen/169.html

Explanation of Argument

The first source shows how kings and queens of Egypt not only had power because they were king or queen but because by being a king they were also a god. A king who died would go into the afterlife and possibly take over as Osiris which is very powerful since Osiris was god of the underworld and controlled who would gain eternal happiness. The second source is the Egyptian book of the dead which shows how if an Egyptian wanted to make it into the underworld they had to live without evil. They would accompany themselves with good people and try not to be horrible towards others because having eternal life was important. In the third source that is translated into English there is yet another example of how eternal life equaled eternal happiness.

Part 2

Question #1: Who is a better model for modern historians: Herodotus or Thucydides? Why?

Thesis: Modern historians should look to Herodotus as a better model than Thucydides because he had more knowledge of what he was writing about and why things were happening because of his travel of the ancient world.

Primary Source #1:

"The Lydians have very nearly the same customs as the Hellenes, with the exception that these last do not bring up their girls the same way. So far as we have any knowledge, the Lydians were the first to introduce the use of gold and silver coin, and the first who sold good retail. They claim also the invention of all the games which are common to them with the Hellenes. "

Herodotus: The Histories, c. 430 BCE, I.94

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/etrucans2.html

Primary Source #2:

"Minos, according to tradition, went to Sicania, or Sicily, as it is now called, in search of Daidolos, and there perished by a violent death....Men of various nations now flocked to Crete, which was stripped of its inhabitants; but none came in such numbers as the Hellenes. Three generations after the death of Minos the Trojan war took place; and the Cretans were not the least distinguished among the helpers of Menelaos. "

Herodotos: The History, VII.170-171

http://www.historywiz.com/primarysources/herodotusonminos.html

Primary Source #3:

"The feebleness of antiquity is further proved to me by the circumstance that there appears to have been no common action in Hellas before the Trojan War. And I am inclined to think that the very name was not as yet given to the whole country, and in fact did not exist at all before the time of Hellen, "

Thucydides: On The Early History of the Hellenes (written c. 395 BCE)

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/thuc-hellenes.html

Explanation of Argument:

In the first and second sources it is obvious that Herodotus has more knowledge of the culture and customs of the places he writes about. Herodotus writes history more as a story, which it is, which makes it easier and more exciting to read. Thucydides uses first person to much so he makes history more about what he sees and less on what is actually happening.

Question #2: How was the Struggle of the Orders influential on later Roman politics during the time of Julius Caesar?

Thesis: The struggle of orders influenced politics during the time of Caesar because it helped him to gain power since he gave the people what they wanted.

Primary Source #1

"Pompey, who was estranged from Caesar, although he was not as yet at open enmity with him, determined neither to aid him by his influence nor openly oppose him on this occasion. But the consuls Lentulus and Marcellus, who had previously been on unfriendly terms with Caesar, resolved to use all means in their power to prevent him from gaining his object. Marcellus in particular did not hesitate to offer Caesar other insults."

De bello civili (Civil Wars): Book 1

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/txt/ah/Caesar/CaesarCiv01.html
Primary Source #2

"He likewise restored to their former condition (the praetors and tribunes, first submitting the question to the people) some persons condemned for bribery at the elections, by virtue of Pompey's law, at the time when Pompey kept his legions quartered in the city (these trials were finished in a single day, one judge hearing the merits, and another pronouncing the sentences), because they had offered their service to him in the beginning of the civil war, if he chose to accept them; setting the same value on them as if he had accepted them, because they had put themselves in his power. For he had determined that they ought to be restored rather by the judgment of the people than appear admitted to it by his bounty: that he might neither appear ungrateful in repaying an obligation, nor arrogant in depriving the people of their prerogative of exercising this bounty."

De bello civili (Civil Wars): Book 3

http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/txt/ah/Caesar/CaesarCiv03.html

Primary Source #3

"Caesar being thus slain, Brutus, stepping forth into the midst, intended to have made a speech, and called back and encouraged the senators to stay; but they all affrighted ran away in great disorder, and there was a great confusion and press at the door, though none pursued or followed. For they had come to an express resolution to kill nobody beside Caesar, but to call and invite all the rest to liberty."

