Barbarians
Terry Jones has a very unique perspective on
Barbarians. Unlike most people, he looks through
the fog and sees them for the brilliant peoples
they were. His report seems very logical,
and assuming his historical facts are true, his
viewpoint may be proven. Most people tend
to assume that the Romans were one of the
most advanced peoples of their time. There
are a couple of reasons for this assumption,
1) The Romans had superior architecture and
cities to most, if not all, other civilizations at
their time.
2) The Romans recorded their history very
meticulously, we simply know more about
them then we do most other civilizations.
3) The Roman Empire lasted as long as it
did, and controlled as much of the land as
it did.
Despite the logic and truth behind these
reasons, Mr. Jones proposes that it was
really the 'barbarians' such as the Celts that
provided major advancements. Mr. Jones
bases his opinion primarily on lasting examples
of Celtic inventions and architecture, primarily
roads and metal impliments. Although his
opinion goes against the grain, and could even
be taken as the viewpoint of a scholarly maverick,
there is much truth to it, and it's entirely possible
that it may become the public opinion eventually.
Needless to say, Mr. Jones has his work cut out
for him in convincing the pro-Roman public to
join his side.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
History Questions. (This time with Text!)
Why yes, I did forget to put the actual assignment in the last 'History Questions' post. I know, I know, I should be ashamed to let quality drop in such a tremendous way. Anyway, without further ado:
o List what you believe are the four or five main reasons for the collapse of the Han empire.
1) A poor government system.
2) Internal power struggles.
3) The Xiongnu
4) The locus swarm.
o What major military problems did the Han face?
The Han faced threats from the Xiongu tribes, and from the Hun.
o Why did peasants rebel against the Han government?
The Han peasants rebelled because the government taxed them
extensively, while the rich aristocrats were exempt.
o What natural disasters contributed to the fall of the Han?/Rome?
Han: The pestilience of locus, yellow river flooding, foreign diseases.
Rome: Danube flooding, fire that burned down much of the city, the plague, if it can be called a natural disaster.
o How does Procopius describe the spread of bubonic plague throughout the Roman empire?
Procopius described the plague as being a scourge of God. He said that the plague spread wild, uncontrolled, and without reason or prejudice.
o How do the Roman and Han empires favor each other in their demise?
Their demises are very similar in that they all had a bad government system that collapsed out from under them. To reference current events, both the empires were very much like Tiger Wood's affairs, each tier was precariously balanced upon the last, and the only thing holding them in place was supposed loyalty and honesty. As soon as one piece fell, the other parts came crashing down.
o Make a list of dramatic films you have seen or heard about that depict life on earth following the "collapse of civilization." What are some of the points these films try to make? Why do people often find these movies intriguing and entertaining?
2012, Planet of the Apes. I've never seen a movie about the collapse of society, I
don't watch a lot of movies. The films most likely try to make points about how society as we know it is so fragile, and even though many take it for granted, it could collapse at any moment. I would imagine people find these movies interesting because of a very survivalist attitude. I personally enjoy reading about post-apocalypse scenario's because I like to think about what it would be like to have to fight to survive.
o List what you believe are the four or five main reasons for the collapse of the Han empire.
1) A poor government system.
2) Internal power struggles.
3) The Xiongnu
4) The locus swarm.
o What major military problems did the Han face?
The Han faced threats from the Xiongu tribes, and from the Hun.
o Why did peasants rebel against the Han government?
The Han peasants rebelled because the government taxed them
extensively, while the rich aristocrats were exempt.
o What natural disasters contributed to the fall of the Han?/Rome?
Han: The pestilience of locus, yellow river flooding, foreign diseases.
Rome: Danube flooding, fire that burned down much of the city, the plague, if it can be called a natural disaster.
o How does Procopius describe the spread of bubonic plague throughout the Roman empire?
Procopius described the plague as being a scourge of God. He said that the plague spread wild, uncontrolled, and without reason or prejudice.
o How do the Roman and Han empires favor each other in their demise?
Their demises are very similar in that they all had a bad government system that collapsed out from under them. To reference current events, both the empires were very much like Tiger Wood's affairs, each tier was precariously balanced upon the last, and the only thing holding them in place was supposed loyalty and honesty. As soon as one piece fell, the other parts came crashing down.
o Make a list of dramatic films you have seen or heard about that depict life on earth following the "collapse of civilization." What are some of the points these films try to make? Why do people often find these movies intriguing and entertaining?
2012, Planet of the Apes. I've never seen a movie about the collapse of society, I
don't watch a lot of movies. The films most likely try to make points about how society as we know it is so fragile, and even though many take it for granted, it could collapse at any moment. I would imagine people find these movies interesting because of a very survivalist attitude. I personally enjoy reading about post-apocalypse scenario's because I like to think about what it would be like to have to fight to survive.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Tonight.
To Whom it May Concern,
Although the needle on the barometer of joy seems to usually dwell somewhere between the mid and low marks, recently it's been fluctuating insanely. As I sit writing this, it's late, and today was a lackluster day. I lost my charge cable for my phone, and all manner of acquaintances are probably texting me. I also did a fair amount of work, money always dulls the pain. Regardless, the day started to suck worse as it progressed. However, tonight, as I got up to look for my cable once again, I checked my email out of boredom, and I found an email from a certain girl I know. The email was just what I needed. We had not talked in weeks, and she sends me an email out of the blue, putting a smile on my face and a wonderful feeling of warmth in my chest.I could read further into it, and I could try to see the meaning behind it, but I feel no need. Perhaps this is what it means to be content.
Sincerely,
wygore
Although the needle on the barometer of joy seems to usually dwell somewhere between the mid and low marks, recently it's been fluctuating insanely. As I sit writing this, it's late, and today was a lackluster day. I lost my charge cable for my phone, and all manner of acquaintances are probably texting me. I also did a fair amount of work, money always dulls the pain. Regardless, the day started to suck worse as it progressed. However, tonight, as I got up to look for my cable once again, I checked my email out of boredom, and I found an email from a certain girl I know. The email was just what I needed. We had not talked in weeks, and she sends me an email out of the blue, putting a smile on my face and a wonderful feeling of warmth in my chest.I could read further into it, and I could try to see the meaning behind it, but I feel no need. Perhaps this is what it means to be content.
Sincerely,
wygore
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