(2493,57,'2012-09-24 12:14:09','2012-09-24 18:14:09','<p style=\"text-align: center\">    <img class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg</p>\n     Martin Luther is considered the father of the Protestant Reformation. He was a Monk and professor who after studying the scripture began to question the Catholic Church. On October 31, 1517 (Economist) Luther changed the world by posting his 95 grievances, fondly known as his “95 Theses”, on the University door. He concentrated on the sale of indulgences and the path to God, saying the church had no right to exclusively do it. He argued that people can interpret the Bible themselves. He also argued that countries should be able to interpret religion their way, rather than everyone following the Pope in Italy (Fiero). After the Theses was posted, plus the new invention of the printing press, people all over Europe were able to read this and spark the Reformation. Luther was charged with heresy and had to go to court, called the Diet of Worms, in 1921. The “95 Theses” should be preserved because this document not only shows that one man can change the world, but it is a vital document in religious history.\n\n<!--more-->\nLeading up to Luther’s posting, there had been some arguments against the Church of Rome. In the Netherlands a new religious thought was being put into action called modern devotion (Fiero). Modern devotion spread throughout Northern Europe and sparked some questions on if the Church of Rome was the only path to God. At this time the Church of Rome was corrupt, and was selling indulgences saying it would get your family out of purgatory. Profits from the indulgences were going renovate churches and homes for the clergy. Many people, including Luther, were not happy with it anymore.\nBecause of the arguments against the Catholic Church, Luther was not the only reform minded person in Europe. Derek Wilson wrote a story for History Today called “The Luther Legacy” that talked about various effects over the years of the “95 Theses”. Wilson said, “He wanted to restore the church to its New Testament purity. In that desire he was at one with a large swathe of public opinion… (Wilson).” The Catholic Church had gotten so out of control that Kings wanted to take control back over their countries. Luther wanted to give this religious control to the Kings, rather than the Catholic Church controlling it. In fact, Wilson pointed out that, “…the German estates also presented a catalog of 102 ‘oppressive burdens and abuses imposed upon…the German Empire by the Holy See of Rome’ (Wilson).” They presented this Catalog at Luther’s heresy trial.\nLike I have already mentioned, Luther was not the first Reformer, he was just the first one to get the backing needed to make it successful. Because of that, the “95 Theses” was very innovative for its time. “…he gave people permission to doubt everything the Catholic hierarchy taught, to judge it for themselves against the testimony of the bible (Wilson).” Before Luther, and even for a little while after, people who questioned the Catholic Church were persecuted by both the Church and their Country. Luther also gave instructions on how to use the testimony of the bible, “…he was saying that any man or woman possessed of the open Bible could be their own theologian (Wilson).” This idea was very terrifying to authority because as Wilson continues to point out, this idea challenged divine sanction in general (both Church and State) and left minds open for other forms of politics, like democracy. Michael Mullett describes this new position as, “…the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Mullett).”\nAs already discussed, Luther’s work scared authority figures; but regular citizens and scholars were inspired by his ideas. “Within a few years hundreds of untrained lay people were writing devotional and polemical books and pamphlets (Wilson).” He was actually responsible for a third of vernacular literature between the years 1520 and 1546, Wilson goes on to state. Luther is given the honor of starting the Protestant Reformation which may not have been his original purpose, but soon things started to spiral out of control. Another response of people at the time was violent riots. Wilson explains the situation, “…a widespread popular rising against secular princes by ordinary people some of whom drew socially radical conclusions from Luther’s teaching (Wilson).” These riots Luther quickly stood up against and said he didn’t support them. The most major response though, was the response of the Church of Rome. In 1521 Luther was brought before the Diet of Worms for heresy, the ruling was to excommunicate him from Germany.\nToday, Luther is still coined as the man who began Protestantism. In the last hundred years though, there has been some interesting things associated with Luther. On one side he is still praised, Wilson said “Even our supposedly post-Christian age cannot write him out of the record (Wilson).” This was Wilson recognizing how important of a person Luther was to shaping the world we live in today. He is also still used today when Catholic issues arise again. For example, in 1999 the Catholic Church reemphasized the sale of indulgences. On the topic, Vitor Westhelle said, “At least these are recent signals…which invites us to take a new look at Luther’s quest for a merciful God (Westhelle).” The most interesting thought though, is people saying Luther is evil and influenced Hitler. In a Time magazine article from 1944, William Inge wrote a periodical that actually says Luther is worse than Hitler. He said, “If we wish to find a scapegoat on whose shoulders we may lay the miseries which Germany has brought upon the world…I am more and more conceived that the worst evil genius of that country is not Hitler…but Martin Luther (Time).” He goes on to wish that one day Luther’s influence won’t be in Germany anymore. In 2003, they made a movie called Luther about the posting of the Theses. According to the movies IMDB page, the movie begins when he becomes a monk and goes through his struggles with the church and through the actual trial after. I believe, and the movie shows, that people today are still impressed and interested in Luther’s work.\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://youtu.be/SzFc7ilM7nw\">Trailer for \"Luther\" (2003)</a></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">     Personally I have a few different reactions to the work. Religiously I admire Luther for his strength to stand up against the Catholic Church. I grew up in a Baptist home, which is Protestant, so I have him to thank for that (Although I am sure someone else would’ve broken the ties if it were not Luther.). He knew what he believed and he stood up for it. Politically, I admire his guts. I feel like today people are afraid to speak out like he did; and then after speaking out still stand on their word even when they are being charged or persecuted for it.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">A few years following the posting many reformers stepped up to follow in Luther’s footsteps. One of which was John Calvin, whose followers were called Calvinists. John Calvin wrote lots of books describing his views, one of which was called “The Institutes of the Christian Religion”. He finished the work in 1536; it started as a paper and ended up a 4 book series (Creator, Redeemer, Spirit, and the Church). He dedicated the book to the French King Francis 1, who was persecuting Protestants. “The French Protestants…may have been inclined to regard government as an enemy exclusively, not understanding in it its divinely ordained role (McKee).” According to McKee, Calvin was discussing the Apostles Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">This work as a whole is just remarkably significant. As far as religious texts go, I would personally say this comes right after the Bible in importance. Future generations deserve to see what is possible if you stand up for yourself. Other times in history this has worked; Civil Rights, Women’s rights, the end of slavery, civil wars around the world. If you stand up for what you believe in, there are no limits to where it can take you; and that is what I believe future generations can learn from this work.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Martin Luther is one of the most well-known names in the history of the world. He single-handedly sparked the Protestant Reformation, he changed the Catholic Church, and he changed the way the whole world thought and taught religion. His “95 Theses” sparked huge controversy, but it brought awareness of the ridiculous-ness the Church of Rome was trying to pass as religion. Since then thousands of churches consider themselves Protestant, the Catholic Church has changed and is not as corrupt, and many people can attribute their right to speak their opinions to Martin Luther. His work is unmatched in religious and philosophical importance, and that is why it deserves to be preserved for future generations.</p>','Martin Luther\'s \"95 Theses\"','','inherit','open','open','','2405-revision-18','','','2012-09-24 12:14:09','2012-09-24 18:14:09','',2405,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2493',0,'revision','',0),(2494,67,'2012-09-24 12:12:13','2012-09-24 18:12:13','Obtaining the knowledge that was passed down to them from earlier Mesoamerican cultures, the Aztecs carved the calendar stone in 1479 (Smith 253). At the time, the Aztecs lived in a very civilized world filled with amazing architecture, an impressively complex government system, and they also employed intricate systems of writing and calendric systems (Taube 7).  The Calendar Stone was made by basalt stone. For the Aztecs, everything was pictorial in nature around this era. The calendar stone depicted different pictograms or Codex Magliabechianoand, which was primarily written on religious documents (Aztec-History).  Art was centered around religion in this era. So the pictograms of the gods on the calendar stone would correlate with that subject matter.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThe Aztecs were a highly ritualistic civilization devoted to divination and their Gods.  The Aztec calendar stone was created as a divinatory tool which was used for rituals, to forecast the future, and to determine which days were lucky and which days not for the outcome of various actions and events (Smith 254).  The calendar had two systems. It had the sacred Tonalpohualli, which was based on the 260-day cycle and the Iuhpohualli, which was a 365-day cycle (Palfrey). Seen by the count, there is a five day difference between these two calendars. The five day differences were thought to be the most unholy, unlucky days of the year (Smith 257). The world was thought to be coming to an end.\r\n\r\nOn the Aztec Calendar, the year was divided into 13-day periods. Each group of 13 days had a different deity ruling over the unit. This is because these units were thought to have a special symbolic influence and the deities were to ensure a positive outcome (Smith 256). In the middle of the Sun Stone, is the sun god Tonatuih. His tongue protruding between his teeth resembles a sacrificial flint knife. In his claw like hands he clutches human hearts (Palfrey). ‘Many scholars have debated on the stone’s meaning and purpose. Some suggest that, fixed horizontally; it served as a sacrificial altar, which would make sense because the stone was dedicated to the sun deity. Most agree though, that it offers a graphic representation of the Mexica cosmos’ (Palfrey).  In <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Aztecs,</span> Smith sums up what is to be believed the thought of the Aztecs when they carved the calendar stone “The Aztec calendar stone conveyed the message that the Aztec empire covered the whole earth (territory in all four directions), and that it was founded upon the sacred principles of time, directionality, divine warfare, and the sanction of the gods” (Smith 270).  Keeping the Aztec calendar is proof of ancient cultures mathematical and scientific achievements without the aid of modern technology. The study of the sun stone could lead to further advances in mathematics and acts as a road map to our celestial bodies from that era of our history.\r\n\r\nThe Aztecs believe they felt justified in believing in this calendar because of numerous events that changed the course of history for them.  Because Aztec Indians were fervent astronomers, they tracked the stars and correlated that between the days to create this sun calendar. Examples of events happening within the timeline of the calendar stone being built are these: Between 1452 and 1454, their capital city Tenochtitlan suffered from flood and famine, the following year on 4/16/1445 (Julian calendar) there was an eclipse of the sun.  From 1473-1479, there were 4 more solar eclipses within a five year time frame (Aveni, Calnek).  During this time the Aztec nation conquered and sacrificed many of the neighboring towns.  Their leaders were wounded  or killed, followed by violent earthquakes (Aveni, Calnek). There may have been even more visible eclipses seen by the Aztecs that have not been discovered because they were lost, or destroyed, or even confused with other natural events (Aveni, Calnek).  If one were to take into consideration the Aztecs being a society with strong beliefs in deities, the Aztecs constant state of turmoil from wars and death and then couple that with a constant flow of solar eclipses; it wouldn’t take much to consider that the Aztecs might have thought there Gods were planning on ending their world….again.  The Aztecs might have carved this massive calendar from stone to give their future generations a chance to do things right, where they did not.\r\n\r\nMany other artifacts of the same caliber and craftsmanship were excavated around the time the calendar stone was. This was an amazing find, because in the early colonial period of the sixteenth century, pre-Hispanic stone sculptures were considered potent satanic threats to successful conversion (Taube 25). With the Spaniards thinking this, this lead to the destruction of many great pieces of art, manuscripts, and other forms of architecture.  Thankfully, with the Aztecs foreseeing this frame of mind being a possibility and other circumstances occurring, many artifacts survived by being hidden in caves, on mountain tops, and even buried under Mexico City (Taube 25). After the artifacts were excavated, rather than being destroyed, they were treated as objects of curiosity and to be studied (Taube 25-26). I account for any differences between reception then and today by knowing people today have so many different religions and beliefs. Whereas the Aztecs were ignorant of the different beliefs we have today. They just had knowledge of what was taught to them by their elders as we do ours.\r\n\r\nThere were not that many differences and very many similarities between American Indians of this era. In the way they did things to their architecture and sculptures. As a matter of fact, the Aztecs calendar was based of the earlier Mayan cultures. The Aztec calendar stone and Mayan calendar share many similarities.  Both calendars have ritual days. The Aztec ritual day that was formed is the Tonalpohualli and the Maya ritual day is the Tzolkin. The day names on both calendars are also very similar. Both calendars used 18 months with 20 day counts along with other counts. The Aztec and Maya calendar stone is believed to have both mythological and astronomical significance. Both Native American cultures regarded their calendars as religious. Using the calendars, the Aztec and Maya priests dictated when to grow crops, when the dry and rainy seasons were, when to go to war, etc. (World Mysteries).\r\n\r\nThe main way the Aztec calendar differed was in their more primitive number system and less precise way of recording dates. The year also started with different months. The Maya calendar tracked the movements of the planets and the moon. From this came their reckoning of time, and a calendar that accurately measures the solar year to within minutes. The Aztecs also kept the two different aspects of time, the Tonalpohualli, which was counting the days and the Xiuhpohualli which was counting the years (World Mysteries).  The Aztecs believed they were living in the fifth and final stage of life. Because the Maya used a 360 day long cycle, they could tell that there were time periods way longer than the age of our universe (World Mysteries).\r\n\r\nThe Aztec Indians had this amazing culture full of love and life and beliefs which was unfortunately corrupted by the Spaniards. It makes me wonder what the world would be like today if the Spaniards had not been their demise. I find the Aztec Calendar Stone quite intriguing.  I love learning about something they created I have never heard of, or if I have, forgotten about. What I find meaningful is that it represents their concept of the universe. To create this ginormous sun calendar and carve pictograms in it because you believe the gods want you to just amazes me. It makes me realize they had an extremely strong belief in something bigger and better. They worshipped everything and didn’t take anything for granted. I believe we cannot undo the past but we can at least right a dreadful wrong. Future generations need to learn of this amazing culture and their advances.\r\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited:</p>\r\nAveni, Anthony, and Edward Calnek. “Astronomical Considerations in the Aztec Expression of History.” Ancient Mesoamerica. Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.mexicauprising.net/aztececlipsedata.pdf\">http://www.mexicauprising.net/aztececlipsedata.pdf</a>\r\n\r\nThis is a paper from the book Ancient Mesoamerica, it is about the cosmic history around the ancient Mesoamerica era. It helped me figure out what some of the major celestial events where during the time the Aztec Sun Calendar was created.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPalfrey, Dale. <em>Mysteries of the Fifth Sun: The Aztec Calendar</em>. n.p. Web. 8 January 1999.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/199-mysteries-of-the-fifth-sun-the-aztec-calendar</span>\r\n\r\nThis is a website with basic information about the Aztec Sun Calendar. It gave me more insight into what the calendar looked like.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Aztec-History</span>. N.p., nd. Web. 1996-2012\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.aztec-history.com</span>\r\n\r\nThis website has an enormous amount of information about Aztec Indians, from clothing to their demise and pretty much everything in between. The website gave me most of the information about the calendar stone I have so far.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSmith, Michael. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Aztecs.</span> Blackwell Publishers Inc., 1996. Print.\r\n\r\nThe book is Aztec Indians and their culture. This book helped me to understand the calendar stone more and why it was just a big part of Aztec life.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTaube, Karl. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Aztec and Maya Myths</span>. British Museum Press, 1993. Print.\r\n\r\nThis book detailed facts and myths about Aztec and Mayan Indians. This book helped me find what the Aztecs art and idols were see as in the early colonial period.','Aztec Calendar Stone Draft','','inherit','open','open','','2412-revision-3','','','2012-09-24 12:12:13','2012-09-24 18:12:13','',2412,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2494',0,'revision','',0),(2496,66,'2012-09-24 12:19:41','2012-09-24 18:19:41','David\n\nby Donatello\n\n1430–1440 A.D\n\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Donatello-David.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2441\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Donatello-David-160x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\nThis statue was the first  work of bronze during the Renaissance, and the first nude male sculpture. As it is symbolically relevant to the theme of biblical figure of the time, it should be noted that as it has religious context, it was also highly controversial as the statue was nude.It depicts David , standing on Goliath\'s severed head just after defeating him. He is completely naked, aside from a hat and boots, holding the sword of Goliath. This piece was commissioned by the Medici family and placed in the courtyard of the Medici Palace in Florence. After the Medici were exiled from Florence in 1494, the statue was moved to the courtyard of the Palazzo della Signoria, then was moved to the Pitti Palace in the 17th century, then to the Uffizi in 1777, and then finally, in 1865 to the Bargello museum where it is preserved today.\n\n<!--more-->At the time of it\'s creation, the Renaissance was gaining momentum, and many were going against the grain. It was being established that to be a new thinker, one must create something controversial and give their work a reason to be talked about. This statue is an excellent example of the ideas of the time of being controversial and bold.\n\nAs were many such artistic works, it is similar in that is a sculpture of a religious figure, which was a popular depiction of the time. Many artists prefer to take inspiration from the bible and depicted them through paintings, sculptures, or musical works. In this instance Donatello\'s statue was believed to be commissioned by Cosimo de\' Medici, though it is unknown. The most typical thing about it is it\'s stance and portrayal of David as to sy more than his defeat of Goliath.  As discussed by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker from Khan Academy, they explain in better detail the complexity and depth of the work. Dr. Steven Zucker goes on to say; \" This intimacy is not simply a result of the nudity, but also of the emotional experience Donatello renders through the face and even the stance of the body—and it\'s so unexpected in the telling of the story of David and Goliath! I would expect rather a triumphal victorious figure, maybe holding the sword and the enemy\'s severed head aloft... Instead, here is a thoughtful, quiet, contemplative face.\"\n\nAside from it being forged from bronze, it is unusual in that it was a nude sculpture, but then it isn\'t. For the most part, David isn\'t wearing anything other than a hat and boots, which if worn today would still count as \"indecent exposure\", but you could argue that you aren\'t actually nude. From the nudity of the sculpture, it\'s most innovative point is bringing back humanity and becoming more personal with this work through it\'s nudity Dr. Beth Harris discusses; \" I think it\'s important to stress that this figure is free-standing. Sculpted figures have finally been detached from architecture and are once again independent in the way they were in ancient Greece and Rome. And because he\'s free-standing, he is more human, more real...I wish I could go back in time to Florence in the 1400s, to this remarkable moment, to witness the rebirth of Humanism.\"\n\nAt it\'s initial creation it wasn\'t appealing to the religious types because of it\'s nudity and feminine depiction of David, but many thought it was an excellent, in-depth work. Artible.com states; \"While scholars may disagree about David\'s origins, one thing they do wholeheartedly agree on is the extraordinary success it enjoyed immediately upon completion. Despite David\'s apparently controversial composition, there is no record of public outcry or indignation regarding the statue. It was placed in the town hall of Florence in the 1490s, very strong evidence that it was not viewed as lewd or outrageous.\"\n\nOf the people who appreciate art and it\'s depictions, it\'s stories, and their meanings, it is regarded very highly. Mostly for it\'s revival of humanism, but also for it\'s figure and simplicity. Not many people know of this statue due to it\'s size and standing in the shadow of Michelangelo\'s David, but of the people who do, it is greatly admired.\n\nIn contrast to Michelangelo\'s David, made of marble and holding the sling-shot, they both depict David very differently. Michelangelo depicted David as more masculine, with less objects, (ie: no hat or boots), Where as Donatello\'s David is shown as a warrior-victor, yet very feminine. As Guy Shaked points out: \"Donatello most likely received the idea of Ancient time warriors fighting in the nude with helmet and boots from Greek Vase paintings depicting such scenes. However, at his time, it is unknown whether Donatello had available to him one of the Greek vases with such a depiction. Unlike, these ancient warriors, David has instead of a helmet (symbolizing the warrior) - the shepherd\'s hat, in order to identify him as a shepherd as well as a warrior.\"\n\nPersonally, I appreciate that it is made from bronze, as it is difficult to meld bronze. And the most meaningful part to me is David standing on the head of Goliath. It shows the \'certain victory\' factor that other depictions of David lack, but what David is mostly known for. And for this Time capsule proposal, the thing I appreciate most that has helped me understand and give me insight on this work would go to Google. It pulled um many sites and many discussions that gave me new knowledge and perspective on this statue.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Harris, Beth. \"Explore Smarthistory.\" Smarthistory.khan Academy. Khan Academy, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. &lt;http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Donatello.html&gt;.</strong>\n\n<strong>\"David.\" Artble: The Home of Passionate Art Lovers. Artible, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. &lt;http://www.artble.com/artists/donatello/sculpture/david&gt;.</strong>\n\n<strong>haked, Guy. \"Donatello\'s David.\" Donatello\'s David. Guy Shaked, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. &lt;http://www.guyshaked.com/donatello.html&gt;</strong>\n\nImage courtesy of http://blogs.artinfo.com (http://blogs.artinfo.com/secrethistoryofart/files/2011/02/Donatello-David.jpg)\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Donatello\'s Bronze David','','inherit','open','open','','2423-autosave','','','2012-09-24 12:19:41','2012-09-24 18:19:41','',2423,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2496',0,'revision','',0),(2497,71,'2012-09-24 12:12:49','2012-09-24 18:12:49','&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSir Thomas More was born in 1478, in the city of London.  After his earlier education at St. Anthony’s School, he was placed, as a boy, in the household of Cardinal John Morton. Cardinal Morton had been in earlier days that Bishop of Ely whom Richard III sent to the Tower and was a chief adviser of Henry VII, who in 1486 made him Archbishop of Canterbury, and nine months afterwards Lord Chancellor. In his late teens, Thomas More was sent to Canterbury College, Oxford, where he learned Greek from the first men who brought Greek studies from Italy to England—William Grocyn and Thomas Linacre. At the age of twenty-one he entered Parliament, and soon after he was made Under-Sheriff of London.<!--more-->  In 1503 he opposed Henry VII’s proposal for a subsidy on account of the marriage portion of his daughter Margaret. During the last years of Henry VII, More had drawn the ire of the king, and had begun to have thoughts of leaving the country. Henry VII died in 1509, when More was around the age of thirty.  In the first years of the reign of Henry VIII, he rose to large practice in the law courts, where it is said he refused to plead in cases which he thought unjust, and took no fees from widows, orphans, or the poor. In 1513 Thomas More, still Under-Sheriff of London, is said to have written his “History of the Life and Death of King Edward V, and of the Usurpation of Richard III”  The book, which seems to contain the knowledge and opinions of More’s mentor, Morton. In the year 1515 Wolsey, Archbishop of York, was made Cardinal by Leo X, Henry VIII made him Lord Chancellor, and from that year until 1523 the King and the Cardinal ruled England with absolute authority, calling no parliament.  In May of the year 1515, Thomas More was joined in a commission to the Low Countries with Cuthbert Tunstal and others to confer with the ambassadors of Charles V, then Archduke of Austria, upon a renewal of alliance.  On that embassy More was absent from England for six months, and while at Antwerp he established friendship with Peter Giles who was secretary to the municipality of Antwerp. While away from home, More was inspired by long and thought provoking conversations with friends and acquaintances. The product of these thoughts was possibly his best known work, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Utopia</span>. More’s <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Utopia</span> was written in Latin, and is in two parts. The second, which describes the place Nusquama, as he called it sometimes in his letters—“Nowhere”, was probably written towards the end of 1515. The first part was most likely written in early in 1516.  The book was first printed at Louvain, in late 1516, under the editorship of Erasmus, Peter Giles, and other of More’s friends.\r\n\r\nUtopia is a work of fiction by Thomas More published in 1516. The work reflects More’s political philosophies through the description of a fictional society’s social and political customs. The Renaissance brought forth many new concepts and ideas. In much of Europe where there had once been the strict control of Medieval monarchs and the constraining grip of the Roman Catholic church, innovations such as the printing press were making the the proliferation of new ways of thinking much harder to suppress. These innovations also brought old texts to newly literate masses whom prior to that time had been dependent upon religious leaders and government officials to bestow knowledge upon them. The masses now had access to prints of public records, the Bible, and other literature. This allowed them to take in what they read and form there own ideas about what was happening around them and what was in their best interest.\r\n\r\nThat time was also marked by the fact that most learned men (women were largely unable to participate in government or clergy) were of a religious background and men of the clergy in many cases were responsible for shaping legislation and counseling the rulers of respective nations. More was part of this reality and used it as best he could to change the status quo for the better of the nation he served. He was unpopular with the authority due to his propensity to be very outspoken and demonstrative about his displeasure with how certain aspects of the governing of England. He did not believe that even a king’s power should go unchecked, especially since the king has the future of his subjects to protect. In 1505 he opposed Henry VII’s proposal for a subsidy on account on the marriage portion of his daughter Margaret. More’s argument in the House of Commons was so persuasive that it is believed that the proposal were likely to have gone through if not for his vehement opposition. When the news of this reached the king, More life was made to be somewhat more difficult. So much so that he considered leaving England (More 4). Our county in particular based our foundation on principles similar to those of Sir Thomas More. For that reason I nominate that this important work should be preserved in our time capsule.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Utopia</span> begins with his being assigned by Henry VIII to confer with the the ambassadors of a foreign nation in Antwerp to renew an alliance. While there he meets with friends to keep himself occupied and lift his spirits while away from his family. This is unique in that it mirrors his real life so closely. Up to this point of the story, these events closely resemble things that took place around this time in his real life. One of his close friends, Peter Giles, eventually introduces him to a man named Raphael Hythloday who is a well traveled man and considers himself a philosopher. Raphael is obliged to discuss with Peter and Thomas, his travels to distant lands and the governance of those places he has visited. Raphael speaks of an island by the name of Utopia, which he considers the greatest commonwealth he has ever seen. So much in fact that he comes to the conclusion that it may be the only place that deserves to be called a commonwealth.\r\n\r\nIn the next eight chapters, Raphael relates the specifics of Utopia’s constitution and culture. The composition of their governing bodies, the make up of their economy, their justice system, military, and religious beliefs are disseminated well if not in great detail. Generally, one could perceive the government of Utopia as communist, but upon closer analysis, the Utopian government would be closer to what we know as socialist. Quentin Skinner writes, “More is fiercely insistent, however, that the rich are usually the least rather than the most deserving of our respect, since their anxiety to protect and add to their possessions generally means that they worry only about their own self-interest, not about the interest of society as a whole.”\r\n\r\nMore’s idea of a perfect society appears to be one in which the citizens are concerned by the success of the society as a whole as opposed to being preoccupied with their personal well being. More writes:\r\n\r\n“[...] in which all things if a sort are laid by themselves; and thither every father goes, and takes whatsoever he or his family stand in need of, without paying for it or leaving anything in exchange. There is no reason for giving a denial to any person, since there is such plenty of everything among them; and there is no danger of a man’s asking for more than he needs; they have no inducements to do this, since they are sure they shall always be supplied: it is the fear of want that makes any of the whole race of animals either greedy or ravenous; but, besides the fear, there is in man a pride that makes him fancy it a particular glory to excel others in pomp and excess; but by the laws of the Utopians. there is no room for this. (More 69)\r\n\r\nThe ideal of operating as a collective and admonishing greed and materialism is reinforced throughout the work. This aspect of the book is important for our society to keep in mind. While I do subscribe to the idea of capitalism, there is something to be said for having a system that holds everyone that reaps the benefits of our society, accountable for contributing selflessly to ensure the future prosperity of our nation.\r\n\r\nRaphael states, “There are several sorts of religions, not only in different parts of the island, but even in every town.” In Utopia, religious freedom is paramount just as it is in our society. With recent outbreaks of violence in the Middle East, which are largely charged by the interpretation of religion, Utopia hold a particular belief that would ensure that the same would not like occur within their domain. Raphael speaks of taking some of the teachings of Christianity to Utopia, and those principles being well received by many of the locals. So much so that one man had so much zeal about his newfound faith that he began to condemn the beliefs of others with a violent tone. Though one of their most ancient laws prohibits a man from being punished for his religion, the man was sentenced to banishment because his inflammatory behavior could potentially incite sedition within the society (More 127). He was removed from the society, not because of the religion he practiced, but because the way he practiced it could have endangered someone within the society.\r\n\r\nMore and Desiderius Erasmus among colleagues created the Republic of letters, an imagined community that held at its center the ideal of humanism. “As we have seen, More’s Latin text functioned as part of the infrastructure of an imaginary Republic of Letter, and the book’s content represented, in some ways, a version of that ideal Republic. The extensive paratext that surrounds <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Utopia</span> helped to bind that community together and also to signal that Thomas More belonged there, as a citizen of that Republic,” wrote Joshua Phillips, a Literary and Cultural Studies Professor at the University of Memphis.\r\n\r\nIn 1535, More was removed from the world for standing on the same principles that he is praised for now. His conscientiousness and integrity would not allow him to recognize Henry VIII’s divorce from his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and his marriage to his new wife, Anne Boleyn. This was viewed as a crime by the authority. He was then called to recognized Henry VIII as the head of the Church rather than the Pope, and would not. He was then accused of high treason and eventually beheaded (Stephanie Forward). Though he died more than four centuries ago, his legacy lives on in the many thinkers that he inspired. In hopes that we can help his legacy live on, I suggest that we include his work in our time capsule, so that it may inspire the great thinkers of the future.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Works Cited</p>\r\n Forward, Stephanie. “A Taste of Paradise: Thomas More’s Utopia.” <em>The English Review</em> Apr. 2001; 24. <em>Literature Resource Center</em>. Web. 8 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\n More, Thomas. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Utopia</span>. Project Gutenberg, 2005.\r\n\r\n Phillips, Joshua. \"Staking Claims to <em>Utopia</em>: Thomas More, Fiction, and Intellectual         Property.\" <em>Material Culture and Cultural Materialisms in the Middle Ages and             Renaissance</em>. Ed. Curtis Perry. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2001. 111-138. Rpt.       in         <em>Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800</em>. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg. Vol. 140.             Detroit: Gale, 2008. <em>Literature Resource Center</em>. Web. 4 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\n Skinner, Quentin. \"The Lesson of Thomas More.\" <em>New York Review</em>. 12 10 1978: n. page. Web. 4 Sep. 2012. &lt;<a href=\"http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1978/oct/12/the-lesson-of-thomas-more/\">http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1978/oct/12/the-lesson-of-thomas-more/</a>&gt;.','Thomas More\'s Utopia','','inherit','open','open','','2451-revision-6','','','2012-09-24 12:12:49','2012-09-24 18:12:49','',2451,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2497',0,'revision','',0),(2500,61,'2012-09-24 12:15:37','2012-09-24 18:15:37','AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE\n\nTCP – 1 Michelangelo’s Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica\n\nJ.LAUER HUMA 1302-007 #13622\n\nPHILIP ROBINSON\n\n9/24/2012\n\nTime Capsule Project 1\n\nMichelangelo’s work on the Dome at St. Peter’s was a return to the former grandeur of Greek and Roman work brought forth during the renaissance period of classical humanism focusing on Christian and classical subjects. Michelangelo worked on St. Peter’s Basilica from 1546 until his death in 1564. At the time of the domes commission, wealthy merchants, and people of stature had been commissioning grand estates and pieces of art to decorate them. The church decided to follow in the footsteps of their patrons and commission a jewel for the Basilica. The trend was quite simple, the bigger and more elaborate the better. There are many facets of this particular building that are fascinating, however for this paper I will be focusing on the architectural facet.<!--more-->\n\nGiven the backdrop of the plague and its decimating effect on civilization and the lack of qualified artisans to rebuild, maintain, and improve basic societal infrastructure; one can imagine the rarity of skilled individuals capable of designing and building a dome of this magnitude . While sharing design aspects with the Pantheon of the Greek and Roman period, this renaissance period remodel is much larger. The interior of Michelangelo’s Dome of St. of St Peter’s is absolutely stunning. There are many artistic features of the interior that add considerable weight reinforcement necessities with regard to structural concerns. “The great dome soars above the altar and the baldacchino, sumptuously embellished with mosaic and stucco ornaments. It is supported by four structural piers with a perimeter of 71 m. and a height of 120 m. from the ground to the roof of the lantern. With the four Evangelists that are portrayed in medallions with a diameter of 8.5 m. The gigantic black letters (2 m. high) of this text on a gold background are lit by the light from 16 large windows, typical of Michelangelo\'s style, which punctuate the drum. Above the windows, the dome is divided into sixteen ribs and as many segments, decorated by majestic figures on six ascending concentric levels. Starting at the bottom the figures portray: 1. busts of the 16 popes buried in the basilica; 2. majestic figures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist and various Apostles;3. in the rectangular frames, angels bearing the instruments of Jesus\' Passion; 4. the faces of cherubim and seraphim in circular medallions; 5. angels, the custodians of St. Peter\'s tomb; 6. additional faces of winged angels.\nMany artists worked on these decorations. Clement VIII commissioned Giuseppe Cesari, known as Cavalier d\'Arpino (1568-1640) to carry out the upper part of the decoration. He prepared the cartoons from 1603 to 1612. His drawings were simultaneously transposed into mosaic by the best mosaic artists of the period. ”\nWhile other domes have been constructed had been constructed previously in and around Italy, I believe this particular piece stands out due to the sheer enormity and grandiosity of the structural modeling needed to support the dome that now crowns what was the Basilica. “To give a reference point: US Capitol-96ft, The Pantheon-142ft, and St Peter’s-138ft. ” Michelangelo’s St. Peter’s Dome in Rome and Brunelleschi’s Dome in Florence share many structural ideas. However, there are some obvious differences in height, diameter, and internal style. Both artists have drawn from the same basic structural design. Brunelleschi’s dome in Florence was the largest domed structure in Italy at 50 meters in diameter and 90 meters in height; finished post mortem 1473 . Then Michelangelo’s dome at the Basilica in Rome now stands at an impressive 71 meters in diameter and 120 meters in height finished post mortem 1590 . The largest differences between these two goliaths of humanistic engineering and artistic spirits would be the method of work that went into the project and the beauty that it portrays. While Brunelleschi focused on painting and architectural details, Michelangelo also incorporated ornate sculpture in his expression.\n\nI think that those inclined to the religious statements of the work received it well. “Michelangelo wanted people\'s first reaction as they walked into the dome is astonishment. People may be overwhelmed to see the amount of light that appears at the top of the dome and will lead and draw the audience\'s attention slowly toward the dome. However, the sensation must only last in an instant, because he didn\'t want people to feel secluded from the massiveness of the dome, rather be a part of the dimension of pure contemplation. ”\n\nIn the current view I believe that it is thought of as a symbol that might unify the people of the Catholic and Christian faiths. I think a lot of people today respect the amount of work that went into the project and the beauty that it portrays. I also believe that today people are less unified by a symbol of faith such as the Basilica due to the intelligence level of the populace and the availability of information on other faiths. It is also my belief that this and other great works with religious design are meant to inspire awe, respect, power, and control.\n\nWhy should Michelangelo’s Dome of St Peter’s be preserved in a time capsule? As an architectural drafting major, the part that I found most meaningful was the marriage of structure and art. It is just as beautiful on the outside as on the inside. The architectural statements of the time were amazing to me. This piece of history serves as an inspiration of faith for some, and a reminder of the past for others. I believe that what this piece and others like it are telling future generations is to appreciate the piece of art in front of you, but understand the roots from whence it came. Great achievements can be achieved by man when they focus on the task. Whatever the reason one ultimately decides on, the important piece is to remember.','Michelangelo\'s St. Peter\'s Dome','','inherit','open','open','','2393-revision-2','','','2012-09-24 12:15:37','2012-09-24 18:15:37','',2393,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2500',0,'revision','',0),(2517,61,'2012-09-24 12:19:03','2012-09-24 18:19:03','AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE\n\nTCP – 1 Michelangelo’s Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica\n\nJ.LAUER HUMA 1302-007 #13622\n\nPHILIP ROBINSON\n\n9/24/2012\n\nTime Capsule Project 1\n\nMichelangelo’s work on the Dome at St. Peter’s was a return to the former grandeur of Greek and Roman work brought forth during the renaissance period of classical humanism focusing on Christian and classical subjects. Michelangelo worked on St. Peter’s Basilica from 1546 until his death in 1564. At the time of the domes commission, wealthy merchants, and people of stature had been commissioning grand estates and pieces of art to decorate them. The church decided to follow in the footsteps of their patrons and commission a jewel for the Basilica. The trend was quite simple, the bigger and more elaborate the better. There are many facets of this particular building that are fascinating, however for this paper I will be focusing on the architectural facet.<!--more-->\n\nGiven the backdrop of the plague and its decimating effect on civilization and the lack of qualified artisans to rebuild, maintain, and improve basic societal infrastructure; one can imagine the rarity of skilled individuals capable of designing and building a dome of this magnitude . While sharing design aspects with the Pantheon of the Greek and Roman period, this renaissance period remodel is much larger. The interior of Michelangelo’s Dome of St. of St Peter’s is absolutely stunning. There are many artistic features of the interior that add considerable weight reinforcement necessities with regard to structural concerns. “The great dome soars above the altar and the baldacchino, sumptuously embellished with mosaic and stucco ornaments. It is supported by four structural piers with a perimeter of 71 m. and a height of 120 m. from the ground to the roof of the lantern. With the four Evangelists that are portrayed in medallions with a diameter of 8.5 m. The gigantic black letters (2 m. high) of this text on a gold background are lit by the light from 16 large windows, typical of Michelangelo\'s style, which punctuate the drum. Above the windows, the dome is divided into sixteen ribs and as many segments, decorated by majestic figures on six ascending concentric levels. Starting at the bottom the figures portray: 1. busts of the 16 popes buried in the basilica; 2. majestic figures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist and various Apostles;3. in the rectangular frames, angels bearing the instruments of Jesus\' Passion; 4. the faces of cherubim and seraphim in circular medallions; 5. angels, the custodians of St. Peter\'s tomb; 6. additional faces of winged angels.\nMany artists worked on these decorations. Clement VIII commissioned Giuseppe Cesari, known as Cavalier d\'Arpino (1568-1640) to carry out the upper part of the decoration. He prepared the cartoons from 1603 to 1612. His drawings were simultaneously transposed into mosaic by the best mosaic artists of the period. ”\nWhile other domes have been constructed had been constructed previously in and around Italy, I believe this particular piece stands out due to the sheer enormity and grandiosity of the structural modeling needed to support the dome that now crowns what was the Basilica. “To give a reference point: US Capitol-96ft, The Pantheon-142ft, and St Peter’s-138ft. ” Michelangelo’s St. Peter’s Dome in Rome and Brunelleschi’s Dome in Florence share many structural ideas. However, there are some obvious differences in height, diameter, and internal style. Both artists have drawn from the same basic structural design. Brunelleschi’s dome in Florence was the largest domed structure in Italy at 50 meters in diameter and 90 meters in height; finished post mortem 1473 . Then Michelangelo’s dome at the Basilica in Rome now stands at an impressive 71 meters in diameter and 120 meters in height finished post mortem 1590 . The largest differences between these two goliaths of humanistic engineering and artistic spirits would be the method of work that went into the project and the beauty that it portrays. While Brunelleschi focused on painting and architectural details, Michelangelo also incorporated ornate sculpture in his expression.\n\nI think that those inclined to the religious statements of the work received it well. “Michelangelo wanted people\'s first reaction as they walked into the dome is astonishment. People may be overwhelmed to see the amount of light that appears at the top of the dome and will lead and draw the audience\'s attention slowly toward the dome. However, the sensation must only last in an instant, because he didn\'t want people to feel secluded from the massiveness of the dome, rather be a part of the dimension of pure contemplation. ”\n\nIn the current view I believe that it is thought of as a symbol that might unify the people of the Catholic and Christian faiths. I think a lot of people today respect the amount of work that went into the project and the beauty that it portrays. I also believe that today people are less unified by a symbol of faith such as the Basilica due to the intelligence level of the populace and the availability of information on other faiths. It is also my belief that this and other great works with religious design are meant to inspire awe, respect, power, and control.\n\nWhy should Michelangelo’s Dome of St Peter’s be preserved in a time capsule? As an architectural drafting major, the part that I found most meaningful was the marriage of structure and art. It is just as beautiful on the outside as on the inside. The architectural statements of the time were amazing to me. This piece of history serves as an inspiration of faith for some, and a reminder of the past for others. I believe that what this piece and others like it are telling future generations is to appreciate the piece of art in front of you, but understand the roots from whence it came. Great achievements can be achieved by man when they focus on the task. Whatever the reason one ultimately decides on, the important piece is to remember.','Michelangelo\'s St. Peter\'s Dome','','inherit','open','open','','2393-revision-4','','','2012-09-24 12:19:03','2012-09-24 18:19:03','',2393,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2517',0,'revision','',0),(2501,57,'2012-09-24 12:14:22','2012-09-24 18:14:22','<p style=\"text-align: center\">    <img class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg</p>\r\n     Martin Luther is considered the father of the Protestant Reformation. He was a Monk and professor who after studying the scripture began to question the Catholic Church. On October 31, 1517 (Economist) Luther changed the world by posting his 95 grievances, fondly known as his “95 Theses”, on the University door. He concentrated on the sale of indulgences and the path to God, saying the church had no right to exclusively do it. He argued that people can interpret the Bible themselves. He also argued that countries should be able to interpret religion their way, rather than everyone following the Pope in Italy (Fiero). After the Theses was posted, plus the new invention of the printing press, people all over Europe were able to read this and spark the Reformation. Luther was charged with heresy and had to go to court, called the Diet of Worms, in 1921. The “95 Theses” should be preserved because this document not only shows that one man can change the world, but it is a vital document in religious history.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\nLeading up to Luther’s posting, there had been some arguments against the Church of Rome. In the Netherlands a new religious thought was being put into action called modern devotion (Fiero). Modern devotion spread throughout Northern Europe and sparked some questions on if the Church of Rome was the only path to God. At this time the Church of Rome was corrupt, and was selling indulgences saying it would get your family out of purgatory. Profits from the indulgences were going renovate churches and homes for the clergy. Many people, including Luther, were not happy with it anymore.\r\nBecause of the arguments against the Catholic Church, Luther was not the only reform minded person in Europe. Derek Wilson wrote a story for History Today called “The Luther Legacy” that talked about various effects over the years of the “95 Theses”. Wilson said, “He wanted to restore the church to its New Testament purity. In that desire he was at one with a large swathe of public opinion… (Wilson).” The Catholic Church had gotten so out of control that Kings wanted to take control back over their countries. Luther wanted to give this religious control to the Kings, rather than the Catholic Church controlling it. In fact, Wilson pointed out that, “…the German estates also presented a catalog of 102 ‘oppressive burdens and abuses imposed upon…the German Empire by the Holy See of Rome’ (Wilson).” They presented this Catalog at Luther’s heresy trial.\r\nLike I have already mentioned, Luther was not the first Reformer, he was just the first one to get the backing needed to make it successful. Because of that, the “95 Theses” was very innovative for its time. “…he gave people permission to doubt everything the Catholic hierarchy taught, to judge it for themselves against the testimony of the bible (Wilson).” Before Luther, and even for a little while after, people who questioned the Catholic Church were persecuted by both the Church and their Country. Luther also gave instructions on how to use the testimony of the bible, “…he was saying that any man or woman possessed of the open Bible could be their own theologian (Wilson).” This idea was very terrifying to authority because as Wilson continues to point out, this idea challenged divine sanction in general (both Church and State) and left minds open for other forms of politics, like democracy. Michael Mullett describes this new position as, “…the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Mullett).”