In class this week we learned about the beginnings of Christianity. Christianity started out with a very small cult following just like all of the religions that have appeared throughout history. St. Paul spread the word about Christianity to as many people as he could and made it available to all those who wanted to embrace it. Although St. Paul did great work kin promoting Christianity, the real acceptance of the religion came when Constantine the Great converted. St. Paul was instrumental in the first promotion and spread of Christianity but I have to wonder if the religion would have gained the same popularity and become so successful without Constantine the Great.
There is no question that Christianity could not exist without St. Paul and everything he did to promote the religion that he loved. Although this is true, I cannot help but wonder if Christianity would have gained the same status if it had not been adopted by Constantine. At the time, Constantine was such an influential person that people followed his example without question and his move to Christianity encouraged others to follow. When Constantine converted to Christianity he became the biggest supporter of the new religion. He donated a great amount of money for the building of churches and other holy needs and he also made Christians exempt from paying Roman taxes. He did everything he could to promote Christianity because he truly believed in it and he wanted to make sure that it reached as many people as possible. When his people saw how devoted he was to Christianity, they to accepted and adopted the religion.
Today Christianity is one of the most common religions in the world and this never could have happened without the work of St. Paul and the promotion from Constantine the Great.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
The Battle of Thermopylae and Spartan Warfare
The Infantry
The Greek infantry man was known as a hoplite. While most hoplites were citizens and had jobs, the Spartan hoplites only job was to be a soldier. A hoplites’ armor weighed 50 pounds and it was made out of bronze. There typically was a breastplate, helmet and graves. They carried a round shield known as a hoplon, that was made from wood and coated in bronze. The hoplon was one meter in diameter and would be supported on the shoulder of the hoplite and protect him from chin to knees. The hoplon weighed around 20 to 30 pounds. The main weapon of the hoplite was the doru, or spear. The doru was between seven and nine feet long, and held in one hand while the other held the shield. The tip of the doru was a curved leaf shape and the butt of it a spike known as a “lizard crusher.” The butt end was used as a weapon if the spear was snapped in half. If the doru was used underarm, the thrusts would have been under control but less powerful. If the thrusts were over arm, they would be more powerful but less under control. The secondary weapon of the hoplite was a short sward called a xiphos. The hoplites would use this as their last resort if their spear broke or if the phalanx broke ranks. If the enemies retreated the hoplites would drop their shields and spears and chase after them, with their xiphos. Hoplites did not use bows and arrows because they thought it to be cowardly.
The key to the hoplites success was the phalanx. The phalanx was a Greek rectangular military formation. The hoplites would get in close formation so each hoplites’ shield protected the person to their right. The first few rows of hoplites would project their spears over the top of the first row of soldiers. That meant that more than one row of soldiers could be active at once. Phalanxes would also have pushing matches, where the whole formation would push against the enemy trying to break their ranks. A typical phalanx was eight men across and sixteen men deep. The most dangerous spot was on the far right of the phalanx because you were not protected by your neighbors shield. The phalanx required a lot of trust and teamwork. You had to put the individual aside and work for the team, which Spartans excelled at. Even though this went against human nature of self preservation, the Spartans were more afraid of the law then dying.
The Battle
The Battle of Thermopylae occurred in August of 480 B.C. The Persians were trying to advance onto central Greece via the Thermopylae pass, the only road known to them. Leonidas and his Spartans tried to hold the pass long enough so Xerxes would be forced to leave for more food and supplies. But, Xerxes was not going to let a couple Spartans stand in his way of taking over the world. Plus, he had over two million soldiers with him, what did he have to fear, but a couple thousand Greeks. Xerxes built a bridge across Hellespont, which was made up of over 700 galleys and triremes, to cross into Greece. Leonidas picked 300 of his best soldiers, all with sons to carry on their family name, to meet Xerxes at Thermopylae. Along the way he was joined by 4,500 or so other Greek soldiers.
