Plutarch

was because the state was small enough for the laws to be enforced and the will of the people to be influenced by the leaders. Commerce was banned and inhabitants were banned from traveling abroad due to fear of contamination by outside influences (Plutarch 8). The homogeneity that emerged from the enforcement of these harsh rules is a characteristic found in many republics because, in the eyes of many Anti-Federalists and philosophers, it was the only way to ensure that everyone in the republic…

evoked when she inserts her experiences into the speech, particularly the fact that at the young age of eighteen she ventured down the Classics Corridor in search of what she could not define and she found something fascinating written by Greek author Plutarch: “what we achieve inwardly will change outer reality.” Also, it’s evident that she uses logos in this section of her speech because there are a lot of metaphors, especially one that are meant to inspire her audience, such as “We do not…

Some of the Spartan soldiers questioned their King, King Agesilaus why there were no fortification walls around the city state. The king simply pointed to his soldiers and said, “These are Sparta’s walls”. Sparta is regarded as one of the most militaristic societies during the time of the Ancient Greeks. Between the 5th to 7th century, this city-state was considered the strongest military force. There was also a very unusual political system that included modernly a monarchy, an oligarchy, an…

One of the greatest questions that we, as mankind, have had the liberty in trying to decipher is how we came to be. How was the universe formed? How did the world become as it is? What are the building blocks of all things? Some say the world just is. Others take refuge in the “Big Bang.” Some firmly believe that God created both the heavens and the earth. In this essay, however, I am going to divulge the thoughts and reasons behind some of the Pre-Socratic views of the Cosmos and the building…

In Roman mythology, Romulus and his brother Remus were the children of Rhea Silvia and an unknown father. Romulus and Remus are best known for being the founders of Rome. This story was recorded by many authors with different versions of the founding story of Rome. Romulus and Remus were the descendants of Aeneas, whose adventures to discover Italy are written by Virgil in The Aenid. Romulus and Remus were related to Aeneas through their mother's father, Numitor. Numitor was the king of Alba…

Similar to the Persian analysis, Greek myths may be analyzed to conceptualize the construct of homosexuality within ancient Greek culture. Many instances of Greek philosophical writings and recordings of histories portray actions that would today be labeled as homosexual. One of the most popular pieces of the homosexual culture of Greek society comes from Homer’s The Iliad with his account of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. The exact date of Homer’s authoring of The Iliad lies…

The actor who played Superman in the 1978 Superman movie, Christopher Reeve, once said “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” In William Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus, one of the main characters, is considered to be the hero. He is considered as a tragic hero to be specific. Just as Christopher Reeve’s quote said, Brutus found strength to persevere in spite of the difficult choices he had…

A Shakespearean text that I have studied is “Julius Caesar” and for the purpose of this essay I will be focusing on this particular piece of literature. It was in the year of 1599 that this play was first performed. Julius Caesar takes place in ancient Rome in 44 BCE, when Rome was the centre of an empire stretching from Britain to North Africa and from Persia to Spain. Yet even as the empire grew stronger, so, too, did the force of the dangers threatening its existence. Before looking at the…

Since the uncovering of this historical site by Manolis Andronikos in 1977, the tombs at Vergina have been the source of much debate within the archaeological community. Tomb III has been successfully identified as the final resting place of Alexander IV. However, the occupants of Tomb I and II still generate confusion with different archaeologists discovering differing pieces of evidence. As the larnaxes of this tomb display the Macedonian starburst, it is undeniable that the occupants of these…

Many best-selling books and Oscar winning movies are dramas. Sophocles, known as one of the greatest tragedians of all time, paved the way for all the future dramatic writers. Being as talented as he was, Sophocles had a very successful and prosperous career. He competed in the prestigious Dionysian Dramatic Festival 30 times, and died with 24 victorious first places under his belt. As a result of, growing up wealthy and being taught by the best professors in Athens, Sophocles’ prolific writings…