Victory

Although many say no one wins in war, there are traditionally winners and losers.  A victory in war means that one side has defeated another, but there are many varieties of victory.  In the Narmer Palette, the victory is more ritual based and religious.  In the Dying Gaul the victory is more somber because the Greeks are honoring their defeated enemies.  In the Nike of Samothrace the victory is one of pure celebration.  Although these three pieces are all of victories from the winner`s point of view they are very different in purpose and tone.

The Narmer Palette

The Narmer Palette tells the story of king Narmer of ancient Egypt.  It is a story of victory for the king and his greatness is recognized throughout the piece.  His size tells us that he is of great importance, as does the approval of the gods watching over him.  With the sacrifice he is about to make, he is ending the war.  Throughout this piece it is apparent that Narmer has power over his defeated enemies and this victory is one of ritual and celebration.  The many decapitated men suggest that a great battle was won, and the two animals represent the united Egypt.  The tone of this piece is very celebratory and ritualistic as the victory over Narmer`s enemies is of great importance.

The Dying Gaul

The Dying Gaul tells the story of a Celt who is mortally wounded in battle with the Greeks, and despite his pain and agony, dies with great honor. This man was struck and wounded in the side and knew he was going to die so instead of crying out, he remained composed and sat on his shield to die with honor.  The Greeks saw this and admired the courage and dignity of this warrior despite the circumstances.  The Greeks won this battle but yet this sculpture portrays the loser.  This shows that the Greeks appreciated honor and human courage even in their enemies.  The tone of the Dying Gaul is a more somber and respectful tone of victory, because although the Greeks won, they are honoring their fallen enemy.  

 

 

The Nike of Samothrace

This statue depicts the goddess Nike who is the goddess of victory.  During battle, she would come aboard the victor`s ship and cry out, signaling the end of the war.  During a naval battle, Nike came down from the heavens and proclaimed the Greeks the winners.  This piece has a joyful, celebratory tone because the Greeks are rejoicing that they have won, and that the goddess Nike has appeared to them.  This victory is one of rejoicing and celebration and of honoring the goddess Nike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although there is always a victory following a war or battle, each  victory is unique and has its own tone whether it be celebratory, respectful, mournful, or ritualistic.

 

 

 

Interesting take on the Syrian conflict

An interesting piece from a new source on the scene, elite daily:

Military intervention can quell the violence for a time, but once troops depart, the conflict inevitably resurfaces with new tenacity. Only now, you’ve placed yourself front and center as a champion for the opposition, whomever it may be.

When we choose sides in this conflict, even when it’s undeniably the right side, becoming a visible presence on the ground, opposition forces turn to their young and say, “Do you see the American oppressors? They are taking your land and destroying your cities? This is why we fight. This is why you must fight.”

They might be wrong, but that doesn’t matter. The cycle continues.

The cause is noble, but this is not the type of war that can be won. As Hoffman warned, we can never fully predict what will happen next.

With its money and resources, ISIS could become a global terrorist force that makes al-Qaeda seem tame by comparison. Or, it could unravel from infighting or missteps. No one can know with certainty, and don’t believe anyone who suggests otherwise.

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair suggested in a Financial Times op-ed Sunday that “ISIS and other al-Qaeda-type groups in Iraq were flat on their back four years ago, having been comprehensively beaten by a combination of US and UK forces and Sunni tribes,” and that “The civil war in Syria allowed them to get back on their feet.”

Perhaps ISIS exploited the opportunity to exercise its authority amid Syria’s collapse, but even without Syria, prevailing instability in the region would have provided opportunities to ISIS or other extremist elements to surface following the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

I am not arguing that the United States should simply remove itself from the situation entirely. Only that we should proceed with caution.

We must learn to identify when there is a credible existential threat. In those situations, we should move tactically to reduce such threats. But large-scale, boots on the ground intervention historically results in greater problems down the line.

