Daily Question: 4/6/11

Required Daily: How does Early Christian and Byzantine portraiture represent both a continuation of and a break from the past? Look up the Fayum Portraits and the Ravenna Portrait of Justinian as a starting point for your thinking.


    The Early Christian and Byzantine portraiture represents both a continuation of and a break from the past. The continuation from the past is there because many of the Early Christian and Byzantine portraits show the people in the pictures doing stuff they accomplished or that was important. In earlier times, there were paintings drawn in caves that portrayed hunts. This is representing some of the people's best hunts or maybe the winner of the hunts. In the first picture below, there are people doing something that was probably pretty important to Early Christians because it was good enough to be made into a huge carving. In Byzantine portraiture, (second picture from bottom), you can see that a portrait of one person is about the same as earlier portraits. For example, they depict a single person, usually rather important, facing forward. There is a break from the past in a couple of ways too. In some of the portraiture from the Early Christians and Byzantine's, the images have much more detail and are sometimes created a different way because there has been better materials discovered. The third picture down is a mosaic, these pictures had to have taken a long and tedious time because of all the placement of the tiles or glass pieces. Also, the picture directly below is very precise and has much detail in all of the people. The continuation and breaks in the older portraiture to the newer is a good thing. It helps the world and culture develop even more. 

http://artandseek.net/files/2007/12/ivory-with-pilate.jpg

http://prestwidge.com/horizon/horizon5-8.jpg

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ikon/athos10.gif

Stoicism

Stoicism is an important personality trait that many people could benefit from having. People that display this trait come across as very brave and mature. "Seneca, quite unmoved, asked for tablets on which to inscribe his will...” Even though Seneca is about to die, he keeps himself calm and collected. Stoicism is the ability to endure pain and hardship while retaining the ability to control ones emotions; Seneca, at his death, was a perfect example of a stoic.

Seneca portrays the quality of being stoic in many different instances. The Internet Ancient History Sourcebook said, "Seneca, as his aged frame, attenuated by frugal diet, allowed the blood to escape but slowly, severed also the veins of his legs and knees.” Seneca “allows” the blood to escape slowly because he uses his stoicisms which lets him endure the pain and hardship of dying. Most people would not face death in such a way. Seneca does not let his emotions take over himself and he just works through the kinks. “Seneca, quite unmoved, asked for tablets on which to inscribe his will…” (Internet Ancient History Sourcebook). Knowing he was about to be killed, he doesn’t scream and fight the people, but he simply just asks for a tablet so he can write his will. Seneca was “unmoved” by his fate. He calmly sat there taking everything in.

Seneca was a friend of the emperor Nero, and he helped him in numerous ways. Seneca was widely known and was rather wealthy. “When even in the height of his wealth and power he was thinking of his life's close." (Internet Ancient History Sourcebook). Even though Seneca was rich and prosperous, he knew he would have to die someday. Being killed wasn’t something he wanted, but it was what was going to happen and he calmly accepted it. Seneca did not show his pleasure in his wealth either. He had something so great and he surprisingly received his death penalty with no fear. Seneca showed no concern to this great burden because he was a stoic. He did not grant himself the power to just break out crying over his death.

Seneca even used his stoicism to help others in a way. “Having spoken these and like words, meant, so to say, for all, he embraced his wife; then softening awhile from the stern resolution of the hour, he begged and implored her to spare herself the burden of perpetual sorrow, and, in the contemplation of a life virtuously spent, to endure a husband's loss with honorable consolations.” (Internet Ancient History Sourcebook). Seneca was about to be put to death and his wife wanted to be too because he would be gone. Seneca did not allow this to happen because he cared for other people even when he was about to die. He showed his affection towards his wife and did not let this deep pain get the best of himself.  Seneca’s stoicism helped him in this great unfortunate event.

Even in the hardest of times, Seneca showed his Stoicism. Not only did he act unconcerned at the statement of his death, but he also watched over and cared for others even in the harshest moments. Seneca's stoicism probably made him a more likable person to be around, and he also benefited from it because he did not get all worked up over the many joyful or negative events that he encountered in his lifetime. 

Halsall , Paul. "Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Late Antiquity." Fordham EDU. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsal

Class work

Stoicism is an important personality trait that many people could benefit from having. People that display this trait come across as very brave and mature. "Seneca, quite unmoved, asked for tablets on which to inscribe his will...” Even though Seneca is about to die, he keeps himself calm and collected. Stoicism is the ability to endure pain and hardship while retaining the ability to control ones emotions; Seneca, at his death, was a perfect example of a stoic.

Seneca portrays the quality of being stoic in many different instances. The Internet Ancient History Sourcebook said, "Seneca, as his aged frame, attenuated by frugal diet, allowed the blood to escape but slowly, severed also the veins of his legs and knees.” Seneca “allows” the blood to escape slowly because he uses his stoicisms which lets him endure the pain and hardship of dying. Most people would not face death in such a way. Seneca does not let his emotions take over himself and he just works through the kinks. “Seneca, quite unmoved, asked for tablets on which to inscribe his will…” (Internet Ancient History Sourcebook). Knowing he was about to be killed, he doesn’t scream and fight the people, but he simply just asks for a tablet so he can write his will. Seneca was “unmoved” by his fate. He calmly sat there taking everything in.

