Using Google Maps, create an illustration of Alexander's whole journey.

How did Alexander create his own myth?

            A lot great leaders from around the time of Alexander the Great created their own mythos. However, Alexander himself was a master at this. One of the ways he accomplished this was when he entered Caria in three hundred thirty four before the Common Era. When he arrived in Caria, Ada who was the daughter of Hecatomnus the king of Caria at the time made a deal with Alexander. After attaining Halicarnassus, Alexander gave back the Caria’s government to Ada in return she formally adopted Alexander the Great as her son. Then after conquering the city of Miletus also in three thirty four before the Common Era, Alexander the Great returned the oracle back to the city. He then placed the oracle into the hands of the city where the priest who was in charge was elected. Another component that helped Alexander the Great create his mythos was the Gordian knot. At one point in the time the Phrygians were without a king. So they decided to make the next man who arrived on an ox cart there next king. A peasant farmer named Gordias finally came into the city riding an ox cart, and he was then crowned king by the priests. His son, Midas, then dedicated an ox cart with its shafts tied together with cornel bark to the Phrygian god Sabazios. And whoever could untie the knot, was said to become the king of Asia. In the fourth century before the Common Era, Alexander arrived hoping to untie the knot. However, when he could not find the ends of the ropes he instead sliced it in half with his sword making him the new king of Asia. Today even there is a metaphor affiliated with the this legend, “cutting the Gordian knot” used for when a problem is solved by a bold solution.            

What do you think should have been done after Alexander's death?

             If the all and mighty Alexander the Great died without leaving any heirs to the thrown or really any plans, at first I wouldn’t know what to do. This great powerful leader who defeats and conquers the Persian Empire and also many other large city states has just died. But the ironic thing is that he didn’t die in war, and he also was not assassinated by one of his many fellow enemies. Instead, he died from a fever. Of course, everyone else from that time who praised and worshipped Alexander the Great was very surprised. Astounded would actually be a better term to describe the people of Alexander’s empire. Who would have thought that he would die at such a young age? Then when the shock decreased a fair amount all of his generals were left power hungry, each and every one of them wanting to replace Alexander the Great. And from then on everything that Alexander the Great created and built for the Greeks was demolished over time. However if I was living back in the time when Alexander the Great died, I would have handled his death differently. For one I think that there should have been an election so all the Greek citizens could vote for who they thought was the best replacement for Alexander the Great. Then whoever got the most votes would be the Greek’s new leader. Personally, I think that would have been much more successful compared to all of his generals just striving to gain power.
 

Do you think Alexander honestly felt like he was avenging Persian wrongs? Or was that just propaganda to mask his goal of conquest?

              I think the main reason Alexander the Great decided to go to war with the Persian Empire was because of revenge. It wasn’t because he wanted to be honored or praised for his conquest or even to gain more land or more power for the Greeks. Instead I really think he went on his conquest to regain Greek’s dignity. I mean imagine how you would feel if some guy just came into your house and stole something that was valuable to you while you just stood there. And there’s the best part, you also can’t do anything about it. You can’t fight back. And worst of all you can’t stop them. But this person is not only stealing your possessions from you but also you’re respect. And everyone deserves respect right? So wouldn’t you be mad too? So mad, that you would want revenge right? That’s what it was like for the Greek city states when the Persian Empire invaded them. But not only did they just completely ruin their land by burning their homes and destroying their belongings, they also stole their honor. So when Alexander the Great went back to the Persian Empire for revenge, he went to reclaim his land’s dignity. Then also gaining control of their land was just a plus kind of like icing on the cake. So I think his mine priority or his main reason for avenging the Persian Empire was not just to gain more land. Instead I think that he wanted to restore the Greeks’ integrity.     

What compels someone to lead others?

