(515,1,'2011-02-26 16:17:03','2011-02-26 22:17:03','The acropolis shows an important development in greek culture, the athenian people were proud of their tall fortress. I find it meaningful in that its completion set the standard for athenian dominance and progress for hundreds of years. The acropolis has giant beautiful walls, and thoughtful design throughout. The building of; and the finished product that became the acropolis gave the people of athens a national symbol of strength and prosperity to put their faith and effort behind. (Hellenic Ministry)  To the athenian, the fortress would and could protect them from any danger they could conceive at the time.<!--more-->\n\nIt is important to note that athens is an early epicenter of greek history, the acropolis helped them become the only greek city-state that survived the doric invasions, which devastated most of the greek cities at the time. Athens\' existence allowed the greek people to have a permanent historical home throughout the centuries. The lion gate at Mycenae was also built at this time, it employed the same “post and lintel” construction type as the walls and main gate of athens. It made use of pressure distribution through the setting of triangular stones at the base of the structure. The athenian acropolis was typical of its era in that most every greek city-state at the time had an acropilis, but athens was set apart by location and economic oppurtunity . Their rich coffers allowed them to build high walls, dig deep wells, and make a highly defensible, and self sufficient city. They were capable of fending off attackers for longer periods of time due to interior wells, and large food stores. “According to legend, king Theseus united the towns into one administrative entity (known as synoikismos), and this synoikismos appears to have been instrumental in the city’s survival when most of the other Mycenaean centers were destroyed around 1200 BCE by invading hordes from mainland Greece, or due to a possible invasion of tribes from the North (what many refer to as the Doric invasion). While all other Mycenaean centers, including mighty Mycenae, were deserted during this period, Athens was the only town to remain inhabited and active”(Sakoulas). This partnership with the surrounding communities helped athens withstand the forces of time, and even their enemies.\n\nThe oldest buildings have large, but simple, round columns, whereas the increasingly more modern buildings have ornate design. For example the columns of the  newer buildings are fluted, and the even more modern and complicated buildings have acanthus leaves carved in along with vines.(Palmer)This progressive increase in elaborate adornment shows how the people became more comfortable in their city\'s ability to last, and their continued increase in income throughout the years.\n\nThe acropolis was received well in its time, the athenians being very spiritual, and community-oriented, enjoyed the ability to worship en masse, and celebrate in the town epicenter. Every 4 years in athens the people had a celebration called Panatheaea (all-athenia), in which a luxurious woolen robe would be draped over the statue of athena inside the parthenon( for purposes of sacrifice). The celebration was thought to be a deliberate attempt to contend with the olympics for popularity. The acropolis also gave the more wealthy people in athens a heightened sense of security, because they could now establish their homes inside the agora, or the marketplace area of the acropolis. This was the lowest area of the acropolis, but still within the walls. The agora could definitely be considered the city center, where celebrations and meetings would take place regularly. The greeks at the time were centered around worship of female goddesses as their primary deities, and the temples and caryatids (statues integrated as support beams) around the city represented that.\n\nThe athens acropolis in specific was  different than most of the others in its time because its walls were built almost twice as thick as most, and were built up to 30 feet high in some places. It was one of the few greek cities at the time to employ cyclopean architecture, which was mostly being utilized in rome and other parts of italy. The athenians had a strong relationship with the smaller cities surrounding them, which gave them a powerful economy, and a large group of allies in times of need. The acropolis was innovative in that it was built with the intention to last far into the future, as one of the first long-term permanent settlements for their culture. They built athens as a trade and religious center, in order to draw other greeks to the city and its surrounding areas. The People of athens love the acropolis to this day, festivals and celebrations have been hosted inside the walls for ages. In the time of its contruction, the acropolis was mainly a place of study for religion and science. Modern times have really turned the intention away from its original values, and to more celebratory, and anthropological research.\n\nIt is important for us to remember that the acropolis at athens hosts some of the most famous     and impressive historical buildings of all time. The Parthenon itself is still a modern marvel, the building is built around the golden ratio of mathematics, which has been found to be not only one of the most structurally sound, but aesthetically pleasing to people. This measurement ratio also makes the  structure stronger, as for some reason it distributes pressure more equally to the whole of the frame.   Some of the most famous relics in the world have been removed by looters and collectors throughout the ages, while some have been returned, a good many are still being recovered by the greek government to this day. The restoration processes have included adding titanium supports to the columns and roof frames, re-foundation of many buildings, and cleaning the stone and various material to the best of their abilities. In june, 2009, the greek government opened up a museum dedicated to the acropolis, with exhibits illustrating its rich history of war, art, philosophy, architecture, etc. (Athens Acropolis Museum.\" Acropolis of Athens, Attiki (Hellas)\n\nAthens Acropolis Museum.\" <em>Acropolis of Athens, Attiki (Hellas - GR)</em>. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. http://www.acropolisofathens.gr/. Provided a lot of information about the modern athens and restoration\n\nPalmer, Allison Lee. <em>A to Z of Architecture</em>. Lanham, Md. etc.: Scarecrow, 2009. Print.\n\nSakoulas, Thomas. \"Acropolis History.\" <em>Ancient Greece</em>. Web. 9 Feb. 2011. http://www.ancient-greece.org/history/acropolis.html.','The Acropolis in Athens','','inherit','open','open','','174-autosave','','','2011-02-26 16:17:03','2011-02-26 22:17:03','',174,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=515',0,'revision','',0),(516,1,'2011-02-17 12:55:40','2011-02-17 18:55:40','<p style=\"text-align: center;\">De rerum natura is a scientific epic poem, divided into six books, written by philosopher and poet Titus Lucertius Carus who lived during 1st century BCE. His poem, On the Nature of Things, is the earliest dactylic hexameter of its kind. It was also one of the first Epicurean pieces to be written in Latin. Through what many consider to be a philosophic masterpiece, he presents us with a strictly physical world and introduces the concept of atomism. He addresses this poem to “Memmius,” and it is said to have been for the purpose of converting him to atomism and relieve his mind of superstition, but for as far as historians know, his attempt proved ineffective. (de Vet.)</p>\r\n<!--more-->Epicurus, one of Greek’s major philosophers, taught during 341 BCE – 270 BCE, that in order to live this peaceful and prosperous life, one must live without fear and pain. The fear he discussed was caused by the powerful figures of Roman deities, who, according to the beliefs of the time, would unmercifully punish the people for an individual’s sins once their soul had left them. (“Lucretius.”)  Although noteworthy, he was not entirely atheist; he did not deny the existence of gods, rather, he claimed that they should have no effect on us physically or emotionally. Epicurus said that death was the end of the body and soul, reassuring them there was nothing to fear. (“Lucretius.”) To reason with his point, he stated everything in the world was caused by atoms moving in an empty, infinite space. He claimed the world had come about simply though natural phenomena.\r\n\r\n1st century Italy had already suffered some extremely devastating times filled with revolts, massacres, civil wars and the assassination of political figures. Having a lifetime filled with such continuous bloodshed and violence, it’s easy to see why Lucretius was so completely attached and dedicated to the Epicurean philosophy based upon a friend-filled, tranquil, self-sufficient life without overindulgence in luxuries and keeping oneself away from a troublesome participation in politics. (Simpson.) Lucretius followed these thoughts and translated them into poetry which would later become De rerum natura.\r\n\r\nStoicism and Epicurean philosophies were both dominant schools of their time. Both Epicurean and Stoics taught the people to be self –sufficient and free from the world’s negativities. Stoics did this by suppressing personal lusts and passions through indifference, ultimately reaching a clear state of self-control. Epicureans did this by completely shutting out the existence of fate entirely.\r\n\r\nEpicureans were not persecuted for expressing these beliefs, but it was seen as highly controversial and they were harshly looked down upon by the schools of its time, such as Stoicism. His work was almost lost into oblivion once there was a greater following towards Christianity (since it denied their faith, reinforced their morality and questioned the existence of a soul surviving after death) In fact, modern philosophers have suspected and found that hostile, Christian authors of the time fabricated stories of Lucretius’ life, saying he was poisoned by a love spell during the writings of On the Nature of Things and was driven to suicide, to discredit his work. (de Vet.) Little evidence remains of Lucretius’ life. However, during the Renaissance, Lucretius’ poem resurfaced and played a large role in the spread of atomism.\r\n\r\nOn the Nature of Things was innovative and unusual in that it presented Epicurean’s teachings in the form of poetry to suit the likings of the Romans (to ultimately persuade) to follow his beliefs and it is the one unified work to present the core teachings and theories of Epicurus. (Dunkle.) He wrote passionately of the philosophy he admired in the form of poetry to more easily display abstract concepts. Lucretius said himself, “a poet is like a doctor who smears honey around the rim of the cup so a child will take his bitter medication.” (de Vet.)\r\n\r\nMost of what we know now of Epicurean philosophies is derived from his followers and commentators; although Epicurus himself had a few remaining pieces of work survived, namely, one of his letters. Epicurus followed Democritus’ work and studies in atomism, which he thought was as an accurate explanation of life on Earth. He claims that at the time of your death, one ceases to exist and the atoms simply disperse. In his, rather short (in comparison to Lucretius’ six-book poem), letter to Menoeceus, he says “Death is nothing to us, for good and evil imply the capacity for sensation, and death is the privation of all sentience; therefore a correct understanding that death is nothing to us makes the mortality of life enjoyable, not by adding to life a limitless time, but by taking away the yearning after immortality. For life has no terrors for him who has thoroughly understood that there are no terrors for him in ceasing to live.”  (O’Keefe.) In De rerum natura, the author writes of the same burdens of belief, in that, you sustain fear throughout your mortal life. Although they write in very different fashions; Epicurus, in his direct letter of thoughts to someone else, and Lucretius in his stylistically beautiful poetry to cure his friend (Memmius) of his terrors of dying.\r\n\r\nDe rerum natura is greatly appreciated nowadays through exclamations of its author describing him as a man “ahead of his time.” In 1884, philosopher, Henri Bergson, throughout his one of his critical essays, said “the poet’s instinctive grasp of the physical operations of nature and comprehensive, truly scientific, world-view exceed anything found in the theories of Democritus and Epicurus.” (Simpson.)\r\n\r\nHis poem, as it did during the Renaissance, will forever influence the evolutionary and cosmological speculations of people, philosophers and scientists. This piece is brilliant, in that, you forget that it was written literally thousands of years ago. It’s also wonderful how, through De rerum natura, the author was able to “speak from his grave” since little is known of his life. It was interesting to read this early scientifically-based poetry and to know he was spreading this kind of pleasant, honest philosophy so early in time, into the hearts of minds of the Roman people during such hard times. Future generations can also gain a clear understanding in Epicurus’ teachings through Lucretius’ poem, On the Nature of things. Most importantly, to live a life with the absence of fear and want, search for knowledge of the physical world and be able to think critically when faced with talk of stars, atoms, space, death, life, gods, superstition, pseudoscience, and so forth. Lucretius, in his great happiness of understanding the “nature of things,” said in his poem, “How sweet to watch, from land, while winds enrage The great sea\'s waves, another man in trouble!—Not taking pleasure in another\'s pain, But seeing what evils you yourself are spared.” (“Lucretius.”) De rerum natura, through its eloquent expression of the realms of science, can help to alleviate the concerns of a “doomsday”; to learn to appreciate Epicurus, like Lucretius so rightfully did, as he would deliver us from the fear that holds us back from fulfilling a joyous life, even within grueling times of political and social chaos as Lucretius once did.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Works Cited</p>\r\nde Vet, Thérèse. \"Lucretius (94/95–51/55 BCE).\" Encyclopedia of Anthropology. Ed. H. James Birx. Vol. 4. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Reference, 2006. 1499-1500. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 15 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nDunkle, Roger. “On the Nature of the Universe.” <em>Classics Department Brooklyn College. </em>1986. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. &lt;<a href=\"http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics\">http://depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/classics</a>&gt;\r\n\r\n“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.\r\n\r\nO’Keefe, Tim. “Epicurus and Lucretius on the mortality of the soul and against the fear of death” <em>Georgia State University</em>. n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. &lt;<a href=\"http://www2.gsu.edu/~phltso/deathfrags.html\">http://www2.gsu.edu/~phltso</a>&gt;\r\n\r\nSimpson, David. “Lucretius (c.99—c.55 BCE)” <em>Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. </em>29. June.<em> </em>2005. Web. 15. Feb. 2011.','On the nature of things ','','inherit','open','open','','240-revision-4','','','2011-02-17 12:55:40','2011-02-17 18:55:40','',240,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=516',0,'revision','',0),(517,1,'2011-02-17 12:53:26','2011-02-17 18:53:26','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/UrZiggurat.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-178\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/UrZiggurat-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n\r\nGood Morning all,<!--more-->\r\nMy name is Jay Dongieux.\r\nThe Earth has become uninhabitable as we all know.\r\nHow sad that we have become so self-focused that we have allowed our world to crumble and wither away.\r\nThis has occurred partially as a result of fragmented societies.  Families as well as individuals focused too much on themselves rather\r\nthan the planet as a whole. The year is 2100. Our goal here together today is to choose four art works to carry aboard our space ship, to preserve and serve as inspiration for our people.\r\nThe work I have chosen is the Ziggurat of Ur.\r\n\r\nThe reason I have chosen this work is because of its architectural, historical\r\nand societal influence. The building of the Ziggurat of Ur showed that huge\r\nthrongs of people could come together for long periods of time to accomplish\r\na common goal for the good of the people as a whole.\r\n\r\nIt is architecturally significant in the fact that it was the first known structure\r\nof its kind anywhere in the world.  It showed the architectural awareness of\r\nits builders. It is historically significant because it was\r\nfollowed by many other ziggurats, 32 that we know of today.\r\nIt was similar to the pyramids of Egypt. It is societally significant because , unlike the society\r\nof today where families and communities are splintered off and separated,\r\nthousands of people probably came together for years at a time to build\r\nthis magnificent building.\r\n\r\nSociety should become more communal ,rather\r\nthan individualistic. When we become so individualistic, we lose focus of the\r\ngood of all mankind as a whole.\r\n\r\nA ziggurat is a rectangular tiered temple mound.  Many have seven tiers. The\r\nseven tiers represent the heavens.  It was erected by ancient Babylonians\r\naround 2100 B.C.   Ziggurat is the moderm term derived from\r\nthe Akkadian word ziggurratu. They resembled pyramids, and are made of\r\nmud-brick and stone.  The structures were intended to be ladders to the\r\ngods. Building techniques were mastered by the third\r\nmillenium. Ziggurats are similar to pyramids, because they have\r\nstair-stepped shape and temple tops.  Ziggurats had large stairways, or in\r\nsome cases ramps.\r\n\r\nUr is a Sumerian city in southern Iraq. Abraham, from the bible,  home was\r\nknown as Ur. It is along the Euphrates River. Water is essential to human\r\nsurvival, so the location of structures  is of the utmost importance.\r\nAn ur is a \"tell\" , which is an artificial mound containing remains of\r\naccumulated habitants.\r\n\r\nThe ziggurat is the most enduring symbol of the Mesopotamian era.  They are\r\nmonuments of their kings, as well as to the combined labor forces of the time.\r\nThe Ziggurat of Ur was basically the center for many community activities\r\nsuch as religion,economy,education and government.\r\n\r\nThe Ziggurat of Ur was the first known structure of its kind anywhere.  It\r\nwas constructed under the direction of King Ur-Nammu. Ur-Nammu directed\r\nthe construction of ziggurats in the cities of Eridu, Uruk and Nippur.Nanna is\r\nthe moon god, who was the patron deity and divine king of Ur.Knowledge of\r\nthe peoples life, history, business and art is now fairly complete and detailed.\r\n\r\nBoth ziggurats and pyramids were viewed as symbolic representations of the\r\nfirst land to appear on earth.  Ziggurats remind us of the possibility of a higher\r\npower, being, god or divinity figure. It helps us focus on something other\r\nthan ourselves. Taking the focus away from oneself allows us to grow.\r\n\r\nThe first serious excavations at Ur were made after World War I by H.R. Hall\r\nof the British Museum. The Ziggurat of Ur has also been referred to as the Tower of Babel.\r\nUnlike Egyptian pyramids, ziggurats were never tomb\r\nbuildings. So far , archaeologists have found the remains of thirty-two\r\nziggurats in and around the Mesopotamian plains.\r\n\r\nFollowed was  Mr. Leonard Woolley led the well\r\npublished excavations between 1922 and 1934. Woolley\'s excavations gave\r\nus information about Ur. The information from his work focused on walls,\r\ntombs, houses and a religious center. His  work was very important , because\r\nit greatly expanded our knowledge of  history. There is some evidence\r\nthat the occupation of Ur ended with a flood, the  one described in Genesis in\r\nthe Bible. Woolley\'s work showed that the builders were familiar with\r\ncolumns, arches, vaults and domes.  Excavations have revealed\r\nstorerooms, courtyards,other buildings and a shrine. Excavations have also\r\nrevealed massive treasures of gold, silver, bronze and semiprecious stones.\r\n\r\nThe ziggurat was an icon of the community at the time. It was the center of\r\nactivity for its people. It was used very frequently and was the most\r\nsignificant structure in the area. Judging by the detail of what was found in\r\nthe excavations of Woolley and Hall, it contained items relevant to all facets\r\nof life in the present, and up to and including present day year 2100 such as\r\nreligion,art,science,industry and government.\r\n\r\nThe Ziggurat of Ur should be preserved to remind future generations of how\r\nto accomplish a common goal over a long time period and among a  huge\r\nnumber of people. Society has become so splintered and multi-focused today\r\nthat we have forgotten the common good for immediate gratification.\r\nInternet, cell phones, instant messages, everything is disposable and nothing\r\nis made to last or carry any meaning behind it.  Nothing these days has any\r\nlasting value, permanence or significance. Columns, canals, perfumes and\r\nglass were all very important innovations of the time of the ziggurats.\r\n\r\nworks cited\r\n\r\nross,leslie, Art and Architecture of the World Religions, greenwood press,Volume 1 , 2009\r\npearsall, deborah m, Editor-In-Chief, Encyclopedia of Archaeology, Volume 1A, 2 , B-M, academic press, San Diego,2008\r\nturner, jane. Dictionary of art. Vol 12, London,oxford university press, 1996 , print\r\ndl.lib.brown.edu/reserves/pdffiles/10242_Westenholz_Ur.pdf\r\nTHE WEBSITE FOR THE ZIGGURAT PICTURE AT THE TOP IS AS FOLLOWS http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmcfall/46769923/','DONGIEUXJAY-TCP1','','inherit','open','open','','179-revision-27','','','2011-02-17 12:53:26','2011-02-17 18:53:26','',179,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=517',0,'revision','',0),(519,1,'2011-02-27 14:36:50','2011-02-27 20:36:50','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/UrZiggurat.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-178\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/UrZiggurat-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" /></a>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmcfall/46769923/</p>\r\nGood Morning all,<!--more-->\r\nMy name is Jay Dongieux.\r\nThe Earth has become uninhabitable as we all know.\r\nHow sad that we have become so self-focused that we have allowed our world to crumble and wither away.\r\nThis has occurred partially as a result of fragmented societies.  Families as well as individuals focused too much on themselves rather\r\nthan the planet as a whole. The year is 2100. Our goal here together today is to choose four art works to carry aboard our space ship, to preserve and serve as inspiration for our people.\r\nThe work I have chosen is the Ziggurat of Ur.\r\n\r\nThe reason I have chosen this work is because of its architectural, historical\r\nand societal influence. The building of the Ziggurat of Ur showed that huge\r\nthrongs of people could come together for long periods of time to accomplish\r\na common goal for the good of the people as a whole.\r\n\r\nIt is architecturally significant in the fact that it was the first known structure\r\nof its kind anywhere in the world.  It showed the architectural awareness of\r\nits builders. It is historically significant because it was\r\nfollowed by many other ziggurats, 32 that we know of today.\r\nIt was similar to the pyramids of Egypt. It is societally significant because , unlike the society\r\nof today where families and communities are splintered off and separated,\r\nthousands of people probably came together for years at a time to build\r\nthis magnificent building.\r\n\r\nSociety should become more communal ,rather\r\nthan individualistic. When we become so individualistic, we lose focus of the\r\ngood of all mankind as a whole.\r\n\r\nA ziggurat is a rectangular tiered temple mound.  Many have seven tiers. The\r\nseven tiers represent the heavens.  It was erected by ancient Babylonians\r\naround 2100 B.C.   Ziggurat is the moderm term derived from\r\nthe Akkadian word ziggurratu. They resembled pyramids, and are made of\r\nmud-brick and stone.  The structures were intended to be ladders to the\r\ngods. Building techniques were mastered by the third\r\nmillenium. Ziggurats are similar to pyramids, because they have\r\nstair-stepped shape and temple tops.  Ziggurats had large stairways, or in\r\nsome cases ramps.\r\n\r\nUr is a Sumerian city in southern Iraq. Abraham, from the bible,  home was\r\nknown as Ur. It is along the Euphrates River. Water is essential to human\r\nsurvival, so the location of structures  is of the utmost importance.\r\nAn ur is a \"tell\" , which is an artificial mound containing remains of\r\naccumulated habitants.\r\n\r\nThe ziggurat is the most enduring symbol of the Mesopotamian era.  They are\r\nmonuments of their kings, as well as to the combined labor forces of the time.\r\nThe Ziggurat of Ur was basically the center for many community activities\r\nsuch as religion,economy,education and government.\r\n\r\nThe Ziggurat of Ur was the first known structure of its kind anywhere.  It\r\nwas constructed under the direction of King Ur-Nammu. Ur-Nammu directed\r\nthe construction of ziggurats in the cities of Eridu, Uruk and Nippur.Nanna is\r\nthe moon god, who was the patron deity and divine king of Ur.Knowledge of\r\nthe peoples life, history, business and art is now fairly complete and detailed.\r\n\r\nBoth ziggurats and pyramids were viewed as symbolic representations of the\r\nfirst land to appear on earth.  Ziggurats remind us of the possibility of a higher\r\npower, being, god or divinity figure. It helps us focus on something other\r\nthan ourselves. Taking the focus away from oneself allows us to grow.\r\n\r\nThe first serious excavations at Ur were made after World War I by H.R. Hall\r\nof the British Museum. The Ziggurat of Ur has also been referred to as the Tower of Babel.\r\nUnlike Egyptian pyramids, ziggurats were never tomb\r\nbuildings. So far , archaeologists have found the remains of thirty-two\r\nziggurats in and around the Mesopotamian plains.\r\n\r\nFollowed was  Mr. Leonard Woolley led the well\r\npublished excavations between 1922 and 1934. Woolley\'s excavations gave\r\nus information about Ur. The information from his work focused on walls,\r\ntombs, houses and a religious center. His  work was very important , because\r\nit greatly expanded our knowledge of  history. There is some evidence\r\nthat the occupation of Ur ended with a flood, the  one described in Genesis in\r\nthe Bible. Woolley\'s work showed that the builders were familiar with\r\ncolumns, arches, vaults and domes.  Excavations have revealed\r\nstorerooms, courtyards,other buildings and a shrine. Excavations have also\r\nrevealed massive treasures of gold, silver, bronze and semiprecious stones.\r\n\r\nThe ziggurat was an icon of the community at the time. It was the center of\r\nactivity for its people. It was used very frequently and was the most\r\nsignificant structure in the area. Judging by the detail of what was found in\r\nthe excavations of Woolley and Hall, it contained items relevant to all facets\r\nof life in the present, and up to and including present day year 2100 such as\r\nreligion,art,science,industry and government.\r\n\r\nThe Ziggurat of Ur should be preserved to remind future generations of how\r\nto accomplish a common goal over a long time period and among a  huge\r\nnumber of people. Society has become so splintered and multi-focused today\r\nthat we have forgotten the common good for immediate gratification.\r\nInternet, cell phones, instant messages, everything is disposable and nothing\r\nis made to last or carry any meaning behind it.  Nothing these days has any\r\nlasting value, permanence or significance. Columns, canals, perfumes and\r\nglass were all very important innovations of the time of the ziggurats.\r\n\r\nworks cited\r\n\r\nross,leslie, Art and Architecture of the World Religions, greenwood press,Volume 1 , 2009\r\npearsall, deborah m, Editor-In-Chief, Encyclopedia of Archaeology, Volume 1A, 2 , B-M, academic press, San Diego,2008\r\nturner, jane. Dictionary of art. Vol 12, London,oxford university press, 1996 , print\r\ndl.lib.brown.edu/reserves/pdffiles/10242_Westenholz_Ur.pdf','DONGIEUXJAY-TCP1','','inherit','open','open','','179-revision-28','','','2011-02-27 14:36:50','2011-02-27 20:36:50','',179,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=519',0,'revision','',0),(522,18,'2011-02-27 23:32:32','2011-02-28 05:32:32','<em>“The excellence of Aristophanes has never been questioned. Critics have argued about this or that detail in his work; but there has never been any doubt that he is a dramatist of the front rank, a comic artist of the highest order. His plays have survived not by accident or by the light they shed on other matters, but for their intrinsic quality. They are a unique, and uniquely important, part of the heritage of Western literature; they offer the reader or spectator an engrossing, enriching experience”</em> (McLeish, Kenneth. <em>The Theatre of Aristophanes</em>. 2ndnd ed. Great Britain: Taplinger Publishing, 1980. 13. Print.). <strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Lysistrata</strong>\n\nLysistrata (411 B.C.) is a Greek comedy by Aristophanes.   Aristophanes uses the comedy of Lysistrata to reveal “his inventive wit, sharply directed against Athenian politics and current affairs” (Fiero, Gloria. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol. 1. N.p.: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. Web.).\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe plot of Lysistrata is structured on the discontent of the women of Athens.  They have been neglected by their husbands who are constantly at war.  Lysistrata calls upon the women of Greece to unite. Her plan is twofold.  First they must forbid their husbands of sexual pleasure until they reach an agreement of peace.  The women are at first appalled by such a proposal and begin to leave in protest. The second part of Lysistrata’s plan requires the older women of Athens to seize the Acropolis and establish control of the city’s money.  Lysistrata explains “If Eros of the sweet soul and Cyprian Aphrodite imbue our thighs and breasts with desire, and infect the men with sensuous rigidity and club-cock, Then I believe that all Greece will one day call us Disbanders of Battles (Henderson, Jeffrey. <em>3 Plays by Aristophanes: Staging Women</em>. 