The Philosophy of Epicurus

Epicurus taught that everyone, young and old, should seek to gain knowledge and never tire in this search. He said that to become a slave to philosophy was to gain true freedom. (source)

Epicurus believed that the universe is infinite and eternal. He said that everything in the universe is made up of indestructible atoms, making matter. They float all around, bumping and swerving. Humans themselves are nothing more than just physical interactions among these particles. “Living things are made up of particles, and it should be possible to explain the mind and its senses through the interactions between these particles. Everything happens according to the laws of nature, and not because of the divine will of any gods.” (source) (Craig 223, source)

There is a God and humans are much more than just atoms bumping into one another. We have purpose and meaning.

Epicurus once said, “Death, the most dreaded of evils, is therefore of no concern to us; for while we exist, death is not present, and when death is present, we no longer exist.” (Morris 203)

Epicurus is right that death should not be a concern to us. If one accepts Jesus, one should not be worried about death. However, when he says it isn’t a concern, look at the world. Lots of people are worried about death, and were even in his time (341-271 B.C.) He is right that death is not present when we exist. However, he is wrong when he says that when we are dead we no longer exist. There is an afterlife and we will still exist after our death on Earth. Therefore, death is of concern to us because after we die, we have no choice whether we will go to heaven or to hell anymore. Death is also not the most dreaded of evils because after we die, we can go to heaven. If one doesn’t go to heaven afterwards, that is not because of death. It is because one didn’t accept Jesus sooner.

“We usually think of charity, compassion, humility, wisdom, honor, justice, and other virtues as morally good and pleasure as, at best, morally neutral, but for Epicurus, behavior in pursuit of pleasure assured an upright life.” (source) “He taught that the point of all one's actions was to attain pleasure (conceived of as tranquility) for oneself, and that this could be done by limiting one's desires and by banishing the fear of the gods and of death. Epicurus' gospel of freedom from fear proved to be quite popular, and communities of Epicureans flourished for centuries after his death.” (source) “All that is needed for happiness is a life among friends, a body free from pain, and a peaceful mind. Living honestly brings the greatest peace of mind, and a correct understanding of nature can help free a person from needless fears and anxieties. He said that happiness can be gained by pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain. But always consider the consequences of pursuing pleasure, because some forms of pleasure result in a pain which is many times greater than any pleasure to be gained. And all things are best enjoyed in moderation. He said that it was wrong to think that just because life had no meaning that people would have no price to pay for the things they did. People are called to account throughout their lives by the judgments of others, or by the fear of being found out.” (source)

Is there nothing to life but trying to find pleasure? Is that the meaning of life? Epicurus has already established that humans themselves have no meaning because we are nothing but colliding atoms. What’s the point of living if the goal is just to try to find pleasure? How do you know when you’ve found it? Is there a standard, or should we all just have our own concept of pleasure? How far should we limit our desires? If we can never find pleasure, are we worthless? But wait, we are worthless even if we find pleasure. There are many problems with this thinking and too many unanswered questions.

“In the centuries following the death of Epicurus, some of his followers began to preach self-indulgence. They believed that we should abandon our restraints and live for the moment. The word ‘Epicurean’ came to describe someone who lived only for pleasure.” (source) That is extremely selfish! Even Epicurus said that finding pleasure included having friends. If we are true friends, we care about our comrades. A real friend doesn’t only care about themselves, but cares about the other person as well. That’s part of a solid friendship!

For those that may be lost, here's a quick summary:

· Epicurus said that everyone should seek to gain knowledge and become a slave to philosophy.
· Epicurus believed that the universe is infinite and eternal.
· He taught that living beings are just colliding atoms and that humans have no true meaning.
· He said that death should be of no concern to us because life is all there is anyway, so we should just have fun with life while we have it.
· He believed that life is about finding pleasure. Pleasure is found by limiting our desires, having peace of mind, having friends, and AVOIDING PAIN. This is a key part in his philosophy, but something impossible for humans to accomplish.
· Epicurus’ followers are called Epicureans.

Works Cited

Craig, Edward. The Shorter Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. New York: Routledge. 2005.

Morris, Tom. Philosophy for Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. 1999.

Herodotus' role in Greece

I did my post on Plato in place of this week's. Skip!

Plato

Plato was born in Athens in 427 B.C. He was “the son of wealthy and influential Athenian parents” named Ariston and Perictione. Plato had two brothers named Adeimantus and Glaucon, as well as a younger sister named Potone. Ariston died when Plato was young. When his mother remarried, Plato found himself with a new stepbrother named Antiphon. (source)

“Plato enjoyed success in athletics and engaged in both poetry and drama.” (source) “An aristocratic man with plenty of money and a superb physique, Plato at one time won two prizes as a championship wrestler. Actually, the man’s real (and little known) name was Aristocles; Plato was just a nickname given to him by his friends, whose original connotation made reference to his broad shoulders.” (Morris 326)

However, his sort of lifestyle changed when, “around 409 B.C., Plato met Socrates and became his devoted follower.” (source) This is interesting because his uncle, Charmides, was one of Socrates’ close friends.

Socrates engaged Plato in serious questions about life such as, “What are virtue, wisdom, courage, beauty, piety, bravery, justice?” Since Socrates wrote none of his thoughts down, we must rely on Plato’s records of his dialogues.

“Following the end of the Peloponnesian war, an oligarchic tyranny called the ‘Thirty Tyrants’ ruled Athens for eight months from 404-403 B.C…[Plato’s] uncles, Critias and Charmides, belonged to the Thirty Tyrants and invited their nephew to join them. The junta was dissolved through civil war before Plato could decide.” (source)

Socrates was arrested later for undermining the religion of Athens and for “corrupting the youth.” (Video) Plato recorded Socrates’ speeches at his trial in Apology. Plato was there to witness Socrates' death of drinking a cup of hemlock in 399 B.C.

