Relics of Ancient Rome

I am writing my critical book review about ancient Rome, so this week I decided to look into any recent archaeological finds linked to the empire. I was pleasantly surprised to find that there have been a number of important artifacts and cities unearthed.
The discovery I found most interesting is being referred to as the ‘Tomb of the Gladiator,' which is pictured above from the BBC website. The tomb was found in October of last year along the Via Flamina roadway in Italy, which runs northeast from Rome to the coast. Construction was underway when workers came across ancient marble columns. The tomb is that of general Marcus Nonius Macrinus, who served Emperor Marcus Aurelius when he reigned from 161CE-180CE. Marcus Macrinus is thought to be the inspiration for Russell Crowe’s character in the film Gladiator. However, the real Marcus Macrinus was not sold into slavery and therefore did not return to seek vengeance on Rome. Instead, Macrinus was Emperor Aurelius’s favorite general and helped him attain many great victories.

Much of the tomb is still hidden in thick mud from the nearby Tiber River, but it is the same mud that has kept the ancient artifacts so well preserved. A video of some great pictures of artifacts at the dig can be found here. Numerous inscriptions and decorations have been discovered at the tomb site, some of which have led to new information about Marcus Nonius Macrinus’ life. Archaeologists have yet to discover the sarcophagus, but a set of ten inscriptions were found on pieces of the tomb that provide knowledge such as where the general was from, and what roles he played in the empire at one time or another. Macrinus was from Brescia in northern Italy and served as a police commissioner, a magistrate, and most notably, a close confidant to the Emperor who wanted the general to fight against invading Germanic tribes.

Interestingly enough, a year earlier in August of 2008, a massive statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius was found on an archaeological site in Turkey in the ancient city of Sagalassos. Fabulous pictures of the sculpture can be found here. Pieces of the statue are being found in rooms of the city’s Roman baths, which archaeologists have been working to excavate for nearly twelve years. The largest room, the frigidarium, was a cold pool for the Romans to soak in after a bath, and it is thought to have hosted a gallery of statues and sculptures. The statue of Aurelius would have stood an enormous fifteen feet tall with a three foot high head. Researchers found a five foot long arm with a hand that is holding what is left of a globe. They also uncovered a set of massive legs, intact from the knee down, where the feet are decorated in what would have been considered army boots.

Each of these ancient finds serve a great purpose in helping researchers to piece together the past. The stories of both great men are now a little more complete, and there is no telling what more can be learned. If archaeologists find Marcus Nonius Macrinus’s sarcophagus, it would be a monumental find that could give people of today an even better look into the lives of ancient people. New artifacts are being discovered all the time which vividly remind us of the great empires and ancient people that we still have so much to learn about.

Sources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7675633.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7580745.stm
http://www.sagalassos.be/saga/en/albums/marcus_aurelius

Joan of Arc vs. The Messenger

“Once upon a time known as the Dark Ages - there lived a legend whose coming had been foretold by the great prophet Merlin. – It was said that after nearly a century of war this young maiden would unite her divided people – and lead them to freedom. – It did not say how…” Joan of Arc introduction

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There are many stories told about the famous Joan of Arc, but who was she really? Did she really hear voices of saints? The truth is, no one knows but God himself. Throughout the years, there have been many adaptations of her story created, two of which are Joan of Arc starring Leelee Sobieski and The Messenger starring Milla Jovovich. For my blog this week, I have decided to compare these two movies. Therefore, this week I spent approximately 5 hours watching these movies and taking over 17 pages of notes. When I first began this, I expected there to be many more similarities between the two films, but I was extremely mistaken.

The Messenger was rated R, and for good reason. The movie had very graphic battle violence, rape and continual foul language. Whereas Joan of Arc, though it is not rated in the US, it was shown on public television and friendly for the entire family. There are a few similarities between the two films, but many more differences. Both films used the concrete historical facts for the basis behind the story, but with their own personal variations. These facts include Joan’s age, the battles/places, the plot for her death, and much of the trial itself. However, there were many historical differences as well.

One of the first differences I noticed was the name, not the title of the movie, but the character’s name. In Joan of Arc, it is ‘Joan’ with our English pronunciation, but in The Messenger, her name is Jeanne. The latter is most likely more accurate since she was French. This name difference was not the only differences between characters either; many of the characters came into the movies in different places and had either different names of pronunciations. One of the most important, in my opinion, is at the beginning of her story. For Joan the raid on her village and death of her blind friend in that raid is the catalyst to her mission. Jeanne’s catalyst is also during this raid by the “Black Knights;” however, rather than it being a friend killed, the catalyst is Jeanne’s witness to the murder and rape of her older sister’s corpse. One major point here, Joan does not have any sisters, only brothers, but Jeanne does, so the question is, which is true?

