Mycenae and Agamemnon Essay Example for Free

Mycenae and Agamemnon Essay Mycenae lies about 90 kilometres south-west of Athens. From around 1600BC-1100BC Mycenae was a highly wealthy and influential city, dominating much of southern Greece. The Mycenaean Era was named in reference to the city. THE DISCOVERY OF MYCENAE It was Heinrich Schliemann who first completely excavated the city of Mycenae. The controversial archaeologist was searching for evidence that Agamemnon, the king who led the Greeks to fight Troy in the Trojan War. Schliemann was determined to prove that the Trojan War was a real event; in fact his career was based around his desire for this. After failing to find any definitive evidence in his search for Troy, he turned to Mycenae. In 1841 another archaeologist had found and restored the Lion Gate that marks the entrance to the city of Mycenae, but Schliemann was the first to systematically excavate the entire site. He believed that the Homeric tales described actual historical events and used his discoveries at Mycenae to back this up. DISOVERIES MADE AT THE SITE Discovered in Grave Circle A by Schliemann’s team, a dagger shows the militaristic values of the Mycenaean’s. From the weapons buried with most of the bodies found, we can deduct that the Mycenaean’s were not a peaceful people. They revelled in fighting, as shown by the violent motifs on their stelae and decorative weapons. Most graves featured full sets of weapons, both real and decorative. We can assume that life for the men of Mycenae would have had a heavy focus on fighting , with men of higher status being shown as brave fighters. This is also shown through the architecture of the city, particularly the Cyclopean walls. These huge walls show a need for a defensive attitude, which demonstrates the Mycenaean’s military attitude. On this dagger there is a depiction of a lion hunt, which shows that the Mycenaean’s hunted for sport. This further reflects the aggressive principles of the city. Double axe and bull motifs show a Minoan influence in Mycenaean culture. Within the graves in Grave Circle A there were many objects that had been made in Mycenae but in Minoan style. This reflects an appreciation for Minoan design and an obvious link through trade and travel between Minoan Crete and Mycenae. Later the former would be conquered by the latter. In Mycenae there would have been trading of goods from Minoan Crete and an admiration of the techniques, since they were implemented in wares produced within Mycenae. The graves themselves also shed light upon burial practises and status in Mycenae. The graves themselves are shaft graves, 4 metres deep with the dead placed in a cist at the bottom along with many decadent grave goods. The Grave would sometimes be marked with a stone Stele at ground level. These stelae would be used to depict things like chariot scenes, showing the heroic nature of the deceased buried below. The grave goods showed the status of the deceased, with gold and weapons showing a higher status. This shows that burial was not only a valued practise, but also reflected status and worth, depending on what you were buried with. The so-called â€Å"Nestor’s Cup† was a particularly important discovery for Schliemann. His team recovered the vessel from Shaft Grave IV and Schliemann identified it as the â€Å"Cup of Nestor† as written about in the Illiad. However the cup differs from Homer’s description in number of handles, the design of the birds, and size. It also is from the wrong time to have been used in the Trojan War according to some critics. However, this didn’t discourage Schliemann from his firm belief in the Homeric tales. This is one of the many discoveries Schliemann made that he believed contributed to proving that the tales detail historical events. CONTROVERSIES Within a shaft grave V Schliemann discovered a skeleton with a gold mask covering his face- a face which he believed was that of the legendary Agamemnon. However, in recent years critics have developed more and more arguments to the effect that the mask may be a hoax. William Calder gives the following reasons for his sceptical nature towards Schliemann’s find: The features of the mask are inconsistent with the other masks found; Schliemann had considered making fakes of the gold he found at Troy to give forgeries to give to the government; contemporaries of Schliemann allege that he planted artefacts to later â€Å"discover† them; the excavations at both Mycenae and Troy had been closed just a few days after the discovery of the gold, suggesting that he was expecting to find these treasures and nothing else; excavations were closed for 2 days shortly before Schliemann found the mask, what could Schliemann have been doing; Sophia allegedly has a relative in Athens that was a goldsmith; No other Mycenaean grave has anywhere near what was discovered in shaft grave V; Schliemann had claimed he had excavated other finds elsewhere, when it was later revealed that he had bought them. David Traill suggests that perhaps the Agamemnon mask wasn’t manufactured, but found from a later tomb. Both of his appeals for a scientific examination of the mask have been denied by the Greek authorities. In response to Calder and Traill many argue that their claims are unfounded and lack any scholarly backing, and have their own arguments in response. They insist that Schliemann was carefully monitored by Greek authorities throughout his excavation, which both Calder and Triall admit to in their own publishing. Kenneth Lapatin explains that the days where Calder alleged Schliemann had time to get a mask made, were before any masks had been found yet. Although he does admit it is possible the mask may have been â€Å"enhanced† after it was discovered. Both sides of the debate present both personal opinions and insinuations mixed in with actual fact. Considering the dishonest nature of Schliemann it is easy to believe he planted the mask. But when considering the work at Mycenae alone, there is no undoubtable evidence to suggest that he was dishonest about that particular find, only rumour and hearsay. From the collections of circumstantial suggestions put forward by Triall and Calder, their theories become increasingly believable. However, some parts of their arguments seem reminiscent of conspiracy theories, so perhaps it’s best to take the mask as an important –if disputed- archaeological find, but not proving the existence of Agamemnon. BIBILOGRAPHY http://library.thinkquest.org/25245/archaeology/mycenae.html http://www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk/greecemycenae.htmhttp://mycenae-excavations.org/about.html http://www.historywiz.com/agamemnon.htm http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/ eh351.jsp?obj_id=2573 http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/achilles/age/myceneans.html http://www.archaeology.org/9907/etc/calder.html http://www.archaeology.org/9907/etc/lapatin.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grave_Circle_A,_Mycenae http://www.archaeology.org/9907/etc/traill.html http://www.ancientgreece.com/essay/v/greek-life-as-depicted-in-homers-epic-the-odyssey/ http://www.archaeology.org/9907/etc/dema.html http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/Mycenaean-weapons.html