Iraq, Afghanistan and even Vietnam have shown us that the United States has neither the military resources nor the political resolve to successfully build a friendly democracy abroad. It has, however, shown us that we are capable of creating new, more dangerous enemies, wherever we’ve tried.

Now, as we wrangle with how to respond to the threat ISIS poses in Iraq, we should tread gingerly. ISIS might be stopped, but militant Sunni jihadists cannot. They’ll undoubtedly resurface in time, just as they always have.

With that in mind, we really can’t afford to “f*ck up the endgame,” again.

Photo courtesy: CB

Read more:

http://elitedaily.com/news/world/isis-iraq-help-create-terrorist-group-worse-al-qaeda/642291/

This picture portrays Barack Obamas plan as unintelligent and unrewarding. His plan to send advisors into Syria to help train Syrian rebels so they can fight against Isis is not widely accepted by individuals. The idea within this picture is that although we think the moderate Syrian rebels are on our side, how do we really know? There is a possibility that if we train them they could just join Isis and turn on us. The Syrian rebels could even say they are not part of Isis just to gain information, weapons, and military knowledge. When they gain what they need though, who will they fight for? Why is the U.S so confident in  trusting Syrian rebels when Isis is also made up of Syrian rebels. We cant tell the difference between the two so whatever they tell us is what we believe they are. They both are Syrian rebels and they both promote a threat regardless if one rebel group is more extreme.

Death of Marat (Blog Post 2)

Death of Marat, by Jacques-Louis David, 1793.

     Depicted here is David's friend Jean Marat, who was murdered by Charlotte Corday during the French Revolution.  However, this is much more than a heartfelt portrait of a friend.  This portrait acts as propaganda by portraying Marat as a divine Christian martyr.

     

     Due to a skin disease, Marat was forced to spend many hours taking baths, which he is doing here.  But this painting contains no evidence of disease.  Marat's skin is flawless, with a youthful face and muscular body.  Even the wound that caused his death is reduced to a small scratch on his chest, while the knife lies unobtrusively on the floor.  The viewer's eyes are instead drawn to the white quill in his hand.  The quill, combined with the money and the note on top of the table, tell the viewer that Marat was killed while giving money to the poor, highlighting his kindness and generosity.  Even the simplicity of the worn table adds to his humble image.  

     However, these details are only icing on the cake, for Marat himself is the true focus of the piece.  He appears vulnerable and helpless as his body grows limp, his head leaning on his shoulder as his arm falls to the ground.  Marat's body could be mistaken for that of Christ if this were a religious instead of secular painting.  Paintings by Fra Angelico, Rogier van der Weyden, Pontormo, Titian, Caravaggio, and Peter Paul Rubens all contain an image of Christ in a position nearly identical to that of Marat.  Additionally, Marat's elongated arm is very similar to that of Christ in Michelangelo's Pieta.

     Although Death of Marat seems like a simple portrait of the artist's friend, in reality it is an effective piece of propaganda used to portray Marat as a divine martyr.

A Celebrated Death

On May 2, 2011 the streets of the United States were flooded with smiling faces. Rejoicing and celebrating, these people were chanting "U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A!" They were proud. They were victorious. They had accomplished something great as a nation. They had killed a man.

A knot had developed in my stomach as I watched the news. It was persistent and made me feel extremely uncomfortable. Something about this win didn't feel right to me. I did not agree with celebrating the death of an individual, no matter how destructive and evil they had been.

The American reaction to the death and capture of Osama Bin Laden relates strongly to the victorious celebrations of the ancient Egyptians. Both believed that the heavens support them, that God could be partially attributed for their achievement, and showed no sign of respect towards the enemy. Americans cheered and drank. Egyptians paraded through towns holding great pride in the number of enemy soldiers slaughtered on the battlefield.