Now, for anyone that does not know the story of Joan of Arc, she claimed she was given signs from God through the voices of saints. Her mission was to ensure the crowning of King Charles (at the time Dauphine) and unite France. Joan claimed to hear the voices of the three saints, St. Catherine, Margaret, and Michael, but Jeanne never names those who speak to her. In fact, she only claims to her the voice through one man/boy. In the end, this man, played by Dustin Hoffman, is portrayed almost as Satan, though some call him her conscience. This would mean that Jeanne did the work of Satan and not the work of God, an interpretation by the writer’s of this film.

Hoffman's character made Jeanne doubt her action while on trial; he made her question her motives and actions. For example, "God asked you to do something? ... You mean, God said, I need you Jeanne?" "No, but he sent me signs."..."You didn't see what was Jeanne, you saw what you wanted to see.", and "In His name?" "Yes, in His name. We fought and killed in His name - the King of Heaven!" "Really? 'Let all who love me follow me!'" At this point Jeanne began doubting, thus Hoffman's character made her unable to concentrate during her trials and ultimately lead her to her execution. In Jeanne's desire to be confessed, though never granted by the biship, she 'confesses' to Hoffman's character, "I have committed sins my lord, so many sins. I saw so many signs...The ones I wanted to see. I fought out of revenge and despair. I was all the things that people believe they're allowed to be when they're fighting for a cause...I was proud and stubborn [Hoffman whispers 'selfish']...selfish ['cruel']...yes, cruel." Unlike Jeanne, however, Joan never doubts her voices and signs from God. As a matter of fact, while burning at the stake she looks up to heaven and whispers, "Thank you, thank you."

One final, crucial, difference is that Joan denies being the Maid of Lorraine but Jeanne embraces/claims it. The Maid of Lorraine was the myth that a virgin from Lorraine would save all of France. Joan did not want to be this woman, though she may well have been. However, from the beginning of Jeanne’s quest, she calls herself the Maid, “There is a girl…claiming to be the Maid of Lorraine, she will be here tomorrow.” Yet, both Joan and Jeanne go through tests to prove that they really are doing the work of God and that they are truly virgin. However, unknown to them, this was just a political ploy to uphold the ‘ratings’ of the common people, “It matters what the simple people think.”

In doing this, I am not claiming that one or the other is more accurate. My objective here was to prove that many people interpret history differently. There is no possible way to determine whether Joan/Jeanne really heard voices from God, and there is no way to know the true story behind her life. Though Joan of Arc and The Messenger have different methods of telling the story, they both tell the story of a brave girl who was executed by burning at the stake at only 19 years old. “Joan of Arc was burnt on May 30^th 1431, she was nineteen years old. She was canonized by the Vatican five hundred years later.”

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Disclaimer: All quotes taken directly from the movies. Picture found through Creative Commons search.

Here's some Youtube videos:
Joan of Arc: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjX9BS98Aqc [trailer]

The Messenger: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgpt0v37j4s [trailer-amazing] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcM8ilpHsfQ [surrender scene]

Founding of Constantinople

In 324 when Constantine defeated Licinius he decided to found a new capital for the emperor. This was a common task since many emperors had founded or re-founded cities during the third and fourth century's. He did not want to move the capital from Rome to Constantinople, he wanted Constantinople to become the new capital of the Byzantine civilization. It soon outstripped every other city in beauty and prosperity and by the fifth century its fortune had become identified with that of the empire as a whole.

City Foundation

The decision to found the city was made after Constantine fought Licinius in the area. Where he saw the strategic advantage of Byzantium.This was not his only choice, he also considered Sirmium and Troy.

He choose Constantinople for three main reasons:

1. It was ideally situated between the eastern and northern military frontiers.

2. It was to become an important center of trade, located as it was on major north-south and east-west trade routes.

3.Constantine wanted to honor his military victory in a typically imperial fashion, and felt the beauty of the city did just that.

Cartography

GPS: Make a right turn.
Dwight: Wait! Wait! Wait! No! No! No! It means bear right, up there.
Michael: No, it said right, it said take a right.
Dwight: No! No! No, look, it means go up to the right, bear right, over the bridge and hook up with 307.
Michael: Maybe it's a shortcut Dwight. It said go to the right.
[turns right]
Dwight: It can't mean that! There's a lake there!
Michael: The machine knows where it is going!
Dwight: This is the lake!
Michael: The machine knows---stop yelling at me!

This conversation between Michael and Dwight from “The Office” made me realize how important maps are to everyday life and how much mapping technology has evolved from rock drawings to 3-D topographical maps made by computers. Maps play a major role in our understanding of history, they are the oldest form of non-oral communication, and they pre-date written language. A map is a two-dimensional representation of the earth’s surface, and humans have been producing them since their early history on this planet.

