Rome of that day represented power, not the power of having an almighty God behind them, but power through what they themselves could accomplish. “It was appropriate for the Romans to depend for their safety and general welfare, not on their fortifications, but on their arms and own valor (Rome and Jerusalem pg 39).” This is a perspective that is quite the opposite of that of the Jews.
The Jews represented more of a spiritual power. A faith in God that said, “and if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life (1 Kings 3:14)." In Deuteronomy 28:1 it says something similar, “Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.” So even though they weren’t just sitting back and expecting God to do everything, they had a faith that proclaimed God above all men instead of putting God on the same level.
This is a complete clash of differences and it was no wonder there was this fighting between the nations. I think this fight has carried on through out the ages, sometimes in a just as violent matter, other times not.
I believe this same battle is seen in the fight to separate church and state. This refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion on the one hand and the nation state on the other (Wikipedia). This dates back all the way to the medieval times when the monarch ruled both the Crown and Church by divine right (Wikipedia). This is one of the most popular debates in America today. “The wall of separation between church and state” said by Thomas Jefferson is one of the most used quotes in this debate. Some believe him to have said this to protect the church from the state restricting their religious freedom while others believe it to be the other way. We have seen instances of people being fired from their jobs for sharing their faith in the work place, with this idea of church and state being separate very prevalent. We have seen prayer being removed from public schools and the uproar that this has brought.
There is an on going battle with one side putting God above everything like the Jews did and the other side wanting a more secular or logical base where religion had no part. Thankfully this parallel is less violent but still is very heated.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Hum 225: Art and Culture of Rome 8/30
The Appian Way was one of the first and most important roads built in Rome. It is named after Appius Claudius Caecus, The Roman censor who began and completed the first section of the road. The road began in the Roman Forum and stretched all the way to Brindisi (Wikipedia). It was an outstanding 375 km long upon its completion (Blue Book pg 485). The Appian Way began as a leveled dirt road, stones and mortar were then laid. The Romans being the master builders that they were then topped the road with tight fitting stones to provide a flat surface. It was even said that a knife could not fit between the stones, they were fitted so well (Wikipedia).
As i was riding my bicycle i wondered what possessed the Romans to build this road, upon reading about the Appian way i found out that it was first built with military aspirations. It made it easier for the Romans to keep look out and ambush attackers. We actually saw one of the look out posts that were used in ancient times. The Battle of Anzio in World War II was a more recent battle that took place along that road (Wikipedia). However the road was used for many other things I learnt as we road along it. It was even the sight of the men's marathon during the 1960 Summer Olympics.
There were also many tombstones and monuments on the side of the road, i found this quite strange but the more I thought about it, it was not strange at all. Friday nights in the summer I would take the train and emerge in Times Square, New York City. The first thing that caught my eye was the enormous poster of Jay Z. His face was plastered across a skyscraper. Even though part of the purpose of this billboard is advertising, I also see it as a tribute to how great/successful Jay Z is. The tombstones on the side of the road did exactly this. As people walked past they would marvel at the different tombstones and say to one another how great that person must have been. Their tombstones were our billboards to how much that person had accomplished.
The Medusa Head is a work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and was created between 1630 and 1640, it did however have to be restored. The marble head was 68 cm (26 3/4 in.) in height and stands proudly in the Palazzo dei Conservatori in the Capitoline Museum.
When we look at other sculptures of Medusa we can see how very unique Bernini's sculpture is. The original Medusa by Phidias, a Greek in the 5th century BC shows a very calm, beautiful monster, a bit of a contradiction. Someone with snakes for hair that can turn people to stone with their eyes in my mind is not calm and emotionless. That is why Bernini's sculpture is so much more realistic, it shows anguish and pain.
What made Bernini take this classic and change it? I would think it had to do with the time that he lived in and the art that was going on during this time. Bernini was a prominent artist in the Baroque movement. This is an artistic style that is characterized by dynamic movement, over emotion and self-confident rhetoric (Wikipedia). The Baroque style was so popular because of the support of the Roman Catholic Church, they decided that art and religion should send similar messages and commissioned a lot of works. We can clearly see the effect of the Baroque style on the sculpture when we compare it to the previous Medusa from so many years ago.
As i was riding my bicycle i wondered what possessed the Romans to build this road, upon reading about the Appian way i found out that it was first built with military aspirations. It made it easier for the Romans to keep look out and ambush attackers. We actually saw one of the look out posts that were used in ancient times. The Battle of Anzio in World War II was a more recent battle that took place along that road (Wikipedia). However the road was used for many other things I learnt as we road along it. It was even the sight of the men's marathon during the 1960 Summer Olympics.
There were also many tombstones and monuments on the side of the road, i found this quite strange but the more I thought about it, it was not strange at all. Friday nights in the summer I would take the train and emerge in Times Square, New York City. The first thing that caught my eye was the enormous poster of Jay Z. His face was plastered across a skyscraper. Even though part of the purpose of this billboard is advertising, I also see it as a tribute to how great/successful Jay Z is. The tombstones on the side of the road did exactly this. As people walked past they would marvel at the different tombstones and say to one another how great that person must have been. Their tombstones were our billboards to how much that person had accomplished.