I myself did not lose a loved one in the 9/11 attacks so I have not emotionally involved myself in the long awaited revenge. I understand peoples' hatred and I understand the feeling of justice that was ignited by this murder. But I would like to pose a question: Would your idea of a higher power celebrate the death of an evil person?

I understand that, at a point, the amount of harm generated by an individual may cause the need for them to be eliminated from the world for the greater good but I do not support destructiveness and violence in humanity whatsoever, I find fault in both sides. Murder is murder and I do not find the celebration of a death to be morally proper. After all, doesn't an eye for an eye leave the whole world blind?

Meet hatred with kindness, blackened hearts with compassion, and indecency with respect. That is how we will make a better world and a better humankind.

Isis' current territory

This is a map of the territory that isis currently is in control of. Isis is a radical Sunni Muslim terrorist group who's main goal is to create an Islamic state in parts of Syria and Iraq. So far they have captured and are in control of various Syrian and Iraqi major towns and cities. Although they have a strong resistance of "rebel" groups fighting against them, isis has been successful in recruiting more and more radical Sunni groups into their horrific terrorist organization. More Recently major world powers have stepped up to attempt to put an end to Isis, Barak Obama has announced his four step plan to destroy Isis. The plan includes: many air strikes to Isis territories, sending a small number of US troops to fortify the already existing Syrian and Iraqi rebels fighting against Isis, counter terrorism tactics to prevent attacks on the US homeland and trying to protect as many civilians as possible.

Humanities rap

Eris was pissed because she got dissed by King Peleus and his miss

because she was mad and a little bit sad she thew a golden apple into the crowd to watch the goddesses fight and get loud

Zeus chose Paris to decide who was the farest

"yo my name is Hera and im here to tell ya that if you choose me ill make you king of land and sea"

"hi my names Athena and its really nice to meet ya and if you choose me you'll be the hero of war and have mad victory"

"hey there Paris Aphrodite in the house and if you choose me ill give u a spouse"

Paris thinks it through and finally realizes he needs a boo

then he meets Helen and likes what shes sellin so he steals her from the King and it caused a big bing

the Trojan war started and the two sides parted

Helen was the reason behind all this treason

-Kelly Gomez and Laura Kesnig

Who is Homer?

There is a great debate over the identity of Homer and who he actually is. Homer was a Greek Poet and lived around 700 BC, in the Archaic period. people said he was blind, but poets were often said to be blind because people thought that being blind helps the poet "see" things other people can't. However nobody knows for sure if he was really blind or not.

Homer's work influenced the shaping of Greek culture and he became known as the teacher of Greece. His speaking and writing were used throughout the ancient and medieval Greek worlds.  

One of the main debates over Homers identity is the "Homeric Question"which questions his authorship on his two epics. Many people find it hard to believe that one man could compose two epics of that size in one lifetime. Critics also argued that the styles of both Homers pieces differed,but literates explained that Homer must have wrote the Odyssey and The Iliad at different stages of his life. We will never know for certain the truth behind Homers identity and work. 

Courage

A Soldier's War of Courage 
         In King Henry's speech to his men he expressed the idea of courage. While everyone was afraid about the outcome of the battle because of their disadvantages, King Henry rose to the occasion to prove him self not only to his kingdom but to his self. The King speaks to his men saying that if they were to go with him to the battle field they would feel honor and be remembered by the people in the nation. Courage is doing something out of your comfort zone. So these men putting themselves in the line of danger shows great courage. in King Henry's speech he says "He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d..." i like this line because i feel as though when Henry says this line, it started the flame inside each soldiers heart, giving them the reason for continuing on in their duty. Henry tells his men that after they are proclaimed heroes they can stand tall, with honor, among their nation and people will praise them. i think this ingnited the flame becuase many people, like myself, like to be praised and honor therefore when  given the chance to prove COURAGE many people will except. 