“When the master died, Plato travelled to Egypt and Italy, studied with students of Pythagoras, and spent several years advising the ruling family of Syracuse. Eventually, he returned to Athens and established his own school of philosophy at the Academy.” (source) (Craig 794)

“Socrates taught Plato, Plato taught Aristotle, Aristotle taught Alexander the Great.” (source)

“Subjects taught in the University included astronomy, biological sciences, mathematics, and political science. According to legend, his University stood in a place that was once owned by the Greek hero, Academus. That's where we began to use the term ‘academy’ when referring to schools.” (source) “For students enrolled there, Plato tried both to pass on the heritage of a Socratic style of thinking and to guide their progress through mathematical learning to the achievement of abstract philosophical truth.” (source)

Plato spent the rest of his life in charge of and teaching in his academy. He died in 347 B.C. “His end was peaceful and happy, for he is supposedly to have died in his sleep at the age of eighty after having attended the wedding feast of one of his students.” (source) (source)

Works Cited

Craig, Edward. The Shorter Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy. New York: Routledge. 2005.

Morris, Tom. Philosophy for Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. 1999.

Video on Greece we watched in class




Plato (on the left) walking with Aristotle

Socrates

In the year of 470 B.C., Socrates was born in Athens to a stone-carver and a mid-wife. He also worked with stone, but was never as good as his father. He fought for his home city in the Peloponnesian War when he was older. (source, Schofield 63)

“Socrates was ugly, potbellied, had bulging eyes and a snub nose.” (source) He apparently didn’t care about his appearance or what others thought of it.

It wasn’t until he was in his forties when he began to ask serious questions about life, such as “What are virtue, wisdom, courage, beauty, piety, bravery, justice?” Some of his famous statements were “The unexamined life is not worth living” (source) and “know thyself.”

We still study Socrates’ philosophy today, examining it, agreeing and disagreeing. Some of the things that he believed we still believe today, such as having a conscience. Also, “Socrates believed in the existence of gods vastly superior to ourselves in wisdom and power.” (source) Although Christians are not polytheistic, we do believe in one God “vastly superior to ourselves in wisdom and power.” (source) (source1, source2)

Socrates introduced a way to “teach” that some still use today, called the Socratic Method. This is a “method of teaching in which the master imparts no information but asks a sequence of questions, through answering which the pupil eventually comes to the desired knowledge.” (philosophyuncc) “Socrates taught Plato, Plato taught Aristotle, Aristotle taught Alexander the Great.” (source)

Socrates didn’t write any of his thoughts down, so we have to rely on Plato’s writings of his dialogues. “Socrates believed in the superiority of argument over writing and spent the greater part of his life in the marketplace and public places of Athens. He engaged in dialogue and argument with anyone who would listen or who would submit to interrogation.” (source)

“At about fifty he married Xanthippe and had three children.” (source) Xanthippe “had a bad temper and was the worst kind of a grouch. She thought Socrates was wasting his time, that he was a loafer, as he did no work that brought in any money. One day she scolded him so loudly that he left the house, whereupon she threw a bucket of water on him. Socrates, who never answered back, merely remarked to himself: ‘After thunder, rain may be expected.’” (Hillyer 172)

However, this great philosopher’s calm life would soon change drastically. When Athens fell, Athens needed a scapegoat. They couldn’t blame the gods, so they turned to blame someone “unfaithful.” Socrates seemed like the obvious choice. (Video)

Socrates was arrested for undermining the religion of Athens and for “corrupting the youth.” (Video) When he stood up to speak, he did not apologize or plea for mercy. Rather, he said that Athens owed him something. This was not a good way to gain favor in the eyes of the 500 men in the jury. “Socrates was found guilty and sentenced to death by drinking a cup of hemlock. He turned down the pleas of his disciples to attempt an escape from prison, which had apparently been planned and only required Socrates’ willingness to escape. He did not want to. Socrates stated that he would have to flee from Athens. Having knowingly agreed to live under the city’s laws, he subjected himself to the possibility of being accused of crimes by its citizens and judged guilty by its jury. To do otherwise would cause him to break his ‘contract’ with the state, and by so doing, he felt he was harming it, which was something that went against his principles. As such, he preferred to drink the hemlock. According to Plato’s Phaedo, Socrates died [in 399 B.C.] in the company of his friends and had a calm death, enduring his sentence with fortitude.” (source)

“Soon after his death his accusers were turned upon and the state, realising their mistake, erected a statue to him.” (source)

Works Cited

Hillyer, Virgil M. A Child’s History of the World. Hunt Valley, Maryland: Calvert Education Services. 1997.

Schofield, Louise. Ancient Greece. San Francisco: Fog City Press. 2005.

Video on Greece we watched in class

Plato's Meno

“Socrates (c.470-c.399 B.C.) [was] an Athenian philosopher. He taught his students by questions and answers and encouraged them to discuss weaknesses in the government and people’s beliefs.” (Schofield 63) Some believe that Socrates was the first person in history to know how to make a well-thought-out argument against a thought. (C.D.)

“The problem of reconstructing the life of Socrates has been compared to that of writing the life of Christ. Neither wrote a word of his teachings, which have been preserved, not always consistently, in the writings of their disciples.” (Cartledge 125) However, Plato (Socrates’s student) wrote down some of his works for him.

The work starts when Meno asks how virtue is acquired. Socrates doesn’t know what virtue is, so Meno tells him that there are different kinds of virtues for different people.

“There will be no difficulty, Socrates, in answering your question. Let us take first the virtue of a man-he should know how to administer the state, and in the administration of it to benefit his friends and harm his enemies; and he must also be careful not to suffer harm himself. A woman's virtue, if you wish to know about that, may also be easily described: her duty is to order her house, and keep what is indoors, and obey her husband. Every age, every condition of life, young or old, male or female, bond or free, has a different virtue: there are virtues numberless, and no lack of definitions of them; for virtue is relative to the actions and ages of each of us in all that we do. And the same may be said of vice, Socrates.” (source)

Socrates proves that virtue is the same for all people and argues that it should be defined as a whole, not having different things like courage and temperance being defined as virtues.

