The Islamic religion and Muslim culture are VERY different from what Christian's belive. When studying the Islamic religion and Muslim culture, one must first study their religion because there religion defines who they are as a person. It is a very different culture than ours. They believe that Muhammed was the last person to recieve God's message and that Muhammed was the last prophet of God. But for now, lets have a little chat about the 5 pillars. (:
The first pillar of Islam is Shahadah which means to worship their god Allah, and ONLY Allah. The Muslims also have a saying for this pillar: it says "La ilaha illa Allah Muhammadur rasoolu Allah." This saying means "There is no true god(diety) but God(Allah), and Muhammed is the messenger(prophet) of God." The first part, "There is no true god but God," means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone(God meaning Allah), and that God has neither partner nor son. This pillar is also called the testimony of faith. It is the most important pillar of Islam.SOURCE(wikipedia)
The second pillar of Islam is Salah. This is the pillar that says that Muslims must perform prayers 5 times a day if they are truly Islamic. Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to perform, but it is still very important in the Islamic religion. Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and God. When praying, it is said that the worshipper will feel inner happiness, peace, and comfort while praying and that during and after the prayer, God is pleased with him or her that has just prayed. Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. A Muslim say pray anywhere, as ,long as they are facing Mecca during their prayer.SOURCE(wikipedia)
The third pillar of the Islamic religion is Zakah. This is the pillar that says that they must give regularly to the poor, no matter what the circumstances. They believe that since everything belongs to God, all wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. They must take a certain percentage of there salary and give it to the poor. They believe that in doing this, they will receive purification and growth in their God, Allah.
The fouth pillar of Islam is Sawm which is the pillar that says that they must fast during the month of Ramadan for thirty days. During this fast, they must fast from food, drink, and all sexual relations. They fast from sunset to sundown, so once it is night, they are allowed to have a certain amount of food and drink. And although the fast is good for their health, they also say that it is a remedy for self-purification.
The fifth, and final pillar of Islam is the Hajj. The Hajj is the pilgramage to Mecca at least once in a Muslim's lifetime. The pilgramage is to the Ka'bah, also known as the Black Box, where they go there and worship it. "The rites of the Hajj include circling the Kaaba seven times and going seven times between the hillocks of Safa and Marwa, as Hagar did during her search for water. Then the pilgrims stand together in Arafa5 and ask God for what they wish and for His forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview of the Day of Judgment."
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Roman Roads :)
The Romans were very famous for their roads. Even today, people use the Roman roads to get from one place to another. The roads were so popular because of the 50, 000 miles of paved road coming from the center of Rome, which was the Roman Empire. The Romans used these roads mostly for trading, which is part of why the Romans were such great traders.
When the Roman roads were first built, it was planned that they would be built straight, but over time, this changed. Roadbeds were built three feet down and twenty feet across. After this, it was filled with gravel and sand to build the foundation. The Romans were very maticulate about their roads, so they even lined the sides of the roads with blocks and hand-carved stones. These stones were more than not pentagonal in shape. They were also fitted together to make the top layer of the road. The roads were sloped from the center to allow any water that may have gathered on the road to wash and drain off the road into ditches on the sides of the roads. There was also stone markers that were places along the road to tell the traveler how far to the next city.
So, as I said above, the Romans used the roads mostly for trade. Rome made a very large amount of money from trading with Europe. Some of this trading involoved sea transportation, but most frequently, the Romans used the roads. Also, with so much of Western Europe conquered by the Romans, they needed to use the roads to move around their troops quickly. The building of these roads was also very, very expensive.
At about every eleven or twelve miles, there was a place where the people and animals could stop and rest, almost like a reststop like we have today. As time went on, people would form groups to give these travellers service to whatever they needed, whether it was food, or whatever, they would help them.
As you can see, these Roman roads helped the Roman society very much because the roads helped to provide transportation to the Romans when they would trade or use the roads for the soldiers. Some of these roads are still there today, and you can see the importance of them as you drive along them. :)
When the Roman roads were first built, it was planned that they would be built straight, but over time, this changed. Roadbeds were built three feet down and twenty feet across. After this, it was filled with gravel and sand to build the foundation. The Romans were very maticulate about their roads, so they even lined the sides of the roads with blocks and hand-carved stones. These stones were more than not pentagonal in shape. They were also fitted together to make the top layer of the road. The roads were sloped from the center to allow any water that may have gathered on the road to wash and drain off the road into ditches on the sides of the roads. There was also stone markers that were places along the road to tell the traveler how far to the next city.