2ndnd ed. New York: Routledge, 2010. 64. Print). With persuasion the women vow an oath of loyalty to the plan.  The plan proves fruitful and the sexual weakness of man brings the end of war.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nLysistrata is definitely a work that has survived the ages and it’s preservation for future generations should be recognized and protected.  Its themes are universal and applicable to a wide audience.  Its plot has been applied to current time by women of different cultures.  Right now in 2011, there is a sex strike in Belgium to implement a faster founding of their government. In 2009 thousands of Kenyan women withheld sex “to try to protest their country\'s bickering leadership, which they say threatens to revive the bloody chaos that convulsed the African country last year” (Odula, Tom. \"Kenyan women, tired of fighting, vow sex strike.\" <em>The Huffington Post</em>. N.p., 29 Apr. 2009. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html\">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html</a>). In 2008, hundreds of women in Neapolitan tried to convince their husbands from playing with dangerous, illegal fireworks by refusing to perform their domestic duties.  Authorities in Neapolitan supported the cause by sending “out text messages urging the men to ‘make love, not explosions’ (\"Naples Sex Strike over Fireworks.\" <em>BBC News</em>. BBC, 31 Dec. 2008. Web.17 Feb. 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7806367.stm).   Most likely history will continue to repeat itself and future women will have to take peace into their hands and hypnotize their men with out of reach pleasures. Lysistrata must be preserved to tell the original tale of women bringing peace to a battle zone.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe historical context that Lysistrata was written in is reflected politically in the play itself. “Athens and Sparta and their respective allies had been at war for twenty years, since 431. A peace, negotiated in 421, ended when the Athenians undertook an expedition to Sicily in 415. There they suffered a major defeat in 413, and the Spartans took possession of the town of Deceleia, on the northern boundary of Athens\' territory, less than ten miles from Athens itself, from which they freely raided the agricultural land of Athens. Some of Athens\' allies, whose loyalties were maintained with threats, had begun to revolt. The <em>Lysistrata</em> was performed in the midst of these grim circumstances and alludes directly to them” (Hook, Brian S. <em>The Tragic Comedy of Sex in Aristophanes\' Lysistrata and Plato\'s Symposium</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. In Bloom, Harold, Ed. Human Sexuality, Bloom\'s Literary Themes. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe women of Lysistrata banded together and created a power that would not have been feasible in ancient Athens. Off the stage women were seldom a visible member of the city. Women were expected to stay home and tend to household obligations. Women were not to be identified by name in public unless necessary, let alone seen in public. They were not allowed to participate in politics, let alone discuss them. The men of Lysistrata were also a bit fantastical, as the audience is asked to dismiss the fact that men had many opportunities for sex and that this was an accepted part of Athens society.  Men could easily seek and demand sex with slaves, younger men, mistresses, or even with one another. Instead we are to believe that sex is reserved for husbands and wives in Athens.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nLysistrata was typical of its time because it is one of the only surviving works of Old Comedy and its author was the sole creator of most these works. The comedies of Aristophanes provide almost an exclusive representation of Greek comedy.  Aristophanes’ comedies are political in nature, take place in the center of the city, and tackle current issues; Lysistrata abides by this description.  Furthermore the political background of these comedies is focused on the Peloponnesian war, which at the time of Lysistratas premiere had been going on for twenty years.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n“In <em>Lysistrata</em>, Aristophanes created a play that contains material that has provoked the ire of censors in different time periods. In the playwright\'s time the political implications of the play drew greater negative attention than the sexual situations and innuendo”(Sova, Dawn B. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2004. Banned Plays: Censorship History of 125 Stage Dramas. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).   Kleon, an Athenian politician, had Aristophanes brought to court because he did not appreciate Aristophanes mockery of the government and himself.  Aristophanes avoided serious punishment due his great public popularity.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"> </span>\n\n“<em>Lysistrata</em> is Aristophanes\' most popular play with modern audiences, and its appeal is easily understood from the universality of its sexual content” (Thorburn, Jr., John E. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).  Sex in Athens in 411 BCE was an accepted and celebrated aspect of society.  Sex was nowhere near as taboo then as it is today; it was an excepted and expected part of society. The play has been censored over the years, either politically or sexually. There are many versions and interpretations of the play.  Several interpreters have chosen to leave out some of the explicit nature dialogue of the play and or the extreme phallic leather pieces to be worn by the Athenian men.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAt first I was excited about the material of the play and the unusual ownership of power by women in this play.  The heroine’s name, Lysistrata, literally means disbander of wars. She rises against society’s assigned role of a woman and delegates an army of lower class citizens to take charge of the political scene. Once I read past the feminist allure of the plot I realized that the only way such an outcome would have been accepted in Greece is as a fantastical comedy.  “However possible such a \"sex strike\" and occupation of the Acropolis as depicted in the fictional <em>Lysistrata</em> may be now, they most certainly were not then” (Hook, Brian S <em>The Tragic Comedy of Sex in Aristophanes\' Lysistrata and Plato\'s Symposium</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. In Bloom, Harold, Ed. Human Sexuality, Bloom\'s Literary Themes. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011). It is important to know that “Aristophanes uses a female-controlled government and a peace treaty engineered by women to show the foolishness and stubbornness of the men in his society, rather than highlight the plight of women in his society” (Thorburn, Jr., John E. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe pressing themes of Lysistrata will be ever pressing to generations to come. The carnal urges of sex and war will always be present, as will the power of money. Domestic affairs will continue to somehow be in the center of many issues and the power of physical love will prevail triumphant in both men and women.\n\n&nbsp;','','','inherit','open','open','','521-revision','','','2011-02-27 23:32:32','2011-02-28 05:32:32','',521,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=522',0,'revision','',0),(523,18,'2011-02-27 23:37:32','2011-02-28 05:37:32','<em>“The excellence of Aristophanes has never been questioned. Critics have argued about this or that detail in his work; but there has never been any doubt that he is a dramatist of the front rank, a comic artist of the highest order. His plays have survived not by accident or by the light they shed on other matters, but for their intrinsic quality. They are a unique, and uniquely important, part of the heritage of Western literature; they offer the reader or spectator an engrossing, enriching experience”</em> (McLeish, Kenneth. <em>The Theatre of Aristophanes</em>. 2nd ed. Great Britain: Taplinger Publishing, 1980. 13. Print.). <strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Lysistrata</strong>\n\nLysistrata (411 B.C.) is a Greek comedy by Aristophanes.   Aristophanes uses the comedy of Lysistrata to reveal “his inventive wit, sharply directed against Athenian politics and current affairs” (Fiero, Gloria. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol. 1. N.p.: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. Web.).\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe plot of Lysistrata is structured on the discontent of the women of Athens.  They have been neglected by their husbands who are constantly at war.  Lysistrata calls upon the women of Greece to unite. Her plan is twofold.  First they must forbid their husbands of sexual pleasure until they reach an agreement of peace.  The women are at first appalled by such a proposal and begin to leave in protest. The second part of Lysistrata’s plan requires the older women of Athens to seize the Acropolis and establish control of the city’s money.  Lysistrata explains “If Eros of the sweet soul and Cyprian Aphrodite imbue our thighs and breasts with desire, and infect the men with sensuous rigidity and club-cock, Then I believe that all Greece will one day call us Disbanders of Battles (Henderson, Jeffrey. <em>3 Plays by Aristophanes: Staging Women</em>. 2ndnd ed. New York: Routledge, 2010. 64. Print). With persuasion the women vow an oath of loyalty to the plan.  The plan proves fruitful and the sexual weakness of man brings the end of war.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nLysistrata is definitely a work that has survived the ages and it’s preservation for future generations should be recognized and protected.  Its themes are universal and applicable to a wide audience.  Its plot has been applied to current time by women of different cultures.  Right now in 2011, there is a sex strike in Belgium to implement a faster founding of their government. In 2009 thousands of Kenyan women withheld sex “to try to protest their country\'s bickering leadership, which they say threatens to revive the bloody chaos that convulsed the African country last year” (Odula, Tom. \"Kenyan women, tired of fighting, vow sex strike.\" <em>The Huffington Post</em>. N.p., 29 Apr. 2009. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html\">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html</a>). In 2008, hundreds of women in Neapolitan tried to convince their husbands from playing with dangerous, illegal fireworks by refusing to perform their domestic duties.  Authorities in Neapolitan supported the cause by sending “out text messages urging the men to ‘make love, not explosions’ (\"Naples Sex Strike over Fireworks.\" <em>BBC News</em>. BBC, 31 Dec. 2008. Web.17 Feb. 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7806367.stm).   Most likely history will continue to repeat itself and future women will have to take peace into their hands and hypnotize their men with out of reach pleasures. Lysistrata must be preserved to tell the original tale of women bringing peace to a battle zone.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe historical context that Lysistrata was written in is reflected politically in the play itself. “Athens and Sparta and their respective allies had been at war for twenty years, since 431. A peace, negotiated in 421, ended when the Athenians undertook an expedition to Sicily in 415. There they suffered a major defeat in 413, and the Spartans took possession of the town of Deceleia, on the northern boundary of Athens\' territory, less than ten miles from Athens itself, from which they freely raided the agricultural land of Athens. Some of Athens\' allies, whose loyalties were maintained with threats, had begun to revolt. The <em>Lysistrata</em> was performed in the midst of these grim circumstances and alludes directly to them” (Hook, Brian S. <em>The Tragic Comedy of Sex in Aristophanes\' Lysistrata and Plato\'s Symposium</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. In Bloom, Harold, Ed. Human Sexuality, Bloom\'s Literary Themes. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe women of Lysistrata banded together and created a power that would not have been feasible in ancient Athens. Off the stage women were seldom a visible member of the city. Women were expected to stay home and tend to household obligations. Women were not to be identified by name in public unless necessary, let alone seen in public. They were not allowed to participate in politics, let alone discuss them. The men of Lysistrata were also a bit fantastical, as the audience is asked to dismiss the fact that men had many opportunities for sex and that this was an accepted part of Athens society.  Men could easily seek and demand sex with slaves, younger men, mistresses, or even with one another. Instead we are to believe that sex is reserved for husbands and wives in Athens.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nLysistrata was typical of its time because it is one of the only surviving works of Old Comedy and its author was the sole creator of most these works. The comedies of Aristophanes provide almost an exclusive representation of Greek comedy.  Aristophanes’ comedies are political in nature, take place in the center of the city, and tackle current issues; Lysistrata abides by this description.  Furthermore the political background of these comedies is focused on the Peloponnesian war, which at the time of Lysistratas premiere had been going on for twenty years.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n“In <em>Lysistrata</em>, Aristophanes created a play that contains material that has provoked the ire of censors in different time periods. In the playwright\'s time the political implications of the play drew greater negative attention than the sexual situations and innuendo”(Sova, Dawn B. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2004. Banned Plays: Censorship History of 125 Stage Dramas. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).   Kleon, an Athenian politician, had Aristophanes brought to court because he did not appreciate Aristophanes mockery of the government and himself.  Aristophanes avoided serious punishment due his great public popularity.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"> </span>\n\n“<em>Lysistrata</em> is Aristophanes\' most popular play with modern audiences, and its appeal is easily understood from the universality of its sexual content” (Thorburn, Jr., John E. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).  Sex in Athens in 411 BCE was an accepted and celebrated aspect of society.  Sex was nowhere near as taboo then as it is today; it was an excepted and expected part of society. The play has been censored over the years, either politically or sexually. There are many versions and interpretations of the play.  Several interpreters have chosen to leave out some of the explicit nature dialogue of the play and or the extreme phallic leather pieces to be worn by the Athenian men.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAt first I was excited about the material of the play and the unusual ownership of power by women in this play.  The heroine’s name, Lysistrata, literally means disbander of wars. She rises against society’s assigned role of a woman and delegates an army of lower class citizens to take charge of the political scene. Once I read past the feminist allure of the plot I realized that the only way such an outcome would have been accepted in Greece is as a fantastical comedy.  “However possible such a \"sex strike\" and occupation of the Acropolis as depicted in the fictional <em>Lysistrata</em> may be now, they most certainly were not then” (Hook, Brian S <em>The Tragic Comedy of Sex in Aristophanes\' Lysistrata and Plato\'s Symposium</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. In Bloom, Harold, Ed. Human Sexuality, Bloom\'s Literary Themes. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011). It is important to know that “Aristophanes uses a female-controlled government and a peace treaty engineered by women to show the foolishness and stubbornness of the men in his society, rather than highlight the plight of women in his society” (Thorburn, Jr., John E. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe pressing themes of Lysistrata will be ever pressing to generations to come. The carnal urges of sex and war will always be present, as will the power of money. Domestic affairs will continue to somehow be in the center of many issues and the power of physical love will prevail triumphant in both men and women.\n\n&nbsp;','Lysistrata','','inherit','open','open','','521-revision-2','','','2011-02-27 23:37:32','2011-02-28 05:37:32','',521,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=523',0,'revision','',0),(524,18,'2011-02-27 23:44:38','2011-02-28 05:44:38','<em>“The excellence of Aristophanes has never been questioned. Critics have argued about this or that detail in his work; but there has never been any doubt that he is a dramatist of the front rank, a comic artist of the highest order. His plays have survived not by accident or by the light they shed on other matters, but for their intrinsic quality. They are a unique, and uniquely important, part of the heritage of Western literature; they offer the reader or spectator an engrossing, enriching experience”</em> (McLeish, Kenneth. <em>The Theatre of Aristophanes</em>. 2nd ed. Great Britain: Taplinger Publishing, 1980. 13. Print.). <strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Lysistrata</strong>\r\n\r\nLysistrata (411 B.C.) is a Greek comedy by Aristophanes.   Aristophanes uses the comedy of Lysistrata to reveal “his inventive wit, sharply directed against Athenian politics and current affairs” (Fiero, Gloria. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol. 1. N.p.: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. Web.).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe plot of Lysistrata is structured on the discontent of the women of Athens.  They have been neglected by their husbands who are constantly at war.  Lysistrata calls upon the women of Greece to unite. Her plan is twofold.  First they must forbid their husbands of sexual pleasure until they reach an agreement of peace.  The women are at first appalled by such a proposal and begin to leave in protest. The second part of Lysistrata’s plan requires the older women of Athens to seize the Acropolis and establish control of the city’s money.  Lysistrata explains “If Eros of the sweet soul and Cyprian Aphrodite imbue our thighs and breasts with desire, and infect the men with sensuous rigidity and club-cock, Then I believe that all Greece will one day call us Disbanders of Battles (Henderson, Jeffrey. <em>3 Plays by Aristophanes: Staging Women</em>. 2ndnd ed. New York: Routledge, 2010. 64. Print). With persuasion the women vow an oath of loyalty to the plan.  The plan proves fruitful and the sexual weakness of man brings the end of war.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLysistrata is definitely a work that has survived the ages and it’s preservation for future generations should be recognized and protected.  Its themes are universal and applicable to a wide audience.  Its plot has been applied to current time by women of different cultures.  Right now in 2011, there is a sex strike in Belgium to implement a faster founding of their government. In 2009 thousands of Kenyan women withheld sex “to try to protest their country\'s bickering leadership, which they say threatens to revive the bloody chaos that convulsed the African country last year” (Odula, Tom. \"Kenyan women, tired of fighting, vow sex strike.\" <em>The Huffington Post</em>. N.p., 29 Apr. 2009. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html\">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html</a>). In 2008, hundreds of women in Neapolitan tried to convince their husbands from playing with dangerous, illegal fireworks by refusing to perform their domestic duties.  Authorities in Neapolitan supported the cause by sending “out text messages urging the men to ‘make love, not explosions’ (\"Naples Sex Strike over Fireworks.\" <em>BBC News</em>. BBC, 31 Dec. 2008. Web.17 Feb. 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7806367.stm).   Most likely history will continue to repeat itself and future women will have to take peace into their hands and hypnotize their men with out of reach pleasures. Lysistrata must be preserved to tell the original tale of women bringing peace to a battle zone.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe historical context that Lysistrata was written in is reflected politically in the play itself. “Athens and Sparta and their respective allies had been at war for twenty years, since 431. A peace, negotiated in 421, ended when the Athenians undertook an expedition to Sicily in 415. There they suffered a major defeat in 413, and the Spartans took possession of the town of Deceleia, on the northern boundary of Athens\' territory, less than ten miles from Athens itself, from which they freely raided the agricultural land of Athens. Some of Athens\' allies, whose loyalties were maintained with threats, had begun to revolt. The <em>Lysistrata</em> was performed in the midst of these grim circumstances and alludes directly to them” (Hook, Brian S. <em>The Tragic Comedy of Sex in Aristophanes\' Lysistrata and Plato\'s Symposium</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. In Bloom, Harold, Ed. Human Sexuality, Bloom\'s Literary Themes. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe women of Lysistrata banded together and created a power that would not have been feasible in ancient Athens. Off the stage women were seldom a visible member of the city. Women were expected to stay home and tend to household obligations. Women were not to be identified by name in public unless necessary, let alone seen in public. They were not allowed to participate in politics, let alone discuss them. The men of Lysistrata were also a bit fantastical, as the audience is asked to dismiss the fact that men had many opportunities for sex and that this was an accepted part of Athens society.  Men could easily seek and demand sex with slaves, younger men, mistresses, or even with one another. Instead we are to believe that sex is reserved for husbands and wives in Athens.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLysistrata was typical of its time because it is one of the only surviving works of Old Comedy and its author was the sole creator of most these works. The comedies of Aristophanes provide almost an exclusive representation of Greek comedy.  Aristophanes’ comedies are political in nature, take place in the center of the city, and tackle current issues; Lysistrata abides by this description.  Furthermore the political background of these comedies is focused on the Peloponnesian war, which at the time of Lysistratas premiere had been going on for twenty years.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n“In <em>Lysistrata</em>, Aristophanes created a play that contains material that has provoked the ire of censors in different time periods. In the playwright\'s time the political implications of the play drew greater negative attention than the sexual situations and innuendo”(Sova, Dawn B. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2004. Banned Plays: Censorship History of 125 Stage Dramas. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).   Kleon, an Athenian politician, had Aristophanes brought to court because he did not appreciate Aristophanes mockery of the government and himself.  Aristophanes avoided serious punishment due his great public popularity.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"> </span>\r\n\r\n“<em>Lysistrata</em> is Aristophanes\' most popular play with modern audiences, and its appeal is easily understood from the universality of its sexual content” (Thorburn, Jr., John E. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).  Sex in Athens in 411 BCE was an accepted and celebrated aspect of society.  Sex was nowhere near as taboo then as it is today; it was an excepted and expected part of society. The play has been censored over the years, either politically or sexually. There are many versions and interpretations of the play.  Several interpreters have chosen to leave out some of the explicit nature dialogue of the play and or the extreme phallic leather pieces to be worn by the Athenian men.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAt first I was excited about the material of the play and the unusual ownership of power by women in this play.  The heroine’s name, Lysistrata, literally means disbander of wars. She rises against society’s assigned role of a woman and delegates an army of lower class citizens to take charge of the political scene. Once I read past the feminist allure of the plot I realized that the only way such an outcome would have been accepted in Greece is as a fantastical comedy.  “However possible such a \"sex strike\" and occupation of the Acropolis as depicted in the fictional <em>Lysistrata</em> may be now, they most certainly were not then” (Hook, Brian S <em>The Tragic Comedy of Sex in Aristophanes\' Lysistrata and Plato\'s Symposium</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. In Bloom, Harold, Ed. Human Sexuality, Bloom\'s Literary Themes. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011). It is important to know that “Aristophanes uses a female-controlled government and a peace treaty engineered by women to show the foolishness and stubbornness of the men in his society, rather than highlight the plight of women in his society” (Thorburn, Jr., John E. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe pressing themes of Lysistrata will be ever pressing to generations to come. The carnal urges of sex and war will always be present, as will the power of money. Domestic affairs will continue to somehow be in the center of many issues and the power of physical love will prevail triumphant in both men and women.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Lysistrata','','inherit','open','open','','521-revision-3','','','2011-02-27 23:44:38','2011-02-28 05:44:38','',521,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=524',0,'revision','',0),(552,25,'2011-03-09 17:19:28','2011-03-09 23:19:28','While strolling through Paris, France, one may look up in awe at the beauty of the cathedral of Notre Dame but from above, multiple pairs of eyes mysteriously stare down at anyone below. The eyes belong to different beast and creatures that have sculpted society’s view of life. These stone structures are known as gargoyles.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThe 12<sup>th</sup> century was a time and place for impressive historical change in Europe (Snyder). Especially in France, a new period of time was emerging which is know as the Gothic Age. During the Gothic Age, Christianity and the church were being built unlike anything anyone had seen before.  Instead of solid Greek like temples for worship, the cathedrals were, “An engineer’s grandiose dream of thrust and counterthrust diagrammed in stone lines” (Snyder).  The gothic cathedral represented, “The ultimate achievement of those spiritual aspirations” (Snyder).  If there were such a thing as the essence of Gothic, it would be thought of as, “The architecture created in the Ile-de-France” (Snyder). One of France’s most notable cathedrals is the cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris. Built between 1163-1250, Notre Dame marked a new beginning for Gothic architecture in France.\r\n\r\nSurrounding the outer edges of the cathedral of Notre Dame are gargoyles, best known as the creatures that peer down over the city of Paris (Camille). Gargoyles became, “Very popular on architecture in medieval times…” (“Gargoyle History”). The word gargoyle comes from the Roman term of protruding gutter (Evans). They were built in order to drain the water from the roofs of the cathedrals. The gargoyles were placed to extend far off from the walls of the structures to prevent any damage from happening to the cathedrals themselves as the rain ran off  (“Gargoyle History”).  If the gargoyles did not exist to control the rain run-off, “the mortar between the stones of their buildings would, in time, erode away and the building would fall over” (Evans).  The gargoyles come in packs to distribute the flow of rainwater because, “A single gargoyle would not be much good in a ferocious storm” (Evans).  The gargoyles did serve the same purpose as the classical wooden drainpipe but society was changing and so was the architecture that followed. Today, tourists find the stone figures or gargoyles to be, “The most appealing element of the magnificent structure,” but in the Gothic age they were decorative gutters (Camille).\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-5.00.39-PM.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-581\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-5.00.39-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"284\" height=\"160\" /></a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://www.eden-study.org/personal/images/notre-dame-gargoyles.jpg</p>\r\nGargoyles are imaginative forms of creatures that have little or no resemblance to anything real. Most of them consist of many animal-like features formed into one. The faces of the gargoyles are very extreme and intimidating as well. They almost look like they are yelling at the city down below (Evans). The gargoyles were considered to be, “Symbolic guardians against the external forces of evil” (Camille).  Though they are an opposition to the supernatural evil spirits, they are just as haunting to the society. The gargoyles in the 12<sup>th</sup> century were seen to, “Represent those who under estimated the power of the devil” (Evans).  In Valencia, Spain there is a notable gargoyle of a man with his genitals out. This image was to portray that the devil would catch you exactly when he wanted to. Since sex was seen as sinful during the middle ages, it was placed to scare people of anything non-religious and immoral (Evans).  This image implored ethical behavior.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Valencia, Spain Gargoyle\" href=\"http://photos.travellerspoint.com/205903/naughty_gargoyle.jpg\" target=\"_blank\">http://photos.travellerspoint.com/205903/naughty_gargoyle.jpg</a> -Photo of the Valencia, Spain Gargoyle\r\n\r\nThe average superstitious person from the middle ages would have found gargoyles like the one from Spain to be quite frightening. Architects of the gargoyles perhaps, “Knew that what people feared most of all was what lay within” (Evans).  