On the first day of the battle the Spartans did very well. The experienced Spartans would go forward and trick the Persian army into many traps. It is said the Xerxes leapt to his feet three times that day thinking his army was defeated. The next day was more of the same except the different Greek troops took turns defending the pass, giving the Spartans a break. Then Ephialtes betrayed the Greeks be telling Xerxes about the Anopaia path. Logically that night Xerxes sent a group of soldiers to attack the Greeks from behind. Luckily, Leonidas had sent a small amount of Greeks to defend the path; the Persians killed most of them though. When Leonidas was warned about the advancing Persians he sent all the Greeks away, except for the Spartans, Thespians, and Thebans. On the third day the Spartans moved forward into the widest part of the pass. Leonidas knew they were all going to die so he wanted to kill as many Persians as possible. Once Leonidas was killed the Greeks did everything they could to protect the body. After rushing the Greeks four times, the Persians finally controlled Leonidas’ body. After that the Persians from the Anopaia path descended on the remaining Greeks from the rear, they were surrounded. The Persians managed to kill all 300 Spartans and a thousand Greeks, while over 20,000 Persians were killed by the Greeks.
Links:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Ancient-Sparta---The-True-History-of-Leonidas-and-Thermopylae&id=1520920
Friday, November 6, 2009
A Viking Way of Life
This week, I have decided to take a look at a people who lived long ago, and still remain well-known today. Over one thousand years ago, the Vikings encompassed a very remarkable culture that included many unique elements. What were their beliefs? What kinds of things did they value? What specific skills did they posses? How did these items develop? All of this made for an amazing culture; the Viking way of life.
Their religion is known as Northmen's Mythology. Similar to Greek mythology, the Vikings new numerous gods all pertaining to different aspects of creation and life. They fell into two groups; the Aesir which were gods of war and the Vanir, which were gods associated with love. Let's take a look at some specific viking gods.
Odin was the wisest god of the Aesir group. He was one-eyed and accompanied by two ravens that would inform him of the doings of the gods, giants, dwarfs, and men. It was said that he lost an eye in exchange for a drink from a sacred well full of knowledge.
Another being was Freya who was born a member of the Vanir gods. However, she married into the Aesirs by becoming Odin's wife. Accordingly, she became the goddess of love and fertility and of war and wealth. She possessed a famous necklace named Brisingamen which she received from the dwarfs by sleeping with them. She also had a cloak that allowed her to transform into a a bird, and a chariot that was driven by large cats.
From all of this, it is easy to see how the manner of Viking religion was exciting, like a thrilling story. However, the Vikings encountered a new religion, one that was spreading rapidly throughout the world.
Many Vikings had converted to Christianity by 1000CE. Very soon after, it was safe to consider any Viking as a Christian.
The language of the Vikings can still be seen in several languages today. For example, here are some words we find very familiar: anger, band, sky, happy, steak, and give. This is from Old Norse being closely related to Old English. It is fascinating to know that our cultures are linked in this way.
The ability to write for the Vikings was considered a very special skill. They believed their writing, known as runes, came directly from the gods. They did not write on paper with ink, rather they carved into wood or stone by means of knives and chisels. This influenced the letters to only be made using straight lines, giving them a distinct look.
Picture a Viking in your head. It is likely that we imagine a specific and unique object. In fact, the outward appearance of a viking today often includes them wearing a horned-helmet. However, this is the most famous misconception we have of their clothing and weapons. In reality, their close-quarters style of fighting would have made horned-helmets cumbersome and hazardous to their own comrades. Vikings used weapons such as a spear, scramseax, axe, and sword, the sword being the most prized.
These elements of Viking culture depict them as a stong and fascinating people. This is clearly the case as they were able to expand across the north Atlantic, even reaching the North American coast. Overall, they are certainly among the most extraordinary and adventurous culture in world history.
Their religion is known as Northmen's Mythology. Similar to Greek mythology, the Vikings new numerous gods all pertaining to different aspects of creation and life. They fell into two groups; the Aesir which were gods of war and the Vanir, which were gods associated with love. Let's take a look at some specific viking gods.
Odin was the wisest god of the Aesir group. He was one-eyed and accompanied by two ravens that would inform him of the doings of the gods, giants, dwarfs, and men. It was said that he lost an eye in exchange for a drink from a sacred well full of knowledge.
Another being was Freya who was born a member of the Vanir gods. However, she married into the Aesirs by becoming Odin's wife. Accordingly, she became the goddess of love and fertility and of war and wealth. She possessed a famous necklace named Brisingamen which she received from the dwarfs by sleeping with them. She also had a cloak that allowed her to transform into a a bird, and a chariot that was driven by large cats.
From all of this, it is easy to see how the manner of Viking religion was exciting, like a thrilling story. However, the Vikings encountered a new religion, one that was spreading rapidly throughout the world.