        This poem, A Soldier's War of Courage by Gail Doyle i thought connected to Henry;s speech because I like the way it described what that soldiers where going through whenever they walk into a battlefield. whether the soldiers were god soldiers or bad soldiers they all showed courage throughout each step. This line, "Courage is leaving your loved ones behind Not knowing for sure if you were seeing them for the last time," to me showed just how hard it is to "be a soldier of courage" because when each soldier lays a foot onto a field there's always a chance whether they come home or not. In King Henry's speech he tells the men that if they dont feel as though they are up to the challenge of fighting with him then they are welcomed to return home. During the speech not one person stood up. This poem just showed the amount of courage it took for each men to remain seated and not get up and return to their loved ones. 

      

Dealing with ISIS

This political cartoon pokes fun of President Obama's stance on the ISIS threat from the middle east. Although Obama set down 4 straight forward steps as to how to deal with ISIS, lots of uncertainty surrounds the presidents strategy and how it will pan out.
But what I take from the cartoon is that no matter what approach and procedure any political administration carefully chooses to take, it will not fly without heavy scrutiny. In the event of this piece, Americans and other politicians thought President Bush had a foolish plan as what to do in Iraq. The Bush administration decided invading Iraq and putting troops on the ground was the way to go. Now with our current terror being ISIS, President Obama is taking actions that require minimal troops in the region and avoids ground war, and yet skeptics are still speaking loud.
Every terror threat or situation that requires American intervention is extremely unique, and when each individual event is analyzed and understood by governmental decision makers, the best course of action is offered. Regardless of what measures are taken, not every American with political opinions will be appeased. I believe it is beyond important for the US to have a concrete plan in place to deal with foreign aggressors that are taking American lives and may one day plot to kill lives on our own soil.

An average plan with a couple flaws is probably better than no plan at all.

My opinion remains that attacking ISIS is the best idea at this point. If we can figure out a way to do that while not compromising a large number of American lives, then excellent. I am not sure if training Syrian rebels is a good thing, because of the fact that training certain groups has backfired on the US in the past. Eliminating ISIS is the way to go and hopefully the "plan" works in the favor of the United States of America.

Iraq's New Plan

Since early June, when jihadist militants swept through Northern Iraq and took over the capital, there has been the development of a plan to fight back against the ISIS group. While Iraqi forces and American airstrikes have helped to hold back the group, governor Nujaifi has been gathering mostly Sunni Muslims from Nineveh Province to form a militia to take back the capital. He states, "We want to give a new image to the people: that Mosul will fight ISIS with people mainly from Mosul.".Although the dedication being presented by the governor, there are many problems in the way of deploying this militia. The plan is thought to be frowned upon by the Baghdad government, but is still possible due to a new national security law. The law states all provincial governors have the right to form a national guard force that is under their control. The plan is still in the process of development, but is said to be deployed as soon as possible.

The Statue of Nike

The statue of Nike was created during Hellenistic Greece, which occurred from approximately 200 BCE – 190 BCE. The parien marble sculpture was made during the reign of Alexander the Great. 

This head is the part of the 8 foot statue of Nike and it is known as the Head of Victory. I went to Greece two years ago and I saw this bust outside the acropolis museum in Athens. This specific figurine is a copy of Nike that was created by Paionios during the 5^th century B.C.

It was not only made to honor the goddess, but also to commemorate a sea battle. The mesmerizing goddess Nike would land on the ship of the triumphant victor. Along, with the body, the face is very gentle and simple. It shows how even though war was gruesome and harsh, winning was beautiful. The winner’s legacy would live on for ages and stories of the war would be passed on for generations.

            In the full statue of Nike, the drapery has rythmos, adding a dramatic effect to the statue and making Nike look like she was flying off the edge of the ship.  Also, the Nike swish comes from the body of this statue, relating the company to the goddess Nike.