The most disconcerting gargoyles do not seem beast like, but portray human qualities (Evans). They “Represent the evil inside human beings…” (Camille). The gargoyles are placed on monumental structures, staring down as a reminder of what humans fear most, themselves and the choices humans make.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-4.57.34-PM.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-580\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-4.57.34-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"293\" height=\"201\" /></a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://www.corbisimages.com/images/67/F812E5B3-890E-447E-81DC-7DDA23C76A0C/AAGB001637.jpg</p>\r\nDuring the 19<sup>th</sup> century the cathedral of Notre Dame went under reconstruction. Viollet-le-Duc restored the cathedral while adding 54 chimeras to the balustrade (the balcony). The chimeras were considered, “The modern (medieval) monsters” (Camille). They were similar to the gargoyles, only slightly larger and were not used as drainpipes. The chimeras were placed at Notre Dame in order to regain, “The spirit of the middle ages” (Camille).  The gargoyle-like chimeras were not a symbol of evil doing through out the society. They represented, “Political and social extremes, contemporary society rather than the Christological symbolism of the medieval bestiary” (Camille).  The fascinating thing about the chimeras though, is the slightest detail of their face or structure has meaning behind it. Large noses represented being a descendant of Jews who were then frowned upon for not being Christian.  A chimera that was built with their tongue sticking out of their mouth represented, “The tradition of grimacing” (Camille).  Though the meaning behind gargoyles and chimeras change constantly through time, their appeal to society stays the same.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-4.50.44-PM.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-579\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-4.50.44-PM-300x199.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://lh5.ggpht.com/_qe9TdddBrIQ/SleD8wtSZVI/AAAAAAAAIEc/Stn_sep77Yk/_MG_4816_a.jpg</p>\r\nThe gargoyles and chimeras through time have expressed historical values. The changes in beliefs reflected through the architecture. How people perceived the world is seen within the eyes of each haunting creature. Most of the gargoyles and chimeras today stand hardly unrecognizable due to the deteriorating of the stones. The stone figures are being harmed by slow death because of industrial pollution (Camille). The cities that once gave gargoyles life are now, “Also the gargoyles main agent of destruction” (Camille).  Restoration of the gargoyles and chimeras can be controversial but without it, a period of time could be lost forever (Camille). Some argue that restoring historical monuments makes them no longer of history, but that is not the case. Future generations would not have the chance to visit the places they hear/learn about and experience them in full effect if history could not be restored. With the gargoyles, people would be deprived of the feeling of fear, intimidation, or laughter of looking up to a beast or human like creature glaring at you from above.  The gargoyles and chimeras give character to monuments such as the cathedrals and should be restored in order to preserve a mystical time in history.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Work Cited</strong></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCamille, Michael. <em>The Gargoyles of Notre-Dame: Medievalism and the Monsters of Modernity</em>. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2009. Print.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCarr, Karen. \"Medieval Religion - History for Kids!\" <em>Kidipede - History for Kids - Homework Help for Middle School</em>. Web. 07 Mar. 2011.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nEvans, RJ. \"Gargoyles – Glorious Gruesome Grotesques | Quazen.\" <em>Quazen | Arts, Autos and More</em>. 14 Mar. 2010. Web. 07 Mar. 2011\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"Gargoyle History, Architectural, Religious and Mythical.\" <em>Feng Shui at Wind and Water with Annie Lane. Gargoyles and Gargoyle Photographs, and Various Others</em>. Web. 07 Mar. 2011\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSnyder, James. \"Gothic Architecture.\" <em>Medieval Art: Painting-sculpture-architecture, 4-14th Century</em>. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1988. Print.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The Gargoyles of Notre Dame ','','publish','open','open','','the-gargoyles-of-notre-dame','','','2011-03-09 17:19:28','2011-03-09 23:19:28','',0,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=552',0,'post','',7),(526,1,'2011-02-27 23:45:09','2011-02-28 05:45:09','<em>“The excellence of Aristophanes has never been questioned. Critics have argued about this or that detail in his work; but there has never been any doubt that he is a dramatist of the front rank, a comic artist of the highest order. His plays have survived not by accident or by the light they shed on other matters, but for their intrinsic quality. They are a unique, and uniquely important, part of the heritage of Western literature; they offer the reader or spectator an engrossing, enriching experience”</em> (McLeish, Kenneth. <em>The Theatre of Aristophanes</em>. 2nd ed. Great Britain: Taplinger Publishing, 1980. 13. Print.). <strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Lysistrata</strong>\r\n\r\nLysistrata (411 B.C.) is a Greek comedy by Aristophanes.   Aristophanes uses the comedy of Lysistrata to reveal “his inventive wit, sharply directed against Athenian politics and current affairs” (Fiero, Gloria. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol. 1. N.p.: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. Web.).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe plot of Lysistrata is structured on the discontent of the women of Athens.  They have been neglected by their husbands who are constantly at war.  Lysistrata calls upon the women of Greece to unite. Her plan is twofold.  First they must forbid their husbands of sexual pleasure until they reach an agreement of peace.  The women are at first appalled by such a proposal and begin to leave in protest. The second part of Lysistrata’s plan requires the older women of Athens to seize the Acropolis and establish control of the city’s money.  Lysistrata explains “If Eros of the sweet soul and Cyprian Aphrodite imbue our thighs and breasts with desire, and infect the men with sensuous rigidity and club-cock, Then I believe that all Greece will one day call us Disbanders of Battles (Henderson, Jeffrey. <em>3 Plays by Aristophanes: Staging Women</em>. 2ndnd ed. New York: Routledge, 2010. 64. Print). With persuasion the women vow an oath of loyalty to the plan.  The plan proves fruitful and the sexual weakness of man brings the end of war.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLysistrata is definitely a work that has survived the ages and it’s preservation for future generations should be recognized and protected.  Its themes are universal and applicable to a wide audience.  Its plot has been applied to current time by women of different cultures.  Right now in 2011, there is a sex strike in Belgium to implement a faster founding of their government. In 2009 thousands of Kenyan women withheld sex “to try to protest their country\'s bickering leadership, which they say threatens to revive the bloody chaos that convulsed the African country last year” (Odula, Tom. \"Kenyan women, tired of fighting, vow sex strike.\" <em>The Huffington Post</em>. N.p., 29 Apr. 2009. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html\">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html</a>). In 2008, hundreds of women in Neapolitan tried to convince their husbands from playing with dangerous, illegal fireworks by refusing to perform their domestic duties.  Authorities in Neapolitan supported the cause by sending “out text messages urging the men to ‘make love, not explosions’ (\"Naples Sex Strike over Fireworks.\" <em>BBC News</em>. BBC, 31 Dec. 2008. Web.17 Feb. 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7806367.stm).   Most likely history will continue to repeat itself and future women will have to take peace into their hands and hypnotize their men with out of reach pleasures. Lysistrata must be preserved to tell the original tale of women bringing peace to a battle zone.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe historical context that Lysistrata was written in is reflected politically in the play itself. “Athens and Sparta and their respective allies had been at war for twenty years, since 431. A peace, negotiated in 421, ended when the Athenians undertook an expedition to Sicily in 415. There they suffered a major defeat in 413, and the Spartans took possession of the town of Deceleia, on the northern boundary of Athens\' territory, less than ten miles from Athens itself, from which they freely raided the agricultural land of Athens. Some of Athens\' allies, whose loyalties were maintained with threats, had begun to revolt. The <em>Lysistrata</em> was performed in the midst of these grim circumstances and alludes directly to them” (Hook, Brian S. <em>The Tragic Comedy of Sex in Aristophanes\' Lysistrata and Plato\'s Symposium</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. In Bloom, Harold, Ed. Human Sexuality, Bloom\'s Literary Themes. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe women of Lysistrata banded together and created a power that would not have been feasible in ancient Athens. Off the stage women were seldom a visible member of the city. Women were expected to stay home and tend to household obligations. Women were not to be identified by name in public unless necessary, let alone seen in public. They were not allowed to participate in politics, let alone discuss them. The men of Lysistrata were also a bit fantastical, as the audience is asked to dismiss the fact that men had many opportunities for sex and that this was an accepted part of Athens society.  Men could easily seek and demand sex with slaves, younger men, mistresses, or even with one another. Instead we are to believe that sex is reserved for husbands and wives in Athens.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLysistrata was typical of its time because it is one of the only surviving works of Old Comedy and its author was the sole creator of most these works. The comedies of Aristophanes provide almost an exclusive representation of Greek comedy.  Aristophanes’ comedies are political in nature, take place in the center of the city, and tackle current issues; Lysistrata abides by this description.  Furthermore the political background of these comedies is focused on the Peloponnesian war, which at the time of Lysistratas premiere had been going on for twenty years.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n“In <em>Lysistrata</em>, Aristophanes created a play that contains material that has provoked the ire of censors in different time periods. In the playwright\'s time the political implications of the play drew greater negative attention than the sexual situations and innuendo”(Sova, Dawn B. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2004. Banned Plays: Censorship History of 125 Stage Dramas. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).   Kleon, an Athenian politician, had Aristophanes brought to court because he did not appreciate Aristophanes mockery of the government and himself.  Aristophanes avoided serious punishment due his great public popularity.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"> </span>\r\n\r\n“<em>Lysistrata</em> is Aristophanes\' most popular play with modern audiences, and its appeal is easily understood from the universality of its sexual content” (Thorburn, Jr., John E. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).  Sex in Athens in 411 BCE was an accepted and celebrated aspect of society.  Sex was nowhere near as taboo then as it is today; it was an excepted and expected part of society. The play has been censored over the years, either politically or sexually. There are many versions and interpretations of the play.  Several interpreters have chosen to leave out some of the explicit nature dialogue of the play and or the extreme phallic leather pieces to be worn by the Athenian men.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAt first I was excited about the material of the play and the unusual ownership of power by women in this play.  The heroine’s name, Lysistrata, literally means disbander of wars. She rises against society’s assigned role of a woman and delegates an army of lower class citizens to take charge of the political scene. Once I read past the feminist allure of the plot I realized that the only way such an outcome would have been accepted in Greece is as a fantastical comedy.  “However possible such a \"sex strike\" and occupation of the Acropolis as depicted in the fictional <em>Lysistrata</em> may be now, they most certainly were not then” (Hook, Brian S <em>The Tragic Comedy of Sex in Aristophanes\' Lysistrata and Plato\'s Symposium</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. In Bloom, Harold, Ed. Human Sexuality, Bloom\'s Literary Themes. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011). It is important to know that “Aristophanes uses a female-controlled government and a peace treaty engineered by women to show the foolishness and stubbornness of the men in his society, rather than highlight the plight of women in his society” (Thorburn, Jr., John E. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe pressing themes of Lysistrata will be ever pressing to generations to come. The carnal urges of sex and war will always be present, as will the power of money. Domestic affairs will continue to somehow be in the center of many issues and the power of physical love will prevail triumphant in both men and women.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Lysistrata','','inherit','open','open','','521-revision-4','','','2011-02-27 23:45:09','2011-02-28 05:45:09','',521,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=526',0,'revision','',0),(529,1,'2011-03-02 21:20:32','2011-03-03 03:20:32','La Maison Carrée (the square house) is a Roman temple built in Nîmes, France in 19 B.C.E. The Roman shrine was built by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Caesar Augustus. Agrippa who was the “right hand man” and son-in-law to Augustus and the patron of the Pantheon in Rome (Hayes, 1). La Maison Carrée was built in hopes to impress the citizens of Nîmes, keeping with the Roman style architecture to honor the new emperor Augustus. The temple was built in dedication to Augustus’s two adopted sons to promote the new imperial control. The building has a bronze inscription that reads “To Gaus Caesar, son of Augutus, consul: to Lucius Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul designate; to the princes of youth” (Hayes, 1). The temple stands on a 12 ft high podium like a Greek shrine with a stairway that leads up to a colonnaded portico (porch) and then to a single entrance. The Corinthian Order, or the laws of symmetry and proportions, is used in the portico and ornate columns that cover the exterior walls. The building door leads to a large, single room which houses a collection of Roman sculptures (once filled with sculptures of Augustus, his family and the Gods) and other classical fragments (Britannica, 1). The building  is 82 ft long by 40 ft wide. La Maison Carrée served as a spiritual center for the Romans and is an example of classical refinement (Fiero, 6.13). The temple is one of the best preserved  in the world. “It Is one of the most beautiful monuments built in Gaul by the Romans” (Norton, 913). Since it was built the temple has been a town hall, stable, apartment, church, and today serves as a museum.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"392\" caption=\"La Maison Carrée\"]<a href=\"http://www.geraldbrimacombe.com/France/France%20-%20Nimes%20-%20Maison%20Carree.jpg\"><img src=\"http://www.geraldbrimacombe.com/France/France%20-%20Nimes%20-%20Maison%20Carree.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"392\" height=\"576\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nhttp://www.geraldbrimacombe.com/France/France%20-%20Nimes%20-%20Maison%20Carree.jpg\r\n\r\nAfter the assassination of Julius Caesar and the struggle for  power between Marc Anthony and Octavian (later known as Augustus) ensued, the power fell into the hands of Octavian. The senate renamed Octavian, Augustus (“the Revered one”) and he held joint power with the senate, but had the power to veto (Fiero, 6.3).  Augustus’s rein began an era of stability and peace, a time called the “Pax Romana”, during this time literature and art flourished. Augustus was a large supporter of the arts, and commissioned many  projects involving art, literature and architecture. Augustus stated that when he came to power he would make a city of brick into a city of marble (Fiero, B1.12). The Maison Carrée was one of the projects commissioned by Augustus. The shrine was dedicate to his sons, and was used as a symbol of his new power and the new era of peace he brought with him.\r\n\r\nLa Maison Carrée is typical for its time, because it was built in a classical Roman/Greek style encompassing the rules of the Corinthian Order. Other architecture built under the reign of Augustus were similar in design. La Maison Carrée  was inspired by the Temple of Apollo Epicurius in Bassae Arcadia and the Temple of Mars Ultor in Rome, all of which were built according to the Corinthian Order. The Corinthian order was a “set of structural and decorative parts that stand in fixed relation to each other” (Fiero, 5.18). During this time period, the design of a building depended on the function of the building. The Maison Carrée differed from buildings like the Parthenon in Rome, because of its ornate details, where the ladder is built according to the Doric order whose design is “simple and severe” (Fiero, 5.20). Even though the Parthenon differs in its architectural detail, both it and the Maison Carrée hold similarities as to why they were built.  The Maison Carrée was built to honor the Gods and the new emperor Augustus. Most architecture around 19 B.C.E. was built for the same reasons, for example: the Pantheon was built to honor the “7 Planetary dieties” (Fiero B1.155) and the Parthenon was built to honor Athena. The Maison Carrée shares similarities with the Pantheon, built in the early second century B.C.E., because it was also built according to the Corinthian Order, covered with marble and bronze (La Maison Carrée is made of limestone, but appears to be marble), and has a large portico at the entrance. After the Roman rise to power, many buildings displayed the beauty and symmetry of Roman architecture, but only a few of them still stand today.\r\n\r\nLa Maison Carrée is unusual for its time, because it is a Roman temple in the middle of France. The Roman’s brought over a new style of architecture along with their power of the Nîmes area, and it seemed to stand out against the other buildings. Although Nîmes was a provincial city, it was a priority to build a temple there just as nice as any in Rome. Augustus wanted the temple built by the best architect available (Hanser, 147). The style of the building is specifically Roman and the fineness of the construction shows the architect was familiar with the architectual style fashionable in the capital of Rome. The scrolls on the molding of the building are almost identical to the Altar of Peace in Rome which was also dedicated to Augustus. The Romans combined the style of the Etruscans (Italian society that ruled Rome for about a century) using the rectangular form on a podium with columns, a portico and stairs. The architecture also has Greek details; Corinthian order and the organization of the columns, moldings and proportion of the building. Although the Maison Carrée resembles a Greek temple, its architecture is not exactly the same. Most Greek temples have freestanding columns all around the building, making the front and back identical. However, the Maison Carrée has a distinct front and back, and a set of stairs only to the front entrance, where usual Greek temples have stairs all around the building. Romans admired the architecture of Greeks and portrayed it in temples like The Maison Carrée, but were more concerned with ornate details and magnificent architecture to portray Roman power. \"There was nothing provincial about The Maison Carrée when it was built\" (Hanser 146). Even though The Maison Carrée waws a peculiar architectural style in France, In Rome this style was very popular.\r\n\r\nThe temple was built to impress the citizens of Nîmes, but at the same time it was used to enforce the rules of the new regime in power. It was used to show public authority, and became the economic heart of Nîmes. The temple is completely  in- tact and is so well preserved, which proves that it was somewhat well received. It still stands tall today, looking almost brand new. Citizens of France still cherish it today. Augustus was a hard, but fair leader. He wanted little to do with personal luxuries, and simply built these monuments, like The Maison Carrée to show his power, but they were not built for him specifically. The new regime that built The Maison Carrée was not a fearsome one, Augustus brought with him a period of peace and organization. The Roman Empire held values of easy communication and trade that flourished (Britannica, 1).  Augustus was a cultured man, he had every right to lead, and he lead well. Taking over Nîmes was not easy, and the citizens understood this, therefore the architecture he set up was untouched. The architecture was accepted and was frequently used by the citizens of France. Many people were not allowed in the temple, due to the belief in Rome that only priests and their people were allowed inside the Cella (the home of God). Many ceremonies and sacrifices were held outside the temple in front of the stairs of the. The temple survived the fall of the Western Roman Empire, after many others were burned down or destroyed, and has been used by many architects as a model of Roman techniques (Hanser, 147-148).\r\n\r\nToday, The  Maison Carrée is frequently visited and is used as a museum and tourist attraction in France.  It now lies next to a modern art museum, and library, The Carre D’Art. The government of France took a long time in picking an architect to build the new museum, because of the difficult task of finding a design worthy of standing next to The Maison Carrée. In 1984, twelve architects went to France to consider the architecture and history of the site, and design a building that would not compete with the original beauty of The Maison Carrée. The government had a budget of 24 million pounds to revamp the square that The Maison Carrée, lies in. The British architect Norman Foster recently renovated the square to a modern cultural district. They  updated the area, while still respecting the background and history of the architecture already there. (Hanser, 149). The French contracts and building regulations made it difficult, but today the square is finished and remains a hot-spot for tourists and residents of Nîmes. There are many hotels around the area of the temple, such as the Jardin Secrets or the Hotel Majestic for tourists to stay close to the square of La Maison Carrée Since the temple is the best preserved of its kind, it will forever be a main attraction in Nîmes, to visit it almost takes a person back in time. In its day, the Maison Carrée was built to display the power of a new regime, but today it is a symbol of the colorful history of France. To revel in the buildings beauty, and imagine the hard work and immense effort it took to build the massive structure.\r\n\r\nLa Maison Carrée represents the beautiful history of France, the structure represents the classical beauty of Roman architecture, and the fact that it is so well preserved is astounding. Although it has been reconstructed a few times, its original beauty shines. It is obvious it is important to the French government, and the people that live in Nîmes today. The square has been renovated and now holds a modern art museum and library and makes the area even more inviting to visit. I like the fact that the square makes modern style work with the old, classical architecture of The Maison Carrée. When looking at a picture of the temple, it seems as if it were picked up in Rome and placed in the middle of the square it sits in. It seems a little out of place beside the buildings around it, which makes it unique. The architecture is simple, but stunning. I love the columns and the way they wrap all the way around the building. I think it is rather interesting how many different identities the building has had. It started out as a temple or church, then a town hall, stable, etc and is now a museum. I would love to visit and see with my own eyes the beauty and integrity of the building. It would be amazing to walk up the steep set of stairs and think of how many came before me. When I visit France someday soon, I will for definitely make a stop at La Maison Carrée and give praise to those that designed and built the beautiful temple.\r\n\r\nThomas Jefferson first saw The Maison Carrée during his long stay as ambassador to France and instantly fell in love. He stated that it was \"the most perfect and precious remains of antiquity\" (Whiffen 1996, 103, Hanser 148). After returning to the states he was approached by his directors about an idea for a design for the new state capitol, shortly after he contacted the French architect C.L. Clérisseau. Jefferson asked Clérisseau to send him measured drawings of The Maison Carrée so he could use it as a model for the Virginia capitol. Final drawings of the design were sent to Richmond in 1786. Jefferson decided to change the Corinthian Order (characterized by the detailed acanthus leaves) of the original temple to the more simple Ionic order, because he did not feel there were many craftsman in the United States trained well enough to translate the ornate details. Construction of the Virginia capitol was completed in 1788. Like The Maison Carrée, there are pilasters (flat strips, like half columns) around the exterior of the building and a large porch encompassed by columns on the front of the structure.\r\n\r\nBoth of the buildings were built in appreciation for someone in charge. Although Augustus was an emperor, he was much a like a president. The capitol in America is built for a ruler (the president) in honor of his power. The Maison Carrée was used more for a secular device, but like the capitol was visited by many important people. The capitol, can be visited by tourists and people not in power, but is used more by the people in power. The Maison Carrée is the center of the square it resides in, there are many buildings around it, but it is the main attraction. The Virginia capitol building modeled after the temple is also the main building in its area. The capitol houses many statues inside of George Washington and other presidents born in Virginia, like The Maison Carrée, who houses statues of Augustus, his family, the Gods, and other important figures. Both of these pieces of architecture represent an appreciation for other cultures. Thomas Jefferson went to France and awed at The Maison Carrée and its classical beauty and decided to model his capitol in America after it (there is even a statue inside of the French- volunteer who fought for The United States during the American Revolution (Viriginia, 1)). He embraced the French and was interested in their vast culture. Augustus borrowed the architectural ideas for The Maison Carrée from the Romans, the Greeks and the Etruscans. Each of these buildings are an example of the collaboration of culture, art and architecture. Unlike The Maison Carrée, the Virigina capitol has always been used as the capitol. The buildings have been restored, changed and added on to, but has never changed its identity. The Maison Carrée however has has many different identities: a church, a private house, stable, town hall and museum. Both buildings, although similar in design are very different (one was built by Americas, attempting to copy the Roman design, the other built by the originals- the Romans) The Maison Carrée has a much longer history than the Virginia capitol, but both are very meaningful to the citizens who live around them and display a history to the county they were built in.\r\n\r\nFor future generations, it is important to understand the significance of La Maison Carrée. It is not only a beautiful piece of architecture, it is a representation of the struggle for power during its time. It represents the hard work men put into building the structure. It is historical evidence of the Roman Empire, and represents the power Augustus had during his reign in France and other European regions. Due to the fact that is the best preserved temple from its time period, future generations can visit it and view the original beauty and artistic intelligence it took to build it. It is important for future generations to realize the building was made by real men with their bare hands. Blood, sweat and tears went into building The Maison Carrée, unlike many buildings today. Architecture today lacks structural beauty, and many people do not think of proportions and symmetry the way these men used to. The Maison Carrée is a prime example of the Corinthian Order, and would be important for anyone to visit in order to understand the rules of the order. The Maison Carrée is not just a beautiful building, it is a representation of the people that lived in Nîmes, worked there and ruled there. It is an example of the Roman reign and the colorful history of France.\r\n\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\r\nChavalas, Mark W. \"Agrippa Marcus Vispanius.\"  The Ancient World. Vol 2. Print\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.\r\n\r\nHanser, David A. \"Reference Guide to National Architecture: Architecture of France.\" Greenwood Press,\r\n\r\n2006. Print\r\n\r\nHayes, Holly. \"Maison Carrée,  Nîmes.\" Sacred Destinations. 2005-2011.\r\n\r\n&lt;http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/nimes-maison-carree&gt;  Web. 12 Feb 2011.\r\n\r\nNorton, Peter B. \"The Maison Carrée.\" Britannica Encylopedia. Vol 7.1995. Print.\r\n\r\nVirginia Capitol Foundation. \"About the Capitol.\" Commonwealth of Virginia, 2006-2010.