\r\nAs already discussed, Luther’s work scared authority figures; but regular citizens and scholars were inspired by his ideas. “Within a few years hundreds of untrained lay people were writing devotional and polemical books and pamphlets (Wilson).” He was actually responsible for a third of vernacular literature between the years 1520 and 1546, Wilson goes on to state. Luther is given the honor of starting the Protestant Reformation which may not have been his original purpose, but soon things started to spiral out of control. Another response of people at the time was violent riots. Wilson explains the situation, “…a widespread popular rising against secular princes by ordinary people some of whom drew socially radical conclusions from Luther’s teaching (Wilson).” These riots Luther quickly stood up against and said he didn’t support them. The most major response though, was the response of the Church of Rome. In 1521 Luther was brought before the Diet of Worms for heresy, the ruling was to excommunicate him from Germany.\r\nToday, Luther is still coined as the man who began Protestantism. In the last hundred years though, there has been some interesting things associated with Luther. On one side he is still praised, Wilson said “Even our supposedly post-Christian age cannot write him out of the record (Wilson).” This was Wilson recognizing how important of a person Luther was to shaping the world we live in today. He is also still used today when Catholic issues arise again. For example, in 1999 the Catholic Church reemphasized the sale of indulgences. On the topic, Vitor Westhelle said, “At least these are recent signals…which invites us to take a new look at Luther’s quest for a merciful God (Westhelle).” The most interesting thought though, is people saying Luther is evil and influenced Hitler. In a Time magazine article from 1944, William Inge wrote a periodical that actually says Luther is worse than Hitler. He said, “If we wish to find a scapegoat on whose shoulders we may lay the miseries which Germany has brought upon the world…I am more and more conceived that the worst evil genius of that country is not Hitler…but Martin Luther (Time).” He goes on to wish that one day Luther’s influence won’t be in Germany anymore. In 2003, they made a movie called Luther about the posting of the Theses. According to the movies IMDB page, the movie begins when he becomes a monk and goes through his struggles with the church and through the actual trial after. I believe, and the movie shows, that people today are still impressed and interested in Luther’s work.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://youtu.be/SzFc7ilM7nw\">Trailer for \"Luther\" (2003)</a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">     Personally I have a few different reactions to the work. Religiously I admire Luther for his strength to stand up against the Catholic Church. I grew up in a Baptist home, which is Protestant, so I have him to thank for that (Although I am sure someone else would’ve broken the ties if it were not Luther.). He knew what he believed and he stood up for it. Politically, I admire his guts. I feel like today people are afraid to speak out like he did; and then after speaking out still stand on their word even when they are being charged or persecuted for it.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">A few years following the posting many reformers stepped up to follow in Luther’s footsteps. One of which was John Calvin, whose followers were called Calvinists. John Calvin wrote lots of books describing his views, one of which was called “The Institutes of the Christian Religion”. He finished the work in 1536; it started as a paper and ended up a 4 book series (Creator, Redeemer, Spirit, and the Church). He dedicated the book to the French King Francis 1, who was persecuting Protestants. “The French Protestants…may have been inclined to regard government as an enemy exclusively, not understanding in it its divinely ordained role (McKee).” According to McKee, Calvin was discussing the Apostles Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">This work as a whole is just remarkably significant. As far as religious texts go, I would personally say this comes right after the Bible in importance. Future generations deserve to see what is possible if you stand up for yourself. Other times in history this has worked; Civil Rights, Women’s rights, the end of slavery, civil wars around the world. If you stand up for what you believe in, there are no limits to where it can take you; and that is what I believe future generations can learn from this work.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Martin Luther is one of the most well-known names in the history of the world. He single-handedly sparked the Protestant Reformation, he changed the Catholic Church, and he changed the way the whole world thought and taught religion. His “95 Theses” sparked huge controversy, but it brought awareness of the ridiculous-ness the Church of Rome was trying to pass as religion. Since then thousands of churches consider themselves Protestant, the Catholic Church has changed and is not as corrupt, and many people can attribute their right to speak their opinions to Martin Luther. His work is unmatched in religious and philosophical importance, and that is why it deserves to be preserved for future generations.</p>','Martin Luther\'s \"95 Theses\"','','inherit','open','open','','2405-revision-19','','','2012-09-24 12:14:22','2012-09-24 18:14:22','',2405,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2501',0,'revision','',0),(2508,67,'2012-09-24 12:14:27','2012-09-24 18:14:27','<p align=\"center\"></p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.wired.com/images/article/full/2008/12/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg\">http://www.wired.com/images/article/full/2008/12/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg</a></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nObtaining the knowledge that was passed down to them from earlier Mesoamerican cultures, the Aztecs carved the calendar stone in 1479 (Smith 253). At the time, the Aztecs lived in a very civilized world filled with amazing architecture, an impressively complex government system, and they also employed intricate systems of writing and calendric systems (Taube 7).  The Calendar Stone was made by basalt stone. For the Aztecs, everything was pictorial in nature around this era. The calendar stone depicted different pictograms or Codex Magliabechianoand, which was primarily written on religious documents (Aztec-History).  Art was centered around religion in this era. So the pictograms of the gods on the calendar stone would correlate with that subject matter.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThe Aztecs were a highly ritualistic civilization devoted to divination and their Gods.  The Aztec calendar stone was created as a divinatory tool which was used for rituals, to forecast the future, and to determine which days were lucky and which days not for the outcome of various actions and events (Smith 254).  The calendar had two systems. It had the sacred Tonalpohualli, which was based on the 260-day cycle and the Iuhpohualli, which was a 365-day cycle (Palfrey). Seen by the count, there is a five day difference between these two calendars. The five day differences were thought to be the most unholy, unlucky days of the year (Smith 257). The world was thought to be coming to an end.\r\n\r\nOn the Aztec Calendar, the year was divided into 13-day periods. Each group of 13 days had a different deity ruling over the unit. This is because these units were thought to have a special symbolic influence and the deities were to ensure a positive outcome (Smith 256). In the middle of the Sun Stone, is the sun god Tonatuih. His tongue protruding between his teeth resembles a sacrificial flint knife. In his claw like hands he clutches human hearts (Palfrey). ‘Many scholars have debated on the stone’s meaning and purpose. Some suggest that, fixed horizontally; it served as a sacrificial altar, which would make sense because the stone was dedicated to the sun deity. Most agree though, that it offers a graphic representation of the Mexica cosmos’ (Palfrey).  In <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Aztecs,</span> Smith sums up what is to be believed the thought of the Aztecs when they carved the calendar stone “The Aztec calendar stone conveyed the message that the Aztec empire covered the whole earth (territory in all four directions), and that it was founded upon the sacred principles of time, directionality, divine warfare, and the sanction of the gods” (Smith 270).  Keeping the Aztec calendar is proof of ancient cultures mathematical and scientific achievements without the aid of modern technology. The study of the sun stone could lead to further advances in mathematics and acts as a road map to our celestial bodies from that era of our history.\r\n\r\nThe Aztecs believe they felt justified in believing in this calendar because of numerous events that changed the course of history for them.  Because Aztec Indians were fervent astronomers, they tracked the stars and correlated that between the days to create this sun calendar. Examples of events happening within the timeline of the calendar stone being built are these: Between 1452 and 1454, their capital city Tenochtitlan suffered from flood and famine, the following year on 4/16/1445 (Julian calendar) there was an eclipse of the sun.  From 1473-1479, there were 4 more solar eclipses within a five year time frame (Aveni, Calnek).  During this time the Aztec nation conquered and sacrificed many of the neighboring towns.  Their leaders were wounded  or killed, followed by violent earthquakes (Aveni, Calnek). There may have been even more visible eclipses seen by the Aztecs that have not been discovered because they were lost, or destroyed, or even confused with other natural events (Aveni, Calnek).  If one were to take into consideration the Aztecs being a society with strong beliefs in deities, the Aztecs constant state of turmoil from wars and death and then couple that with a constant flow of solar eclipses; it wouldn’t take much to consider that the Aztecs might have thought there Gods were planning on ending their world….again.  The Aztecs might have carved this massive calendar from stone to give their future generations a chance to do things right, where they did not.\r\n\r\nMany other artifacts of the same caliber and craftsmanship were excavated around the time the calendar stone was. This was an amazing find, because in the early colonial period of the sixteenth century, pre-Hispanic stone sculptures were considered potent satanic threats to successful conversion (Taube 25). With the Spaniards thinking this, this lead to the destruction of many great pieces of art, manuscripts, and other forms of architecture.  Thankfully, with the Aztecs foreseeing this frame of mind being a possibility and other circumstances occurring, many artifacts survived by being hidden in caves, on mountain tops, and even buried under Mexico City (Taube 25). After the artifacts were excavated, rather than being destroyed, they were treated as objects of curiosity and to be studied (Taube 25-26). I account for any differences between reception then and today by knowing people today have so many different religions and beliefs. Whereas the Aztecs were ignorant of the different beliefs we have today. They just had knowledge of what was taught to them by their elders as we do ours.\r\n\r\nThere were not that many differences and very many similarities between American Indians of this era. In the way they did things to their architecture and sculptures. As a matter of fact, the Aztecs calendar was based of the earlier Mayan cultures. The Aztec calendar stone and Mayan calendar share many similarities.  Both calendars have ritual days. The Aztec ritual day that was formed is the Tonalpohualli and the Maya ritual day is the Tzolkin. The day names on both calendars are also very similar. Both calendars used 18 months with 20 day counts along with other counts. The Aztec and Maya calendar stone is believed to have both mythological and astronomical significance. Both Native American cultures regarded their calendars as religious. Using the calendars, the Aztec and Maya priests dictated when to grow crops, when the dry and rainy seasons were, when to go to war, etc. (World Mysteries).\r\n\r\nThe main way the Aztec calendar differed was in their more primitive number system and less precise way of recording dates. The year also started with different months. The Maya calendar tracked the movements of the planets and the moon. From this came their reckoning of time, and a calendar that accurately measures the solar year to within minutes. The Aztecs also kept the two different aspects of time, the Tonalpohualli, which was counting the days and the Xiuhpohualli which was counting the years (World Mysteries).  The Aztecs believed they were living in the fifth and final stage of life. Because the Maya used a 360 day long cycle, they could tell that there were time periods way longer than the age of our universe (World Mysteries).\r\n\r\nThe Aztec Indians had this amazing culture full of love and life and beliefs which was unfortunately corrupted by the Spaniards. It makes me wonder what the world would be like today if the Spaniards had not been their demise. I find the Aztec Calendar Stone quite intriguing.  I love learning about something they created I have never heard of, or if I have, forgotten about. What I find meaningful is that it represents their concept of the universe. To create this ginormous sun calendar and carve pictograms in it because you believe the gods want you to just amazes me. It makes me realize they had an extremely strong belief in something bigger and better. They worshipped everything and didn’t take anything for granted. I believe we cannot undo the past but we can at least right a dreadful wrong. Future generations need to learn of this amazing culture and their advances.\r\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited:</p>\r\nAveni, Anthony, and Edward Calnek. “Astronomical Considerations in the Aztec Expression of History.” Ancient Mesoamerica. Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.mexicauprising.net/aztececlipsedata.pdf\">http://www.mexicauprising.net/aztececlipsedata.pdf</a>\r\n\r\nThis is a paper from the book Ancient Mesoamerica, it is about the cosmic history around the ancient Mesoamerica era. It helped me figure out what some of the major celestial events where during the time the Aztec Sun Calendar was created.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPalfrey, Dale. <em>Mysteries of the Fifth Sun: The Aztec Calendar</em>. n.p. Web. 8 January 1999.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/199-mysteries-of-the-fifth-sun-the-aztec-calendar</span>\r\n\r\nThis is a website with basic information about the Aztec Sun Calendar. It gave me more insight into what the calendar looked like.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Aztec-History</span>. N.p., nd. Web. 1996-2012\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.aztec-history.com</span>\r\n\r\nThis website has an enormous amount of information about Aztec Indians, from clothing to their demise and pretty much everything in between. The website gave me most of the information about the calendar stone I have so far.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSmith, Michael. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Aztecs.</span> Blackwell Publishers Inc., 1996. Print.\r\n\r\nThe book is Aztec Indians and their culture. This book helped me to understand the calendar stone more and why it was just a big part of Aztec life.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTaube, Karl. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Aztec and Maya Myths</span>. British Museum Press, 1993. Print.\r\n\r\nThis book detailed facts and myths about Aztec and Mayan Indians. This book helped me find what the Aztecs art and idols were see as in the early colonial period.','Aztec Calendar Stone Draft','','inherit','open','open','','2412-revision-4','','','2012-09-24 12:14:27','2012-09-24 18:14:27','',2412,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2508',0,'revision','',0),(2502,59,'2012-09-24 12:16:10','2012-09-24 18:16:10','','hernan','Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II','inherit','open','open','','hernan','','','2012-09-24 12:16:10','2012-09-24 18:16:10','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(2503,70,'2012-09-24 12:15:43','2012-09-24 18:15:43','I believe this what your talking about. Please let me know if this is correct or not. I couldn\'t find the green arrow, that you mentioned in class today. Is this what nee<!--more-->','HERE\'S MY ATTEMPT','','inherit','open','open','','2479-revision','','','2012-09-24 12:15:43','2012-09-24 18:15:43','',2479,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2503',0,'revision','',0),(2504,67,'2012-09-24 12:16:45','2012-09-24 18:16:45','','aztec_sun_stone_500x','','inherit','open','open','','aztec_sun_stone_500x','','','2012-09-24 12:16:45','2012-09-24 18:16:45','',2412,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(2505,70,'2012-09-24 12:16:43','2012-09-24 18:16:43','I believe this what your talking about. Please let me know if this is correct or not. I couldn\'t find the green arrow, that you mentioned in class today. Is this what needed to be placed in the sample or the first paragraph of the TCP essay.?<!--more-->','HERE\'S MY ATTEMPT','','inherit','open','open','','2479-revision-2','','','2012-09-24 12:16:43','2012-09-24 18:16:43','',2479,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2505',0,'revision','',0),(2506,61,'2012-09-24 12:15:54','2012-09-24 18:15:54','AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE\r\n\r\nTCP – 1 Michelangelo’s Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica\r\n\r\nJ.LAUER HUMA 1302-007 #13622\r\n\r\nPHILIP ROBINSON\r\n\r\n9/24/2012\r\n\r\nTime Capsule Project 1\r\n\r\nMichelangelo’s work on the Dome at St. Peter’s was a return to the former grandeur of Greek and Roman work brought forth during the renaissance period of classical humanism focusing on Christian and classical subjects. Michelangelo worked on St. Peter’s Basilica from 1546 until his death in 1564. At the time of the domes commission, wealthy merchants, and people of stature had been commissioning grand estates and pieces of art to decorate them. The church decided to follow in the footsteps of their patrons and commission a jewel for the Basilica. The trend was quite simple, the bigger and more elaborate the better. There are many facets of this particular building that are fascinating, however for this paper I will be focusing on the architectural facet.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nGiven the backdrop of the plague and its decimating effect on civilization and the lack of qualified artisans to rebuild, maintain, and improve basic societal infrastructure; one can imagine the rarity of skilled individuals capable of designing and building a dome of this magnitude . While sharing design aspects with the Pantheon of the Greek and Roman period, this renaissance period remodel is much larger. The interior of Michelangelo’s Dome of St. of St Peter’s is absolutely stunning. There are many artistic features of the interior that add considerable weight reinforcement necessities with regard to structural concerns. “The great dome soars above the altar and the baldacchino, sumptuously embellished with mosaic and stucco ornaments. It is supported by four structural piers with a perimeter of 71 m. and a height of 120 m. from the ground to the roof of the lantern. With the four Evangelists that are portrayed in medallions with a diameter of 8.5 m. The gigantic black letters (2 m. high) of this text on a gold background are lit by the light from 16 large windows, typical of Michelangelo\'s style, which punctuate the drum. Above the windows, the dome is divided into sixteen ribs and as many segments, decorated by majestic figures on six ascending concentric levels. Starting at the bottom the figures portray: 1. busts of the 16 popes buried in the basilica; 2. majestic figures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist and various Apostles;3. in the rectangular frames, angels bearing the instruments of Jesus\' Passion; 4. the faces of cherubim and seraphim in circular medallions; 5. angels, the custodians of St. Peter\'s tomb; 6. additional faces of winged angels.\r\nMany artists worked on these decorations. Clement VIII commissioned Giuseppe Cesari, known as Cavalier d\'Arpino (1568-1640) to carry out the upper part of the decoration. He prepared the cartoons from 1603 to 1612. His drawings were simultaneously transposed into mosaic by the best mosaic artists of the period. ”\r\nWhile other domes have been constructed had been constructed previously in and around Italy, I believe this particular piece stands out due to the sheer enormity and grandiosity of the structural modeling needed to support the dome that now crowns what was the Basilica. “To give a reference point: US Capitol-96ft, The Pantheon-142ft, and St Peter’s-138ft. ” Michelangelo’s St. Peter’s Dome in Rome and Brunelleschi’s Dome in Florence share many structural ideas. However, there are some obvious differences in height, diameter, and internal style. Both artists have drawn from the same basic structural design. Brunelleschi’s dome in Florence was the largest domed structure in Italy at 50 meters in diameter and 90 meters in height; finished post mortem 1473 . Then Michelangelo’s dome at the Basilica in Rome now stands at an impressive 71 meters in diameter and 120 meters in height finished post mortem 1590 . The largest differences between these two goliaths of humanistic engineering and artistic spirits would be the method of work that went into the project and the beauty that it portrays. While Brunelleschi focused on painting and architectural details, Michelangelo also incorporated ornate sculpture in his expression.\r\n\r\nI think that those inclined to the religious statements of the work received it well. “Michelangelo wanted people\'s first reaction as they walked into the dome is astonishment. People may be overwhelmed to see the amount of light that appears at the top of the dome and will lead and draw the audience\'s attention slowly toward the dome. However, the sensation must only last in an instant, because he didn\'t want people to feel secluded from the massiveness of the dome, rather be a part of the dimension of pure contemplation. ”\r\n\r\nIn the current view I believe that it is thought of as a symbol that might unify the people of the Catholic and Christian faiths. I think a lot of people today respect the amount of work that went into the project and the beauty that it portrays. I also believe that today people are less unified by a symbol of faith such as the Basilica due to the intelligence level of the populace and the availability of information on other faiths. It is also my belief that this and other great works with religious design are meant to inspire awe, respect, power, and control.\r\n\r\nWhy should Michelangelo’s Dome of St Peter’s be preserved in a time capsule? As an architectural drafting major, the part that I found most meaningful was the marriage of structure and art. It is just as beautiful on the outside as on the inside. The architectural statements of the time were amazing to me. This piece of history serves as an inspiration of faith for some, and a reminder of the past for others. I believe that what this piece and others like it are telling future generations is to appreciate the piece of art in front of you, but understand the roots from whence it came. Great achievements can be achieved by man when they focus on the task. Whatever the reason one ultimately decides on, the important piece is to remember.','Michelangelo\'s St. Peter\'s Dome','','inherit','open','open','','2393-revision-3','','','2012-09-24 12:15:54','2012-09-24 18:15:54','',2393,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2506',0,'revision','',0),(2507,59,'2012-09-24 12:16:47','2012-09-24 18:16:47','[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"257\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2502\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" /></a> Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II[/caption]\n\nSince the beginning of time, art has reflected beliefs, culture, lifestyles, and fashion of its period. I never cared much for history but doing this project has created a whole new meaning of art for me. In studying history, I can learn more about today and what tomorrow might bring. I chose to study the <em>Letters from Mexico</em> (1519-1524) by Hernan Cortes. His letters account for his conquest to Mexico and the conquering of the Aztec Empire. After disobeying orders, Cortes sets out to explore modern day Mexico and kind of accidentally stumbles upon this beautiful, advanced, flourishing empire. With help from local allies, Cortes defeats the Aztecs and puts Spain in control of the vast land from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. He writes the letters to King Charles V of Spain telling him his story.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> by Hernan Cortes should be preserved because of the historical context, cultural context of the Aztec Empire, and because it is one of the only accounts that we have of what happened in that time. It marks a very important time in history of the colonization of the west, the personality of a conquistador, details of the mysterious Aztec Empire, reflects Christian attitudes and beliefs of that time, and lifestyle and rule in Spain.<!--more-->\n\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> was not a typical piece from its era. Exploration was just beginning in the west. While Spain was conquering new lands, the Renaissance was at its peak in Italy. Classical Humanists embraced Greco-Roman classics and were devoted to studying and imitating them. This new culture was more secular than religious. “They regarded Classical authority not exclusively as a means of clarifying Christian truths, but as the basis for a new appraisal of the role of the individual in the world order,” says Fiero. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the great artists of the High Renaissance, completed famous works such as <em>The Last Supper</em>. This world-famous painting was one of a kind and changed art techniques for centuries to come. Da Vinci applied classical art principles to the representation of Christian subjects. Renaissance artist began studying the mechanics of the human body, balance, using three dimensions rather than two, perfecting oil painting, making art in monumental size, heroic characteristics, and scientific laws of perspective. A lot of art at this time was similar to Da Vinci’s<em> The Last Suppe</em>r. Artists used Christian subjects and displayed religious scenes but used human figures to represent famous names. Not only paintings but large sculptures were popular artist trends.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> is very innovative and unusual for its time. When the letters were published in Spain, people were very interested and excited about them. Exploration in the west was just beginning and civilization was progressing. The letters were different from normal visual works of art because they were literary. Hernan Cortes told wild stories about the Aztec Empire and his time in the new world full of lavish gold; a completely different style of living than that of modern day Spain. I think it caught people’s attention and introduced them to new cultures other than the famous Greek or Roman.\nOne piece that is similar to <em>Letters from Mexico</em> is <em>The Prince.</em> Machiavelli, a famous philosopher, became known as Europe’s first political scientist. His popular little book, <em>The Prince</em>, called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. The leader he described must be ruthless and sacrifice moral virtue in the interest of the state. Machiavelli’s has a negative view of humanity pinning them as thankless, fickle, greedy, and dishonest. A lot of what Machiavelli described sounds exactly like the personality of Hernan Cortes. Machiavelli’s Prince is a lot smarter than Cortes and keeps power as well as a good reputation. I think these two pieces relate to each other because of the parts the main characters play. Hernan Cortes is a very greedy and egotistical explorer who actually disobeys rules from Spain on continuing with an expedition. He defends himself from a powerful empire battling his way to victory. In <em>The Prince</em>, “armed force as the ultimate sanction of political power, the ruthless suppression of dangerous enemies and the establishment of authority through fear rather than love, the use of deceit, careful economy rather than lavish expenditure- all these Machiavelli cites as necessary to the founder of a new state.” Both of these pieces are very political rather than secular or religious like other major artworks of their time. I think both of them went against the typical Monarchist policies of government at that time making them uncommon and alike.\nCortes’ letters were published to the public so everyone could read the first-hand account of the conquering of grand Aztec Empire. According to Pahl, the letters were action packed and real page turners. The public was so eager to know what was going on worlds away. Cortes “went on to great wealth and power.” (Mee.) Cortes appointed himself governor without permission from King Charles V. Cortes was careless, greedy, and irresponsible in his decisions. After being appointed governor Cortes left to explore what is now modern day Honduras. King Charles grew suspicious of Cortes and sent a bureaucrat named Luis Ponce de Leon to investigate. Luis died immediately and Cortes was charged with murder, rumor is he was poisoned. Cortes’ fifth letter was banned in Spain and his reputation was declining rapidly. People didn’t like Cortes’ decisions and he was being punished for it. Someone can’t rebel against the King and the public be aware it. I think that is why the letters were banned and Cortes was dealt with in a private manner. Cortes lived the rest of his life on his land in Mexico with his wife. He had no leadership in the new world and Spain continued to govern it.\nThere are a lot of mixed emotions about the <em>Letters from Mexico</em>. Their authenticity and credibility is doubted by many scholars. Pahl suggests Cortes is cocky and over exaggerates a lot of his takeover and what actually occurred. Yes, he conquered a gigantic empire but it is said he was ruthless, destructive, and it was similar to a massacre. Cortes went around “destroying traditional Mexican religious artifacts as it definitely impeded their attempts at a peaceful conversion.” (Pahl.) Anthony Pagden discusses how Cortes seeks to reinforce his authority and his reputation in his letters. Some scholars don’t even look at his letters of literary importance but just historical. Cortes didn’t have a very good reputation back then and he doesn’t at this time either. I personally feel Cortes ruined an empire that Spain could have learned a lot from. He was the leader and held all power and authority. I think his personal decisions and desires made a mess of the whole situation. He destroyed the Aztecs entire city because of their religious beliefs, who knows what he did with a lot of the gold, I know some of it went back to Spain when he was tried for murder, and he wasn’t a good leader and didn’t secure some type of government when the empire was defeated. Thousands of natives died and it was the end to an advanced and flourishing culture that could have helped progression in that era. I think Cortes greedily set out behind the kings back and stumbled upon an empire that was unstable and destroyed it. He manipulated Indians and locals into supporting him and then savagely killed thousands. Who knows what really happened? This is the account of a conceded and egotistical conquistador.\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> holds great historical importance making it unique and very innovative. There was a lot of Spanish and Portuguese exploration going on in the new world so empires could expand. What makes it so unique is his conquering of the Aztec empire giving Spain control of modern day Mexico. This was a huge accomplishment for Spain in the settling and colonizing of the Americas. It also made way for the present day. Colonization in the west created the nation we have today. Although I may disagree with Hernan Cortes’ decisions and opinions, he did make history and history made today. His letters hold a lot of historical importance in learning about different cultures of the world. What is most significant about this work is the historical context and cultural context. His account and a few others in his army are the only knowledge that we have of what happened at that time. It is very important these letters are preserved so we know about a beautiful culture that was lost in the process of one being made.','Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes','','inherit','open','open','','2414-revision-11','','','2012-09-24 12:16:47','2012-09-24 18:16:47','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2507',0,'revision','',0),(2509,57,'2012-09-24 12:17:09','2012-09-24 18:17:09','<p style=\"text-align: center\">    <img class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg</p>\n     Martin Luther is considered the father of the Protestant Reformation. He was a Monk and professor who after studying the scripture began to question the Catholic Church. On October 31, 1517 (Economist) Luther changed the world by posting his 95 grievances, fondly known as his “95 Theses”, on the University door. He concentrated on the sale of indulgences and the path to God, saying the church had no right to exclusively do it. He argued that people can interpret the Bible themselves. He also argued that countries should be able to interpret religion their way, rather than everyone following the Pope in Italy (Fiero). After the Theses was posted, plus the new invention of the printing press, people all over Europe were able to read this and spark the Reformation. Luther was charged with heresy and had to go to court, called the Diet of Worms, in 1921. The “95 Theses” should be preserved because this document not only shows that one man can change the world, but it is a vital document in religious history.\n\n<!--more-->\nLeading up to Luther’s posting, there had been some arguments against the Church of Rome. In the Netherlands a new religious thought was being put into action called modern devotion (Fiero). Modern devotion spread throughout Northern Europe and sparked some questions on if the Church of Rome was the only path to God. At this time the Church of Rome was corrupt, and was selling indulgences saying it would get your family out of purgatory. Profits from the indulgences were going renovate churches and homes for the clergy. Many people, including Luther, were not happy with it anymore.\nBecause of the arguments against the Catholic Church, Luther was not the only reform minded person in Europe. Derek Wilson wrote a story for History Today called “The Luther Legacy” that talked about various effects over the years of the “95 Theses”. Wilson said, “He wanted to restore the church to its New Testament purity. In that desire he was at one with a large swathe of public opinion… (Wilson).” The Catholic Church had gotten so out of control that Kings wanted to take control back over their countries. Luther wanted to give this religious control to the Kings, rather than the Catholic Church controlling it. In fact, Wilson pointed out that, “…the German estates also presented a catalog of 102 ‘oppressive burdens and abuses imposed upon…the German Empire by the Holy See of Rome’ (Wilson).” They presented this Catalog at Luther’s heresy trial.\nLike I have already mentioned, Luther was not the first Reformer, he was just the first one to get the backing needed to make it successful. Because of that, the “95 Theses” was very innovative for its time. “…he gave people permission to doubt everything the Catholic hierarchy taught, to judge it for themselves against the testimony of the bible (Wilson).” Before Luther, and even for a little while after, people who questioned the Catholic Church were persecuted by both the Church and their Country. Luther also gave instructions on how to use the testimony of the bible, “…he was saying that any man or woman possessed of the open Bible could be their own theologian (Wilson).” This idea was very terrifying to authority because as Wilson continues to point out, this idea challenged divine sanction in general (both Church and State) and left minds open for other forms of politics, like democracy. Michael Mullett describes this new position as, “…the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Mullett).”\nAs already discussed, Luther’s work scared authority figures; but regular citizens and scholars were inspired by his ideas. “Within a few years hundreds of untrained lay people were writing devotional and polemical books and pamphlets (Wilson).” He was actually responsible for a third of vernacular literature between the years 1520 and 1546, Wilson goes on to state. Luther is given the honor of starting the Protestant Reformation which may not have been his original purpose, but soon things started to spiral out of control. Another response of people at the time was violent riots. Wilson explains the situation, “…a widespread popular rising against secular princes by ordinary people some of whom drew socially radical conclusions from Luther’s teaching (Wilson).” These riots Luther quickly stood up against and said he didn’t support them. The most major response though, was the response of the Church of Rome. In 1521 Luther was brought before the Diet of Worms for heresy, the ruling was to excommunicate him from Germany.\nToday, Luther is still coined as the man who began Protestantism. In the last hundred years though, there has been some interesting things associated with Luther. On one side he is still praised, Wilson said “Even our supposedly post-Christian age cannot write him out of the record (Wilson).” This was Wilson recognizing how important of a person Luther was to shaping the world we live in today. He is also still used today when Catholic issues arise again. For example, in 1999 the Catholic Church reemphasized the sale of indulgences. On the topic, Vitor Westhelle said, “At least these are recent signals…which invites us to take a new look at Luther’s quest for a merciful God (Westhelle).” The most interesting thought though, is people saying Luther is evil and influenced Hitler. In a Time magazine article from 1944, William Inge wrote a periodical that actually says Luther is worse than Hitler. He said, “If we wish to find a scapegoat on whose shoulders we may lay the miseries which Germany has brought upon the world…I am more and more conceived that the worst evil genius of that country is not Hitler…but Martin Luther (Time).” He goes on to wish that one day Luther’s influence won’t be in Germany anymore. In 2003, they made a movie called Luther about the posting of the Theses. According to the movies IMDB page, the movie begins when he becomes a monk and goes through his struggles with the church and through the actual trial after. I believe, and the movie shows, that people today are still impressed and interested in Luther’s work.\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://youtu.be/SzFc7ilM7nw\">Trailer for \"Luther\" (2003)</a></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">     Personally I have a few different reactions to the work. Religiously I admire Luther for his strength to stand up against the Catholic Church. I grew up in a Baptist home, which is Protestant, so I have him to thank for that (Although I am sure someone else would’ve broken the ties if it were not Luther.). He knew what he believed and he stood up for it. Politically, I admire his guts. I feel like today people are afraid to speak out like he did; and then after speaking out still stand on their word even when they are being charged or persecuted for it.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">A few years following the posting many reformers stepped up to follow in Luther’s footsteps. One of which was John Calvin, whose followers were called Calvinists. John Calvin wrote lots of books describing his views, one of which was called “The Institutes of the Christian Religion”. He finished the work in 1536; it started as a paper and ended up a 4 book series (Creator, Redeemer, Spirit, and the Church). He dedicated the book to the French King Francis 1, who was persecuting Protestants. “The French Protestants…may have been inclined to regard government as an enemy exclusively, not understanding in it its divinely ordained role (McKee).” According to McKee, Calvin was discussing the Apostles Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">This work as a whole is just remarkably significant. As far as religious texts go, I would personally say this comes right after the Bible in importance. Future generations deserve to see what is possible if you stand up for yourself. Other times in history this has worked; Civil Rights, Women’s rights, the end of slavery, civil wars around the world. If you stand up for what you believe in, there are no limits to where it can take you; and that is what I believe future generations can learn from this work.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Martin Luther is one of the most well-known names in the history of the world. He single-handedly sparked the Protestant Reformation, he changed the Catholic Church, and he changed the way the whole world thought and taught religion. His “95 Theses” sparked huge controversy, but it brought awareness of the ridiculous-ness the Church of Rome was trying to pass as religion. Since then thousands of churches consider themselves Protestant, the Catholic Church has changed and is not as corrupt, and many people can attribute their right to speak their opinions to Martin Luther. His work is unmatched in religious and philosophical importance, and that is why it deserves to be preserved for future generations.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Works Cited</p>\nBigalke Jr., Ron J. \"Institutes Of The Christian Religion: 1541 French Edition.\" Journal Of Dispensational Theology 13.40 (2009): 74-75. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nThis is an article discussing John Calvin’s work “Institutes of The Christian Religion”, John Calvin was another reformer who had a prominent following during the Protestant Reformation.\n\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\nI used the textbook to pinpoint the Norwegian conflict with the Church of Rome and also for some basic background information.\n\n\"How Luther Went Viral.\" Economist. 17 Dec 2011: n. page. Web. 14 Sep. 2012. &lt;http://www.economist.com/node/21541719&gt;.\nI used this story from The Economist to get background information mostly in the introduction.\n\n\"Luther (2003).\" IMDB. IMDB.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 24 Sep 2012. &lt;http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309820/&gt;.\n\n\"Luther Is To Blame.\" Time 44.19 (1944): 63. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nI used this short article from during World War 2 to explain a point of view someone in the last 100 years has had regarding Luther and his work.\n\nMullett, Michael. \"Martin Luther\'s Ninety-Five Theses: Michael Mullett Defines The Role Of The 95 Theses In The Lutheran Reformation.(Key Texts)(Cover Story)(Biography).\" History Review 46 (n.d.): 46. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nI used Mullett’s discussion to describe how the work was innovative for the time.\n\nWesthelle, Vítor. \"Uses And Abuses Of The Cross: The Reformation, Then And Now.\" Trinity Seminary Review 28.2 (2007): 83-93. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nI used Westhelle’s look at the past and present responses in my discussion of how people today feel about the work.\n\nWilson, Derek. \"The Luther Legacy: Derek Wilson Looks At The Great Religious Reformer And Asks Why His Life And Work Have Seemed So Significant To So Many Diverse People For Almost 500 Years.\" History Today 57.5 (n.d.): 34. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nWilson was my main source. I used his look at the legacy of Luther to discuss how the work was both typical and innovative at the time, how it was received, and how people today feel about the work.','Martin Luther\'s \"95 Theses\"','','inherit','open','open','','2405-revision-20','','','2012-09-24 12:17:09','2012-09-24 18:17:09','',2405,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2509',0,'revision','',0),(2511,68,'2012-09-24 12:15:40','2012-09-24 18:15:40','The','Popol Vuh The Mayan Book of Creation','','inherit','open','open','','2478-revision-2','','','2012-09-24 12:15:40','2012-09-24 18:15:40','',2478,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2511',0,'revision','',0),(2510,66,'2012-09-24 12:13:54','2012-09-24 18:13:54','David\r\n\r\nby Donatello\r\n\r\n1430–1440 A.D\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Donatello-David.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2441\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Donatello-David-160x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThis statue was the first  work of bronze during the Renaissance, and the first nude male sculpture. As it is symbolically relevant to the theme of biblical figure of the time, it should be noted that as it has religious context, it was also highly controversial as the statue was nude.It depicts David , standing on Goliath\'s severed head just after defeating him. He is completely naked, aside from a hat and boots, holding the sword of Goliath. This piece was commissioned by the Medici family and placed in the courtyard of the Medici Palace in Florence. After the Medici were exiled from Florence in 1494, the statue was moved to the courtyard of the Palazzo della Signoria, then was moved to the Pitti Palace in the 17th century, then to the Uffizi in 1777, and then finally, in 1865 to the Bargello museum where it is preserved today.\r\n\r\nAt the time of it\'s creation, the Renaissance was gaining momentum, and many were going against the grain. It was being established that to be a new thinker, one must create something controversial and give their work a reason to be talked about. This statue is an excellent example of the ideas of the time of being controversial and bold.\r\n\r\nAs were many such artistic works, it is similar in that is a sculpture of a religious figure, which was a popular depiction of the time. Many artists prefer to take inspiration from the bible and depicted them through paintings, sculptures, or musical works. In this instance Donatello\'s statue was believed to be commissioned by Cosimo de\' Medici, though it is unknown. The most typical thing about it is it\'s stance and portrayal of David as to sy more than his defeat of Goliath.  As discussed by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker from Khan Academy, they explain in better detail the complexity and depth of the work. Dr. Steven Zucker goes on to say; \" This intimacy is not simply a result of the nudity, but also of the emotional experience Donatello renders through the face and even the stance of the body—and it\'s so unexpected in the telling of the story of David and Goliath! I would expect rather a triumphal victorious figure, maybe holding the sword and the enemy\'s severed head aloft... Instead, here is a thoughtful, quiet, contemplative face.\"\r\n\r\nAside from it being forged from bronze, it is unusual in that it was a nude sculpture, but then it isn\'t. For the most part, David isn\'t wearing anything other than a hat and boots, which if worn today would still count as \"indecent exposure\", but you could argue that you aren\'t actually nude. From the nudity of the sculpture, it\'s most innovative point is bringing back humanity and becoming more personal with this work through it\'s nudity Dr. Beth Harris discusses; \" I think it\'s important to stress that this figure is free-standing. Sculpted figures have finally been detached from architecture and are once again independent in the way they were in ancient Greece and Rome. And because he\'s free-standing, he is more human, more real...I wish I could go back in time to Florence in the 1400s, to this remarkable moment, to witness the rebirth of Humanism.\"\r\n\r\nAt it\'s initial creation it wasn\'t appealing to the religious types because of it\'s nudity and feminine depiction of David, but many thought it was an excellent, in-depth work. Artible.com states; \"While scholars may disagree about David\'s origins, one thing they do wholeheartedly agree on is the extraordinary success it enjoyed immediately upon completion. Despite David\'s apparently controversial composition, there is no record of public outcry or indignation regarding the statue. It was placed in the town hall of Florence in the 1490s, very strong evidence that it was not viewed as lewd or outrageous.\"\r\n\r\nOf the people who appreciate art and it\'s depictions, it\'s stories, and their meanings, it is regarded very highly. Mostly for it\'s revival of humanism, but also for it\'s figure and simplicity. Not many people know of this statue due to it\'s size and standing in the shadow of Michelangelo\'s David, but of the people who do, it is greatly admired.\r\n\r\nIn contrast to Michelangelo\'s David, made of marble and holding the sling-shot, they both depict David very differently. Michelangelo depicted David as more masculine, with less objects, (ie: no hat or boots), Where as Donatello\'s David is shown as a warrior-victor, yet very feminine. As Guy Shaked points out: \"Donatello most likely received the idea of Ancient time warriors fighting in the nude with helmet and boots from Greek Vase paintings depicting such scenes. However, at his time, it is unknown whether Donatello had available to him one of the Greek vases with such a depiction. Unlike, these ancient warriors, David has instead of a helmet (symbolizing the warrior) - the shepherd\'s hat, in order to identify him as a shepherd as well as a warrior.\"\r\n\r\nPersonally, I appreciate that it is made from bronze, as it is difficult to meld bronze. And the most meaningful part to me is David standing on the head of Goliath. It shows the \'certain victory\' factor that other depictions of David lack, but what David is mostly known for. And for this Time capsule proposal, the thing I appreciate most that has helped me understand and give me insight on this work would go to Google. It pulled um many sites and many discussions that gave me new knowledge and perspective on this statue.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Harris, Beth. \"Explore Smarthistory.\" Smarthistory.khan Academy. Khan Academy, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. &lt;http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Donatello.html&gt;.</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>\"David.\" Artble: The Home of Passionate Art Lovers. Artible, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. &lt;http://www.artble.com/artists/donatello/sculpture/david&gt;.</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>haked, Guy. \"Donatello\'s David.\" Donatello\'s David. Guy Shaked, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. &lt;http://www.guyshaked.com/donatello.html&gt;</strong>\r\n\r\nImage courtesy of http://blogs.artinfo.com (http://blogs.artinfo.com/secrethistoryofart/files/2011/02/Donatello-David.jpg)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Donatello\'s Bronze David','','inherit','open','open','','2423-revision-10','','','2012-09-24 12:13:54','2012-09-24 18:13:54','',2423,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2510',0,'revision','',0),(2512,57,'2012-09-24 12:18:30','2012-09-24 18:18:30','<p style=\"text-align: center\">    <img class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg</p>\n     Martin Luther is considered the father of the Protestant Reformation. He was a Monk and professor who after studying the scripture began to question the Catholic Church. On October 31, 1517 (Economist) Luther changed the world by posting his 95 grievances, fondly known as his “95 Theses”, on the University door. He concentrated on the sale of indulgences and the path to God, saying the church had no right to exclusively do it. He argued that people can interpret the Bible themselves. He also argued that countries should be able to interpret religion their way, rather than everyone following the Pope in Italy (Fiero). After the Theses was posted, plus the new invention of the printing press, people all over Europe were able to read this and spark the Reformation. Luther was charged with heresy and had to go to court, called the Diet of Worms, in 1921. The “95 Theses” should be preserved because this document not only shows that one man can change the world, but it is a vital document in religious history.\n\n<!--more-->\nLeading up to Luther’s posting, there had been some arguments against the Church of Rome. In the Netherlands a new religious thought was being put into action called modern devotion (Fiero). Modern devotion spread throughout Northern Europe and sparked some questions on if the Church of Rome was the only path to God. At this time the Church of Rome was corrupt, and was selling indulgences saying it would get your family out of purgatory. Profits from the indulgences were going renovate churches and homes for the clergy. Many people, including Luther, were not happy with it anymore.\nBecause of the arguments against the Catholic Church, Luther was not the only reform minded person in Europe. Derek Wilson wrote a story for History Today called “The Luther Legacy” that talked about various effects over the years of the “95 Theses”. Wilson said, “He wanted to restore the church to its New Testament purity. In that desire he was at one with a large swathe of public opinion… (Wilson).” The Catholic Church had gotten so out of control that Kings wanted to take control back over their countries. Luther wanted to give this religious control to the Kings, rather than the Catholic Church controlling it. In fact, Wilson pointed out that, “…the German estates also presented a catalog of 102 ‘oppressive burdens and abuses imposed upon…the German Empire by the Holy See of Rome’ (Wilson).” They presented this Catalog at Luther’s heresy trial.