Saint Crispin and Saint Cripsian

Saints Crispin and Crispian were both hard workers. They were curriers, tanners, cobblers and leather workers. Their valuable leather work has been noticed through history, and today, there is a hand made leather shoe brand known as "Saint Crispin's" which is derived from the Saints themselves. The shoe brand originated in Europe, along with where the masters lived. The luxury shoe brand is the epitome of history effecting the current world, and making an impact.

Saint Crispin's shoes are designed to resemble the traditional shoes made in the 3rd century with a modern twist. Not only does the shoe brand capture the history of Saint Crispin and Saint Crispian, but what also exists is an ancient pub labeled, "Saint Crispin and Crispius located in Strood, South East England. These advances in the 3rd century also effect the way the world lives today in the 21st century. 

Homer

Depicted sculpture of Homer

We don't know very much about Homer's early life but it is said he was present throughout the Trojan War in the early 12th century B.C. Historians believe he was of the Greeks and that his poems, The Odyssey and The Illiad, resemble much of his personality. For example, it is said that Homer was thought to be blind because of his descriptions throughout The Odyssey when the blind bard is present.

Besides Homer eloquent poetry it is believed he was also a story teller and court singer. A fun fact about Homer is that the Illiad was written during his youth years while The Odyssey was written by an aged and wiser man. By analyzing the two works historians connected the writing styles to differ greatly between the two works.

ferguson police riots

Recent spurs of police brutality have risen up throughout America.  Controversy about these events have sprouted many pushes for political reform throughout the nation.  The main event that caused all of these protests was the murder of Michael Brown.  He was walking down the middle of the road where a cop had stopped him and shot him and when he turned and put his hands in the air the cop fired more shots and shot him dead in the street.  This caused major riots in the city of Ferguson, Missouri where the national guard had to be called in because of the severity of the riots.  Personally i don't think cops are properly in check.  The commissioners need to keep better watch on their officers and really need to punish them when they abuse their powers.  If i were to shoot someone i would get 25 years to life but if a police officer shoots someone he would only get suspended.  These police officers nowadays abuse their power.  If i see a cop i should feel safe but instead now i feel afraid, if they're here for my safety why should i fear them and feel like I'm a bad guy.  There are many reforms that could be made to help keep police brutality down.  For example make all cops wear cameras and have the tapes of those checked everyday.  They wouldn't pull the same stuff they do now if they knew they were being watched.  Another thing that would help is maybe work on their people skills teach them how to properly interact with people instead of beating them or shooting them.  Not everything has to go straight to a gun they carry pepper spray and taser for a reason.   These police comissioners really need to  make some changes soon because a lot of people are outraged by their actions and there are a lot more of us then there are of them and if the people want change, change is what they will get

Obama's Uncertainty

              According to this cartoon, President Obama tries to make a point that he has the entire four part plan under control but seems to contradict himself over every single thing that he is saying. The author behind this cartoon portrays a mood of uncertainty. It needs to be made clear that the President is lost on how to attack this conflict. How can we know for sure that we have joined forces with the real "good guys?" From a U.S citizen's point of view, all of the groups are harmful to us and can not be trusted. However, we continue to waste precious time and money to provide a potential enemy with weapons and tactics from training. In the end, we could be raising an army that could possibly turn against us.
               Time is running out for the President to make a clean cut decision on how he is going to handle the threats from ISIS and if he is fully involving the U.S in aiding the Syrian conflict. Sending a minimal of 400- 500 U.S soldiers will barely make a difference to the outcome. Air strikes are the only solution that seems logical to me without endangering our soldiers, but that won't hold them off forever. ISIS is only growing not shrinking and their plans are advancing over ours.
              It is believed that President Obama is trying to wait out his final decisions until the election. I agree with this belief because he is leaving people questioning their safety on a daily basis. In my opinion,  he does not want to make any drastic decisions that may lose the vote for him come election time. However, if he doesn't at least lay out a successful and smart foundation for a plan, people will resent him for not making any effort to fight against terrorism.