\r\n\r\nWeb. &lt; http://www.virginiacapitol.gov/&gt; 13 Feb 2011.','La Maison Carrée','','inherit','open','open','','199-revision-10','','','2011-03-02 21:20:32','2011-03-03 03:20:32','',199,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=529',0,'revision','',0),(530,32,'2011-03-02 21:49:27','2011-03-03 03:49:27','January 31, 829, a small basilica was erected as a martyrium in Venice to house the body of St. Mark. It became one of the most famous Christian sanctuaries of the early Middle Ages, drawing pilgrims from all over Europe. Damaged by a fire in August 976, that also destroyed several areas of the city, was quickly repaired by Doge Pietro Orseolo. Less than a century later, in 1063, Doge Domenico Contarini decided to demolish St. Marks’ sanctuary and replace it with a larger and richer basilica, the present building with its five-dome design.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nAlthough the outside of the building was jaw dropping the inside is almost imaginable. According to Jolly in <em>Made in God’s Image, </em>modern visitors who enter San<em> </em>Marco discover walls and domes of mosaics. They are visually exhilarating to experience, particularly because of their brilliant colors and pervasive gold; in terms of their meaning, however, they usually remain less satisfying. Whether because of the difficulty of viewing the scenes located on the high in the vaults or our ignorance of medieval saints’ lives, often our only way of answering the question, “What do these mosaics mean?” is to read a guidebook. (Jolly)\r\n\r\nThe most impressive cupola in the Atrium, in my opinion, is the Dome of Creation. Here the Story of Creation is narrated in twenty-five scenes, all with inscriptions, and sequence of days is identified by the number of angels present, from one on the first day to seven on the last.\r\n\r\nThe Creation Story\r\n\r\n(1)      The Spirit Moving on the Face of the Waters\r\n\r\n(2)      Creation of Light (1<sup>st</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(3)      Creation of a Firmament (2<sup>nd</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(4)      Formation of the Dry Land and of Seas, and Creation of Vegetation (3<sup>rd</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(5)      Creation of the Sun and Moon (4<sup>th</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(6)      Creation of Fish and Fowl (5<sup>th</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(7)      Creation of Animals and Man (6<sup>th</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(8)      Institution of the Sabbath (7<sup>th</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(9)      Making Man a Living Soul\r\n\r\n(10)    Placing Man in the Garden of Eden\r\n\r\n(11)    Adam naming the Animals\r\n\r\n(12)    Christ fashioning Eve\r\n\r\n(13)    Christ presenting Eve to Adam\r\n\r\n(14)    The Temptation\r\n\r\n(15)    The Fall\r\n\r\n(16)    First Consequence of the Fall\r\n\r\n(17)    Second Consequence of the Fall\r\n\r\n(18)    Third Consequence of the Fall\r\n\r\n(19)    Christ judging Adam, Eve, and the Serpent\r\n\r\n(20)    Christ clothing our First Parents\r\n\r\n(21)    The Expulsion from the Garden (This last mosaic of the series is a double one)\r\n\r\nThe scenes of the Creation in the cupola are arranged in a manner quite different from that in the other cupolas, namely, in three concentric rings, separated only by inscriptions. This compact filling of a cupola with several rings that consist of pictorial units is not very frequent. Apart from some juggling with the format of the single pictures and, to a certain extent, with the color, the makers of the cupola mosaics seem to have adhered rather closely to the compositions of the miniatures of the Cotton Genesis. (Demus)\r\n\r\nThe mosaics were executed by early local workshop in the first half of the 13<sup>th</sup> century.  Artist who worked in Venice in general and in San Marco in particular, there is little documentary evidence; hardly any of it is contemporary. The mosaicists were almost certainly members of the painters’ guild. The earliest date we have for existence of this guild is the year 1271.\r\n\r\nThe church often prohibited images of man during this time. There is no likeness of God the Father in any of the mosaics. The Byzantine workers did not dare to attempt to make a figure of Him who is invisible, “whom no man hath seen or can see,” but always in His stead put Jesus Christ, “He whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting.” And Christ is brought before us in various aspects : as “the visible image of the invisible God” ; as he through whom God manifests himself and works, every act of creation being represented as wrought by Christ, “by Him all things were made” ; and as the great Archetype of man, wearing, before time began, that image after the pattern of which man was made. (Robertson)\r\n\r\nThe Creation Dome must be seen in person to be properly presented. It is absolutely magnificent and in great detail. Think about how long it takes you to complete a 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle, now imagine doing this on the ceiling with a million-piece jigsaw puzzle…The images of the Creation Dome may have been derived from Cotton Genesis, which is one of the oldest illustrated biblical codices before it was destroyed in 1731. I propose this work of art <strong>saved</strong> for future generations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\r\nDemus, Otto. <em>The Mosaics of San Marco in Venice</em>. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1984. Print.\r\n\r\nJolly, Penny Howell. <em>Made in God\'s Image?: Eve and Adam in the Genesis Mosaics at San Marco, Venice</em>. Berkeley: University of California, 1997. Print.\r\n\r\nRobertson, Alexander. <em>The Bible of St. Mark; St. Mark\'s Church, the Altar &amp; Throne of Venice,</em>. London: G. Allen, 1898. Print.\r\n\r\nToesca, Pietro, and Ferdinando Forlati. <em>Mosaics of St. Mark\'s.</em> Greenwich, CT: New York Graphic Society, 1958. Print.\r\n\r\nVio, Ettore. <em>The Basilica of St. Mark in Venice</em>. Antella (Florence): Scala, 1999. Print.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','\"The Creation Dome\"','','publish','open','open','','the-creation-dome','','','2011-03-02 21:49:27','2011-03-03 03:49:27','',0,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=530',0,'post','',6),(531,32,'2011-03-02 21:48:56','2011-03-03 03:48:56','January 31, 829, a small basilica was erected as a martyrium in Venice to house the body of St. Mark. It became one of the most famous Christian sanctuaries of the early Middle Ages, drawing pilgrims from all over Europe. Damaged by a fire in August 976, that also destroyed several areas of the city, was quickly repaired by Doge Pietro Orseolo. Less than a century later, in 1063, Doge Domenico Contarini decided to demolish St. Marks’ sanctuary and replace it with a larger and richer basilica, the present building with its five-dome design.<!--more-->\n\nAlthough the outside of the building was jaw dropping the inside is almost imaginable. According to Jolly in <em>Made in God’s Image, </em>modern visitors who enter San<em> </em>Marco discover walls and domes of mosaics. They are visually exhilarating to experience, particularly because of their brilliant colors and pervasive gold; in terms of their meaning, however, they usually remain less satisfying. Whether because of the difficulty of viewing the scenes located on the high in the vaults or our ignorance of medieval saints’ lives, often our only way of answering the question, “What do these mosaics mean?” is to read a guidebook. (Jolly)\n\nThe most impressive cupola in the Atrium, in my opinion, is the Dome of Creation. Here the Story of Creation is narrated in twenty-five scenes, all with inscriptions, and sequence of days is identified by the number of angels present, from one on the first day to seven on the last.\n\nThe Creation Story\n\n(1)      The Spirit Moving on the Face of the Waters\n\n(2)      Creation of Light (1<sup>st</sup> Day)\n\n(3)      Creation of a Firmament (2<sup>nd</sup> Day)\n\n(4)      Formation of the Dry Land and of Seas, and Creation of Vegetation (3<sup>rd</sup> Day)\n\n(5)      Creation of the Sun and Moon (4<sup>th</sup> Day)\n\n(6)      Creation of Fish and Fowl (5<sup>th</sup> Day)\n\n(7)      Creation of Animals and Man (6<sup>th</sup> Day)\n\n(8)      Institution of the Sabbath (7<sup>th</sup> Day)\n\n(9)      Making Man a Living Soul\n\n(10)    Placing Man in the Garden of Eden\n\n(11)    Adam naming the Animals\n\n(12)    Christ fashioning Eve\n\n(13)    Christ presenting Eve to Adam\n\n(14)    The Temptation\n\n(15)    The Fall\n\n(16)    First Consequence of the Fall\n\n(17)    Second Consequence of the Fall\n\n(18)    Third Consequence of the Fall\n\n(19)    Christ judging Adam, Eve, and the Serpent\n\n(20)    Christ clothing our First Parents\n\n(21)    The Expulsion from the Garden (This last mosaic of the series is a double one)\n\nThe scenes of the Creation in the cupola are arranged in a manner quite different from that in the other cupolas, namely, in three concentric rings, separated only by inscriptions. This compact filling of a cupola with several rings that consist of pictorial units is not very frequent. Apart from some juggling with the format of the single pictures and, to a certain extent, with the color, the makers of the cupola mosaics seem to have adhered rather closely to the compositions of the miniatures of the Cotton Genesis. (Demus)\n\nThe mosaics were executed by early local workshop in the first half of the 13<sup>th</sup> century.  Artist who worked in Venice in general and in San Marco in particular, there is little documentary evidence; hardly any of it is contemporary. The mosaicists were almost certainly members of the painters’ guild. The earliest date we have for existence of this guild is the year 1271.\n\nThe church often prohibited images of man during this time. There is no likeness of God the Father in any of the mosaics. The Byzantine workers did not dare to attempt to make a figure of Him who is invisible, “whom no man hath seen or can see,” but always in His stead put Jesus Christ, “He whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting.” And Christ is brought before us in various aspects : as “the visible image of the invisible God” ; as he through whom God manifests himself and works, every act of creation being represented as wrought by Christ, “by Him all things were made” ; and as the great Archetype of man, wearing, before time began, that image after the pattern of which man was made. (Robertson)\n\nThe Creation Dome must be seen in person to be properly presented. It is absolutely magnificent and in great detail. Think about how long it takes you to complete a 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle, now imagine doing this on the ceiling with a million-piece jigsaw puzzle…The images of the Creation Dome may have been derived from Cotton Genesis, which is one of the oldest illustrated biblical codices before it was destroyed in 1731. I propose this work of art <strong>saved</strong> for future generations.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nWorks Cited\n\nDemus, Otto. <em>The Mosaics of San Marco in Venice</em>. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1984. Print.\n\nJolly, Penny Howell. <em>Made in God\'s Image?: Eve and Adam in the Genesis Mosaics at San Marco, Venice</em>. Berkeley: University of California, 1997. Print.\n\nRobertson, Alexander. <em>The Bible of St. Mark; St. Mark\'s Church, the Altar &amp; Throne of Venice,</em>. London: G. Allen, 1898. Print.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nToesca, Pietro, and Ferdinando Forlati. <em>Mosaics of St. Mark\'s.</em> Greenwich, CT: New York Graphic Society, 1958. Print.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nVio, Ettore. <em>The Basilica of St. Mark in Venice</em>. Antella (Florence): Scala, 1999. Print.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','\"The Creation Dome\"','','inherit','open','open','','530-revision','','','2011-03-02 21:48:56','2011-03-03 03:48:56','',530,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=531',0,'revision','',0),(532,32,'2011-03-02 21:49:16','2011-03-03 03:49:16','January 31, 829, a small basilica was erected as a martyrium in Venice to house the body of St. Mark. It became one of the most famous Christian sanctuaries of the early Middle Ages, drawing pilgrims from all over Europe. Damaged by a fire in August 976, that also destroyed several areas of the city, was quickly repaired by Doge Pietro Orseolo. Less than a century later, in 1063, Doge Domenico Contarini decided to demolish St. Marks’ sanctuary and replace it with a larger and richer basilica, the present building with its five-dome design.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nAlthough the outside of the building was jaw dropping the inside is almost imaginable. According to Jolly in <em>Made in God’s Image, </em>modern visitors who enter San<em> </em>Marco discover walls and domes of mosaics. They are visually exhilarating to experience, particularly because of their brilliant colors and pervasive gold; in terms of their meaning, however, they usually remain less satisfying. Whether because of the difficulty of viewing the scenes located on the high in the vaults or our ignorance of medieval saints’ lives, often our only way of answering the question, “What do these mosaics mean?” is to read a guidebook. (Jolly)\r\n\r\nThe most impressive cupola in the Atrium, in my opinion, is the Dome of Creation. Here the Story of Creation is narrated in twenty-five scenes, all with inscriptions, and sequence of days is identified by the number of angels present, from one on the first day to seven on the last.\r\n\r\nThe Creation Story\r\n\r\n(1)      The Spirit Moving on the Face of the Waters\r\n\r\n(2)      Creation of Light (1<sup>st</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(3)      Creation of a Firmament (2<sup>nd</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(4)      Formation of the Dry Land and of Seas, and Creation of Vegetation (3<sup>rd</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(5)      Creation of the Sun and Moon (4<sup>th</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(6)      Creation of Fish and Fowl (5<sup>th</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(7)      Creation of Animals and Man (6<sup>th</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(8)      Institution of the Sabbath (7<sup>th</sup> Day)\r\n\r\n(9)      Making Man a Living Soul\r\n\r\n(10)    Placing Man in the Garden of Eden\r\n\r\n(11)    Adam naming the Animals\r\n\r\n(12)    Christ fashioning Eve\r\n\r\n(13)    Christ presenting Eve to Adam\r\n\r\n(14)    The Temptation\r\n\r\n(15)    The Fall\r\n\r\n(16)    First Consequence of the Fall\r\n\r\n(17)    Second Consequence of the Fall\r\n\r\n(18)    Third Consequence of the Fall\r\n\r\n(19)    Christ judging Adam, Eve, and the Serpent\r\n\r\n(20)    Christ clothing our First Parents\r\n\r\n(21)    The Expulsion from the Garden (This last mosaic of the series is a double one)\r\n\r\nThe scenes of the Creation in the cupola are arranged in a manner quite different from that in the other cupolas, namely, in three concentric rings, separated only by inscriptions. This compact filling of a cupola with several rings that consist of pictorial units is not very frequent. Apart from some juggling with the format of the single pictures and, to a certain extent, with the color, the makers of the cupola mosaics seem to have adhered rather closely to the compositions of the miniatures of the Cotton Genesis. (Demus)\r\n\r\nThe mosaics were executed by early local workshop in the first half of the 13<sup>th</sup> century.  Artist who worked in Venice in general and in San Marco in particular, there is little documentary evidence; hardly any of it is contemporary. The mosaicists were almost certainly members of the painters’ guild. The earliest date we have for existence of this guild is the year 1271.\r\n\r\nThe church often prohibited images of man during this time. There is no likeness of God the Father in any of the mosaics. The Byzantine workers did not dare to attempt to make a figure of Him who is invisible, “whom no man hath seen or can see,” but always in His stead put Jesus Christ, “He whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting.” And Christ is brought before us in various aspects : as “the visible image of the invisible God” ; as he through whom God manifests himself and works, every act of creation being represented as wrought by Christ, “by Him all things were made” ; and as the great Archetype of man, wearing, before time began, that image after the pattern of which man was made. (Robertson)\r\n\r\nThe Creation Dome must be seen in person to be properly presented. It is absolutely magnificent and in great detail. Think about how long it takes you to complete a 2000 piece jigsaw puzzle, now imagine doing this on the ceiling with a million-piece jigsaw puzzle…The images of the Creation Dome may have been derived from Cotton Genesis, which is one of the oldest illustrated biblical codices before it was destroyed in 1731. I propose this work of art <strong>saved</strong> for future generations.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\r\nDemus, Otto. <em>The Mosaics of San Marco in Venice</em>. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1984. Print.\r\n\r\nJolly, Penny Howell. <em>Made in God\'s Image?: Eve and Adam in the Genesis Mosaics at San Marco, Venice</em>. Berkeley: University of California, 1997. Print.\r\n\r\nRobertson, Alexander. <em>The Bible of St. Mark; St. Mark\'s Church, the Altar &amp; Throne of Venice,</em>. London: G. Allen, 1898. Print.\r\n\r\nToesca, Pietro, and Ferdinando Forlati. <em>Mosaics of St. Mark\'s.</em> Greenwich, CT: New York Graphic Society, 1958. Print.\r\n\r\nVio, Ettore. <em>The Basilica of St. Mark in Venice</em>. Antella (Florence): Scala, 1999. Print.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','\"The Creation Dome\"','','inherit','open','open','','530-revision-2','','','2011-03-02 21:49:16','2011-03-03 03:49:16','',530,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=532',0,'revision','',0),(3484,77,'2013-10-14 15:24:06','2013-10-14 21:24:06','Li Ruzhen’s Flowers in the Mirror\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2503277\">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2503277</a>\r\n\r\nBy: Gargi Dave\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLi Ju-Chen, (as known as Li Ruzhen), (1763-1830) was an author known to write novels of fantasy with feminist perception, although a few of his works such as: his treatise on phonology <i>Yin</i><i>‐</i><i>chien, </i>a chess handbook <i>Shou</i><i>‐</i><i>tzu p\'u</i>, were not published due to it being lost, Ruzhen’s most important book written was his 1828 novel, <i>Flowers in the Mirror. </i>According to web source, eNotes, “Through his novel, he attempted to reconcile classical Confucianism with Neo-Confucianism and meld traditional values and aesthetics with modern ideas. Li Ruzhen is remembered today as an erudite social critic and early feminist.” <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> definitely depicted a fantasy Ruzhen had, creating a world where women of China played the role of men; working, taking care of the financial status of the family, going to school and making a career, while the men wore women’s clothing and taking care of the children playing the role of a woman. Ruzhen’s views completely shocked readers in this 100 chapter novel. Li Ruzhen established his knowledge and opinion on how women and men should be equal instead of having gender roles, and he also expresses, “criticism of the education and examination systems in China” (web source enotes) in the <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i>, and due to his boldness and adventurous dare to write such a feminist book, <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> should be protected and also read for future generations to come.\r\n\r\nThis classic novel that Ruzhen worked on for over a decade became a book of no classification. This feminist book was set in the Tang Dynasty with the ruler Empress Wu Zetian who overruled her brother’s shine to the throne, and decided to do things her way and demanded impossible tasks. As one of the tasks, she commands the flower spirits to allow the flowers upon the earth to bloom the very next day, which was unimaginable and impossible. But, the flower spirits did so and they were taken out of Heaven and put onto the earth as punishment from the Gods and at the end of their compensation, they will be allowed back into the Heavens. The Fairy of a Hundred Flowers’ father, Tang Ao, gets knocked down from his high rank to the lowest rank possible by the Empress. She suspects he has plotted against her will, and due to that, he gives up the animosity of the mortal life and transforms himself to an immortal being. Tang Ao decides to embark upon a journey with his brother-in-law, Merchant Lin, because he was told by a dream spirit that his afterlife was somewhere afar. During his adventurous quest he embarked upon, he came upon many flower spirits and accompanied them with their troubles, and during this journey he vanished into the mountain of Little Penglai. During his wandering, he visited the many countries as stated in web source “Readtiger”: “Country of Gentlemen, the Country of Women, the Country of Intestineless People, the Country of Sexless People, and the Country of Two-Faced People and many more” (websource). Towards the end of this novel, the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers searches for her father out into Little Penlai, and the many flower spirits with their husbands and brothers gather and throw the Empress out from her throne, and reinstate Emperor Tang Chung-tsung to his rightful throne. Ruzhen calls the Empress a “King” explaining the fact that she is ruler, and although she is a woman, she can also be defined as a “King”.\r\n\r\nDuring the time of when Flowers in the Mirror was written, there were many women writers who published letters and books explaining the problem women have with their unequal rights compared to men. This work was not typical of its era, because during this time period, all women were subjected to their men and their own vanity. Women had no voice, and also weren’t in their own control. There were many other feminists during this time such as Abigail Adams, Anna Wheeler, Frances Wright and others. They all similarly wrote about the social order in communities and how inequality was a major issue for women in society. The drive for these feminists to voice their opinions were very opinionated and very open due to the fact that they wanted to be a part of a change where women and men can altogether live equally. There were no laws of equal rights between men and women, but the feminists during the 18th century surely voiced their full on opinions about the issue.\r\n\r\nThis specific piece of work is definitely unusual for its time. Ruzhen was an opinionated man with a big heart to prove his ideas about empowered women and strived to prove his point about women being as equal as men, and also how women and men can play each other’s roles with the execution of society’s role as women only being subjects of vanity. In writing the <i>Flowers in the Mirror,</i> Ruzhen was simply implying for society to treat both genders equally. After writing this novel for about 15 years, Ruzhen accomplished getting his point across with his vision in this fantasy novel and in web source “Readtiger”, “When Li writes about the different countries he is giving his aspirations for an ideal society. The novel is full of fantasy which shows the author\'s unique vision of life” (websource). During this time period of the 1800’s, women were seen as subjects of vanity and played the role of beauty and being a housewife. Society was the complete opposite of how Ruzhen fantasized society to be in his novel. This novel completely cracked the typical gender role played in reality. Throughout this book, the author indirectly states how women are able to do the tasks of men as well and easily as men are able to do the same.\r\n\r\n<i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> was received as a “miscellaneous novel” at this time due to the mixture of genre’s in the novel (websource). There was much controversy in his reason of writing <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> because in Ruzhen’s version of <i>Utopia </i>there was complete equality for men so therefore, “<i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> does not represent a completely revolutionary vision” (websource.enotes). His ideas inside<i> Flowers in the Mirror</i> did not give complete equality for women due to Utopia being a world for the equalness for all men. Otherwise, Ruzhen’s feminist approach was received fairly well. He introduced a “new world” during a time where women and men weren’t equal, and his approach gave many scholars new ideas and thoughts about a world where women could be just as equal as men.\r\n\r\nToday, many people have the same perception of <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>back then compared to today. Editor Lynn M. Scott states, “Criticism of Li Ju‐chen\'s work is confined to the<i> Flowers in the Mirror </i>and addresses three main issues in the novel: the breadth of learning Li Ju‐chen demonstrates in the text; his criticism of the education and examination systems of China; and his denunciation of harmful and discriminatory practices against women.” People were shocked during the 1800’s as well as today, due to this book (websource.enotes). Li Ruzhen is known as one of the most feminist writers with a very narrow perception of society. Many people today, though, accept the author’s views on equality for women because today, there is complete equality for men and women. The only aspect which scholars see to be unusual is that a very knowledgeable man (Ruzhen) during this time in China has complete passion for equality among every individual in society, including men and women.\r\n\r\nMy personal reaction was uttered disbelief that a man living in Beijing during the 1800’s, a time where there is complete social order among society pertaining to the rights of men and women, wrote a novel about society needing to give entire equal rights to women in China. There are many different sections in this novel, but the one that sticks out to me is the gender roles and the different countries Ruzhen fantasized about in his work. I admire that he wrote this book in reference to his own opinion, and he sticks to his beliefs about full equality among members of society. The story of the Empress ruling the nation is impressive in my opinion, especially the part of the story where Ruzhen refers Empress Wu Zetian as “King”, that comparison shows that a woman in society can also play the role of a man or a “King”. Despite the fact that in the story, the Empress is thrown out of her own power as “King”, the story still gives readers today a new aspect of how back then, there were people who voiced their opinions on huge ordeals such as equality among society.\r\n\r\nThe <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>compares to many works from generations of feminists, and only a handful during the 18th century. Rhuzen’s novel specifically compares to one particular work, the letters sent back and forth between Abigail Adams and her husband John Adams during the late 17th century, early 18th century. The few letters that Abigail sent to her husband declared that she had heard John declare independence, and she would like for him to add women’s equal rights to the “new code of laws” (websource). Abigail Adams claims a rebellion if the law isn’t passed to include the women into equal rights, such as  having a voice or any sort of representation in lawmaking or in general society, as it claims in the letters she wrote. In the letters, she voices her stern opinion on how husbands are trying to have complete control and protection over their wives, and also, how women need to be able to start being a part of the decision making process in general decisions. Abigail indirectly argues with her husband that he is being barbaric and arrogant towards the women of society by not taking what she has to say about equality among women and men seriously, but still her last stern letter proves why there should be outright equality and freedom amidst all women and men of civilization.\r\n\r\nThe letters of Abigail Adams and <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>are similar in many ways, such as both Ruzhen and Abigail are unconditionally blunt and direct about their feelings about equality with both genders amid commonality. Regardless of John Adams response to his wife, Abigail nonetheless, still makes a stand to what she believes in, that is women having a voice when it comes to making decisions, and for there to be ultimate freedom between all people. Ruzhen’s fantasy shows his passion for an equal society when he names the different countries as they are in the <i>Flowers in the Mirror. </i>And also his will to push out his opinion on equality among men and women. Li Ruzhen and Abigail Adams was only a couple out of the many civilian feminists who had an opinion about freedom and equality for women.\r\n\r\nThe novel, <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>is a powerful approach to changing society back in the 18th century, and also authoritative today seeing as there is complete, and full freedom and equality of the men and women today. This paramount piece of work should be restored for many generations to come because of its classic feminist entrance to a world that we live in today. Writers such as Li Ruzhen helped and pushed society become equal and as free-spirited as it is today.\r\n\r\n<strong>                                                                                                 Works Cited</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"Introduction\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism</span> Ed. Lynn M. Zott. Vol. 134. Gale Cengage 2004 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span> 14 Oct, 2013\r\n\r\n<b>This website gave me so much information about the author and his background, and more so the views and criticism that many scholars had pertaining to this novel. This is an amazing source to find the meaning of the true message of the book.</b>\r\n\r\n<b> </b>\r\n\r\n<i>LETTERS BETWEEN ABIGAIL ADAMS AND HER HUSBAND JOHN ADAMS</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.