\nLike I have already mentioned, Luther was not the first Reformer, he was just the first one to get the backing needed to make it successful. Because of that, the “95 Theses” was very innovative for its time. “…he gave people permission to doubt everything the Catholic hierarchy taught, to judge it for themselves against the testimony of the bible (Wilson).” Before Luther, and even for a little while after, people who questioned the Catholic Church were persecuted by both the Church and their Country. Luther also gave instructions on how to use the testimony of the bible, “…he was saying that any man or woman possessed of the open Bible could be their own theologian (Wilson).” This idea was very terrifying to authority because as Wilson continues to point out, this idea challenged divine sanction in general (both Church and State) and left minds open for other forms of politics, like democracy. Michael Mullett describes this new position as, “…the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Mullett).”\nAs already discussed, Luther’s work scared authority figures; but regular citizens and scholars were inspired by his ideas. “Within a few years hundreds of untrained lay people were writing devotional and polemical books and pamphlets (Wilson).” He was actually responsible for a third of vernacular literature between the years 1520 and 1546, Wilson goes on to state. Luther is given the honor of starting the Protestant Reformation which may not have been his original purpose, but soon things started to spiral out of control. Another response of people at the time was violent riots. Wilson explains the situation, “…a widespread popular rising against secular princes by ordinary people some of whom drew socially radical conclusions from Luther’s teaching (Wilson).” These riots Luther quickly stood up against and said he didn’t support them. The most major response though, was the response of the Church of Rome. In 1521 Luther was brought before the Diet of Worms for heresy, the ruling was to excommunicate him from Germany.\nToday, Luther is still coined as the man who began Protestantism. In the last hundred years though, there has been some interesting things associated with Luther. On one side he is still praised, Wilson said “Even our supposedly post-Christian age cannot write him out of the record (Wilson).” This was Wilson recognizing how important of a person Luther was to shaping the world we live in today. He is also still used today when Catholic issues arise again. For example, in 1999 the Catholic Church reemphasized the sale of indulgences. On the topic, Vitor Westhelle said, “At least these are recent signals…which invites us to take a new look at Luther’s quest for a merciful God (Westhelle).” The most interesting thought though, is people saying Luther is evil and influenced Hitler. In a Time magazine article from 1944, William Inge wrote a periodical that actually says Luther is worse than Hitler. He said, “If we wish to find a scapegoat on whose shoulders we may lay the miseries which Germany has brought upon the world…I am more and more conceived that the worst evil genius of that country is not Hitler…but Martin Luther (Time).” He goes on to wish that one day Luther’s influence won’t be in Germany anymore. In 2003, they made a movie called Luther about the posting of the Theses. According to the movies IMDB page, the movie begins when he becomes a monk and goes through his struggles with the church and through the actual trial after. I believe, and the movie shows, that people today are still impressed and interested in Luther’s work.\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://youtu.be/SzFc7ilM7nw\">Trailer for \"Luther\" (2003)</a></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">     Personally I have a few different reactions to the work. Religiously I admire Luther for his strength to stand up against the Catholic Church. I grew up in a Baptist home, which is Protestant, so I have him to thank for that (Although I am sure someone else would’ve broken the ties if it were not Luther.). He knew what he believed and he stood up for it. Politically, I admire his guts. I feel like today people are afraid to speak out like he did; and then after speaking out still stand on their word even when they are being charged or persecuted for it.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">A few years following the posting many reformers stepped up to follow in Luther’s footsteps. One of which was John Calvin, whose followers were called Calvinists. John Calvin wrote lots of books describing his views, one of which was called “The Institutes of the Christian Religion”. He finished the work in 1536; it started as a paper and ended up a 4 book series (Creator, Redeemer, Spirit, and the Church). He dedicated the book to the French King Francis 1, who was persecuting Protestants. “The French Protestants…may have been inclined to regard government as an enemy exclusively, not understanding in it its divinely ordained role (McKee).” According to McKee, Calvin was discussing the Apostles Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">This work as a whole is just remarkably significant. As far as religious texts go, I would personally say this comes right after the Bible in importance. Future generations deserve to see what is possible if you stand up for yourself. Other times in history this has worked; Civil Rights, Women’s rights, the end of slavery, civil wars around the world. If you stand up for what you believe in, there are no limits to where it can take you; and that is what I believe future generations can learn from this work.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Martin Luther is one of the most well-known names in the history of the world. He single-handedly sparked the Protestant Reformation, he changed the Catholic Church, and he changed the way the whole world thought and taught religion. His “95 Theses” sparked huge controversy, but it brought awareness of the ridiculous-ness the Church of Rome was trying to pass as religion. Since then thousands of churches consider themselves Protestant, the Catholic Church has changed and is not as corrupt, and many people can attribute their right to speak their opinions to Martin Luther. His work is unmatched in religious and philosophical importance, and that is why it deserves to be preserved for future generations.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Works Cited</p>\nBigalke Jr., Ron J. \"Institutes Of The Christian Religion: 1541 French Edition.\" Journal Of Dispensational Theology 13.40 (2009): 74-75. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nThis is an article discussing John Calvin’s work “Institutes of The Christian Religion”, John Calvin was another reformer who had a prominent following during the Protestant Reformation.\n\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\nI used the textbook to pinpoint the Norwegian conflict with the Church of Rome and also for some basic background information.\n\n\"How Luther Went Viral.\" Economist. 17 Dec 2011: n. page. Web. 14 Sep. 2012. &lt;http://www.economist.com/node/21541719&gt;.\nI used this story from The Economist to get background information mostly in the introduction.\n\n\"Luther (2003).\" IMDB. IMDB.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 24 Sep 2012. &lt;http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309820/&gt;.\n\n\"Luther Is To Blame.\" Time 44.19 (1944): 63. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nI used this short article from during World War 2 to explain a point of view someone in the last 100 years has had regarding Luther and his work.\n\nMullett, Michael. \"Martin Luther\'s Ninety-Five Theses: Michael Mullett Defines The Role Of The 95 Theses In The Lutheran Reformation.(Key Texts)(Cover Story)(Biography).\" History Review 46 (n.d.): 46. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nI used Mullett’s discussion to describe how the work was innovative for the time.\n\nWesthelle, Vítor. \"Uses And Abuses Of The Cross: The Reformation, Then And Now.\" Trinity Seminary Review 28.2 (2007): 83-93. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nI used Westhelle’s look at the past and present responses in my discussion of how people today feel about the work.\n\nWilson, Derek. \"The Luther Legacy: Derek Wilson Looks At The Great Religious Reformer And Asks Why His Life And Work Have Seemed So Significant To So Many Diverse People For Almost 500 Years.\" History Today 57.5 (n.d.): 34. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nWilson was my main source. I used his look at the legacy of Luther to discuss how the work was both typical and innovative at the time, how it was received, and how people today feel about the work.','Martin Luther\'s \"95 Theses\"','','inherit','open','open','','2405-revision-21','','','2012-09-24 12:18:30','2012-09-24 18:18:30','',2405,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2512',0,'revision','',0),(2527,57,'2012-09-24 13:05:44','2012-09-24 19:05:44','<p style=\"text-align: center\">    <img class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg</p>\n     Martin Luther is considered the father of the Protestant Reformation. He was a Monk and professor who after studying the scripture began to question the Catholic Church. On October 31, 1517 (Economist) Luther changed the world by posting his 95 grievances, fondly known as his “95 Theses”, on the University door. He concentrated on the sale of indulgences and the path to God, saying the church had no right to exclusively do it. He argued that people can interpret the Bible themselves. He also argued that countries should be able to interpret religion their way, rather than everyone following the Pope in Italy (Fiero). After the Theses was posted, plus the new invention of the printing press, people all over Europe were able to read this and spark the Reformation. Luther was charged with heresy and had to go to court, called the Diet of Worms, in 1921. The “95 Theses” should be preserved because this document not only shows that one man can change the world, but it is a vital document in religious history.\n\n<!--more-->\nLeading up to Luther’s posting, there had been some arguments against the Church of Rome. In the Netherlands a new religious thought was being put into action called modern devotion (Fiero). Modern devotion spread throughout Northern Europe and sparked some questions on if the Church of Rome was the only path to God. At this time the Church of Rome was corrupt, and was selling indulgences saying it would get your family out of purgatory. Profits from the indulgences were going renovate churches and homes for the clergy. Many people, including Luther, were not happy with it anymore.\nBecause of the arguments against the Catholic Church, Luther was not the only reform minded person in Europe. Derek Wilson wrote a story for History Today called “The Luther Legacy” that talked about various effects over the years of the “95 Theses”. Wilson said, “He wanted to restore the church to its New Testament purity. In that desire he was at one with a large swathe of public opinion… (Wilson).” The Catholic Church had gotten so out of control that Kings wanted to take control back over their countries. Luther wanted to give this religious control to the Kings, rather than the Catholic Church controlling it. In fact, Wilson pointed out that, “…the German estates also presented a catalog of 102 ‘oppressive burdens and abuses imposed upon…the German Empire by the Holy See of Rome’ (Wilson).” They presented this Catalog at Luther’s heresy trial.\nLike I have already mentioned, Luther was not the first Reformer, he was just the first one to get the backing needed to make it successful. Because of that, the “95 Theses” was very innovative for its time. “…he gave people permission to doubt everything the Catholic hierarchy taught, to judge it for themselves against the testimony of the bible (Wilson).” Before Luther, and even for a little while after, people who questioned the Catholic Church were persecuted by both the Church and their Country. Luther also gave instructions on how to use the testimony of the bible, “…he was saying that any man or woman possessed of the open Bible could be their own theologian (Wilson).” This idea was very terrifying to authority because as Wilson continues to point out, this idea challenged divine sanction in general (both Church and State) and left minds open for other forms of politics, like democracy. Michael Mullett describes this new position as, “…the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Mullett).”\nAs already discussed, Luther’s work scared authority figures; but regular citizens and scholars were inspired by his ideas. “Within a few years hundreds of untrained lay people were writing devotional and polemical books and pamphlets (Wilson).” He was actually responsible for a third of vernacular literature between the years 1520 and 1546, Wilson goes on to state. Luther is given the honor of starting the Protestant Reformation which may not have been his original purpose, but soon things started to spiral out of control. Another response of people at the time was violent riots. Wilson explains the situation, “…a widespread popular rising against secular princes by ordinary people some of whom drew socially radical conclusions from Luther’s teaching (Wilson).” These riots Luther quickly stood up against and said he didn’t support them. The most major response though, was the response of the Church of Rome. In 1521 Luther was brought before the Diet of Worms for heresy, the ruling was to excommunicate him from Germany.\nToday, Luther is still coined as the man who began Protestantism. In the last hundred years though, there has been some interesting things associated with Luther. On one side he is still praised, Wilson said “Even our supposedly post-Christian age cannot write him out of the record (Wilson).” This was Wilson recognizing how important of a person Luther was to shaping the world we live in today. He is also still used today when Catholic issues arise again. For example, in 1999 the Catholic Church reemphasized the sale of indulgences. On the topic, Vitor Westhelle said, “At least these are recent signals…which invites us to take a new look at Luther’s quest for a merciful God (Westhelle).” The most interesting thought though, is people saying Luther is evil and influenced Hitler. In a Time magazine article from 1944, William Inge wrote a periodical that actually says Luther is worse than Hitler. He said, “If we wish to find a scapegoat on whose shoulders we may lay the miseries which Germany has brought upon the world…I am more and more conceived that the worst evil genius of that country is not Hitler…but Martin Luther (Time).” He goes on to wish that one day Luther’s influence won’t be in Germany anymore. In 2003, they made a movie called Luther about the posting of the Theses. According to the movies IMDB page, the movie begins when he becomes a monk and goes through his struggles with the church and through the actual trial after. I believe, and the movie shows, that people today are still impressed and interested in Luther’s work.\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://youtu.be/SzFc7ilM7nw\">Trailer for \"Luther\" (2003)</a></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">     Personally I have a few different reactions to the work. Religiously I admire Luther for his strength to stand up against the Catholic Church. I grew up in a Baptist home, which is Protestant, so I have him to thank for that (Although I am sure someone else would’ve broken the ties if it were not Luther.). He knew what he believed and he stood up for it. Politically, I admire his guts. I feel like today people are afraid to speak out like he did; and then after speaking out still stand on their word even when they are being charged or persecuted for it.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">A few years following the posting many reformers stepped up to follow in Luther’s footsteps. One of which was John Calvin, whose followers were called Calvinists. John Calvin wrote lots of books describing his views, one of which was called “The Institutes of the Christian Religion”. He finished the work in 1536; it started as a paper and ended up a 4 book series (Creator, Redeemer, Spirit, and the Church). He dedicated the book to the French King Francis 1, who was persecuting Protestants. “The French Protestants…may have been inclined to regard government as an enemy exclusively, not understanding in it its divinely ordained role (McKee).” According to McKee, Calvin was discussing the Apostles Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">This work as a whole is just remarkably significant. As far as religious texts go, I would personally say this comes right after the Bible in importance. Future generations deserve to see what is possible if you stand up for yourself. Other times in history this has worked; Civil Rights, Women’s rights, the end of slavery, civil wars around the world. If you stand up for what you believe in, there are no limits to where it can take you; and that is what I believe future generations can learn from this work.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Martin Luther is one of the most well-known names in the history of the world. He single-handedly sparked the Protestant Reformation, he changed the Catholic Church, and he changed the way the whole world thought and taught religion. His “95 Theses” sparked huge controversy, but it brought awareness of the ridiculous-ness the Church of Rome was trying to pass as religion. Since then thousands of churches consider themselves Protestant, the Catholic Church has changed and is not as corrupt, and many people can attribute their right to speak their opinions to Martin Luther. His work is unmatched in religious and philosophical importance, and that is why it deserves to be preserved for future generations.</p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Works Cited</p>\nBigalke Jr., Ron J. \"Institutes Of The Christian Religion: 1541 French Edition.\" Journal Of Dispensational Theology 13.40 (2009): 74-75. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nThis is an article discussing John Calvin’s work “Institutes of The Christian Religion”, John Calvin was another reformer who had a prominent following during the Protestant Reformation.\n\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\nI used the textbook to pinpoint the Norwegian conflict with the Church of Rome and also for some basic background information.\n\n\"How Luther Went Viral.\" Economist. 17 Dec 2011: n. page. Web. 14 Sep. 2012. &lt;http://www.economist.com/node/21541719&gt;.\nI used this story from The Economist to get background information mostly in the introduction.\n\n\"Luther (2003).\" IMDB. IMDB.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 24 Sep 2012. &lt;http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309820/&gt;.\n\n\"Luther Is To Blame.\" Time 44.19 (1944): 63. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nI used this short article from during World War 2 to explain a point of view someone in the last 100 years has had regarding Luther and his work.\n\nMullett, Michael. \"Martin Luther\'s Ninety-Five Theses: Michael Mullett Defines The Role Of The 95 Theses In The Lutheran Reformation.(Key Texts)(Cover Story)(Biography).\" History Review 46 (n.d.): 46. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nI used Mullett’s discussion to describe how the work was innovative for the time.\n\nWesthelle, Vítor. \"Uses And Abuses Of The Cross: The Reformation, Then And Now.\" Trinity Seminary Review 28.2 (2007): 83-93. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nI used Westhelle’s look at the past and present responses in my discussion of how people today feel about the work.\n\nWilson, Derek. \"The Luther Legacy: Derek Wilson Looks At The Great Religious Reformer And Asks Why His Life And Work Have Seemed So Significant To So Many Diverse People For Almost 500 Years.\" History Today 57.5 (n.d.): 34. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\nWilson was my main source. I used his look at the legacy of Luther to discuss how the work was both typical and innovative at the time, how it was received, and how people today feel about the work.','Martin Luther\'s \"95 Theses\"','','inherit','open','open','','2405-revision-24','','','2012-09-24 13:05:44','2012-09-24 19:05:44','',2405,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2527',0,'revision','',0),(2513,66,'2012-09-24 12:18:09','2012-09-24 18:18:09','David\r\n\r\nby Donatello\r\n\r\n1430–1440 A.D\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Donatello-David.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-2441\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Donatello-David-160x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThis statue was the first  work of bronze during the Renaissance, and the first nude male sculpture. As it is symbolically relevant to the theme of biblical figure of the time, it should be noted that as it has religious context, it was also highly controversial as the statue was nude.It depicts David , standing on Goliath\'s severed head just after defeating him. He is completely naked, aside from a hat and boots, holding the sword of Goliath. This piece was commissioned by the Medici family and placed in the courtyard of the Medici Palace in Florence. After the Medici were exiled from Florence in 1494, the statue was moved to the courtyard of the Palazzo della Signoria, then was moved to the Pitti Palace in the 17th century, then to the Uffizi in 1777, and then finally, in 1865 to the Bargello museum where it is preserved today.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->At the time of it\'s creation, the Renaissance was gaining momentum, and many were going against the grain. It was being established that to be a new thinker, one must create something controversial and give their work a reason to be talked about. This statue is an excellent example of the ideas of the time of being controversial and bold.\r\n\r\nAs were many such artistic works, it is similar in that is a sculpture of a religious figure, which was a popular depiction of the time. Many artists prefer to take inspiration from the bible and depicted them through paintings, sculptures, or musical works. In this instance Donatello\'s statue was believed to be commissioned by Cosimo de\' Medici, though it is unknown. The most typical thing about it is it\'s stance and portrayal of David as to sy more than his defeat of Goliath.  As discussed by Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker from Khan Academy, they explain in better detail the complexity and depth of the work. Dr. Steven Zucker goes on to say; \" This intimacy is not simply a result of the nudity, but also of the emotional experience Donatello renders through the face and even the stance of the body—and it\'s so unexpected in the telling of the story of David and Goliath! I would expect rather a triumphal victorious figure, maybe holding the sword and the enemy\'s severed head aloft... Instead, here is a thoughtful, quiet, contemplative face.\"\r\n\r\nAside from it being forged from bronze, it is unusual in that it was a nude sculpture, but then it isn\'t. For the most part, David isn\'t wearing anything other than a hat and boots, which if worn today would still count as \"indecent exposure\", but you could argue that you aren\'t actually nude. From the nudity of the sculpture, it\'s most innovative point is bringing back humanity and becoming more personal with this work through it\'s nudity Dr. Beth Harris discusses; \" I think it\'s important to stress that this figure is free-standing. Sculpted figures have finally been detached from architecture and are once again independent in the way they were in ancient Greece and Rome. And because he\'s free-standing, he is more human, more real...I wish I could go back in time to Florence in the 1400s, to this remarkable moment, to witness the rebirth of Humanism.\"\r\n\r\nAt it\'s initial creation it wasn\'t appealing to the religious types because of it\'s nudity and feminine depiction of David, but many thought it was an excellent, in-depth work. Artible.com states; \"While scholars may disagree about David\'s origins, one thing they do wholeheartedly agree on is the extraordinary success it enjoyed immediately upon completion. Despite David\'s apparently controversial composition, there is no record of public outcry or indignation regarding the statue. It was placed in the town hall of Florence in the 1490s, very strong evidence that it was not viewed as lewd or outrageous.\"\r\n\r\nOf the people who appreciate art and it\'s depictions, it\'s stories, and their meanings, it is regarded very highly. Mostly for it\'s revival of humanism, but also for it\'s figure and simplicity. Not many people know of this statue due to it\'s size and standing in the shadow of Michelangelo\'s David, but of the people who do, it is greatly admired.\r\n\r\nIn contrast to Michelangelo\'s David, made of marble and holding the sling-shot, they both depict David very differently. Michelangelo depicted David as more masculine, with less objects, (ie: no hat or boots), Where as Donatello\'s David is shown as a warrior-victor, yet very feminine. As Guy Shaked points out: \"Donatello most likely received the idea of Ancient time warriors fighting in the nude with helmet and boots from Greek Vase paintings depicting such scenes. However, at his time, it is unknown whether Donatello had available to him one of the Greek vases with such a depiction. Unlike, these ancient warriors, David has instead of a helmet (symbolizing the warrior) - the shepherd\'s hat, in order to identify him as a shepherd as well as a warrior.\"\r\n\r\nPersonally, I appreciate that it is made from bronze, as it is difficult to meld bronze. And the most meaningful part to me is David standing on the head of Goliath. It shows the \'certain victory\' factor that other depictions of David lack, but what David is mostly known for. And for this Time capsule proposal, the thing I appreciate most that has helped me understand and give me insight on this work would go to Google. It pulled um many sites and many discussions that gave me new knowledge and perspective on this statue.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong>Harris, Beth. \"Explore Smarthistory.\" Smarthistory.khan Academy. Khan Academy, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. &lt;http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Donatello.html&gt;.</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>\"David.\" Artble: The Home of Passionate Art Lovers. Artible, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. &lt;http://www.artble.com/artists/donatello/sculpture/david&gt;.</strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>haked, Guy. \"Donatello\'s David.\" Donatello\'s David. Guy Shaked, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2012. &lt;http://www.guyshaked.com/donatello.html&gt;</strong>\r\n\r\nImage courtesy of http://blogs.artinfo.com (http://blogs.artinfo.com/secrethistoryofart/files/2011/02/Donatello-David.jpg)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Donatello\'s Bronze David','','inherit','open','open','','2423-revision-11','','','2012-09-24 12:18:09','2012-09-24 18:18:09','',2423,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2513',0,'revision','',0),(2514,65,'2012-09-24 12:18:43','2012-09-24 18:18:43','','Book of Travel','','inherit','open','open','','book-of-travel','','','2012-09-24 12:18:43','2012-09-24 18:18:43','',2427,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Book-of-Travel.doc',0,'attachment','application/msword',0),(2515,68,'2012-09-24 12:18:35','2012-09-24 18:18:35','The mayan book of creation is a text that orginated in mesoamerica. At the time of its conception it was a large collection of codices and oral stories that later were transcribed into to one large text in order to keep it alive.<!--more-->\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Mayan book of creationism, The Popol Vuh, was formally written down in 1554, during the time of Spanish occupation of their homelands (Christenson 38). This is during the time that new world had been discovered and many countries began exploring these untouched lands with strange aboriginals and Customs. However, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Europe was undergoing a cultural and intellectual Renaissance. The Art of the time was based on conveying the most realistic interpretations of life through the medium (Fiero section 17). The literature that was being produced during the renaissance represented the growing intellectualism of the people of Europe and often focused on the natural world and the laws the define it (Fiero). Leonardo Da Vinci is one notable artisan from the European renaissance, and is most know for his very detailed oriented and descriptive style. Da Vinci wrote about the mechanics of flight and the standardization of mechanical parts (Fiero b3), which shows that he was studying nature in its most principle form even without being a to mathematical calculate everything. Leonardo works also include detailed anatomical drawings which were considered the most descriptive of his time (Fiero b3). The Works of the renaissance era can be said to incorporate the spirit of science in its earliest development, this is quite the contrast to the spiritual writings of the Popol Vuh</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Literary work of the Popol Vuh has several unusual features to it. The Book was the only religious text that was written down, since the Mayans were the only culture that had a writing system (Christenson 33). Even though other Mesoamerica cultures used hieroglyphs to record events, the Mayan hieroglyphs were a phonetic script which means that they didn’t describe pictorial events but allowed the capability of recording any thoughts the Mayans may have had (Christenson 20). This feature is Very important when analyzing the Popol Vuh because it conveys the advanced intellectual thought of the Mayan people, even though they were deemed to be “ Lazy and childlike” by the Spanish conquistadores (Carlsen &amp; Prechtel 38). The other unique thing about this work is that in Mayan beliefs, when one reads a script (such as the Popol Vuh), it is as if you are giving a living voice to the original author, and you must ask for forgiveness for disturbing them and hold reverence for their spirit (Christenson 17). So as one reads the Popol Vuh, they must be aware of these Mayan traditions about the practice of reading them, so that they don’t upset the ancient spirits that created it.</p>\r\nDuring the time of its original transcription in 1554 (Christenson 38), It was considered by Fray Diego de Landa to be “lies of the of the devil” (Barnett 1). Because of this he set forth to burn every Mayan text he could find so that the spiritual traditions of the Mayan people could be wiped out (1). However with the widespread distaste and criticism of the Mayan beliefs by the Spanish, They ultimately failed in their Conquest of pre-Columbian Mayan culture since the Mayans showed a ‘fierce resistance to the acculturation’ and developed methods of cultural adaption to insure the survival of these beliefs (PDF 38).\r\nThe Perception of Mayan culture and the Popol Vuh by people outside of academics is generally fascination, due to the intriguing and mystical past of the Mayans (Barnett 2). However most Mayan enthusiast have not actually read the Popol Vuh (2), So the work would be considered second to the other Mayan relics such as their remaining architecture and art. This does not discredit the work though, and just shows that the Popol Vuh’s influence on Mayan architecture and art makes them much of what they are. The renewed general interest in Mayanism after the Spanish attempts to thwart it stems from the copies that the missionary Francisco Ximenez and later Carl Scherzer made (Barnett 1). The copy that Ximenez made is important because it came from the original 16th transcription of the Popol Vuh that was guarded by the peoples of Quiche heritage (Christenson 40). The transcription was made in two copies one in the native Quiche language that was used by the Mayans, and in Spanish (40). Then in 1800’s Carl Scherzer, an Austrian traveler, discovered the two copies and had made a new copy of the two entirely in Spanish (40). With this new copy he brought it back to Europe where it was officially published for the first time (40). The Popol Vuh gained new audiences amongst the people of Europe and America since they had a growing interest in ancient cultures (40). There has also been analysis on contemporary Anthropological literature that shows the people of the Mayan highlands are among the most studied ethnic groups in the world (Carlsen &amp; Prechtel 23). A lot of the literature also came from the Harvard Chiapas studies in that area as well (23). It can be concluded that since the publishment of Scherzer’s copy of the Popol Vuh, that has been an increased modern interest in the Mayan text and way of life.\r\nAfter reading the Popol Vuh, I have grown very fond of many of its features and stories. The re-occurring them of resurrection and rebirth in the Popol Vuh is very important to me because I have similar beliefs in the cyclic nature of life and this is stressed a many times within the work. The western belief of the linear progression of life with exact terminal ends is contrasted against the idea of new life springing from the death of the old. The Mayans practice of naming the grandchildren after the grandparents is an excellent example of the life sprouting from death (Carlsen &amp; Prechtel 28). The Popol Vuh also explains in narrative that the “Earth God” is of more importance than any other deity (Christenson 36). This co-insides with my environmental beliefs and allows me to relate to the Mayans fondness of the earth.\r\nAround the time of the 16th century transcription of the Popol Vuh, the Invention of the Gutenberg press in Europe changed the nature of literature forever. The Press allowed the rapid production of manuscripts and led the increased availability of texts and an increased literacy in Europe. One of the most notable texts to be made on the press was the Gutenberg bible. This allowed widespread availability of religious texts to the many people of the world and technologically charged Christianity. The rapid production and availability of the Bible during this time is a stark contrast to the nearly forgotten and hidden text of the Popol Vuh. The Popol Vuh didn’t receive publishment until the 1800’s, so its audience was limited to the remaining ancestors of the Mayan people that were only able to pass it one orally and with partial scripts of the Popol Vuh. The bible was also used as tool to subject the Mesoamerican people but the many missionary’s attempts to of destroying the Popol Vuh and replacing it with the bible; the Popol Vuh survived to this day.\r\nIn my opinion the most important feature of the Popol Vuh for future generations would be the many philosophies of life and death that Popol Vuh entertains the reader with. This I find very important for the future children of this earth because they may be only introduced into the religious dogma of Christianity and feel as if their entire life is sin. But in the Popol Vuh it stresses the influence of both light and shadow on our life and to be fully human we must integrate both into our life.\r\n\r\n\r\nBarnett, Charles R. Popol Vuh of the Jaguar Priests. Los Alamos, NM:\r\nExceptional, 1993. Print.\r\n\r\nChristenson, Allen J. Popol Vuh. Winchester, U.K.: O, 2003. Print.<!--more-->','Popol Vuh The Mayan Book of Creation','','inherit','open','open','','2478-revision-3','','','2012-09-24 12:18:35','2012-09-24 18:18:35','',2478,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2515',0,'revision','',0),(2516,68,'2012-09-24 12:18:54','2012-09-24 18:18:54','The mayan book of creation is a text that orginated in mesoamerica. At the time of its conception it was a large collection of codices and oral stories that later were transcribed into to one large text in order to keep it alive.<!--more-->\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Mayan book of creationism, The Popol Vuh, was formally written down in 1554, during the time of Spanish occupation of their homelands (Christenson 38). This is during the time that new world had been discovered and many countries began exploring these untouched lands with strange aboriginals and Customs. However, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Europe was undergoing a cultural and intellectual Renaissance. The Art of the time was based on conveying the most realistic interpretations of life through the medium (Fiero section 17). The literature that was being produced during the renaissance represented the growing intellectualism of the people of Europe and often focused on the natural world and the laws the define it (Fiero). Leonardo Da Vinci is one notable artisan from the European renaissance, and is most know for his very detailed oriented and descriptive style. Da Vinci wrote about the mechanics of flight and the standardization of mechanical parts (Fiero b3), which shows that he was studying nature in its most principle form even without being a to mathematical calculate everything. Leonardo works also include detailed anatomical drawings which were considered the most descriptive of his time (Fiero b3). The Works of the renaissance era can be said to incorporate the spirit of science in its earliest development, this is quite the contrast to the spiritual writings of the Popol Vuh</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Literary work of the Popol Vuh has several unusual features to it. The Book was the only religious text that was written down, since the Mayans were the only culture that had a writing system (Christenson 33). Even though other Mesoamerica cultures used hieroglyphs to record events, the Mayan hieroglyphs were a phonetic script which means that they didn’t describe pictorial events but allowed the capability of recording any thoughts the Mayans may have had (Christenson 20). This feature is Very important when analyzing the Popol Vuh because it conveys the advanced intellectual thought of the Mayan people, even though they were deemed to be “ Lazy and childlike” by the Spanish conquistadores (Carlsen &amp; Prechtel 38). The other unique thing about this work is that in Mayan beliefs, when one reads a script (such as the Popol Vuh), it is as if you are giving a living voice to the original author, and you must ask for forgiveness for disturbing them and hold reverence for their spirit (Christenson 17). So as one reads the Popol Vuh, they must be aware of these Mayan traditions about the practice of reading them, so that they don’t upset the ancient spirits that created it.</p>\r\nDuring the time of its original transcription in 1554 (Christenson 38), It was considered by Fray Diego de Landa to be “lies of the of the devil” (Barnett 1). Because of this he set forth to burn every Mayan text he could find so that the spiritual traditions of the Mayan people could be wiped out (1). However with the widespread distaste and criticism of the Mayan beliefs by the Spanish, They ultimately failed in their Conquest of pre-Columbian Mayan culture since the Mayans showed a ‘fierce resistance to the acculturation’ and developed methods of cultural adaption to insure the survival of these beliefs (PDF 38).\r\nThe Perception of Mayan culture and the Popol Vuh by people outside of academics is generally fascination, due to the intriguing and mystical past of the Mayans (Barnett 2). However most Mayan enthusiast have not actually read the Popol Vuh (2), So the work would be considered second to the other Mayan relics such as their remaining architecture and art. This does not discredit the work though, and just shows that the Popol Vuh’s influence on Mayan architecture and art makes them much of what they are. The renewed general interest in Mayanism after the Spanish attempts to thwart it stems from the copies that the missionary Francisco Ximenez and later Carl Scherzer made (Barnett 1). The copy that Ximenez made is important because it came from the original 16th transcription of the Popol Vuh that was guarded by the peoples of Quiche heritage (Christenson 40). The transcription was made in two copies one in the native Quiche language that was used by the Mayans, and in Spanish (40). Then in 1800’s Carl Scherzer, an Austrian traveler, discovered the two copies and had made a new copy of the two entirely in Spanish (40). With this new copy he brought it back to Europe where it was officially published for the first time (40). The Popol Vuh gained new audiences amongst the people of Europe and America since they had a growing interest in ancient cultures (40). There has also been analysis on contemporary Anthropological literature that shows the people of the Mayan highlands are among the most studied ethnic groups in the world (Carlsen &amp; Prechtel 23). A lot of the literature also came from the Harvard Chiapas studies in that area as well (23). It can be concluded that since the publishment of Scherzer’s copy of the Popol Vuh, that has been an increased modern interest in the Mayan text and way of life.\r\nAfter reading the Popol Vuh, I have grown very fond of many of its features and stories. The re-occurring them of resurrection and rebirth in the Popol Vuh is very important to me because I have similar beliefs in the cyclic nature of life and this is stressed a many times within the work. The western belief of the linear progression of life with exact terminal ends is contrasted against the idea of new life springing from the death of the old. The Mayans practice of naming the grandchildren after the grandparents is an excellent example of the life sprouting from death (Carlsen &amp; Prechtel 28). The Popol Vuh also explains in narrative that the “Earth God” is of more importance than any other deity (Christenson 36). This co-insides with my environmental beliefs and allows me to relate to the Mayans fondness of the earth.\r\nAround the time of the 16th century transcription of the Popol Vuh, the Invention of the Gutenberg press in Europe changed the nature of literature forever. The Press allowed the rapid production of manuscripts and led the increased availability of texts and an increased literacy in Europe. One of the most notable texts to be made on the press was the Gutenberg bible. This allowed widespread availability of religious texts to the many people of the world and technologically charged Christianity. The rapid production and availability of the Bible during this time is a stark contrast to the nearly forgotten and hidden text of the Popol Vuh. The Popol Vuh didn’t receive publishment until the 1800’s, so its audience was limited to the remaining ancestors of the Mayan people that were only able to pass it one orally and with partial scripts of the Popol Vuh. The bible was also used as tool to subject the Mesoamerican people but the many missionary’s attempts to of destroying the Popol Vuh and replacing it with the bible; the Popol Vuh survived to this day.\r\nIn my opinion the most important feature of the Popol Vuh for future generations would be the many philosophies of life and death that Popol Vuh entertains the reader with. This I find very important for the future children of this earth because they may be only introduced into the religious dogma of Christianity and feel as if their entire life is sin. But in the Popol Vuh it stresses the influence of both light and shadow on our life and to be fully human we must integrate both into our life.\r\n\r\n\r\nBarnett, Charles R. Popol Vuh of the Jaguar Priests. Los Alamos, NM:\r\nExceptional, 1993. Print.\r\n\r\nChristenson, Allen J. Popol Vuh. Winchester, U.K.: O, 2003. Print.<!--more-->','Popol Vuh The Mayan Book of Creation','','inherit','open','open','','2478-revision-4','','','2012-09-24 12:18:54','2012-09-24 18:18:54','',2478,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2516',0,'revision','',0),(2520,59,'2012-09-24 12:18:07','2012-09-24 18:18:07','[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"257\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2502\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" /></a> Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II[/caption]\n\nhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/92413/Hernan-Cortes-with-Montezuma-II\n\nSince the beginning of time, art has reflected beliefs, culture, lifestyles, and fashion of its period. I never cared much for history but doing this project has created a whole new meaning of art for me. In studying history, I can learn more about today and what tomorrow might bring. I chose to study the <em>Letters from Mexico</em> (1519-1524) by Hernan Cortes. His letters account for his conquest to Mexico and the conquering of the Aztec Empire. After disobeying orders, Cortes sets out to explore modern day Mexico and kind of accidentally stumbles upon this beautiful, advanced, flourishing empire. With help from local allies, Cortes defeats the Aztecs and puts Spain in control of the vast land from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. He writes the letters to King Charles V of Spain telling him his story.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> by Hernan Cortes should be preserved because of the historical context, cultural context of the Aztec Empire, and because it is one of the only accounts that we have of what happened in that time. It marks a very important time in history of the colonization of the west, the personality of a conquistador, details of the mysterious Aztec Empire, reflects Christian attitudes and beliefs of that time, and lifestyle and rule in Spain.<!--more-->\n\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> was not a typical piece from its era. Exploration was just beginning in the west. While Spain was conquering new lands, the Renaissance was at its peak in Italy. Classical Humanists embraced Greco-Roman classics and were devoted to studying and imitating them. This new culture was more secular than religious. “They regarded Classical authority not exclusively as a means of clarifying Christian truths, but as the basis for a new appraisal of the role of the individual in the world order,” says Fiero. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the great artists of the High Renaissance, completed famous works such as <em>The Last Supper</em>. This world-famous painting was one of a kind and changed art techniques for centuries to come. Da Vinci applied classical art principles to the representation of Christian subjects. Renaissance artist began studying the mechanics of the human body, balance, using three dimensions rather than two, perfecting oil painting, making art in monumental size, heroic characteristics, and scientific laws of perspective. A lot of art at this time was similar to Da Vinci’s<em> The Last Suppe</em>r. Artists used Christian subjects and displayed religious scenes but used human figures to represent famous names. Not only paintings but large sculptures were popular artist trends.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> is very innovative and unusual for its time. When the letters were published in Spain, people were very interested and excited about them. Exploration in the west was just beginning and civilization was progressing. The letters were different from normal visual works of art because they were literary. Hernan Cortes told wild stories about the Aztec Empire and his time in the new world full of lavish gold; a completely different style of living than that of modern day Spain. I think it caught people’s attention and introduced them to new cultures other than the famous Greek or Roman.\nOne piece that is similar to <em>Letters from Mexico</em> is <em>The Prince.</em> Machiavelli, a famous philosopher, became known as Europe’s first political scientist. His popular little book, <em>The Prince</em>, called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. The leader he described must be ruthless and sacrifice moral virtue in the interest of the state. Machiavelli’s has a negative view of humanity pinning them as thankless, fickle, greedy, and dishonest. A lot of what Machiavelli described sounds exactly like the personality of Hernan Cortes. Machiavelli’s Prince is a lot smarter than Cortes and keeps power as well as a good reputation. I think these two pieces relate to each other because of the parts the main characters play. Hernan Cortes is a very greedy and egotistical explorer who actually disobeys rules from Spain on continuing with an expedition. He defends himself from a powerful empire battling his way to victory. In <em>The Prince</em>, “armed force as the ultimate sanction of political power, the ruthless suppression of dangerous enemies and the establishment of authority through fear rather than love, the use of deceit, careful economy rather than lavish expenditure- all these Machiavelli cites as necessary to the founder of a new state.” Both of these pieces are very political rather than secular or religious like other major artworks of their time. I think both of them went against the typical Monarchist policies of government at that time making them uncommon and alike.\nCortes’ letters were published to the public so everyone could read the first-hand account of the conquering of grand Aztec Empire. According to Pahl, the letters were action packed and real page turners. The public was so eager to know what was going on worlds away. Cortes “went on to great wealth and power.” (Mee.) Cortes appointed himself governor without permission from King Charles V. Cortes was careless, greedy, and irresponsible in his decisions. After being appointed governor Cortes left to explore what is now modern day Honduras. King Charles grew suspicious of Cortes and sent a bureaucrat named Luis Ponce de Leon to investigate. Luis died immediately and Cortes was charged with murder, rumor is he was poisoned. Cortes’ fifth letter was banned in Spain and his reputation was declining rapidly. People didn’t like Cortes’ decisions and he was being punished for it. Someone can’t rebel against the King and the public be aware it. I think that is why the letters were banned and Cortes was dealt with in a private manner. Cortes lived the rest of his life on his land in Mexico with his wife. He had no leadership in the new world and Spain continued to govern it.\nThere are a lot of mixed emotions about the <em>Letters from Mexico</em>. Their authenticity and credibility is doubted by many scholars. Pahl suggests Cortes is cocky and over exaggerates a lot of his takeover and what actually occurred. Yes, he conquered a gigantic empire but it is said he was ruthless, destructive, and it was similar to a massacre. Cortes went around “destroying traditional Mexican religious artifacts as it definitely impeded their attempts at a peaceful conversion.” (Pahl.) Anthony Pagden discusses how Cortes seeks to reinforce his authority and his reputation in his letters. Some scholars don’t even look at his letters of literary importance but just historical. Cortes didn’t have a very good reputation back then and he doesn’t at this time either. I personally feel Cortes ruined an empire that Spain could have learned a lot from. He was the leader and held all power and authority. I think his personal decisions and desires made a mess of the whole situation. He destroyed the Aztecs entire city because of their religious beliefs, who knows what he did with a lot of the gold, I know some of it went back to Spain when he was tried for murder, and he wasn’t a good leader and didn’t secure some type of government when the empire was defeated. Thousands of natives died and it was the end to an advanced and flourishing culture that could have helped progression in that era. I think Cortes greedily set out behind the kings back and stumbled upon an empire that was unstable and destroyed it. He manipulated Indians and locals into supporting him and then savagely killed thousands. Who knows what really happened? This is the account of a conceded and egotistical conquistador.\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> holds great historical importance making it unique and very innovative. There was a lot of Spanish and Portuguese exploration going on in the new world so empires could expand. What makes it so unique is his conquering of the Aztec empire giving Spain control of modern day Mexico. This was a huge accomplishment for Spain in the settling and colonizing of the Americas. It also made way for the present day. Colonization in the west created the nation we have today. Although I may disagree with Hernan Cortes’ decisions and opinions, he did make history and history made today. His letters hold a lot of historical importance in learning about different cultures of the world. What is most significant about this work is the historical context and cultural context. His account and a few others in his army are the only knowledge that we have of what happened at that time. It is very important these letters are preserved so we know about a beautiful culture that was lost in the process of one being made.','Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes','','inherit','open','open','','2414-revision-12','','','2012-09-24 12:18:07','2012-09-24 18:18:07','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2520',0,'revision','',0),(3385,1,'2013-09-29 09:50:34','2013-09-29 15:50:34','<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/the-birth-of-venus-14851.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-3382 aligncenter\" style=\"border-style: initial; border-color: initial; cursor: default; border-width: 0px;\" alt=\"the-birth-of-venus-1485(1)\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/the-birth-of-venus-14851-300x200.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" /></a></p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Sandro Botticelli’s “The Birth of Venus”</strong></p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://mmmnoodles.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/botticelli-birth-venus.jpg\">http://mmmnoodles.