Judith Slaying Holofernes

This painting depicts a scene from the Book of Judith in the Bible.  Holofernes was a general who was preparing to invade her city.  Judith seduced him, then cut off his head with his own sword while he was asleep.  After losing their leader, Holofernes' army fell apart and were defeated.

Painted by Artemisia Gentileschi during the Baroque period in the 17th century, Judith Slaying Holofernes is unique in that it emphasizes an aspect of war that is often hidden or romanticized in art: blood.  Pieces such as King Narmer's Palette, The Battle of Issus, and The Dying Gaul all depict scenes involving war, and yet they all refrain from showing its effects.  Even the same subject painted by the great Caravaggio is completely different: the blood is simplified and unnatural, with the artist focusing solely on depicting Judith's beauty instead of her strength.  This piece is different.  Artemisia Gentileschi portrays Judith as a brave, determined woman who does not cringe as Holofernes' blood soaks into his sheets. 

However, Judith Slaying Holofernes does contain important similarities to The Dying Gaul and even The Battle of Issus.  All three emphasize the importance of honor, shaming cowards such as Darius III while applauding the bravery of Alexander the Great, the dying Gaul, and Judith.

Saint Crispian's Day in World War II

Shakespeare's Saint Crispian's Day speech in Henry V is one of the most powerful and inspiring speeches in literature. The patriotic tone in the speech encourages King Henry V's men to join in the honor of winning the battle as brothers.

One example of just how inspirational this speech is occurs during World War II. Laurence Olivier used this scene in Henry V as a kind of wartime propaganda. Laurence Olivier's film Henry V was a contribution to the British wartime propaganda in the 1940s. The idea was to get a patriotic rise out of Britain against Nazi Germany during the war. The British government requested the film to be made and the cost of production of the movie actually turned out to be the highest costing film to at the time. Unfortunately, by the time the movie was released in late 1944, World War II was coming to a close. Still, it invigorated the British with nationalism at the end of the war.

I find that this usage of the Saint Crispian's Day speech is extremely clever and certainly pushed the British as the war was finishing up. Though propaganda has acquired a strong negative connotation, this shows that propaganda can be used in a positive and effective way as well, which I found to be intriguing. The speech is very encouraging and patriotic and it's very easy to see how it would be sure to promote fighting for your country in a time of war.

Achilles vs Hector (blog 1)

Achilles vs Hector Battle

In the video link above, you can see the battle between Achilles and Hector that takes place aside the gates of Troy. During this battle, Achilles and Hector fight to the death. As we learned, Achilles is inflamed with rage over the death of Patroclus by the hands of Hector, so he wants back revenge. As humans, we all seek revenge and to return the pain that has been inflicted upon us. This side of Achilles reminds you that he is not only the greatest warrior and invincible, but he is also part human and morns his companions death. Hector is a very honorable man, seeking to seal a pact with Achilles to gave whoever dies the proper funeral rituals, but Achilles is swimming too deep in his pool of rage to do the honorable thing and agree. Proper funeral rights were very important to them because if you did not receive them, your soul would never be at rest. Instead of agreeing, when Achilles kills Hector, he humiliates and mistreats the lifeless Hector in front of the people of Troy and Hector's parents. Imagine the heart shattering feeling of seeing your son being dragged around the city by the heel while hooked onto the back of Achilles chariot. Even though their son could no longer feel the pain, they felt every single bruise and cut and every drop blood pouring out of Hector's body. Their hearts were breaking drop by drop.

Prejudices

There are many different definitions of the word "Prejudice." However, if you literally break down the word, it comes out to be "Pre-judge." When someone is prejudice they stereotype people based on common and yet often inaccurate qualities about their sex, nationalities, race, hair color, etc. They are hurtful statements that have no actual reasoning behind them. In fact, people aren't supposed to be prejudice. People are prejudice because they were raised to be prejudice. Hollywood, for example, plays a gargantuan role in creating prejudices. In Hollywood, blonde people are portrayed as pretty and stupid, thus allowing people to truly believe that blonde people (women essentially) are beautiful and mindless. Hollywood also portrays all Hispanics to be Mexicans, which is not true. There are countless running jokes about illegal immigrants and because the world is riddled with them, people eventually start to believe them.