             Personally, I think anyone can be a leader if they didn’t have any other choice such as if they were the heir to the thrown or something. However, there is a difference between a leader and a great leader. This difference is that drive, that one characteristic that makes the great leaders stand out from the others, and this is what we call passion. And with that passion, you can do the impossible and accomplish great things. Our great leaders of America, the ones we look up to, all had passion that is one of the reasons why they were able to accomplish everything they did. For example George Washington, the first president of the United States of America, couldn’t have leaded our country without passion. Martin Luther King Jr. stood up for his rights and also for the rights of all African Americans because he knew it was right. He had a passion for his people who weren’t being treated fairly. And then how do you think Alexander the Great got his name? Because he too had passion for his land and people. Without this passion, what else do you have? You need passion to live and ultimately to be happy. But passion can also come in many different forms. It can also come as jealously or even hate. Either way though whatever the reason for the passion or for the type of passion, this is what compels those leaders to do extraordinary things. To make the difference they wanted to see in the world.   

Write a script for a movie about the events that took place in Athens during the Peloponnesian Wars.

The War of Victory

Prologue-

            This short play is about two brothers who live in Athens, and their life fighting against the Peloponnesian League. Through the play there is fear, comedy, death, and of course victory.   

Main Characters-

            Achilleus meaning pain

            Nikon meaning victory

Scene 1

Nikon, twelve years old. Achilleus at the age of sixteen.

Setting- Attica, Greece

Nikon- Achilleus! Achilleus!

Achilleus- Nikon, over here!

Nikon- What’s going on?

Achilleus- We’re being invaded by the Spartans.

Nikon- What? Why?

Achilleus- I’ll explain later. Just go back inside, Nikon. Now!

Nikon- *Hurries inside with Achilleus following him from behind*

Achilleus- Nikon, the Peloponnesian League and us the Delian League are in a war. We’re fighting for power primarily and also the land that comes with it.   

Nikon- How come we’re fighting? Why can’t we just share?

Achilleus- It has just always been this way from as far as I know of, Nikon.

Nikon- I don’t understand.

Achilleus- You will one day.

Scene 2

3 years later

Setting- Achilleus’s and Nikon’s house

Achilleus- Take my place as general, Nikon. Lead the people of Athens to glory once again. But please don’t do something stupid.

Nikon- I have it under control. Don’t you worry.

Achilleus- I’m afraid the plague has overcome me.

Nikon- Achilleus, don’t give up now.

Achilleus- *Cough cough* I hope I can make it through dinner. I really want to eat that pig.

Nikon- You’re worrying about the pig when you’re dying!

Achilleus- I was trying to lighten the mood.

Nikon- Drink some water, Achilleus. *hands Nikon a glass of water*

Achilleus- *Pushed the cup away* I don’t like water it has no taste. Why can’t I have wine?

Nikon- Achilleus…

Achilleus- Water is good too. *takes a sip out of the glass*

Nikon- Why do you always have to be so difficult? Even while lying almost dead in a bed, you’re still irritating.

Achilleus- Well no need to take it easy on the dying brother who fed and raised you I might add.

Nikon- And I thank you for that Achilleus.

Achilleus- It.. it was no problem *cough* at all little brother. *starts gasping for air*

Nikon- Achilleus!

Achilleus- Nikon *gasps again*… thank you.

Nikon- Thank you! Thank you for what?

Achilleus- *As he takes his last and final breath* For being my brother.

Nikon- *Weeping* I will always remember you, Achilleus.

Scene 3

1 year later

Setting- Delian League naval ship

Nikon- *Turns to his army* Men are you ready?

Army- Yes, General Nikon sir.

Nikon- We have worked hard for this. Now this is our time.

Army- *Erupts in cheers*

Nikon- *Silently to himself while looking out at his army* These hundreds of men are ready for the invasion on our enemy the Peloponnesian League. Some of which won’t be returning home again, knowing the price that has to be paid. These brave men, who might never see their families and loved ones again, are still here willing to fight against the Spartans. To fight for their land, Athens, but also for the rest of Greece. And then there is the memory of my brother. And I realize this is for him. For my brother, Achilleus.

Epilogue-

            Many of the men from both Athens and Sparta were killed. However in the end, the Delian League does win this invasion against the Peloponnesian League.

Explain how the origins of theatre in Athens are tied to both religion and politics.