Socrates then comes in from a new angle:

“Well, I will try and explain to you what figure is. What do you say to this answer?-Figure is the only thing which always follows colour. Will you be satisfied with it, as I am sure that I should be, if you would let me have a similar definition of virtue?”(source) “Men. If you want to have one definition of them all, I know not what to say, but that virtue is the power of governing mankind.” (source) “Yet once more, fair friend; according to you, virtue is "the power of governing"; but do you not add "justly and not unjustly"? Men. Yes, Socrates; I agree there; for justice is virtue. Soc. Would you say "virtue," Meno, or "a virtue"? Men. What do you mean? Soc. I mean as I might say about anything; that a round, for example, is "a figure" and not simply "figure," and I should adopt this mode of speaking, because there are other figures. Men. Quite right; and that is just what I am saying about virtue-that there are other virtues as well as justice. Soc. What are they? tell me the names of them, as I would tell you the names of the other figures if you asked me. Men. Courage and temperance and wisdom and magnanimity are virtues; and there are many others. Soc. Yes, Meno; and again we are in the same case: in searching after one virtue we have found many, though not in the same way as before; but we have been unable to find the common virtue which runs through them all.” (source)

Socrates later brings the topic around to another point when he says,

“Is it not obvious that those who are ignorant of their [evil] nature do not desire them; but they desire what they suppose to be goods although they are really evils; and if they are mistaken and suppose the evils to be good they really desire goods?” (source)

I personally disagree with this quote because one can be doing something that they don’t know is wrong, but if they did know, would still do it anyway. In other words, one can be doing something that they don’t know is evil, but they still desire that evil thing that they are doing. Just because one is ignorant doesn’t mean one is perfect.

Meno then tries to define virtue a bit differently.

“Virtue is the desire of things honourable and the power of attaining them.” (source) “Soc. But if this be affirmed, then the desire of good is common to all, and one man is no better than another in that respect? Men. True. Soc. And if one man is not better than another in desiring good, he must be better in the power of attaining it? Men. Exactly. Soc. Then, according to your definition, virtue would appear to be the power of attaining good? Men. I entirely approve, Socrates, of the manner in which you now view this matter. Soc. Then let us see whether what you say is true from another point of view; for very likely you may be right:-You affirm virtue to be the power of attaining goods? Men. Yes. Soc. And the goods which mean are such as health and wealth and the possession of gold and silver, and having office and honour in the state-those are what you would call goods? Men. Yes, I should include all those. Soc. Then, according to Meno, who is the hereditary friend of the great king, virtue is the power of getting silver and gold; and would you add that they must be gained piously, justly, or do you deem this to be of no consequence? And is any mode of acquisition, even if unjust and dishonest, equally to be deemed virtue? Men. Not virtue, Socrates, but vice. Soc. Then justice or temperance or holiness, or some other part of virtue, as would appear, must accompany the acquisition, and without them the mere acquisition of good will not be virtue. Men. Why, how can there be virtue without these? Soc. And the non-acquisition of gold and silver in a dishonest manner for oneself or another, or in other words the want of them, may be equally virtue? Men. True. Soc. Then the acquisition of such goods is no more virtue than the non-acquisition and want of them, but whatever is accompanied by justice or honesty is virtue, and whatever is devoid of justice is vice. Men. It cannot be otherwise, in my judgment.” (source)

Socrates then goes on to ask again if Meno said that justice and temperance and the like were virtues, and he agrees, but Socrates wants a whole.

Meno later asks how we can enquire and how we know that the answer is the right one, but Socrates dismisses the question as tiresome. Socrates then says that we cannot learn, but only recall things that we already know. He demonstrates on a little boy by only asking him questions and making sure by Meno that no one else taught him those things.

Socrates says that we should enquire because we are “better and braver and less helpless if we think that we ought to enquire, than we should have been if we indulged in the idle fancy that there was no knowing and no use in seeking to know what we do not know.” (source)

Socrates asks, “wisdom is inferred to be that which profits-and virtue, as we say, is profitable? Men. Certainly. Soc. And thus we arrive at the conclusion that virtue is either wholly or partly wisdom? Men. I think that what you are saying, Socrates, is very true.” (source) Socrates comes to the conclusion that virtue is wisdom and must be taught. But he later discards it because there are no teachers, disciples, or scholars of virtue. He proves this by asking Anytus, a wise and smart aristocrat.

Socrates also says that a right opinion should be placed equal to knowledge. I personally would disagree with this because knowledge is factual. An opinion is just something that one thinks is true. If an opinion was factual, it would be knowledge, not an opinion.

Socrates concludes that virtue is not taught nor given to man by nature, so it must be God-given. This is ironic because he was later put to death for not believing in the gods, as well as “treason and corruption of the young.” (source) (source)

Works Cited

Cartledge, Paul. The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization. New York: T.V. Books, L.L.C. 2000.

C.D. we listened to in class

Schofield, Louise. Ancient Greece. San Francisco: Fog City Press. 2005.

On the left: Plato, on the right: Meno

On the left: Socrates, on the right: Atryum

Greek Architecture

Athens had lots of new ideas coming into it because it was the center of trade during its time. “If New York City is ‘The Big Apple,’ Athens was ‘The Big Olive.’” (Video) Everyone came to them and it even started to turn into a polyglot society. However, “while absorbing what the near east had to offer…[such as architecture and religion,] the Greeks continued to make everything they took over into something astonishingly different-and original.” (Grant 11) We can see this when we look at their architecture.

“In ancient Greece, poor people and rich people lived in different kinds of houses. All houses were made of mud bricks and needed frequent repairs. Houses of the poor people were very simple compared to the houses of the rich, which had more rooms centered around a courtyard…The floors and walls in the houses were carefully created using stones, tiles, or pebbles. The nicest houses used pebbles to create mosaics. To do this, they went to the seashore and collected colored pebbles of similar sizes and arranged them in sand to make a picture or pattern on the floors or walls.”

Perhaps the most amazing parts of ancient Greek architecture were their large and gorgeous temples. We must rely on their temples for most of our information since they are one of the only surviving buildings from that time. The first stone temples appeared in large numbers during the 8th century B.C. and the 7th century B.C. “These temples were often only big enough to house a cult statue and were not meant to be places for large gatherings of people. A typical Greek temple had a long, inner chamber surrounded by columns.” “The Greek marble temples, for example, are known to have displayed blue, green, red and gold colors. The color is thought to have enhanced the optical experience of the building and to highlight the architectural sculpture.” “Beneath the temples spread public meeting places, civic buildings, gymnasiums, stadiums, theaters, and housing.” Though not much remains of these temples, we can imagine the glory they had at their peak. (source1, source2)

The three kinds of columns used by the Greeks to build these splendors and to hold up the roofs were Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.