Many Vikings had converted to Christianity by 1000CE. Very soon after, it was safe to consider any Viking as a Christian.
The language of the Vikings can still be seen in several languages today. For example, here are some words we find very familiar: anger, band, sky, happy, steak, and give. This is from Old Norse being closely related to Old English. It is fascinating to know that our cultures are linked in this way.
The ability to write for the Vikings was considered a very special skill. They believed their writing, known as runes, came directly from the gods. They did not write on paper with ink, rather they carved into wood or stone by means of knives and chisels. This influenced the letters to only be made using straight lines, giving them a distinct look.
These elements of Viking culture depict them as a stong and fascinating people. This is clearly the case as they were able to expand across the north Atlantic, even reaching the North American coast. Overall, they are certainly among the most extraordinary and adventurous culture in world history.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
St. Paul and The Spread of Christianity
During class we discussed the beginning of Christianity. St. Paul was responsible for much of the spread of this religion throughout the eastern Mediterranean. But today, Christianity is one of the most practiced religions. The start of St. Paul's journey begun when a fellow friend introduced him to Jesus and invited him to work at his side. St. Paul then went around the area and taught others one primate phrase, "The Lord is our God, one Lord." By this saying it gave the people around him a completely different approach to Christianity. The Romans at this time were mad because people were beginning to believe this phrase and were no longer praising their gods. Paul was very determined and knew that God was calling out to all people. It was unlikely that Paul really knew Jesus but his teachings were mostly focused on the fact that Jesus was resurrected and would soon return.
If it was not for St. Paul the world would not know about Jesus or Christianity. Today Christianity is the number one religion practiced, followed by Islam. St. Paul also wrote more than half of the New Testament. His hard work and teachings had a major impact on the world even today. His ideas and preachings gave the society a whole different approach to religion. Today in some churches St. Paul is prayed to and still being praised for his work. This website is one of the prayers for St. Paul.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Buddhism Today
As we talked about in class, Buddhism is an ancient and well known religion that was created around 528 BC by Gautama Siddhartha, or “The Buddha” as a way to deviate from Hinduism. Buddhism at the creation was based on Buddhist Dharma that appealed to low class citizens and merchants, and it was an opportunity for anyone to achieve enlightenment. The Buddhist Dharma was based on 4 noble truths, and 8-fold path, and the ultimate stage of nirvana. Buddhism grew from it’s humble roots into a universal religion or salvation religion on the same ranks as Christianity.
Today however Buddhism has a different approach and different followers. With the fast paced world, high demands, and for some, no hope of salvation, many people have chosen to turn to Buddhism, or a form of Buddhism in order to achieve a sense of enlightenment and spiritual connection. Today there are many types of Buddhism, such as the authentic Buddhism, which is rare, religious Buddhism, which offers religion, Buddhism was not started as a religion but now has become one, philosophical Buddhism, in which Buddhist teaching are put into a philosophical context, and externalized Buddhism, which is a large deviation from the formal teachings that brings with it’s teaching ill intentions.
It is most common today however to see people using a lighter form of Buddhism, without formal teaching and readings as way to achieve their own version of inner peace. This practice could include meditation, yoga and breathing exercises as a way to connect to your inner being. Buddhist study groups can be found all over the world today along with meditation retreats in which individuals receive special training to guide them to self-empowerment. Overall the purpose of Buddhism has remained true to the spirit of the religion, yet it has been altered to work with the current hussel and bussel of life in the present.
http://www.amtb.org.tw/E-BUD/releases/4kinds.htm
Overview of Sacred Texts
The past few weeks I have focused mainly on discussing religions. Continuing the pattern, I thought it would interesting to learn more about what is truly behind some of these religions. If a person is religious, he mostly likely follows and reads a sacred text. The sacred texts contain the central idea(s) of each religion. As a religious person myself, I think without a text there is no solid ground for a religion to build off of, so there is not a reason for religions to exist. For this reason, I find it interesting to discover the history behind these texts.
Some of the oldest known religious texts, Pyramid texts found in Ancient Egypt, date back to 2400 BCE. Another text that dates back to about 2000 BCE is the Epic of Gilgamesh written by Gilgamesh for Sumarians.
The more popular religions in today’s society, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, have their own sacred texts as well.