Plutarch: The Assassination of Julius Caesar, from Marcus Brutus(excerpts)

Explanation of Argument

In source one it shows that Caesar knew how to treat everyone because he did not want an uprising. Source 2 shows how he treated the people after he gained power which is why in source #3 there was a great uprising when he was killed.

2

Question #2: Were the Vikings "barbarians"?

Thesis: The vikings were not barbarians, in fact they were clever and smart and only attacked upper Europe because their homes were becoming diminished and they also felt they only way to gain money was to steal.

Primary Source #1:

"then separate, agreeing that they will not call on each other for help unless they have to deal with more than seven men. One day Sinfjotli is summoned to help and kills all the men who bad attacked Sigmund. Another time, Sinfjotli himself is attacked by eleven men, and kills them without summoning Sigmund to help him. Then Sigmund rushes at him and bites him in the throat, but not long afterward finds a way to cure the wound. Finally they return to their cabin to await the moment when they can put off their wolfskins. When the time comes, they throw the skins into the fire. With this episode, Sinfjotli's initiation is completed, and he can avenge the slaying of the Volsungs."

Mircea Eliade: Initiation of a Warrior. "From Primitives to Zen" (Volsunga Saga, chapter 7-8)

http://mircea-eliade.com/from-primitives-to-zen/145.html

Primary Source #2

"[Olaf, who was called Olaf the White, was styled a warrior king. He was the son of King Ingjald, the son of Helgi, the son of Olaf, the son of Gudred, the son of Halfdan Whiteleg, king of the Uplands (in Norway). He led a harrying expedition of sea-rovers into the west, and conquered Dublin, in Ireland, and Dublinshire, over which he made himself king. He married Aud the Deep-minded, daughter of Ketil Flatnose, son of Bjorn the Ungartered, a noble man from Norway. Their son was named Thorstein the Red."

Erik the Red Saga

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17946/17946-h/17946-h.htm
Primary Source #3
"Othin, chief of the gods, always conscious of impending disaster and eager for knowledge, calls on a certain "Volva," or wise-woman, presumably bidding her rise from the grave. She first tells him of the past, of the creation of the world, the beginning of years, the origin of the dwarfs (at this point there is a clearly interpolated catalogue of dwarfs' names, stanzas 10-16), of the first man and woman, of the world-ash Yggdrasil, and of the first war, between the gods and the Vanir, or, in Anglicized form, the Wanes."
The Poetic Edda: Voluspo
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/poe/poe03.htm
Explanation of Arguement
In the first source it shows the culture of the vikings in which warriors had to be initiated which is not barbaric. In the second source it shows how the vikings had a political system and the king would marry a woman from another society to form an alliance. The third source is an excerpt from the poetic Edda. It is from the creation story which shows they had a religion and were not barbarians.

Question 2: Do you think Alexander honestly felt like he was avenging Persian wrongs? Or was that just propaganda to mask his goal of conquest?
Thesis: Alexander wanted to have the world at his finger tips and merely used the Persian wrongs as propaganda to get his people to help him out.
Primary source #1

"Are you not aware that if Heracles, my ancestor, had gone no further than Tiryns or Argos--or even than the Peloponnese or Thebes--he could never have won the glory which changed him from a man into a god, actual or apparent? Even Dionysus, who is a god indeed, in a sense beyond what is applicable to Heracles, faced not a few laborious tasks; yet we have done more: we have passed beyond Nysa and we have taken the rock of Aornos which Heracles himself could not take. Come, then; add the rest of Asia to what you already possess--a small addition to the great sum of your conquests. What great or noble work could we ourselves have achieved had we thought it enough, living at ease in Macedon, merely to guard our homes, accepting no burden beyond checking the encroachment of the Thracians on our borders, or the Illyrians and Triballians, or perhaps such Greeks as might prove a menace to our comfort ?"