             Theatre in Athens, Greece existed for about three hundred thirty years, from the time of five hundred fifty before the Common Era to two hundred twenty before the Common Era. There were three different kinds of dramatic genres that were popular in the Athenian theatre that were tragedy, comedy, and satyr play. The origins of theatre in Athens, however, relates to both religion and politics. The Athenian god, Dionysus, was said to be the god of the grape harvest and wine in Greek mythology. The most popular festival to honor this god was called “City Dionysia”, which was created about the time of five hundred and eight before the Common Era. In this celebration men preformed songs and there were even plays, which is where the theatre in Athens started. During other festivals, Greeks also sacrificed goats as an offering to Dionysus. The etymology of the word tragedy, which is one of the types of theatrical forms, is goat and hymn. And in the mythology of the god, Dionysus, goats were the priests. In politics, theatre was also used. Public satire was usually the greatest influence on the public’s opinion of the candidates. This type of satire just meant that it gained entertainment from politics. And one of the most common ways to achieve this public satire was by comic poets that preformed in theatres. Politics was just another component in the origin of theatres in Athens, Greece. Both religion and politics, however, are very important in making what Athenian theatre was back then.          

Was Athens really a 'democracy'?

             Athens was said to be a democracy, which is a type of government where the people decide who their leaders are and how to run their country. They do this through consensus, direct referendum, or elected representatives. All citizens have equal power before the law, which mean everyone has the same rights and must obey the same laws. The Athenian democracy started around the time of five hundred eight before the Common Era. It was one of the first democracies, and even though other Greek city states set up other democracies too most were based from the one in Athens. Also, none were as stable, powerful, or as well documented as the Athenian democracy. This democracy however was greatly influenced by political satire by the comic poets preforming in the theatres of Athens, which is a satire that gained entertainment from politics. And even though the Athenian democracy was very different from what our democracy is now, it is still a democracy. Controversy, on this is from both the ancient time but also from today. In the ancient times of Athens, many citizens felt that the government was giving too much power to the poor and uneducated opposed to the wealthy. Modern critics however thought the exact opposite. Instead, that the diversity of citizens who did have power was very little. I disagree on this because from what I can tell everyone, who was a citizen, was equal just like in our democracy now. They were also different sections within the government such as the assembly, the council, and the courts. Elections were also held where citizens could vote for the candidate that they thought was most suitable. This was based upon who would lead Athens into greatness with their knowledge, experience, and contacts from different city states. Even though is democracy existed thousands of years ago, the Athenian democracy helped lead up to the democracy we have now.     

Do you think Socrates got what he deserved? Why didn't he accept exile?

              Socrates was born in the year of four hundred sixty nine before the Common Era. He was the son of Sophroniscus who was a stone manson and sculptor. Socrates also even learned his father’s business and practiced it for many years. However, there is very little other information about his early life. One of the biggest differences, though, about Socrates compared to all of the other Athenian citizens is that he cared very little about appearance. Instead, he focused on more of intellectual purposes such as logic and reason. Once he even said that since his eyes were bigger, they were actually better for he could see everything in a clearer way. Then also since his nose was more profound and his nostrils flared out, it was more beautiful because now he could distinguish and recognize different smells easier. He believed that you should make your decisions on what you personally thought was right or wrong and cared very greatly for the life in the city. But also he was very critical about Athens and even himself. Because of his criticism, he was sent to be trialed by his fellow citizens picked at random. However, after being sentenced he instead suggested he should get free dinners for the rest of his life as a price for being Athens’s benefactor. I think he didn’t accept the exile because he was simply too proud. He wanted to prove to the Athenian people and government that he was better than what they thought of him. In my opinion, I believe he thought that he was innocent. Later in three hundred ninety nine before the Common Era, however he was found guilty and sentenced to death by the traditional Athenian way, poison hemlock. This was a type of poison that disrupts the central nervous system and causes indigestion, which could lead to a respiratory collapse. In my opinion I do not think that Socrates was guilty. Instead, I think he was an innocent man. He was just different and had higher expectations compared to the normal Athenian. Because of this, Socrates got falsely accused.               

Write a blog post comparing the Ancient Greek Olympics to the Games this coming weekend.