The Medusa Head is a work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini and was created between 1630 and 1640, it did however have to be restored. The marble head was 68 cm (26 3/4 in.) in height and stands proudly in the Palazzo dei Conservatori in the Capitoline Museum.
When we look at other sculptures of Medusa we can see how very unique Bernini's sculpture is. The original Medusa by Phidias, a Greek in the 5th century BC shows a very calm, beautiful monster, a bit of a contradiction. Someone with snakes for hair that can turn people to stone with their eyes in my mind is not calm and emotionless. That is why Bernini's sculpture is so much more realistic, it shows anguish and pain.
What made Bernini take this classic and change it? I would think it had to do with the time that he lived in and the art that was going on during this time. Bernini was a prominent artist in the Baroque movement. This is an artistic style that is characterized by dynamic movement, over emotion and self-confident rhetoric (Wikipedia). The Baroque style was so popular because of the support of the Roman Catholic Church, they decided that art and religion should send similar messages and commissioned a lot of works. We can clearly see the effect of the Baroque style on the sculpture when we compare it to the previous Medusa from so many years ago.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
325 Rome Stories and Traditions 08/24
Dictionary.com defines exhilarating as," to enliven, invigorate or stimulate." I have tried to think of ways that Rome as a city has done these things. I have lived in New York City so the hustle and bustle I am used to. I am from a city with a lot of crime so being on the look out for danger, or having our 'antenna' up as Danilo says is something I have grown up with. The artwork and ruins we have seen I like but have not taken my breath away, that was until today.
Walking through the Capitoline Hill museum I saw how this great empire came into being in vivid detail. I heard the stories and myths of Romulus and Remus. How the Romans did not have any women in their village and kidnapped another villages, and then joined and became bigger. The pinnacle of the day for me was the view of the Roman Forum. We had been in the Roman Forum before but it was only when we standing on top of the hill that I could see the true magnitude of the greatness of Rome. The most exhilarating part of all of that for me is the fact that it all started as a small village.
Oppressive is defined by dictionary.com as, " causing discomfort by being excessive, intense, elaborate" or "burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical." Oppressive could be a perfect word to describe Rome over the course of its existence, with these two definitions. Ancient times most definitely has some unjustly laws, tyrannical leaders, and harsh punishments. Modern times could be oppressive because of the intense personalities of the people.
I tried to think of ways Rome is oppressive to the traveler that is unlike any other city I have been in. So, the language barrier is out, the hustle and bustle is out and the other common complaints. What I imagine to be oppressive may seem foolish, but I feel that the vast amounts of museums and sights located in such a small vicinity are oppressive, oppressive to appreciation. When coming here, I had some idea of the great works of art that I would encounter. I was prepared to be blown away, and yes the Coliseum did not disappoint, or the view of the Roman Forum from on top of Capitoline Hill. However I have seen churches or artworks in New York and even Cleveland that have seemed grander at the time then some of the ones here. When I picture the places separately, these wonders of Rome win hands down. So how do those places seem to have had more of an impact on me at the time? I believe that because of the huge quantity of all these fountains, piazzas and churches it dulls the experience and distracts from how glorious they actually are. The same monument in any other part of the world would be marveled at, but in Rome it seems a little more average. It makes me think of the term ‘relative poverty’ that I learnt in sociology class. Some people believe they are hard off and living in ‘poverty’ because the people around them have so much, but in fact they do have a lot. So because of the many ‘riches’ Rome has, its leaves some of the monuments and art looking poverty stricken.
Nonetheless Rome is a very intriguing city to study, as it is one of the few cities where we can have such a clear view of past and present.
Walking through the Capitoline Hill museum I saw how this great empire came into being in vivid detail. I heard the stories and myths of Romulus and Remus. How the Romans did not have any women in their village and kidnapped another villages, and then joined and became bigger. The pinnacle of the day for me was the view of the Roman Forum. We had been in the Roman Forum before but it was only when we standing on top of the hill that I could see the true magnitude of the greatness of Rome. The most exhilarating part of all of that for me is the fact that it all started as a small village.
Oppressive is defined by dictionary.com as, " causing discomfort by being excessive, intense, elaborate" or "burdensome, unjustly harsh, or tyrannical." Oppressive could be a perfect word to describe Rome over the course of its existence, with these two definitions. Ancient times most definitely has some unjustly laws, tyrannical leaders, and harsh punishments. Modern times could be oppressive because of the intense personalities of the people.
I tried to think of ways Rome is oppressive to the traveler that is unlike any other city I have been in. So, the language barrier is out, the hustle and bustle is out and the other common complaints. What I imagine to be oppressive may seem foolish, but I feel that the vast amounts of museums and sights located in such a small vicinity are oppressive, oppressive to appreciation. When coming here, I had some idea of the great works of art that I would encounter. I was prepared to be blown away, and yes the Coliseum did not disappoint, or the view of the Roman Forum from on top of Capitoline Hill. However I have seen churches or artworks in New York and even Cleveland that have seemed grander at the time then some of the ones here. When I picture the places separately, these wonders of Rome win hands down. So how do those places seem to have had more of an impact on me at the time? I believe that because of the huge quantity of all these fountains, piazzas and churches it dulls the experience and distracts from how glorious they actually are. The same monument in any other part of the world would be marveled at, but in Rome it seems a little more average. It makes me think of the term ‘relative poverty’ that I learnt in sociology class. Some people believe they are hard off and living in ‘poverty’ because the people around them have so much, but in fact they do have a lot. So because of the many ‘riches’ Rome has, its leaves some of the monuments and art looking poverty stricken.