Speech of Alexander the Great from Campaigns of Alexander

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/arrian-alexander1.htm
Primary source #2
"I remember that years ago (how far away it seems to me now!) I wrote you an absurd and enthusiastic letter on the tomb of Achilles; I was on the threshold of my Persian expedition, and I vowed then that my model for life should be the valiant son of Peleus. I dreamed only of heroism and greatness; I had already won my victory over Thrace, and I thought that I was advancing against Darius at the head of my Macedonians and Hellenes simply to cover myself with laurels worthy of my ancestors. I can say that I did not fall short of my ideal either at Chaeronea or at Granicus; but today I hold a very different view of the political significance of my actions at that time"
A Letter from Alexander to Aristotle
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/alexfake.html
Primary Source #3
"Seek another kingdom, my son, that may be worthy of thy abilities; for Macedonia is too small for thee..."
Plutarch: Selections from the life of Alexander
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/plutarch-alexander1.html
Explanation of Arguement
In the first and third source it is shown that Alexander wanted to show that he was great. It seemed like he wanted to prove to his father, King Phillip, that he could go farther than any Macedonian. Alexander had a thirst for greatness and that, not avenging Persian wrongs, is why he went so far.
3
Question 3: How does Henry VIII maintain power while breaking away from the Catholic Church?

Thesis: Henry VIII maintained power by destroying the remnants of the Catholic Church in England and giving himself and the Tudors supreme power.
Primary Source #1
"please it your lordship to be advertised, that we came to Glastonbury on Friday last past, about ten o'clock in the forenoon; and [because]…the abbot was then at Sharpham, a place of his, a mile and somewhat more form the abbey, we, without any delay, went into the same place, and there…examined him upon certain articles. And [because]…his answer was not then to our purpose, we advised him to call to his remembrance that which he had as then forgotten, and so declare the truth, and then came to him the same day to the abbey; and there of new proceeded that night to search his study for letters and books; and found in his study…a written book of arguments against the divorce of his king's majesty and the lady dowager, as also divers pardons, copies of bulls, and the counterfeit life of Thomas Becket in print; but we could not find any letter that was material."
The Supression of Gaston Abbey
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/h8-glastonbury.html
Primary Source #2
"Nevertheless the 8th day of May, according to the said appointment, I came unto Dunstable, my lord of Lincoln being assistant unto me, and my Lord of Winchester, Doctor Bell... with diverse others learned in the Law being counsellors in the law for the King's part; and so there at our coming kept a court for the appearance of the said Lady Catherine, where were examined certain witnesses which testified that she was lawfully cited and called to appear... And the morrow after Ascension day I gave final sentence therin, how it was indispensable for the Pope to license any such marriages."
Letter of Thomas Cramer
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/cramner-hen8.html
Primary Source #3
"Albeit the king's Majesty justly and rightfully is and ought to be the supreme head of the Church of England, and so is recognized by the clergy of this realm in their convocations"
Act of Supremacy
http://www.thenagain.info/Classes/Sources/ActSupremacy.html
Explanation of Arguement
The King opressed all oppisition and changed the law of England in his favor.

The Making of Essays

Can you 'read' a building?

Thesis: It is possible to read a building because buildings have a story to tell, they tell who created them and in what time period and why.

Sources:

"By the time of Herodotus the Temple in Heliopolis was devoted to Ra. Probably the largest temple in the world, it was about 2/3 of a mile long, and 1/3 of a mile in width. The courtyard was made with polished black basalt stones, so polished that it reflected the stars above and made it look as if one were walking amidst the stars." (Poe, Michael)

Poe, Michael. "Appendix II: Two Approaches to an Egyptian Pantheon." Internet Archive: Wayback Machine. Web. 04 June 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20020811022134/http://www.hist.unt.edu/ane-06.htm

"On the way from Phalerum to Athens there is a temple of Hera with neither doors nor roof. Men say that Mardonius, son of Gobryas, burnt it. But the image there to-day is, as report goes, the work of Alcamenes" (Pausanius).

