Carolingian Empire

Mattingly, in ‘Imperium to Imperialism’, undertakes the task of evaluating the Roman Empire in a modern perspective, with focus on the Roman brutality in undertaking its conquests and then its role as occupier, drawing parallels with 19th century empires such as the French or the British Empires, and the American ‘aircraft carrier empire’ of the late 20th-21st century. He does this by illustrating that the contemporary empires looked to Rome for inspiration, which they did, as evidenced by the…

John F. Kennedy said “A man does what he must—and that is the basis of all human morality” (Bartleby, Kennedy). This quote rings true in Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, a story about the advancement of Gilded Age technology transferred into Arthurian British times. A man named Hank Morgan has mysteriously time traveled into the reign of King Arthur and is being brought to the King for possible execution. His decisions after his capture give a sick and twisted spin to…

In Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Marcus Brutus is the character who ultimately brings the downfall of Caesar. Through his actions, he also ends up helping and saving Rome from being ruled by Caesar. Brutus throughout this play struggles with inner conflict; commit one bad act for the greater good or stand back and watch what unveils for both him and Rome. Committing murder to save Rome brings up the question; does the end justify the means? Analyzing Brutus as a person as well as his…

The History of the Franks and Lais of Marie de France’s were both written in the Middle Ages of Christian Europe. Gregory of Tours writings is the principal source for the history of Frankish kings. He also chronicles the Franks’ intimate lives, such as their polygamous marriages. Lais of Marie de Frances are a collection of narrative poems that deifies love while at the same time having a pessimistic outlook. The History of the Franks and Marie de France both do not conform to Christian…

How did Ancient Rome maintain a well structured civilization for centuries? According to Keith Hopkins author of “Murderous Games,” an article depicting the life of Romans that tells how violence, discipline, and death were all tools that ensured the people of Rome were obedient. Hopkins presents these components of Roman life by illustrating the Gladiatorial shows and the effect it had on every social class. This paper will be a brief summary and opinion on the Gladiatorial games and how it…

Jared Diamond, in Chapter 19 of the novel Guns, Germs, and Steel, proposes that the black Bantu ethnic group was able to exert dominance over the other four cultural groups in Africa in areas that food production was viable because the Bantu’s sedentary lifestyle was greatly advantaged compared to hunter-gatherers living in the same area. Diamond supports his claims by illustrating the major societal and organizational difference between the Bantu and hunter-gatherer groups and pointing to the…

To begin, Manuel Chrysoloras was a very prominent member of Florentine society. As he was a very learned scholar and emissary from Constantinople, he held a prominent position in society. Upon his mission to teach the Florentines Greek, it is said that he left in his wake those capable of speaking Greek, a newfound enthusiasm for Greek literature, as well as a respect for his own personage. As such, spectators were left with a greater understanding of new topics as well as a language that was…

Assimilation in American In the early 1940’s, World War II was like a raging bull. Here at home, the Unites States government put a drastic policy into play. People of Japanese ancestry, many of them were American citizens, suddenly found themselves as the victims of fear and discrimination. Although they were not guilty of any crimes, they were rounded up and sent far away to what were basically prison camps. In the book, Letters To Memory, Karen Tei Yamashita talks about the history of her…

When one observes a profile picture, one tends to see optimistic, attractive traits to showcase that they have their life together. Everyone tends to parade their best self, a disguise of sorts. Long ago Hawaiian bones were stolen from their sacred grave sites and distributed across Europe, America, and other locations. In America, the bones were required to be returned to their origins, but not in Europe. Within in the play, Ola Na Iwi by Victoria Kneubuhl, a character named Kawehi who’s from…

The Pre-Socratics Epistemology One can only begin to fathom the way of life in ancient Greece. The culture was well preserved, but that was it. Their way of thinking can only be speculated by our current vorhaben based translations of their documented, and their way of life is only a fragment of our fantasy of what we hoped they did and believed. I myself can only resort to imagination as I dream of what life was like in an ancient Greece city. As I read the texts of Aristotle Selected Works,…