“The Doric order is plain and sturdy looking. It was developed by the Dorian tribes on the Greek mainland who were heavily influenced by buildings at Mycenae and Crete. The greatest example of Doric order is the Parthenon which was built around 440.”

“The Ionic order originated along the coast of the Asia Minor. The Ionic column is taller and more slender than the Doric. Unlike the Doric, the Ionic column has a base. The most distinctive feature of the ionic column is the scroll shape of the capitol, which made it slightly fancier than the Doric. The Ionic order was more popular in the eastern parts of Greece where there was an emphasis on elegance and ornamentation.”

“The Corinthian order was built to be sturdier than the Ionic order. It was also more decorative with elaborate leaf designs at the top of the columns. This was the style that most influenced Roman architecture” even though it wasn’t used that much in Greece.

“Some things today can be traced back to the ancient Greeks [as we have already seen,] such as theatre.” (Malam 5) The Greeks are well known for their amphitheaters. These were semi-circles “with rising tiers of seats [which look like steps] about an open space called the arena” where the orchestra would play and the actors would perform using masks to show happiness or sadness.

Many years later, one can look around and still see some of ancient Greece. “Classic Greek architecture is reflected on modern day buildings such as the Lincoln Memorial…The Lincoln Memorial uses the Doric order.” A bigger example would be the White House. “The White House is a grand mansion…with details that echo classical Greek Ionic architecture. James Hoban's original design was modeled after the Leinster House in Dublin, Ireland.” Thus we see that Greek architecture not only influenced America, but other countries as well.

Works Cited

Grant, Michael. The Founders of the Western World: A History of Greece and Rome. New York: Maxwell Macmillan Publishing Company. 1991.

Malam, John. Ancient Greece. New York: Enchanted Lion Books. 2004.

Video of Greece we watched in class

Why were the writings of Homer so influential?

“To the classical Greeks, Homer's epics played very much the same role that the Bible plays for a lot of people today. People memorized big chunks of Homer's writings in school, and they repeated bits of it in order to convince other people to do something or think something.” “We have evidence from the classical age in Greece of people memorizing the complete poetry of Homer word for word (over 25,000 lines of poetry); it may be possible that the Homeric poems were memorized with more exactitude than scholars believe.”

“The Greeks regarded Homer as their first, and greatest, poet. They might speak of other names which pretended to greater antiquity, but they had no text to quote. For Homer they did…Homer, for the Greeks, stood at the head of their literary tradition. All knew him…” (Lattimore 13)

“The texts gave Greece a model history that became the base texts for education. Homer taught courage and honor through his poems, encouraging Greeks to be proud of their heritage.”

Not only were Homer’s writings read and valued in Greece, but we still read Homer today. Homer’s two big masterpieces were the Iliad and the Odyssey, although some scholars are doubtful if Homer was the true author of the latter. (source)

“The Iliad deals with only a small portion of the Trojan War; in fact, it covers only a few months during the tenth year of that war. The ancient Greek audience, however, would have been familiar with all the events leading up to this tenth year, and during the course of the Iliad, Homer makes many references to various past events.” (Skill 15)

“The Odyssey describes the return of the Greek hero Odysseus from the Trojan War. The opening scenes depict the disorder that has arisen in Odysseus's household during his long absence: A band of suitors is living off of his wealth as they woo his wife, Penelope. The epic then tells of Odysseus's ten years of traveling, during which he has to face such dangers as the man-eating giant Polyphemus and such subtler threats as the goddess Calypso, who offers him immortality if he will abandon his quest for home.” “The second half of the poem begins with Odysseus' arrival at his home island of Ithaca. Here, exercising infinite patience and self-control, Odysseus tests the loyalty of his servants, plots and carries out a bloody revenge on Penelope's suitors, and is reunited with his son, his wife, and his aged father.”

“The Iliad and the Odyssey are, or rather contain, the oldest Greek writings we have. There is no way to date accurately any part of them. Scholars differ widely, and will no doubt continue to do so.” (Hamilton 21)

The Iliad and the Odyssey are important because they record Greek (and Trojan) history. From the rage of Achilles to Odysseus’ return to Ithaca, these epic poems hold precious history and show us the lifestyles and beliefs of these famous characters.

Works Cited

Hamilton, Edith. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York: New American Library. 1969.

Lattimore, Richmond. The Iliad of Homer. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. 1951.

Skill, Elaine Strong. Cliff’s Notes on Homer’s The Iliad. Lincoln, Nebraska: Cliff’s Notes, Inc. 1986.

Left: part of the Iliad on papyrus


Right: part of the Odyssey on papyrus

The New Kingdom of Egypt: The Golden Age

“More than 1,000 years after the pyramids were built, Egypt reached the height of its powers. The sophisticated, civilized society that we call the New Kingdom was led by a succession of remarkable kings. Between them, they liberated their country, conquered their neighbors and built an empire that stretched from Syria to Sudan. The empire brought Egypt unimaginable wealth and power. And they left a legacy that is still with us today 3,000 years later.”

At the end of the Second Intermediate Period, “the Hyksos were being forced back on the Delta. Seqenenre and Kamose died in battle, but Kamose’s successor…completed the task and drove the Hyksos out of Egypt. He became the founder of the mighty eighteenth dynasty, the first in the New Kingdom.”