So, as I said above, the Romans used the roads mostly for trade. Rome made a very large amount of money from trading with Europe. Some of this trading involoved sea transportation, but most frequently, the Romans used the roads. Also, with so much of Western Europe conquered by the Romans, they needed to use the roads to move around their troops quickly. The building of these roads was also very, very expensive.
At about every eleven or twelve miles, there was a place where the people and animals could stop and rest, almost like a reststop like we have today. As time went on, people would form groups to give these travellers service to whatever they needed, whether it was food, or whatever, they would help them.
As you can see, these Roman roads helped the Roman society very much because the roads helped to provide transportation to the Romans when they would trade or use the roads for the soldiers. Some of these roads are still there today, and you can see the importance of them as you drive along them. :)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Daily life of a Rome
The Romans were very different from people today. Unlike most of us, they were intense soldiers, putting their lives on the line daily, wonderful architects, building the most beautiful buildings in history, and just very determined people. Also, the Romans are different from us because they were very down-to-earth people and were not materialisitic. You can see this in their statues. The Greeks made statues of perfect people, while the Romans made people very realistic with big noses, little hands, and so on.
The chores of the Romans depended on the persons class. The rich people had a better life than the poor people due to them having more money and power and the lives of the women and children were also very different from the lives of the men.
The daily life of the men in Rome was very lively and they focused on working alot. The man was considered the "rulers of the household." Since they were the dominant one in the family, they also had to look the part. They always wore togas and were very clean cut most of the time, having almost no facial hair. They would help their family and they would join the army to pretect their family. It did not matter if you were a poor or a rich man in Rome because when they took care of their family, they completed the job and did the best they could at it, even if that meant doing almost everything without any money.
The women in Rome were very good workers, but mostly never left their houses. The only times they left their houses was to go shopping, go to the baths, visit friends and family, or go to parties and festivals only if she is invited by her husband. They women did not have very many rights and freedoms. They did not have the right to vote and they also did not have the right to own any of their own things. Everything they went out and bought would either go to her children or her husband.
Children's education started from when the boys and girls were 7 years old to when they were about 11 years. During this, they were taught reading, writing, arithmatic, and sometimes the Greek language. There was also a secondary education for boys only. This started from age 12 to age 15 and during this, they taught Latin and Greek subjects only.
So, as you can see, the lives of the Romans was very different than our today, and things have changed throughout the years. :)
The chores of the Romans depended on the persons class. The rich people had a better life than the poor people due to them having more money and power and the lives of the women and children were also very different from the lives of the men.
The daily life of the men in Rome was very lively and they focused on working alot. The man was considered the "rulers of the household." Since they were the dominant one in the family, they also had to look the part. They always wore togas and were very clean cut most of the time, having almost no facial hair. They would help their family and they would join the army to pretect their family. It did not matter if you were a poor or a rich man in Rome because when they took care of their family, they completed the job and did the best they could at it, even if that meant doing almost everything without any money.
The women in Rome were very good workers, but mostly never left their houses. The only times they left their houses was to go shopping, go to the baths, visit friends and family, or go to parties and festivals only if she is invited by her husband. They women did not have very many rights and freedoms. They did not have the right to vote and they also did not have the right to own any of their own things. Everything they went out and bought would either go to her children or her husband.
Children's education started from when the boys and girls were 7 years old to when they were about 11 years. During this, they were taught reading, writing, arithmatic, and sometimes the Greek language. There was also a secondary education for boys only. This started from age 12 to age 15 and during this, they taught Latin and Greek subjects only.
So, as you can see, the lives of the Romans was very different than our today, and things have changed throughout the years. :)
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Roman Architecture and Art
The Roman Empire in Rome lasted from 509 B.C. to 330 A.D. and during this time, the Roman architecture and Roman art expanded and became very well known by other countries and different places around the world because of its originality and classic look. As the Roman Empire expaneded, a discinct Roman art emerged. The art and architecture had pictures of people from different classes, such as emperors or slaves. The Roman art and architecture was built around their rituals. This means that the Ancient Roman architecture was built by their custom of a system of rites. (book source 1)
The very first Roman architects were priests. When they would go and look for a good piece of land to build something on, and they found one, they would build whatever it was they were building for the gods. They wanted to live lives that were pleasing to the gods, so even when they built a building, they dedicated it to the gods.