Seneca was a friend of the emperor Nero, and he helped him in numerous ways. Seneca was widely known and was rather wealthy. “When even in the height of his wealth and power he was thinking of his life's close." (Internet Ancient History Sourcebook). Even though Seneca was rich and prosperous, he knew he would have to die someday. Being killed wasn’t something he wanted, but it was what was going to happen and he calmly accepted it. Seneca showed no concern to this great burden.

Seneca even used his stoicism to help others in a way. “Having spoken these and like words, meant, so to say, for all, he embraced his wife; then softening awhile from the stern resolution of the hour, he begged and implored her to spare herself the burden of perpetual sorrow, and, in the contemplation of a life virtuously spent, to endure a husband's loss with honorable consolations.” (Internet Ancient History Sourcebook). Seneca was about to be put to death and his wife wanted to be too because he would be gone. Seneca did not allow this to happen because he cared for other people even when he was about to die. He showed his affection towards his wife and did not let this deep pain over rule his emotions. Seneca’s stoicism helped him in this great unfortunate event.

Even in the hardest of times, Seneca showed his Stoicism.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook10.html

Daily Question: 4/4/11

Required Daily: Read Tacitus' description of the Death of Seneca and Book One of M. Aurelius' Meditations. Find quotes within those two texts that help explain what Stoicism is all about.

•  "Upon this the tribune asserted that he saw no signs of fear, and perceived no sadness in his words or in his looks."
• "Seneca, quite unmoved, asked for tablets on which to inscribe his will..."
• "Seneca, as his aged frame, attenuated by frugal diet, allowed the blood to escape but slowly, severed also the veins of his legs and knees."
• "when even in the height of his wealth and power he was thinking of his life's close."
• "From my grandfather Verus I learned good morals and the government of my temper."
• "From the reputation and remembrance of my father, modesty and a manly character"
• "I learned endurance of labour, and to want little, and to work with my own hands, and not to meddle with other people's affairs, and not to be ready to listen to slander."
• "to be always the same, in sharp pains, on the occasion of the loss of a child, and in long illness; and to see clearly in a living example that the same man can be both most resolute and yielding, and not peevish in giving his instruction; and to have had before my eyes a man who clearly considered his experience and his skill in expounding philosophical principles as the smallest of his merits; and from him I learned how to receive from friends what are esteemed favours, without being either humbled by them or letting them pass unnoticed"
• "I learned self-government, and not to be led aside by anything; and cheerfulness in all circumstances, as well as in illness"

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/tacitus-ann15a.html

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/tacitus-ann15a.html

Weekly Project: 3/14-3/25

Emma Wall, Lindsey Kraus, and Sophie Centi project

Daily Question: 3/24/11

 Read Augustus' 'Res Gestae ' paragraphs 19 - 21 and scavenger hunt for as many pictures relating to the places mentioned as you can find and chart them on a Google Map.




http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=206207503437094631209.00049f8a061f32b46f0df&ll=41.888225,12.489272&spn=0.002976,0.004823&t=h&z=18

Daily Question: 3/23/11

 Imagine you are a Roman in the year 264 BCE (the year of the 1st Punic War). What does your future look like? Then, look at the world around you today. What does your future look like? Think about politics, technology, culture, dominance, balance.


In the year 264 B.C.E., I think my future would probably be pretty normal if I was just an average middle class citizen. Although, I would be threatened by the scares of Hannibal, a monstrous general for the Carthaginians. As a Plebeian, I wouldn't have as many rights as the Patricians, but if I had a really big problem I needed to deal with, I would go to the Tribune of Plebs and try to get it sorted out. I still would not have a big say in the politics though. The technology would not be nearly as diverse as it is today, and I would have a much harder time doing things I call easy today. For instance, I would be walking great distances, have trouble communicating with my family when I need to meet with them, not know as much local and national news going around, and I would be doing stuff for a shorter time period during the day and would need to make a fire for heat and cooking food. My life would be much more time consuming because I don't have much technology, but I would be use to it. Our country during this time is pretty dominant, so I would not be that afraid of being taken over all of a sudden by a harsh ruler. During the second Punic War when Carthage defeated the Romans, I would be a little cautious though because they totally defeated us. I would eat a little bit differently too. In the Roman culture, they have different foods that the American culture does like today. Also, the meals in the ancient times were probably much less difficult to make and diverse because of the such little technology and knowledge to do more. My life in my world today is pretty different. I rarely worry about war conflicts. I know that many different things can happen and there are terrorists all around, but I generally don't worry about it because our country is so dominant and I live in a pretty safe environment. As a kid, I don't really worry about politics either. I don't think most people my age do, so I don't worry about that either. Today, the technology is very very diverse and it even keeps expanding more and more. Just 10 years ago, cell phones were getting popular. All of a sudden today, pretty much everyone has a cell phone and there are many more amazing things such as the IPad. Who would have ever guessed someone would create such a thing? My diet today contains a variety of foods. In the ancient Roman times, I'm sure many people ate the same thing like every night. I can't imagine doing that! I enjoy my era now much more than I think I would enjoy my future in the ancient Roman world.