“18th Dynasty
· Ahmose [He was successful in unifying Egypt in 1520 B.C, but gives credit to the sun god, Amen Re.]
· Amenhotep I
· Thutmose I
· Thutmose II
· Hatshepsut [She ruled for her stepson since he was not old enough to rule on his own yet. However, she intended to keep the throne, and even when Thutmose III was of age, she ruled with him. He hated his stepmother for this. She took the throne by claiming that her father appointed her as his successor, that she was in the royal line, and that she was the daughter of a god. She had to dress as a male so that she would be accepted more. She called herself pharaoh-not queen. The position of pharaoh was reserved only for males, so she was breaking that rule. She increased Egypt’s wealth by trading at Punt and bringing back many riches. During her reign she built many oblisques and temples and repaired others. She was the first successful female ruler. (video)]
· Thutmose III [After his stepmom died, he took the throne completely. He tried to take revenge on her by wiping her out of history. However, the things in her temples are still there so we know she existed. Thutmose III wanted to have an empire, so he expanded the military-some were volunteers and others were forced to join. He then took his troops of 20,000 men and marched down to Megiddo. Here there was a battle, but his men kept stopping to plunder, so he turned it into a siege instead. Seven months later, Megiddo surrendered and Thutmose III marched back to Thebes with all of their wealth. (video)]
· Amenhotep II [He controlled and protected Egypt not with weapons, but words. He wrote letters to his three enemies to keep the peace. (video)]
· Thutmose IV [This pharaoh erected a granite stela between the paws of the Great Sphinx. The upper part of this stela shows the king making offerings to the Sphinx and tells of how one of the gods promised Thutmose IV the throne if he would repair the Sphinx and clear away the sand that had piled up to its neck. Thutmose IV did just this. (Gahlin*)
· Amenhotep III [His way of diplomacy and friendship was giving gold. (video)]
· Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) [“Akhenaten shook up traditional politics and religion. He moved Egypt’s capital from Thebes to a desolate site three hundred miles away, known today as Armana, and there he built a splendid new city from scratch. At the same time he tried to create a new religion, based on the worship of one god instead of many.” (Marston 13)]
· Neferneferuaten
· Tutankhamen [He abandoned the “capital of Akhenaten, along with the cult of its god. Having changed his name to Tutankhamun, [it used to be Tutankaten,] this young king set about reopening the temples that were closed during the reign of Akhenaten, restoring the old priesthood back to its former power. Despite the importance of his reign, Tutankhamun will probably be best remembered for his tomb, which was found almost intact in the early 1920s.The mummy mask of Tutankhamun is perhaps one of the most famous finds in the history of archaeology.”]
[“Tutankhamun having died without leaving an heir, the throne passed to two of his courtiers. The first was Ay, who is sometimes believed to have been a brother-in-law of Amenhotep III and who married the widow of the deceased king in order to legitimise his claims to the throne.”]
· Ay
· Horemheb" (source)
“The second was Horemheb, a former general who served under Tutankhamun and who may have been married to a sister of Nefertiti, Akhenaten's wife. It was during Horemheb's reign that the restoration policy after the Amarna Revolution turned into a policy of destruction: Akhenaten's names were chisled away, his statues torn down and his temples smashed to bits.”
“As he had no male offspring, Horemheb appointed an old comrade in arms, the general Paramesu, to be his successor. With Paramesu's accession to the throne as Ramesses I, the 18th Dynasty had come to an end.”

“19th Dynasty
[“The Nineteenth Dynasty (1320-1200BC) was established by the Horemheb's wazir, or minister, Ramses I who reigned for two years. Ramses and his descendants were warrior kings who recaptured territories lost under Akhenaten.”]
·Rameses I
[“His successor Seti I regained control over Egypt's eastern colonies in Palestine, Nubia and the Near East. Seti I also began construction on a majestic temple at Abydos which was completed by his son Ramses II…”]
·Seti I
· Rameses II [He “reconquered Asia Minor. Ramses also constructed monumental structures like the Ramesseum in Thebes and the sun temples of Abu Simbel.”]
· Merenptah [He “spent much of his reign driving back invaders from Libya and the Mediterranean, but he is believed to be the biblical Pharaoh described in Exodus.”]
· Amenmessu
· Sety II
· Saptah
· Tausret” (source)
·
“20th Dynasty
· Setnakht
· Rameses III [“Under him, Palestine, Syria, and the northern Euphrates area in Mesopotamia were brought within the New Kingdom.”]
· Rameses IV
· Rameses V
· Rameses VI
· Rameses VII
· Rameses VIII
· Rameses IX
· Rameses X
· Rameses XI" (source)

Under “Ramses III, the kingdom was occupied with defending itself against Libyan and "Sea People" invasions. Ramses III constructed the enormous palace temple of Medinet Hebu, but the empire had begun to disintegrate with strikes, assassination attempts and provincial unrest.”
“His successors, who were all named Ramses, presided over the decline of their empire until Ramses XI withdrew from active control over his kingdom, delegating authority over Upper Egypt to his high priest of Amun, Herihor, and of Lower Egypt to his minister Smendes. These two rulers were the last of the New Kingdom.”

Works Cited

Gahlin, Lucia. Egypt: Gods, Myths, and Religion. New York: Anness Publishing. 2005.

Marston, Elsa. The Ancient Egyptians. New York: Benchmark Books. 1996.

(Video)

* I was photocopying a page out of this book to use and since it was oversized, the copier cut off the page number!

The Middle Kingdom of Egypt

“The Middle Kingdom was a generally peaceful time.” The pharaohs of this time were shown as taking care of their people like a shepherd, not like a god-king as in the Old Kingdom. “However, expeditions were sent during some phases of the Middle Kingdom to push the borders of Egypt outward.”

“During this time trade picked up dramatically and many resources which before had been unused were now being exploited...During the entire Middle Kingdom many building projects were conducted.”

“Life was good, especially for the wealthy. We can see this from the tomb paintings, which show many daily activities, along with the marshes and wheat fields of river and farm…Middle Kingdom objects, too, such as jewelry, are among the most beautiful ever found in Egypt.” (Marston 26)

The Middle Kingdom actually started in the middle of the eleventh dynasty; so let’s back up a bit to the beginning of this line of rulers.

“11th Dynasty
· Mentuhotep I (‘Tepy-aa’)
· Intef I (Sehertawy)
· Intef II (Wahankh)
· Intef III (Nakhtnebtepnefer)
Middle Kingdom c. 2055-c.1650
· Mentuhotep II (Nebhepetre) [The First Intermediate Period came to an end and the Middle Kingdom began with Mentuhotep II, the fifth king of the eleventh dynasty. He reunited Egypt after a time of chaos and civil war. Later generations now see him as the second man to reunite Egypt.]
· Mentuhotep III (Sankhkare) [This pharaoh is interestingly missing from some of the lists of kings. His reign was positive and had many building projects, but there seems to have been a famine in the Theban region at the end of his reign. His mother was a commoner.]
· Mentuhotep IV (Nebtawyre)” (Oakes 340)

“Mentuhotep [IV] seems to have been overthrown by his own vizier, Amenemhet, who thus founded the XII Dynasty. Some ill feeling may have persisted, since Amenemhet himself was ultimately assassinated, a sort of act that was, as far as we know, rather rare in Egyptian history.”