During the classical architectural period for the Greeks, they built in only three orders. These three orders were Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. These different styles consisted of mostly the columns on the buildings and temples. The Doric style was the simplest one of the three. The comumn is very sturdy and the peak or top of the column is very plain and simple. It is also the widest column of the three. This style was used in mainland Greece and the colonies in southern Italy and Sicily. The Ionic column is the skinniest column of the three. It is a very elegant column that was skinny. The peak was shaped more like a scroll than anything else. The Ionic style column was used mostly in eastern Greece and the islands. The Corinthian style column was the most decorated column of the three. The column in general was very fancy and decorated. The peak of this column was very elaborate and decorated with acanthus leaves. The Corinthian style column was used in the Greek world, but often seen on Roman temples. (book source 2)
Something else that struck me was the public baths that the romans built. These baths were in public, so after the Romans had finished there daily duties, they could go to these baths to not only bathe, but to exercise and meet with friends. There was an area where all of these baths went in, kind of like a country club, but with baths. These baths had hot, lukewarm, and cold pools, towels, steam rooms, saunas, and exercise rooms.
Out of all the Roman buildings, my favorite would have to be the Colosseum. It is such an enormous building and the architecture is beautiful. In this building, long ago, the Romans played all kinds of games and held many shows in the Colosseum, so not only is this building beautiful, it holds all kinda of history.
BOOK SOURCES :)
Frank Edward Brown and G. Braziller. Roman Architecture. University of Michigan. 1961.
Robert Chitham and Calder Loth. The Classical Orders of Architecture. 2005
The very first Roman architects were priests. When they would go and look for a good piece of land to build something on, and they found one, they would build whatever it was they were building for the gods. They wanted to live lives that were pleasing to the gods, so even when they built a building, they dedicated it to the gods.
During the classical architectural period for the Greeks, they built in only three orders. These three orders were Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. These different styles consisted of mostly the columns on the buildings and temples. The Doric style was the simplest one of the three. The comumn is very sturdy and the peak or top of the column is very plain and simple. It is also the widest column of the three. This style was used in mainland Greece and the colonies in southern Italy and Sicily. The Ionic column is the skinniest column of the three. It is a very elegant column that was skinny. The peak was shaped more like a scroll than anything else. The Ionic style column was used mostly in eastern Greece and the islands. The Corinthian style column was the most decorated column of the three. The column in general was very fancy and decorated. The peak of this column was very elaborate and decorated with acanthus leaves. The Corinthian style column was used in the Greek world, but often seen on Roman temples. (book source 2)
Something else that struck me was the public baths that the romans built. These baths were in public, so after the Romans had finished there daily duties, they could go to these baths to not only bathe, but to exercise and meet with friends. There was an area where all of these baths went in, kind of like a country club, but with baths. These baths had hot, lukewarm, and cold pools, towels, steam rooms, saunas, and exercise rooms.
Out of all the Roman buildings, my favorite would have to be the Colosseum. It is such an enormous building and the architecture is beautiful. In this building, long ago, the Romans played all kinds of games and held many shows in the Colosseum, so not only is this building beautiful, it holds all kinda of history.
BOOK SOURCES :)
Frank Edward Brown and G. Braziller. Roman Architecture. University of Michigan. 1961.
Robert Chitham and Calder Loth. The Classical Orders of Architecture. 2005
Friday, February 8, 2008
Caesar Augustus' Reign :]
Caesar Augustus was born in Rome on September 23, 63 BC. But when he was born, his given birth name was Gaius Octavius. His name was changed to Caesar Augustus by the Roman Senate in 27 BC. Caesar Augustus means "the exalted." The Senate also granted him the power to change and control religios, civil, and military positions.
Augustus made many decisions for Rome and while making these decisions, he kept the Roman Empire in those decisions and made sure that it was kept safe from its enemies. Augustus' reign became so powerful and so well-known that the people of his time said that "he found Rome a city of brick and left it one of marble." This meant that the way he ruled Rome and all of his building projects were just spectacular.
Augustus ruled from 23 BC to 14 AD. He ruled at about the time that the First Truimvirate ended. Augustus, along with Mark Antony and Lepitus, formed the Second Triumvirate, a military dictatorship. But this did not last long for Mark Antony committed suicide and Lepitus was driven to exhile.
Augustus' rule was important because he ruled during the Pax Romana. This means the Roman Peace. Although there was a few small wars and battles, it really was a peaceful time in history. The Pax Romana lasted for about two centuries. (wikipedia) (Book Source 1)
Augustus was very well liked for his efficient postal services and free trade among the provinces. He built many aqueducts and bridges and on his buildings, he had a classic way or designing things. Augustus became so liked that he was even declared a god by the Senate.
"Augustus' monuments were adorned with his name and portraits; sculptures of him still abound from all parts of the Empire. Coins portrayed his face and the topics of the moment; literature praised his historic and current achievements." (Southern, Pat. Page 196) (Book Source 2)
Augustus died in 14 Ad and he had a ceremonial funeral... Many people were very sad that he died, but today he is still known as one of the most influential Roman leaders in history.