             The first games were said to be started in the year of seven hundred seventy six before the Common Era. They took place in one of Greece’s famous cities called Olympia. The ancient Olympic games are supposed to be the origin of the Olympics we have now a days. However, the games that took place in Olympia and the Olympics we have now are very different. For one, in the games the location never changed. But now in the Olympics the location changes every year. Also back in the ancient Olympic games only men competed. Now men and women compete. In the games back in Olympia, the actual sports and event were different too. For the first thirteen games they only had one event, which was the stadion race. In this event you had to run one length of the stadium. Over the years, however, they added more sports such as boxing and wrestling. Now they have much different sports such as gymnastics, swimming, volley ball, ice hockey, skiing, and figure skating. But there are also some similarities between the ancient Olympic games and the Olympics now. One of them is that both then and now, athletes have traveled from all over to compete in the games. Also for whoever wins there is fame that is brought back to which ever city or country they are from. Although now they are just considered great athletes back then they were said to be almost god like. One ancient Greek poet named Pindar even said, “You could spur on a man with natural talent to strive towards great glory with the help of the gods.” As you can see there have been advancements from the ancient Olympic games to now, but there are still similarities too.              

Design your own megalithic structure. You may use any type of megalithic structure you like, but you must write a short explanation along with your visual images discussing the importance of the structure and what it represents.

Today, February 11, 2011, our team of archeologists has discovered extraordinary stone structures on the John Carroll School property in Bel Air, Maryland, USA.  The stone structures seem to tell the story of this ancient world. This ancient civilization was based in what is now France.  These people had many religious customs that they practiced and were very into the belief of multiple gods.  In their polytheistic religion, these people worshipped many gods, including Ay, god of the sky, Ah, god of the forest, and Yeh, god of life.  Worshipping these gods was an essential element of this culture.  So, we have concluded that these stone structures were partially dedicated to these gods.  These people wanted to be safe, successful, and prosperous in their civilization, and offering things to their gods would heighten their chances of living good lives.  Another part of their culture was the significance of leaders and death.  Leaders of this civilization were highly regarded.  The people were expected to give these leaders a great amount of respect.  When the leaders died, they were buried in these stone structures.  Ceremonial rituals took place during the burying process, as it was an extremely dignified event.  Another tradition comprised the leader choosing a word of phrase to be carved on one of the bigger stones of his or her burying spot.  This structure, on the John Carroll campus, reads “Pierre de Diamant,” which translates to “Diamond Stone.”  It was common for these leaders to choose rare and valuable material for their burying sites.  Based on what we have discovered about this civilization, we have concluded that this ancient megalith was both a dedication to the gods of this ancient world, as well as a burying place for a revered, ancient ruler.

"Structures, both social and physical are continually improving." Agree or disagree.

             A structure can mean many different things such as a building, crystal structure, data structure, musical form, structure in biology, and structure in chemistry. However, all of these structures are improving as more and more things are being discovered, learned, and researched. Buildings have progressed immensely since the first one was built about five hundred thousand years ago by an early ancestor of the humans. Since then we have been able to build not only larger and higher buildings, but also buildings that are safer. Now a days we have the technology and knowledge to be able to make buildings that are more resistant to weather and also any other kind of problem that might occur such as if a fire starts in the building or a plane crashes into it. However, not only physical structures have improved over the years. Social structures, affiliated with society and the relationships between different groups within the society, have also advanced. Since people most of the time, learn from their mistakes I think our society has improved. People in our society have acknowledged and then learned from the mistakes that other major leaders and role models have made. Also more and more people are becoming aware of the problems and issues with our world. Because of this, more people have also been trying to solve these massive problems such as pollution. Throughout time, I think it is needed to have progression and improvement in both physical and social structure to be able to live in the world of today.            

Why do you think so many conspiracy theories surround the pyramids and the megaliths? Give examples of a few and explain where you think they come from.

              A conspiracy theory is a theory that explains why an unpredicted event might have been caused by a certain group of people. Many conspiracy theories are about the pyramids and the megaliths, which are large stones to make a structure or monument. These pyramids and megaliths can be found all over the world in countries such as Egypt, Ireland, Germany, Wales, Portugal, Netherlands, France, and some other places too. I think the main reason for all of the conspiracy theories is because no one really knows why the pyramids or megaliths were actually built for. Instead we all just have our guesses and hypothesizes about why they were built for. But we are still not sure about the exact reason of why they were really created even after translating the hieroglyphs or any other symbols on the walls of these structures. However, we do have a pretty good idea of why they might have been built. Some people think that they were some kind of memorial for a deceased ruler of that place. Others think that it was part of their religion, and that these many structures were in honor of who they believed in. The most famous pyramids are found in Egypt, which are some of the world’s largest structures. Since 2008, there have been one hundred thirty eight found which were mainly made from brick or stone. Stonehenge is probably the most famous megalith. It is located in England and is composed of a circle of large standing stones. Someday hopefully with all the new technology being established, we will find out the real reason for why these magnificent monuments were built.        