12th Dynasty
· “Amenemhet I [“Amenemhet I set about consolidating the country in a very purposeful manner. He moved his capital north to the capital he apparently established named Amenemhet-itj-tawy...It was located south of Memphis.”]
· Sesostris I [He apparently was trained by his father on how to rule and was given specific active roles in the government, especially concerning the military. When he succeeded his father, there was “little or no disruption in the administration of the country.”]
· Amenemhet II
· Sesostris II
· Sesostris III [He “reorganized Egypt into four regions: the northern and southern halves of the Nile Valley and the eastern and western Delta.”]
· Amenemhet III “This mud-brick pyramid was originally covered in limestone. It is the burial place of the Middle Kingdom pharaoh Amenemhet III.”
· Amenemhet IV
· Queen Sobeknefru”: the first female monarch (source)

“The 12th Dynasty re-established the pyramid building and every Pharaoh of that dynasty was buried in their own pyramid.” However, “the distinctive works of this period are a series of royal statues that reflect a subtle change in the Egyptian concept of kingship.”

13th Dynasty
· “Wegaf
· Intef IV
· Hor
· Sobekhotep II
· Khendjer
· Sobekhotep III
· Neferhotep I
· Sobekhotep IV
· Ay
· Neferhotep II” (source)

14th Dynasty
· “Nehesi
· Khatire
· Nebfaure
· Sehabre
· Meridjefare
· Sewadjkare
· Heribre
· Sankhibre
· Kanefertemre
· Neferibre
· Ankhkare” (source)

The Second Intermediate Period
Soon after this, Egypt was invaded. “For the first time, the Egyptians found themselves under foreign rule- the HYKSOS. This rule was in the fifteenth and sixteenth dynasties [as well as the seventeenth.] The rulers did not impose a foreign system of government and kept themselves to the existing Egyptian systems. They kept records in Egyptian script, using Egyptian royal titles and copying Egyptian styles on art.”

“The Hyksos dynasty took its pharaonic responsibilities seriously and encouraged buildings, the arts and crafts and literature. It was a considerable time of technical innovation. The Hyksos brought Egypt the horse harness and the war chariots and their military improvements.”

15th Dynasty
· “Sheshi
· Yakubher
· Khyan
· Apepi I
· Apepi II” (source)

16th Dynasty
· “Anather
· Yakobaam” (source)

17th Dynasty
· “Sobekemsaf
· Intef VII
· Tao I
· Tao II
· Kamose” (source) This statue is of Kamose.

“In the south, an Egyptian dynasty emerged at…[Thebes]: its founder was Rahotep. Under the Theban kings, (Ta’a and his successors,) Seqenenre and Kamose war broke between the two dynasties. The Hyksos were being forced back on the Delta. Seqenenre and Kamose died in battle, but Kamose’s successor AHMOSIS I, completed the task and drove the Hyksos out of Egypt. He became the founder of the mighty eighteenth dynasty, the first in the New Kingdom.”

Works Cited:

Marston, Elsa. The Ancient Egyptians. New York: Benchmark Books. 1996.

Oakes, Lorna and Lucia Gahlin. Ancient Egypt. New York: Barnes & Noble Publishing, Inc. 2003.

Juan Pierre: So What if I Make Him Sound Great?

My Dad says it's dumb that I cheer for him every time I see him on TV or that I talk about him a lot. My BFF makes fun of me for cheering for him because he's bald. So what? I believe Juan Pierre is the best player ever (though he's with the Dodgers now, not the Cubs.)

He's quick so he can steal a lot and he makes some amazing catches. Who couldn't like him? You can always trust him. He's willing to lay down a sacrifice bunt for the team, but he's super good at regular bunts, too. The only bad things are that he seems to get out a lot and he's a devout Catholic. I guess he can't be perfect even if I want him to be!

"·Bats: Left, Throws: Left
·Height: 6' 0", Weight: 180 lb.
·School: Galveston College, University of South Alabama
·High School: Alexandria (LA) High School
·Debut: [in the major leagues at least, he was recognized in the minors, too]
August 7, 2000
·Born: August 14, 1977 in Mobile, AL USA" (source)

In the majors, he's played for the Rockies, Marlins, Cubs, and Dodgers.
He's set a batting record and he's been in line for MVP a couple times, too.
His career batting average is .300. (source)

"In his seven years through 2006, Pierre has batted .303 with 12 home runs, 287 RBI, and 325 stolen bases in 1,007 games...Juan became a fan favorite early in his career because of his speed, durability, and work ethic. He led the National League in stolen bases in 2001 and 2003, and stole at least 45 bases each year from 2001 to 2006; because of his great speed and ability for contact hitting, many believe he is one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball." (source)

Plus, he's one of the nicest Dodgers. I almost got his autograph, too!

Then, I used to play centerfield (when I wasn't at second) and I like the Dodgers, so I have to like him even if he wasn't my favorite player. He's the best.
It's funny because I just told my friend the other day that I wanted one of these bobbleheads and then I found a picture of one the next day on Google!

Sorry, I just had to post this. I posted a picture on the side of my blog, too.



Update:
"Member of 2003 World Series champion Florida Marlins, and was named the Marlins' most valuable player by the South Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America

Received the Cool Papa Bell Award from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in 2003
Led the National League in stolen bases in 2001 (46) and 2003 (65)

Pierre was the only player in baseball to play every inning of all his team's games in 2004, and was only the third player to do it since 1971.

On May 9, 2006, Pierre robbed the San Francisco Giants' Barry Bonds of a career 714th home run, which would have tied Bonds with Babe Ruth for second on the all-time list, by catching the ball as it topped the fence. [YES! See? He's amazing!]

Was the first Marlin to record 200 hits in a season
Set the record for the lowest batting average (.292) in a season (2006) while collecting at least 200 hits (204).

Has the 2nd most stolen bases out of any active player

On July 29, 2008, Pierre stole his hundreth base with the Dodgers, becoming only one of four players in MLB history to steal at least a hundred bases with three different teams. He previously stole 100 with the Colorado Rockies and 167 with the Florida Marlins." (source)

The Old Kingdom of Egypt

“The Old Kingdom was the richest and most creative period in Egyptian history.” All the pyramids were built at this time and Egypt was wealthy and prosperous. There were ten (and part of the eleventh) dynasties in this kingdom.