\r\n\r\n<b>This was definitely my favorite source. It extremely helped out with my understanding of other feminists and their views on inequality. It gave me a piece of history that I did not know before, and know now. </b>\r\n\r\n<b> </b>\r\n\r\nN.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. &lt;http://readtiger.com/wkp/en/Flowers_in_the_Mirror&gt;.\r\n\r\n<b>This is where I found a clear and thorough view of the book. Also, a good source to know exactly what the main story is about from beginning to end.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nN.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. &lt;<a href=\"http://www.qesign.com/offer.php?x=Li_Ruzhen\">http://www.qesign.com/offer.php?x=Li_Ruzhen</a>&gt;.\r\n\r\n<b>This source gave me an excellent understanding of the author and his ideas. It completely gave me an inside scoop of the authors thoughts, and how it is to feel like a true feminist back in the 18th century.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<i>The Women\'s Review of Books</i> , Vol. 9, No. 9 (Jun., 1992), pp. 14-15\r\n\r\n<b>This source was an incredible find because it showed a full list of feminists of the 18th century who voiced their opinions on inequality. Also, it answered many questions I had pertaining to the life lived by 18th century women.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','DaveGargi-TCP2 Flowers in the Mirror','','inherit','open','open','','3483-revision-v1','','','2013-10-14 15:24:06','2013-10-14 21:24:06','',3483,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3484',0,'revision','',0),(3490,77,'2013-10-14 15:32:09','2013-10-14 21:32:09','<strong>\r\n</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/TCP.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3488\" alt=\"TCP\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/TCP-198x300.jpg\" width=\"215\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong> Li Ruzhen’s Flowers in the Mirror</strong>\r\n\r\nBy: Gargi Dave\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLi Ju-Chen, (as known as Li Ruzhen), (1763-1830) was an author known to write novels of fantasy with feminist perception, although a few of his works such as: his treatise on phonology <i>Yin</i><i>‐</i><i>chien, </i>a chess handbook <i>Shou</i><i>‐</i><i>tzu p\'u</i>, were not published due to it being lost, Ruzhen’s most important book written was his 1828 novel, <i>Flowers in the Mirror. </i>According to web source, eNotes, “Through his novel, he attempted to reconcile classical Confucianism with Neo-Confucianism and meld traditional values and aesthetics with modern ideas. Li Ruzhen is remembered today as an erudite social critic and early feminist.” <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> definitely depicted a fantasy Ruzhen had, creating a world where women of China played the role of men; working, taking care of the financial status of the family, going to school and making a career, while the men wore women’s clothing and taking care of the children playing the role of a woman. Ruzhen’s views completely shocked readers in this 100 chapter novel. Li Ruzhen established his knowledge and opinion on how women and men should be equal instead of having gender roles, and he also expresses, “criticism of the education and examination systems in China” (web source enotes) in the <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i>, and due to his boldness and adventurous dare to write such a feminist book, <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> should be protected and also read for future generations to come.\r\n\r\nThis classic novel that Ruzhen worked on for over a decade became a book of no classification. This feminist book was set in the Tang Dynasty with the ruler Empress Wu Zetian who overruled her brother’s shine to the throne, and decided to do things her way and demanded impossible tasks. As one of the tasks, she commands the flower spirits to allow the flowers upon the earth to bloom the very next day, which was unimaginable and impossible. But, the flower spirits did so and they were taken out of Heaven and put onto the earth as punishment from the Gods and at the end of their compensation, they will be allowed back into the Heavens. The Fairy of a Hundred Flowers’ father, Tang Ao, gets knocked down from his high rank to the lowest rank possible by the Empress. She suspects he has plotted against her will, and due to that, he gives up the animosity of the mortal life and transforms himself to an immortal being. Tang Ao decides to embark upon a journey with his brother-in-law, Merchant Lin, because he was told by a dream spirit that his afterlife was somewhere afar. During his adventurous quest he embarked upon, he came upon many flower spirits and accompanied them with their troubles, and during this journey he vanished into the mountain of Little Penglai. During his wandering, he visited the many countries as stated in web source “Readtiger”: “Country of Gentlemen, the Country of Women, the Country of Intestineless People, the Country of Sexless People, and the Country of Two-Faced People and many more” (websource). Towards the end of this novel, the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers searches for her father out into Little Penlai, and the many flower spirits with their husbands and brothers gather and throw the Empress out from her throne, and reinstate Emperor Tang Chung-tsung to his rightful throne. Ruzhen calls the Empress a “King” explaining the fact that she is ruler, and although she is a woman, she can also be defined as a “King”.\r\n\r\nDuring the time of when Flowers in the Mirror was written, there were many women writers who published letters and books explaining the problem women have with their unequal rights compared to men. This work was not typical of its era, because during this time period, all women were subjected to their men and their own vanity. Women had no voice, and also weren’t in their own control. There were many other feminists during this time such as Abigail Adams, Anna Wheeler, Frances Wright and others. They all similarly wrote about the social order in communities and how inequality was a major issue for women in society. The drive for these feminists to voice their opinions were very opinionated and very open due to the fact that they wanted to be a part of a change where women and men can altogether live equally. There were no laws of equal rights between men and women, but the feminists during the 18th century surely voiced their full on opinions about the issue.\r\n\r\nThis specific piece of work is definitely unusual for its time. Ruzhen was an opinionated man with a big heart to prove his ideas about empowered women and strived to prove his point about women being as equal as men, and also how women and men can play each other’s roles with the execution of society’s role as women only being subjects of vanity. In writing the <i>Flowers in the Mirror,</i> Ruzhen was simply implying for society to treat both genders equally. After writing this novel for about 15 years, Ruzhen accomplished getting his point across with his vision in this fantasy novel and in web source “Readtiger”, “When Li writes about the different countries he is giving his aspirations for an ideal society. The novel is full of fantasy which shows the author\'s unique vision of life” (websource). During this time period of the 1800’s, women were seen as subjects of vanity and played the role of beauty and being a housewife. Society was the complete opposite of how Ruzhen fantasized society to be in his novel. This novel completely cracked the typical gender role played in reality. Throughout this book, the author indirectly states how women are able to do the tasks of men as well and easily as men are able to do the same.\r\n\r\n<i>          Flowers in the Mirror</i> was received as a “miscellaneous novel” at this time due to the mixture of genre’s in the novel (websource). There was much controversy in his reason of writing <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> because in Ruzhen’s version of <i>Utopia </i>there was complete equality for men so therefore, “<i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> does not represent a completely revolutionary vision” (websource.enotes). His ideas inside<i> Flowers in the Mirror</i> did not give complete equality for women due to Utopia being a world for the equalness for all men. Otherwise, Ruzhen’s feminist approach was received fairly well. He introduced a “new world” during a time where women and men weren’t equal, and his approach gave many scholars new ideas and thoughts about a world where women could be just as equal as men.\r\n\r\nToday, many people have the same perception of <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>back then compared to today. Editor Lynn M. Scott states, “Criticism of Li Ju‐chen\'s work is confined to the<i> Flowers in the Mirror </i>and addresses three main issues in the novel: the breadth of learning Li Ju‐chen demonstrates in the text; his criticism of the education and examination systems of China; and his denunciation of harmful and discriminatory practices against women.” People were shocked during the 1800’s as well as today, due to this book (websource.enotes). Li Ruzhen is known as one of the most feminist writers with a very narrow perception of society. Many people today, though, accept the author’s views on equality for women because today, there is complete equality for men and women. The only aspect which scholars see to be unusual is that a very knowledgeable man (Ruzhen) during this time in China has complete passion for equality among every individual in society, including men and women.\r\n\r\nMy personal reaction was uttered disbelief that a man living in Beijing during the 1800’s, a time where there is complete social order among society pertaining to the rights of men and women, wrote a novel about society needing to give entire equal rights to women in China. There are many different sections in this novel, but the one that sticks out to me is the gender roles and the different countries Ruzhen fantasized about in his work. I admire that he wrote this book in reference to his own opinion, and he sticks to his beliefs about full equality among members of society. The story of the Empress ruling the nation is impressive in my opinion, especially the part of the story where Ruzhen refers Empress Wu Zetian as “King”, that comparison shows that a woman in society can also play the role of a man or a “King”. Despite the fact that in the story, the Empress is thrown out of her own power as “King”, the story still gives readers today a new aspect of how back then, there were people who voiced their opinions on huge ordeals such as equality among society.\r\n\r\nThe <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>compares to many works from generations of feminists, and only a handful during the 18th century. Rhuzen’s novel specifically compares to one particular work, the letters sent back and forth between Abigail Adams and her husband John Adams during the late 17th century, early 18th century. The few letters that Abigail sent to her husband declared that she had heard John declare independence, and she would like for him to add women’s equal rights to the “new code of laws” (websource). Abigail Adams claims a rebellion if the law isn’t passed to include the women into equal rights, such as  having a voice or any sort of representation in lawmaking or in general society, as it claims in the letters she wrote. In the letters, she voices her stern opinion on how husbands are trying to have complete control and protection over their wives, and also, how women need to be able to start being a part of the decision making process in general decisions. Abigail indirectly argues with her husband that he is being barbaric and arrogant towards the women of society by not taking what she has to say about equality among women and men seriously, but still her last stern letter proves why there should be outright equality and freedom amidst all women and men of civilization.\r\n\r\nThe letters of Abigail Adams and <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>are similar in many ways, such as both Ruzhen and Abigail are unconditionally blunt and direct about their feelings about equality with both genders amid commonality. Regardless of John Adams response to his wife, Abigail nonetheless, still makes a stand to what she believes in, that is women having a voice when it comes to making decisions, and for there to be ultimate freedom between all people. Ruzhen’s fantasy shows his passion for an equal society when he names the different countries as they are in the <i>Flowers in the Mirror. </i>And also his will to push out his opinion on equality among men and women. Li Ruzhen and Abigail Adams was only a couple out of the many civilian feminists who had an opinion about freedom and equality for women.\r\n\r\nThe novel, <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>is a powerful approach to changing society back in the 18th century, and also authoritative today seeing as there is complete, and full freedom and equality of the men and women today. This paramount piece of work should be restored for many generations to come because of its classic feminist entrance to a world that we live in today. Writers such as Li Ruzhen helped and pushed society become equal and as free-spirited as it is today.\r\n\r\n<strong>                                                                                                 Works Cited</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"Introduction\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism</span> Ed. Lynn M. Zott. Vol. 134. Gale Cengage 2004 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span> 14 Oct, 2013\r\n\r\n<b>This website gave me so much information about the author and his background, and more so the views and criticism that many scholars had pertaining to this novel. This is an amazing source to find the meaning of the true message of the book.</b>\r\n\r\n<b> </b>\r\n\r\n<i>LETTERS BETWEEN ABIGAIL ADAMS AND HER HUSBAND JOHN ADAMS</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.\r\n\r\n<b>This was definitely my favorite source. It extremely helped out with my understanding of other feminists and their views on inequality. It gave me a piece of history that I did not know before, and know now. </b>\r\n\r\n<b> </b>\r\n\r\nN.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. &lt;http://readtiger.com/wkp/en/Flowers_in_the_Mirror&gt;.\r\n\r\n<b>This is where I found a clear and thorough view of the book. Also, a good source to know exactly what the main story is about from beginning to end.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nN.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. &lt;<a href=\"http://www.qesign.com/offer.php?x=Li_Ruzhen\">http://www.qesign.com/offer.php?x=Li_Ruzhen</a>&gt;.\r\n\r\n<b>This source gave me an excellent understanding of the author and his ideas. It completely gave me an inside scoop of the authors thoughts, and how it is to feel like a true feminist back in the 18th century.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<i>The Women\'s Review of Books</i> , Vol. 9, No. 9 (Jun., 1992), pp. 14-15\r\n\r\n<b>This source was an incredible find because it showed a full list of feminists of the 18th century who voiced their opinions on inequality. Also, it answered many questions I had pertaining to the life lived by 18th century women.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','DaveGargi-TCP2 Flowers in the Mirror','','inherit','open','open','','3483-revision-v1','','','2013-10-14 15:32:09','2013-10-14 21:32:09','',3483,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3490',0,'revision','',0),(539,37,'2011-03-06 13:43:04','2011-03-06 19:43:04','The Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) is also known as the Old Testament and the Bible is a written recollection of the life of the Hebrews and their history that started in 2000 B.C.E in Sumer. At the beginning the story of the Hebrew people were transmitted just orally from one generation to another and later with the establishment of the first Hebrew State around 1000 B.C.E that history was recorded and became to be known as the Hebrew Bible as we know it today (Fiero).<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThe Hebrew Bible is divided into 3 main parts: first we have the Torah (laws), then the Prophets and finally the writings. Also it is important to mention that those three parts are subdivided into several parts. For example the Torah is compose of the first books of the Hebrew bible, which include the book of Genesis, exodus, Leviticus, numbers and Deuteronomy. These first part of the Hebrew bible or torah are the earliest forms of scriptures from the Hebrews and what is important to mention here is that these books are the results of the writings of many authors and represent years of editing between auditors work than end up with the format and the scriptures that we have today, so in other words many authors contribute to the Hebrew bible (CooK). The first five books of the bible (torah) represent a history of the creation of the world and the history of the Hebrew entry into Cannan. The second part of the Hebrew bible (prophets) is very interesting because the writing of this part of the Hebrew bible are attributed to the prophets themselves and these part of the bible has two sections ,the first are considered the former prophets and is  kind of a continuation of the torah and focus on the history of Israel and the different kingdoms at that time, the other section focus on what is called the classical prophets and this focus on prophets from the eight to fifth centuries B.C.E and the Babylonian exile period and one aspect that makes this section interesting is that they are very short writings compare to the ones from the former prophets section , the fact that these books were shorter facilitated their gathering and the consequently preservation. Also this part of the Hebrew bible is presented in a literary poetic way with few parts detailing the lives and activities of the prophets. The third part of the Hebrew bible (the writings) is basically a recollection of many literary genres that include Psalms (poetry), Lamentations, Proverbs (wisdom literature), historical books (Chronicles) and one of the most talk books of the Hebrew bible which is the book of Daniel that mixes prophecy, history and apocalypse (Hebrew Scriptures).\r\n\r\nThe origin of the Hebrew people can be traced to the time when their patriarch named Abraham is believed to have led them to settle in Cannan which is ancient Israel, Later the Hebrew people migrated to Egypt but because of many conflicts there they end up becoming slaves. Later in 1250 B.C.E a new patriarch named Moses led them to freedom and they settle in Sinai because the promised land of Cannan a occupied by tribes.\r\n\r\nThe Hebrew bible or old testament reflects the influence of some of the world most powerful empires and civilizations like the empires of Mesopotamia which include the Babylonians and the Assyrians, also the Persian, Greek and Roman empires because the Hebrew bible stories are not done in a specific time in history but instead are a continuous development of the history of the Hebrew people. Major events are what characterized and shape the scriptures of the Hebrew bible, the Egyptian empire had a stronghold of what is know as ancient Israel from 1450 to 1200 B.C.E. Later around 1000 B.C.E the land was ruled by different kings for almost a century and at the end there was a split of the monarchy causing the creation of different kingdoms in the land of Israel. These was a period that the Hebrew people were free from foreign control but it not lasted long because in 745 B.C.E the Assyrian empire which location corresponds to present day Iraq took control of the land of Israel and all of its kingdoms. The main kingdoms of Israel were the kingdom of Judah (south part of present day Israel) and the kingdom of Israel (North part of present day Israel), this led to the Babylonian exile around 586 B.C.E what characterized the Babylonian exile is that most of the people with power of Israel or the elite were deported to Babylon, many left to never set foot again in the land of Israel. But the influence and impact of foreign empires still presented a great impact in the land of Israel, later in time the Persian empire conquered the Babylonian empire and took control of the land of Israel but the main difference between the Persian empire and other empires in Israel was that the Persian empire help many of the exile Israelites to rebuild their temples and did not try to destroyed their culture as other empires did. Later in 333 B.C.E the land was conquered by Alexander the great which start a period of Hellenistic rule that lasted until 167 B.C.E. Later the Roman empire took the control of the land and changed the name of the territory to Palestine and the control of the territory was in the hands of many people that function as governors. Palestine became part of the Roman Empire and during this period is when Jesus lived and represents the formation of the early stages of the church and the spread of the church to many places. So the history of Israelites has been profoundly influence by some of the most powerful empires in the world and it is important to mention and emphasized here that many of the Hebrew bible books were written during periods were Israelites were under the control of other empires like the ones mention above and the effect that those empires had on the lives and development of the Hebrew writings can not be deny. (Carr )\r\n\r\nIt is important to mention that there are some stylistic similarities between the writings and the text of the Babylonian empire and Persian empire and Hebrew bible text and the main reason for that is that the Persian and the Babylonian empires at one point had an stronghold on the land of Israel and as a result of that they influence the way Israelites saw life and the way Israelites saw foreigners. For example: the Book (Fiero ) talks about the Babylonian story of the Epic of Gilmamesh and that could be compare to the Hebrew story of genesis. These two stories have many points in common like the big flood that ended up killing many people and also the creation of an ark that was ordered by God to one man with the specific instructions to save a wide variety of animal species. After reading both stories the similarities are so striking that it is hard for many people not to compare and relate both stories which had led many scholars to debate whether one is a copy of the other. Another aspect that had a profound impact in the land of Israel was what people considered the important relationship between God and Israel, for example the people of Israel like any other type of civilization had a huge dependency on water but the main problem was that in other places like in Babylonia or Egypt people could depend on rivers like the Nile or the Tigris river for water, but that was not possible in Israel, so the people of Israel had a huge dependency on rain and excessive periods of no rain were seen as punishment from God for not behaving according to God rules. (Lupovitch). According to experts the Hebrew bible is a combination of myth, history and stories and although some historical information is more difficult to confirm because of the scarcity of written records there is still evidence that talks about how live was in the ancient near east. In regards to education and how Israelites use to educate their youth in order to preserve their culture and move it forward, in the near east the major role that education have was to promote the religious belief of the community and promote respect for the values of the community, also the main tools use to educate people were two things: oral tradition and later written work. In places like Mesopotamia the main source of education was the home were the parents or other clan people was in charge of the education of kids, at the beginning because of the lack of scripture people rely on oral tradition and teaching but later with the advent of the scripture a system evolve that include specialized institutions for teaching which in ancient times involved places like temples and palaces, these characteristics were similar between the Hebrews and other civilizations like the Egyptians and Mesopotamia. But still there were differences between the way the Hebrew educate their people and the way other near east civilizations did it, for example, the Hebrew idea of personal freedom of both man and women and also the idea that people have responsibility with God and also with other people play key a key role in the way Hebrews were educated and these ideas were not common in other civilizations (Elwell).\r\n\r\nThe impact that the Hebrew bible has on today’s life is characterized by the using of its teachings by many societies today, for example, there are similarities with stories of the Hebrew bible and events that had occurred at present time like similarities between the struggle of the Hebrew people against the Pharaohs and United States history that talks about the struggles of the US early colonist with the English empire. Also during the period of United States independence was common to hear biblical citations that talk about the fight against the tyranny, many speeches at this time of struggle in the US were charged with biblical motifs and messages, for example, in the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence which is one of the main documents of the United States that states that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by the creator with certain unalienable rights which basically shows some influence of Hebrew ideas( Spiro). It is important to mention that the Hebrew Bible is the base of what is considered the New Testament or Bible, which is the holy book of Christianity, so in other words both Christianity and Judaism share a common base. Another aspect in which the Hebrew bible has a profound impact in the world is in practices conducted by businesses today, the torah has a great impact on marketing and business practices, According to Hershey H. Friedman who is a professor of Business and marketing in new York the torah has around 613 precepts and many of them talk about how to conduct business practices, also he mentions that the torah talks about being honest in the marketplace, for example, by prohibiting the merchants and traders of falsifying products or lying about certain characteristics of their products like the measures or weights of products. Another aspect that the torah influence is the idea of providing a fair price for products especially for products that have to so with essential necessities but one important characteristic here is that the torah also try to protect the seller by mentioning that the buyers should not take advantage of the ignorance of seller like in the cases were a seller may not know the right price for a product. Other topics cover in the torah include relationship between employees and employers, mainly the torah talks about not taking advantage of employees by paying fairly wages for their work and by not deceiving people. Also the torah talks about a hot topic today which is social responsibility, for example, the torah mentions that landowners should feel the obligation to help the poor and focus on the welfare of others which is mentioned 36 times in the torah and also the torah mentions people from different places, ethnics, or religious beliefs should be treated fairly. Another hot topic today is covered by the torah which is the responsibility that people have with the environment by prohibiting the excessive consumption that lead to waste of things and that land should be given rest in order to avoid excessive destruction of the land. Also another important way that the Hebrew bible influence life today is because the Psalms of the Hebrew bible mention certain characteristics that individuals should have like integrity, truthful, ethical, honest\r\n\r\n( Friedman ).\r\n\r\nIn my opinion the Hebrew bible is a text that represents a wide variety of literary genres and I think that the Bible is more than just a Religious book that has influence many religions and civilizations all over the world. The Hebrew bible is full of interesting stories and poetry. The stories in the Hebrew bible present a degree of complexity, irony, and imagination. In that sense I think that the Hebrew bible should be consider important for its contribution to religion but also for its contribution to literature. Stories in the bible present unique scenarios that could be compare to present day novels because of their complexity. Also I think it is important to differentiate the difference in the writing style of the Hebrew bible and other work of its time like Homer’s Odyssey mainly because there is difference between the way stories are tell in both work. For example, in the Odyssey Homer put emphasis and depth when describing the places, characters and how places are described, but in the case of the Hebrew bible there is less detailed description of things compared to the Odyssey, so in a way the Hebrew bible allow the reader to imagine or use its own mind in determining those characteristics that are omitted in the stories. This literary characteristic is what gives the Hebrew bible one important characteristic, which is that it allows the different interpretation of its narrative because the readers could fill the gaps that are left out of the text and usually different readers will provide different points of view to different topics. The way I see it is that through the years people that have read the Hebrew bible had put their own personal characteristics and experiences into what they read and that provides many different perspectives to the same stories.\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Works Cited</strong>\r\n\r\n-        Elwell, Walter A. “Entry for Education in Bible times”. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 1997\r\n\r\n-        Spiro, Ken . America and Jewish values. The Jewish impact on Civilization. 2002\r\n\r\nJewhttp://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/all/c/jewish-history/\r\n\r\n-        Friedman, Hershey H. “The impact of Jewish values on marketing and business practices”. Journal of Macromarketing Vol.21. June 2001\r\n\r\n-        Fiero, Gloria K. “The Humanistic Tradition”. 6<sup>th</sup> edition . McGraw-Hill 2011\r\n\r\n-        Cook, James Wyatt. “Hebrew Bible”. Encyclopedia of Ancient Literature. New York 2008\r\n\r\n-        Hebrew Scriptures. Encyclopedia of Judaism. The Jerusalem Publishing House. 2002\r\n\r\n-        Carr, David M. “An introduction to the Old Testament: Sacred texts and imperial contexts of the Hebrew bible”. Chichester: John Wiley &amp;Sons 2010.