Due to the severe climate changes, we can no longer stay on Earth. They've chosen a select group of people to preserve the brilliant works of our old home. Aboard our immense ship, I've designed a museum to carry the four pieces: De rerum Natura by Lucretius, The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci, Everyman: a morality play, and the Great Wall of China. It will be in form of a hallway; a wide hallway with a high ceiling; a walk-through display with each piece given its own closed area separated by short entrance ways to surprise those unaware of the magnificent contents.

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<img class="alignnone" src="http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/exhibitions/Montaigne/pics/front_notes.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="304" />
<p style="text-align: center"><em>a copy dating back to 1563</em> http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/exhibitions/Montaigne/m4_1.html?keepThis=true&amp;TB_iframe=true&amp;height=460&amp;width=600</p>
The first piece De rerum Natura "On the Nature of Things" is an unfinished six-book scientific epic poem by a 1<sup>st</sup> century Italian man, Titus Lucretius Carus - a man widely considered ahead of his time. Firstly, it is unique stylistically because it is the earliest dactylic hexameter of its kind. This philosophic masterpiece eloquently displays Epicurean studies and offers us a better look in it, since little was preserved of Epicurus' work – only that of his disciples. He introduces us to the theory of atomism, a truly grand feat given the time it was written. During Lucretius’ lifetime, Italy was experiencing a difficult time; It saw revolts, massacres, civil wars and assassination of authority figures. Lucretius, in such a heavy setting, it is no wonder he was so captivated by the Epicurean philosophy. The overall message of Epicureans being: It "spoke of a world which was not managed by an unseen power, of a life in which a man's actions were free from divine scrutiny, a life in which, within the bounds of society, a man might shape events according to his own will, securing himself against discomfort, acknowledging his natural instincts, relieved from the nagging fear of an unknown beyond the grave by the certainty of death as a final end." (Hanrott) He is the first of all to be a poet of Epicurean philosophy and was wise enough to write his brilliance into Latin so that more people could read and share his work. In this, he also more easily rendered abstract concepts; Lucretius considered it much like a doctor who spreads honey along the edges of a cup so a child will more readily consume it. Stoicism and Epicurean philosophies were both dominant schools of the time. They taught self-sufficiency and freedom from worldly negativities; Stoics expressed this through indifference in order to achieve clear sense of self-control. On the contrary, Epicureans simply shut out the existence of fate completely. In a time where Romans were “stimulated to seek solutions to the disparity between ideal concepts of government and the reality of corruption, violence and injustice,” and an interest in Epicureanism was high, Lucretius’ poetry exemplifies cultural trends of the age. (Lucretius) Hundreds of years later, as it was uncovered during the Renaissance - through admiration, influence and rewriting of his works - Epicureanism lived on. It will rest in this museum today, so it will continue to forever influence the cosmological and evolutionary speculations of philosophers, historians, scientists, and others alike. Upon reading, you can forget it was written literally thousands of years ago, with advanced thought in sociology, evolutionary theory, the infinite universe and the cosmos. Titus Lucretius Carus, a man we know very little about, can "speak from his grave" with his poem. We are able to dive into the mind of a man who deeply admired Epicurus with an eye for nature and an endless thirst for the universal knowledge and truth. Future generations should have this for many years to come, as they too, can live a life with the absence of fear, develop keen observation for the world around us, search for the facts of the physical world and think critically when subject of atoms, space, death, life, gods, and/or pseudo-science comes up. A work that was once taboo to the Christian church, attached with false stories to discredit its content, is quite a gem to have preserved today. Aside from its historical value, De rerum natura is valuable to those who are presented with it because it can calm the concerns of a "doomsday," give us a greater appreciation for Epicurus, and return to us the joy that keeps us from maintaining a delightful life, even within harsh political turmoil and violence as Lucretius once did - even as we travel deep into space to our new home. To preserve the piece itself, I would include a copy manuscript, dating back to approximately 1490, under a centered, squared glass case - for safety and to avoid deterioration. One of first English translations, done by Lucy Hutchinson in the 1650s, would have interchanging quotes from his six-book series slowly flashing vertically along transparent screens disguised as plain, white museum walls. Although not quite the original mark of Lucretius within the case and its inability to capture his message in its entirety; the people aboard the ship get to see an early copy of the work, while also being able to revel in the ideas of Lucretius as they illuminate the walls surrounding them.
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.kashda.com/everyman/html/em_play.html"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.kashda.com/everyman/html/play_1_cover.JPG" alt="" width="315" height="527" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center">http://www.kashda.com/everyman/html/em_play.html</p>