“With whom the Predynastic Period ends and the 1st Dynasty begins is a matter of speculation, with Narmer either being the first king of the 1st Dynasty [which began in 3100 B.C,] or the last king of the Predynastic period. This is an argument that has never really been settled.” However, assuming that Narmer was the first king of the first dynasty, these are the rulers.

1st Dynasty
“Narmer
Aha [also known as Menes.] At this time, “Egypt was split into two districts: Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. Unification of these two kingdoms came under King Menes in 3100 BC. Menes unified the two areas and divided the land into 40 regions where a governor was appointed to rule each region and report back to the Pharaoh.”
Djer
Djet
Den
Anedjib
Semerkhet
Qa’a.” (Oakes 340)

During this first dynasty, “papyrus was invented and as a consequence writing was used as an administrative tool of government.”

“From the end of the 1st dynasty, there is evidence of rival claimants to the throne.” We see that Hetepsekhemwy was successful in claiming the throne, though, thus starting the 2nd dynasty.

2nd Dynasty
“Hetepsekhemwy [means ‘peaceful in respect of the two powers’ and may allude to the conclusion of strife between two factions or parts of the country, to the antagonistic gods Horus and Seth, or to both.”]
Raneb
Nynetjer
Weneg
Sened
Peribsen
Khasekhemwy” (Oakes 340)

“The Second Dynasty maintained the war records of raids into Nubia. None of the raid efforts were large scale or resulted in permanent conquest, but they are indicative of a desire for the wealth of Nubia. Another large exploit of the Egyptians during the Second Dynasty is the shift of a power center from Abydos to Memphis. This shift, due largely in part to resources, could also possibly have been due to the cult of the Sun god Ra beginning during this period, and also due to a want for greater political control by the king. By the end of the 2nd Dynasty an end to political opposition of north and south established a basic economic, religious and political system, which lasted well into dynasties to come, and paved the way for the more affluent Third Dynasty.”

This is when the Old Kingdom actually starts. This dynasty began in 2686 B.C.

3rd Dynasty
“Sanakht (Nebka)
Djoser (Netjerikhet) [Djoser is “accredited with building the Step Pyramid at Saqqara. The king's vizier, Imhotep, was the architect of that great tomb, and of the magnificent Funerary Complex of Djoser at Saqqara. Egypt also experienced a seven year famine during Djoser's reign.”]
Sekhemkhet
Khaba
Huni” (Oakes 340)

Overall, this third dynasty was a prosperous age. “The artistic masterpieces in the tombs of the nobles show the martial wealth of this time.”

4th Dynasty
“Sneferu [This pharaoh “sent military expeditions as far as Libya and Nubia.”]
Khufu (Cheops) [He built the Great Pyramid of Giza.”]
Djedefre (Radjedef) [He built the second pyramid of Giza.]
Khafre (Chephren) [He built the third and final pyramid of Giza.]
Menkaure (Mycerinus)
Shepseskaf” (Oakes 340)

“The fourth dynasty came from Memphis and the fifth from the south in Elephantine. [However,] the transition from one ruling family to another appears to have been peaceful.”

5th Dynasty
"Userkaf
Sahure
Neferirkare
Shepseskare
Reneferef
Niuserre
Menkauhor
Djedkare
Unas (Wenis)" (Oakes 340)
“There are surviving papyri from this period which demonstrate well developed methods of accounting and record keeping.”

“The Old Kingdom is often also called the ‘Pyramid Age,’” but “from Dynasty 5 the pyramids declined. They ceased with the collapse of the Old Kingdom. Although reintroduced in the Middle Kingdom, they were finally replaced by rock-cut tombs.” (David 25)

6th Dynasty
"Teti
Userkare
Pepi I (Meryre)
Merenre
Pepi II (Neferkare)
Nitiqret" (Oakes 340)

“There are many inscriptions from the sixth dynasty. These include records of trading expeditions to the south from the reigns of Pepi I. One of the most interesting is a letter written by Pepy II. The pyramid of Pepi II at southern Saqqara is the last major monument of the Old Kingdom.

“7th and 8th Dynasties
…Numerous short reigns…” (Oakes 340)

This time from 2181 B.C. to 2055 B.C. is called the First Intermediate Period.

“When King Pepy II [Pepi II] died after 94 years of reign, the government lost control of power. This decline in royal power allowed provincial governors to form states, ruling their districts. The people no longer felt an allegiance to the pharaoh...As the pharaoh’s power decreased, the power of the governors increased.”

“9th and 10th Dynasties
Khety (Meryibre)
Khety (Wahkre)
Merykare
Ity” (Oakes 340)

There was general conflict in Egypt at this time, but was resolved in the 11th dynasty.

11th Dynasty
Mentuhotep I (‘Tepy-aa’)
Intef I (Sehertawy)
Intef II (Wahankh)
Intef III (Nakhtnebtepnefer)
Middle Kingdom c. 2055-c.1650
Mentuhotep II (Nebhepetre)
Mentuhotep III (Sankhkare)
Mentuhotep IV (Nebtawyre)” (Oakes 340)

“Life was good in the Old Kingdom. Egypt was at peace, and trade flourished. Mighty kings built the Great Pyramids, and sculptors and tomb painters created the finest art of Egypt’s history.” (Marston 9 and 10) However, this could not last forever. “The Old Kingdom declined with power struggles within and raids from without.”

David, Rosalie. Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt. New York: Oxford University Press. 1998.

Marston, Elsa. The Ancient Egyptians. New York: Benchmark Books. 1996.

Oakes, Lorna and Lucia Gahlin. Ancient Egypt. New York: Barnes & Noble Publishing, Inc. 2003.

Pharoah Khufu

Pharoah Khufu (2589-2566 B.C.) was the second pharaoh to rule over Egypt during the Fourth dynasty (2613-2494 B.C.) “His real name was Khnum-Khufwy, which means, "the god Khnum protects me," and Khufu was his nickname.” “The Turin Papyrus mentioned that he ruled for 23 years after the reign of his father Snefru.” “ Khufu’s mother’s name was Hetepheres.” “Khufu married Queen Merey-it-es...[and] he also married Queen Henutsen.”