\r\n\r\n-        Lupovitch, Howard N. “Jews and Judaism in World history”. Themes in world history. Hoboken: Taylor &amp; Francis , 2009.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The Hebrew Bible (TCP 1)','','publish','open','open','','the-hebrew-bible-tcp-1','','','2011-03-06 14:54:31','2011-03-06 20:54:31','',0,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=539',0,'post','',8),(540,37,'2011-03-06 13:42:41','2011-03-06 19:42:41','','The Hebrew Bible (TCP 1)','','inherit','open','open','','539-revision','','','2011-03-06 13:42:41','2011-03-06 19:42:41','',539,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=540',0,'revision','',0),(549,18,'2011-03-06 17:29:32','2011-03-06 23:29:32','<em>“The excellence of Aristophanes has never been questioned. Critics have argued about this or that detail in his work; but there has never been any doubt that he is a dramatist of the front rank, a comic artist of the highest order. His plays have survived not by accident or by the light they shed on other matters, but for their intrinsic quality. They are a unique, and uniquely important, part of the heritage of Western literature; they offer the reader or spectator an engrossing, enriching experience”</em> (McLeish, Kenneth. <em>The Theatre of Aristophanes</em>. 2nd ed. Great Britain: Taplinger Publishing, 1980. 13. Print.). <!--more--><strong> </strong>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Lysistrata</strong></p>\nLysistrata (411 B.C.) is a Greek comedy by Aristophanes.   Aristophanes uses the comedy of Lysistrata to reveal “his inventive wit, sharply directed against Athenian politics and current affairs” (Fiero, Gloria. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol. 1. N.p.: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. Web.).\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe plot of Lysistrata is structured on the discontent of the women of Athens.  They have been neglected by their husbands who are constantly at war.  Lysistrata calls upon the women of Greece to unite. Her plan is twofold.  First they must forbid their husbands of sexual pleasure until they reach an agreement of peace.  The women are at first appalled by such a proposal and begin to leave in protest. The second part of Lysistrata’s plan requires the older women of Athens to seize the Acropolis and establish control of the city’s money.  Lysistrata explains “If Eros of the sweet soul and Cyprian Aphrodite imbue our thighs and breasts with desire, and infect the men with sensuous rigidity and club-cock, Then I believe that all Greece will one day call us Disbanders of Battles (Henderson, Jeffrey. <em>3 Plays by Aristophanes: Staging Women</em>. 2ndnd ed. New York: Routledge, 2010. 64. Print). With persuasion the women vow an oath of loyalty to the plan.  The plan proves fruitful and the sexual weakness of man brings the end of war.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nLysistrata is definitely a work that has survived the ages and it’s preservation for future generations should be recognized and protected.  Its themes are universal and applicable to a wide audience.  Its plot has been applied to current time by women of different cultures.  Right now in 2011, there is a sex strike in Belgium to implement a faster founding of their government. In 2009 thousands of Kenyan women withheld sex “to try to protest their country\'s bickering leadership, which they say threatens to revive the bloody chaos that convulsed the African country last year” (Odula, Tom. \"Kenyan women, tired of fighting, vow sex strike.\" <em>The Huffington Post</em>. N.p., 29 Apr. 2009. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html\">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html</a>). In 2008, hundreds of women in Neapolitan tried to convince their husbands from playing with dangerous, illegal fireworks by refusing to perform their domestic duties.  Authorities in Neapolitan supported the cause by sending “out text messages urging the men to ‘make love, not explosions’ (\"Naples Sex Strike over Fireworks.\" <em>BBC News</em>. BBC, 31 Dec. 2008. Web.17 Feb. 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7806367.stm).   Most likely history will continue to repeat itself and future women will have to take peace into their hands and hypnotize their men with out of reach pleasures. Lysistrata must be preserved to tell the original tale of women bringing peace to a battle zone.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe historical context that Lysistrata was written in is reflected politically in the play itself. “Athens and Sparta and their respective allies had been at war for twenty years, since 431. A peace, negotiated in 421, ended when the Athenians undertook an expedition to Sicily in 415. There they suffered a major defeat in 413, and the Spartans took possession of the town of Deceleia, on the northern boundary of Athens\' territory, less than ten miles from Athens itself, from which they freely raided the agricultural land of Athens. Some of Athens\' allies, whose loyalties were maintained with threats, had begun to revolt. The <em>Lysistrata</em> was performed in the midst of these grim circumstances and alludes directly to them” (Hook, Brian S. <em>The Tragic Comedy of Sex in Aristophanes\' Lysistrata and Plato\'s Symposium</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. In Bloom, Harold, Ed. Human Sexuality, Bloom\'s Literary Themes. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe women of Lysistrata banded together and created a power that would not have been feasible in ancient Athens. Off the stage women were seldom a visible member of the city. Women were expected to stay home and tend to household obligations. Women were not to be identified by name in public unless necessary, let alone seen in public. They were not allowed to participate in politics, let alone discuss them. The men of Lysistrata were also a bit fantastical, as the audience is asked to dismiss the fact that men had many opportunities for sex and that this was an accepted part of Athens society.  Men could easily seek and demand sex with slaves, younger men, mistresses, or even with one another. Instead we are to believe that sex is reserved for husbands and wives in Athens.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nLysistrata was typical of its time because it is one of the only surviving works of Old Comedy and its author was the sole creator of most these works. The comedies of Aristophanes provide almost an exclusive representation of Greek comedy.  Aristophanes’ comedies are political in nature, take place in the center of the city, and tackle current issues; Lysistrata abides by this description.  Furthermore the political background of these comedies is focused on the Peloponnesian war, which at the time of Lysistratas premiere had been going on for twenty years.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n“In <em>Lysistrata</em>, Aristophanes created a play that contains material that has provoked the ire of censors in different time periods. In the playwright\'s time the political implications of the play drew greater negative attention than the sexual situations and innuendo”(Sova, Dawn B. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2004. Banned Plays: Censorship History of 125 Stage Dramas. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).   Kleon, an Athenian politician, had Aristophanes brought to court because he did not appreciate Aristophanes mockery of the government and himself.  Aristophanes avoided serious punishment due his great public popularity.\n\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"> </span>\n\n“<em>Lysistrata</em> is Aristophanes\' most popular play with modern audiences, and its appeal is easily understood from the universality of its sexual content” (Thorburn, Jr., John E. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).  Sex in Athens in 411 BCE was an accepted and celebrated aspect of society.  Sex was nowhere near as taboo then as it is today; it was an excepted and expected part of society. The play has been censored over the years, either politically or sexually. There are many versions and interpretations of the play.  Several interpreters have chosen to leave out some of the explicit nature dialogue of the play and or the extreme phallic leather pieces to be worn by the Athenian men.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nAt first I was excited about the material of the play and the unusual ownership of power by women in this play.  The heroine’s name, Lysistrata, literally means disbander of wars. She rises against society’s assigned role of a woman and delegates an army of lower class citizens to take charge of the political scene. Once I read past the feminist allure of the plot I realized that the only way such an outcome would have been accepted in Greece is as a fantastical comedy.  “However possible such a \"sex strike\" and occupation of the Acropolis as depicted in the fictional <em>Lysistrata</em> may be now, they most certainly were not then” (Hook, Brian S <em>The Tragic Comedy of Sex in Aristophanes\' Lysistrata and Plato\'s Symposium</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. In Bloom, Harold, Ed. Human Sexuality, Bloom\'s Literary Themes. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011). It is important to know that “Aristophanes uses a female-controlled government and a peace treaty engineered by women to show the foolishness and stubbornness of the men in his society, rather than highlight the plight of women in his society” (Thorburn, Jr., John E. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).\n\n&nbsp;\n\nThe pressing themes of Lysistrata will be ever pressing to generations to come. The carnal urges of sex and war will always be present, as will the power of money. Domestic affairs will continue to somehow be in the center of many issues and the power of physical love will prevail triumphant in both men and women.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong>Works Cited</strong>\n\nMcLeish, Kenneth. <em>The Theatre of Aristophanes</em>. 2nd ed. Great Britain: Taplinger Publishing, 1980. 13. Print.\n\nFiero, Gloria. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol. 1. N.p.: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. Web.\n\nHenderson, Jeffrey. <em>3 Plays by Aristophanes: Staging Women</em>. 2ndnd ed. New York: Routledge, 2010. 64. Print\n\nOdula, Tom. “Kenyan women, tired of fighting, vow sex strike.” <em>The Huffington Post</em>. N.p., 29 Apr. 2009. Web. 27 Feb. 2011.\n<a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html\">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html</a>\n\nNaples Sex Strike over Fireworks.” <em>BBC News</em>. BBC, 31 Dec. 2008. Web.17 Feb. 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7806367.stm\n\nHook, Brian S. <em>The Tragic Comedy of Sex in Aristophanes’ Lysistrata and Plato’s Symposium</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. In Bloom, Harold, Ed. Human Sexuality, Bloom’s Literary Themes. <em>Bloom’s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011\n\nSova, Dawn B. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2004. Banned Plays: Censorship History of 125 Stage Dramas. <em>Bloom’s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011\n\nThorburn, Jr., John E. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. <em>Bloom’s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Lysistrata','','inherit','open','open','','521-autosave','','','2011-03-06 17:29:32','2011-03-06 23:29:32','',521,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=549',0,'revision','',0),(544,1,'2011-03-06 14:24:51','2011-03-06 20:24:51','The Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) is also known as the Old Testament and the Bible is a written recollection of the life of the Hebrews and their history that started in 2000 B.C.E in Sumer. At the beginning the story of the Hebrew people were transmitted just orally from one generation to another and later with the establishment of the first Hebrew State around 1000 B.C.E that history was recorded and became to be known as the Hebrew Bible as we know it today (Fiero).<!--more-->\n\nThe Hebrew Bible is divided into 3 main parts: first we have the Torah (laws), then the Prophets and finally the writings. Also it is important to mention that those three parts are subdivided into several parts. For example the Torah is compose of the first books of the Hebrew bible, which include the book of Genesis, exodus, Leviticus, numbers and Deuteronomy. These first part of the Hebrew bible or torah are the earliest forms of scriptures from the Hebrews and what is important to mention here is that these books are the results of the writings of many authors and represent years of editing between auditors work than end up with the format and the scriptures that we have today, so in other words many authors contribute to the Hebrew bible (CooK). The first five books of the bible (torah) represent a history of the creation of the world and the history of the Hebrew entry into Cannan. The second part of the Hebrew bible (prophets) is very interesting because the writing of this part of the Hebrew bible are attributed to the prophets themselves and these part of the bible has two sections ,the first are considered the former prophets and is  kind of a continuation of the torah and focus on the history of Israel and the different kingdoms at that time, the other section focus on what is called the classical prophets and this focus on prophets from the eight to fifth centuries B.C.E and the Babylonian exile period and one aspect that makes this section interesting is that they are very short writings compare to the ones from the former prophets section , the fact that these books were shorter facilitated their gathering and the consequently preservation. Also this part of the Hebrew bible is presented in a literary poetic way with few parts detailing the lives and activities of the prophets. The third part of the Hebrew bible (the writings) is basically a recollection of many literary genres that include Psalms (poetry), Lamentations, Proverbs (wisdom literature), historical books (Chronicles) and one of the most talk books of the Hebrew bible which is the book of Daniel that mixes prophecy, history and apocalypse (Hebrew Scriptures).\n\nThe origin of the Hebrew people can be traced to the time when their patriarch named Abraham is believed to have led them to settle in Cannan which is ancient Israel, Later the Hebrew people migrated to Egypt but because of many conflicts there they end up becoming slaves. Later in 1250 B.C.E a new patriarch named Moses led them to freedom and they settle in Sinai because the promised land of Cannan a occupied by tribes.\n\nThe Hebrew bible or old testament reflects the influence of some of the world most powerful empires and civilizations like the empires of Mesopotamia which include the Babylonians and the Assyrians, also the Persian, Greek and Roman empires because the Hebrew bible stories are not done in a specific time in history but instead are a continuous development of the history of the Hebrew people. Major events are what characterized and shape the scriptures of the Hebrew bible, the Egyptian empire had a stronghold of what is know as ancient Israel from 1450 to 1200 B.C.E. Later around 1000 B.C.E the land was ruled by different kings for almost a century and at the end there was a split of the monarchy causing the creation of different kingdoms in the land of Israel. These was a period that the Hebrew people were free from foreign control but it not lasted long because in 745 B.C.E the Assyrian empire which location corresponds to present day Iraq took control of the land of Israel and all of its kingdoms. The main kingdoms of Israel were the kingdom of Judah (south part of present day Israel) and the kingdom of Israel (North part of present day Israel), this led to the Babylonian exile around 586 B.C.E what characterized the Babylonian exile is that most of the people with power of Israel or the elite were deported to Babylon, many left to never set foot again in the land of Israel. But the influence and impact of foreign empires still presented a great impact in the land of Israel, later in time the Persian empire conquered the Babylonian empire and took control of the land of Israel but the main difference between the Persian empire and other empires in Israel was that the Persian empire help many of the exile Israelites to rebuild their temples and did not try to destroyed their culture as other empires did. Later in 333 B.C.E the land was conquered by Alexander the great which start a period of Hellenistic rule that lasted until 167 B.C.E. Later the Roman empire took the control of the land and changed the name of the territory to Palestine and the control of the territory was in the hands of many people that function as governors. Palestine became part of the Roman Empire and during this period is when Jesus lived and represents the formation of the early stages of the church and the spread of the church to many places. So the history of Israelites has been profoundly influence by some of the most powerful empires in the world and it is important to mention and emphasized here that many of the Hebrew bible books were written during periods were Israelites were under the control of other empires like the ones mention above and the effect that those empires had on the lives and development of the Hebrew writings can not be deny. (Carr )\n\nIt is important to mention that there are some stylistic similarities between the writings and the text of the Babylonian empire and Persian empire and Hebrew bible text and the main reason for that is that the Persian and the Babylonian empires at one point had an stronghold on the land of Israel and as a result of that they influence the way Israelites saw life and the way Israelites saw foreigners. For example: the Book (Fiero ) talks about the Babylonian story of the Epic of Gilmamesh and that could be compare to the Hebrew story of genesis. These two stories have many points in common like the big flood that ended up killing many people and also the creation of an ark that was ordered by God to one man with the specific instructions to save a wide variety of animal species. After reading both stories the similarities are so striking that it is hard for many people not to compare and relate both stories which had led many scholars to debate whether one is a copy of the other. Another aspect that had a profound impact in the land of Israel was what people considered the important relationship between God and Israel, for example the people of Israel like any other type of civilization had a huge dependency on water but the main problem was that in other places like in Babylonia or Egypt people could depend on rivers like the Nile or the Tigris river for water, but that was not possible in Israel, so the people of Israel had a huge dependency on rain and excessive periods of no rain were seen as punishment from God for not behaving according to God rules. (Lupovitch). According to experts the Hebrew bible is a combination of myth, history and stories and although some historical information is more difficult to confirm because of the scarcity of written records there is still evidence that talks about how live was in the ancient near east. In regards to education and how Israelites use to educate their youth in order to preserve their culture and move it forward, in the near east the major role that education have was to promote the religious belief of the community and promote respect for the values of the community, also the main tools use to educate people were two things: oral tradition and later written work. In places like Mesopotamia the main source of education was the home were the parents or other clan people was in charge of the education of kids, at the beginning because of the lack of scripture people rely on oral tradition and teaching but later with the advent of the scripture a system evolve that include specialized institutions for teaching which in ancient times involved places like temples and palaces, these characteristics were similar between the Hebrews and other civilizations like the Egyptians and Mesopotamia. But still there were differences between the way the Hebrew educate their people and the way other near east civilizations did it, for example, the Hebrew idea of personal freedom of both man and women and also the idea that people have responsibility with God and also with other people play key a key role in the way Hebrews were educated and these ideas were not common in other civilizations (Elwell).\n\nThe impact that the Hebrew bible has on today’s life is characterized by the using of its teachings by many societies today, for example, there are similarities with stories of the Hebrew bible and events that had occurred at present time like similarities between the struggle of the Hebrew people against the Pharaohs and United States history that talks about the struggles of the US early colonist with the English empire. Also during the period of United States independence was common to hear biblical citations that talk about the fight against the tyranny, many speeches at this time of struggle in the US were charged with biblical motifs and messages, for example, in the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence which is one of the main documents of the United States that states that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by the creator with certain unalienable rights which basically shows some influence of Hebrew ideas( Spiro). It is important to mention that the Hebrew Bible is the base of what is considered the New Testament or Bible, which is the holy book of Christianity, so in other words both Christianity and Judaism share a common base. Another aspect in which the Hebrew bible has a profound impact in the world is in practices conducted by businesses today, the torah has a great impact on marketing and business practices, According to Hershey H. Friedman who is a professor of Business and marketing in new York the torah has around 613 precepts and many of them talk about how to conduct business practices, also he mentions that the torah talks about being honest in the marketplace, for example, by prohibiting the merchants and traders of falsifying products or lying about certain characteristics of their products like the measures or weights of products. Another aspect that the torah influence is the idea of providing a fair price for products especially for products that have to so with essential necessities but one important characteristic here is that the torah also try to protect the seller by mentioning that the buyers should not take advantage of the ignorance of seller like in the cases were a seller may not know the right price for a product. Other topics cover in the torah include relationship between employees and employers, mainly the torah talks about not taking advantage of employees by paying fairly wages for their work and by not deceiving people. Also the torah talks about a hot topic today which is social responsibility, for example, the torah mentions that landowners should feel the obligation to help the poor and focus on the welfare of others which is mentioned 36 times in the torah and also the torah mentions people from different places, ethnics, or religious beliefs should be treated fairly. Another hot topic today is covered by the torah which is the responsibility that people have with the environment by prohibiting the excessive consumption that lead to waste of things and that land should be given rest in order to avoid excessive destruction of the land. Also another important way that the Hebrew bible influence life today is because the Psalms of the Hebrew bible mention certain characteristics that individuals should have like integrity, truthful, ethical, honest\n\n( Friedman ).\n\nIn my opinion the Hebrew bible is a text that represents a wide variety of literary genres and I think that the Bible is more than just a Religious book that has influence many religions and civilizations all over the world. The Hebrew bible is full of interesting stories and poetry. The stories in the Hebrew bible present a degree of complexity, irony, and imagination. In that sense I think that the Hebrew bible should be consider important for its contribution to religion but also for its contribution to literature. Stories in the bible present unique scenarios that could be compare to present day novels because of their complexity. Also I think it is important to differentiate the difference in the writing style of the Hebrew bible and other work of its time like Homer’s Odyssey mainly because there is difference between the way stories are tell in both work. For example, in the Odyssey Homer put emphasis and depth when describing the places, characters and how places are described, but in the case of the Hebrew bible there is less detailed description of things compared to the Odyssey, so in a way the Hebrew bible allow the reader to imagine or use its own mind in determining those characteristics that are omitted in the stories. This literary characteristic is what gives the Hebrew bible one important characteristic, which is that it allows the different interpretation of its narrative because the readers could fill the gaps that are left out of the text and usually different readers will provide different points of view to different topics. The way I see it is that through the years people that have read the Hebrew bible had put their own personal characteristics and experiences into what they read and that provides many different perspectives to the same stories.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong> </strong>\n\n<strong>Works Cited</strong>\n\n-        Elwell, Walter A. “Entry for Education in Bible times”. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 1997\n\n-        Spiro, Ken . America and Jewish values. The Jewish impact on Civilization. 2002\n\nJewhttp://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/all/c/jewish-history/\n\n-        Friedman, Hershey H. “The impact of Jewish values on marketing and business practices”. Journal of Macromarketing Vol.21. June 2001\n\n-        Fiero, Gloria K. “The Humanistic Tradition”. 6<sup>th</sup> edition . McGraw-Hill 2011\n\n-        Cook, James Wyatt. “Hebrew Bible”. Encyclopedia of Ancient Literature. New York 2008\n\n-        Hebrew Scriptures. Encyclopedia of Judaism. The Jerusalem Publishing House. 2002\n\n-        Carr, David M. “An introduction to the Old Testament: Sacred texts and imperial contexts of the Hebrew bible”. Chichester: John Wiley &amp;Sons 2010.\n\n-        Lupovitch, Howard N. “Jews and Judaism in World history”. Themes in world history. Hoboken: Taylor &amp; Francis , 2009.\n\n&nbsp;','The Hebrew Bible (TCP 1)','','inherit','open','open','','539-autosave','','','2011-03-06 14:24:51','2011-03-06 20:24:51','',539,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=544',0,'revision','',0),(541,1,'2011-02-21 21:08:04','2011-02-22 03:08:04','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/enumaelish1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-460\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/enumaelish1-300x208.jpg\" alt=\"Enuma Elish\" width=\"300\" height=\"208\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe <em>Babylonian Creation</em> is a Sumerian poem, traced back to the early second millennium b.c.e. It is the first cosmological creation myth; it describes the birth of the Babylonian gods and the progression of creation. According to our textbook <em>The Humanistic Tradition </em>it was “[R]ecited during the festival of the New Year,[…] [I]t describes a universe that originated by means of spontaneous generation: at a moment when there was neither heaven nor earth, the sweet and bitter waters “mingled” to produce the first family of gods” (Fiero B1 17). <!--more-->Around 1700 BCE, the time of the Babylonian King Hammurabi, the poem was inscribed on seven clay tablets and is known as <em>Enuma Elish</em>. The <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em> explains that “Its title, meaning “when on high,” comes from the first line of the epic, which begins: “When on high the heaven had not been named/Firm ground below had not been called by name” (354). The main theme of this poem is creation but it also describes the ascending power of the myth’s hero and deity Marduk. <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology </em>writes that “Marduk represents the supreme power of the gods over humans. According to myth, he created humans for the sole purpose of doing labor for the gods, […] Marduk also represents youth and strength, which overcome the army of the older gods and Tiamat” (669). The <em>Babylonian Creation </em>is an imperative literary poem to include in our time capsule because it is vital for future generations to be educated and understand the origins of the Mesopotamian era. This is important because the Babylonian civilization was one of the first societies to set roots and help evolve humanity.\r\n\r\nFrom reading excepts of the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> Myth in <em>The Humanistic Tradition </em>and an overview from the<em> </em><em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em>, my summary of <em>Enuma Elish </em>is as follows: before there was heaven and earth, light, names for anything, etc., there was Apsu (fresh water) and Tiamat (salt water). They created the gods, Lahmu and Lahamu (male and female primordial beings) and Anshar and Kishar (horizon of the sky, male and horizon of the earth, female) in their waters to bring order to the world. From them, Anu (god of the sky) and Ea (god of wisdom) were born. The divine beings Anu and Ea were very powerful and chaos broke out between the gods. “Ea kills Apsu; Marduk is born and Tiamat spawns serpents and monsters (the leader of the monsters being Kingu) to make war on the gods.” to avenge Apsu’s death. Marduk becomes the commander of the war and used a net held by the winds on all sides (north, south, east and west) so Tiamat could not get through or escape. Once held captive, Marduk kills Tiamat, cutting his body in half, from one half he creates heaven and the other, earth. Babylon (the home of the gods) was created. Peace was restored and the gods wanted to create humans to sacrifice, Marduk creates man from the blood of Kingu. The gods build a shrine and temple to show appreciation and respect to Marduk in Babylon (Fiero B1 18). Learning about the different gods and religious concepts of ancient cultures gives future generations the opportunity to compare the foundations of their own beliefs, as well as mythology and cosmology of further early traditions.