Nonetheless Rome is a very intriguing city to study, as it is one of the few cities where we can have such a clear view of past and present.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Hum 225: Art and Culture of Rome 8/17
The Roman Forum was one of the favorite things that I have seen since being here. The ancient places and ruins were quite incredible. The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina in the eastern part of the Roman Forum really caught my eye. It is made from peperino blocks and was originally faced with marble.
This is one of the best-preserved temples in the forum; the Senate built it in the memory of the Empress Faustina after she died in 141AD.
There are 10 Corinthian columns surrounding this temple. Usually pillars represent strength and this case proved true. There are grooves around the top of the columns that are said to be from a medieval attack where they tried to dismantle the temple.
The temple was converted into the church of San Lorenzo before the 12th century. There is a large cross on the top, which I see as representing the conversion to Roman Catholic and the victory of the pagan gods.
Wikipedia says, “The rich bas-reliefs of the frieze under the cornice, of garlanded griffons and candelabri, were often copied from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries.” We see how the designs have been taken from and used throughout the centuries and how the building has been virtually indestructible over the years, even under attack.
Another part that I really liked was the Arch of Titus. It is also in the eastern part of the Roman Forum at the highest point of Via Sacra. It is made from Pentalic marble and later repaired with travertine.
The 15m high arch was built to commemorate the victory of the Romans over the Jews. It is the oldest surviving Roman arch and has vivid sculptures inside it. The one panel depicts the triumphal procession as the Romans carry the spoils from Jerusalem. They are carrying the silver trumpets and the Table of the Shewbread and there is a menorah, I feel this shows that they really took the heart of the Jewish people. The other panel shows Titus in a chariot accompanied by the Goddess Victoria and the Goddess Roma.
The procession is marching in the same direction that the troops would have done so back then and is right before the road, sacra via, which they would have rode down to go and sacrifice the spoils to their gods.
The meaning that we take from the carvings and the detail that they have is incredible to me. Even as the oldest arch in Rome it still maintains the great detail for the most part.
This is one of the best-preserved temples in the forum; the Senate built it in the memory of the Empress Faustina after she died in 141AD.
There are 10 Corinthian columns surrounding this temple. Usually pillars represent strength and this case proved true. There are grooves around the top of the columns that are said to be from a medieval attack where they tried to dismantle the temple.
The temple was converted into the church of San Lorenzo before the 12th century. There is a large cross on the top, which I see as representing the conversion to Roman Catholic and the victory of the pagan gods.
Wikipedia says, “The rich bas-reliefs of the frieze under the cornice, of garlanded griffons and candelabri, were often copied from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries.” We see how the designs have been taken from and used throughout the centuries and how the building has been virtually indestructible over the years, even under attack.
Another part that I really liked was the Arch of Titus. It is also in the eastern part of the Roman Forum at the highest point of Via Sacra. It is made from Pentalic marble and later repaired with travertine.
The 15m high arch was built to commemorate the victory of the Romans over the Jews. It is the oldest surviving Roman arch and has vivid sculptures inside it. The one panel depicts the triumphal procession as the Romans carry the spoils from Jerusalem. They are carrying the silver trumpets and the Table of the Shewbread and there is a menorah, I feel this shows that they really took the heart of the Jewish people. The other panel shows Titus in a chariot accompanied by the Goddess Victoria and the Goddess Roma.
The procession is marching in the same direction that the troops would have done so back then and is right before the road, sacra via, which they would have rode down to go and sacrifice the spoils to their gods.
The meaning that we take from the carvings and the detail that they have is incredible to me. Even as the oldest arch in Rome it still maintains the great detail for the most part.
Blog 1- Rome: Stories and Traditions 08/18
We started by sitting outside with the sun falling on our faces, this is the best way to start any semester. We then discussed some things that I thought would not really affect the way I saw things that day, but I was wrong. Realizing the many different ways people see things and getting past that WOW factor and looking deeper was probably the most important to me.
When we first saw the Colleseum and our lovely tour guide painted the picture for us of what this place used to be, it was incredible. Even more incredible to me was the comments I heard from the peers around me. Some spoke about the barbarity of the people and why they would do those things to the animals and each other, others commented on the fact that women and children were made to sit in the worst seats, while others saw the incredible accomplishment it was that the Romans had built these monuments in the time they lived. The mornings class helped me to try consider the different perspectives and not just disregard them because I did not agree. I think it was valuable to consider all the different peoples point of views.
I am realizing that history is not only a cool story or something to be marveled at; it is something that we need to analyze and learn from. Just as we took much architectural advancement from the Romans we should look to what led to these 'holes in the walls' and learn from it.
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