According to various inscriptions, Khufu probably did lead military into the Sinai, and raids into Nubia and Lybia. Though his father was kind, he was a cruel ruler. “He was rumored in later times to have been prone to enjoying the fantastic stories of the reigns of his predecessors, as well as tales of magic and the mystical:” an interesting side of his life.”

Not much is known about Khufu himself. “Ironically, only a very small statue of 9 cm has been found depicting this historic ruler.” However, we do know that his greatest accomplishment was the Great Pyramid of Giza. “The pyramid covers over 13 acres and is solid masonry, not hollow or earth-filled like the Central American pyramids.”

“The precision with which the pyramid was executed is often the source of marvel and speculation. It is likely that the attention to this precision was related to the many structural problems encountered in previous pyramids. To minimize many of the previous errors, the attention to precision produced a pyramid whose base is level within 2.1 cm (less than 1 in!), with the only difference in the length of the sides being 4.4 cm (1.75 in). “It was made with 2.3 million stone blocks that weighed from 2.5 to 15 tons each.” (Shuter 13) Wow!

Also, “in the Great Pyramid, two shafts running from the burial chamber were aligned with various stars, including the constellation of Orion (divinely personified by the Egyptians as the god Sah.) Orion was possibly intended as the destination of the king’s ba when he ascended to take his place among the circumpolar stars. In this and similar ways, the Egyptians incorporated the stars into their religious beliefs as well as using a certain amount of astronomical observation in the building of the pyramids, especially in the precise alignment of the tomb with the four cardinal points.” (Gahlin 175)

“The name of Khufu and his pyramid is always attached to a popular notion that the pyramid was built by slaves. But that was not the case, because the workers built their own tombs near the pyramid of Khufu, and prepared their tombs for eternity like nobles and officials. They were also paid by the king, or worked instead of paying tax. Finally, slaves could have built a building larger than Khufu's pyramid, but could never created such an innovative work like the Great Pyramid. This pyramid indicates that they were proud to build the tomb of their great god.”

“Curiously, although his father was probably buried in Dahshur, Khufu chose the Giza plateau to situate his pyramid, temples, and perhaps, his tomb. Also curiously, he did not choose the highest spot on the plateau, which was later used by his son and successor, Khafre. This gave Khafre's pyramid the illusion of being taller, when in fact the Great Pyramid is the actually the taller pyramid…After the death of Khafre, his son Menkaure built his smaller pyramid at Giza, eventually completing the last of the famous pyramids at Giza.” “The pyramids at Giza are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.” (Gahlin 175)

“Surrounding the Great Pyramid there is a large number of boat pits, which did not contain actual boats, but which were symbolic of the dead king sailing into the Netherworld. On the south side of the pyramid there are two other boat pits, but these differ in one significant respect - they actually contain boats. When one pit was opened in the 1950s, it was found to contain a disassembled cedar wood boat. There were 1,224 separate parts, which could be stitched together again using ropes made from vegetable fibers. It was rebuilt by the same man who reassembled Hetep-Heres's furniture. When finished, it was found that the boat was 142 ft (43.3 m) long and 5.9 m wide. In 1985, a small camera was inserted into the other boat pit to see if it contained a real ship. Although one was found, it looked in reasonably poor condition, and so it has not been excavated. It seems as if these two boats were not intended to take Khufu to the afterlife. In fact, it is more probable that they were used to carry the royal body from Memphis to Giza, and then cut up and buried outside the walls of the pyramid complex.”

It is estimated that 1 to 2 million tourists visit the pyramids at Giza each year. They marvel and stare in awe, especially at the Great Pyramid. When they behold this wonder, they may think of Pharoah Khufu building this amazing structure under his iron fist for 23 years, preparing for the after life.

Works Cited:
Gahlin, Lucia. Egypt: Gods, Myths, and Religion. China: Anness Publishing, Ltd. 2004.

Shuter, Jane. People who Made History in Ancient Egypt. Austin, Texas: Raintree Steck/Vaughn Publishers. 2001.

Awesome quote

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." -Dr. Suess
(source even though I got it from English class!)

The Code of Hammurabi

“The Laws of Hammurabi are the longest and best organized of the law collections that survive from ancient Mesopotamia. King Hammurabi, who ruled from 1792-1750 B.C., had the laws inscribed on stone stelae which he placed in various temples throughout his realm.” (source)

These laws were “written when the great Babylonian empire was at its peak.” (source)

“The stela… [with the laws inscribed on it] stands almost seven-and-a-half feet tall. At the top of the stela, King Hammurabi stands before the sun god Shamash, the Mesopotamian god of justice, who is seated on his throne. Shamash gives Hammurabi the rod and ring, symbols of kingship and divine justice, thus reinforcing the ancient Mesopotamian belief that laws came from the gods.” (source)

Hammurabi “sorted his [282] laws into groups such as family, labor, personal property, real estate, trade, and business.” (source)

These strict laws covered almost every aspect of people’s lives. These laws were based on the idea, “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth,” but punishments for crimes varied according to rank and gender.

(“229. If a builder build a house for some one, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built fall in and kill its owner, then that builder shall be put to death. 230. If it kill the son of the owner the son of that builder shall be put to death. 231. If it kill a slave of the owner, then he shall pay slave for slave to the owner of the house.”) (source)

Hammurabi’s Code survived long after he died. “For example, Semitic cultures succeeding Hammurabi's rule used some of the same laws that were included in Hammurabi's code.” (source)

We also have some similar laws today. “In the code, crimes punishable by death required a trial in front of a bench of judges…[and] a husband who wished to divorce his wife was required to pay alimony and child support. By creating the world's first set of organized laws, Hammurabi constituted a model set of…[laws]…for other civilizations to duplicate.” (source)

“The Law Code of Hammurabi currently resides in the Louvre Museum, Paris.” (source)

THIS IS A PICTURE YOU CANNOT PASS UP!

They are so cute!!! Anyone who sees this picture is sure to want a puppy.

What in the World...?

Okay, I love Dr. Pepper... as people with any taste do... (Just Kidding!) But this inflatable costume is just weird. Yes, there really is someone inside there. Where would you wear it? :)

The Cutest Pictures of Kittens Ever!!!!!!