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/botticelli-birth-venus.jpg</a></p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510) was an Italian painter of the early Renaissance and was known for assisting with fresco painting, and what he’s best known for, the Birth of Venus that he painted for ruler and master poet Lorenzo de’ Medici. Also according to web source, The Biography Channel, “Botticelli was also himself a master and contributed to the decoration the Sistine Chapel.” But his most famous is the Birth of Venus (1483), the first large-scale tempera on canvas there was in the early Renaissance. Botticelli used naturalism and realism and his own techniques making his work more luxurious and loud. The Birth of Venus is a rare masterpiece that has remained classic and is one of the most known works of perfection in the world. Botticelli was also known for the Florentine School and the Primavera, other works of art he’s made his mark in the world with. Botticelli’s perfect linear style and his strange techniques are worthy of reserving his timeless work, and due to Botticelli’s exquisite and individual style during “The Golden Age”, the Birth of Venus should be protected and admired for our future generations (web. total history).<!--more--></p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">This classic work from the early Renaissance time period in Florence, Italy was painted for Lorenzo de’ Medici. This tempera on canvas depicts the goddess Venus’s arrival from the shell to the shore, displaying her actual “birth”. Her birth is understood by her beautiful naked body emerging to the shore waiting to be clothed. Botticelli enhances the goddess through her soft bodily features such as her elongated neck and long torso. Venus is depicted as this graceful virgin being born, symbolizing love and beauty. As she arrives to the shore, a man and woman are clasped to each other with bright, colorful flower petals swaying around giving it a sense of them helping Venus arrive from the sea to the shore. To the right of the painting is a motherly woman awaiting to celebrate Venus’s arrival with a piece of clothing in her hands to clothe Venus as she arrives. Botticelli made the draping on the woman’s clothing to the right look very natural and realistic and in the background, and the colors of the forest and sea he made very bright and vibrant.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Web source, Artble, clarifies, “the commissioner provided the original source of<a href=\"http://www.artble.com/artists/jean-honore_fragonard/paintings/inspiration\"> inspiration</a> and that either he, or one of his learned friends, explained to the artist what was the story, as recounted by the ancients regarding Venus rising from the sea. The story would have been seen as a symbol of mystery in which the divine message came into the world, and Botticelli has done his best to depict this myth in a worthy manner.” There were many different theories on what the true meaning is behind this stunning piece of art. As defined in a web source, people who studied this work of art described it as “Neoplatonic”, a meaning far from the usual theme of the “Christian Catholic Church” (web. source total history). Viewers were drawn to this mystery meaning behind the painting and during this time of the Renaissance, poets and artists tried to capture the glory of the Renaissance. (web. artble)</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">During this time period of the Renaissance, most artists used the rich and the royals in their paintings and poetry. Lorenzo the Great was one of the first to begin this tradition of influencing this style in poetry, which lead to the painting, the Birth of Venus, by Botticelli. “For the men of the Renaissance, the mythology of the Greeks and Romans represented a superior form of truth and wisdom,” (Artble web source). Most famous paintings during the time of the Birth of Venus were inspired by the Kings and the royals of Rome, grasping the true richness of that time period. As web source Artble explains, Botticelli’s the Birth of Venus was the, “first large-scale canvas created in Renaissance, Florence.” The little things he did to his paintings were very unusual of this time period such as covering the painting with eggs white to preserve the paint so it doesn’t fade or discompose easily.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Birth of Venus was unusual in only a few ways such as the size of the canvas being overwhelmingly large-scale, and also the little touches that Botticelli adds to the painting to keep it clean and in good shape for people of today to notice its brilliant beauty. This work stands out by its size and its texture. Botticelli is known for his unique styles of painting and his ways to keep his paintings looking fresh and luxurious even as time passes. As stated in web source, Artble, this painting resembles a fresco in the way it depicts its freshness and brightness.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">During the Renaissance, this painting was perceived to accomplish love and beauty. During this time period, painters were introducing mythology to their art and as it claims in web source Artble, “In the era that Birth of Venus was painted, minds were open to new ideas and religion no longer needed to be the main subject of artistic work” (Artble). This type of art (as displayed in the Birth of Venus) was very appealing to men. As portrayed in this work, Venus is pale with long hair, and her body is elongated; and most importantly she depicts a virgin. Venus was portrayed as every man’s dream woman back during the Renaissance. She is very melancholy in this painting which makes her more beautiful during her “birth”.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Today, people appreciate the Birth of Venus as much as it did early Renaissance, of not more. Blogger Jonathan Jones declares, “Botticelli\'s work recreates that image of the sea and sky soothed by the soft power of Venus. The sea in his <a href=\"http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/painting\">painting</a> is lulled and luxuriant. It is a marvellous artistic creation” (Jones). During the Renaissance, other artists and viewers appreciated Botticelli’s creativity with his bright colors and his originality of using mythological scenes in his artworks. There aren’t many differences in the opinions of people of today and back in the early Renaissance. If any differences should be considered, then it’s that more people today find the Birth of Venus more appealing and pay more attention to the detail in the art and also the mysterious story behind this exquisite piece of work.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">This painting to me has always been one of my most favorites. The way Botticelli depicts Venus is subtle and sweet, but very elegant. I absolutely love the shape of her body in this painting; the way her torso and neck is prolonged making it the main focus on this piece of art. I also adore how Botticelli painted her hair very lengthy and a little messy, with her also covering her fragile area with her hair. Botticelli put a lot of focus on Venus’s body and also the drapery of the women to the right, waiting to clothe Venus; the clothing on her seems very bright and detailed with also the drape in her hands also depicting the same fashion. The details of all for figures, however, does not blend well with the background of the sea. The Birth of Venus was one of Botticelli’s first masterpieces using this type of mythology and scenery, he doesn’t use realism technique until later during the Renaissance. The forest in the background also isn’t too realistic, but the little details such as the flowers blooming, the drapery on the figure to the right, and the figure of Venus makes up for the abstract sea behind them. This art piece is a classic. Botticelli did his finest to express his originality in this perfected model, and did an excellent job of bringing bright light and illuminating colors to this amazing piece of art.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In comparison, the Birth of Venus is extremely similar to Primavera, another masterpiece done by Botticelli. Both paintings are very vibrant and bright. Botticelli uses an informal landscape in the Primavera as well as the Birth of Venus. The figures in both paintings are similar due to the very center of the Birth of Venus, Venus is the main focus in the painting; and it is the same as for the Primavera. The figure in the center of both paintings, the bodies are both elongated with a very calm subtle stance. The figures beyond the center (left and right) of both paintings have many similarities such as the drapery of the dresses in the Birth of Venus, and the sheer coverings over the women figures in the Primavera. Botticelli uses so much color, and contrasts the dark background with the bright clothing worn by the figures.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">In contrast, the viewer of the Birth of Venus can see and understand every action of all the figures in the painting, and the painting is very direct. In the Primavera, there are many small scenes happening in the main large scene that the viewer doesn’t notice until taking a thorough look at the painting. Such as the evil figure to the right of the painting trying to snatch away one of the women. And also a baby cupid flying above in the very center to the top of the painting. There are many scenes focuses to the Primavera in contrast to one main focus in the Birth of Venus.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">This work is a complete, perfected, vibrant masterpiece. This specific piece of art is taught today in many college art courses. There’s a certain originality and beauty to Sandro Botticelli’s artworks, that one cannot resist but to keep it for our future generations. Botticelli invented a beautiful trend of painting large-scale mythological paintings, for other future artists to follow in his footsteps. For generations, the Birth of Venus has been unique to viewers, if it hadn’t, today’s people wouldn’t be studying it. The mystery, beauty, and originality behind the story of this painting is more than enough rationalism  to allow this painting to stay alive for generations to come.</p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><strong>Works Cited</strong></p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Dempsey, Charles “The Birth of Venus”</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Oxford University Press. 2007-2013.  Oxford Art Online</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">I found a lot of information about how art was being presented during this time period.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Jones, Jonathan. \"Botticelli\'s Birth of Venus breathes new life into an ancient religion.\" Jonathan Jones on art blog (2012). Web. 28 Sept. 2013.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">This shows how people pay attention to detail on the painting today.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Philip’s. “Botticelli, Sandro.” World Encyclopedia. 2004. ed. Print</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">This helped me focus on why the reason the Birth of Venus was painted and who it was painted for.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\"Sandro Botticelli.\" 2013. The Biography Channel website. Sep 22 2013, 09:20</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">This website helped me look at the details of this painting, and what makes the painting so different and unique.</p>\r\n<b><b> </b></b>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\"The Early Renaissance in Italy.\" Arts and Humanities Through the Eras. Ed. Edward I.     Bleiberg, et al. Vol. 4: Renaissance Europe 1300-1600. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 363-376. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.</p>\r\n<b><b> </b></b>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\"> The Perception of Female Beauty In Art. N.p., 8 May 2011. Web. 23 Sept. 2013.</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">This is a blog that I looked up that talked about how people perceived Venus during the early Renaissance and what the true meaning behind the painting is.</p>','GargiDave-TCP1','','inherit','open','open','','3381-revision-v1','','','2013-09-29 09:50:34','2013-09-29 15:50:34','',3381,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3385',0,'revision','',0),(2521,65,'2012-09-24 12:08:53','2012-09-24 18:08:53','<img class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"image/png;base64,[encoded data, 79192 characters]\" alt=\"\" />\r\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.khobartocape.com/ibnbattuta.htm</span></p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"> </span></p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Ibn battout’s book of travel</span></p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Ibn battout’s book of travel</span></p>\r\nThe “Rihla”, a classic Arabic name of the word <em>the journey</em>, is one of the most important and famous literature works of travel of the 14<sup>th</sup> century. It’s an account of travels and vivid experiences of the famous Moroccan explorer Ibn Battouta (1304-1368).\r\n\r\nIbn Batouta’s book of travel is considered as an eye witness of the cultural, social, and political life in the 14<sup>th</sup> century. Indeed, it is a geographical and historical reference. Because of that, Ibn Battouta’s book of travel should be preserved for future generations.\r\n\r\nThe book is about a Muslim scholar who left his homeland at the age of 21 in the intention to perform the pilgrimage, and ended up returning home “29 years later” (Rumford). After finishing his pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, instead of returning home, he decided to discover and visit the entire Islamic world at that time. Driven by his intellectual curiosity, he started his adventure. Thus, during 29 years, he visited about 44 countries of the Islamic world and beyond. His journey covered North Africa, West Africa, Asia, and some of Europe (Dunn). What is important about this, is that he recorded and documented all of his travels over 29 years.\r\n\r\nThe work was created on December 1355, when the Sultan of Morocco ordered the young writer, Ibn Juzayy, to record Ibn Battuta’s experiences. After finishing the work, the book was given the official title: <em>A gift to the Observers Concerning the Curiosities of the Cities and the Marvels Encountered in Travels </em>(Dunn).\r\n\r\n“Enormous opportunities for long-distance travel began to exist in the 13<sup>th</sup> century after the Mongols and other nomadic groups established large, stable empires in Eurasia that facilitated travel, trade and cultural exchange”.(journey to Mecca). The expanding world of Islam, after the Mongol converted to faith, created sort of cultural and political stability which helps Muslims to travel freely across Eurasia. (Dunn<em>)</em>. Caravans and sea lanes created transportation and communication network that stretched across the Eastern Hemisphere.\r\n\r\nThe 14<sup>th</sup> century was a century of remarkable events such as the beginning of the hundred year’s war, and the bubonic plague that ravaged almost the entire world killing millions of peoples. In the middle of these events, an important number of literature and artistic works were created by European and African personalities. During this era, literature works were more about “personal experiences in the everyday world”, and tales were the famous form of literature. (Fiero)\r\n\r\nSome of the important literature works at that time was the Boccaccio’s <em>Decameron</em> and <em>Immoral tales. </em>Chaucer, who was influenced by Boccaccio’s tales, left a remarkable group of stories called <em>The Canterbury tales</em> (Fiero). In the Muslim and Arabic world, <em>The Muquaddima, (</em>Introduction), of the historian and philosopher Ibn Khaldun was one of the important works of sociology and philosophy in the 14<sup>th</sup> century; and Ash-Sharif al-Idrisi, who wrote one of the greatest works of the medieval geography, <em>The Pleasure</em> <em>Excursion of One of Who Is Eager to Traverse the Regions of the World</em>. (Encyclopedia Britannica).\r\n\r\nThe <em>Rihla </em>was more than just a simple group tales; it was a piece of information and entertainment for the readers with detailed description of peoples, customs, monuments and cuisine of each place he visited.\r\n\r\nIn fact, Ibn Battouta’s book of travel was educational and informative in term of content. Indeed, it was a great source of inspiration knowing the story behind the creation of the work; Ibn Battouta left his hometown and family at a young age to perform the pilgrimage, but he ended up traveling about 75,000 miles (Encyclopedia Britannica), seeking education and learning about different Islamic cultures. For this reason, this work is considered innovative of its time; it should be preserved for future generation to teach them about intellectual curiosity.\r\n\r\nIf we compare Ibn battouta’s work with those of his contemporaries, such as Ibn Jubayr, and Ash-Sharif Al-Idrisi, we find that his <em>Rihla</em> contains observation of geographical details, as well as cultural, religious and political matters witch far exceed those provided by the other books. According to Dunn, “he ranged over almost every aspect of fourteenth-century life from cuisine, botany, and marriage practices to dynastic history and the price of chickens”.\r\n\r\nAt that time, Ibn Battouta’s experience was unique in the Islamic world by the fact that he traveled further and for a longer period than any other contemporary. For this reason, his experience, and tales attracted the attention of everybody including the Sultan of Morocco, who ordered Ibn Battuta to prepare a narrative of the experiences he encountered during his journey. Moreover, Ibn Battouta was a subject of a biographical notice of the Andalusian scholar Abu l’Barakat al-Balafiqi.\r\n\r\nThe translation and publishing of the work in many languages contributed to the circulation of the work. Today, the book is used as a source of information and entertainment. At the same time, Ibn Battouta’s book of travel became a subject of research and inspiration to many experts in the field of geography or literature. For example, Rumfod used Ibn Battouta’s own extensive records as the inspiration of the text in his book <em>The Traveling Man </em>(Smith). Again, the Professor of History Dunn wrote a book about Ibn Battuta’s adventure (<em>The adventures of Ibn Battuta</em>), and described <em>the Rihla</em> as “a comprehensive survey…..and the record of a dramatic adventure” (Dunn).\r\n\r\nPersonally, I find that Ibn Battouta’s book of travel very interesting as it provides an eye-witness account of the various cultures of that era, the political events, and the social and economic live at that time. In addition, what is particularly meaningful about The <em>Rihla</em> is how Ibn Battouta set out by himself and traveled about 75,000 miles facing the dangers and the unknown. In fact, at that time, most people on the Eurasian land lived and died very close to where they were born without even venturing very far from home given the danger of traveling in the 14<sup>th</sup> century. In other words, Ibn Battouta and his book is an example of courage, and willpower.\r\n\r\nAnother important thing about the book of Ibn Battouta is that without his recordings, there would have been many undiscovered civilizations; historians would have never known about these smaller civilizations. The Columbia Electronica Encyclopedia mentioned that: Ibn Battouta “still considered a most reliable source for the geography of his period and an authority on the cultural and social history of Islam”.\r\n\r\n<em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Rihla</span></em>, wasn’t the first book of travel written at that time. Ibn Battouta was always compared by his contemporary Italian explorer Marco Polo. Marco Polo’s book of travel was titled: <em>Il milione.</em> Both Ibn Battouta and Marco Polo wrote about their travels in what became the medieval bestsellers. Both works evoked several similarities and differences.\r\n\r\nIn term of similarities, both explorers left an account of what they had seen during their travels witch started at an early age, and covered too many countries from Asia, Africa, and Europe. Also, both works represented a geographical description. However, both books were criticized. In fact, both the reliability of their accounts, and the authenticity of the information they provide have been challenged time and again. For example, some historians suggest that Marco Polo never went to China, basing their argument on the fact that Marco failed to describe the Great Wall of China, Chopsticks, and tea. Similarly, critics about <em>Rihla </em>concluded that many dates and exact details were altered by Battuta and Juzay (Dunn).\r\n\r\nThese two works are alike in that they were not written down by their creators. Ibn Battouta’s book was recorded by the young scholar Ibn Juzayyupon the request of the Moroccan ruler. Meanwhile, <em>Il Milione</em> was composed by Rustichello de Pisa, a well-known author, who was accompanying Polo in the prison. (Encyclopedia Britannica)\r\n\r\nDespite of all these similarities, Ibn Battuta’s book of travel stands out from its contemporary Marco Polo’s book by the fact that Ibn Battouta traveled about 75,000 miles, much further than did Marco Polo. For instance <em>the Rihla</em> had more information and covered more places than in <em>Il Milione.</em>\r\n\r\nIndeed, when Ibn Battouta started his travel career, he was driven by his religious zeal, and intellectual curiosity that leaded him to occupy many important positions in different countries; he was appointed a judge and an ambassador. He also started his adventure by himself leaving behind his family and friends. Ibn Battuta was a brave man, who risked his life to discover different cultures and bring knowledge of it to the public.\r\n\r\nIn contrast, Marco Polo left his home to accompany his father and uncle in search for trade and wealth (Encyclopedia Britannica).\r\n\r\nProf. Dunn described Polo’s book as “a treatise of empirical geography revealing almost nothing about his personality”; his book was divided in two parts, the first part is autobiography, and the second part which composed the large volume was dedicated to the description of China and some other Asian countries (Dunn).\r\n\r\nIn Contrast, Ibn Battouta told so much about him throughout the book, and included the book some verses of poetry which gave it a special taste, and made it distinguishable from its peers. The Prof. Dunn described this aspect in Ibn Battouta’s work and wrote: “the autobiography, the personal adventure, remains in the heart of the book, revealing the traveler’s gregarious, high-spirited…..ingratiating personality through the account of the life he lived”. Thus<em>, The Rihla</em> was filled with numerous tales and adventures witch far exceed the observations of Marco Polo in liveliness, acuity and insight.\r\n\r\nIbn Battuta wasn’t a scientist or geographer; he was a simple man seeking knowledge and adventure, his intellectual curiosity made from him one of the greatest travelers and explorers in the humanity, and made form his work a geographical and cultural reference for historians, geographers, and knowledge seekers. For instance, future generations need to be aware of the significance of this work, and learn from its values. In fact, the preservation of the work is the key for the achievement of this goal.\r\n\r\nBiographies and narratives there are in quantities, but the historians for all their picturesque details, rarely show the ability to select the essential and to give their figures that touch of the intimate which makes them live again for the reader. It is in this faculty that Ibn Battuta excels. Among all the literature works of travel, Ibn Battuta’s narrative is valued for the literary merits of its vivid description and comprehensive analysis of medieval Islamic life as well as for its utility to archeologists and other scholars for whom the work serves as a unique guide to the relics of the society in which Ibn Battuta lived.\r\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Works cited</span></p>\r\nFiero. <em>The Humanistic Tradition. </em>6<sup>th</sup> Edition. Vol.2\r\n\r\nIt’s a textbook about the humanities from the renaissance to the present that I used to discuss the historical context of the work’s time.\r\n\r\n<em>Ibn Battuta</em>. Columbia Electronica Encyclopedia, 6<sup>th</sup> Edition (2011): 1.web. 7 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\nHttp://ehis.ebscohost.com.Isproxy.austincc.edu/ehost/detail?vid=3&amp;hid=102&amp;sid\r\n\r\nThis is an electronic encyclopedia that provides information about all subjects. I used it to find information about Ibn Battuta’s biography.\r\n\r\n<em>Ibn Battuta. </em>Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online Academic Edition.\r\n\r\nEncyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 7 Sep.2012.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.britannica.com.isproxy.austincc.edu/EBchecked/topic/280726/Ibn-Battuta\">Http://www.britannica.com.Isproxy.austincc.edu/EBchecked/topic/280726/Ibn-Battuta</a>\r\n\r\nIt’s an electronic encyclopedia from the ACC library containing several articles about different subjects. It helped me finding information about Ibn Battuta’s life and travels.\r\n\r\nIyer, Pico. <em>A voyager for the Ages</em>. (Cover story). Time international (Atlantic Edition)\r\n\r\n178.5 (2011): 68-88.\r\n\r\nThis is an article from the Acc library where the author describes the importance of Ibn Battuta’s experience. I used it to find arguments about why Ibn Bttuta’s book is innovative and unusual.\r\n\r\nSmith, Robin. <em>The Marvels of the Road.</em> Book Links 12.1(2012): 41.\r\n\r\nThis is a journal article from The ACC library about the description of Rumford Book which was influenced by Ibn Battuta’s book.\r\n\r\nRoss E., Dunn. <em>The adventures of Ibn Battuta, a Muslim Traveler of the 14<sup>th</sup> Century</em>.\r\n\r\nUniversity of California Press. Berkely, Los Angeles, London. 1989. Print.\r\n\r\nIn this book the author explains how the Muslim world worked in the early 14<sup>th</sup> century using Ibn Bttuta’s Rihla as a reference. I used this book to compare between Ibn Battuta and Marco polo and their works. I also used it to explain how the work is received today.','Ibn Battuta\'s book of Travels','','inherit','open','open','','2427-revision-2','','','2012-09-24 12:08:53','2012-09-24 18:08:53','',2427,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2521',0,'revision','',0),(2522,59,'2012-09-24 12:21:48','2012-09-24 18:21:48','[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"257\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2502\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" /></a> Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II[/caption]\n\nhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/92413/Hernan-Cortes-with-Montezuma-II\n\nSince the beginning of time, art has reflected beliefs, culture, lifestyles, and fashion of its period. I never cared much for history but doing this project has created a whole new meaning of art for me. In studying history, I can learn more about today and what tomorrow might bring. I chose to study the <em>Letters from Mexico</em> (1519-1524) by Hernan Cortes. His letters account for his conquest to Mexico and the conquering of the Aztec Empire. After disobeying orders, Cortes sets out to explore modern day Mexico and kind of accidentally stumbles upon this beautiful, advanced, flourishing empire. With help from local allies, Cortes defeats the Aztecs and puts Spain in control of the vast land from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. He writes the letters to King Charles V of Spain telling him his story.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> by Hernan Cortes should be preserved because of the historical context, cultural context of the Aztec Empire, and because it is one of the only accounts that we have of what happened in that time. It marks a very important time in history of the colonization of the west, the personality of a conquistador, details of the mysterious Aztec Empire, reflects Christian attitudes and beliefs of that time, and lifestyle and rule in Spain.<!--more-->\n\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> was not a typical piece from its era. Exploration was just beginning in the west. While Spain was conquering new lands, the Renaissance was at its peak in Italy. Classical Humanists embraced Greco-Roman classics and were devoted to studying and imitating them. This new culture was more secular than religious. “They regarded Classical authority not exclusively as a means of clarifying Christian truths, but as the basis for a new appraisal of the role of the individual in the world order,” says Fiero. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the great artists of the High Renaissance, completed famous works such as <em>The Last Supper</em>. This world-famous painting was one of a kind and changed art techniques for centuries to come. Da Vinci applied classical art principles to the representation of Christian subjects. Renaissance artist began studying the mechanics of the human body, balance, using three dimensions rather than two, perfecting oil painting, making art in monumental size, heroic characteristics, and scientific laws of perspective. A lot of art at this time was similar to Da Vinci’s<em> The Last Suppe</em>r. Artists used Christian subjects and displayed religious scenes but used human figures to represent famous names. Not only paintings but large sculptures were popular artist trends.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> is very innovative and unusual for its time. When the letters were published in Spain, people were very interested and excited about them. Exploration in the west was just beginning and civilization was progressing. The letters were different from normal visual works of art because they were literary. Hernan Cortes told wild stories about the Aztec Empire and his time in the new world full of lavish gold; a completely different style of living than that of modern day Spain. I think it caught people’s attention and introduced them to new cultures other than the famous Greek or Roman.\nOne piece that is similar to <em>Letters from Mexico</em> is <em>The Prince.</em> Machiavelli, a famous philosopher, became known as Europe’s first political scientist. His popular little book, <em>The Prince</em>, called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. The leader he described must be ruthless and sacrifice moral virtue in the interest of the state. Machiavelli’s has a negative view of humanity pinning them as thankless, fickle, greedy, and dishonest. A lot of what Machiavelli described sounds exactly like the personality of Hernan Cortes. Machiavelli’s Prince is a lot smarter than Cortes and keeps power as well as a good reputation. I think these two pieces relate to each other because of the parts the main characters play. Hernan Cortes is a very greedy and egotistical explorer who actually disobeys rules from Spain on continuing with an expedition. He defends himself from a powerful empire battling his way to victory. In <em>The Prince</em>, “armed force as the ultimate sanction of political power, the ruthless suppression of dangerous enemies and the establishment of authority through fear rather than love, the use of deceit, careful economy rather than lavish expenditure- all these Machiavelli cites as necessary to the founder of a new state.” Both of these pieces are very political rather than secular or religious like other major artworks of their time. I think both of them went against the typical Monarchist policies of government at that time making them uncommon and alike.\nCortes’ letters were published to the public so everyone could read the first-hand account of the conquering of grand Aztec Empire. According to Pahl, the letters were action packed and real page turners. The public was so eager to know what was going on worlds away. Cortes “went on to great wealth and power.” (Mee.) Cortes appointed himself governor without permission from King Charles V. Cortes was careless, greedy, and irresponsible in his decisions. After being appointed governor Cortes left to explore what is now modern day Honduras. King Charles grew suspicious of Cortes and sent a bureaucrat named Luis Ponce de Leon to investigate. Luis died immediately and Cortes was charged with murder, rumor is he was poisoned. Cortes’ fifth letter was banned in Spain and his reputation was declining rapidly. People didn’t like Cortes’ decisions and he was being punished for it. Someone can’t rebel against the King and the public be aware it. I think that is why the letters were banned and Cortes was dealt with in a private manner. Cortes lived the rest of his life on his land in Mexico with his wife. He had no leadership in the new world and Spain continued to govern it.\nThere are a lot of mixed emotions about the <em>Letters from Mexico</em>. Their authenticity and credibility is doubted by many scholars. Pahl suggests Cortes is cocky and over exaggerates a lot of his takeover and what actually occurred. Yes, he conquered a gigantic empire but it is said he was ruthless, destructive, and it was similar to a massacre. Cortes went around “destroying traditional Mexican religious artifacts as it definitely impeded their attempts at a peaceful conversion.” (Pahl.) Anthony Pagden discusses how Cortes seeks to reinforce his authority and his reputation in his letters. Some scholars don’t even look at his letters of literary importance but just historical. Cortes didn’t have a very good reputation back then and he doesn’t at this time either. I personally feel Cortes ruined an empire that Spain could have learned a lot from. He was the leader and held all power and authority. I think his personal decisions and desires made a mess of the whole situation. He destroyed the Aztecs entire city because of their religious beliefs, who knows what he did with a lot of the gold, I know some of it went back to Spain when he was tried for murder, and he wasn’t a good leader and didn’t secure some type of government when the empire was defeated. Thousands of natives died and it was the end to an advanced and flourishing culture that could have helped progression in that era. I think Cortes greedily set out behind the kings back and stumbled upon an empire that was unstable and destroyed it. He manipulated Indians and locals into supporting him and then savagely killed thousands. Who knows what really happened? This is the account of a conceded and egotistical conquistador.\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> holds great historical importance making it unique and very innovative. There was a lot of Spanish and Portuguese exploration going on in the new world so empires could expand. What makes it so unique is his conquering of the Aztec empire giving Spain control of modern day Mexico. This was a huge accomplishment for Spain in the settling and colonizing of the Americas. It also made way for the present day. Colonization in the west created the nation we have today. Although I may disagree with Hernan Cortes’ decisions and opinions, he did make history and history made today. His letters hold a lot of historical importance in learning about different cultures of the world. What is most significant about this work is the historical context and cultural context. His account and a few others in his army are the only knowledge that we have of what happened at that time. It is very important these letters are preserved so we know about a beautiful culture that was lost in the process of one being made.','Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes','','inherit','open','open','','2414-revision-13','','','2012-09-24 12:21:48','2012-09-24 18:21:48','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2522',0,'revision','',0),(2523,59,'2012-09-24 12:22:10','2012-09-24 18:22:10','[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"257\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2502\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" /></a> Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II[/caption]\r\n\r\nhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/92413/Hernan-Cortes-with-Montezuma-II\r\n\r\nSince the beginning of time, art has reflected beliefs, culture, lifestyles, and fashion of its period. I never cared much for history but doing this project has created a whole new meaning of art for me. In studying history, I can learn more about today and what tomorrow might bring. I chose to study the <em>Letters from Mexico</em> (1519-1524) by Hernan Cortes. His letters account for his conquest to Mexico and the conquering of the Aztec Empire. After disobeying orders, Cortes sets out to explore modern day Mexico and kind of accidentally stumbles upon this beautiful, advanced, flourishing empire. With help from local allies, Cortes defeats the Aztecs and puts Spain in control of the vast land from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. He writes the letters to King Charles V of Spain telling him his story.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> by Hernan Cortes should be preserved because of the historical context, cultural context of the Aztec Empire, and because it is one of the only accounts that we have of what happened in that time. It marks a very important time in history of the colonization of the west, the personality of a conquistador, details of the mysterious Aztec Empire, reflects Christian attitudes and beliefs of that time, and lifestyle and rule in Spain.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> was not a typical piece from its era. Exploration was just beginning in the west. While Spain was conquering new lands, the Renaissance was at its peak in Italy. Classical Humanists embraced Greco-Roman classics and were devoted to studying and imitating them. This new culture was more secular than religious. “They regarded Classical authority not exclusively as a means of clarifying Christian truths, but as the basis for a new appraisal of the role of the individual in the world order,” says Fiero. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the great artists of the High Renaissance, completed famous works such as <em>The Last Supper</em>. This world-famous painting was one of a kind and changed art techniques for centuries to come. Da Vinci applied classical art principles to the representation of Christian subjects. Renaissance artist began studying the mechanics of the human body, balance, using three dimensions rather than two, perfecting oil painting, making art in monumental size, heroic characteristics, and scientific laws of perspective. A lot of art at this time was similar to Da Vinci’s<em> The Last Suppe</em>r. Artists used Christian subjects and displayed religious scenes but used human figures to represent famous names. Not only paintings but large sculptures were popular artist trends.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> is very innovative and unusual for its time. When the letters were published in Spain, people were very interested and excited about them. Exploration in the west was just beginning and civilization was progressing. The letters were different from normal visual works of art because they were literary. Hernan Cortes told wild stories about the Aztec Empire and his time in the new world full of lavish gold; a completely different style of living than that of modern day Spain. I think it caught people’s attention and introduced them to new cultures other than the famous Greek or Roman.\r\nOne piece that is similar to <em>Letters from Mexico</em> is <em>The Prince.</em> Machiavelli, a famous philosopher, became known as Europe’s first political scientist. His popular little book, <em>The Prince</em>, called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. The leader he described must be ruthless and sacrifice moral virtue in the interest of the state. Machiavelli’s has a negative view of humanity pinning them as thankless, fickle, greedy, and dishonest. A lot of what Machiavelli described sounds exactly like the personality of Hernan Cortes. Machiavelli’s Prince is a lot smarter than Cortes and keeps power as well as a good reputation. I think these two pieces relate to each other because of the parts the main characters play. Hernan Cortes is a very greedy and egotistical explorer who actually disobeys rules from Spain on continuing with an expedition. He defends himself from a powerful empire battling his way to victory. In <em>The Prince</em>, “armed force as the ultimate sanction of political power, the ruthless suppression of dangerous enemies and the establishment of authority through fear rather than love, the use of deceit, careful economy rather than lavish expenditure- all these Machiavelli cites as necessary to the founder of a new state.” Both of these pieces are very political rather than secular or religious like other major artworks of their time. I think both of them went against the typical Monarchist policies of government at that time making them uncommon and alike.\r\nCortes’ letters were published to the public so everyone could read the first-hand account of the conquering of grand Aztec Empire. According to Pahl, the letters were action packed and real page turners. The public was so eager to know what was going on worlds away. Cortes “went on to great wealth and power.” (Mee.) Cortes appointed himself governor without permission from King Charles V. Cortes was careless, greedy, and irresponsible in his decisions. After being appointed governor Cortes left to explore what is now modern day Honduras. King Charles grew suspicious of Cortes and sent a bureaucrat named Luis Ponce de Leon to investigate. Luis died immediately and Cortes was charged with murder, rumor is he was poisoned. Cortes’ fifth letter was banned in Spain and his reputation was declining rapidly. People didn’t like Cortes’ decisions and he was being punished for it. Someone can’t rebel against the King and the public be aware it. I think that is why the letters were banned and Cortes was dealt with in a private manner. Cortes lived the rest of his life on his land in Mexico with his wife. He had no leadership in the new world and Spain continued to govern it.\r\nThere are a lot of mixed emotions about the <em>Letters from Mexico</em>. Their authenticity and credibility is doubted by many scholars. Pahl suggests Cortes is cocky and over exaggerates a lot of his takeover and what actually occurred. Yes, he conquered a gigantic empire but it is said he was ruthless, destructive, and it was similar to a massacre. Cortes went around “destroying traditional Mexican religious artifacts as it definitely impeded their attempts at a peaceful conversion.” (Pahl.) Anthony Pagden discusses how Cortes seeks to reinforce his authority and his reputation in his letters. Some scholars don’t even look at his letters of literary importance but just historical. Cortes didn’t have a very good reputation back then and he doesn’t at this time either. I personally feel Cortes ruined an empire that Spain could have learned a lot from. He was the leader and held all power and authority. I think his personal decisions and desires made a mess of the whole situation. He destroyed the Aztecs entire city because of their religious beliefs, who knows what he did with a lot of the gold, I know some of it went back to Spain when he was tried for murder, and he wasn’t a good leader and didn’t secure some type of government when the empire was defeated. Thousands of natives died and it was the end to an advanced and flourishing culture that could have helped progression in that era. I think Cortes greedily set out behind the kings back and stumbled upon an empire that was unstable and destroyed it. He manipulated Indians and locals into supporting him and then savagely killed thousands. Who knows what really happened? This is the account of a conceded and egotistical conquistador.\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> holds great historical importance making it unique and very innovative. There was a lot of Spanish and Portuguese exploration going on in the new world so empires could expand. What makes it so unique is his conquering of the Aztec empire giving Spain control of modern day Mexico. This was a huge accomplishment for Spain in the settling and colonizing of the Americas. It also made way for the present day. Colonization in the west created the nation we have today. Although I may disagree with Hernan Cortes’ decisions and opinions, he did make history and history made today. His letters hold a lot of historical importance in learning about different cultures of the world. What is most significant about this work is the historical context and cultural context. His account and a few others in his army are the only knowledge that we have of what happened at that time. It is very important these letters are preserved so we know about a beautiful culture that was lost in the process of one being made.','Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes','','inherit','open','open','','2414-revision-14','','','2012-09-24 12:22:10','2012-09-24 18:22:10','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2523',0,'revision','',0),(2524,61,'2012-09-24 12:20:41','2012-09-24 18:20:41','AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE\n\nTCP – 1 Michelangelo’s Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica\n\nJ.LAUER HUMA 1302-007 #13622\n\nPHILIP ROBINSON\n\n9/24/2012\n\nTime Capsule Project 1\n\nMichelangelo’s work on the Dome at St. Peter’s was a return to the former grandeur of Greek and Roman work brought forth during the renaissance period of classical humanism focusing on Christian and classical subjects. Michelangelo worked on St. Peter’s Basilica from 1546 until his death in 1564. At the time of the domes commission, wealthy merchants, and people of stature had been commissioning grand estates and pieces of art to decorate them. The church decided to follow in the footsteps of their patrons and commission a jewel for the Basilica. The trend was quite simple, the bigger and more elaborate the better. There are many facets of this particular building that are fascinating, however for this paper I will be focusing on the architectural facet.<!--more-->\n\nGiven the backdrop of the plague and its decimating effect on civilization and the lack of qualified artisans to rebuild, maintain, and improve basic societal infrastructure; one can imagine the rarity of skilled individuals capable of designing and building a dome of this magnitude . While sharing design aspects with the Pantheon of the Greek and Roman period, this renaissance period remodel is much larger. The interior of Michelangelo’s Dome of St. of St Peter’s is absolutely stunning. There are many artistic features of the interior that add considerable weight reinforcement necessities with regard to structural concerns. “The great dome soars above the altar and the baldacchino, sumptuously embellished with mosaic and stucco ornaments. It is supported by four structural piers with a perimeter of 71 m. and a height of 120 m. from the ground to the roof of the lantern. With the four Evangelists that are portrayed in medallions with a diameter of 8.5 m. The gigantic black letters (2 m. high) of this text on a gold background are lit by the light from 16 large windows, typical of Michelangelo\'s style, which punctuate the drum. Above the windows, the dome is divided into sixteen ribs and as many segments, decorated by majestic figures on six ascending concentric levels. Starting at the bottom the figures portray: 1. busts of the 16 popes buried in the basilica; 2. majestic figures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist and various Apostles;3. in the rectangular frames, angels bearing the instruments of Jesus\' Passion; 4. the faces of cherubim and seraphim in circular medallions; 5. angels, the custodians of St. Peter\'s tomb; 6. additional faces of winged angels.\nMany artists worked on these decorations. Clement VIII commissioned Giuseppe Cesari, known as Cavalier d\'Arpino (1568-1640) to carry out the upper part of the decoration. He prepared the cartoons from 1603 to 1612. His drawings were simultaneously transposed into mosaic by the best mosaic artists of the period. ”\nWhile other domes have been constructed had been constructed previously in and around Italy, I believe this particular piece stands out due to the sheer enormity and grandiosity of the structural modeling needed to support the dome that now crowns what was the Basilica. “To give a reference point: US Capitol-96ft, The Pantheon-142ft, and St Peter’s-138ft. ” Michelangelo’s St. Peter’s Dome in Rome and Brunelleschi’s Dome in Florence share many structural ideas. However, there are some obvious differences in height, diameter, and internal style. Both artists have drawn from the same basic structural design. Brunelleschi’s dome in Florence was the largest domed structure in Italy at 50 meters in diameter and 90 meters in height; finished post mortem 1473 . Then Michelangelo’s dome at the Basilica in Rome now stands at an impressive 71 meters in diameter and 120 meters in height finished post mortem 1590 . The largest differences between these two goliaths of humanistic engineering and artistic spirits would be the method of work that went into the project and the beauty that it portrays. While Brunelleschi focused on painting and architectural details, Michelangelo also incorporated ornate sculpture in his expression.\n\nI think that those inclined to the religious statements of the work received it well. “Michelangelo wanted people\'s first reaction as they walked into the dome is astonishment. People may be overwhelmed to see the amount of light that appears at the top of the dome and will lead and draw the audience\'s attention slowly toward the dome. However, the sensation must only last in an instant, because he didn\'t want people to feel secluded from the massiveness of the dome, rather be a part of the dimension of pure contemplation. ”\n\nIn the current view I believe that it is thought of as a symbol that might unify the people of the Catholic and Christian faiths. I think a lot of people today respect the amount of work that went into the project and the beauty that it portrays. I also believe that today people are less unified by a symbol of faith such as the Basilica due to the intelligence level of the populace and the availability of information on other faiths. It is also my belief that this and other great works with religious design are meant to inspire awe, respect, power, and control.\n\nWhy should Michelangelo’s Dome of St Peter’s be preserved in a time capsule? As an architectural drafting major, the part that I found most meaningful was the marriage of structure and art. It is just as beautiful on the outside as on the inside. The architectural statements of the time were amazing to me. This piece of history serves as an inspiration of faith for some, and a reminder of the past for others. I believe that what this piece and others like it are telling future generations is to appreciate the piece of art in front of you, but understand the roots from whence it came. Great achievements can be achieved by man when they focus on the task. Whatever the reason one ultimately decides on, the important piece is to remember.','Michelangelo\'s St. Peter\'s Dome','','inherit','open','open','','2393-revision-5','','','2012-09-24 12:20:41','2012-09-24 18:20:41','',2393,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2524',0,'revision','',0),(2525,57,'2012-09-24 12:18:35','2012-09-24 18:18:35','<p style=\"text-align: center\">    <img class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg</p>\r\n     Martin Luther is considered the father of the Protestant Reformation. He was a Monk and professor who after studying the scripture began to question the Catholic Church. On October 31, 1517 (Economist) Luther changed the world by posting his 95 grievances, fondly known as his “95 Theses”, on the University door. He concentrated on the sale of indulgences and the path to God, saying the church had no right to exclusively do it. He argued that people can interpret the Bible themselves. He also argued that countries should be able to interpret religion their way, rather than everyone following the Pope in Italy (Fiero). After the Theses was posted, plus the new invention of the printing press, people all over Europe were able to read this and spark the Reformation. Luther was charged with heresy and had to go to court, called the Diet of Worms, in 1921. The “95 Theses” should be preserved because this document not only shows that one man can change the world, but it is a vital document in religious history.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\nLeading up to Luther’s posting, there had been some arguments against the Church of Rome. In the Netherlands a new religious thought was being put into action called modern devotion (Fiero). Modern devotion spread throughout Northern Europe and sparked some questions on if the Church of Rome was the only path to God. At this time the Church of Rome was corrupt, and was selling indulgences saying it would get your family out of purgatory. Profits from the indulgences were going renovate churches and homes for the clergy. Many people, including Luther, were not happy with it anymore.\r\nBecause of the arguments against the Catholic Church, Luther was not the only reform minded person in Europe. Derek Wilson wrote a story for History Today called “The Luther Legacy” that talked about various effects over the years of the “95 Theses”. Wilson said, “He wanted to restore the church to its New Testament purity. In that desire he was at one with a large swathe of public opinion… (Wilson).” The Catholic Church had gotten so out of control that Kings wanted to take control back over their countries. Luther wanted to give this religious control to the Kings, rather than the Catholic Church controlling it. In fact, Wilson pointed out that, “…the German estates also presented a catalog of 102 ‘oppressive burdens and abuses imposed upon…the German Empire by the Holy See of Rome’ (Wilson).” They presented this Catalog at Luther’s heresy trial.