People actually start to believe that all Hispanics are Mexicans and are illegal aliens.


A common misconception is the idea that everyone is finally equal, when in actuality, we are not. As long as we listen to the "Powers That Be" like Hollywood, prejudices will always exist because they are forced upon us.

People are prejudice because it raises themselves up; makes them feel more important. Prejudices feed into our egos and tell us that we're better than the people around us and that makes (our ego) feel good. However, just because being prejudice builds us up doesn't mean it's the right thing to do.


People suffer everywhere across the nation from prejudices. If more people tried to be less judgmental, the world would be that much closer to being a happy place.

Art and honor

Throughout history the honor that comes along with war, in both success and failure has been shown by their culture through their art. In the Dying Gaul, a warrior is shown dying on the battle field.. Eventhough he is over come with  pain, he is depicted calm and accepting of the fact that he has been defeated. The smooth, beautiful rendering of form and muscle tone aids in the "worthiness" of his death by the opponent. This  shows how great the opponent is to have killed such a seasoned war monument. This is similar to the dying warrior on the temple of Athena. Even though the sculpture work on these pieces are not as well rendered, the same message is implied. Stong muscular players taken down by what must have been honorable force. This appeals to the viewer in the way that they feel bad in a way for the crushing loss in the valuable participant honoring both the victor who was able to accomplish these acts, as well as the defeated by showing their ability to use the power of their mind over the power of their bodies.

Victory Stele of Naram-Sin

In class when describing the King Narmer Palette I was reminded of a similar piece that was discussed in Art History, The Victory Stele of Naram-Sin. A stele is a vertical stone monument or marker often inscribed with text or relief carving. In this particular stele depicts the Akkadian victory over the Lullubi Mountain people. This is another piece of ancient art that is glorifying the idea of war and victory. You are able to determine who the leader is by the use of size hierarchy which depicts people larger due to their importance. In this image the ruler is significantly larger and is also shown above everyone else. Also Naram-Sin himself is depicted closest to the deities at the top who a represented by the two suns. This shows that he has the approval of the gods,much like in the King Narmer palette with horus, and they have helped him succeed in his battle. Also he is wearing the horned helmet which, to the akkadans, was a symbol of divinity. To the right of Naram-Sin you can see his victims clearly in despair of loosing, while to the left you see his devout soldiers climbing the mountain with him as if they are sharing the same glory that their ruler is after defeating the mountain people. Thus creating a sense of desire for the viewer, making them wish they were there to become this glorious soldier along with their ruler and to share in the pride of defeating their enemy.

Ebola Virus

I recently read a current event from NBC News, telling about a recent event concerning the Ebola Virus. The Ebola Virus is a serious infectious disease that is very deadly to human kind. It is becoming a massive problem in west Africa, where some medical missionaries were sent to offer their humanitarian help to it's citizens. One particular medical missionary unfortunately became infected. Sacra, however, is being treated in Nebraska and it's doing much better, says Dr. Angela Hewlett. Dr. Angela Hewlett is the associate medical director of the Bio containment Unit at the Nebraska Medical Center. However, they are still somewhat cautious because of the severity of the disease, and the unknown factors that come along with it.

Dr. Phil Smith, a director at the medical center, says that Sacra looks great in person. Although, in order for him to be cleared from the medical center, Sacra will have to test negative for Ebola twice, with both texts being within 24 hours of each other. I think that it is very good that the United States is sending humanitarian help over to the citizens of west Africa, because these people desperately need the medial help as well as attention.