\r\n\r\nPreserving historical literature also assists future generations by supplying them with various works of art. This helps by being able to compare the characteristics of one body of work with another from the same era and/or topic, and to get a greater sense of what life was like and what was essential in their society.  Characteristics of the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> myth are comparable to other literary works of Mesopotamia. It is similar to the <em>Epic of Gilgamesh</em> with the clear fact that they both were narrative poems<em> </em>recited orally, possibly through song for generations before finally being recorded otherwise. They are both significant and innovative to this era because they are considered the originals of their type of work;<em> Enuma Elish </em>is the first cosmological creation myth whereas<em> Epic of Gilgamesh </em>is the “world’s first epic.” Furthermore, the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> and <em>Epic of Gilgamesh “</em>recounts the deeds of a hero in quest of meaning and identity”,both literary works also “embodies the ideals and values of the culture from which it comes” (Fiero B1 19). Even though <em>Epic of Gilgamesh </em>is currently the first epic, some believe that the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> isn’t truly a myth of how our world was created but also an epic in respects because it focuses on a hero, Murduk. The Crystallinks, a metaphysics and science website formulates the opinion that “This epic is […] centered on the supremacy of Marduk and the creation of mankind for the service of the gods. Its primary original purpose, however, is not an exposition of theology […], but the elevation of Marduk, the chief god of Babylon, above other Mesopotamian gods” (Crystal).\r\n\r\nThe <em>Babylonian creation</em> not only is innovative because it is one of the first creation myths but also because it influenced politics during its time as well. It is perceived that the hero/god of the poem, Marduk was revered as such so he could take his place as the head in the Babylonian Pantheon. According to Giovanni Pettinato, author of <em>Mesopotamian Religions: An Overview [Further Considerations]</em> the scribes “[…] chose to establish a father-son relationship between Enki (Ea) and Marduk […] their syllogistic reasoning is clear: if Enki the king is Marduk\'s father, then Marduk becomes the king. […] The text then goes on to describe the generation of the god Enki and his son Marduk, thus ensuring that Marduk is given a definite place in the Mesopotamian pantheon” (Pettinato 5965). The <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology </em>also states that “<em>Enuma Elish</em> had political as well as religious meaning for the Babylonians. By identifying the heroic creator god as Marduk of Babylon, the myth justified the city\'s dominance over the region” (355).\r\n\r\nFrom my research and comprehension the citizens of the Mesopotamian era believed this myth as truth, and they used it as part of their New Years celebration. However, some scholars today say that it was used as propaganda. Swedish scholar on ancient history of religion, Ola Wikander “states firmly that Enuma Elish is the work of one single writer, who saw Babylon as the natural center of the world, and wanted to express just that.  In addition to propagating Babylonian superiority, Wikander speculates that the text also intends to justify the turn from collective rule to absolute monarchy” (Stenudd). From another academic perspective, according to <em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em> in most scholarly groups “The poem is usually viewed as theological underpinning for the rise of an upstart city to become the seat of a mighty empire and for the elevation of its hitherto obscure god to the head of the pantheon in place of the Sumerian god Enlil” (269).\r\n\r\nPersonally I found this poem fascinating because I like to reflect on the different creationism/evolutionism ideals from other cultures and eras. The questions of “where did we come from?” and “why are we here?” are questions that all humans consider in their life time. It’s a curiosity that binds us in unity and yet, unfortunately, sometimes because of these beliefs cause hostilities.  I think it is important to educate ourselves and the next generations in our diversities. In doing so we are helping humanity by understanding and hopefully respecting, the uniqueness of various traditions and civilizations.\r\n\r\nBibliography\r\n\r\nBRINKMAN, J. A. \"Enuma Elish.\" <em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em>. 2nd ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 267-269. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 5 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nCystal, Ellie. \"Babylonian Creational Myths Enuma Elish - Crystalinks.\" <em>Crystalinks Home Page</em>. 1995-2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. &lt;http://www.crystalinks.com/enumaelish.html&gt;.\r\n\r\nEnuma Elish.\" <em>U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em>. Vol. 2. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 354-356. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. 6th. McGraw-Hill, 2011. B1.17-23 eBook. (Fiero B1. 17-23).\r\n\r\n\"Marduk.\" <em>U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em>. Vol. 4. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 668-670. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nPettinato, Giovanni. \"Mesopotamian Religions: An Overview [FurtherConsiderations].\" <em>Encyclopedia of Religion</em>. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 9. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 5963-5967. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nrymer-Kensky, Tikva, and Giovanni Pettinato. \"Enuma Elish.\" <em>Encyclopedia of Religion</em>. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 4. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 2809-2812. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nStenudd, Stefan. \"ENUMA ELISH - Babylonian Creation Myth - Theories.\" <em>Aikido, Art, Myth, Fiction, and More - by STEFAN STENUDD</em>. 2007. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. &lt;http://www.stenudd.com/myth/enumaelish/enumaelish-4.htm&gt;.','The Babylonian Creation','','inherit','open','open','','375-revision-8','','','2011-02-21 21:08:04','2011-02-22 03:08:04','',375,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=541',0,'revision','',0),(542,1,'2011-03-06 14:22:59','2011-03-06 20:22:59','<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/enumaelish1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-460\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/enumaelish1-300x208.jpg\" alt=\"Enuma Elish\" width=\"300\" height=\"208\" /></a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">http://www.crystalinks.com/enumaelish.html</p>\r\nThe <em>Babylonian Creation</em> is a Sumerian poem, traced back to the early second millennium b.c.e. It is the first cosmological creation myth; it describes the birth of the Babylonian gods and the progression of creation. According to our textbook <em>The Humanistic Tradition </em>it was “[R]ecited during the festival of the New Year,[…] [I]t describes a universe that originated by means of spontaneous generation: at a moment when there was neither heaven nor earth, the sweet and bitter waters “mingled” to produce the first family of gods” (Fiero B1 17). <!--more-->Around 1700 BCE, the time of the Babylonian King Hammurabi, the poem was inscribed on seven clay tablets and is known as <em>Enuma Elish</em>. The <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em> explains that “Its title, meaning “when on high,” comes from the first line of the epic, which begins: “When on high the heaven had not been named/Firm ground below had not been called by name” (354). The main theme of this poem is creation but it also describes the ascending power of the myth’s hero and deity Marduk. <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology </em>writes that “Marduk represents the supreme power of the gods over humans. According to myth, he created humans for the sole purpose of doing labor for the gods, […] Marduk also represents youth and strength, which overcome the army of the older gods and Tiamat” (669). The <em>Babylonian Creation </em>is an imperative literary poem to include in our time capsule because it is vital for future generations to be educated and understand the origins of the Mesopotamian era. This is important because the Babylonian civilization was one of the first societies to set roots and help evolve humanity.\r\n\r\nFrom reading excepts of the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> Myth in <em>The Humanistic Tradition </em>and an overview from the<em> </em><em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em>, my summary of <em>Enuma Elish </em>is as follows: before there was heaven and earth, light, names for anything, etc., there was Apsu (fresh water) and Tiamat (salt water). They created the gods, Lahmu and Lahamu (male and female primordial beings) and Anshar and Kishar (horizon of the sky, male and horizon of the earth, female) in their waters to bring order to the world. From them, Anu (god of the sky) and Ea (god of wisdom) were born. The divine beings Anu and Ea were very powerful and chaos broke out between the gods. “Ea kills Apsu; Marduk is born and Tiamat spawns serpents and monsters (the leader of the monsters being Kingu) to make war on the gods.” to avenge Apsu’s death. Marduk becomes the commander of the war and used a net held by the winds on all sides (north, south, east and west) so Tiamat could not get through or escape. Once held captive, Marduk kills Tiamat, cutting his body in half, from one half he creates heaven and the other, earth. Babylon (the home of the gods) was created. Peace was restored and the gods wanted to create humans to sacrifice, Marduk creates man from the blood of Kingu. The gods build a shrine and temple to show appreciation and respect to Marduk in Babylon (Fiero B1 18). Learning about the different gods and religious concepts of ancient cultures gives future generations the opportunity to compare the foundations of their own beliefs, as well as mythology and cosmology of further early traditions.\r\n\r\nPreserving historical literature also assists future generations by supplying them with various works of art. This helps by being able to compare the characteristics of one body of work with another from the same era and/or topic, and to get a greater sense of what life was like and what was essential in their society.  Characteristics of the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> myth are comparable to other literary works of Mesopotamia. It is similar to the <em>Epic of Gilgamesh</em> with the clear fact that they both were narrative poems<em> </em>recited orally, possibly through song for generations before finally being recorded otherwise. They are both significant and innovative to this era because they are considered the originals of their type of work;<em> Enuma Elish </em>is the first cosmological creation myth whereas<em> Epic of Gilgamesh </em>is the “world’s first epic.” Furthermore, the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> and <em>Epic of Gilgamesh “</em>recounts the deeds of a hero in quest of meaning and identity”,both literary works also “embodies the ideals and values of the culture from which it comes” (Fiero B1 19). Even though <em>Epic of Gilgamesh </em>is currently the first epic, some believe that the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> isn’t truly a myth of how our world was created but also an epic in respects because it focuses on a hero, Murduk. The Crystallinks, a metaphysics and science website formulates the opinion that “This epic is […] centered on the supremacy of Marduk and the creation of mankind for the service of the gods. Its primary original purpose, however, is not an exposition of theology […], but the elevation of Marduk, the chief god of Babylon, above other Mesopotamian gods” (Crystal).\r\n\r\nThe <em>Babylonian creation</em> not only is innovative because it is one of the first creation myths but also because it influenced politics during its time as well. It is perceived that the hero/god of the poem, Marduk was revered as such so he could take his place as the head in the Babylonian Pantheon. According to Giovanni Pettinato, author of <em>Mesopotamian Religions: An Overview [Further Considerations]</em> the scribes “[…] chose to establish a father-son relationship between Enki (Ea) and Marduk […] their syllogistic reasoning is clear: if Enki the king is Marduk\'s father, then Marduk becomes the king. […] The text then goes on to describe the generation of the god Enki and his son Marduk, thus ensuring that Marduk is given a definite place in the Mesopotamian pantheon” (Pettinato 5965). The <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology </em>also states that “<em>Enuma Elish</em> had political as well as religious meaning for the Babylonians. By identifying the heroic creator god as Marduk of Babylon, the myth justified the city\'s dominance over the region” (355).\r\n\r\nFrom my research and comprehension the citizens of the Mesopotamian era believed this myth as truth, and they used it as part of their New Years celebration. However, some scholars today say that it was used as propaganda. Swedish scholar on ancient history of religion, Ola Wikander “states firmly that Enuma Elish is the work of one single writer, who saw Babylon as the natural center of the world, and wanted to express just that.  In addition to propagating Babylonian superiority, Wikander speculates that the text also intends to justify the turn from collective rule to absolute monarchy” (Stenudd). From another academic perspective, according to <em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em> in most scholarly groups “The poem is usually viewed as theological underpinning for the rise of an upstart city to become the seat of a mighty empire and for the elevation of its hitherto obscure god to the head of the pantheon in place of the Sumerian god Enlil” (269).\r\n\r\nPersonally I found this poem fascinating because I like to reflect on the different creationism/evolutionism ideals from other cultures and eras. The questions of “where did we come from?” and “why are we here?” are questions that all humans consider in their life time. It’s a curiosity that binds us in unity and yet, unfortunately, sometimes because of these beliefs cause hostilities.  I think it is important to educate ourselves and the next generations in our diversities. In doing so we are helping humanity by understanding and hopefully respecting, the uniqueness of various traditions and civilizations.\r\n\r\nBibliography\r\n\r\nBRINKMAN, J. A. \"Enuma Elish.\" <em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em>. 2nd ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 267-269. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 5 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nCystal, Ellie. \"Babylonian Creational Myths Enuma Elish - Crystalinks.\" <em>Crystalinks Home Page</em>. 1995-2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. &lt;http://www.crystalinks.com/enumaelish.html&gt;.\r\n\r\nEnuma Elish.\" <em>U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em>. Vol. 2. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 354-356. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. 6th. McGraw-Hill, 2011. B1.17-23 eBook. (Fiero B1. 17-23).\r\n\r\n\"Marduk.\" <em>U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em>. Vol. 4. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 668-670. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nPettinato, Giovanni. \"Mesopotamian Religions: An Overview [FurtherConsiderations].\" <em>Encyclopedia of Religion</em>. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 9. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 5963-5967. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nrymer-Kensky, Tikva, and Giovanni Pettinato. \"Enuma Elish.\" <em>Encyclopedia of Religion</em>. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 4. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 2809-2812. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nStenudd, Stefan. \"ENUMA ELISH - Babylonian Creation Myth - Theories.\" <em>Aikido, Art, Myth, Fiction, and More - by STEFAN STENUDD</em>. 2007. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. &lt;http://www.stenudd.com/myth/enumaelish/enumaelish-4.htm&gt;.','The Babylonian Creation','','inherit','open','open','','375-revision-9','','','2011-03-06 14:22:59','2011-03-06 20:22:59','',375,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=542',0,'revision','',0),(543,1,'2011-03-06 13:43:04','2011-03-06 19:43:04','Martin Amorrortu\r\n\r\nAssignment: TCP #1\r\n\r\nProfessor: Jean Lauer\r\n\r\n<strong>Topic: The Hebrew Bible</strong>\r\n\r\nThe Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) is also known as the Old Testament and the Bible is a written recollection of the life of the Hebrews and their history that started in 2000 B.C.E in Sumer. At the beginning the story of the Hebrew people were transmitted just orally from one generation to another and later with the establishment of the first Hebrew State around 1000 B.C.E that history was recorded and became to be known as the Hebrew Bible as we know it today (Fiero).\r\n\r\nThe Hebrew Bible is divided into 3 main parts: first we have the Torah (laws), then the Prophets and finally the writings. Also it is important to mention that those three parts are subdivided into several parts. For example the Torah is compose of the first books of the Hebrew bible, which include the book of Genesis, exodus, Leviticus, numbers and Deuteronomy. These first part of the Hebrew bible or torah are the earliest forms of scriptures from the Hebrews and what is important to mention here is that these books are the results of the writings of many authors and represent years of editing between auditors work than end up with the format and the scriptures that we have today, so in other words many authors contribute to the Hebrew bible (CooK). The first five books of the bible (torah) represent a history of the creation of the world and the history of the Hebrew entry into Cannan. The second part of the Hebrew bible (prophets) is very interesting because the writing of this part of the Hebrew bible are attributed to the prophets themselves and these part of the bible has two sections ,the first are considered the former prophets and is  kind of a continuation of the torah and focus on the history of Israel and the different kingdoms at that time, the other section focus on what is called the classical prophets and this focus on prophets from the eight to fifth centuries B.C.E and the Babylonian exile period and one aspect that makes this section interesting is that they are very short writings compare to the ones from the former prophets section , the fact that these books were shorter facilitated their gathering and the consequently preservation. Also this part of the Hebrew bible is presented in a literary poetic way with few parts detailing the lives and activities of the prophets. The third part of the Hebrew bible (the writings) is basically a recollection of many literary genres that include Psalms (poetry), Lamentations, Proverbs (wisdom literature), historical books (Chronicles) and one of the most talk books of the Hebrew bible which is the book of Daniel that mixes prophecy, history and apocalypse (Hebrew Scriptures).\r\n\r\nThe origin of the Hebrew people can be traced to the time when their patriarch named Abraham is believed to have led them to settle in Cannan which is ancient Israel, Later the Hebrew people migrated to Egypt but because of many conflicts there they end up becoming slaves. Later in 1250 B.C.E a new patriarch named Moses led them to freedom and they settle in Sinai because the promised land of Cannan a occupied by tribes.\r\n\r\nThe Hebrew bible or old testament reflects the influence of some of the world most powerful empires and civilizations like the empires of Mesopotamia which include the Babylonians and the Assyrians, also the Persian, Greek and Roman empires because the Hebrew bible stories are not done in a specific time in history but instead are a continuous development of the history of the Hebrew people. Major events are what characterized and shape the scriptures of the Hebrew bible, the Egyptian empire had a stronghold of what is know as ancient Israel from 1450 to 1200 B.C.E. Later around 1000 B.C.E the land was ruled by different kings for almost a century and at the end there was a split of the monarchy causing the creation of different kingdoms in the land of Israel. These was a period that the Hebrew people were free from foreign control but it not lasted long because in 745 B.C.E the Assyrian empire which location corresponds to present day Iraq took control of the land of Israel and all of its kingdoms. The main kingdoms of Israel were the kingdom of Judah (south part of present day Israel) and the kingdom of Israel (North part of present day Israel), this led to the Babylonian exile around 586 B.C.E what characterized the Babylonian exile is that most of the people with power of Israel or the elite were deported to Babylon, many left to never set foot again in the land of Israel. But the influence and impact of foreign empires still presented a great impact in the land of Israel, later in time the Persian empire conquered the Babylonian empire and took control of the land of Israel but the main difference between the Persian empire and other empires in Israel was that the Persian empire help many of the exile Israelites to rebuild their temples and did not try to destroyed their culture as other empires did. Later in 333 B.C.E the land was conquered by Alexander the great which start a period of Hellenistic rule that lasted until 167 B.C.E. Later the Roman empire took the control of the land and changed the name of the territory to Palestine and the control of the territory was in the hands of many people that function as governors. Palestine became part of the Roman Empire and during this period is when Jesus lived and represents the formation of the early stages of the church and the spread of the church to many places. So the history of Israelites has been profoundly influence by some of the most powerful empires in the world and it is important to mention and emphasized here that many of the Hebrew bible books were written during periods were Israelites were under the control of other empires like the ones mention above and the effect that those empires had on the lives and development of the Hebrew writings can not be deny. (Carr )\r\n\r\nIt is important to mention that there are some stylistic similarities between the writings and the text of the Babylonian empire and Persian empire and Hebrew bible text and the main reason for that is that the Persian and the Babylonian empires at one point had an stronghold on the land of Israel and as a result of that they influence the way Israelites saw life and the way Israelites saw foreigners. For example: the Book (Fiero ) talks about the Babylonian story of the Epic of Gilmamesh and that could be compare to the Hebrew story of genesis. These two stories have many points in common like the big flood that ended up killing many people and also the creation of an ark that was ordered by God to one man with the specific instructions to save a wide variety of animal species. After reading both stories the similarities are so striking that it is hard for many people not to compare and relate both stories which had led many scholars to debate whether one is a copy of the other. Another aspect that had a profound impact in the land of Israel was what people considered the important relationship between God and Israel, for example the people of Israel like any other type of civilization had a huge dependency on water but the main problem was that in other places like in Babylonia or Egypt people could depend on rivers like the Nile or the Tigris river for water, but that was not possible in Israel, so the people of Israel had a huge dependency on rain and excessive periods of no rain were seen as punishment from God for not behaving according to God rules. (Lupovitch). According to experts the Hebrew bible is a combination of myth, history and stories and although some historical information is more difficult to confirm because of the scarcity of written records there is still evidence that talks about how live was in the ancient near east. In regards to education and how Israelites use to educate their youth in order to preserve their culture and move it forward, in the near east the major role that education have was to promote the religious belief of the community and promote respect for the values of the community, also the main tools use to educate people were two things: oral tradition and later written work. In places like Mesopotamia the main source of education was the home were the parents or other clan people was in charge of the education of kids, at the beginning because of the lack of scripture people rely on oral tradition and teaching but later with the advent of the scripture a system evolve that include specialized institutions for teaching which in ancient times involved places like temples and palaces, these characteristics were similar between the Hebrews and other civilizations like the Egyptians and Mesopotamia. But still there were differences between the way the Hebrew educate their people and the way other near east civilizations did it, for example, the Hebrew idea of personal freedom of both man and women and also the idea that people have responsibility with God and also with other people play key a key role in the way Hebrews were educated and these ideas were not common in other civilizations (Elwell).\r\n\r\nThe impact that the Hebrew bible has on today’s life is characterized by the using of its teachings by many societies today, for example, there are similarities with stories of the Hebrew bible and events that had occurred at present time like similarities between the struggle of the Hebrew people against the Pharaohs and United States history that talks about the struggles of the US early colonist with the English empire. Also during the period of United States independence was common to hear biblical citations that talk about the fight against the tyranny, many speeches at this time of struggle in the US were charged with biblical motifs and messages, for example, in the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence which is one of the main documents of the United States that states that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by the creator with certain unalienable rights which basically shows some influence of Hebrew ideas( Spiro). It is important to mention that the Hebrew Bible is the base of what is considered the New Testament or Bible, which is the holy book of Christianity, so in other words both Christianity and Judaism share a common base. Another aspect in which the Hebrew bible has a profound impact in the world is in practices conducted by businesses today, the torah has a great impact on marketing and business practices, According to Hershey H. Friedman who is a professor of Business and marketing in new York the torah has around 613 precepts and many of them talk about how to conduct business practices, also he mentions that the torah talks about being honest in the marketplace, for example, by prohibiting the merchants and traders of falsifying products or lying about certain characteristics of their products like the measures or weights of products. Another aspect that the torah influence is the idea of providing a fair price for products especially for products that have to so with essential necessities but one important characteristic here is that the torah also try to protect the seller by mentioning that the buyers should not take advantage of the ignorance of seller like in the cases were a seller may not know the right price for a product. Other topics cover in the torah include relationship between employees and employers, mainly the torah talks about not taking advantage of employees by paying fairly wages for their work and by not deceiving people. Also the torah talks about a hot topic today which is social responsibility, for example, the torah mentions that landowners should feel the obligation to help the poor and focus on the welfare of others which is mentioned 36 times in the torah and also the torah mentions people from different places, ethnics, or religious beliefs should be treated fairly. Another hot topic today is covered by the torah which is the responsibility that people have with the environment by prohibiting the excessive consumption that lead to waste of things and that land should be given rest in order to avoid excessive destruction of the land. Also another important way that the Hebrew bible influence life today is because the Psalms of the Hebrew bible mention certain characteristics that individuals should have like integrity, truthful, ethical, honest\r\n\r\n( Friedman ).\r\n\r\nIn my opinion the Hebrew bible is a text that represents a wide variety of literary genres and I think that the Bible is more than just a Religious book that has influence many religions and civilizations all over the world. The Hebrew bible is full of interesting stories and poetry. The stories in the Hebrew bible present a degree of complexity, irony, and imagination. In that sense I think that the Hebrew bible should be consider important for its contribution to religion but also for its contribution to literature. Stories in the bible present unique scenarios that could be compare to present day novels because of their complexity. Also I think it is important to differentiate the difference in the writing style of the Hebrew bible and other work of its time like Homer’s Odyssey mainly because there is difference between the way stories are tell in both work. For example, in the Odyssey Homer put emphasis and depth when describing the places, characters and how places are described, but in the case of the Hebrew bible there is less detailed description of things compared to the Odyssey, so in a way the Hebrew bible allow the reader to imagine or use its own mind in determining those characteristics that are omitted in the stories. This literary characteristic is what gives the Hebrew bible one important characteristic, which is that it allows the different interpretation of its narrative because the readers could fill the gaps that are left out of the text and usually different readers will provide different points of view to different topics. The way I see it is that through the years people that have read the Hebrew bible had put their own personal characteristics and experiences into what they read and that provides many different perspectives to the same stories.