\r\nLike I have already mentioned, Luther was not the first Reformer, he was just the first one to get the backing needed to make it successful. Because of that, the “95 Theses” was very innovative for its time. “…he gave people permission to doubt everything the Catholic hierarchy taught, to judge it for themselves against the testimony of the bible (Wilson).” Before Luther, and even for a little while after, people who questioned the Catholic Church were persecuted by both the Church and their Country. Luther also gave instructions on how to use the testimony of the bible, “…he was saying that any man or woman possessed of the open Bible could be their own theologian (Wilson).” This idea was very terrifying to authority because as Wilson continues to point out, this idea challenged divine sanction in general (both Church and State) and left minds open for other forms of politics, like democracy. Michael Mullett describes this new position as, “…the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Mullett).”\r\nAs already discussed, Luther’s work scared authority figures; but regular citizens and scholars were inspired by his ideas. “Within a few years hundreds of untrained lay people were writing devotional and polemical books and pamphlets (Wilson).” He was actually responsible for a third of vernacular literature between the years 1520 and 1546, Wilson goes on to state. Luther is given the honor of starting the Protestant Reformation which may not have been his original purpose, but soon things started to spiral out of control. Another response of people at the time was violent riots. Wilson explains the situation, “…a widespread popular rising against secular princes by ordinary people some of whom drew socially radical conclusions from Luther’s teaching (Wilson).” These riots Luther quickly stood up against and said he didn’t support them. The most major response though, was the response of the Church of Rome. In 1521 Luther was brought before the Diet of Worms for heresy, the ruling was to excommunicate him from Germany.\r\nToday, Luther is still coined as the man who began Protestantism. In the last hundred years though, there has been some interesting things associated with Luther. On one side he is still praised, Wilson said “Even our supposedly post-Christian age cannot write him out of the record (Wilson).” This was Wilson recognizing how important of a person Luther was to shaping the world we live in today. He is also still used today when Catholic issues arise again. For example, in 1999 the Catholic Church reemphasized the sale of indulgences. On the topic, Vitor Westhelle said, “At least these are recent signals…which invites us to take a new look at Luther’s quest for a merciful God (Westhelle).” The most interesting thought though, is people saying Luther is evil and influenced Hitler. In a Time magazine article from 1944, William Inge wrote a periodical that actually says Luther is worse than Hitler. He said, “If we wish to find a scapegoat on whose shoulders we may lay the miseries which Germany has brought upon the world…I am more and more conceived that the worst evil genius of that country is not Hitler…but Martin Luther (Time).” He goes on to wish that one day Luther’s influence won’t be in Germany anymore. In 2003, they made a movie called Luther about the posting of the Theses. According to the movies IMDB page, the movie begins when he becomes a monk and goes through his struggles with the church and through the actual trial after. I believe, and the movie shows, that people today are still impressed and interested in Luther’s work.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://youtu.be/SzFc7ilM7nw\">Trailer for \"Luther\" (2003)</a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">     Personally I have a few different reactions to the work. Religiously I admire Luther for his strength to stand up against the Catholic Church. I grew up in a Baptist home, which is Protestant, so I have him to thank for that (Although I am sure someone else would’ve broken the ties if it were not Luther.). He knew what he believed and he stood up for it. Politically, I admire his guts. I feel like today people are afraid to speak out like he did; and then after speaking out still stand on their word even when they are being charged or persecuted for it.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">A few years following the posting many reformers stepped up to follow in Luther’s footsteps. One of which was John Calvin, whose followers were called Calvinists. John Calvin wrote lots of books describing his views, one of which was called “The Institutes of the Christian Religion”. He finished the work in 1536; it started as a paper and ended up a 4 book series (Creator, Redeemer, Spirit, and the Church). He dedicated the book to the French King Francis 1, who was persecuting Protestants. “The French Protestants…may have been inclined to regard government as an enemy exclusively, not understanding in it its divinely ordained role (McKee).” According to McKee, Calvin was discussing the Apostles Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">This work as a whole is just remarkably significant. As far as religious texts go, I would personally say this comes right after the Bible in importance. Future generations deserve to see what is possible if you stand up for yourself. Other times in history this has worked; Civil Rights, Women’s rights, the end of slavery, civil wars around the world. If you stand up for what you believe in, there are no limits to where it can take you; and that is what I believe future generations can learn from this work.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Martin Luther is one of the most well-known names in the history of the world. He single-handedly sparked the Protestant Reformation, he changed the Catholic Church, and he changed the way the whole world thought and taught religion. His “95 Theses” sparked huge controversy, but it brought awareness of the ridiculous-ness the Church of Rome was trying to pass as religion. Since then thousands of churches consider themselves Protestant, the Catholic Church has changed and is not as corrupt, and many people can attribute their right to speak their opinions to Martin Luther. His work is unmatched in religious and philosophical importance, and that is why it deserves to be preserved for future generations.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Works Cited</p>\r\nBigalke Jr., Ron J. \"Institutes Of The Christian Religion: 1541 French Edition.\" Journal Of Dispensational Theology 13.40 (2009): 74-75. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nThis is an article discussing John Calvin’s work “Institutes of The Christian Religion”, John Calvin was another reformer who had a prominent following during the Protestant Reformation.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\r\nI used the textbook to pinpoint the Norwegian conflict with the Church of Rome and also for some basic background information.\r\n\r\n\"How Luther Went Viral.\" Economist. 17 Dec 2011: n. page. Web. 14 Sep. 2012. &lt;http://www.economist.com/node/21541719&gt;.\r\nI used this story from The Economist to get background information mostly in the introduction.\r\n\r\n\"Luther (2003).\" IMDB. IMDB.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 24 Sep 2012. &lt;http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309820/&gt;.\r\n\r\n\"Luther Is To Blame.\" Time 44.19 (1944): 63. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nI used this short article from during World War 2 to explain a point of view someone in the last 100 years has had regarding Luther and his work.\r\n\r\nMullett, Michael. \"Martin Luther\'s Ninety-Five Theses: Michael Mullett Defines The Role Of The 95 Theses In The Lutheran Reformation.(Key Texts)(Cover Story)(Biography).\" History Review 46 (n.d.): 46. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nI used Mullett’s discussion to describe how the work was innovative for the time.\r\n\r\nWesthelle, Vítor. \"Uses And Abuses Of The Cross: The Reformation, Then And Now.\" Trinity Seminary Review 28.2 (2007): 83-93. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nI used Westhelle’s look at the past and present responses in my discussion of how people today feel about the work.\r\n\r\nWilson, Derek. \"The Luther Legacy: Derek Wilson Looks At The Great Religious Reformer And Asks Why His Life And Work Have Seemed So Significant To So Many Diverse People For Almost 500 Years.\" History Today 57.5 (n.d.): 34. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nWilson was my main source. I used his look at the legacy of Luther to discuss how the work was both typical and innovative at the time, how it was received, and how people today feel about the work.','Martin Luther\'s \"95 Theses\"','','inherit','open','open','','2405-revision-22','','','2012-09-24 12:18:35','2012-09-24 18:18:35','',2405,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2525',0,'revision','',0),(2526,57,'2012-09-24 13:04:42','2012-09-24 19:04:42','<p style=\"text-align: center\">    <img class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg</p>\r\n     Martin Luther is considered the father of the Protestant Reformation. He was a Monk and professor who after studying the scripture began to question the Catholic Church. On October 31, 1517 (Economist) Luther changed the world by posting his 95 grievances, fondly known as his “95 Theses”, on the University door. He concentrated on the sale of indulgences and the path to God, saying the church had no right to exclusively do it. He argued that people can interpret the Bible themselves. He also argued that countries should be able to interpret religion their way, rather than everyone following the Pope in Italy (Fiero). After the Theses was posted, plus the new invention of the printing press, people all over Europe were able to read this and spark the Reformation. Luther was charged with heresy and had to go to court, called the Diet of Worms, in 1921. The “95 Theses” should be preserved because this document not only shows that one man can change the world, but it is a vital document in religious history.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\nLeading up to Luther’s posting, there had been some arguments against the Church of Rome. In the Netherlands a new religious thought was being put into action called modern devotion (Fiero). Modern devotion spread throughout Northern Europe and sparked some questions on if the Church of Rome was the only path to God. At this time the Church of Rome was corrupt, and was selling indulgences saying it would get your family out of purgatory. Profits from the indulgences were going renovate churches and homes for the clergy. Many people, including Luther, were not happy with it anymore.\r\nBecause of the arguments against the Catholic Church, Luther was not the only reform minded person in Europe. Derek Wilson wrote a story for History Today called “The Luther Legacy” that talked about various effects over the years of the “95 Theses”. Wilson said, “He wanted to restore the church to its New Testament purity. In that desire he was at one with a large swathe of public opinion… (Wilson).” The Catholic Church had gotten so out of control that Kings wanted to take control back over their countries. Luther wanted to give this religious control to the Kings, rather than the Catholic Church controlling it. In fact, Wilson pointed out that, “…the German estates also presented a catalog of 102 ‘oppressive burdens and abuses imposed upon…the German Empire by the Holy See of Rome’ (Wilson).” They presented this Catalog at Luther’s heresy trial.\r\nLike I have already mentioned, Luther was not the first Reformer, he was just the first one to get the backing needed to make it successful. Because of that, the “95 Theses” was very innovative for its time. “…he gave people permission to doubt everything the Catholic hierarchy taught, to judge it for themselves against the testimony of the bible (Wilson).” Before Luther, and even for a little while after, people who questioned the Catholic Church were persecuted by both the Church and their Country. Luther also gave instructions on how to use the testimony of the bible, “…he was saying that any man or woman possessed of the open Bible could be their own theologian (Wilson).” This idea was very terrifying to authority because as Wilson continues to point out, this idea challenged divine sanction in general (both Church and State) and left minds open for other forms of politics, like democracy. Michael Mullett describes this new position as, “…the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Mullett).”\r\nAs already discussed, Luther’s work scared authority figures; but regular citizens and scholars were inspired by his ideas. “Within a few years hundreds of untrained lay people were writing devotional and polemical books and pamphlets (Wilson).” He was actually responsible for a third of vernacular literature between the years 1520 and 1546, Wilson goes on to state. Luther is given the honor of starting the Protestant Reformation which may not have been his original purpose, but soon things started to spiral out of control. Another response of people at the time was violent riots. Wilson explains the situation, “…a widespread popular rising against secular princes by ordinary people some of whom drew socially radical conclusions from Luther’s teaching (Wilson).” These riots Luther quickly stood up against and said he didn’t support them. The most major response though, was the response of the Church of Rome. In 1521 Luther was brought before the Diet of Worms for heresy, the ruling was to excommunicate him from Germany.\r\nToday, Luther is still coined as the man who began Protestantism. In the last hundred years though, there has been some interesting things associated with Luther. On one side he is still praised, Wilson said “Even our supposedly post-Christian age cannot write him out of the record (Wilson).” This was Wilson recognizing how important of a person Luther was to shaping the world we live in today. He is also still used today when Catholic issues arise again. For example, in 1999 the Catholic Church reemphasized the sale of indulgences. On the topic, Vitor Westhelle said, “At least these are recent signals…which invites us to take a new look at Luther’s quest for a merciful God (Westhelle).” The most interesting thought though, is people saying Luther is evil and influenced Hitler. In a Time magazine article from 1944, William Inge wrote a periodical that actually says Luther is worse than Hitler. He said, “If we wish to find a scapegoat on whose shoulders we may lay the miseries which Germany has brought upon the world…I am more and more conceived that the worst evil genius of that country is not Hitler…but Martin Luther (Time).” He goes on to wish that one day Luther’s influence won’t be in Germany anymore. In 2003, they made a movie called Luther about the posting of the Theses. According to the movies IMDB page, the movie begins when he becomes a monk and goes through his struggles with the church and through the actual trial after. I believe, and the movie shows, that people today are still impressed and interested in Luther’s work.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://youtu.be/SzFc7ilM7nw\">Trailer for \"Luther\" (2003)</a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">     Personally I have a few different reactions to the work. Religiously I admire Luther for his strength to stand up against the Catholic Church. I grew up in a Baptist home, which is Protestant, so I have him to thank for that (Although I am sure someone else would’ve broken the ties if it were not Luther.). He knew what he believed and he stood up for it. Politically, I admire his guts. I feel like today people are afraid to speak out like he did; and then after speaking out still stand on their word even when they are being charged or persecuted for it.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">A few years following the posting many reformers stepped up to follow in Luther’s footsteps. One of which was John Calvin, whose followers were called Calvinists. John Calvin wrote lots of books describing his views, one of which was called “The Institutes of the Christian Religion”. He finished the work in 1536; it started as a paper and ended up a 4 book series (Creator, Redeemer, Spirit, and the Church). He dedicated the book to the French King Francis 1, who was persecuting Protestants. “The French Protestants…may have been inclined to regard government as an enemy exclusively, not understanding in it its divinely ordained role (McKee).” According to McKee, Calvin was discussing the Apostles Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">This work as a whole is just remarkably significant. As far as religious texts go, I would personally say this comes right after the Bible in importance. Future generations deserve to see what is possible if you stand up for yourself. Other times in history this has worked; Civil Rights, Women’s rights, the end of slavery, civil wars around the world. If you stand up for what you believe in, there are no limits to where it can take you; and that is what I believe future generations can learn from this work.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Martin Luther is one of the most well-known names in the history of the world. He single-handedly sparked the Protestant Reformation, he changed the Catholic Church, and he changed the way the whole world thought and taught religion. His “95 Theses” sparked huge controversy, but it brought awareness of the ridiculous-ness the Church of Rome was trying to pass as religion. Since then thousands of churches consider themselves Protestant, the Catholic Church has changed and is not as corrupt, and many people can attribute their right to speak their opinions to Martin Luther. His work is unmatched in religious and philosophical importance, and that is why it deserves to be preserved for future generations.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Works Cited</p>\r\nBigalke Jr., Ron J. \"Institutes Of The Christian Religion: 1541 French Edition.\" Journal Of Dispensational Theology 13.40 (2009): 74-75. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nThis is an article discussing John Calvin’s work “Institutes of The Christian Religion”, John Calvin was another reformer who had a prominent following during the Protestant Reformation.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\r\nI used the textbook to pinpoint the Norwegian conflict with the Church of Rome and also for some basic background information.\r\n\r\n\"How Luther Went Viral.\" Economist. 17 Dec 2011: n. page. Web. 14 Sep. 2012. &lt;http://www.economist.com/node/21541719&gt;.\r\nI used this story from The Economist to get background information mostly in the introduction.\r\n\r\n\"Luther (2003).\" IMDB. IMDB.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 24 Sep 2012. &lt;http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309820/&gt;.\r\n\r\n\"Luther Is To Blame.\" Time 44.19 (1944): 63. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nI used this short article from during World War 2 to explain a point of view someone in the last 100 years has had regarding Luther and his work.\r\n\r\nMullett, Michael. \"Martin Luther\'s Ninety-Five Theses: Michael Mullett Defines The Role Of The 95 Theses In The Lutheran Reformation.(Key Texts)(Cover Story)(Biography).\" History Review 46 (n.d.): 46. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nI used Mullett’s discussion to describe how the work was innovative for the time.\r\n\r\nWesthelle, Vítor. \"Uses And Abuses Of The Cross: The Reformation, Then And Now.\" Trinity Seminary Review 28.2 (2007): 83-93. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nI used Westhelle’s look at the past and present responses in my discussion of how people today feel about the work.\r\n\r\nWilson, Derek. \"The Luther Legacy: Derek Wilson Looks At The Great Religious Reformer And Asks Why His Life And Work Have Seemed So Significant To So Many Diverse People For Almost 500 Years.\" History Today 57.5 (n.d.): 34. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nWilson was my main source. I used his look at the legacy of Luther to discuss how the work was both typical and innovative at the time, how it was received, and how people today feel about the work.','Martin Luther\'s \"95 Theses\"','','inherit','open','open','','2405-revision-23','','','2012-09-24 13:04:42','2012-09-24 19:04:42','',2405,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2526',0,'revision','',0),(2528,57,'2012-09-24 13:06:33','2012-09-24 19:06:33','<p style=\"text-align: center\">    <img class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg</p>\r\n     Martin Luther is considered the father of the Protestant Reformation. He was a Monk and professor who after studying the scripture began to question the Catholic Church. On October 31, 1517 (Economist) Luther changed the world by posting his 95 grievances, fondly known as his “95 Theses”, on the University door. He concentrated on the sale of indulgences and the path to God, saying the church had no right to exclusively do it. He argued that people can interpret the Bible themselves. He also argued that countries should be able to interpret religion their way, rather than everyone following the Pope in Italy (Fiero). After the Theses was posted, plus the new invention of the printing press, people all over Europe were able to read this and spark the Reformation. Luther was charged with heresy and had to go to court, called the Diet of Worms, in 1921. The “95 Theses” should be preserved because this document not only shows that one man can change the world, but it is a vital document in religious history.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\nLeading up to Luther’s posting, there had been some arguments against the Church of Rome. In the Netherlands a new religious thought was being put into action called modern devotion (Fiero). Modern devotion spread throughout Northern Europe and sparked some questions on if the Church of Rome was the only path to God. At this time the Church of Rome was corrupt, and was selling indulgences saying it would get your family out of purgatory. Profits from the indulgences were going renovate churches and homes for the clergy. Many people, including Luther, were not happy with it anymore.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nBecause of the arguments against the Catholic Church, Luther was not the only reform minded person in Europe. Derek Wilson wrote a story for History Today called “The Luther Legacy” that talked about various effects over the years of the “95 Theses”. Wilson said, “He wanted to restore the church to its New Testament purity. In that desire he was at one with a large swathe of public opinion… (Wilson).” The Catholic Church had gotten so out of control that Kings wanted to take control back over their countries. Luther wanted to give this religious control to the Kings, rather than the Catholic Church controlling it. In fact, Wilson pointed out that, “…the German estates also presented a catalog of 102 ‘oppressive burdens and abuses imposed upon…the German Empire by the Holy See of Rome’ (Wilson).” They presented this Catalog at Luther’s heresy trial.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nLike I have already mentioned, Luther was not the first Reformer, he was just the first one to get the backing needed to make it successful. Because of that, the “95 Theses” was very innovative for its time. “…he gave people permission to doubt everything the Catholic hierarchy taught, to judge it for themselves against the testimony of the bible (Wilson).” Before Luther, and even for a little while after, people who questioned the Catholic Church were persecuted by both the Church and their Country. Luther also gave instructions on how to use the testimony of the bible, “…he was saying that any man or woman possessed of the open Bible could be their own theologian (Wilson).” This idea was very terrifying to authority because as Wilson continues to point out, this idea challenged divine sanction in general (both Church and State) and left minds open for other forms of politics, like democracy. Michael Mullett describes this new position as, “…the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Mullett).”\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nAs already discussed, Luther’s work scared authority figures; but regular citizens and scholars were inspired by his ideas. “Within a few years hundreds of untrained lay people were writing devotional and polemical books and pamphlets (Wilson).” He was actually responsible for a third of vernacular literature between the years 1520 and 1546, Wilson goes on to state. Luther is given the honor of starting the Protestant Reformation which may not have been his original purpose, but soon things started to spiral out of control. Another response of people at the time was violent riots. Wilson explains the situation, “…a widespread popular rising against secular princes by ordinary people some of whom drew socially radical conclusions from Luther’s teaching (Wilson).” These riots Luther quickly stood up against and said he didn’t support them. The most major response though, was the response of the Church of Rome. In 1521 Luther was brought before the Diet of Worms for heresy, the ruling was to excommunicate him from Germany.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nToday, Luther is still coined as the man who began Protestantism. In the last hundred years though, there has been some interesting things associated with Luther. On one side he is still praised, Wilson said “Even our supposedly post-Christian age cannot write him out of the record (Wilson).” This was Wilson recognizing how important of a person Luther was to shaping the world we live in today. He is also still used today when Catholic issues arise again. For example, in 1999 the Catholic Church reemphasized the sale of indulgences. On the topic, Vitor Westhelle said, “At least these are recent signals…which invites us to take a new look at Luther’s quest for a merciful God (Westhelle).” The most interesting thought though, is people saying Luther is evil and influenced Hitler. In a Time magazine article from 1944, William Inge wrote a periodical that actually says Luther is worse than Hitler. He said, “If we wish to find a scapegoat on whose shoulders we may lay the miseries which Germany has brought upon the world…I am more and more conceived that the worst evil genius of that country is not Hitler…but Martin Luther (Time).” He goes on to wish that one day Luther’s influence won’t be in Germany anymore. In 2003, they made a movie called Luther about the posting of the Theses. According to the movies IMDB page, the movie begins when he becomes a monk and goes through his struggles with the church and through the actual trial after. I believe, and the movie shows, that people today are still impressed and interested in Luther’s work.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://youtu.be/SzFc7ilM7nw\">Trailer for \"Luther\" (2003)</a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">     Personally I have a few different reactions to the work. Religiously I admire Luther for his strength to stand up against the Catholic Church. I grew up in a Baptist home, which is Protestant, so I have him to thank for that (Although I am sure someone else would’ve broken the ties if it were not Luther.). He knew what he believed and he stood up for it. Politically, I admire his guts. I feel like today people are afraid to speak out like he did; and then after speaking out still stand on their word even when they are being charged or persecuted for it.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">A few years following the posting many reformers stepped up to follow in Luther’s footsteps. One of which was John Calvin, whose followers were called Calvinists. John Calvin wrote lots of books describing his views, one of which was called “The Institutes of the Christian Religion”. He finished the work in 1536; it started as a paper and ended up a 4 book series (Creator, Redeemer, Spirit, and the Church). He dedicated the book to the French King Francis 1, who was persecuting Protestants. “The French Protestants…may have been inclined to regard government as an enemy exclusively, not understanding in it its divinely ordained role (McKee).” According to McKee, Calvin was discussing the Apostles Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">This work as a whole is just remarkably significant. As far as religious texts go, I would personally say this comes right after the Bible in importance. Future generations deserve to see what is possible if you stand up for yourself. Other times in history this has worked; Civil Rights, Women’s rights, the end of slavery, civil wars around the world. If you stand up for what you believe in, there are no limits to where it can take you; and that is what I believe future generations can learn from this work.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Martin Luther is one of the most well-known names in the history of the world. He single-handedly sparked the Protestant Reformation, he changed the Catholic Church, and he changed the way the whole world thought and taught religion. His “95 Theses” sparked huge controversy, but it brought awareness of the ridiculous-ness the Church of Rome was trying to pass as religion. Since then thousands of churches consider themselves Protestant, the Catholic Church has changed and is not as corrupt, and many people can attribute their right to speak their opinions to Martin Luther. His work is unmatched in religious and philosophical importance, and that is why it deserves to be preserved for future generations.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Works Cited</p>\r\nBigalke Jr., Ron J. \"Institutes Of The Christian Religion: 1541 French Edition.\" Journal Of Dispensational Theology 13.40 (2009): 74-75. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nThis is an article discussing John Calvin’s work “Institutes of The Christian Religion”, John Calvin was another reformer who had a prominent following during the Protestant Reformation.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\r\nI used the textbook to pinpoint the Norwegian conflict with the Church of Rome and also for some basic background information.\r\n\r\n\"How Luther Went Viral.\" Economist. 17 Dec 2011: n. page. Web. 14 Sep. 2012. &lt;http://www.economist.com/node/21541719&gt;.\r\nI used this story from The Economist to get background information mostly in the introduction.\r\n\r\n\"Luther (2003).\" IMDB. IMDB.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 24 Sep 2012. &lt;http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309820/&gt;.\r\n\r\n\"Luther Is To Blame.\" Time 44.19 (1944): 63. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nI used this short article from during World War 2 to explain a point of view someone in the last 100 years has had regarding Luther and his work.\r\n\r\nMullett, Michael. \"Martin Luther\'s Ninety-Five Theses: Michael Mullett Defines The Role Of The 95 Theses In The Lutheran Reformation.(Key Texts)(Cover Story)(Biography).\" History Review 46 (n.d.): 46. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nI used Mullett’s discussion to describe how the work was innovative for the time.\r\n\r\nWesthelle, Vítor. \"Uses And Abuses Of The Cross: The Reformation, Then And Now.\" Trinity Seminary Review 28.2 (2007): 83-93. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nI used Westhelle’s look at the past and present responses in my discussion of how people today feel about the work.\r\n\r\nWilson, Derek. \"The Luther Legacy: Derek Wilson Looks At The Great Religious Reformer And Asks Why His Life And Work Have Seemed So Significant To So Many Diverse People For Almost 500 Years.\" History Today 57.5 (n.d.): 34. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nWilson was my main source. I used his look at the legacy of Luther to discuss how the work was both typical and innovative at the time, how it was received, and how people today feel about the work.','Martin Luther\'s \"95 Theses\"','','inherit','open','open','','2405-revision-25','','','2012-09-24 13:06:33','2012-09-24 19:06:33','',2405,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2528',0,'revision','',0),(2529,59,'2012-09-24 13:19:25','2012-09-24 19:19:25','[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"257\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2502\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" /></a> Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II[/caption]\n\nhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/92413/Hernan-Cortes-with-Montezuma-II\n\nSince the beginning of time, art has reflected beliefs, culture, lifestyles, and fashion of its period. I never cared much for history but doing this project has created a whole new meaning of art for me. In studying history, I can learn more about today and what tomorrow might bring. I chose to study the <em>Letters from Mexico</em> (1519-1524) by Hernan Cortes. His letters account for his conquest to Mexico and the conquering of the Aztec Empire. After disobeying orders, Cortes sets out to explore modern day Mexico and kind of accidentally stumbles upon this beautiful, advanced, flourishing empire. With help from local allies, Cortes defeats the Aztecs and puts Spain in control of the vast land from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. He writes the letters to King Charles V of Spain telling him his story.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> by Hernan Cortes should be preserved because of the historical context, cultural context of the Aztec Empire, and because it is one of the only accounts that we have of what happened in that time. It marks a very important time in history of the colonization of the west, the personality of a conquistador, details of the mysterious Aztec Empire, reflects Christian attitudes and beliefs of that time, and lifestyle and rule in Spain.<!--more-->\n\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> was not a typical piece from its era. Exploration was just beginning in the west. While Spain was conquering new lands, the Renaissance was at its peak in Italy. Classical Humanists embraced Greco-Roman classics and were devoted to studying and imitating them. This new culture was more secular than religious. “They regarded Classical authority not exclusively as a means of clarifying Christian truths, but as the basis for a new appraisal of the role of the individual in the world order,” says Fiero. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the great artists of the High Renaissance, completed famous works such as <em>The Last Supper</em>. This world-famous painting was one of a kind and changed art techniques for centuries to come. Da Vinci applied classical art principles to the representation of Christian subjects. Renaissance artist began studying the mechanics of the human body, balance, using three dimensions rather than two, perfecting oil painting, making art in monumental size, heroic characteristics, and scientific laws of perspective. A lot of art at this time was similar to Da Vinci’s<em> The Last Suppe</em>r. Artists used Christian subjects and displayed religious scenes but used human figures to represent famous names. Not only paintings but large sculptures were popular artist trends.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> is very innovative and unusual for its time. When the letters were published in Spain, people were very interested and excited about them. Exploration in the west was just beginning and civilization was progressing. The letters were different from normal visual works of art because they were literary. Hernan Cortes told wild stories about the Aztec Empire and his time in the new world full of lavish gold; a completely different style of living than that of modern day Spain. I think it caught people’s attention and introduced them to new cultures other than the famous Greek or Roman.\n\n&nbsp;\nOne piece that is similar to <em>Letters from Mexico</em> is <em>The Prince.</em> Machiavelli, a famous philosopher, became known as Europe’s first political scientist. His popular little book, <em>The Prince</em>, called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. The leader he described must be ruthless and sacrifice moral virtue in the interest of the state. Machiavelli’s has a negative view of humanity pinning them as thankless, fickle, greedy, and dishonest. A lot of what Machiavelli described sounds exactly like the personality of Hernan Cortes. Machiavelli’s Prince is a lot smarter than Cortes and keeps power as well as a good reputation. I think these two pieces relate to each other because of the parts the main characters play. Hernan Cortes is a very greedy and egotistical explorer who actually disobeys rules from Spain on continuing with an expedition. He defends himself from a powerful empire battling his way to victory. In <em>The Prince</em>, “armed force as the ultimate sanction of political power, the ruthless suppression of dangerous enemies and the establishment of authority through fear rather than love, the use of deceit, careful economy rather than lavish expenditure- all these Machiavelli cites as necessary to the founder of a new state.” Both of these pieces are very political rather than secular or religious like other major artworks of their time. I think both of them went against the typical Monarchist policies of government at that time making them uncommon and alike.\n\n&nbsp;\nCortes’ letters were published to the public so everyone could read the first-hand account of the conquering of grand Aztec Empire. According to Pahl, the letters were action packed and real page turners. The public was so eager to know what was going on worlds away. Cortes “went on to great wealth and power.” (Mee.) Cortes appointed himself governor without permission from King Charles V. Cortes was careless, greedy, and irresponsible in his decisions. After being appointed governor Cortes left to explore what is now modern day Honduras. King Charles grew suspicious of Cortes and sent a bureaucrat named Luis Ponce de Leon to investigate. Luis died immediately and Cortes was charged with murder, rumor is he was poisoned. Cortes’ fifth letter was banned in Spain and his reputation was declining rapidly. People didn’t like Cortes’ decisions and he was being punished for it. Someone can’t rebel against the King and the public be aware it. I think that is why the letters were banned and Cortes was dealt with in a private manner. Cortes lived the rest of his life on his land in Mexico with his wife. He had no leadership in the new world and Spain continued to govern it.\n\n&nbsp;\nThere are a lot of mixed emotions about the <em>Letters from Mexico</em>. Their authenticity and credibility is doubted by many scholars. Pahl suggests Cortes is cocky and over exaggerates a lot of his takeover and what actually occurred. Yes, he conquered a gigantic empire but it is said he was ruthless, destructive, and it was similar to a massacre. Cortes went around “destroying traditional Mexican religious artifacts as it definitely impeded their attempts at a peaceful conversion.” (Pahl.) Anthony Pagden discusses how Cortes seeks to reinforce his authority and his reputation in his letters. Some scholars don’t even look at his letters of literary importance but just historical. Cortes didn’t have a very good reputation back then and he doesn’t at this time either. I personally feel Cortes ruined an empire that Spain could have learned a lot from. He was the leader and held all power and authority. I think his personal decisions and desires made a mess of the whole situation. He destroyed the Aztecs entire city because of their religious beliefs, who knows what he did with a lot of the gold, I know some of it went back to Spain when he was tried for murder, and he wasn’t a good leader and didn’t secure some type of government when the empire was defeated. Thousands of natives died and it was the end to an advanced and flourishing culture that could have helped progression in that era. I think Cortes greedily set out behind the kings back and stumbled upon an empire that was unstable and destroyed it. He manipulated Indians and locals into supporting him and then savagely killed thousands. Who knows what really happened? This is the account of a conceded and egotistical conquistador.\n\n&nbsp;\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> holds great historical importance making it unique and very innovative. There was a lot of Spanish and Portuguese exploration going on in the new world so empires could expand. What makes it so unique is his conquering of the Aztec empire giving Spain control of modern day Mexico. This was a huge accomplishment for Spain in the settling and colonizing of the Americas. It also made way for the present day. Colonization in the west created the nation we have today. Although I may disagree with Hernan Cortes’ decisions and opinions, he did make history and history made today. His letters hold a lot of historical importance in learning about different cultures of the world. What is most significant about this work is the historical context and cultural context. His account and a few others in his army are the only knowledge that we have of what happened at that time. It is very important these letters are preserved so we know about a beautiful culture that was lost in the process of one being made.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes','','inherit','open','open','','2414-revision-15','','','2012-09-24 13:19:25','2012-09-24 19:19:25','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2529',0,'revision','',0),(2530,59,'2012-09-24 13:20:33','2012-09-24 19:20:33','[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"257\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2502\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" /></a> Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II[/caption]\r\n\r\nhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/92413/Hernan-Cortes-with-Montezuma-II\r\n\r\nSince the beginning of time, art has reflected beliefs, culture, lifestyles, and fashion of its period. I never cared much for history but doing this project has created a whole new meaning of art for me. In studying history, I can learn more about today and what tomorrow might bring. I chose to study the <em>Letters from Mexico</em> (1519-1524) by Hernan Cortes. His letters account for his conquest to Mexico and the conquering of the Aztec Empire. After disobeying orders, Cortes sets out to explore modern day Mexico and kind of accidentally stumbles upon this beautiful, advanced, flourishing empire. With help from local allies, Cortes defeats the Aztecs and puts Spain in control of the vast land from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. He writes the letters to King Charles V of Spain telling him his story.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> by Hernan Cortes should be preserved because of the historical context, cultural context of the Aztec Empire, and because it is one of the only accounts that we have of what happened in that time. It marks a very important time in history of the colonization of the west, the personality of a conquistador, details of the mysterious Aztec Empire, reflects Christian attitudes and beliefs of that time, and lifestyle and rule in Spain.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> was not a typical piece from its era. Exploration was just beginning in the west. While Spain was conquering new lands, the Renaissance was at its peak in Italy. Classical Humanists embraced Greco-Roman classics and were devoted to studying and imitating them. This new culture was more secular than religious. “They regarded Classical authority not exclusively as a means of clarifying Christian truths, but as the basis for a new appraisal of the role of the individual in the world order,” says Fiero. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the great artists of the High Renaissance, completed famous works such as <em>The Last Supper</em>. This world-famous painting was one of a kind and changed art techniques for centuries to come. Da Vinci applied classical art principles to the representation of Christian subjects. Renaissance artist began studying the mechanics of the human body, balance, using three dimensions rather than two, perfecting oil painting, making art in monumental size, heroic characteristics, and scientific laws of perspective. A lot of art at this time was similar to Da Vinci’s<em> The Last Suppe</em>r. Artists used Christian subjects and displayed religious scenes but used human figures to represent famous names. Not only paintings but large sculptures were popular artist trends.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> is very innovative and unusual for its time. When the letters were published in Spain, people were very interested and excited about them. Exploration in the west was just beginning and civilization was progressing. The letters were different from normal visual works of art because they were literary. Hernan Cortes told wild stories about the Aztec Empire and his time in the new world full of lavish gold; a completely different style of living than that of modern day Spain. I think it caught people’s attention and introduced them to new cultures other than the famous Greek or Roman.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nOne piece that is similar to <em>Letters from Mexico</em> is <em>The Prince.</em> Machiavelli, a famous philosopher, became known as Europe’s first political scientist. His popular little book, <em>The Prince</em>, called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. The leader he described must be ruthless and sacrifice moral virtue in the interest of the state. Machiavelli’s has a negative view of humanity pinning them as thankless, fickle, greedy, and dishonest. A lot of what Machiavelli described sounds exactly like the personality of Hernan Cortes. Machiavelli’s Prince is a lot smarter than Cortes and keeps power as well as a good reputation. I think these two pieces relate to each other because of the parts the main characters play. Hernan Cortes is a very greedy and egotistical explorer who actually disobeys rules from Spain on continuing with an expedition. He defends himself from a powerful empire battling his way to victory. In <em>The Prince</em>, “armed force as the ultimate sanction of political power, the ruthless suppression of dangerous enemies and the establishment of authority through fear rather than love, the use of deceit, careful economy rather than lavish expenditure- all these Machiavelli cites as necessary to the founder of a new state.” Both of these pieces are very political rather than secular or religious like other major artworks of their time. I think both of them went against the typical Monarchist policies of government at that time making them uncommon and alike.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nCortes’ letters were published to the public so everyone could read the first-hand account of the conquering of grand Aztec Empire. According to Pahl, the letters were action packed and real page turners. The public was so eager to know what was going on worlds away. Cortes “went on to great wealth and power.” (Mee.) Cortes appointed himself governor without permission from King Charles V. Cortes was careless, greedy, and irresponsible in his decisions. After being appointed governor Cortes left to explore what is now modern day Honduras. King Charles grew suspicious of Cortes and sent a bureaucrat named Luis Ponce de Leon to investigate. Luis died immediately and Cortes was charged with murder, rumor is he was poisoned. Cortes’ fifth letter was banned in Spain and his reputation was declining rapidly. People didn’t like Cortes’ decisions and he was being punished for it. Someone can’t rebel against the King and the public be aware it. I think that is why the letters were banned and Cortes was dealt with in a private manner. Cortes lived the rest of his life on his land in Mexico with his wife. He had no leadership in the new world and Spain continued to govern it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nThere are a lot of mixed emotions about the <em>Letters from Mexico</em>. Their authenticity and credibility is doubted by many scholars. Pahl suggests Cortes is cocky and over exaggerates a lot of his takeover and what actually occurred. Yes, he conquered a gigantic empire but it is said he was ruthless, destructive, and it was similar to a massacre. Cortes went around “destroying traditional Mexican religious artifacts as it definitely impeded their attempts at a peaceful conversion.” (Pahl.) Anthony Pagden discusses how Cortes seeks to reinforce his authority and his reputation in his letters. Some scholars don’t even look at his letters of literary importance but just historical. Cortes didn’t have a very good reputation back then and he doesn’t at this time either. I personally feel Cortes ruined an empire that Spain could have learned a lot from. He was the leader and held all power and authority. I think his personal decisions and desires made a mess of the whole situation. He destroyed the Aztecs entire city because of their religious beliefs, who knows what he did with a lot of the gold, I know some of it went back to Spain when he was tried for murder, and he wasn’t a good leader and didn’t secure some type of government when the empire was defeated. Thousands of natives died and it was the end to an advanced and flourishing culture that could have helped progression in that era. I think Cortes greedily set out behind the kings back and stumbled upon an empire that was unstable and destroyed it. He manipulated Indians and locals into supporting him and then savagely killed thousands. Who knows what really happened? This is the account of a conceded and egotistical conquistador.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> holds great historical importance making it unique and very innovative. There was a lot of Spanish and Portuguese exploration going on in the new world so empires could expand. What makes it so unique is his conquering of the Aztec empire giving Spain control of modern day Mexico. This was a huge accomplishment for Spain in the settling and colonizing of the Americas. It also made way for the present day. Colonization in the west created the nation we have today. Although I may disagree with Hernan Cortes’ decisions and opinions, he did make history and history made today. His letters hold a lot of historical importance in learning about different cultures of the world. What is most significant about this work is the historical context and cultural context. His account and a few others in his army are the only knowledge that we have of what happened at that time. It is very important these letters are preserved so we know about a beautiful culture that was lost in the process of one being made.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited</p>\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\r\n\r\nGatt-Rutter, John. \"The Prince (Il Principe) Prose by Niccolò Machiavelli, 1532 (Written 1513).\" <em>Reference Guide to World Literature</em>. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. 3rd ed. Vol. 2: Works. Detroit: St. James Press, 2003. 1466-1467. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nRalph Hammond, Innes. \"Cortés, Hernán, Marqués Del Valle De Oaxaca.\" <em>Britannica Biographies</em> (2012): 1. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\nMee, Charles L., Jr. \"That fateful moment when two civilizations came face to face.\"<em>Smithsonian</em> Oct. 1992: 56+. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nPahl, Ron H. \"A Book Review Of The Very First Historical Mexican Classic: Hernan Cortes. Letters From Mexico.\" <em>Social Studies</em> 101.6 (2010): 232. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\n\"Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Novels for Students</span>. Vol. 9. Gale Cengage, .<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 <a href=\"http://www.enotes.com/prince/\">http://www.enotes.com/prince/</a>\r\n\r\n\"Cortés, Hernán - Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Literary Criticism (1400-1800)</span>. Ed. Jennifer Allison Brostrom. Vol. 31. Gale Cengage, 1996. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 &lt;http://www.enotes.com/hernan-cortes-criticism/cortes-hernan/introduction&gt;','Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes','','inherit','open','open','','2414-revision-16','','','2012-09-24 13:20:33','2012-09-24 19:20:33','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2530',0,'revision','',0),(2531,59,'2012-09-24 13:21:31','2012-09-24 19:21:31','[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"257\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2502\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" /></a> Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II[/caption]\r\n\r\nhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/92413/Hernan-Cortes-with-Montezuma-II\r\n\r\nSince the beginning of time, art has reflected beliefs, culture, lifestyles, and fashion of its period. I never cared much for history but doing this project has created a whole new meaning of art for me. In studying history, I can learn more about today and what tomorrow might bring. I chose to study the <em>Letters from Mexico</em> (1519-1524) by Hernan Cortes. His letters account for his conquest to Mexico and the conquering of the Aztec Empire. After disobeying orders, Cortes sets out to explore modern day Mexico and kind of accidentally stumbles upon this beautiful, advanced, flourishing empire. With help from local allies, Cortes defeats the Aztecs and puts Spain in control of the vast land from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. He writes the letters to King Charles V of Spain telling him his story.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> by Hernan Cortes should be preserved because of the historical context, cultural context of the Aztec Empire, and because it is one of the only accounts that we have of what happened in that time. It marks a very important time in history of the colonization of the west, the personality of a conquistador, details of the mysterious Aztec Empire, reflects Christian attitudes and beliefs of that time, and lifestyle and rule in Spain.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> was not a typical piece from its era. Exploration was just beginning in the west. While Spain was conquering new lands, the Renaissance was at its peak in Italy. Classical Humanists embraced Greco-Roman classics and were devoted to studying and imitating them. This new culture was more secular than religious. “They regarded Classical authority not exclusively as a means of clarifying Christian truths, but as the basis for a new appraisal of the role of the individual in the world order,” says Fiero. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the great artists of the High Renaissance, completed famous works such as <em>The Last Supper</em>. This world-famous painting was one of a kind and changed art techniques for centuries to come. Da Vinci applied classical art principles to the representation of Christian subjects. Renaissance artist began studying the mechanics of the human body, balance, using three dimensions rather than two, perfecting oil painting, making art in monumental size, heroic characteristics, and scientific laws of perspective. A lot of art at this time was similar to Da Vinci’s<em> The Last Suppe</em>r. Artists used Christian subjects and displayed religious scenes but used human figures to represent famous names. Not only paintings but large sculptures were popular artist trends.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> is very innovative and unusual for its time. When the letters were published in Spain, people were very interested and excited about them. Exploration in the west was just beginning and civilization was progressing. The letters were different from normal visual works of art because they were literary. Hernan Cortes told wild stories about the Aztec Empire and his time in the new world full of lavish gold; a completely different style of living than that of modern day Spain. I think it caught people’s attention and introduced them to new cultures other than the famous Greek or Roman.\r\nOne piece that is similar to <em>Letters from Mexico</em> is <em>The Prince.</em> Machiavelli, a famous philosopher, became known as Europe’s first political scientist. His popular little book, <em>The Prince</em>, called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. The leader he described must be ruthless and sacrifice moral virtue in the interest of the state. Machiavelli’s has a negative view of humanity pinning them as thankless, fickle, greedy, and dishonest. A lot of what Machiavelli described sounds exactly like the personality of Hernan Cortes. Machiavelli’s Prince is a lot smarter than Cortes and keeps power as well as a good reputation. I think these two pieces relate to each other because of the parts the main characters play. Hernan Cortes is a very greedy and egotistical explorer who actually disobeys rules from Spain on continuing with an expedition. He defends himself from a powerful empire battling his way to victory. In <em>The Prince</em>, “armed force as the ultimate sanction of political power, the ruthless suppression of dangerous enemies and the establishment of authority through fear rather than love, the use of deceit, careful economy rather than lavish expenditure- all these Machiavelli cites as necessary to the founder of a new state.” Both of these pieces are very political rather than secular or religious like other major artworks of their time. I think both of them went against the typical Monarchist policies of government at that time making them uncommon and alike.\r\nCortes’ letters were published to the public so everyone could read the first-hand account of the conquering of grand Aztec Empire. According to Pahl, the letters were action packed and real page turners. The public was so eager to know what was going on worlds away. Cortes “went on to great wealth and power.” (Mee.) Cortes appointed himself governor without permission from King Charles V. Cortes was careless, greedy, and irresponsible in his decisions. After being appointed governor Cortes left to explore what is now modern day Honduras. King Charles grew suspicious of Cortes and sent a bureaucrat named Luis Ponce de Leon to investigate. Luis died immediately and Cortes was charged with murder, rumor is he was poisoned. Cortes’ fifth letter was banned in Spain and his reputation was declining rapidly. People didn’t like Cortes’ decisions and he was being punished for it. Someone can’t rebel against the King and the public be aware it. I think that is why the letters were banned and Cortes was dealt with in a private manner. Cortes lived the rest of his life on his land in Mexico with his wife. He had no leadership in the new world and Spain continued to govern it.\r\nThere are a lot of mixed emotions about the <em>Letters from Mexico</em>. Their authenticity and credibility is doubted by many scholars. Pahl suggests Cortes is cocky and over exaggerates a lot of his takeover and what actually occurred. Yes, he conquered a gigantic empire but it is said he was ruthless, destructive, and it was similar to a massacre. Cortes went around “destroying traditional Mexican religious artifacts as it definitely impeded their attempts at a peaceful conversion.” (Pahl.) Anthony Pagden discusses how Cortes seeks to reinforce his authority and his reputation in his letters. Some scholars don’t even look at his letters of literary importance but just historical. Cortes didn’t have a very good reputation back then and he doesn’t at this time either. I personally feel Cortes ruined an empire that Spain could have learned a lot from. He was the leader and held all power and authority. I think his personal decisions and desires made a mess of the whole situation. He destroyed the Aztecs entire city because of their religious beliefs, who knows what he did with a lot of the gold, I know some of it went back to Spain when he was tried for murder, and he wasn’t a good leader and didn’t secure some type of government when the empire was defeated. Thousands of natives died and it was the end to an advanced and flourishing culture that could have helped progression in that era. I think Cortes greedily set out behind the kings back and stumbled upon an empire that was unstable and destroyed it. He manipulated Indians and locals into supporting him and then savagely killed thousands. Who knows what really happened? This is the account of a conceded and egotistical conquistador.\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> holds great historical importance making it unique and very innovative. There was a lot of Spanish and Portuguese exploration going on in the new world so empires could expand. What makes it so unique is his conquering of the Aztec empire giving Spain control of modern day Mexico. This was a huge accomplishment for Spain in the settling and colonizing of the Americas. It also made way for the present day. Colonization in the west created the nation we have today. Although I may disagree with Hernan Cortes’ decisions and opinions, he did make history and history made today. His letters hold a lot of historical importance in learning about different cultures of the world. What is most significant about this work is the historical context and cultural context. His account and a few others in his army are the only knowledge that we have of what happened at that time. It is very important these letters are preserved so we know about a beautiful culture that was lost in the process of one being made.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited</p>\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\r\n\r\nGatt-Rutter, John. \"The Prince (Il Principe) Prose by Niccolò Machiavelli, 1532 (Written 1513).\" <em>Reference Guide to World Literature</em>. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. 3rd ed. Vol. 2: Works. Detroit: St. James Press, 2003. 1466-1467. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nRalph Hammond, Innes. \"Cortés, Hernán, Marqués Del Valle De Oaxaca.\" <em>Britannica Biographies</em> (2012): 1. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\nMee, Charles L., Jr. \"That fateful moment when two civilizations came face to face.\"<em>Smithsonian</em> Oct. 1992: 56+. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nPahl, Ron H. \"A Book Review Of The Very First Historical Mexican Classic: Hernan Cortes. Letters From Mexico.\" <em>Social Studies</em> 101.6 (2010): 232. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\n\"Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Novels for Students</span>. Vol. 9. Gale Cengage, .<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 <a href=\"http://www.enotes.com/prince/\">http://www.enotes.com/prince/</a>\r\n\r\n\"Cortés, Hernán - Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Literary Criticism (1400-1800)</span>. Ed. Jennifer Allison Brostrom. Vol. 31. Gale Cengage, 1996. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 &lt;http://www.enotes.com/hernan-cortes-criticism/cortes-hernan/introduction&gt;','Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes','','inherit','open','open','','2414-revision-17','','','2012-09-24 13:21:31','2012-09-24 19:21:31','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2531',0,'revision','',0),(2532,59,'2012-09-24 13:22:18','2012-09-24 19:22:18','[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"257\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2502\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" /></a> Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II[/caption]\r\n\r\nhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/92413/Hernan-Cortes-with-Montezuma-II\r\n\r\nSince the beginning of time, art has reflected beliefs, culture, lifestyles, and fashion of its period. I never cared much for history but doing this project has created a whole new meaning of art for me. In studying history, I can learn more about today and what tomorrow might bring. I chose to study the <em>Letters from Mexico</em> (1519-1524) by Hernan Cortes. His letters account for his conquest to Mexico and the conquering of the Aztec Empire. After disobeying orders, Cortes sets out to explore modern day Mexico and kind of accidentally stumbles upon this beautiful, advanced, flourishing empire. With help from local allies, Cortes defeats the Aztecs and puts Spain in control of the vast land from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. He writes the letters to King Charles V of Spain telling him his story.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> by Hernan Cortes should be preserved because of the historical context, cultural context of the Aztec Empire, and because it is one of the only accounts that we have of what happened in that time. It marks a very important time in history of the colonization of the west, the personality of a conquistador, details of the mysterious Aztec Empire, reflects Christian attitudes and beliefs of that time, and lifestyle and rule in Spain.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> was not a typical piece from its era. Exploration was just beginning in the west. While Spain was conquering new lands, the Renaissance was at its peak in Italy. Classical Humanists embraced Greco-Roman classics and were devoted to studying and imitating them. This new culture was more secular than religious. “They regarded Classical authority not exclusively as a means of clarifying Christian truths, but as the basis for a new appraisal of the role of the individual in the world order,” says Fiero. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the great artists of the High Renaissance, completed famous works such as <em>The Last Supper</em>. This world-famous painting was one of a kind and changed art techniques for centuries to come. Da Vinci applied classical art principles to the representation of Christian subjects. Renaissance artist began studying the mechanics of the human body, balance, using three dimensions rather than two, perfecting oil painting, making art in monumental size, heroic characteristics, and scientific laws of perspective. A lot of art at this time was similar to Da Vinci’s<em> The Last Suppe</em>r. Artists used Christian subjects and displayed religious scenes but used human figures to represent famous names. Not only paintings but large sculptures were popular artist trends.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> is very innovative and unusual for its time. When the letters were published in Spain, people were very interested and excited about them. Exploration in the west was just beginning and civilization was progressing. The letters were different from normal visual works of art because they were literary. Hernan Cortes told wild stories about the Aztec Empire and his time in the new world full of lavish gold; a completely different style of living than that of modern day Spain. I think it caught people’s attention and introduced them to new cultures other than the famous Greek or Roman.\r\nOne piece that is similar to <em>Letters from Mexico</em> is <em>The Prince.</em> Machiavelli, a famous philosopher, became known as Europe’s first political scientist. His popular little book, <em>The Prince</em>, called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. The leader he described must be ruthless and sacrifice moral virtue in the interest of the state. Machiavelli’s has a negative view of humanity pinning them as thankless, fickle, greedy, and dishonest. A lot of what Machiavelli described sounds exactly like the personality of Hernan Cortes. Machiavelli’s Prince is a lot smarter than Cortes and keeps power as well as a good reputation. I think these two pieces relate to each other because of the parts the main characters play. Hernan Cortes is a very greedy and egotistical explorer who actually disobeys rules from Spain on continuing with an expedition. He defends himself from a powerful empire battling his way to victory. In <em>The Prince</em>, “armed force as the ultimate sanction of political power, the ruthless suppression of dangerous enemies and the establishment of authority through fear rather than love, the use of deceit, careful economy rather than lavish expenditure- all these Machiavelli cites as necessary to the founder of a new state.” Both of these pieces are very political rather than secular or religious like other major artworks of their time. I think both of them went against the typical Monarchist policies of government at that time making them uncommon and alike.\r\nCortes’ letters were published to the public so everyone could read the first-hand account of the conquering of grand Aztec Empire. According to Pahl, the letters were action packed and real page turners. The public was so eager to know what was going on worlds away. Cortes “went on to great wealth and power.” (Mee.) Cortes appointed himself governor without permission from King Charles V. Cortes was careless, greedy, and irresponsible in his decisions. After being appointed governor Cortes left to explore what is now modern day Honduras. King Charles grew suspicious of Cortes and sent a bureaucrat named Luis Ponce de Leon to investigate. Luis died immediately and Cortes was charged with murder, rumor is he was poisoned. Cortes’ fifth letter was banned in Spain and his reputation was declining rapidly. People didn’t like Cortes’ decisions and he was being punished for it. Someone can’t rebel against the King and the public be aware it. I think that is why the letters were banned and Cortes was dealt with in a private manner. Cortes lived the rest of his life on his land in Mexico with his wife. He had no leadership in the new world and Spain continued to govern it.\r\nThere are a lot of mixed emotions about the <em>Letters from Mexico</em>. Their authenticity and credibility is doubted by many scholars. Pahl suggests Cortes is cocky and over exaggerates a lot of his takeover and what actually occurred. Yes, he conquered a gigantic empire but it is said he was ruthless, destructive, and it was similar to a massacre. Cortes went around “destroying traditional Mexican religious artifacts as it definitely impeded their attempts at a peaceful conversion.” (Pahl.) Anthony Pagden discusses how Cortes seeks to reinforce his authority and his reputation in his letters. Some scholars don’t even look at his letters of literary importance but just historical. Cortes didn’t have a very good reputation back then and he doesn’t at this time either. I personally feel Cortes ruined an empire that Spain could have learned a lot from. He was the leader and held all power and authority. I think his personal decisions and desires made a mess of the whole situation. He destroyed the Aztecs entire city because of their religious beliefs, who knows what he did with a lot of the gold, I know some of it went back to Spain when he was tried for murder, and he wasn’t a good leader and didn’t secure some type of government when the empire was defeated. Thousands of natives died and it was the end to an advanced and flourishing culture that could have helped progression in that era. I think Cortes greedily set out behind the kings back and stumbled upon an empire that was unstable and destroyed it. He manipulated Indians and locals into supporting him and then savagely killed thousands. Who knows what really happened? This is the account of a conceded and egotistical conquistador.\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> holds great historical importance making it unique and very innovative. There was a lot of Spanish and Portuguese exploration going on in the new world so empires could expand. What makes it so unique is his conquering of the Aztec empire giving Spain control of modern day Mexico. This was a huge accomplishment for Spain in the settling and colonizing of the Americas. It also made way for the present day. Colonization in the west created the nation we have today. Although I may disagree with Hernan Cortes’ decisions and opinions, he did make history and history made today. His letters hold a lot of historical importance in learning about different cultures of the world. What is most significant about this work is the historical context and cultural context. His account and a few others in his army are the only knowledge that we have of what happened at that time. It is very important these letters are preserved so we know about a beautiful culture that was lost in the process of one being made.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited</p>\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\r\n\r\nGatt-Rutter, John. \"The Prince (Il Principe) Prose by Niccolò Machiavelli, 1532 (Written 1513).\" <em>Reference Guide to World Literature</em>. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. 3rd ed. Vol. 2: Works. Detroit: St. James Press, 2003. 1466-1467. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nRalph Hammond, Innes. \"Cortés, Hernán, Marqués Del Valle De Oaxaca.\" <em>Britannica Biographies</em> (2012): 1. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\nMee, Charles L., Jr. \"That fateful moment when two civilizations came face to face.\"<em>Smithsonian</em> Oct. 1992: 56+. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nPahl, Ron H. \"A Book Review Of The Very First Historical Mexican Classic: Hernan Cortes. Letters From Mexico.\" <em>Social Studies</em> 101.6 (2010): 232. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\n\"Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Novels for Students</span>. Vol. 9. Gale Cengage, .<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 <a href=\"http://www.enotes.com/prince/\">http://www.enotes.com/prince/</a>\r\n\r\n\"Cortés, Hernán - Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Literary Criticism (1400-1800)</span>. Ed. Jennifer Allison Brostrom. Vol. 31. Gale Cengage, 1996. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 &lt;http://www.enotes.com/hernan-cortes-criticism/cortes-hernan/introduction&gt;','Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes','','inherit','open','open','','2414-revision-18','','','2012-09-24 13:22:18','2012-09-24 19:22:18','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2532',0,'revision','',0),(2534,59,'2012-09-24 13:24:47','2012-09-24 19:24:47','[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"257\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2502\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" /></a> Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II[/caption]\r\n\r\nhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/92413/Hernan-Cortes-with-Montezuma-II\r\n\r\nSince the beginning of time, art has reflected beliefs, culture, lifestyles, and fashion of its period. I never cared much for history but doing this project has created a whole new meaning of art for me. In studying history, I can learn more about today and what tomorrow might bring. I chose to study the <em>Letters from Mexico</em> (1519-1524) by Hernan Cortes. His letters account for his conquest to Mexico and the conquering of the Aztec Empire. After disobeying orders, Cortes sets out to explore modern day Mexico and kind of accidentally stumbles upon this beautiful, advanced, flourishing empire. With help from local allies, Cortes defeats the Aztecs and puts Spain in control of the vast land from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. He writes the letters to King Charles V of Spain telling him his story.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> by Hernan Cortes should be preserved because of the historical context, cultural context of the Aztec Empire, and because it is one of the only accounts that we have of what happened in that time. It marks a very important time in history of the colonization of the west, the personality of a conquistador, details of the mysterious Aztec Empire, reflects Christian attitudes and beliefs of that time, and lifestyle and rule in Spain.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> was not a typical piece from its era. Exploration was just beginning in the west. While Spain was conquering new lands, the Renaissance was at its peak in Italy. Classical Humanists embraced Greco-Roman classics and were devoted to studying and imitating them. This new culture was more secular than religious. “They regarded Classical authority not exclusively as a means of clarifying Christian truths, but as the basis for a new appraisal of the role of the individual in the world order,” says Fiero. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the great artists of the High Renaissance, completed famous works such as <em>The Last Supper</em>. This world-famous painting was one of a kind and changed art techniques for centuries to come. Da Vinci applied classical art principles to the representation of Christian subjects. Renaissance artist began studying the mechanics of the human body, balance, using three dimensions rather than two, perfecting oil painting, making art in monumental size, heroic characteristics, and scientific laws of perspective. A lot of art at this time was similar to Da Vinci’s<em> The Last Suppe</em>r. Artists used Christian subjects and displayed religious scenes but used human figures to represent famous names. Not only paintings but large sculptures were popular artist trends.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> is very innovative and unusual for its time. When the letters were published in Spain, people were very interested and excited about them. Exploration in the west was just beginning and civilization was progressing. The letters were different from normal visual works of art because they were literary. Hernan Cortes told wild stories about the Aztec Empire and his time in the new world full of lavish gold; a completely different style of living than that of modern day Spain. I think it caught people’s attention and introduced them to new cultures other than the famous Greek or Roman.\r\nOne piece that is similar to <em>Letters from Mexico</em> is <em>The Prince.</em> Machiavelli, a famous philosopher, became known as Europe’s first political scientist. His popular little book, <em>The Prince</em>, called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. The leader he described must be ruthless and sacrifice moral virtue in the interest of the state. Machiavelli’s has a negative view of humanity pinning them as thankless, fickle, greedy, and dishonest. A lot of what Machiavelli described sounds exactly like the personality of Hernan Cortes. Machiavelli’s Prince is a lot smarter than Cortes and keeps power as well as a good reputation. I think these two pieces relate to each other because of the parts the main characters play. Hernan Cortes is a very greedy and egotistical explorer who actually disobeys rules from Spain on continuing with an expedition. He defends himself from a powerful empire battling his way to victory. In <em>The Prince</em>, “armed force as the ultimate sanction of political power, the ruthless suppression of dangerous enemies and the establishment of authority through fear rather than love, the use of deceit, careful economy rather than lavish expenditure- all these Machiavelli cites as necessary to the founder of a new state.” Both of these pieces are very political rather than secular or religious like other major artworks of their time. I think both of them went against the typical Monarchist policies of government at that time making them uncommon and alike.\r\nCortes’ letters were published to the public so everyone could read the first-hand account of the conquering of grand Aztec Empire. According to Pahl, the letters were action packed and real page turners. The public was so eager to know what was going on worlds away. Cortes “went on to great wealth and power.” (Mee.) Cortes appointed himself governor without permission from King Charles V. Cortes was careless, greedy, and irresponsible in his decisions. After being appointed governor Cortes left to explore what is now modern day Honduras. King Charles grew suspicious of Cortes and sent a bureaucrat named Luis Ponce de Leon to investigate. Luis died immediately and Cortes was charged with murder, rumor is he was poisoned. Cortes’ fifth letter was banned in Spain and his reputation was declining rapidly. People didn’t like Cortes’ decisions and he was being punished for it. Someone can’t rebel against the King and the public be aware it. I think that is why the letters were banned and Cortes was dealt with in a private manner. Cortes lived the rest of his life on his land in Mexico with his wife. He had no leadership in the new world and Spain continued to govern it.\r\nThere are a lot of mixed emotions about the <em>Letters from Mexico</em>. Their authenticity and credibility is doubted by many scholars. Pahl suggests Cortes is cocky and over exaggerates a lot of his takeover and what actually occurred. Yes, he conquered a gigantic empire but it is said he was ruthless, destructive, and it was similar to a massacre. Cortes went around “destroying traditional Mexican religious artifacts as it definitely impeded their attempts at a peaceful conversion.” (Pahl.) Anthony Pagden discusses how Cortes seeks to reinforce his authority and his reputation in his letters. Some scholars don’t even look at his letters of literary importance but just historical. Cortes didn’t have a very good reputation back then and he doesn’t at this time either. I personally feel Cortes ruined an empire that Spain could have learned a lot from. He was the leader and held all power and authority. I think his personal decisions and desires made a mess of the whole situation. He destroyed the Aztecs entire city because of their religious beliefs, who knows what he did with a lot of the gold, I know some of it went back to Spain when he was tried for murder, and he wasn’t a good leader and didn’t secure some type of government when the empire was defeated. Thousands of natives died and it was the end to an advanced and flourishing culture that could have helped progression in that era. I think Cortes greedily set out behind the kings back and stumbled upon an empire that was unstable and destroyed it. He manipulated Indians and locals into supporting him and then savagely killed thousands. Who knows what really happened? This is the account of a conceded and egotistical conquistador.\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> holds great historical importance making it unique and very innovative. There was a lot of Spanish and Portuguese exploration going on in the new world so empires could expand. What makes it so unique is his conquering of the Aztec empire giving Spain control of modern day Mexico. This was a huge accomplishment for Spain in the settling and colonizing of the Americas. It also made way for the present day. Colonization in the west created the nation we have today. Although I may disagree with Hernan Cortes’ decisions and opinions, he did make history and history made today. His letters hold a lot of historical importance in learning about different cultures of the world. What is most significant about this work is the historical context and cultural context. His account and a few others in his army are the only knowledge that we have of what happened at that time. It is very important these letters are preserved so we know about a beautiful culture that was lost in the process of one being made.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited</p>\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\r\n\r\nGatt-Rutter, John. \"The Prince (Il Principe) Prose by Niccolò Machiavelli, 1532 (Written 1513).\" <em>Reference Guide to World Literature</em>. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. 3rd ed. Vol. 2: Works. Detroit: St. James Press, 2003. 1466-1467. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nRalph Hammond, Innes. \"Cortés, Hernán, Marqués Del Valle De Oaxaca.\" <em>Britannica Biographies</em> (2012): 1. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\nMee, Charles L., Jr. \"That fateful moment when two civilizations came face to face.\"<em>Smithsonian</em> Oct. 1992: 56+. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nPahl, Ron H. \"A Book Review Of The Very First Historical Mexican Classic: Hernan Cortes. Letters From Mexico.\" <em>Social Studies</em> 101.6 (2010): 232. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\n\"Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Novels for Students</span>. Vol. 9. Gale Cengage, .<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 <a href=\"http://www.enotes.com/prince/\">http://www.enotes.com/prince/</a>\r\n\r\n\"Cortés, Hernán - Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Literary Criticism (1400-1800)</span>. Ed. Jennifer Allison Brostrom. Vol. 31. Gale Cengage, 1996. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 &lt;http://www.enotes.com/hernan-cortes-criticism/cortes-hernan/introduction&gt;','Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes','','inherit','open','open','','2414-revision-20','','','2012-09-24 13:24:47','2012-09-24 19:24:47','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2534',0,'revision','',0),(2533,59,'2012-09-24 13:23:05','2012-09-24 19:23:05','[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"257\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2502\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" /></a> Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II[/caption]\r\n\r\nhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/92413/Hernan-Cortes-with-Montezuma-II\r\n\r\nSince the beginning of time, art has reflected beliefs, culture, lifestyles, and fashion of its period. I never cared much for history but doing this project has created a whole new meaning of art for me. In studying history, I can learn more about today and what tomorrow might bring. I chose to study the <em>Letters from Mexico</em> (1519-1524) by Hernan Cortes. His letters account for his conquest to Mexico and the conquering of the Aztec Empire. After disobeying orders, Cortes sets out to explore modern day Mexico and kind of accidentally stumbles upon this beautiful, advanced, flourishing empire. With help from local allies, Cortes defeats the Aztecs and puts Spain in control of the vast land from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. He writes the letters to King Charles V of Spain telling him his story.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> by Hernan Cortes should be preserved because of the historical context, cultural context of the Aztec Empire, and because it is one of the only accounts that we have of what happened in that time. It marks a very important time in history of the colonization of the west, the personality of a conquistador, details of the mysterious Aztec Empire, reflects Christian attitudes and beliefs of that time, and lifestyle and rule in Spain.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> was not a typical piece from its era. Exploration was just beginning in the west. While Spain was conquering new lands, the Renaissance was at its peak in Italy. Classical Humanists embraced Greco-Roman classics and were devoted to studying and imitating them. This new culture was more secular than religious. “They regarded Classical authority not exclusively as a means of clarifying Christian truths, but as the basis for a new appraisal of the role of the individual in the world order,” says Fiero. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the great artists of the High Renaissance, completed famous works such as <em>The Last Supper</em>. This world-famous painting was one of a kind and changed art techniques for centuries to come. Da Vinci applied classical art principles to the representation of Christian subjects. Renaissance artist began studying the mechanics of the human body, balance, using three dimensions rather than two, perfecting oil painting, making art in monumental size, heroic characteristics, and scientific laws of perspective. A lot of art at this time was similar to Da Vinci’s<em> The Last Suppe</em>r. Artists used Christian subjects and displayed religious scenes but used human figures to represent famous names. Not only paintings but large sculptures were popular artist trends.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> is very innovative and unusual for its time. When the letters were published in Spain, people were very interested and excited about them. Exploration in the west was just beginning and civilization was progressing. The letters were different from normal visual works of art because they were literary. Hernan Cortes told wild stories about the Aztec Empire and his time in the new world full of lavish gold; a completely different style of living than that of modern day Spain. I think it caught people’s attention and introduced them to new cultures other than the famous Greek or Roman.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nOne piece that is similar to <em>Letters from Mexico</em> is <em>The Prince.</em> Machiavelli, a famous philosopher, became known as Europe’s first political scientist. His popular little book, <em>The Prince</em>, called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. The leader he described must be ruthless and sacrifice moral virtue in the interest of the state. Machiavelli’s has a negative view of humanity pinning them as thankless, fickle, greedy, and dishonest. A lot of what Machiavelli described sounds exactly like the personality of Hernan Cortes. Machiavelli’s Prince is a lot smarter than Cortes and keeps power as well as a good reputation. I think these two pieces relate to each other because of the parts the main characters play. Hernan Cortes is a very greedy and egotistical explorer who actually disobeys rules from Spain on continuing with an expedition. He defends himself from a powerful empire battling his way to victory. In <em>The Prince</em>, “armed force as the ultimate sanction of political power, the ruthless suppression of dangerous enemies and the establishment of authority through fear rather than love, the use of deceit, careful economy rather than lavish expenditure- all these Machiavelli cites as necessary to the founder of a new state.” Both of these pieces are very political rather than secular or religious like other major artworks of their time. I think both of them went against the typical Monarchist policies of government at that time making them uncommon and alike.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nCortes’ letters were published to the public so everyone could read the first-hand account of the conquering of grand Aztec Empire. According to Pahl, the letters were action packed and real page turners. The public was so eager to know what was going on worlds away. Cortes “went on to great wealth and power.” (Mee.) Cortes appointed himself governor without permission from King Charles V. Cortes was careless, greedy, and irresponsible in his decisions. After being appointed governor Cortes left to explore what is now modern day Honduras. King Charles grew suspicious of Cortes and sent a bureaucrat named Luis Ponce de Leon to investigate. Luis died immediately and Cortes was charged with murder, rumor is he was poisoned. Cortes’ fifth letter was banned in Spain and his reputation was declining rapidly. People didn’t like Cortes’ decisions and he was being punished for it. Someone can’t rebel against the King and the public be aware it. I think that is why the letters were banned and Cortes was dealt with in a private manner. Cortes lived the rest of his life on his land in Mexico with his wife. He had no leadership in the new world and Spain continued to govern it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nThere are a lot of mixed emotions about the <em>Letters from Mexico</em>. Their authenticity and credibility is doubted by many scholars. Pahl suggests Cortes is cocky and over exaggerates a lot of his takeover and what actually occurred. Yes, he conquered a gigantic empire but it is said he was ruthless, destructive, and it was similar to a massacre. Cortes went around “destroying traditional Mexican religious artifacts as it definitely impeded their attempts at a peaceful conversion.” (Pahl.) Anthony Pagden discusses how Cortes seeks to reinforce his authority and his reputation in his letters. Some scholars don’t even look at his letters of literary importance but just historical. Cortes didn’t have a very good reputation back then and he doesn’t at this time either. I personally feel Cortes ruined an empire that Spain could have learned a lot from. He was the leader and held all power and authority. I think his personal decisions and desires made a mess of the whole situation. He destroyed the Aztecs entire city because of their religious beliefs, who knows what he did with a lot of the gold, I know some of it went back to Spain when he was tried for murder, and he wasn’t a good leader and didn’t secure some type of government when the empire was defeated. Thousands of natives died and it was the end to an advanced and flourishing culture that could have helped progression in that era. I think Cortes greedily set out behind the kings back and stumbled upon an empire that was unstable and destroyed it. He manipulated Indians and locals into supporting him and then savagely killed thousands. Who knows what really happened? This is the account of a conceded and egotistical conquistador.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> holds great historical importance making it unique and very innovative. There was a lot of Spanish and Portuguese exploration going on in the new world so empires could expand. What makes it so unique is his conquering of the Aztec empire giving Spain control of modern day Mexico. This was a huge accomplishment for Spain in the settling and colonizing of the Americas. It also made way for the present day. Colonization in the west created the nation we have today. Although I may disagree with Hernan Cortes’ decisions and opinions, he did make history and history made today. His letters hold a lot of historical importance in learning about different cultures of the world. What is most significant about this work is the historical context and cultural context. His account and a few others in his army are the only knowledge that we have of what happened at that time. It is very important these letters are preserved so we know about a beautiful culture that was lost in the process of one being made.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited</p>\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\r\n\r\nGatt-Rutter, John. \"The Prince (Il Principe) Prose by Niccolò Machiavelli, 1532 (Written 1513).\" <em>Reference Guide to World Literature</em>. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. 3rd ed. Vol. 2: Works. Detroit: St. James Press, 2003. 1466-1467. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nRalph Hammond, Innes. \"Cortés, Hernán, Marqués Del Valle De Oaxaca.\" <em>Britannica Biographies</em> (2012): 1. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\nMee, Charles L., Jr. \"That fateful moment when two civilizations came face to face.\"<em>Smithsonian</em> Oct. 1992: 56+. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nPahl, Ron H. \"A Book Review Of The Very First Historical Mexican Classic: Hernan Cortes. Letters From Mexico.\" <em>Social Studies</em> 101.6 (2010): 232. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\n\"Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Novels for Students</span>. Vol. 9. Gale Cengage, .<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 <a href=\"http://www.enotes.com/prince/\">http://www.enotes.com/prince/</a>\r\n\r\n\"Cortés, Hernán - Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Literary Criticism (1400-1800)</span>. Ed. Jennifer Allison Brostrom. Vol. 31. Gale Cengage, 1996. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 &lt;http://www.enotes.com/hernan-cortes-criticism/cortes-hernan/introduction&gt;','Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes','','inherit','open','open','','2414-revision-19','','','2012-09-24 13:23:05','2012-09-24 19:23:05','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2533',0,'revision','',0),(2542,1,'2012-09-24 13:54:10','2012-09-24 19:54:10','[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"257\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2502\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" /></a> Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II[/caption]\n\nhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/92413/Hernan-Cortes-with-Montezuma-II\n\nSince the beginning of time, art has reflected beliefs, culture, lifestyles, and fashion of its period. I never cared much for history but doing this project has created a whole new meaning of art for me. In studying history, I can learn more about today and what tomorrow might bring. I chose to study the <em>Letters from Mexico</em> (1519-1524) by Hernan Cortes. His letters account for his conquest to Mexico and the conquering of the Aztec Empire. After disobeying orders, Cortes sets out to explore modern day Mexico and kind of accidentally stumbles upon this beautiful, advanced, flourishing empire. With help from local allies, Cortes defeats the Aztecs and puts Spain in control of the vast land from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. He writes the letters to King Charles V of Spain telling him his story.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> by Hernan Cortes should be preserved because of the historical context, cultural context of the Aztec Empire, and because it is one of the only accounts that we have of what happened in that time. It marks a very important time in history of the colonization of the west, the personality of a conquistador, details of the mysterious Aztec Empire, reflects Christian attitudes and beliefs of that time, and lifestyle and rule in Spain.<!--more-->\n\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> was not a typical piece from its era. Exploration was just beginning in the west. While Spain was conquering new lands, the Renaissance was at its peak in Italy. Classical Humanists embraced Greco-Roman classics and were devoted to studying and imitating them. This new culture was more secular than religious. “They regarded Classical authority not exclusively as a means of clarifying Christian truths, but as the basis for a new appraisal of the role of the individual in the world order,” says Fiero. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the great artists of the High Renaissance, completed famous works such as <em>The Last Supper</em>. This world-famous painting was one of a kind and changed art techniques for centuries to come. Da Vinci applied classical art principles to the representation of Christian subjects. Renaissance artist began studying the mechanics of the human body, balance, using three dimensions rather than two, perfecting oil painting, making art in monumental size, heroic characteristics, and scientific laws of perspective. A lot of art at this time was similar to Da Vinci’s<em> The Last Suppe</em>r. Artists used Christian subjects and displayed religious scenes but used human figures to represent famous names. Not only paintings but large sculptures were popular artist trends.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> is very innovative and unusual for its time. When the letters were published in Spain, people were very interested and excited about them. Exploration in the west was just beginning and civilization was progressing. The letters were different from normal visual works of art because they were literary. Hernan Cortes told wild stories about the Aztec Empire and his time in the new world full of lavish gold; a completely different style of living than that of modern day Spain. I think it caught people’s attention and introduced them to new cultures other than the famous Greek or Roman.\nOne piece that is similar to <em>Letters from Mexico</em> is <em>The Prince.</em> Machiavelli, a famous philosopher, became known as Europe’s first political scientist. His popular little book, <em>The Prince</em>, called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. The leader he described must be ruthless and sacrifice moral virtue in the interest of the state. Machiavelli’s has a negative view of humanity pinning them as thankless, fickle, greedy, and dishonest. A lot of what Machiavelli described sounds exactly like the personality of Hernan Cortes. Machiavelli’s Prince is a lot smarter than Cortes and keeps power as well as a good reputation. I think these two pieces relate to each other because of the parts the main characters play. Hernan Cortes is a very greedy and egotistical explorer who actually disobeys rules from Spain on continuing with an expedition. He defends himself from a powerful empire battling his way to victory. In <em>The Prince</em>, “armed force as the ultimate sanction of political power, the ruthless suppression of dangerous enemies and the establishment of authority through fear rather than love, the use of deceit, careful economy rather than lavish expenditure- all these Machiavelli cites as necessary to the founder of a new state.” Both of these pieces are very political rather than secular or religious like other major artworks of their time. I think both of them went against the typical Monarchist policies of government at that time making them uncommon and alike.\nCortes’ letters were published to the public so everyone could read the first-hand account of the conquering of grand Aztec Empire. According to Pahl, the letters were action packed and real page turners. The public was so eager to know what was going on worlds away. Cortes “went on to great wealth and power.” (Mee.) Cortes appointed himself governor without permission from King Charles V. Cortes was careless, greedy, and irresponsible in his decisions. After being appointed governor Cortes left to explore what is now modern day Honduras. King Charles grew suspicious of Cortes and sent a bureaucrat named Luis Ponce de Leon to investigate. Luis died immediately and Cortes was charged with murder, rumor is he was poisoned. Cortes’ fifth letter was banned in Spain and his reputation was declining rapidly. People didn’t like Cortes’ decisions and he was being punished for it. Someone can’t rebel against the King and the public be aware it. I think that is why the letters were banned and Cortes was dealt with in a private manner. Cortes lived the rest of his life on his land in Mexico with his wife. He had no leadership in the new world and Spain continued to govern it.\nThere are a lot of mixed emotions about the <em>Letters from Mexico</em>. Their authenticity and credibility is doubted by many scholars. Pahl suggests Cortes is cocky and over exaggerates a lot of his takeover and what actually occurred. Yes, he conquered a gigantic empire but it is said he was ruthless, destructive, and it was similar to a massacre. Cortes went around “destroying traditional Mexican religious artifacts as it definitely impeded their attempts at a peaceful conversion.” (Pahl.) Anthony Pagden discusses how Cortes seeks to reinforce his authority and his reputation in his letters. Some scholars don’t even look at his letters of literary importance but just historical. Cortes didn’t have a very good reputation back then and he doesn’t at this time either. I personally feel Cortes ruined an empire that Spain could have learned a lot from. He was the leader and held all power and authority. I think his personal decisions and desires made a mess of the whole situation. He destroyed the Aztecs entire city because of their religious beliefs, who knows what he did with a lot of the gold, I know some of it went back to Spain when he was tried for murder, and he wasn’t a good leader and didn’t secure some type of government when the empire was defeated. Thousands of natives died and it was the end to an advanced and flourishing culture that could have helped progression in that era. I think Cortes greedily set out behind the kings back and stumbled upon an empire that was unstable and destroyed it. He manipulated Indians and locals into supporting him and then savagely killed thousands. Who knows what really happened? This is the account of a conceded and egotistical conquistador.\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> holds great historical importance making it unique and very innovative. There was a lot of Spanish and Portuguese exploration going on in the new world so empires could expand. What makes it so unique is his conquering of the Aztec empire giving Spain control of modern day Mexico. This was a huge accomplishment for Spain in the settling and colonizing of the Americas. It also made way for the present day. Colonization in the west created the nation we have today. Although I may disagree with Hernan Cortes’ decisions and opinions, he did make history and history made today. His letters hold a lot of historical importance in learning about different cultures of the world. What is most significant about this work is the historical context and cultural context. His account and a few others in his army are the only knowledge that we have of what happened at that time. It is very important these letters are preserved so we know about a beautiful culture that was lost in the process of one being made.\n\n&nbsp;\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited</p>\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\n\nGatt-Rutter, John. \"The Prince (Il Principe) Prose by Niccolò Machiavelli, 1532 (Written 1513).\" <em>Reference Guide to World Literature</em>. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. 3rd ed. Vol. 2: Works. Detroit: St. James Press, 2003. 1466-1467. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\n\nRalph Hammond, Innes. \"Cortés, Hernán, Marqués Del Valle De Oaxaca.\" <em>Britannica Biographies</em> (2012): 1. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\n\nMee, Charles L., Jr. \"That fateful moment when two civilizations came face to face.\"<em>Smithsonian</em> Oct. 1992: 56+. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\n\nPahl, Ron H. \"A Book Review Of The Very First Historical Mexican Classic: Hernan Cortes. Letters From Mexico.\" <em>Social Studies</em> 101.6 (2010): 232. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\n\n\"Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Novels for Students</span>. Vol. 9. Gale Cengage, .<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 <a href=\"http://www.enotes.com/prince/\">http://www.enotes.com/prince/</a>\n\n\"Cortés, Hernán - Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Literary Criticism (1400-1800)</span>. Ed. Jennifer Allison Brostrom. Vol. 31. Gale Cengage, 1996. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 &lt;http://www.enotes.com/hernan-cortes-criticism/cortes-hernan/introduction&gt;','Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes','','inherit','open','open','','2414-autosave','','','2012-09-24 13:54:10','2012-09-24 19:54:10','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2542',0,'revision','',0),(2535,1,'2012-09-24 10:54:16','2012-09-24 16:54:16','whats up','Pico\'s Oritation on the Dignity of Man','','inherit','open','open','','2401-revision-2','','','2012-09-24 10:54:16','2012-09-24 16:54:16','',2401,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2535',0,'revision','',0),(2536,1,'2012-09-24 13:07:23','2012-09-24 19:07:23','<p style=\"text-align: center\">    <img class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"338\" height=\"450\" /></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://people.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/95-Theses.jpg</p>\r\n     Martin Luther is considered the father of the Protestant Reformation. He was a Monk and professor who after studying the scripture began to question the Catholic Church. On October 31, 1517 (Economist) Luther changed the world by posting his 95 grievances, fondly known as his “95 Theses”, on the University door. He concentrated on the sale of indulgences and the path to God, saying the church had no right to exclusively do it. He argued that people can interpret the Bible themselves. He also argued that countries should be able to interpret religion their way, rather than everyone following the Pope in Italy (Fiero). After the Theses was posted, plus the new invention of the printing press, people all over Europe were able to read this and spark the Reformation. Luther was charged with heresy and had to go to court, called the Diet of Worms, in 1921. The “95 Theses” should be preserved because this document not only shows that one man can change the world, but it is a vital document in religious history.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\nLeading up to Luther’s posting, there had been some arguments against the Church of Rome. In the Netherlands a new religious thought was being put into action called modern devotion (Fiero). Modern devotion spread throughout Northern Europe and sparked some questions on if the Church of Rome was the only path to God. At this time the Church of Rome was corrupt, and was selling indulgences saying it would get your family out of purgatory. Profits from the indulgences were going renovate churches and homes for the clergy. Many people, including Luther, were not happy with it anymore.