U.S. Ready to Strike ISIS in Syria

     "The United States has been flying drones over Syria, looking at areas where ISIS operates. The drones are looking for personnel, equipment depots, training camps, and the locations of the group's leaders. U.S. officials tell CNN if top leadership can be located, they will be on the target list to strike. If past strike procedures against terrorist leaders in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia are used again, the President would preauthorize strikes against the leaders, by name, and then they would be hit when located."
     Military officials state that they are prepared to strike ISIS in Syria, they are just waiting for President Barack Obama's signal to attack. The U.S. has been flying drones over Syria looking for the headquarters where ISIS operates. If top ISIS operators are located, they will be put on the list of areas to strike. Attacking ISIS leaders will significantly reduce the threat of ISIS, as well as lowering their morale as a group.


http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/18/politics/us-ready-to-strike-isis-in-syria/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Everyone knows the Greek warrior, Achilles, who is seen invincible. He is famous for the Trojan War and his destruction of the Trojan, Hector. There's two versions on how Achilles dies, in both it was Paris who shot him in the heel. In one version it is said that the God Apollo guided Paris' arrow to hit Achilles. Another version states that Achilles fell in love with a Trojan princess and intended to wed. Paris, who would have to give up Helen if Achilles married his sister, shot Achilles during the wedding. In both versions Paris is viewed as a coward.

Is Anybody Listening?

 

(Christians flee jihadist ultimatum in Iraq’s Mosul)

 

They say history repeats itself, and it has proven true once again. We have a modern day holocaust on our hands; Christians in Iraq and Syria are being persecuted for their faith by IS. Forced to convert, die or pay a high tax, Christians, whose roots are grounded in Middle Eastern soil, are forced to flee their homes at night with only the shirts on their backs.

For the first time in over 2,000 years Mosul, Iraq is completely devoid of Christians.

Marking Christian homes with the Arabic “N” for Nazarene, Christians are sought after and hunted by IS for no reason, simply their faith. Agreeing with Pope Francis, we must, and have an obligation to, stop the sheer evil of IS’s actions. Now this does not mean overdoing it, such as bombarding the countries with missiles and bombs, but simply putting them to a halt, fighting from the side of defense rather than offense.

 Iraq's Christians are begging the world for help. Is anybody listening?  

Peter the V-C.M

This speech given by Henry the V inspired his fellow soldiers to fight a battle that the world would never forget. While at first, the men seemed at unease to go into a battle where not only were they completely outnumbered, but fighting against the strong French army, Henry the V  spoke of the greater honor.  He spoke of this gift of honor and pride that this battle would give. That they would be taking on this battle with  Henry, the king himself,  as their brother.  The inspiration of this speech carried through all of his men and they won this battle of Agincourt for England, which is still remembered today.

The Standard of Ur

The Standard of Ur is a Sumerian war artwork which has themes similar to King Narmer's Palette with the focus on war and the celebration of victory in battle. The Standard of Ur was created in 2600-2400 B.C.E. The piece is a war standard, which was carried on a pole through the Sumerian town to celebrate a war victory. It has two main panels, the War panel and the Peace panel. The War panel of the standard depicts the defeat of an unknown enemy. Ground lines and registers are used to show separation between parts of the narrative, like in King Narmer's Palette. On the bottom register, soldiers with chariots trample enemies and soldiers in the center register march into battle. On the top register, the Sumerian God-King is depicted  with size hierarchy as the largest figure among other soldiers, his head even exceeds the boundaries of the picture's border, similar to King Narmer's Palette.
The Peace panel of the Standard of Ur on the opposite side is very different from the war panel and represents a celebration of victory in the battle.  This side of the panel has the same intent as King Narmer's Palette, to celebrate a victory in war and to show the great power of the leader. The bottom registers show men carrying the spoils of war. The top register shows a royal banquet in celebration of the Sumerian victory. Both the Standard of Ur and King Narmer's Palette were created to celebrate victory in battle, and to honor the leaders of their civilizations.