Pausanius. "Ancient History Sourcebook: Pausanias: Description of Greece, Book I: Attica."FORDHAM.EDU. Web. 04 June 2010. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/pausanias-bk1.html

Annotations

Livy's History of Rome; Book 1

• According to Livy the beginning of Rome started way before with a line of Kings and with the destruction of Troy. There were almost no survivors but the ones that were alive were allowed to live and they were to help Aeneas and Antenor take over other cities, countries, or regions. This happened and Aeneas gained a lot of power. He got married and a son was born, when he did his son was not old enough to be king so his wife. His so was named Ascanius and had sons and his line went on with a series of deaths in which the Abula river became the Tiber. Ascanius succesors ended up being Numitor and Proca. Numitor was king because he was older but Proca held ad revolt against him and Numitor was exiled. His daughter was to become a priestess in some sorts but she ended up having twins, she said their father was the god Mars so she would not get in to much trouble. Proca had the twins cast in to the river tiber but because it was over flowing the people he sent to kill the babies just pushed them in at the banks and hoped that would do the job. It did not and the story goes that a she-wolf found them and nursed them and a head-flocksman found them, named Flaustulus. Flaustulus's wife was called a she-wolf by the other herders so that is were the she-wolf would have come from. When the boys got older they were ambushed and killed their attackers. Romulus got away but Remus was caught. Numitor who was the elder in the town was to punish Remus for the crime but when he figured out his age and how he had a twin, and some other evidence he discovered these were his grandsons. Romulus and Remus ended up killing Proca, the king, and Numitor was in power. When Numitor died it was between either of the two, but because they were twins it was hard to figure out who would be in charge. They people split down the middle taking sides and eventually Remus was killed and Romulus took charge and the city became Rome. Romulus tried to make Rome big by sending out people to other places to talk about Rome and he picked 100 senators to be called "Patrys" later called "Patricians"

The End of the Republic: Tacitus

• Rome was first ruled by kings, than a consul, and then dictators. At first dictators were only meant to be temporary but that failed in the republic. When people started fighting for power and becoming corrupt by it the republic came to an end

The Battle at Cannae

• In the battle at Cannae it was the Romans with the two current consuls, Caius Terentius and Aemilius, against Hannibal and his motley army. The Romans far outnumbered Hannibal's army but Hannibal was better when it came to strategy. He put the Romans in suspense and made them attack first. Hannibal's army won mostly by surrounding the Romans and fighting them from the outside in, like when he had the Romans chase the Celts into one of his lines and then the line surrounded the Romans. It seemed to go back and forth in the battle that the Romans would win, but their moral was low and Hannibal was good when it came to strategy. Retreating romans were killed, Romans losing individual fights were taken prisoner, and only some Romans got away including one of the consuls Caius Terentius, it was quite shameful for him to run off especially when his fellow consul had died in the battle. Before the battle even started though, Amelius left many infantry in his camp so that they would kill those who were left in Hannibal's camp while he was distracted. They were doing this while the battle was almost over but Hannibal saw this and had them killed or taken prisoner.