\r\nBecause of the arguments against the Catholic Church, Luther was not the only reform minded person in Europe. Derek Wilson wrote a story for History Today called “The Luther Legacy” that talked about various effects over the years of the “95 Theses”. Wilson said, “He wanted to restore the church to its New Testament purity. In that desire he was at one with a large swathe of public opinion… (Wilson).” The Catholic Church had gotten so out of control that Kings wanted to take control back over their countries. Luther wanted to give this religious control to the Kings, rather than the Catholic Church controlling it. In fact, Wilson pointed out that, “…the German estates also presented a catalog of 102 ‘oppressive burdens and abuses imposed upon…the German Empire by the Holy See of Rome’ (Wilson).” They presented this Catalog at Luther’s heresy trial.\r\nLike I have already mentioned, Luther was not the first Reformer, he was just the first one to get the backing needed to make it successful. Because of that, the “95 Theses” was very innovative for its time. “…he gave people permission to doubt everything the Catholic hierarchy taught, to judge it for themselves against the testimony of the bible (Wilson).” Before Luther, and even for a little while after, people who questioned the Catholic Church were persecuted by both the Church and their Country. Luther also gave instructions on how to use the testimony of the bible, “…he was saying that any man or woman possessed of the open Bible could be their own theologian (Wilson).” This idea was very terrifying to authority because as Wilson continues to point out, this idea challenged divine sanction in general (both Church and State) and left minds open for other forms of politics, like democracy. Michael Mullett describes this new position as, “…the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Mullett).”\r\nAs already discussed, Luther’s work scared authority figures; but regular citizens and scholars were inspired by his ideas. “Within a few years hundreds of untrained lay people were writing devotional and polemical books and pamphlets (Wilson).” He was actually responsible for a third of vernacular literature between the years 1520 and 1546, Wilson goes on to state. Luther is given the honor of starting the Protestant Reformation which may not have been his original purpose, but soon things started to spiral out of control. Another response of people at the time was violent riots. Wilson explains the situation, “…a widespread popular rising against secular princes by ordinary people some of whom drew socially radical conclusions from Luther’s teaching (Wilson).” These riots Luther quickly stood up against and said he didn’t support them. The most major response though, was the response of the Church of Rome. In 1521 Luther was brought before the Diet of Worms for heresy, the ruling was to excommunicate him from Germany.\r\nToday, Luther is still coined as the man who began Protestantism. In the last hundred years though, there has been some interesting things associated with Luther. On one side he is still praised, Wilson said “Even our supposedly post-Christian age cannot write him out of the record (Wilson).” This was Wilson recognizing how important of a person Luther was to shaping the world we live in today. He is also still used today when Catholic issues arise again. For example, in 1999 the Catholic Church reemphasized the sale of indulgences. On the topic, Vitor Westhelle said, “At least these are recent signals…which invites us to take a new look at Luther’s quest for a merciful God (Westhelle).” The most interesting thought though, is people saying Luther is evil and influenced Hitler. In a Time magazine article from 1944, William Inge wrote a periodical that actually says Luther is worse than Hitler. He said, “If we wish to find a scapegoat on whose shoulders we may lay the miseries which Germany has brought upon the world…I am more and more conceived that the worst evil genius of that country is not Hitler…but Martin Luther (Time).” He goes on to wish that one day Luther’s influence won’t be in Germany anymore. In 2003, they made a movie called Luther about the posting of the Theses. According to the movies IMDB page, the movie begins when he becomes a monk and goes through his struggles with the church and through the actual trial after. I believe, and the movie shows, that people today are still impressed and interested in Luther’s work.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://youtu.be/SzFc7ilM7nw\">Trailer for \"Luther\" (2003)</a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">     Personally I have a few different reactions to the work. Religiously I admire Luther for his strength to stand up against the Catholic Church. I grew up in a Baptist home, which is Protestant, so I have him to thank for that (Although I am sure someone else would’ve broken the ties if it were not Luther.). He knew what he believed and he stood up for it. Politically, I admire his guts. I feel like today people are afraid to speak out like he did; and then after speaking out still stand on their word even when they are being charged or persecuted for it.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">A few years following the posting many reformers stepped up to follow in Luther’s footsteps. One of which was John Calvin, whose followers were called Calvinists. John Calvin wrote lots of books describing his views, one of which was called “The Institutes of the Christian Religion”. He finished the work in 1536; it started as a paper and ended up a 4 book series (Creator, Redeemer, Spirit, and the Church). He dedicated the book to the French King Francis 1, who was persecuting Protestants. “The French Protestants…may have been inclined to regard government as an enemy exclusively, not understanding in it its divinely ordained role (McKee).” According to McKee, Calvin was discussing the Apostles Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">This work as a whole is just remarkably significant. As far as religious texts go, I would personally say this comes right after the Bible in importance. Future generations deserve to see what is possible if you stand up for yourself. Other times in history this has worked; Civil Rights, Women’s rights, the end of slavery, civil wars around the world. If you stand up for what you believe in, there are no limits to where it can take you; and that is what I believe future generations can learn from this work.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Martin Luther is one of the most well-known names in the history of the world. He single-handedly sparked the Protestant Reformation, he changed the Catholic Church, and he changed the way the whole world thought and taught religion. His “95 Theses” sparked huge controversy, but it brought awareness of the ridiculous-ness the Church of Rome was trying to pass as religion. Since then thousands of churches consider themselves Protestant, the Catholic Church has changed and is not as corrupt, and many people can attribute their right to speak their opinions to Martin Luther. His work is unmatched in religious and philosophical importance, and that is why it deserves to be preserved for future generations.</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">Works Cited</p>\r\nBigalke Jr., Ron J. \"Institutes Of The Christian Religion: 1541 French Edition.\" Journal Of Dispensational Theology 13.40 (2009): 74-75. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nThis is an article discussing John Calvin’s work “Institutes of The Christian Religion”, John Calvin was another reformer who had a prominent following during the Protestant Reformation.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\r\nI used the textbook to pinpoint the Norwegian conflict with the Church of Rome and also for some basic background information.\r\n\r\n\"How Luther Went Viral.\" Economist. 17 Dec 2011: n. page. Web. 14 Sep. 2012. &lt;http://www.economist.com/node/21541719&gt;.\r\nI used this story from The Economist to get background information mostly in the introduction.\r\n\r\n\"Luther (2003).\" IMDB. IMDB.com, Inc., n.d. Web. 24 Sep 2012. &lt;http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309820/&gt;.\r\n\r\n\"Luther Is To Blame.\" Time 44.19 (1944): 63. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nI used this short article from during World War 2 to explain a point of view someone in the last 100 years has had regarding Luther and his work.\r\n\r\nMullett, Michael. \"Martin Luther\'s Ninety-Five Theses: Michael Mullett Defines The Role Of The 95 Theses In The Lutheran Reformation.(Key Texts)(Cover Story)(Biography).\" History Review 46 (n.d.): 46. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nI used Mullett’s discussion to describe how the work was innovative for the time.\r\n\r\nWesthelle, Vítor. \"Uses And Abuses Of The Cross: The Reformation, Then And Now.\" Trinity Seminary Review 28.2 (2007): 83-93. Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nI used Westhelle’s look at the past and present responses in my discussion of how people today feel about the work.\r\n\r\nWilson, Derek. \"The Luther Legacy: Derek Wilson Looks At The Great Religious Reformer And Asks Why His Life And Work Have Seemed So Significant To So Many Diverse People For Almost 500 Years.\" History Today 57.5 (n.d.): 34. Gale: History Resource Center--U.S. (HITS). Web. 14 Sept. 2012.\r\nWilson was my main source. I used his look at the legacy of Luther to discuss how the work was both typical and innovative at the time, how it was received, and how people today feel about the work.','Martin Luther\'s \"95 Theses\"','','inherit','open','open','','2405-revision-26','','','2012-09-24 13:07:23','2012-09-24 19:07:23','',2405,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2536',0,'revision','',0),(2537,1,'2012-09-24 12:15:00','2012-09-24 18:15:00','&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSir Thomas More was born in 1478, in the city of London.  After his earlier education at St. Anthony’s School, he was placed, as a boy, in the household of Cardinal John Morton. Cardinal Morton had been in earlier days that Bishop of Ely whom Richard III sent to the Tower and was a chief adviser of Henry VII, who in 1486 made him Archbishop of Canterbury, and nine months afterwards Lord Chancellor. In his late teens, Thomas More was sent to Canterbury College, Oxford, where he learned Greek from the first men who brought Greek studies from Italy to England—William Grocyn and Thomas Linacre. At the age of twenty-one he entered Parliament, and soon after he was made Under-Sheriff of London.<!--more-->  In the first years of the reign of Henry VIII, he rose to large practice in the law courts, where it is said he refused to plead in cases which he thought unjust, and took no fees from widows, orphans, or the poor. In 1513 Thomas More, still Under-Sheriff of London, is said to have written his “History of the Life and Death of King Edward V, and of the Usurpation of Richard III”  The book, which seems to contain the knowledge and opinions of More’s mentor, Morton. In the year 1515 Wolsey, Archbishop of York, was made Cardinal by Leo X, Henry VIII made him Lord Chancellor, and from that year until 1523 the King and the Cardinal ruled England with absolute authority, calling no parliament.  In May of the year 1515, Thomas More was joined in a commission to the Low Countries with Cuthbert Tunstal and others to confer with the ambassadors of Charles V, then Archduke of Austria, upon a renewal of alliance.  On that embassy More was absent from England for six months, and while at Antwerp he established friendship with Peter Giles who was secretary to the municipality of Antwerp. While away from home, More was inspired by long and thought provoking conversations with friends and acquaintances. The product of these thoughts was possibly his best known work, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Utopia</span>. More’s <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Utopia</span> was written in Latin, and is in two parts. The second, which describes the place Nusquama, as he called it sometimes in his letters—“Nowhere”, was probably written towards the end of 1515. The first part was most likely written in early in 1516.  The book was first printed at Louvain, in late 1516, under the editorship of Erasmus, Peter Giles, and other of More’s friends.\r\n\r\nUtopia is a work of fiction by Thomas More published in 1516. The work reflects More’s political philosophies through the description of a fictional society’s social and political customs. The Renaissance brought forth many new concepts and ideas. In much of Europe where there had once been the strict control of Medieval monarchs and the constraining grip of the Roman Catholic church, innovations such as the printing press were making the the proliferation of new ways of thinking much harder to suppress. These innovations also brought old texts to newly literate masses whom prior to that time had been dependent upon religious leaders and government officials to bestow knowledge upon them. The masses now had access to prints of public records, the Bible, and other literature. This allowed them to take in what they read and form there own ideas about what was happening around them and what was in their best interest.\r\n\r\nThat time was also marked by the fact that most learned men (women were largely unable to participate in government or clergy) were of a religious background and men of the clergy in many cases were responsible for shaping legislation and counseling the rulers of respective nations. More was part of this reality and used it as best he could to change the status quo for the better of the nation he served. He was unpopular with the authority due to his propensity to be very outspoken and demonstrative about his displeasure with how certain aspects of the governing of England. He did not believe that even a king’s power should go unchecked, especially since the king has the future of his subjects to protect. In 1505 he opposed Henry VII’s proposal for a subsidy on account on the marriage portion of his daughter Margaret. More’s argument in the House of Commons was so persuasive that it is believed that the proposal were likely to have gone through if not for his vehement opposition. When the news of this reached the king, More life was made to be somewhat more difficult. So much so that he considered leaving England (More 4). Our county in particular based our foundation on principles similar to those of Sir Thomas More. For that reason I nominate that this important work should be preserved in our time capsule.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Utopia</span> begins with his being assigned by Henry VIII to confer with the the ambassadors of a foreign nation in Antwerp to renew an alliance. While there he meets with friends to keep himself occupied and lift his spirits while away from his family. This is unique in that it mirrors his real life so closely. Up to this point of the story, these events closely resemble things that took place around this time in his real life. One of his close friends, Peter Giles, eventually introduces him to a man named Raphael Hythloday who is a well traveled man and considers himself a philosopher. Raphael is obliged to discuss with Peter and Thomas, his travels to distant lands and the governance of those places he has visited. Raphael speaks of an island by the name of Utopia, which he considers the greatest commonwealth he has ever seen. So much in fact that he comes to the conclusion that it may be the only place that deserves to be called a commonwealth.\r\n\r\nIn the next eight chapters, Raphael relates the specifics of Utopia’s constitution and culture. The composition of their governing bodies, the make up of their economy, their justice system, military, and religious beliefs are disseminated well if not in great detail. Generally, one could perceive the government of Utopia as communist, but upon closer analysis, the Utopian government would be closer to what we know as socialist. Quentin Skinner writes, “More is fiercely insistent, however, that the rich are usually the least rather than the most deserving of our respect, since their anxiety to protect and add to their possessions generally means that they worry only about their own self-interest, not about the interest of society as a whole.”\r\n\r\nMore’s idea of a perfect society appears to be one in which the citizens are concerned by the success of the society as a whole as opposed to being preoccupied with their personal well being. More writes:\r\n\r\n“[...] in which all things if a sort are laid by themselves; and thither every father goes, and takes whatsoever he or his family stand in need of, without paying for it or leaving anything in exchange. There is no reason for giving a denial to any person, since there is such plenty of everything among them; and there is no danger of a man’s asking for more than he needs; they have no inducements to do this, since they are sure they shall always be supplied: it is the fear of want that makes any of the whole race of animals either greedy or ravenous; but, besides the fear, there is in man a pride that makes him fancy it a particular glory to excel others in pomp and excess; but by the laws of the Utopians. there is no room for this. (More 69)\r\n\r\nThe ideal of operating as a collective and admonishing greed and materialism is reinforced throughout the work. This aspect of the book is important for our society to keep in mind. While I do subscribe to the idea of capitalism, there is something to be said for having a system that holds everyone that reaps the benefits of our society, accountable for contributing selflessly to ensure the future prosperity of our nation.\r\n\r\nRaphael states, “There are several sorts of religions, not only in different parts of the island, but even in every town.” In Utopia, religious freedom is paramount just as it is in our society. With recent outbreaks of violence in the Middle East, which are largely charged by the interpretation of religion, Utopia hold a particular belief that would ensure that the same would not like occur within their domain. Raphael speaks of taking some of the teachings of Christianity to Utopia, and those principles being well received by many of the locals. So much so that one man had so much zeal about his newfound faith that he began to condemn the beliefs of others with a violent tone. Though one of their most ancient laws prohibits a man from being punished for his religion, the man was sentenced to banishment because his inflammatory behavior could potentially incite sedition within the society (More 127). He was removed from the society, not because of the religion he practiced, but because the way he practiced it could have endangered someone within the society.\r\n\r\nMore and Desiderius Erasmus among colleagues created the Republic of letters, an imagined community that held at its center the ideal of humanism. “As we have seen, More’s Latin text functioned as part of the infrastructure of an imaginary Republic of Letter, and the book’s content represented, in some ways, a version of that ideal Republic. The extensive paratext that surrounds <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Utopia</span> helped to bind that community together and also to signal that Thomas More belonged there, as a citizen of that Republic,” wrote Joshua Phillips, a Literary and Cultural Studies Professor at the University of Memphis.\r\n\r\nIn 1535, More was removed from the world for standing on the same principles that he is praised for now. His conscientiousness and integrity would not allow him to recognize Henry VIII’s divorce from his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and his marriage to his new wife, Anne Boleyn. This was viewed as a crime by the authority. He was then called to recognized Henry VIII as the head of the Church rather than the Pope, and would not. He was then accused of high treason and eventually beheaded (Stephanie Forward). Though he died more than four centuries ago, his legacy lives on in the many thinkers that he inspired. In hopes that we can help his legacy live on, I suggest that we include his work in our time capsule, so that it may inspire the great thinkers of the future.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Works Cited</p>\r\n Forward, Stephanie. “A Taste of Paradise: Thomas More’s Utopia.” <em>The English Review</em> Apr. 2001; 24. <em>Literature Resource Center</em>. Web. 8 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\n More, Thomas. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Utopia</span>. Project Gutenberg, 2005.\r\n\r\n Phillips, Joshua. \"Staking Claims to <em>Utopia</em>: Thomas More, Fiction, and Intellectual         Property.\" <em>Material Culture and Cultural Materialisms in the Middle Ages and             Renaissance</em>. Ed. Curtis Perry. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 2001. 111-138. Rpt.       in         <em>Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800</em>. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg. Vol. 140.             Detroit: Gale, 2008. <em>Literature Resource Center</em>. Web. 4 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\n Skinner, Quentin. \"The Lesson of Thomas More.\" <em>New York Review</em>. 12 10 1978: n. page. Web. 4 Sep. 2012. &lt;<a href=\"http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1978/oct/12/the-lesson-of-thomas-more/\">http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1978/oct/12/the-lesson-of-thomas-more/</a>&gt;.','Thomas More\'s Utopia','','inherit','open','open','','2451-revision-7','','','2012-09-24 12:15:00','2012-09-24 18:15:00','',2451,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2537',0,'revision','',0),(2538,1,'2012-09-24 12:17:49','2012-09-24 18:17:49','I believe this what your talking about. Please let me know if this is correct or not. I couldn\'t find the green arrow, that you mentioned in class today. Is this what needed to be placed in the sample or the first paragraph of the TCP essay.?<!--more-->','HERE\'S MY ATTEMPT','','inherit','open','open','','2479-revision-3','','','2012-09-24 12:17:49','2012-09-24 18:17:49','',2479,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2538',0,'revision','',0),(2539,1,'2012-09-24 12:19:00','2012-09-24 18:19:00','The mayan book of creation is a text that orginated in mesoamerica. At the time of its conception it was a large collection of codices and oral stories that later were transcribed into to one large text in order to keep it alive.<!--more-->\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Mayan book of creationism, The Popol Vuh, was formally written down in 1554, during the time of Spanish occupation of their homelands (Christenson 38). This is during the time that new world had been discovered and many countries began exploring these untouched lands with strange aboriginals and Customs. However, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Europe was undergoing a cultural and intellectual Renaissance. The Art of the time was based on conveying the most realistic interpretations of life through the medium (Fiero section 17). The literature that was being produced during the renaissance represented the growing intellectualism of the people of Europe and often focused on the natural world and the laws the define it (Fiero). Leonardo Da Vinci is one notable artisan from the European renaissance, and is most know for his very detailed oriented and descriptive style. Da Vinci wrote about the mechanics of flight and the standardization of mechanical parts (Fiero b3), which shows that he was studying nature in its most principle form even without being a to mathematical calculate everything. Leonardo works also include detailed anatomical drawings which were considered the most descriptive of his time (Fiero b3). The Works of the renaissance era can be said to incorporate the spirit of science in its earliest development, this is quite the contrast to the spiritual writings of the Popol Vuh</p>\r\n<p dir=\"ltr\">The Literary work of the Popol Vuh has several unusual features to it. The Book was the only religious text that was written down, since the Mayans were the only culture that had a writing system (Christenson 33). Even though other Mesoamerica cultures used hieroglyphs to record events, the Mayan hieroglyphs were a phonetic script which means that they didn’t describe pictorial events but allowed the capability of recording any thoughts the Mayans may have had (Christenson 20). This feature is Very important when analyzing the Popol Vuh because it conveys the advanced intellectual thought of the Mayan people, even though they were deemed to be “ Lazy and childlike” by the Spanish conquistadores (Carlsen &amp; Prechtel 38). The other unique thing about this work is that in Mayan beliefs, when one reads a script (such as the Popol Vuh), it is as if you are giving a living voice to the original author, and you must ask for forgiveness for disturbing them and hold reverence for their spirit (Christenson 17). So as one reads the Popol Vuh, they must be aware of these Mayan traditions about the practice of reading them, so that they don’t upset the ancient spirits that created it.</p>\r\nDuring the time of its original transcription in 1554 (Christenson 38), It was considered by Fray Diego de Landa to be “lies of the of the devil” (Barnett 1). Because of this he set forth to burn every Mayan text he could find so that the spiritual traditions of the Mayan people could be wiped out (1). However with the widespread distaste and criticism of the Mayan beliefs by the Spanish, They ultimately failed in their Conquest of pre-Columbian Mayan culture since the Mayans showed a ‘fierce resistance to the acculturation’ and developed methods of cultural adaption to insure the survival of these beliefs (PDF 38).\r\nThe Perception of Mayan culture and the Popol Vuh by people outside of academics is generally fascination, due to the intriguing and mystical past of the Mayans (Barnett 2). However most Mayan enthusiast have not actually read the Popol Vuh (2), So the work would be considered second to the other Mayan relics such as their remaining architecture and art. This does not discredit the work though, and just shows that the Popol Vuh’s influence on Mayan architecture and art makes them much of what they are. The renewed general interest in Mayanism after the Spanish attempts to thwart it stems from the copies that the missionary Francisco Ximenez and later Carl Scherzer made (Barnett 1). The copy that Ximenez made is important because it came from the original 16th transcription of the Popol Vuh that was guarded by the peoples of Quiche heritage (Christenson 40). The transcription was made in two copies one in the native Quiche language that was used by the Mayans, and in Spanish (40). Then in 1800’s Carl Scherzer, an Austrian traveler, discovered the two copies and had made a new copy of the two entirely in Spanish (40). With this new copy he brought it back to Europe where it was officially published for the first time (40). The Popol Vuh gained new audiences amongst the people of Europe and America since they had a growing interest in ancient cultures (40). There has also been analysis on contemporary Anthropological literature that shows the people of the Mayan highlands are among the most studied ethnic groups in the world (Carlsen &amp; Prechtel 23). A lot of the literature also came from the Harvard Chiapas studies in that area as well (23). It can be concluded that since the publishment of Scherzer’s copy of the Popol Vuh, that has been an increased modern interest in the Mayan text and way of life.\r\nAfter reading the Popol Vuh, I have grown very fond of many of its features and stories. The re-occurring them of resurrection and rebirth in the Popol Vuh is very important to me because I have similar beliefs in the cyclic nature of life and this is stressed a many times within the work. The western belief of the linear progression of life with exact terminal ends is contrasted against the idea of new life springing from the death of the old. The Mayans practice of naming the grandchildren after the grandparents is an excellent example of the life sprouting from death (Carlsen &amp; Prechtel 28). The Popol Vuh also explains in narrative that the “Earth God” is of more importance than any other deity (Christenson 36). This co-insides with my environmental beliefs and allows me to relate to the Mayans fondness of the earth.\r\nAround the time of the 16th century transcription of the Popol Vuh, the Invention of the Gutenberg press in Europe changed the nature of literature forever. The Press allowed the rapid production of manuscripts and led the increased availability of texts and an increased literacy in Europe. One of the most notable texts to be made on the press was the Gutenberg bible. This allowed widespread availability of religious texts to the many people of the world and technologically charged Christianity. The rapid production and availability of the Bible during this time is a stark contrast to the nearly forgotten and hidden text of the Popol Vuh. The Popol Vuh didn’t receive publishment until the 1800’s, so its audience was limited to the remaining ancestors of the Mayan people that were only able to pass it one orally and with partial scripts of the Popol Vuh. The bible was also used as tool to subject the Mesoamerican people but the many missionary’s attempts to of destroying the Popol Vuh and replacing it with the bible; the Popol Vuh survived to this day.\r\nIn my opinion the most important feature of the Popol Vuh for future generations would be the many philosophies of life and death that Popol Vuh entertains the reader with. This I find very important for the future children of this earth because they may be only introduced into the religious dogma of Christianity and feel as if their entire life is sin. But in the Popol Vuh it stresses the influence of both light and shadow on our life and to be fully human we must integrate both into our life.\r\n\r\nBarnett, Charles R. Popol Vuh of the Jaguar Priests. Los Alamos, NM:\r\nExceptional, 1993. Print.\r\n\r\nChristenson, Allen J. Popol Vuh. Winchester, U.K.: O, 2003. Print.<!--more-->','Popol Vuh The Mayan Book of Creation','','inherit','open','open','','2478-revision-5','','','2012-09-24 12:19:00','2012-09-24 18:19:00','',2478,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2539',0,'revision','',0),(2540,1,'2012-09-24 12:26:20','2012-09-24 18:26:20','AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE\r\n\r\nTCP – 1 Michelangelo’s Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica\r\n\r\nJ.LAUER HUMA 1302-007 #13622\r\n\r\nPHILIP ROBINSON\r\n\r\n9/24/2012\r\n\r\nTime Capsule Project 1\r\n\r\nMichelangelo’s work on the Dome at St. Peter’s was a return to the former grandeur of Greek and Roman work brought forth during the renaissance period of classical humanism focusing on Christian and classical subjects. Michelangelo worked on St. Peter’s Basilica from 1546 until his death in 1564. At the time of the domes commission, wealthy merchants, and people of stature had been commissioning grand estates and pieces of art to decorate them. The church decided to follow in the footsteps of their patrons and commission a jewel for the Basilica. The trend was quite simple, the bigger and more elaborate the better. There are many facets of this particular building that are fascinating, however for this paper I will be focusing on the architectural facet.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nGiven the backdrop of the plague and its decimating effect on civilization and the lack of qualified artisans to rebuild, maintain, and improve basic societal infrastructure; one can imagine the rarity of skilled individuals capable of designing and building a dome of this magnitude . While sharing design aspects with the Pantheon of the Greek and Roman period, this renaissance period remodel is much larger. The interior of Michelangelo’s Dome of St. of St Peter’s is absolutely stunning. There are many artistic features of the interior that add considerable weight reinforcement necessities with regard to structural concerns. “The great dome soars above the altar and the baldacchino, sumptuously embellished with mosaic and stucco ornaments. It is supported by four structural piers with a perimeter of 71 m. and a height of 120 m. from the ground to the roof of the lantern. With the four Evangelists that are portrayed in medallions with a diameter of 8.5 m. The gigantic black letters (2 m. high) of this text on a gold background are lit by the light from 16 large windows, typical of Michelangelo\'s style, which punctuate the drum. Above the windows, the dome is divided into sixteen ribs and as many segments, decorated by majestic figures on six ascending concentric levels. Starting at the bottom the figures portray: 1. busts of the 16 popes buried in the basilica; 2. majestic figures of Christ, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist and various Apostles;3. in the rectangular frames, angels bearing the instruments of Jesus\' Passion; 4. the faces of cherubim and seraphim in circular medallions; 5. angels, the custodians of St. Peter\'s tomb; 6. additional faces of winged angels.\r\nMany artists worked on these decorations. Clement VIII commissioned Giuseppe Cesari, known as Cavalier d\'Arpino (1568-1640) to carry out the upper part of the decoration. He prepared the cartoons from 1603 to 1612. His drawings were simultaneously transposed into mosaic by the best mosaic artists of the period. ”\r\nWhile other domes have been constructed had been constructed previously in and around Italy, I believe this particular piece stands out due to the sheer enormity and grandiosity of the structural modeling needed to support the dome that now crowns what was the Basilica. “To give a reference point: US Capitol-96ft, The Pantheon-142ft, and St Peter’s-138ft. ” Michelangelo’s St. Peter’s Dome in Rome and Brunelleschi’s Dome in Florence share many structural ideas. However, there are some obvious differences in height, diameter, and internal style. Both artists have drawn from the same basic structural design. Brunelleschi’s dome in Florence was the largest domed structure in Italy at 50 meters in diameter and 90 meters in height; finished post mortem 1473 . Then Michelangelo’s dome at the Basilica in Rome now stands at an impressive 71 meters in diameter and 120 meters in height finished post mortem 1590 . The largest differences between these two goliaths of humanistic engineering and artistic spirits would be the method of work that went into the project and the beauty that it portrays. While Brunelleschi focused on painting and architectural details, Michelangelo also incorporated ornate sculpture in his expression.\r\n\r\nI think that those inclined to the religious statements of the work received it well. “Michelangelo wanted people\'s first reaction as they walked into the dome is astonishment. People may be overwhelmed to see the amount of light that appears at the top of the dome and will lead and draw the audience\'s attention slowly toward the dome. However, the sensation must only last in an instant, because he didn\'t want people to feel secluded from the massiveness of the dome, rather be a part of the dimension of pure contemplation. ”\r\n\r\nIn the current view I believe that it is thought of as a symbol that might unify the people of the Catholic and Christian faiths. I think a lot of people today respect the amount of work that went into the project and the beauty that it portrays. I also believe that today people are less unified by a symbol of faith such as the Basilica due to the intelligence level of the populace and the availability of information on other faiths. It is also my belief that this and other great works with religious design are meant to inspire awe, respect, power, and control.\r\n\r\nWhy should Michelangelo’s Dome of St Peter’s be preserved in a time capsule? As an architectural drafting major, the part that I found most meaningful was the marriage of structure and art. It is just as beautiful on the outside as on the inside. The architectural statements of the time were amazing to me. This piece of history serves as an inspiration of faith for some, and a reminder of the past for others. I believe that what this piece and others like it are telling future generations is to appreciate the piece of art in front of you, but understand the roots from whence it came. Great achievements can be achieved by man when they focus on the task. Whatever the reason one ultimately decides on, the important piece is to remember.','Michelangelo\'s St. Peter\'s Dome','','inherit','open','open','','2393-revision-6','','','2012-09-24 12:26:20','2012-09-24 18:26:20','',2393,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2540',0,'revision','',0),(2541,1,'2012-09-24 13:25:31','2012-09-24 19:25:31','[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"257\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2502\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" /></a> Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II[/caption]\r\n\r\nhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/92413/Hernan-Cortes-with-Montezuma-II\r\n\r\nSince the beginning of time, art has reflected beliefs, culture, lifestyles, and fashion of its period. I never cared much for history but doing this project has created a whole new meaning of art for me. In studying history, I can learn more about today and what tomorrow might bring. I chose to study the <em>Letters from Mexico</em> (1519-1524) by Hernan Cortes. His letters account for his conquest to Mexico and the conquering of the Aztec Empire. After disobeying orders, Cortes sets out to explore modern day Mexico and kind of accidentally stumbles upon this beautiful, advanced, flourishing empire. With help from local allies, Cortes defeats the Aztecs and puts Spain in control of the vast land from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. He writes the letters to King Charles V of Spain telling him his story.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> by Hernan Cortes should be preserved because of the historical context, cultural context of the Aztec Empire, and because it is one of the only accounts that we have of what happened in that time. It marks a very important time in history of the colonization of the west, the personality of a conquistador, details of the mysterious Aztec Empire, reflects Christian attitudes and beliefs of that time, and lifestyle and rule in Spain.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> was not a typical piece from its era. Exploration was just beginning in the west. While Spain was conquering new lands, the Renaissance was at its peak in Italy. Classical Humanists embraced Greco-Roman classics and were devoted to studying and imitating them. This new culture was more secular than religious. “They regarded Classical authority not exclusively as a means of clarifying Christian truths, but as the basis for a new appraisal of the role of the individual in the world order,” says Fiero. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the great artists of the High Renaissance, completed famous works such as <em>The Last Supper</em>. This world-famous painting was one of a kind and changed art techniques for centuries to come. Da Vinci applied classical art principles to the representation of Christian subjects. Renaissance artist began studying the mechanics of the human body, balance, using three dimensions rather than two, perfecting oil painting, making art in monumental size, heroic characteristics, and scientific laws of perspective. A lot of art at this time was similar to Da Vinci’s<em> The Last Suppe</em>r. Artists used Christian subjects and displayed religious scenes but used human figures to represent famous names. Not only paintings but large sculptures were popular artist trends.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> is very innovative and unusual for its time. When the letters were published in Spain, people were very interested and excited about them. Exploration in the west was just beginning and civilization was progressing. The letters were different from normal visual works of art because they were literary. Hernan Cortes told wild stories about the Aztec Empire and his time in the new world full of lavish gold; a completely different style of living than that of modern day Spain. I think it caught people’s attention and introduced them to new cultures other than the famous Greek or Roman.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nOne piece that is similar to <em>Letters from Mexico</em> is <em>The Prince.</em> Machiavelli, a famous philosopher, became known as Europe’s first political scientist. His popular little book, <em>The Prince</em>, called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. The leader he described must be ruthless and sacrifice moral virtue in the interest of the state. Machiavelli’s has a negative view of humanity pinning them as thankless, fickle, greedy, and dishonest. A lot of what Machiavelli described sounds exactly like the personality of Hernan Cortes. Machiavelli’s Prince is a lot smarter than Cortes and keeps power as well as a good reputation. I think these two pieces relate to each other because of the parts the main characters play. Hernan Cortes is a very greedy and egotistical explorer who actually disobeys rules from Spain on continuing with an expedition. He defends himself from a powerful empire battling his way to victory. In <em>The Prince</em>, “armed force as the ultimate sanction of political power, the ruthless suppression of dangerous enemies and the establishment of authority through fear rather than love, the use of deceit, careful economy rather than lavish expenditure- all these Machiavelli cites as necessary to the founder of a new state.” Both of these pieces are very political rather than secular or religious like other major artworks of their time. I think both of them went against the typical Monarchist policies of government at that time making them uncommon and alike.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nCortes’ letters were published to the public so everyone could read the first-hand account of the conquering of grand Aztec Empire. According to Pahl, the letters were action packed and real page turners. The public was so eager to know what was going on worlds away. Cortes “went on to great wealth and power.” (Mee.) Cortes appointed himself governor without permission from King Charles V. Cortes was careless, greedy, and irresponsible in his decisions. After being appointed governor Cortes left to explore what is now modern day Honduras. King Charles grew suspicious of Cortes and sent a bureaucrat named Luis Ponce de Leon to investigate. Luis died immediately and Cortes was charged with murder, rumor is he was poisoned. Cortes’ fifth letter was banned in Spain and his reputation was declining rapidly. People didn’t like Cortes’ decisions and he was being punished for it. Someone can’t rebel against the King and the public be aware it. I think that is why the letters were banned and Cortes was dealt with in a private manner. Cortes lived the rest of his life on his land in Mexico with his wife. He had no leadership in the new world and Spain continued to govern it.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nThere are a lot of mixed emotions about the <em>Letters from Mexico</em>. Their authenticity and credibility is doubted by many scholars. Pahl suggests Cortes is cocky and over exaggerates a lot of his takeover and what actually occurred. Yes, he conquered a gigantic empire but it is said he was ruthless, destructive, and it was similar to a massacre. Cortes went around “destroying traditional Mexican religious artifacts as it definitely impeded their attempts at a peaceful conversion.” (Pahl.) Anthony Pagden discusses how Cortes seeks to reinforce his authority and his reputation in his letters. Some scholars don’t even look at his letters of literary importance but just historical. Cortes didn’t have a very good reputation back then and he doesn’t at this time either. I personally feel Cortes ruined an empire that Spain could have learned a lot from. He was the leader and held all power and authority. I think his personal decisions and desires made a mess of the whole situation. He destroyed the Aztecs entire city because of their religious beliefs, who knows what he did with a lot of the gold, I know some of it went back to Spain when he was tried for murder, and he wasn’t a good leader and didn’t secure some type of government when the empire was defeated. Thousands of natives died and it was the end to an advanced and flourishing culture that could have helped progression in that era. I think Cortes greedily set out behind the kings back and stumbled upon an empire that was unstable and destroyed it. He manipulated Indians and locals into supporting him and then savagely killed thousands. Who knows what really happened? This is the account of a conceded and egotistical conquistador.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> holds great historical importance making it unique and very innovative. There was a lot of Spanish and Portuguese exploration going on in the new world so empires could expand. What makes it so unique is his conquering of the Aztec empire giving Spain control of modern day Mexico. This was a huge accomplishment for Spain in the settling and colonizing of the Americas. It also made way for the present day. Colonization in the west created the nation we have today. Although I may disagree with Hernan Cortes’ decisions and opinions, he did make history and history made today. His letters hold a lot of historical importance in learning about different cultures of the world. What is most significant about this work is the historical context and cultural context. His account and a few others in his army are the only knowledge that we have of what happened at that time. It is very important these letters are preserved so we know about a beautiful culture that was lost in the process of one being made.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited</p>\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\r\n\r\nGatt-Rutter, John. \"The Prince (Il Principe) Prose by Niccolò Machiavelli, 1532 (Written 1513).\" <em>Reference Guide to World Literature</em>. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. 3rd ed. Vol. 2: Works. Detroit: St. James Press, 2003. 1466-1467. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nRalph Hammond, Innes. \"Cortés, Hernán, Marqués Del Valle De Oaxaca.\" <em>Britannica Biographies</em> (2012): 1. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\nMee, Charles L., Jr. \"That fateful moment when two civilizations came face to face.\"<em>Smithsonian</em> Oct. 1992: 56+. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nPahl, Ron H. \"A Book Review Of The Very First Historical Mexican Classic: Hernan Cortes. Letters From Mexico.\" <em>Social Studies</em> 101.6 (2010): 232. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\n\"Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Novels for Students</span>. Vol. 9. Gale Cengage, .<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 <a href=\"http://www.enotes.com/prince/\">http://www.enotes.com/prince/</a>\r\n\r\n\"Cortés, Hernán - Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Literary Criticism (1400-1800)</span>. Ed. Jennifer Allison Brostrom. Vol. 31. Gale Cengage, 1996. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 &lt;http://www.enotes.com/hernan-cortes-criticism/cortes-hernan/introduction&gt;','Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes','','inherit','open','open','','2414-revision-21','','','2012-09-24 13:25:31','2012-09-24 19:25:31','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2541',0,'revision','',0),(2543,1,'2012-09-24 13:53:09','2012-09-24 19:53:09','[caption id=\"attachment_2502\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"257\"]<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-2502\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/hernan.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"257\" height=\"300\" /></a> Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II[/caption]\r\n\r\nhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/92413/Hernan-Cortes-with-Montezuma-II\r\n\r\nSince the beginning of time, art has reflected beliefs, culture, lifestyles, and fashion of its period. I never cared much for history but doing this project has created a whole new meaning of art for me. In studying history, I can learn more about today and what tomorrow might bring. I chose to study the <em>Letters from Mexico</em> (1519-1524) by Hernan Cortes. His letters account for his conquest to Mexico and the conquering of the Aztec Empire. After disobeying orders, Cortes sets out to explore modern day Mexico and kind of accidentally stumbles upon this beautiful, advanced, flourishing empire. With help from local allies, Cortes defeats the Aztecs and puts Spain in control of the vast land from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. He writes the letters to King Charles V of Spain telling him his story.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> by Hernan Cortes should be preserved because of the historical context, cultural context of the Aztec Empire, and because it is one of the only accounts that we have of what happened in that time. It marks a very important time in history of the colonization of the west, the personality of a conquistador, details of the mysterious Aztec Empire, reflects Christian attitudes and beliefs of that time, and lifestyle and rule in Spain.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> was not a typical piece from its era. Exploration was just beginning in the west. While Spain was conquering new lands, the Renaissance was at its peak in Italy. Classical Humanists embraced Greco-Roman classics and were devoted to studying and imitating them. This new culture was more secular than religious. “They regarded Classical authority not exclusively as a means of clarifying Christian truths, but as the basis for a new appraisal of the role of the individual in the world order,” says Fiero. Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the great artists of the High Renaissance, completed famous works such as <em>The Last Supper</em>. This world-famous painting was one of a kind and changed art techniques for centuries to come. Da Vinci applied classical art principles to the representation of Christian subjects. Renaissance artist began studying the mechanics of the human body, balance, using three dimensions rather than two, perfecting oil painting, making art in monumental size, heroic characteristics, and scientific laws of perspective. A lot of art at this time was similar to Da Vinci’s<em> The Last Suppe</em>r. Artists used Christian subjects and displayed religious scenes but used human figures to represent famous names. Not only paintings but large sculptures were popular artist trends.<em> Letters from Mexico</em> is very innovative and unusual for its time. When the letters were published in Spain, people were very interested and excited about them. Exploration in the west was just beginning and civilization was progressing. The letters were different from normal visual works of art because they were literary. Hernan Cortes told wild stories about the Aztec Empire and his time in the new world full of lavish gold; a completely different style of living than that of modern day Spain. I think it caught people’s attention and introduced them to new cultures other than the famous Greek or Roman.\r\nOne piece that is similar to <em>Letters from Mexico</em> is <em>The Prince.</em> Machiavelli, a famous philosopher, became known as Europe’s first political scientist. His popular little book, <em>The Prince</em>, called for the unification of Italy under a powerful and courageous leader. The leader he described must be ruthless and sacrifice moral virtue in the interest of the state. Machiavelli’s has a negative view of humanity pinning them as thankless, fickle, greedy, and dishonest. A lot of what Machiavelli described sounds exactly like the personality of Hernan Cortes. Machiavelli’s Prince is a lot smarter than Cortes and keeps power as well as a good reputation. I think these two pieces relate to each other because of the parts the main characters play. Hernan Cortes is a very greedy and egotistical explorer who actually disobeys rules from Spain on continuing with an expedition. He defends himself from a powerful empire battling his way to victory. In <em>The Prince</em>, “armed force as the ultimate sanction of political power, the ruthless suppression of dangerous enemies and the establishment of authority through fear rather than love, the use of deceit, careful economy rather than lavish expenditure- all these Machiavelli cites as necessary to the founder of a new state.” Both of these pieces are very political rather than secular or religious like other major artworks of their time. I think both of them went against the typical Monarchist policies of government at that time making them uncommon and alike.\r\nCortes’ letters were published to the public so everyone could read the first-hand account of the conquering of grand Aztec Empire. According to Pahl, the letters were action packed and real page turners. The public was so eager to know what was going on worlds away. Cortes “went on to great wealth and power.” (Mee.) Cortes appointed himself governor without permission from King Charles V. Cortes was careless, greedy, and irresponsible in his decisions. After being appointed governor Cortes left to explore what is now modern day Honduras. King Charles grew suspicious of Cortes and sent a bureaucrat named Luis Ponce de Leon to investigate. Luis died immediately and Cortes was charged with murder, rumor is he was poisoned. Cortes’ fifth letter was banned in Spain and his reputation was declining rapidly. People didn’t like Cortes’ decisions and he was being punished for it. Someone can’t rebel against the King and the public be aware it. I think that is why the letters were banned and Cortes was dealt with in a private manner. Cortes lived the rest of his life on his land in Mexico with his wife. He had no leadership in the new world and Spain continued to govern it.