Jewish Perceptions of Jesus Christ Essay -- Judaism Christianity Chris

Jewish Perceptions of Jesus Christ Christianity and Judaism are major world religions which, though they worship the same God, have marked differences which have caused two thousand years of strife and animosity between the two religions. In his book We Jews and Jesus, Samuel Sandmel likens the link between Judaism and Christianity to a type of parent-child relationship, saying, â€Å"Early Christianity was a Judaism; within a century after the death of Jesus it was a separate religion. It was critical of its parent, and hostile to it, and elicited from its parent reciprocal criticism and hostility.†1 Opposing views of Jesus Christ caused the initial rift between Judaism and Christianity and is the primary source of the tension between the two religions which has continued for the last two millennia. Therefore, in order to understand how Judaism and Christianity relate to one another, it is essential to understand the way Jesus is perceived in each religion. The way that Christians view Jesus is quite well known, but Judaism’s view of him is much lesser known, so it is important to explore Judaism’s perceptions of Jesus, beginning with New Testament times, and to examine the ways in which these feelings and opinions have changed over time. Although the New Testament is the main source of information regarding Jesus’ life, Jews often disregard it as a reliable source of information. It was not written until two to three generations after Jesus, hence it cannot be considered a primary source. Also, from a Jewish perspective, the aim of the Gospels is not to give an accurate account of Jesus’ life and teachings; the Gospels served as missionary documents containing accounts recorded by biased evangelists. They reflect the aims of the church rather than actual facts, and their writers were more concerned with the advancement of Christianity than the transmission of factual historical information. For these reasons, it is impossible to separate the historical Jesus from the divine Christ presented in the Gospels, and Judaism regards the Gospels as unreliable and irrational. It is not known exactly when Jesus was born, but according to the Christian calender, his birth year was circa 4 B.C. Christmas, the day of Christ’s birth, is celebrated by Christians on December 25, but the actual day and month of his birth are unknown. Rachel Zurer, a followe... ...-40. 42. Votaw, C.W., "The Modern Jewish View of Jesus." The Biblical World, 1905. 26(2): p. 102. 43. Votaw, C.W., "The Modern Jewish View of Jesus." The Biblical World, 1905. 26(2): p. 102. 44. Votaw, C.W., "The Modern Jewish View of Jesus." The Biblical World, 1905. 26(2): p. 115. 45. Votaw, C.W., "The Modern Jewish View of Jesus." The Biblical World, 1905. 26(2): p. 106. 46. Votaw, C.W., "The Modern Jewish View of Jesus." The Biblical World, 1905. 26(2): p. 106. 47. Votaw, C.W., "The Modern Jewish View of Jesus." The Biblical World, 1905. 26(2): p. 117. 48. Votaw, C.W., "The Modern Jewish View of Jesus." The Biblical World, 1905. 26(2): p. 109-110. 49. Votaw, C.W., "The Modern Jewish View of Jesus." The Biblical World, 1905. 26(2): p. 102. 50. Votaw, C.W., "The Modern Jewish View of Jesus." The Biblical World, 1905. 26(2): p. 110-111. 51. Votaw, C.W., "The Modern Jewish View of Jesus." The Biblical World, 1905. 26(2): p. 110, 112. 52. Votaw, C.W., "The Modern Jewish View of Jesus." The Biblical World, 1905. 26(2): p. 102, 114. 53. Sandmel, S., in We Jews and Jesus. 1965, Oxford University Press: New York. p. 47.