Early humans were wanderers and they probably used crudely drawn maps to describe their surroundings or give directions to features. Some of the earliest archaeological evidence of maps comes from rock art such as a town plan map from Catal Huyuk or from the Babylonian clay tablets inscribed sometime during the 5th century BCE. Babylon is depicted at the center of the world, and the map shows the Euphrates River, other surrounding cities, the Persian Gulf, and it represents the earth as a flat disk surrounded by ocean. Maps from China dating back to 168 BCE were drawn on silk and describe natural features, relief, cities, and road networks to a fairly accurate scale. (Below) Early maps were rough and numerous, but there are two common themes that are found in early mapmaking. The first is that maps represented the earth as flat and only described local landscape. The second theme is that early mapmakers placed their cities or towns at the center of map.

Mapmaking evolved, and as trade expanded, so did geographers’ and early mapmakers’ awareness of the wider world around them. The Greek geographer Eratosthenes, used the geometry of a sphere to calculate the size of earth. New technologies, such as the printing press, made map production more efficient and made it possible for maps to pass between peoples. Cartographers made attempts to map the known world and revise existing older maps. Most maps made in the 12th and 13th century in Europe were based upon the work of Ptolemy, a Greek scientist, astronomer, mathematician, and geographer, who lived somewhere around 90 to 168 CE. Most of the information about Ptolemy comes from second hand sources as mapmakers in later centuries transcribed his geocentric view of the cosmos, his understanding of map projections, and his geographic descriptions including a descriptive coordinate system. Mapmakers would draw maps and attribute them to Ptolemy’s work (notice how this map is drawn in 1482 but is based on Ptolemy.) There were many contributors to mapmaking in the classical era, and they laid the foundation for future explorers. During the age of exploration in the 15th century, Europeans became aware of the North and South American landmasses and confirmed that the Greek view of Earth as a sphere was correct.

All ancient cultures, from the Mayans to the Chinese, produced maps. Mapping has evolved from making simple descriptions of local surroundings to using satellite technology and GPS units to describe an exact location anywhere on earth, but the purpose of maps has not changed. They delineate boundaries, show ownership, and facilitate navigation.

Another interesting website with a database of historical maps from the 14th century to current day is managed by the University of Texas.

Sources:
Harley, J B., and David Woodward, eds. The History of Cartography. Vol. 1. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987. Print.

Seager, Joni . Maps University of Vermont, n.d. Web. 3 Nov. 2009. http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/unpacking/mapsmain.html

Christianity: History of the Bible and its Connection to Corinth

This week in class we are discussing Christianity and Byzantine Rome. Most individuals have heard of the Bible, but I wonder if anyone truly knows its history. I was curious as to a more detailed history of the Bible so I searched for a website. I also found information on the city of Corinth because my small group is reading 1 Corinthians this semester and I wanted to know more about the city and church. Overall, the history of the Bible, in the Old and New Testaments, and the city of Corinth directly relate and provide many interesting facts.

The Bible was written over a total of 1,600 years. Forty different authors made it into sixty-six books. I was surprised to learn that the various authors wrote the Old Testament and New Testament in two different languages. The Old Testament was in Hebrew, with the New Testament in Greek.

Judaism influenced the Bible. Christianity believes that God commanded Moses to write down the scriptures and laws. Other authors also wrote when God inspired them. By around 450 B.C.E., a council of rabbis gathered the various scrolls written over time and arranged them into the Torah (Old Testament only). By 250 B.C.E., it was translated into Greek in Alexandria. The website I cited remarks that the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (parts of all Old Testament books except Esther and the oldest version of Isaiah) show the reliability of the Jews' scripture writing because they have the same content.

The New Testament began to be written in 40 C.E. as the gospels by Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, and others. Letters and books also made up the New Testament. It was later translated into Greek (although the Greeks did not recognize many books of the New Testament as legitimate until later). Today there exist 24,000 writings from the New Testament alone.

In addition, my small group is studying 1 Corinthians, so I found information about the city of Corinth, in Greece. 1 Corinthians is in the New Testament and is made of a series of letters the apostle Paul wrote to the Church of Corinth. The website states that there were two Corinths. Ancient Corinth was very prosperous but the Roman Empire destroyed it in 146 B.C.E. because of its connection with the Achaean League. Julius Caesar re-established the city in 44 B.C.E. It prospered as well, with an eventual size five times that of Athens, as a major trading city. Corinth had many individuals of different cultures living there because it was a trading port (by the isthmus that connects Peloponnesus to the rest of Greece). Italy traded with Greece through Corinth frequently. The center of the city was filled with shrines to previous and current emperors and Greek gods (like Apollo and Epidaurus). (The picture shows the last remnants of Apollo's temple left today.) Mithranism (one of Christianity's main rivals at this time) was also prominent. These shrines and idol worship were the basis for Paul's letters to the Corinthians telling them to turn away from their evil ways and back to God. The city's prosperity eventually declined with earthquakes.