As for the morality play Everyman, there are only four known remaining early writings it: two-thirds a manuscript held in the British Museum, another section in the Bodleian Library; two manuscripts: one held in a personal library and another in Salisbury Cathedral, and the last of the bunch, in the Britwell library. Amongst them, the previous two are the oldest, brought upon by a man who unearthed them around 1490. (Moses) Somewhat following the design of the "Lucretius - On the Nature of Things" walk-through, the valuable aging fragments would be placed within a glass case while a list of characters is shone through the furthest wall. Also, all along the walls are headphones with the choice of two buttons, for people to listen to English translations with dramatic voices if they choose, or more simply, to the history of medieval theatre - to cherish what is being preserved beneath the glass. Weekly, the play itself is performed in the outer area. In recent times, with a growing secular audience, we generally do not spend our days aching to learn of a Divine figure watching upon us who may damn us to hell at our misconduct. Although, we have become a world consumed with our earthly comforts, wound up on all we can possess. Death is unavoidable and when we reach the time to face it, like Everyman did in the 1400s, we are reminded the only thing accompanying our eternal good-bye is the good things we have done to reminisce upon. In Medieval Europe, most people who populated it, were illiterate and were unable to read the bible or other religious texts. They could only participate in the oral sermons that were given. This play, an alternative way to speak the words of Old and New Testaments, was quite special during the time because the words of Christ would be more easily spread. In Everyman, we follow a character that represents all of mankind – a man who has abused his mortal freedom, but repents his sins so he can be saved. The greatest challenge a man faces are the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. It is strongly emphasized “sin is inevitable,” yet still, “repentance is always possible” (Potter) He meets a sea of personified characters that test his Earthly conduct. God summons Death to have Everyman take pilgrimage with him, only allowing him to take those who will contribute to his soul in the afterlife. Through the rejection of the personified wordly characters such as Beauty, Material Goods and Strength, we discover the morals Everyman was written to teach: that man mustn’t become obsessed with possessions and objects of wealth. Rather, to live a life against self-satisfaction and fulfill a life of virtue, conscious of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Work of the fifteenth century focused on men being summoned to death and religious faith revived much of the dramatic art form, so Everyman truly exemplifies that of its time. In the museum, historians and people of all walks of life can find Everyman to be an intriguing source of discovering and learning the moral code that existed during the Middle Ages. For the audience to truly appreciate this piece, one must remember it flourished in a time where dramas were largely theological and created mainly to reform its viewers. These stories were told with medieval faith being strong and everything of the Earth believed to have a great moral underlining. This everlasting play's place in the museum will be a wonderful way to learn valuable life lessons through a medieval mind’s standpoint and discover what we want of this life.
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.greatwallchina.info/"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.greatwallchina.info/img/big/TheGreatWall1.jpg" alt="" width="355" height="267" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center">http://www.greatwallchina.info/</p>
The third piece in the museum is an engineering masterpiece; it is truly special as it stretches like a winding dragon through all sorts of land and terrain over northern China - The Great Wall. Although walls themselves are quite common throughout history as a barrier for intruders, walls have been embedded in Chinese history far greater than in any other culture. Innovative, in that, sizes of that proportion had been unseen in previous wall-building. Even the concept Emperor Qin set of a wall covering an entire country was innovative, since this love for wall-building only extended as far as around homes or farms. It is essential for the museum because it represents an architecturally advanced civilization, which involved over three million in its history’s making. It brings a sense of pride to Chinese people because of its great historical value and stunning size. Also, each segment, along with its watchtowers, shows different technique of building - a tangible timeline of Ancient China and something truly unique to preserve for future generations to see. The thousands of miles of stone, brick, twigs, earth and rocks would be impossible to place neatly amongst the other museum’s pieces so, onto the next room will be a "mini" great wall of china - a walk-through area that is created by various chunks of the wall as built by different dynasties. At first, you walk through the earliest sections of the Great Wall as built by the Qin and Zhou dynasties, mostly built from local materials rammed between boards; then onto the Han portion where they'll be walking through what was once constructed with a water-fine gravel mixture made sturdy with willow reeds; then onto the most recent segments of the wall, as contributed by the Ming dynasty, which consist of colossal stone and brick. Throughout all this, information, as with the previous preserved works, will illuminate on the walls so people aboard can get a full feel and understanding of the effort and lives that were put into such a small piece of what they're standing upon, and gain insight on the stories behind such different building techniques and the fear that brought upon its construction.
<p style="text-align: center"><a href="http://www.autographmurals.com/lastsupper-413fttallx812ftwide-peelandstickreusablemural.aspx"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.autographmurals.com/images/products/detail/Last_Supper_fl_ch_Large.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="246" /></a></p>
http://www.autographmurals.com/lastsupper-413fttallx812ftwide-peelandstickreusablemural.aspx