\r\nThere are a lot of mixed emotions about the <em>Letters from Mexico</em>. Their authenticity and credibility is doubted by many scholars. Pahl suggests Cortes is cocky and over exaggerates a lot of his takeover and what actually occurred. Yes, he conquered a gigantic empire but it is said he was ruthless, destructive, and it was similar to a massacre. Cortes went around “destroying traditional Mexican religious artifacts as it definitely impeded their attempts at a peaceful conversion.” (Pahl.) Anthony Pagden discusses how Cortes seeks to reinforce his authority and his reputation in his letters. Some scholars don’t even look at his letters of literary importance but just historical. Cortes didn’t have a very good reputation back then and he doesn’t at this time either. I personally feel Cortes ruined an empire that Spain could have learned a lot from. He was the leader and held all power and authority. I think his personal decisions and desires made a mess of the whole situation. He destroyed the Aztecs entire city because of their religious beliefs, who knows what he did with a lot of the gold, I know some of it went back to Spain when he was tried for murder, and he wasn’t a good leader and didn’t secure some type of government when the empire was defeated. Thousands of natives died and it was the end to an advanced and flourishing culture that could have helped progression in that era. I think Cortes greedily set out behind the kings back and stumbled upon an empire that was unstable and destroyed it. He manipulated Indians and locals into supporting him and then savagely killed thousands. Who knows what really happened? This is the account of a conceded and egotistical conquistador.\r\n<em>Letters from Mexico</em> holds great historical importance making it unique and very innovative. There was a lot of Spanish and Portuguese exploration going on in the new world so empires could expand. What makes it so unique is his conquering of the Aztec empire giving Spain control of modern day Mexico. This was a huge accomplishment for Spain in the settling and colonizing of the Americas. It also made way for the present day. Colonization in the west created the nation we have today. Although I may disagree with Hernan Cortes’ decisions and opinions, he did make history and history made today. His letters hold a lot of historical importance in learning about different cultures of the world. What is most significant about this work is the historical context and cultural context. His account and a few others in his army are the only knowledge that we have of what happened at that time. It is very important these letters are preserved so we know about a beautiful culture that was lost in the process of one being made.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited</p>\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol 2. Books 3-6. 6<sup>th</sup> ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. eBook. McGraw-Hill’s Connect. 2011. Web. Fall 2012.\r\n\r\nGatt-Rutter, John. \"The Prince (Il Principe) Prose by Niccolò Machiavelli, 1532 (Written 1513).\" <em>Reference Guide to World Literature</em>. Ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast. 3rd ed. Vol. 2: Works. Detroit: St. James Press, 2003. 1466-1467. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nRalph Hammond, Innes. \"Cortés, Hernán, Marqués Del Valle De Oaxaca.\" <em>Britannica Biographies</em> (2012): 1. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\nMee, Charles L., Jr. \"That fateful moment when two civilizations came face to face.\"<em>Smithsonian</em> Oct. 1992: 56+. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 23 Sep. 2012.\r\n\r\nPahl, Ron H. \"A Book Review Of The Very First Historical Mexican Classic: Hernan Cortes. Letters From Mexico.\" <em>Social Studies</em> 101.6 (2010): 232. <em>MasterFILE Premier</em>. Web. 23 Sept. 2012.\r\n\r\n\"Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Novels for Students</span>. Vol. 9. Gale Cengage, .<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 <a href=\"http://www.enotes.com/prince/\">http://www.enotes.com/prince/</a>\r\n\r\n\"Cortés, Hernán - Introduction.\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Literary Criticism (1400-1800)</span>. Ed. Jennifer Allison Brostrom. Vol. 31. Gale Cengage, 1996. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">eNotes.com</span>. 23 Sep, 2012 &lt;http://www.enotes.com/hernan-cortes-criticism/cortes-hernan/introduction&gt;','Letters from Mexico by Hernan Cortes','','inherit','open','open','','2414-revision-22','','','2012-09-24 13:53:09','2012-09-24 19:53:09','',2414,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2543',0,'revision','',0),(2544,67,'2012-09-24 12:17:24','2012-09-24 18:17:24','<p align=\"center\"></p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2504\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/aztec_sun_stone_500x-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.wired.com/images/article/full/2008/12/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg\">http://www.wired.com/images/article/full/2008/12/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg</a></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nObtaining the knowledge that was passed down to them from earlier Mesoamerican cultures, the Aztecs carved the calendar stone in 1479 (Smith 253). At the time, the Aztecs lived in a very civilized world filled with amazing architecture, an impressively complex government system, and they also employed intricate systems of writing and calendric systems (Taube 7).  The Calendar Stone was made by basalt stone. For the Aztecs, everything was pictorial in nature around this era. The calendar stone depicted different pictograms or Codex Magliabechianoand, which was primarily written on religious documents (Aztec-History).  Art was centered around religion in this era. So the pictograms of the gods on the calendar stone would correlate with that subject matter.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThe Aztecs were a highly ritualistic civilization devoted to divination and their Gods.  The Aztec calendar stone was created as a divinatory tool which was used for rituals, to forecast the future, and to determine which days were lucky and which days not for the outcome of various actions and events (Smith 254).  The calendar had two systems. It had the sacred Tonalpohualli, which was based on the 260-day cycle and the Iuhpohualli, which was a 365-day cycle (Palfrey). Seen by the count, there is a five day difference between these two calendars. The five day differences were thought to be the most unholy, unlucky days of the year (Smith 257). The world was thought to be coming to an end.\r\n\r\nOn the Aztec Calendar, the year was divided into 13-day periods. Each group of 13 days had a different deity ruling over the unit. This is because these units were thought to have a special symbolic influence and the deities were to ensure a positive outcome (Smith 256). In the middle of the Sun Stone, is the sun god Tonatuih. His tongue protruding between his teeth resembles a sacrificial flint knife. In his claw like hands he clutches human hearts (Palfrey). ‘Many scholars have debated on the stone’s meaning and purpose. Some suggest that, fixed horizontally; it served as a sacrificial altar, which would make sense because the stone was dedicated to the sun deity. Most agree though, that it offers a graphic representation of the Mexica cosmos’ (Palfrey).  In <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Aztecs,</span> Smith sums up what is to be believed the thought of the Aztecs when they carved the calendar stone “The Aztec calendar stone conveyed the message that the Aztec empire covered the whole earth (territory in all four directions), and that it was founded upon the sacred principles of time, directionality, divine warfare, and the sanction of the gods” (Smith 270).  Keeping the Aztec calendar is proof of ancient cultures mathematical and scientific achievements without the aid of modern technology. The study of the sun stone could lead to further advances in mathematics and acts as a road map to our celestial bodies from that era of our history.\r\n\r\nThe Aztecs believe they felt justified in believing in this calendar because of numerous events that changed the course of history for them.  Because Aztec Indians were fervent astronomers, they tracked the stars and correlated that between the days to create this sun calendar. Examples of events happening within the timeline of the calendar stone being built are these: Between 1452 and 1454, their capital city Tenochtitlan suffered from flood and famine, the following year on 4/16/1445 (Julian calendar) there was an eclipse of the sun.  From 1473-1479, there were 4 more solar eclipses within a five year time frame (Aveni, Calnek).  During this time the Aztec nation conquered and sacrificed many of the neighboring towns.  Their leaders were wounded  or killed, followed by violent earthquakes (Aveni, Calnek). There may have been even more visible eclipses seen by the Aztecs that have not been discovered because they were lost, or destroyed, or even confused with other natural events (Aveni, Calnek).  If one were to take into consideration the Aztecs being a society with strong beliefs in deities, the Aztecs constant state of turmoil from wars and death and then couple that with a constant flow of solar eclipses; it wouldn’t take much to consider that the Aztecs might have thought there Gods were planning on ending their world….again.  The Aztecs might have carved this massive calendar from stone to give their future generations a chance to do things right, where they did not.\r\n\r\nMany other artifacts of the same caliber and craftsmanship were excavated around the time the calendar stone was. This was an amazing find, because in the early colonial period of the sixteenth century, pre-Hispanic stone sculptures were considered potent satanic threats to successful conversion (Taube 25). With the Spaniards thinking this, this lead to the destruction of many great pieces of art, manuscripts, and other forms of architecture.  Thankfully, with the Aztecs foreseeing this frame of mind being a possibility and other circumstances occurring, many artifacts survived by being hidden in caves, on mountain tops, and even buried under Mexico City (Taube 25). After the artifacts were excavated, rather than being destroyed, they were treated as objects of curiosity and to be studied (Taube 25-26). I account for any differences between reception then and today by knowing people today have so many different religions and beliefs. Whereas the Aztecs were ignorant of the different beliefs we have today. They just had knowledge of what was taught to them by their elders as we do ours.\r\n\r\nThere were not that many differences and very many similarities between American Indians of this era. In the way they did things to their architecture and sculptures. As a matter of fact, the Aztecs calendar was based of the earlier Mayan cultures. The Aztec calendar stone and Mayan calendar share many similarities.  Both calendars have ritual days. The Aztec ritual day that was formed is the Tonalpohualli and the Maya ritual day is the Tzolkin. The day names on both calendars are also very similar. Both calendars used 18 months with 20 day counts along with other counts. The Aztec and Maya calendar stone is believed to have both mythological and astronomical significance. Both Native American cultures regarded their calendars as religious. Using the calendars, the Aztec and Maya priests dictated when to grow crops, when the dry and rainy seasons were, when to go to war, etc. (World Mysteries).\r\n\r\nThe main way the Aztec calendar differed was in their more primitive number system and less precise way of recording dates. The year also started with different months. The Maya calendar tracked the movements of the planets and the moon. From this came their reckoning of time, and a calendar that accurately measures the solar year to within minutes. The Aztecs also kept the two different aspects of time, the Tonalpohualli, which was counting the days and the Xiuhpohualli which was counting the years (World Mysteries).  The Aztecs believed they were living in the fifth and final stage of life. Because the Maya used a 360 day long cycle, they could tell that there were time periods way longer than the age of our universe (World Mysteries).\r\n\r\nThe Aztec Indians had this amazing culture full of love and life and beliefs which was unfortunately corrupted by the Spaniards. It makes me wonder what the world would be like today if the Spaniards had not been their demise. I find the Aztec Calendar Stone quite intriguing.  I love learning about something they created I have never heard of, or if I have, forgotten about. What I find meaningful is that it represents their concept of the universe. To create this ginormous sun calendar and carve pictograms in it because you believe the gods want you to just amazes me. It makes me realize they had an extremely strong belief in something bigger and better. They worshipped everything and didn’t take anything for granted. I believe we cannot undo the past but we can at least right a dreadful wrong. Future generations need to learn of this amazing culture and their advances.\r\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited:</p>\r\nAveni, Anthony, and Edward Calnek. “Astronomical Considerations in the Aztec Expression of History.” Ancient Mesoamerica. Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.mexicauprising.net/aztececlipsedata.pdf\">http://www.mexicauprising.net/aztececlipsedata.pdf</a>\r\n\r\nThis is a paper from the book Ancient Mesoamerica, it is about the cosmic history around the ancient Mesoamerica era. It helped me figure out what some of the major celestial events where during the time the Aztec Sun Calendar was created.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPalfrey, Dale. <em>Mysteries of the Fifth Sun: The Aztec Calendar</em>. n.p. Web. 8 January 1999.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/199-mysteries-of-the-fifth-sun-the-aztec-calendar</span>\r\n\r\nThis is a website with basic information about the Aztec Sun Calendar. It gave me more insight into what the calendar looked like.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Aztec-History</span>. N.p., nd. Web. 1996-2012\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.aztec-history.com</span>\r\n\r\nThis website has an enormous amount of information about Aztec Indians, from clothing to their demise and pretty much everything in between. The website gave me most of the information about the calendar stone I have so far.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSmith, Michael. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Aztecs.</span> Blackwell Publishers Inc., 1996. Print.\r\n\r\nThe book is Aztec Indians and their culture. This book helped me to understand the calendar stone more and why it was just a big part of Aztec life.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTaube, Karl. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Aztec and Maya Myths</span>. British Museum Press, 1993. Print.\r\n\r\nThis book detailed facts and myths about Aztec and Mayan Indians. This book helped me find what the Aztecs art and idols were see as in the early colonial period.','Aztec Calendar Stone Draft','','inherit','open','open','','2412-revision-5','','','2012-09-24 12:17:24','2012-09-24 18:17:24','',2412,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2544',0,'revision','',0),(2545,67,'2012-09-24 16:47:15','2012-09-24 22:47:15','<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2504\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/aztec_sun_stone_500x-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.wired.com/images/article/full/2008/12/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg\">http://www.wired.com/images/article/full/2008/12/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg</a></p>\r\n Obtaining the knowledge that was passed down to them from earlier Mesoamerican cultures, the Aztecs carved the calendar stone in 1479 (Smith 253). At the time, the Aztecs lived in a very civilized world filled with amazing architecture, an impressively complex government system, and they also employed intricate systems of writing and calendric systems (Taube 7).  The Calendar Stone was made of basalt stone which was a solidified lava stone that was a common material found because of their location near volcanoes (Aztec-History). For the Aztecs, everything was pictorial in nature around this era. The calendar stone depicted different pictograms or Codex Magliabechianoand, which was primarily written on religious documents (Aztec-History).  Art was centered around religion in this era. So the pictograms of the gods on the calendar stone would correlate with that subject matter.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThe Aztecs were a highly ritualistic civilization devoted to divination and their Gods.  The Aztec calendar stone was created as a divinatory tool which was used for rituals, to forecast the future, and to determine which days were lucky and which days not for the outcome of various actions and events (Smith 254).  The calendar had two systems. It had the sacred Tonalpohualli, which was based on the 260-day cycle and the Iuhpohualli, which was a 365-day cycle (Palfrey). Seen by the count, there is a five day difference between these two calendars. The five day differences were thought to be the most unholy, unlucky days of the year (Smith 257). The world was thought to be coming to an end.\r\n\r\nOn the Aztec Calendar, the year was divided into 13-day periods. Each group of 13 days had a different deity ruling over the unit. This is because these units were thought to have a special symbolic influence and the deities were to ensure a positive outcome (Smith 256). In the middle of the Sun Stone, is the sun god Tonatuih. His tongue protruding between his teeth resembles a sacrificial flint knife. In his claw like hands he clutches human hearts (Palfrey). ‘Many scholars have debated on the stone’s meaning and purpose. Some suggest that, fixed horizontally; it served as a sacrificial altar, which would make sense because the stone was dedicated to the sun deity. Most agree though, that it offers a graphic representation of the Mexica cosmos’ (Palfrey).  In <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Aztecs,</span> Smith sums up what is to be believed the thought of the Aztecs when they carved the calendar stone “The Aztec calendar stone conveyed the message that the Aztec empire covered the whole earth (territory in all four directions), and that it was founded upon the sacred principles of time, directionality, divine warfare, and the sanction of the gods” (Smith 270).  Keeping the Aztec calendar is proof of ancient cultures mathematical and scientific achievements without the aid of modern technology. The study of the sun stone could lead to further advances in mathematics and acts as a road map to our celestial bodies from that era of our history.\r\n\r\nThe Aztecs believe they felt justified in believing in this calendar because of numerous events that changed the course of history for them.  Because Aztec Indians were fervent astronomers, they tracked the stars and correlated that between the days to create this sun calendar. Examples of events happening within the timeline of the calendar stone being built are these: Between 1452 and 1454, their capital city Tenochtitlan suffered from flood and famine, the following year on 4/16/1445 (Julian calendar) there was an eclipse of the sun.  From 1473-1479, there were 4 more solar eclipses within a five year time frame (Aveni, Calnek).  During this time the Aztec nation conquered and sacrificed many of the neighboring towns.  Their leaders were wounded  or killed, followed by violent earthquakes (Aveni, Calnek). There may have been even more visible eclipses seen by the Aztecs that have not been discovered because they were lost, or destroyed, or even confused with other natural events (Aveni, Calnek).  If one were to take into consideration the Aztecs being a society with strong beliefs in deities, the Aztecs constant state of turmoil from wars and death and then couple that with a constant flow of solar eclipses; it wouldn’t take much to consider that the Aztecs might have thought there Gods were planning on ending their world….again.  The Aztecs might have carved this massive calendar from stone to give their future generations a chance to do things right, where they did not.\r\n\r\nMany other artifacts of the same caliber and craftsmanship were excavated around the time the calendar stone was. This was an amazing find, because in the early colonial period of the sixteenth century, pre-Hispanic stone sculptures were considered potent satanic threats to successful conversion (Taube 25). With the Spaniards thinking this, this lead to the destruction of many great pieces of art, manuscripts, and other forms of architecture.  Thankfully, with the Aztecs foreseeing this frame of mind being a possibility and other circumstances occurring, many artifacts survived by being hidden in caves, on mountain tops, and even buried under Mexico City (Taube 25). After the artifacts were excavated, rather than being destroyed, they were treated as objects of curiosity and to be studied (Taube 25-26). I account for any differences between reception then and today by knowing people today have so many different religions and beliefs. Whereas the Aztecs were ignorant of the different beliefs we have today. They just had knowledge of what was taught to them by their elders as we do ours.\r\n\r\nThere were not that many differences and very many similarities between American Indians of this era. In the way they did things to their architecture and sculptures. As a matter of fact, the Aztecs calendar was based of the earlier Mayan cultures. The Aztec calendar stone and Mayan calendar share many similarities.  Both calendars have ritual days. The Aztec ritual day that was formed is the Tonalpohualli and the Maya ritual day is the Tzolkin. The day names on both calendars are also very similar. Both calendars used 18 months with 20 day counts along with other counts. The Aztec and Maya calendar stone is believed to have both mythological and astronomical significance. Both Native American cultures regarded their calendars as religious. Using the calendars, the Aztec and Maya priests dictated when to grow crops, when the dry and rainy seasons were, when to go to war, etc. (World Mysteries).\r\n\r\nThe main way the Aztec calendar differed was in their more primitive number system and less precise way of recording dates. The year also started with different months. The Maya calendar tracked the movements of the planets and the moon. From this came their reckoning of time, and a calendar that accurately measures the solar year to within minutes. The Aztecs also kept the two different aspects of time, the Tonalpohualli, which was counting the days and the Xiuhpohualli which was counting the years (World Mysteries).  The Aztecs believed they were living in the fifth and final stage of life. Because the Maya used a 360 day long cycle, they could tell that there were time periods way longer than the age of our universe (World Mysteries).\r\n\r\nThe Aztec Indians had this amazing culture full of love and life and beliefs which was unfortunately corrupted by the Spaniards. It makes me wonder what the world would be like today if the Spaniards had not been their demise. I find the Aztec Calendar Stone quite intriguing.  I love learning about something they created I have never heard of, or if I have, forgotten about. What I find meaningful is that it represents their concept of the universe. To create this ginormous sun calendar and carve pictograms in it because you believe the gods want you to just amazes me. It makes me realize they had an extremely strong belief in something bigger and better. They worshipped everything and didn’t take anything for granted. I believe we cannot undo the past but we can at least right a dreadful wrong. Future generations need to learn of this amazing culture and their advances.\r\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited:</p>\r\nAveni, Anthony, and Edward Calnek. “Astronomical Considerations in the Aztec Expression of History.” Ancient Mesoamerica. Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.mexicauprising.net/aztececlipsedata.pdf\">http://www.mexicauprising.net/aztececlipsedata.pdf</a>\r\n\r\nThis is a paper from the book Ancient Mesoamerica, it is about the cosmic history around the ancient Mesoamerica era. It helped me figure out what some of the major celestial events where during the time the Aztec Sun Calendar was created.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPalfrey, Dale. <em>Mysteries of the Fifth Sun: The Aztec Calendar</em>. n.p. Web. 8 January 1999.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/199-mysteries-of-the-fifth-sun-the-aztec-calendar</span>\r\n\r\nThis is a website with basic information about the Aztec Sun Calendar. It gave me more insight into what the calendar looked like.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Aztec-History</span>. N.p., nd. Web. 1996-2012\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.aztec-history.com</span>\r\n\r\nThis website has an enormous amount of information about Aztec Indians, from clothing to their demise and pretty much everything in between. The website gave me most of the information about the calendar stone I have so far.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSmith, Michael. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Aztecs.</span> Blackwell Publishers Inc., 1996. Print.\r\n\r\nThe book is Aztec Indians and their culture. This book helped me to understand the calendar stone more and why it was just a big part of Aztec life.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTaube, Karl. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Aztec and Maya Myths</span>. British Museum Press, 1993. Print.\r\n\r\nThis book detailed facts and myths about Aztec and Mayan Indians. This book helped me find what the Aztecs art and idols were see as in the early colonial period.','Aztec Calendar Stone','','inherit','open','open','','2412-revision-6','','','2012-09-24 16:47:15','2012-09-24 22:47:15','',2412,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2545',0,'revision','',0),(2546,67,'2012-09-24 16:50:47','2012-09-24 22:50:47','<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2504\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/aztec_sun_stone_500x-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.wired.com/images/article/full/2008/12/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg\">http://www.wired.com/images/article/full/2008/12/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg</a></p>\r\n Obtaining the knowledge that was passed down to them from earlier Mesoamerican cultures, the Aztecs carved the calendar stone in 1479 (Smith 253). At the time, the Aztecs lived in a very civilized world filled with amazing architecture, an impressively complex government system, and they also employed intricate systems of writing and calendric systems (Taube 7).  The Calendar Stone was made of basalt stone which was a solidified lava stone that was a common material found because of their location near volcanoes (Aztec-History). For the Aztecs, everything was pictorial in nature around this era. The calendar stone depicted different pictograms or Codex Magliabechianoand, which was primarily written on religious documents (Aztec-History).  Art was centered around religion in this era. So the pictograms of the gods on the calendar stone would correlate with that subject matter.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThe Aztecs were a highly ritualistic civilization devoted to divination and their Gods.  The Aztec calendar stone was created as a divinatory tool which was used for rituals, to forecast the future, and to determine which days were lucky and which days not for the outcome of various actions and events (Smith 254).  The calendar had two systems. It had the sacred Tonalpohualli, which was based on the 260-day cycle and the Iuhpohualli, which was a 365-day cycle (Palfrey). Seen by the count, there is a five day difference between these two calendars. The five day differences were thought to be the most unholy, unlucky days of the year (Smith 257). The world was thought to be coming to an end.\r\n\r\nOn the Aztec Calendar, the year was divided into 13-day periods. Each group of 13 days had a different deity ruling over the unit. This is because these units were thought to have a special symbolic influence and the deities were to ensure a positive outcome (Smith 256). In the middle of the Sun Stone, is the sun god Tonatuih. His tongue protruding between his teeth resembles a sacrificial flint knife. In his claw like hands he clutches human hearts (Palfrey). ‘Many scholars have debated on the stone’s meaning and purpose. Some suggest that, fixed horizontally; it served as a sacrificial altar, which would make sense because the stone was dedicated to the sun deity. Most agree though, that it offers a graphic representation of the Mexica cosmos’ (Palfrey).  In <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Aztecs,</span> Smith sums up what is to be believed the thought of the Aztecs when they carved the calendar stone “The Aztec calendar stone conveyed the message that the Aztec empire covered the whole earth (territory in all four directions), and that it was founded upon the sacred principles of time, directionality, divine warfare, and the sanction of the gods” (Smith 270).  Keeping the Aztec calendar is proof of ancient cultures mathematical and scientific achievements without the aid of modern technology. The study of the sun stone could lead to further advances in mathematics and acts as a road map to our celestial bodies from that era of our history.\r\n\r\nThe Aztecs believe they felt justified in believing in this calendar because of numerous events that changed the course of history for them.  Because Aztec Indians were fervent astronomers, they tracked the stars and correlated that between the days to create this sun calendar. Examples of events happening within the timeline of the calendar stone being built are these: Between 1452 and 1454, their capital city Tenochtitlan suffered from flood and famine, the following year on 4/16/1445 (Julian calendar) there was an eclipse of the sun.  From 1473-1479, there were 4 more solar eclipses within a five year time frame (Aveni, Calnek).  During this time the Aztec nation conquered and sacrificed many of the neighboring towns.  Their leaders were wounded  or killed, followed by violent earthquakes (Aveni, Calnek). There may have been even more visible eclipses seen by the Aztecs that have not been discovered because they were lost, or destroyed, or even confused with other natural events (Aveni, Calnek).  If one were to take into consideration the Aztecs being a society with strong beliefs in deities, the Aztecs constant state of turmoil from wars and death and then couple that with a constant flow of solar eclipses; it wouldn’t take much to consider that the Aztecs might have thought there Gods were planning on ending their world….again.  The Aztecs might have carved this massive calendar from stone to give their future generations a chance to do things right, where they did not.\r\n\r\nMany other artifacts of the same caliber and craftsmanship were excavated around the time the calendar stone was. This was an amazing find, because in the early colonial period of the sixteenth century, pre-Hispanic stone sculptures were considered potent satanic threats to successful conversion (Taube 25). With the Spaniards thinking this, this lead to the destruction of many great pieces of art, manuscripts, and other forms of architecture.  Thankfully, with the Aztecs foreseeing this frame of mind being a possibility and other circumstances occurring, many artifacts survived by being hidden in caves, on mountain tops, and even buried under Mexico City (Taube 25). After the artifacts were excavated, rather than being destroyed, they were treated as objects of curiosity and to be studied (Taube 25-26). I account for any differences between reception then and today by knowing people today have so many different religions and beliefs. Whereas the Aztecs were ignorant of the different beliefs we have today. They just had knowledge of what was taught to them by their elders as we do ours.\r\n\r\nThere were not that many differences and very many similarities between American Indians of this era. In the way they did things to their architecture and sculptures. As a matter of fact, the Aztecs calendar was based of the earlier Mayan cultures. The Aztec calendar stone and Mayan calendar share many similarities.  Both calendars have ritual days. The Aztec ritual day that was formed is the Tonalpohualli and the Maya ritual day is the Tzolkin. The day names on both calendars are also very similar. Both calendars used 18 months with 20 day counts along with other counts. The Aztec and Maya calendar stone is believed to have both mythological and astronomical significance. Both Native American cultures regarded their calendars as religious. Using the calendars, the Aztec and Maya priests dictated when to grow crops, when the dry and rainy seasons were, when to go to war, etc. (World Mysteries).\r\n\r\nThe main way the Aztec calendar differed was in their more primitive number system and less precise way of recording dates. The year also started with different months. The Maya calendar tracked the movements of the planets and the moon. From this came their reckoning of time, and a calendar that accurately measures the solar year to within minutes. The Aztecs also kept the two different aspects of time, the Tonalpohualli, which was counting the days and the Xiuhpohualli which was counting the years (World Mysteries).  The Aztecs believed they were living in the fifth and final stage of life. Because the Maya used a 360 day long cycle, they could tell that there were time periods way longer than the age of our universe (World Mysteries).\r\n\r\nThe Aztec Indians had this amazing culture full of love and life and beliefs which was unfortunately corrupted by the Spaniards. It makes me wonder what the world would be like today if the Spaniards had not been their demise. I find the Aztec Calendar Stone quite intriguing.  I love learning about something they created I have never heard of, or if I have, forgotten about. What I find meaningful is that it represents their concept of the universe. To create this ginormous sun calendar and carve pictograms in it because you believe the gods want you to just amazes me. It makes me realize they had an extremely strong belief in something bigger and better. They worshipped everything and didn’t take anything for granted. I believe we cannot undo the past but we can at least right a dreadful wrong. Future generations need to learn of this amazing culture and their advances.\r\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited:</p>\r\nAveni, Anthony, and Edward Calnek. “Astronomical Considerations in the Aztec Expression of History.” Ancient Mesoamerica. Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.mexicauprising.net/aztececlipsedata.pdf</span>\r\n\r\nThis is a paper from the book Ancient Mesoamerica, it is about the cosmic history around the ancient Mesoamerica era. It helped me figure out what some of the major celestial events where during the time the Aztec Sun Calendar was created.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPalfrey, Dale. <em>Mysteries of the Fifth Sun: The Aztec Calendar</em>. n.p. Web. 8 January 1999.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/199-mysteries-of-the-fifth-sun-the-aztec-calendar</span>\r\n\r\nThis is a website with basic information about the Aztec Sun Calendar. It gave me more insight into what the calendar looked like.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Aztec-History</span>. N.p., nd. Web. 1996-2012\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.aztec-history.com</span>\r\n\r\nThis website has an enormous amount of information about Aztec Indians, from clothing to their demise and pretty much everything in between. The website gave me most of the information about the calendar stone I have so far.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSmith, Michael. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Aztecs.</span> Blackwell Publishers Inc., 1996. Print.\r\n\r\nThe book is Aztec Indians and their culture. This book helped me to understand the calendar stone more and why it was just a big part of Aztec life.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTaube, Karl. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Aztec and Maya Myths</span>. British Museum Press, 1993. Print.\r\n\r\nThis book detailed facts and myths about Aztec and Mayan Indians. This book helped me find what the Aztecs art and idols were see as in the early colonial period.','Aztec Calendar Stone','','inherit','open','open','','2412-revision-7','','','2012-09-24 16:50:47','2012-09-24 22:50:47','',2412,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2546',0,'revision','',0),(2547,67,'2012-09-24 17:00:06','2012-09-24 23:00:06','<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-2504\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/aztec_sun_stone_500x-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" /></a></p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.wired.com/images/article/full/2008/12/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg\">http://www.wired.com/images/article/full/2008/12/aztec_sun_stone_500x.jpg</a></p>\r\n Obtaining the knowledge that was passed down to them from earlier Mesoamerican cultures, the Aztecs carved the calendar stone in 1479 (Smith 253). At the time, the Aztecs lived in a very civilized world filled with amazing architecture, an impressively complex government system, and they also employed intricate systems of writing and calendric systems (Taube 7).  The Calendar Stone was made of basalt stone which was a solidified lava stone that was a common material found because of their location near volcanoes (Aztec-History). For the Aztecs, everything was pictorial in nature around this era. The calendar stone depicted different pictograms or Codex Magliabechianoand, which was primarily written on religious documents (Aztec-History).  Art was centered around religion in this era. So the pictograms of the gods on the calendar stone would correlate with that subject matter.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThe Aztecs were a highly ritualistic civilization devoted to divination and their Gods.  The Aztec calendar stone was created as a divinatory tool which was used for rituals, to forecast the future, and to determine which days were lucky and which days not for the outcome of various actions and events (Smith 254).  The calendar had two systems. It had the sacred Tonalpohualli, which was based on the 260-day cycle and the Iuhpohualli, which was a 365-day cycle (Palfrey). Seen by the count, there is a five day difference between these two calendars. The five day differences were thought to be the most unholy, unlucky days of the year (Smith 257). The world was thought to be coming to an end on these five days and everybody stayed inside doing nothing and prayed to the gods to spare their souls.\r\n\r\nOn the Aztec Calendar, the year was divided into 13-day periods. Each group of 13 days had a different deity ruling over the unit. This is because these units were thought to have a special symbolic influence and the deities were to ensure a positive outcome (Smith 256). In the middle of the Sun Stone, is the sun god Tonatuih. His tongue protruding between his teeth resembles a sacrificial flint knife. In his claw like hands he clutches human hearts (Palfrey). ‘Many scholars have debated on the stone’s meaning and purpose. Some suggest that, fixed horizontally; it served as a sacrificial altar, which would make sense because the stone was dedicated to the sun deity. Most agree though, that it offers a graphic representation of the Mexica cosmos’ (Palfrey).  In <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Aztecs,</span> Smith sums up what is to be believed the thought of the Aztecs when they carved the calendar stone “The Aztec calendar stone conveyed the message that the Aztec empire covered the whole earth (territory in all four directions), and that it was founded upon the sacred principles of time, directionality, divine warfare, and the sanction of the gods” (Smith 270).  Keeping the Aztec calendar is proof of ancient cultures mathematical and scientific achievements without the aid of modern technology. The study of the sun stone could lead to further advances in mathematics and acts as a road map to our celestial bodies from that era of our history.\r\n\r\nThe Aztecs believe they felt justified in believing in this calendar because of numerous events that changed the course of history for them.  Because Aztec Indians were fervent astronomers, they tracked the stars and correlated that between the days to create this sun calendar. Examples of events happening within the timeline of the calendar stone being built are these: Between 1452 and 1454, their capital city Tenochtitlan suffered from flood and famine, the following year on 4/16/1445 (Julian calendar) there was an eclipse of the sun.  From 1473-1479, there were 4 more solar eclipses within a five year time frame (Aveni, Calnek).  During this time the Aztec nation conquered and sacrificed many of the neighboring towns.  Their leaders were wounded  or killed, followed by violent earthquakes (Aveni, Calnek). There may have been even more visible eclipses seen by the Aztecs that have not been discovered because they were lost, or destroyed, or even confused with other natural events (Aveni, Calnek).  If one were to take into consideration the Aztecs being a society with strong beliefs in deities, the Aztecs constant state of turmoil from wars and death and then couple that with a constant flow of solar eclipses; it wouldn’t take much to consider that the Aztecs might have thought there Gods were planning on ending their world….again.  The Aztecs might have carved this massive calendar from stone to give their future generations a chance to do things right, where they did not.\r\n\r\nMany other artifacts of the same caliber and craftsmanship were excavated around the time the calendar stone was. This was an amazing find, because in the early colonial period of the sixteenth century, pre-Hispanic stone sculptures were considered potent satanic threats to successful conversion (Taube 25). With the Spaniards thinking this, this lead to the destruction of many great pieces of art, manuscripts, and other forms of architecture.  Thankfully, with the Aztecs foreseeing this frame of mind being a possibility and other circumstances occurring, many artifacts survived by being hidden in caves, on mountain tops, and even buried under Mexico City (Taube 25). After the artifacts were excavated, rather than being destroyed, they were treated as objects of curiosity and to be studied (Taube 25-26). I account for any differences between reception then and today by knowing people today have so many different religions and beliefs. Whereas the Aztecs were ignorant of the different beliefs we have today. They just had knowledge of what was taught to them by their elders as we do ours.\r\n\r\nThere were not that many differences and very many similarities between American Indians of this era. In the way they did things to their architecture and sculptures. As a matter of fact, the Aztecs calendar was based of the earlier Mayan cultures. The Aztec calendar stone and Mayan calendar share many similarities.  Both calendars have ritual days. The Aztec ritual day that was formed is the Tonalpohualli and the Maya ritual day is the Tzolkin. The day names on both calendars are also very similar. Both calendars used 18 months with 20 day counts along with other counts. The Aztec and Maya calendar stone is believed to have both mythological and astronomical significance. Both Native American cultures regarded their calendars as religious. Using the calendars, the Aztec and Maya priests dictated when to grow crops, when the dry and rainy seasons were, when to go to war, etc. (World Mysteries).\r\n\r\nThe main way the Aztec calendar differed was in their more primitive number system and less precise way of recording dates. The year also started with different months. The Maya calendar tracked the movements of the planets and the moon. From this came their reckoning of time, and a calendar that accurately measures the solar year to within minutes. The Aztecs also kept the two different aspects of time, the Tonalpohualli, which was counting the days and the Xiuhpohualli which was counting the years (World Mysteries).  The Aztecs believed they were living in the fifth and final stage of life. Because the Maya used a 360 day long cycle, they could tell that there were time periods way longer than the age of our universe (World Mysteries).\r\n\r\nThe Aztec Indians had this amazing culture full of love and life and beliefs which was unfortunately corrupted by the Spaniards. It makes me wonder what the world would be like today if the Spaniards had not been their demise. I find the Aztec Calendar Stone quite intriguing.  I love learning about something they created I have never heard of, or if I have, forgotten about. What I find meaningful is that it represents their concept of the universe. To create this ginormous sun calendar and carve pictograms in it because you believe the gods want you to just amazes me. It makes me realize they had an extremely strong belief in something bigger and better. They worshipped everything and didn’t take anything for granted. I believe we cannot undo the past but we can at least right a dreadful wrong. Future generations need to learn of this amazing culture and their advances.\r\n<p align=\"center\">Works Cited:</p>\r\nAveni, Anthony, and Edward Calnek. “Astronomical Considerations in the Aztec Expression of History.” Ancient Mesoamerica. Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.mexicauprising.net/aztececlipsedata.pdf</span>\r\n\r\nThis is a paper from the book Ancient Mesoamerica, it is about the cosmic history around the ancient Mesoamerica era. It helped me figure out what some of the major celestial events where during the time the Aztec Sun Calendar was created.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nPalfrey, Dale. <em>Mysteries of the Fifth Sun: The Aztec Calendar</em>. n.p. Web. 8 January 1999.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/199-mysteries-of-the-fifth-sun-the-aztec-calendar</span>\r\n\r\nThis is a website with basic information about the Aztec Sun Calendar. It gave me more insight into what the calendar looked like.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Aztec-History</span>. N.p., nd. Web. 1996-2012\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">http://www.aztec-history.com</span>\r\n\r\nThis website has an enormous amount of information about Aztec Indians, from clothing to their demise and pretty much everything in between. The website gave me most of the information about the calendar stone I have so far.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSmith, Michael. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">The Aztecs.</span> Blackwell Publishers Inc., 1996. Print.\r\n\r\nThe book is Aztec Indians and their culture. This book helped me to understand the calendar stone more and why it was just a big part of Aztec life.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTaube, Karl. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Aztec and Maya Myths</span>. British Museum Press, 1993. Print.\r\n\r\nThis book detailed facts and myths about Aztec and Mayan Indians. This book helped me find what the Aztecs art and idols were see as in the early colonial period.','Aztec Calendar Stone','','inherit','open','open','','2412-revision-8','','','2012-09-24 17:00:06','2012-09-24 23:00:06','',2412,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2547',0,'revision','',0),(2548,69,'2012-09-24 19:30:53','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','Auto Draft','','auto-draft','open','open','','','','','2012-09-24 19:30:53','0000-00-00 00:00:00','',0,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2548',0,'post','',0),(2549,69,'2012-09-24 19:46:49','2012-09-25 01:46:49','<img class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http://www.mexconnect.com/photos/8996-teotihuacan1s-p-panoramic-view-of-teotihuacan-looking-south-from-the-top-o-original.jpg?1267914708\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" />\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/823-the-great-pyramids-of-teotihuacan-mexico-place-of-the-gods823-the-great-pyramids-of-teotihuacan-mexico-place-of-the-gods</p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe  pyramids  of  Teotihuacan  are  one  of  the  oldest  pyramids  in are  history. They  are  located  in  Mexico  about  30miles  from  one  of  the  biggest  city’s  in  the  world  known  as  Mexico  City.  The  original  date  of  theses  pyramids  are  unknown  but  should  be  older then 200  a.d.  Also  for  a  time  period  the  Aztec  had  wondered  off  from  what  they  have  been told  by  their  gods, and  had  stumbled  upon  the  pyramids  of  Teotihuacan  to  have  as  there own  land. These  magnificent  pyramids  are  a  big  part  of  history  and  should  be  conserved for  future  generations  to  be  able  to  learn  from  them. If  these  Pyramids  would  be  destroyed  there  would  be  allot  off  useful   information gone. We  are  still  to  this  day  still  learning  and gaining knowledge  from studying  them.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->There  are  many  important  historical  impacts   that  have  shaped  the  pyramids.  From  the  Mayans  having  it  has  there  kingdom. To  the  Aztec’s  defeat  of  Cortez  and his Spanish  armed  forces.Sciences  all  off  this  they  are  just used  for  a tourist  site. For  use  to  ask  who  had built these Pyramids we have  to  know  that  the  builders  are  still  to  this  day unknown. Some  general  knowledge  is  That  the  two  biggest  of the  pyramids  are  the  sun  and  the  moon  pyramids. They  are  a representation  of  a  strong  connection  that  the  people  had  both  with  their  gods  and  with  the  universe.\r\n\r\nTo  actually  say  what  era  the  pyramids  purpose  was  or  what  they  worked for  is  asking  what  many  of  the  different  tribal  backgrounds  have  used  them  for. You called point  out  what  the  Aztec  people  used them  for. It  was  there  place  of  worship, and gathering were all put to use during there time period.  You could compare it to the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Saying that they are both very important structures. just as the Egyptian pyramids they are enormous  in size and have barrel grounds in them for there kings in queens just as Teotihuacan do for there  leaders. They are alike in many  ways like the way they align up with each other. Even if they are so far apart from each other there functions are about the same throughout history. having different rulers over them and gods coming down are just some of the similarities they have. Also having  1used as dramatic stage for religious rituals and civic ceremonies.\r\n\r\n3Which making them very unusual and ahead of its structurally time period. A fact about the Sun and the Moon pyramid is that they are actually aligned up with the sun and the moon. The main street that connects them is called “Street of Dead” which in many cases could be interesting for why they called it that. Known for sightings of there gods for sacrifices or tolls they would receive  from them, also giving the people a greater knowledge of the world. I think of the gods they said they would come down from the sky “other worldly gods”. Which has made a very huge impact on what is being discovered. A cool thing about the name is that it means 1The Place Where Men Become Gods. Which was very interesting men becoming gods does that mean that they were given powers are just tools that made them like the gods.\r\n\r\nThought time they have been worked on and built on from different cultural groups forming there own certain structural features. For each time they were controlled by a group of people they had vast land to live off of. from the tools that were given to them had made there lives allot easier and made them able to think for them selves. There is contrivers  on how they received these gifts and how they were used in different eras.\r\n\r\nFor most part people just know that these pyramids of Teotihuacan are located in Mexico, and probably that the Aztec had apart to do with them. They are a significant part of Mexican history to show How we had started off. Their concerns for this place is some were to go on a family vacation or road trip. Some 2Archologists today are still stunned to how anyone would be able to pick up those thousand pound bricks. How they would be able to carried them or even move them from one spot to the next. Which i would think is mind boggling.\r\n\r\nMy thought how the Teotihuacan Pyramids is that we need to look deeper then what facts are given to use to really be able to learn and define what your thoughts are own the pyramids. I am also think that it is a very good thing to be able to know about what has gone down in history and in the very magnificent Structural grounds. For that i conclude that i am glad that i as able to go in depth about Teotihuacan.\r\n\r\nWork cited List\r\n1. www.ancient-wisdom.co.oh/mexicoteotihuacan.htm\r\nLewis Spence, Mexico and Peru, 1994, Senate press. Renato Vesco, David Hatcher Childress. Man Made UFO\'s. 2007. Adventures Unlimited Press.Fagan, Garrett G. (2006). Archaeological Fantasies: How Pseudoarchaeology Misrepresents the Past and Misleads the Public. New York: Routledge. pp. 102The atlas of mysterious places. Guild publishing. 1987. G. Hancock. Fingerprints of the gods. Mandarin. 1996.\r\n\r\n2.http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/823-the-great-pyramids-of-teotihuacan-mexico-place-of-the-gods823-the-great-pyramids-of-teotihuacan-mexico-place-of-the-gods\r\nBy: Allen Cogan\r\n3. http://www.aztec-history.com/\r\nThe Aztecs by Michael E. Smith (2003); Aztec Imperial Strategies by Frances F. Berdan, et al. (1996); Imperial Ends: The Decay, Collapse, and Revival of Empires by Alexander K. Motyl (2001); The Tenochca Empire of Ancient Mexico: The Triple Alliance of Tenochtitlan, Tetzcoco, and Tlacopan by Pedro Carrasco (1999)\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Pyramids of Teotihuacan ','','publish','open','open','','pyramids-of-teotihuacan','','','2012-10-08 08:57:27','2012-10-08 14:57:27','',0,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=2549',0,'post','',10);