Southern, Pat. Augustus. Routledge. 1998
wikipedia
Augustus made many decisions for Rome and while making these decisions, he kept the Roman Empire in those decisions and made sure that it was kept safe from its enemies. Augustus' reign became so powerful and so well-known that the people of his time said that "he found Rome a city of brick and left it one of marble." This meant that the way he ruled Rome and all of his building projects were just spectacular.
Augustus ruled from 23 BC to 14 AD. He ruled at about the time that the First Truimvirate ended. Augustus, along with Mark Antony and Lepitus, formed the Second Triumvirate, a military dictatorship. But this did not last long for Mark Antony committed suicide and Lepitus was driven to exhile.
Augustus' rule was important because he ruled during the Pax Romana. This means the Roman Peace. Although there was a few small wars and battles, it really was a peaceful time in history. The Pax Romana lasted for about two centuries. (wikipedia) (Book Source 1)
Augustus was very well liked for his efficient postal services and free trade among the provinces. He built many aqueducts and bridges and on his buildings, he had a classic way or designing things. Augustus became so liked that he was even declared a god by the Senate.
"Augustus' monuments were adorned with his name and portraits; sculptures of him still abound from all parts of the Empire. Coins portrayed his face and the topics of the moment; literature praised his historic and current achievements." (Southern, Pat. Page 196) (Book Source 2)
Augustus died in 14 Ad and he had a ceremonial funeral... Many people were very sad that he died, but today he is still known as one of the most influential Roman leaders in history.
Southern, Pat. Augustus. Routledge. 1998
wikipedia
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Odyssey vs. Aeneid
The Odyssey, by Homer, is the story of a Greek man, Odysseus, who travels and wanders back to his home of Ithica after the Trojan War. And the Aeneid, by Virgil, is the story of a Trojan man, Aeneas, and his journey and wanderings to find New Troy. Both these stories, being epic poems, have similarities and differences, as you can already see. In the next few paragraphs, I will be discussing what happened in these two epic poems and will be telling of there similarities and differences. Source!!
The Aeneid is the story of a man named Aeneas who was a hero in the Trojan War. This epic poem tells of the wanderings of Aeneas and how he carried his father on his back and took his son by the hand and escaped Troy when Troy was going through its fall. Aeneas sailed through the Mediterranean sea, where he became shipwrecked on the coast of Africa. There in Africa, he meets Queen Dido in which they fall in love. But when he leaves Carthage, she becomes sad and kills herself and the people of Carthage hate Aeneas for this. After this, Aeneas sails to the Tiber River and there is where he founds Rome.
The Odyssey, on the other hand, is the story of a man named Odysseus. Odysseus was a Greek man who was a hero in the Trojan War. The Odyssey tells of how Odysseus must wander for ten years. Odysseus is trying to get back to his wife, Penelope, who lives in Ithica, but at the same time, Odysseus is running from the Greek god, Poseidon, who has injured Odysseus' son, Polyphemus, who is a cyclops. In this great epic poem, most of Odysseus' near death experiences are caused by his patron goddess, but luckily Athena is looking out for him.
Similarities: Both of these epic poems are about a man who is travelling home after the end of the Trojan War. They are both going back to their wives and both men have at least one son. In both of these epic poems, there are some of the same gods, whether they are Greek or Roman. Some of the gods that were in these stories were Venus, Juno, Jupiter, Bacchus,and Neptune. Source!! Source!!
Differences: The Odyssey is Greek and the Aeneid is a Roman epic. In these stories, Odysseus has a home to which he can go home to after the Trojan War, and Aeneas does not have a home and is in search for one in the Aeneid. Odysseus was thought to be a very handsome man while Aeneas was thought to be a very ugly man who had bad hygene. Odysseus gets shipwrecked in the Odyssey and Aeneas crashes his ship into land.
Even though the Odyssey and the Aeneid were alike and at the same time different, they were both written by extremely intelligent people who have changed the way people think throughout centuries.
Source 1) Wikipedia :]
Source 2) Virgil. The Aeneid. 19 BC. Translated by John Dryden: The Odyssey.
Source 3) Homer. 700BC.
The Aeneid is the story of a man named Aeneas who was a hero in the Trojan War. This epic poem tells of the wanderings of Aeneas and how he carried his father on his back and took his son by the hand and escaped Troy when Troy was going through its fall. Aeneas sailed through the Mediterranean sea, where he became shipwrecked on the coast of Africa. There in Africa, he meets Queen Dido in which they fall in love. But when he leaves Carthage, she becomes sad and kills herself and the people of Carthage hate Aeneas for this. After this, Aeneas sails to the Tiber River and there is where he founds Rome.