Health and Social Unit 1 P2 Level 2

Unit 1 p2 health and social Visual impairment A visual impairment is when a person’s sense of sight is completely gone and the change is irreversible. However this can also mean someone is partially sighted, where their sight may be blurred or only able to see out of one eye. A visual impairment can be caused by age illness or incident; it prevents the patient being able to recognise people by face, body and other visual elements.To overcome tis barrier glasses may be worn in some partial sighted cases, and a form of written communication called braille may be used. Braille is created by making indentations in materials patterned to represent letters without actually outlining the shape of the letter. A variety of people may need to communicate with the partially sighted patients. Some examples of these are: * Health care assistants * Service users * Dentists * Opticians * Physiotherapist * Social worker * Relatives * Friends * Occupational therapistAll of these individuals ar e challenged by te barrier and have to use certain aids and procedures in order to communicate with the patient efficiently and effectively. Some examples of these are: * Braille * Presentation/convocation with descriptive speech * Physical examples to feel English as a second language. A patient which has English as a second language or isn’t very fluent in the language can be hard to communicate with. This prevents communication with a patient unless aids are used. Some examples of these are: * Interpreter Translations * Visual aids * Hand, body and face expressions or movements These aids are used by the following: * Health care assistants * Service users (residents) * Dentist * Optician * Doctor * Physiotherapist * Social worker * Occupational therapist Friends and relatives would not be included in this category because they would more than likely speak the same language. For both barriers any issues, impairments etc. should be written down in a patients notes. Staff in the establishment should be trained in how to use the necessary aids.

William Faulkner s Banquet Speech - 1430 Words

American Truths From generation to generation, literature has defined our lives. Together, all of us read to gain information, become aware and think about the bigger pictures in life. During William Faulkner’s banquet speech for his Nobel Prize in literature, Faulkner discusses the â€Å"writer s duty.† Faulkner states that writing should be from the heart, about the anguish, agony and sweat of the human spirit. If one does not write from the heart, mankind cannot prevail. Throughout Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance and American Childhood by Annie Dillard, both memoirs recount the events of the writer’s life with universal truths in similar and different ways. Is Faulkner right in stating that writing should be from the heart? Or can†¦show more content†¦During her youth, Dillard was scolded by her mother for calling her maid, who was African American, a racist term that she found out from a neighbor. In today’s society, including such experiences can be de emed inappropriate for vocal use. However, using a vastly different time period where racism was still a problem, Dillard is able to demonstrate a time where not everyone had equal rights. She is bringing awareness to an issue that still plagues our society today in incidents like the Black Lives Matter movement. These universal truths should be shared as Faulkner claimed as they can pave the way to a more informed society. Often in memoirs, the writer will mention the losses they have experienced in their lives that have impacted them greatly. They can choose to modify how the stories are to â€Å"sugarcoat† the loss or can even leave it out completely if the experience proves to be too traumatizing to the writer. However, the inclusion of these losses can provide comfort and a better understanding of losses the reader may have had in their lives. In American Childhood, Annie Dillard loses her grandfather to a brain tumor. She states â€Å"I was expecting to attend an upper-school dance at the boy’s school†¦ ...I shamed myself by minding that the dance was out [due to the death of my grandfather]† (174). Although mentioned shortly, Dillard expresses guilt over not showing any care to her grandfather’s death. While he lay there dying, Dillard was moreShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Faulkners Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech By William Faulkner1405 Words   |  6 Pageswriting. In a time of fear and anguish, most might lose that passion that sparked in them, leaving behind a passionless and hopeless shell. In his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech at the Nobel Banquet, these were the issues William Faulkner had to address. Using his platform for something greater, Faulkner delivered his speech, not only to accept his award but to advise the future generation of writers. During the time of his acceptance, 1950, it was a dark era for the population. Having just endedRead Moreshakespeare influences16068 Words   |  65 Pagesï » ¿ RESEARCH TOPIC An Analytic Review Of Shakespearean Influence On Faulkner s Tragedy RESEARCH QUESTION How Shakespeare tragic patterns influenced on William Faulkner s writings? NAME: SYEDA AMBREEN FATIMA FATHER’S NAME: SYED HASAN AKHTER SEAT NO: 1315793 ENROLMENT NO: 2013/ENG/M.A(LIT)/15681 DATE OF SUBMISSION: 28TH NOV 2013 SUBMITTED TO: MISS SAMREEN