What is the oldest human-created artifact that has mattered to you? Why or how does it matter?

               An artifact is an object that was created by or revised by a human being. Most of the time this term is used in archeology when a new artifact is discovered. Artifacts include things such as stone tools, pottery vessels, metal items such as guns, jewelry, and clothes. However, I think the most important artifact that matters to me is the water pitcher. A water pitcher is a large glass with a spout and normally a handle also to make it easier to carry. The word pitcher comes from the thirteenth century Middle Eastern word, picher which means earthen jug. It was first discovered by an archeologist on May 15, 1930. Then it was also mentioned many times in the Bible such as when Rebekah came to Abraham with a vessel of water. Jesus also asks two disciples to come to the city of Jerusalem to meet a man for a pitcher of water in the gospel of Mark. I think this artifact is very important because it helped the people of that time survive. It was an easy way to transport a large amount of water or any other drink from place to place. So if your water source that you use is a long distance away from where you live, instead of having to go back to the source every time you needed water you could just bring a water pitcher to fill. By using this pitcher, people could also store water for a long period of time. Now a days we also use a pitcher to store drinks in it such as lemonade in the summer time.          

"War is a form of technology". Agree or Disagree.

Ever since about five thousand years ago, wars have been occurring around almost the whole entire world. It is an organized violent conflict against two different groups of people. Some people even say that war is a form of technology. However, I disagree. Instead I think that war is just a bad way to express your feelings. They are mostly started by petty issues such as because of a disagreement, a desire for power and control, a rivalry, or many other reasons. All of them, though, are involved with greed. Personally, I think ninety percent of the time these wars can also be stopped if they were handled in a better way. Communication is vital. If the leaders actually discussed the issue they were concerned or mad about maybe they could both come to a compromise instead of going to war and killing thousands or even millions of people. To me, this just seems to be a more sufficient way of resolving the problem. However, I also believe that you are supposed to fight for what you believe in. Every person has certain rights, which are all written in the Constitution. If your rights of a human being are not being met then I do agree that you should fight for them. Ultimately, there is only one reason that I would ever agree to go to war, and that would be if it was something worth fighting for because if you don’t have that then what’s the point of fight for it?           

Is 'change' a good thing or a bad thing? (Relate to the origins of art, the agricultural revolution, architecture and urban planning in Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley.)

Change is one of those things that is inevitable in life. It happens all the time whether it is something as small as changing a pair of socks or something as big as moving to a different state. It involves risk and not knowing what’s ahead. Sometimes it can be scary but in the end you get through it.It can be good or bad depending on what the circumstance is and other times it can just be progression, but no matter what change is always something different than before. 

Art started as things such as cave drawings and animal carvings. Then over time it progressed into what it is now. Now there are many different kinds of art such as pastels, paints, sculpting, drawing, and many different others. Art is just one of the many changes that happened throughout time. To me this is not a good or bad change, but instead a change that needed to happen. I mean can you imagine the people of today using ochre to paint on walls of their houses? Art has come a long way since its origin and is still progressing today.

The agricultural revolution is another example of a massive change in history. This was the time when instead of constantly migrating with the animals to hunt; they decided to make a settlement. Personally, I think this was a good change. I couldn’t imagine switching high schools every couple of months just to follow animals around for food. Again this is just another form of change and progression.     

Because of the architecture and urban planning in Mesopotamia and Indus Valley, our houses and buildings are what they are today. In Mesopotamia, they used the same materials to build houses as we do today which consists of mud brick, mud plaster, and wooden doors. Also, the urban planning in Indus Valley was so advanced that as of today we use something similar to them. Both of these were big changes to the cities and communities of that time period.