The Odyssey, on the other hand, is the story of a man named Odysseus. Odysseus was a Greek man who was a hero in the Trojan War. The Odyssey tells of how Odysseus must wander for ten years. Odysseus is trying to get back to his wife, Penelope, who lives in Ithica, but at the same time, Odysseus is running from the Greek god, Poseidon, who has injured Odysseus' son, Polyphemus, who is a cyclops. In this great epic poem, most of Odysseus' near death experiences are caused by his patron goddess, but luckily Athena is looking out for him.
Similarities: Both of these epic poems are about a man who is travelling home after the end of the Trojan War. They are both going back to their wives and both men have at least one son. In both of these epic poems, there are some of the same gods, whether they are Greek or Roman. Some of the gods that were in these stories were Venus, Juno, Jupiter, Bacchus,and Neptune. Source!! Source!!
Differences: The Odyssey is Greek and the Aeneid is a Roman epic. In these stories, Odysseus has a home to which he can go home to after the Trojan War, and Aeneas does not have a home and is in search for one in the Aeneid. Odysseus was thought to be a very handsome man while Aeneas was thought to be a very ugly man who had bad hygene. Odysseus gets shipwrecked in the Odyssey and Aeneas crashes his ship into land.
Even though the Odyssey and the Aeneid were alike and at the same time different, they were both written by extremely intelligent people who have changed the way people think throughout centuries.
Source 1) Wikipedia :]
Source 2) Virgil. The Aeneid. 19 BC. Translated by John Dryden: The Odyssey.
Source 3) Homer. 700BC.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Two Foundational Myths of Rome :D
There is two foundational myths telling of the founding of Rome. Both of these being "myths" tell that they are both not true. The first of these myths is about Romulus and Remus and how they created a city just because they wanted to and the second is about Aeneas and how he made his own city because he did not want the people of Carthage to hate him.
Romulus and Remus were brothers. Their mother was supposed to be a virgin priestess but one day concieved twins, Romulus and Remus. Some say that the father of Romulus and Remus was the Greek god, Mars. Romulus and Remus were abandoned by their parents and put into a basket that floated down-river. Finally, the basket got caught and it is said that wolves came to care for the twin brothers until they were old enough to go out on their own.
When Romulus and Remus became adults, they decided to found a city where the wolves had found them, but in the process of founding this city, they fought alot. They quarreled so much that one day, Romulus was fed up with Remus and killed him. This lift Romulus to found the city all by himself.
The second foundational myth for the founding of Rome has to do with Aeneas. Aeneas was one of the prince's of Troy. On a search for a new land, Aeneas came across Carthage. In Carthage. Aeneas met Queen Dido who fell in love with Aeneas. Soon, Aeneas had to leave Carthage and Queen Dido was heart broken. She killed herself by stabbing herself in the heart. This made the people of Carthage hate Aeneas. (page 74)
After Aeneas left Carthage, he finally landed at Latium Italy where he set up his city of Rome. So, as you can clearly see, both of the stories of the founding of Rome are very different, but both of them are very interesting.
Clark, Michael, Story of Aeneas, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago. American Book Company, 1898.
I also used the Book on tape we listened to in class :D
Romulus and Remus were brothers. Their mother was supposed to be a virgin priestess but one day concieved twins, Romulus and Remus. Some say that the father of Romulus and Remus was the Greek god, Mars. Romulus and Remus were abandoned by their parents and put into a basket that floated down-river. Finally, the basket got caught and it is said that wolves came to care for the twin brothers until they were old enough to go out on their own.
When Romulus and Remus became adults, they decided to found a city where the wolves had found them, but in the process of founding this city, they fought alot. They quarreled so much that one day, Romulus was fed up with Remus and killed him. This lift Romulus to found the city all by himself.
The second foundational myth for the founding of Rome has to do with Aeneas. Aeneas was one of the prince's of Troy. On a search for a new land, Aeneas came across Carthage. In Carthage. Aeneas met Queen Dido who fell in love with Aeneas. Soon, Aeneas had to leave Carthage and Queen Dido was heart broken. She killed herself by stabbing herself in the heart. This made the people of Carthage hate Aeneas. (page 74)
After Aeneas left Carthage, he finally landed at Latium Italy where he set up his city of Rome. So, as you can clearly see, both of the stories of the founding of Rome are very different, but both of them are very interesting.
Clark, Michael, Story of Aeneas, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago. American Book Company, 1898.
I also used the Book on tape we listened to in class :D
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