The lives of the Caesars: Suetonius

• The first Ceasar was basically ran out of Rome but the current man in charge, was still on the lookout for him. Caesar was not listening to the authority and because he had not married whom he was supposed to he was run out of Rome. Many in charge begged Sulla to forgive Caesar and Caesar was allowed back to Rome although Sulla warned he would be the end to the aristocracy that they worked for. Caesar was then to be in charge over Asia were at first people thought he was being a traitor but for the rest of the time his reputation was fine. When word of Sulla's death reached him he tried to gain some more power but failed and then tried to go to Rhodes to finish working but was taken by Pirates. After his ransom was paid he went to go help the allies of Rome. When he was military Tribune he worked with others to give tribunes power over commons. When he was quaestor, financial administrator, he visited Hispania Ulterior and saw a statue of Alexander the Great. He was upset that he had not done anything very important at his age when Alexander had done so much, he quit his job in hopes to gain more power because soothsayers had given him good omens. He eventually became an aedile, a magistrate in charge of public happenings, and although he worked with another man he got all the credit and the love of the people. He tried to use his popularity to gain control over Egypt but failed. Caesar eventually became Praetor elect, which is a magistrate right below the consul, through many bribes which got his enemies out of the way. Caesar seemed to like pushing his authority to the edge until his power could be taken away and did this a couple times, the people always begged him for help though and he would come back. Caesar really wanted power so when it was time for new consuls, the two people up for it were Lucius Lucceius and Marcus Bibulus, Caesar said that since he had the people on his side he could join the one who was willing to pay enough and that person would truly win. Bibulus and Caesar became consul and Caesar immediately wanted everything written down. Caesar was so overpowering that when the two Consuls ever disagreed Bibulus would be run out of court to his home so that Caesar was basically the only consul. Caesar was not stupid though and was strategic, he married Calphurnia and formed an alliance with her father and married off his daughter and formed an alliance with his son in law. Caesar did however make some mistakes when he was outwardly opposed to some people gaining power instead of secretly, he almost was taken to trial and could have been impeached. He started to pick enemies and friends carefully. As Caesar's consulship was coming to an end he started to pay of the debts of many and give to everyone so that he would have everyone on his good side. He wanted his consulship to be extended since he was away at war and could not be back for elections. He made some new alliances by forming marriages within his families with his friends. By accident however, Pompeius, the man who would probably become the next consul, formed a new decree that candidates for any offices had to be there to be elected, and forgot to put an exception for Caesar until it was too late. Caesar started a civil war when he felt that the tribunes he was allies with were being continuously ignored and put down when they brought up different subjects. It is said he had other reasons like he did not want to be put on trial for suspicious things he had done during his first consul ship. He fought Pompeious all the way into Egypt and when he heard word of Pompeious's death he attacked King Ptolemy because he had gotten word that Ptolemy wanted him gone. Ptolemy was gone and Caesar gave Egypt to Cleopatra. He defeated all of Pompei's armies and marched into Rome as the winner. He had many parties and gave a lot of land to his soldiers and when all this was done he fixed the calender that had become disorganized. He refilled the senate and made sure that the people also had a choice in who had power over them. He made laws to bring up the population of Rome and laws that made penalties of crimes more serious. He also set up a bunch of projects to make Rome "look" better, such as building a beautiful temple to mars. Suetonious than goes a bit in depth of Julius Caesar's appearance. He is tall with dark eyes and is light skinned. He is mostly healthy until near the end when it was figured that he had epilepsy. He was careful about his appearance and was insecure about the fact that he was balding especially when he found out people made fun of him for it. Caesar was very meticulous when it came to things in his household and severely punished his servants for any mistakes they made. Although there were no words of him ever having affairs with people before marriage there were rumors that he had a physical encounter with King Nicomedes. During his marriage, Caesar was not quite about how he seduced many women including some senators and other's wives. He even had affairs with queens. It also said that he was not one to get shameful for he would beg for money and ransack villages for money when he was in debt. Caesar of course though would not have gotten anywhere with his oratory skills that he seems to have had all his life. Caesar would not have gotten were he was without his military greatness. He was strategic and daring but never did anything without careful thought. He fought along side his men who treated with respect and discipline. By treating his men like this they willingly joined his side during the civil war. He was close to his friends but also close to his enemies who although they would argue he would back them up when they were right. He had the people on his side and because of this got many awards and honors which eventually got to his head. His power started to go down hill when the Senate approached him with a problem and he did not have the deceny to stand up. Also once more during a festival someone adorned his statue with a white laurel that symbolized royalty and when they were thrown in jail for that he was angry that the authorities did not like that or that he did not get to publicly rebuke them first. During a Lupercal festival he was offered the crown several times and said no while the people cheered him on. Many conspirators joined to kill him because they believed he was getting to much power. There were many omens such as bad dreams, and a bird carrying a laurel getting devoured by other birds. The most clear sign was when a Greek stone was discovered saying if the stone was to be moved a great son would be killed by his kin. All these together made Caesar wonder whether or not he should go to the Senate or stay at home. Brutus though, a close friend of Caesar, urged him to go outside and Caesar listened. The conspirators stabbed him numerous times and his body lay there until a few slaves found him and took him away. The conspirators were going to dump him in the Tiber and take all of his belongings but they were in fear of Marc Antony and Lepidus. A great funeral was held and Marc Antony spoke and riled the people up so that they set fire to Brutus and Cassius's homes. They even killed a man who had the same name as one of the conspirators but was not one. He died at 56 and none of his conspirators lived beyond three years after the crime. His place of murder was walled up and even at the first games after his death there was a comet in the sky for about a week. The people put Caesar among the gods.