The second of the originals displayed within the museum include Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper. It will come last after the flashing walls and Great Wall walkthrough since, in order to preserve the grandeur feeling it possesses, standing tall at the end of the refectory at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, it will be at the end of the spaceship's museum hall. This painting, with its impeccable use of the one-point perspective to draw the viewers to Christ’s face, perfect distribution of people along each side of the table to converge at a center and relatable expressions of the disciples make it stand out as a remarkable painting. Unfortunately for us, Da Vinci painted tempera on dry plaster, which hasn’t stood the test of time too well and has endured many major restorations. The Saint Maria Delle Grazie has it in a climate-controlled environment and pays special precaution to its preservation, so within the spaceship museum, it will be under similar conditions. This piece is often referred to as the marker of an era in art history, known as the High Renaissance, as he is one of the major representatives. It is a time characterized by maturation and a peak in Renaissance art. This included the works of the fellow incredible artists: Titan, Raphael and Michelangelo. Artwork within this time period showed us perfect balance in harmony, knowledge of classical art and displayed flawless expertise and skill. When it was uncovered to the people, it must have caused quite a stir with its realistic feel as if you are involved amongst the table of Christ and his disciples. Still, even if we’ve seen all that has come before and after such an amazing and deteriorating piece, it should be preserved because it is necessary to be kept in its original glory. The fact it has been mass produced for generations after its creation gives people an opportunity to engage in the imagery’s history. More importantly, it represents an age where we no longer needed to display holy images as some abstract or intangible form. With the heavy weight of Humanism, Leonardo was able to give more credit to the human mind. Even if the exact image he painted was subject to decision of the man who commissioned Leonardo, it represents a time period of insanely gifted individuals who deserve to have their work preserved for future generations to see time and time again.

Overall, I hope my museum succeeds at broadening its viewer’s knowledge of its various contents. Whether its Ancient China’s emperors, roots of atheism, the medieval church ideology or even how not to paint when you’re planning on having your work withstand for centuries to come. Even though there are many works lost in time either from natural disasters, completely changed through oral tradition or simply written down and never distributed, we are lucky to have these four pieces: ones that exemplify those of its time and deserve to be preserved on our space ship and onto our new home.

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Works Cited

Hanrott, Robert. "Epicureanism after Epicurus." <em>Hanrott &amp; Horsley</em>. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2011. &lt;http://www.hanrott.com/epicureanism/epicureanhistory.php&gt;.

“Lucretius.” Ancient Greece and Rome: An Encyclopedia for Students. Ed. Carroll Moulton. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998. 18-19. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 15 Feb. 2011.

Moses, Montrose. "Introduction: The Predecessors of Everyman." <em>Everyman: A Morality Play</em>. New York: J. F. Taylor &amp; Company, 1903. 1-54. Print.

Potter, Robert. <em>The English Morality Play.</em> London: Routlede &amp; Kegan Paul, 1975. 16. Print.

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