    Change can be good like if you got promoted in a job, but change can also be bad such as if you got dumped by a person you really liked. However, I think most of the time change is progress. You learn from it or at least if you’re smart enough to listen to your conscious you do. But there is one thing about change that always stays the same, and that is that it is always something different from before. 

Create your own language.

SAVALOO

Te farth Volvo nts te sone un ks riz. K taro cha raeb yuk fuge te farth cee opplenate le volvonto. Habicathinet, te sone de na Volvo nts te farth.

Translation- The earth revolves around the sun on its axis. It takes a full year for the earth to complete a revolution. Therefore, the sun does not revolve around the earth.

Which do you think is a better road map of history artifacts of the humanities (art, music, dance, theatre, literature, philosophy, architecture, etc) or political/military conflicts? Why?

I think the best way to learn about the history is from literature that was left behind. Literature can not only tell us about how their culture was but also their traditions. If there were stories or some other kind written literature found, you could also compare the writing from then to today and see how much it has been improved over the years. Another thing that could be researched would be the different writing styles they had and how their writing was recorded. This is a good way to learn about what our world was like in the past because it has been physically recorded. Now I know with art and architecture you can also visually see them, but with those it is easier to misinterpret what the people from that time period were trying to convey to us. Don’t get me wrong in literature you can do the same thing, but I think it would be easier to make hypothesizes off of that compared to something else such as theatre, music, or dance. In literature they record information through a language that can be read, and if you translate the language right then you will know exactly what they are trying to say. You may spend months trying to analyze the language correctly but it’s better than spending a week evaluating a piece of art then falsely understanding it. Through literature several different aspects of history can be learned and many questions about the past can be answered.   

You accidentally discover an invention that can immediately help millions of people; but only if you act immediately. On the other hand, if you just wait three months, you can secure a patent and get rich. Which do you choose and why?

If I ever found some invention that could immediately help millions of other people if I chose or instead become rich, I would definitely chose to use that invention to help others instead of myself. I am only one person and compared to the millions of others who would be suffering it would be worth it to give up being wealthy. I would be willing to give up the millions of dollars to instead help all of the millions people who were starving, ill, homeless, abused, or anyone else who was suffering from something. I also know that money doesn’t buy you happiness. So sure I could have all the material things I wanted in the world but that doesn’t mean that I would be happy. Maybe I would be for a little while but eventually if I wasn’t careful that money would turn into greed. When you’re rich or feel like you have all the money in the world, I think that’s when people loss sight in what life is really about. Life isn’t about money and power. Those type of things are very little components in life compared to things like love and passion. Those are the things to live for. If I ever got the chance to make that big of a difference in millions of other people’s lives, I would do it in a heartbeat because one of the main things I want to accomplish in my life before I die is make a difference in someone else’s life even if it is just minuscule.     

Identify the 'Venus of Willendorf'. What does it suggest that the beginnings of art and the domestication of animals happen during the same period in human history?

Venus of Willendorf or also known as Woman of Willendorf is a statue of a woman about eleven centimeters high and carved out of oolitic limestone and colored by red ochre or chemically speaking iron oxide. It was estimated to be sculpted around twenty two thousand and twenty one thousand before the Common Era. In 1908, archeologist Josef Szombathy discovered this statue in a site near Willendorf which is a village in Lower Austria. This statue was thought to be a sign of fertility. After the Venus of Willendorf was discovered, several other statues that resembled it and many other different tools were found too. All of these provided more information about the Paleolithic period which ranges from thirty thousand to eight thousand before the Common Era. At the same time this statue was made it was also the time where art began to flourish and the domestication of animals began to become more popular. In the Paleolithic era art consisted of patterns on elephant bones, cave paintings, animal carvings, and various kinds of other artwork. The earliest form of art was bracelets, beads, rock art, and ochre which was most likely used as body paint. After markings on rock was discovered by Vincent W. Fallio who interpreted these zig zag lines as an altered state of mind. However, other scholars found that it was instead either doodles or the result of natural progress. The domestication of animals also began to increase throughout this time period. One of the main uses for these animals was for trade and barter. They also used the animal’s manure as fertilizer for their crops. During the Paleolithic age the Venus of Willendorf was created which was useful for research about how our world was back then, art began and then thrived, and also the domestication of animals prospered too.