Buddhism originated in India and spread throughout Asia and much of the current world. In fact, Buddhism was my ancestors’ religion, and to this very day it influences me to some degree. Buddhist texts include the Buddhavacana and other texts with aspects from the Sutras or Sanskrit, a former text. The main aspect of this sacred text discusses what Buddha thought a life consists of. Buddha argues that an individual’s spirit is in an endless cycle of life and death (reincarnation). In order to end this cycle, one must simply follow Buddha’s teachings and follow the path that he laid out. First, one must meditate, understand the Four Noble Truths , and follow the Noble Eightfold Path that Buddha presented. Eventually, when the individual accomplishes this task, they will be in a stage known as nirvana (no suffering). The sacred texts describe and aid individuals in this process to reach nirvana.
Christianity and its relatives affect United States citizens the most because it is the most popular form of religion. More specifically, being a student from a West Michigan school, Christianity shaped me to be the person I am. Through the Bible , Christians learn what it means to be alive, how to live life on earth, and what afterlife consists of. The Bible consists of two sections, the New Testament and Old Testament. The Old Testament originated from Hebrew scripture and is a collection of books written prior to the life of Jesus. The main difference between the two is organization and division of material. The life and teachings of Jesus, found in the New Testament, drives the religion and discusses the Christian life. Within the New Testament, the life of Jesus Christ and his teachings strikes individuals, making them believers. Lessons vary in difficulty, some as easy as not lying and others having multiple and deeper meanings. Those who dedicate their lives in following the word of Christ enjoy an afterlife in Heaven.
These are not the only sacred texts. For more information on the previously mentioned texts and other texts, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_text.
Some of the oldest known religious texts, Pyramid texts found in Ancient Egypt, date back to 2400 BCE. Another text that dates back to about 2000 BCE is the Epic of Gilgamesh written by Gilgamesh for Sumarians.
The more popular religions in today’s society, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, have their own sacred texts as well.
Buddhism originated in India and spread throughout Asia and much of the current world. In fact, Buddhism was my ancestors’ religion, and to this very day it influences me to some degree. Buddhist texts include the Buddhavacana and other texts with aspects from the Sutras or Sanskrit, a former text. The main aspect of this sacred text discusses what Buddha thought a life consists of. Buddha argues that an individual’s spirit is in an endless cycle of life and death (reincarnation). In order to end this cycle, one must simply follow Buddha’s teachings and follow the path that he laid out. First, one must meditate, understand the Four Noble Truths , and follow the Noble Eightfold Path that Buddha presented. Eventually, when the individual accomplishes this task, they will be in a stage known as nirvana (no suffering). The sacred texts describe and aid individuals in this process to reach nirvana.
Christianity and its relatives affect United States citizens the most because it is the most popular form of religion. More specifically, being a student from a West Michigan school, Christianity shaped me to be the person I am. Through the Bible , Christians learn what it means to be alive, how to live life on earth, and what afterlife consists of. The Bible consists of two sections, the New Testament and Old Testament. The Old Testament originated from Hebrew scripture and is a collection of books written prior to the life of Jesus. The main difference between the two is organization and division of material. The life and teachings of Jesus, found in the New Testament, drives the religion and discusses the Christian life. Within the New Testament, the life of Jesus Christ and his teachings strikes individuals, making them believers. Lessons vary in difficulty, some as easy as not lying and others having multiple and deeper meanings. Those who dedicate their lives in following the word of Christ enjoy an afterlife in Heaven.
These are not the only sacred texts. For more information on the previously mentioned texts and other texts, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_text.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
The Silk Road
The Silk Road was a series of land and also sea routes that connected Central Asia to East Asia. These routes were localized meaning many trades took place throughout the entire road, it was rare for one to travel the entire length of the Silk Road because it was also very dangerous. The Silk Road is a prime example of cross-cultural contact in our world's history. Cental Asia and East Asia both had their own cultural tradiations and own beliefs but because of the Silk Road much of these cultral beliefs were spread throughout the entire region. Products, realgions, trades, and ideas arouse from the use of the Silk Road. The picture below shows the path of the Silk Road along with certain ideas, and products that were traded between cultures.
I feel that even today each society, encluding America, has their own "Silk Road." Meaning that countries have their own way of spreading different ideas and trends throughout the country. For example, California is usually the first one to adpot new styles and eventually it migrates east and in time the majority of the country has now adapted this new style. Although, America does not have a distinct pathway for these trends it just seems to travel east with word of mouth.
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