Gladiatorial games were played in the Colosseum for the entertainment of Roman citizens and they were first ordered by Emperor Titus. It was even flooded at one point during a gladiatorial The Colosseum was constructed by Vespasian because he wanted to give a gift to the Roman people after he became Emperor and for the enjoyment of his citizens. He wanted to give “public” land back to the Roman population after the last emperor over constructed his palace. A civilization is defined by its works of art. Roman civilization is an amazing one, because of this.
One of the favorite topics for sculptors was that of the athlete. In Greek culture athletes were described as "hero–athletes". This shows that athletes were revered and looked upon as heroes. The influence of athleticism is evident in many famous sculptures. I will attempt to show how the human form influenced Greek art.
These people are called humanist. Many people believe that Ancient Greece is just famous for the movie “Hercules” and those columns on the White House. The truth is, that if the Ancient Greeks didn’t accomplish as much as they had, then life today would be drastically altered. The Greeks are a huge part of our culture, customs, and government. The Ancient Greeks are the most significant to western culture because of its creation of different types of government, ideas on philosophy, and the impact of Hellenistic culture.
The Golden Mean is the moderate position between two extremes. This is known as the ideal position because it is the “most appealing rectangle to the human eye.” The Golden Mean was said to be first used by the Ancient Egyptians and Greeks when building the Great Pyramids and Parthenon’s. Around 1200 AD, the Fibonacci sequence was discovered by a man named Leonardo Fibonacci, an Italian man born in 1175 AD. Although he discovered this, it is still not certain if he related it to the Golden Mean and Phi. The Golden Mean being “most appealing to the human eye” started being used in art.
The Parthenon is a beautiful marble temple that served as a model for the architecture of the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial shares these same qualities with the Parthenon but instead, a statue honoring Abraham Lincoln is inside. The ancient Greeks very much enjoyed storytelling especially about heroes. Hercules is a very famous hero of the ancient Greek time who displays many of the same characteristics as America’s own hero, Superman. Hercules and Superman both are not real but Hercules left the impact of showing what an ideal hero looks like.
Polybius was born towards the end of the third century BC in Megalopolis. Polybius was a Greek, writing for Greek people so that they could have a clearer understanding of their own culture and government. Later on in his life, Polybius was “transported as a hostage to Rome, where he became highly placed and influential.” Being exiled exposed Polybius to various perspectives about how and why Rome got to become one of the greatest and strongest empires in the world. Polybius greatly benefited from his exile, and by the time of
The plumbing system was such a big achievement for the people of the Indus, because it was more sanitary. So because of the plumbing system, the Indus was one of the most advanced civilization in their time. Greece was also a great civilization. The Greeks created myths or traditional stories about their gods. Most, if not all, of the characters were men.
They are most famous for their architecture, based on the new ideas and materials that they established. The Romans learned concepts from prior ages and altered them with the aim of building up their Empire and creating a stronger basis for living. Through mastering skills of architecture and engineering, the Romans were able to change the face of Europe forever. They learned not only to master ways of creating solid structures but also ways of giving them character and style. Roman architecture did not simply appear out of thin air; it has its roots in Grecian and Etruscan architecture.
The Aeneid: A Classic Epic Poem or a Piece of Political Propaganda Throughout history, leaders have used tales of the origin and birth of a nation as a means of creating a national identity, stirring patriotism and generating national morale. These stories usually involve a leader with noble characteristics leading his people through a period of great adversity and hardships. Based on the characteristics afore mentioned, Virgil’s The Aeneid seems to fall in this category. At the time that The Aeneid was written, Rome did not have a definitive history and Augustus who had just risen to power was able to identify this void in Roman culture. The Aeneid would be an opportunity for Virgil to create a history and heritage the people of Rome could be proud of and relate to almost in the same way that Homer’s The Illiad and The Odyssey are landmarks of Greek history.
We understand and have observed their history and significant contributions through books of history and philosophy, perhaps this period was the most interesting time of Greece. Greek men are also known as brave heroes and warriors. However, I found very interesting that Greek “Philotimo” which means “self-pride” is a very important value of their culture which involves generosity, respect to others (especially elders) and this behaviors are carried from generations to generations as one of the most valuable aspects of their culture (Hellenism, 2014). 1. What are some key things you have learned about this culture through reading the scholarly literature?