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Works Cited</strong>\r\n\r\n-        Elwell, Walter A. “Entry for Education in Bible times”. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 1997\r\n\r\n-        Spiro, Ken . America and Jewish values. The Jewish impact on Civilization. 2002\r\n\r\nJewhttp://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/all/c/jewish-history/\r\n\r\n-        Friedman, Hershey H. “The impact of Jewish values on marketing and business practices”. Journal of Macromarketing Vol.21. June 2001\r\n\r\n-        Fiero, Gloria K. “The Humanistic Tradition”. 6<sup>th</sup> edition . McGraw-Hill 2011\r\n\r\n-        Cook, James Wyatt. “Hebrew Bible”. Encyclopedia of Ancient Literature. New York 2008\r\n\r\n-        Hebrew Scriptures. Encyclopedia of Judaism. The Jerusalem Publishing House. 2002\r\n\r\n-        Carr, David M. “An introduction to the Old Testament: Sacred texts and imperial contexts of the Hebrew bible”. Chichester: John Wiley &amp;Sons 2010.\r\n\r\n-        Lupovitch, Howard N. “Jews and Judaism in World history”. Themes in world history. Hoboken: Taylor &amp; Francis , 2009.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The Hebrew Bible (TCP 1)','','inherit','open','open','','539-revision-2','','','2011-03-06 13:43:04','2011-03-06 19:43:04','',539,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=543',0,'revision','',0),(545,1,'2011-03-06 14:23:20','2011-03-06 20:23:20','<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/enumaelish1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-460\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/enumaelish1-300x208.jpg\" alt=\"Enuma Elish\" width=\"300\" height=\"208\" /></a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">http://www.crystalinks.com/enumaelish.html</p>\r\nThe <em>Babylonian Creation</em> is a Sumerian poem, traced back to the early second millennium b.c.e. It is the first cosmological creation myth; it describes the birth of the Babylonian gods and the progression of creation. According to our textbook <em>The Humanistic Tradition </em>it was “[R]ecited during the festival of the New Year,[…] [I]t describes a universe that originated by means of spontaneous generation: at a moment when there was neither heaven nor earth, the sweet and bitter waters “mingled” to produce the first family of gods” (Fiero B1 17). <!--more-->Around 1700 BCE, the time of the Babylonian King Hammurabi, the poem was inscribed on seven clay tablets and is known as <em>Enuma Elish</em>. The <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em> explains that “Its title, meaning “when on high,” comes from the first line of the epic, which begins: “When on high the heaven had not been named/Firm ground below had not been called by name” (354). The main theme of this poem is creation but it also describes the ascending power of the myth’s hero and deity Marduk. <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology </em>writes that “Marduk represents the supreme power of the gods over humans. According to myth, he created humans for the sole purpose of doing labor for the gods, […] Marduk also represents youth and strength, which overcome the army of the older gods and Tiamat” (669). The <em>Babylonian Creation </em>is an imperative literary poem to include in our time capsule because it is vital for future generations to be educated and understand the origins of the Mesopotamian era. This is important because the Babylonian civilization was one of the first societies to set roots and help evolve humanity.\r\n\r\nFrom reading excepts of the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> Myth in <em>The Humanistic Tradition </em>and an overview from the<em> </em><em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em>, my summary of <em>Enuma Elish </em>is as follows: before there was heaven and earth, light, names for anything, etc., there was Apsu (fresh water) and Tiamat (salt water). They created the gods, Lahmu and Lahamu (male and female primordial beings) and Anshar and Kishar (horizon of the sky, male and horizon of the earth, female) in their waters to bring order to the world. From them, Anu (god of the sky) and Ea (god of wisdom) were born. The divine beings Anu and Ea were very powerful and chaos broke out between the gods. “Ea kills Apsu; Marduk is born and Tiamat spawns serpents and monsters (the leader of the monsters being Kingu) to make war on the gods.” to avenge Apsu’s death. Marduk becomes the commander of the war and used a net held by the winds on all sides (north, south, east and west) so Tiamat could not get through or escape. Once held captive, Marduk kills Tiamat, cutting his body in half, from one half he creates heaven and the other, earth. Babylon (the home of the gods) was created. Peace was restored and the gods wanted to create humans to sacrifice, Marduk creates man from the blood of Kingu. The gods build a shrine and temple to show appreciation and respect to Marduk in Babylon (Fiero B1 18). Learning about the different gods and religious concepts of ancient cultures gives future generations the opportunity to compare the foundations of their own beliefs, as well as mythology and cosmology of further early traditions.\r\n\r\nPreserving historical literature also assists future generations by supplying them with various works of art. This helps by being able to compare the characteristics of one body of work with another from the same era and/or topic, and to get a greater sense of what life was like and what was essential in their society.  Characteristics of the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> myth are comparable to other literary works of Mesopotamia. It is similar to the <em>Epic of Gilgamesh</em> with the clear fact that they both were narrative poems<em> </em>recited orally, possibly through song for generations before finally being recorded otherwise. They are both significant and innovative to this era because they are considered the originals of their type of work;<em> Enuma Elish </em>is the first cosmological creation myth whereas<em> Epic of Gilgamesh </em>is the “world’s first epic.” Furthermore, the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> and <em>Epic of Gilgamesh “</em>recounts the deeds of a hero in quest of meaning and identity”,both literary works also “embodies the ideals and values of the culture from which it comes” (Fiero B1 19). Even though <em>Epic of Gilgamesh </em>is currently the first epic, some believe that the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> isn’t truly a myth of how our world was created but also an epic in respects because it focuses on a hero, Murduk. The Crystallinks, a metaphysics and science website formulates the opinion that “This epic is […] centered on the supremacy of Marduk and the creation of mankind for the service of the gods. Its primary original purpose, however, is not an exposition of theology […], but the elevation of Marduk, the chief god of Babylon, above other Mesopotamian gods” (Crystal).\r\n\r\nThe <em>Babylonian creation</em> not only is innovative because it is one of the first creation myths but also because it influenced politics during its time as well. It is perceived that the hero/god of the poem, Marduk was revered as such so he could take his place as the head in the Babylonian Pantheon. According to Giovanni Pettinato, author of <em>Mesopotamian Religions: An Overview [Further Considerations]</em> the scribes “[…] chose to establish a father-son relationship between Enki (Ea) and Marduk […] their syllogistic reasoning is clear: if Enki the king is Marduk\'s father, then Marduk becomes the king. […] The text then goes on to describe the generation of the god Enki and his son Marduk, thus ensuring that Marduk is given a definite place in the Mesopotamian pantheon” (Pettinato 5965). The <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology </em>also states that “<em>Enuma Elish</em> had political as well as religious meaning for the Babylonians. By identifying the heroic creator god as Marduk of Babylon, the myth justified the city\'s dominance over the region” (355).\r\n\r\nFrom my research and comprehension the citizens of the Mesopotamian era believed this myth as truth, and they used it as part of their New Years celebration. However, some scholars today say that it was used as propaganda. Swedish scholar on ancient history of religion, Ola Wikander “states firmly that Enuma Elish is the work of one single writer, who saw Babylon as the natural center of the world, and wanted to express just that.  In addition to propagating Babylonian superiority, Wikander speculates that the text also intends to justify the turn from collective rule to absolute monarchy” (Stenudd). From another academic perspective, according to <em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em> in most scholarly groups “The poem is usually viewed as theological underpinning for the rise of an upstart city to become the seat of a mighty empire and for the elevation of its hitherto obscure god to the head of the pantheon in place of the Sumerian god Enlil” (269).\r\n\r\nPersonally I found this poem fascinating because I like to reflect on the different creationism/evolutionism ideals from other cultures and eras. The questions of “where did we come from?” and “why are we here?” are questions that all humans consider in their life time. It’s a curiosity that binds us in unity and yet, unfortunately, sometimes because of these beliefs cause hostilities.  I think it is important to educate ourselves and the next generations in our diversities. In doing so we are helping humanity by understanding and hopefully respecting, the uniqueness of various traditions and civilizations.\r\n\r\nBibliography\r\n\r\nBRINKMAN, J. A. \"Enuma Elish.\" <em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em>. 2nd ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 267-269. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 5 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nCystal, Ellie. \"Babylonian Creational Myths Enuma Elish - Crystalinks.\" <em>Crystalinks Home Page</em>. 1995-2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. &lt;http://www.crystalinks.com/enumaelish.html&gt;.\r\n\r\nEnuma Elish.\" <em>U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em>. Vol. 2. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 354-356. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. 6th. McGraw-Hill, 2011. B1.17-23 eBook. (Fiero B1. 17-23).\r\n\r\n\"Marduk.\" <em>U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em>. Vol. 4. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 668-670. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nPettinato, Giovanni. \"Mesopotamian Religions: An Overview [FurtherConsiderations].\" <em>Encyclopedia of Religion</em>. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 9. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 5963-5967. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nrymer-Kensky, Tikva, and Giovanni Pettinato. \"Enuma Elish.\" <em>Encyclopedia of Religion</em>. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 4. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 2809-2812. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nStenudd, Stefan. \"ENUMA ELISH - Babylonian Creation Myth - Theories.\" <em>Aikido, Art, Myth, Fiction, and More - by STEFAN STENUDD</em>. 2007. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. &lt;http://www.stenudd.com/myth/enumaelish/enumaelish-4.htm&gt;.','The Babylonian Creation','','inherit','open','open','','375-revision-10','','','2011-03-06 14:23:20','2011-03-06 20:23:20','',375,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=545',0,'revision','',0),(548,1,'2011-03-06 14:23:47','2011-03-06 20:23:47','The Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) is also known as the Old Testament and the Bible is a written recollection of the life of the Hebrews and their history that started in 2000 B.C.E in Sumer. At the beginning the story of the Hebrew people were transmitted just orally from one generation to another and later with the establishment of the first Hebrew State around 1000 B.C.E that history was recorded and became to be known as the Hebrew Bible as we know it today (Fiero).<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThe Hebrew Bible is divided into 3 main parts: first we have the Torah (laws), then the Prophets and finally the writings. Also it is important to mention that those three parts are subdivided into several parts. For example the Torah is compose of the first books of the Hebrew bible, which include the book of Genesis, exodus, Leviticus, numbers and Deuteronomy. These first part of the Hebrew bible or torah are the earliest forms of scriptures from the Hebrews and what is important to mention here is that these books are the results of the writings of many authors and represent years of editing between auditors work than end up with the format and the scriptures that we have today, so in other words many authors contribute to the Hebrew bible (CooK). The first five books of the bible (torah) represent a history of the creation of the world and the history of the Hebrew entry into Cannan. The second part of the Hebrew bible (prophets) is very interesting because the writing of this part of the Hebrew bible are attributed to the prophets themselves and these part of the bible has two sections ,the first are considered the former prophets and is  kind of a continuation of the torah and focus on the history of Israel and the different kingdoms at that time, the other section focus on what is called the classical prophets and this focus on prophets from the eight to fifth centuries B.C.E and the Babylonian exile period and one aspect that makes this section interesting is that they are very short writings compare to the ones from the former prophets section , the fact that these books were shorter facilitated their gathering and the consequently preservation. Also this part of the Hebrew bible is presented in a literary poetic way with few parts detailing the lives and activities of the prophets. The third part of the Hebrew bible (the writings) is basically a recollection of many literary genres that include Psalms (poetry), Lamentations, Proverbs (wisdom literature), historical books (Chronicles) and one of the most talk books of the Hebrew bible which is the book of Daniel that mixes prophecy, history and apocalypse (Hebrew Scriptures).\r\n\r\nThe origin of the Hebrew people can be traced to the time when their patriarch named Abraham is believed to have led them to settle in Cannan which is ancient Israel, Later the Hebrew people migrated to Egypt but because of many conflicts there they end up becoming slaves. Later in 1250 B.C.E a new patriarch named Moses led them to freedom and they settle in Sinai because the promised land of Cannan a occupied by tribes.\r\n\r\nThe Hebrew bible or old testament reflects the influence of some of the world most powerful empires and civilizations like the empires of Mesopotamia which include the Babylonians and the Assyrians, also the Persian, Greek and Roman empires because the Hebrew bible stories are not done in a specific time in history but instead are a continuous development of the history of the Hebrew people. Major events are what characterized and shape the scriptures of the Hebrew bible, the Egyptian empire had a stronghold of what is know as ancient Israel from 1450 to 1200 B.C.E. Later around 1000 B.C.E the land was ruled by different kings for almost a century and at the end there was a split of the monarchy causing the creation of different kingdoms in the land of Israel. These was a period that the Hebrew people were free from foreign control but it not lasted long because in 745 B.C.E the Assyrian empire which location corresponds to present day Iraq took control of the land of Israel and all of its kingdoms. The main kingdoms of Israel were the kingdom of Judah (south part of present day Israel) and the kingdom of Israel (North part of present day Israel), this led to the Babylonian exile around 586 B.C.E what characterized the Babylonian exile is that most of the people with power of Israel or the elite were deported to Babylon, many left to never set foot again in the land of Israel. But the influence and impact of foreign empires still presented a great impact in the land of Israel, later in time the Persian empire conquered the Babylonian empire and took control of the land of Israel but the main difference between the Persian empire and other empires in Israel was that the Persian empire help many of the exile Israelites to rebuild their temples and did not try to destroyed their culture as other empires did. Later in 333 B.C.E the land was conquered by Alexander the great which start a period of Hellenistic rule that lasted until 167 B.C.E. Later the Roman empire took the control of the land and changed the name of the territory to Palestine and the control of the territory was in the hands of many people that function as governors. Palestine became part of the Roman Empire and during this period is when Jesus lived and represents the formation of the early stages of the church and the spread of the church to many places. So the history of Israelites has been profoundly influence by some of the most powerful empires in the world and it is important to mention and emphasized here that many of the Hebrew bible books were written during periods were Israelites were under the control of other empires like the ones mention above and the effect that those empires had on the lives and development of the Hebrew writings can not be deny. (Carr )\r\n\r\nIt is important to mention that there are some stylistic similarities between the writings and the text of the Babylonian empire and Persian empire and Hebrew bible text and the main reason for that is that the Persian and the Babylonian empires at one point had an stronghold on the land of Israel and as a result of that they influence the way Israelites saw life and the way Israelites saw foreigners. For example: the Book (Fiero ) talks about the Babylonian story of the Epic of Gilmamesh and that could be compare to the Hebrew story of genesis. These two stories have many points in common like the big flood that ended up killing many people and also the creation of an ark that was ordered by God to one man with the specific instructions to save a wide variety of animal species. After reading both stories the similarities are so striking that it is hard for many people not to compare and relate both stories which had led many scholars to debate whether one is a copy of the other. Another aspect that had a profound impact in the land of Israel was what people considered the important relationship between God and Israel, for example the people of Israel like any other type of civilization had a huge dependency on water but the main problem was that in other places like in Babylonia or Egypt people could depend on rivers like the Nile or the Tigris river for water, but that was not possible in Israel, so the people of Israel had a huge dependency on rain and excessive periods of no rain were seen as punishment from God for not behaving according to God rules. (Lupovitch). According to experts the Hebrew bible is a combination of myth, history and stories and although some historical information is more difficult to confirm because of the scarcity of written records there is still evidence that talks about how live was in the ancient near east. In regards to education and how Israelites use to educate their youth in order to preserve their culture and move it forward, in the near east the major role that education have was to promote the religious belief of the community and promote respect for the values of the community, also the main tools use to educate people were two things: oral tradition and later written work. In places like Mesopotamia the main source of education was the home were the parents or other clan people was in charge of the education of kids, at the beginning because of the lack of scripture people rely on oral tradition and teaching but later with the advent of the scripture a system evolve that include specialized institutions for teaching which in ancient times involved places like temples and palaces, these characteristics were similar between the Hebrews and other civilizations like the Egyptians and Mesopotamia. But still there were differences between the way the Hebrew educate their people and the way other near east civilizations did it, for example, the Hebrew idea of personal freedom of both man and women and also the idea that people have responsibility with God and also with other people play key a key role in the way Hebrews were educated and these ideas were not common in other civilizations (Elwell).\r\n\r\nThe impact that the Hebrew bible has on today’s life is characterized by the using of its teachings by many societies today, for example, there are similarities with stories of the Hebrew bible and events that had occurred at present time like similarities between the struggle of the Hebrew people against the Pharaohs and United States history that talks about the struggles of the US early colonist with the English empire. Also during the period of United States independence was common to hear biblical citations that talk about the fight against the tyranny, many speeches at this time of struggle in the US were charged with biblical motifs and messages, for example, in the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence which is one of the main documents of the United States that states that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by the creator with certain unalienable rights which basically shows some influence of Hebrew ideas( Spiro). It is important to mention that the Hebrew Bible is the base of what is considered the New Testament or Bible, which is the holy book of Christianity, so in other words both Christianity and Judaism share a common base. Another aspect in which the Hebrew bible has a profound impact in the world is in practices conducted by businesses today, the torah has a great impact on marketing and business practices, According to Hershey H. Friedman who is a professor of Business and marketing in new York the torah has around 613 precepts and many of them talk about how to conduct business practices, also he mentions that the torah talks about being honest in the marketplace, for example, by prohibiting the merchants and traders of falsifying products or lying about certain characteristics of their products like the measures or weights of products. Another aspect that the torah influence is the idea of providing a fair price for products especially for products that have to so with essential necessities but one important characteristic here is that the torah also try to protect the seller by mentioning that the buyers should not take advantage of the ignorance of seller like in the cases were a seller may not know the right price for a product. Other topics cover in the torah include relationship between employees and employers, mainly the torah talks about not taking advantage of employees by paying fairly wages for their work and by not deceiving people. Also the torah talks about a hot topic today which is social responsibility, for example, the torah mentions that landowners should feel the obligation to help the poor and focus on the welfare of others which is mentioned 36 times in the torah and also the torah mentions people from different places, ethnics, or religious beliefs should be treated fairly. Another hot topic today is covered by the torah which is the responsibility that people have with the environment by prohibiting the excessive consumption that lead to waste of things and that land should be given rest in order to avoid excessive destruction of the land. Also another important way that the Hebrew bible influence life today is because the Psalms of the Hebrew bible mention certain characteristics that individuals should have like integrity, truthful, ethical, honest\r\n\r\n( Friedman ).\r\n\r\nIn my opinion the Hebrew bible is a text that represents a wide variety of literary genres and I think that the Bible is more than just a Religious book that has influence many religions and civilizations all over the world. The Hebrew bible is full of interesting stories and poetry. The stories in the Hebrew bible present a degree of complexity, irony, and imagination. In that sense I think that the Hebrew bible should be consider important for its contribution to religion but also for its contribution to literature. Stories in the bible present unique scenarios that could be compare to present day novels because of their complexity. Also I think it is important to differentiate the difference in the writing style of the Hebrew bible and other work of its time like Homer’s Odyssey mainly because there is difference between the way stories are tell in both work. For example, in the Odyssey Homer put emphasis and depth when describing the places, characters and how places are described, but in the case of the Hebrew bible there is less detailed description of things compared to the Odyssey, so in a way the Hebrew bible allow the reader to imagine or use its own mind in determining those characteristics that are omitted in the stories. This literary characteristic is what gives the Hebrew bible one important characteristic, which is that it allows the different interpretation of its narrative because the readers could fill the gaps that are left out of the text and usually different readers will provide different points of view to different topics. The way I see it is that through the years people that have read the Hebrew bible had put their own personal characteristics and experiences into what they read and that provides many different perspectives to the same stories.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Works Cited</strong>\r\n\r\n-        Elwell, Walter A. “Entry for Education in Bible times”. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. 1997\r\n\r\n-        Spiro, Ken . America and Jewish values. The Jewish impact on Civilization. 2002\r\n\r\nJewhttp://www.simpletoremember.com/articles/all/c/jewish-history/\r\n\r\n-        Friedman, Hershey H. “The impact of Jewish values on marketing and business practices”. Journal of Macromarketing Vol.21. June 2001\r\n\r\n-        Fiero, Gloria K. “The Humanistic Tradition”. 6<sup>th</sup> edition . McGraw-Hill 2011\r\n\r\n-        Cook, James Wyatt. “Hebrew Bible”. Encyclopedia of Ancient Literature. New York 2008\r\n\r\n-        Hebrew Scriptures. Encyclopedia of Judaism. The Jerusalem Publishing House. 2002\r\n\r\n-        Carr, David M. “An introduction to the Old Testament: Sacred texts and imperial contexts of the Hebrew bible”. Chichester: John Wiley &amp;Sons 2010.\r\n\r\n-        Lupovitch, Howard N. “Jews and Judaism in World history”. Themes in world history. Hoboken: Taylor &amp; Francis , 2009.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The Hebrew Bible (TCP 1)','','inherit','open','open','','539-revision-3','','','2011-03-06 14:23:47','2011-03-06 20:23:47','',539,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=548',0,'revision','',0),(546,1,'2011-03-06 14:25:03','2011-03-06 20:25:03','<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/enumaelish1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-460\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/enumaelish1-300x208.jpg\" alt=\"Enuma Elish\" width=\"300\" height=\"208\" align=\"center\"/></a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">http://www.crystalinks.com/enumaelish.html</p>\r\nThe <em>Babylonian Creation</em> is a Sumerian poem, traced back to the early second millennium b.c.e. It is the first cosmological creation myth; it describes the birth of the Babylonian gods and the progression of creation. According to our textbook <em>The Humanistic Tradition </em>it was “[R]ecited during the festival of the New Year,[…] [I]t describes a universe that originated by means of spontaneous generation: at a moment when there was neither heaven nor earth, the sweet and bitter waters “mingled” to produce the first family of gods” (Fiero B1 17). <!--more-->Around 1700 BCE, the time of the Babylonian King Hammurabi, the poem was inscribed on seven clay tablets and is known as <em>Enuma Elish</em>. The <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em> explains that “Its title, meaning “when on high,” comes from the first line of the epic, which begins: “When on high the heaven had not been named/Firm ground below had not been called by name” (354). The main theme of this poem is creation but it also describes the ascending power of the myth’s hero and deity Marduk. <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology </em>writes that “Marduk represents the supreme power of the gods over humans. According to myth, he created humans for the sole purpose of doing labor for the gods, […] Marduk also represents youth and strength, which overcome the army of the older gods and Tiamat” (669). The <em>Babylonian Creation </em>is an imperative literary poem to include in our time capsule because it is vital for future generations to be educated and understand the origins of the Mesopotamian era. This is important because the Babylonian civilization was one of the first societies to set roots and help evolve humanity.\r\n\r\nFrom reading excepts of the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> Myth in <em>The Humanistic Tradition </em>and an overview from the<em> </em><em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em>, my summary of <em>Enuma Elish </em>is as follows: before there was heaven and earth, light, names for anything, etc., there was Apsu (fresh water) and Tiamat (salt water). They created the gods, Lahmu and Lahamu (male and female primordial beings) and Anshar and Kishar (horizon of the sky, male and horizon of the earth, female) in their waters to bring order to the world. From them, Anu (god of the sky) and Ea (god of wisdom) were born. The divine beings Anu and Ea were very powerful and chaos broke out between the gods. “Ea kills Apsu; Marduk is born and Tiamat spawns serpents and monsters (the leader of the monsters being Kingu) to make war on the gods.” to avenge Apsu’s death. Marduk becomes the commander of the war and used a net held by the winds on all sides (north, south, east and west) so Tiamat could not get through or escape. Once held captive, Marduk kills Tiamat, cutting his body in half, from one half he creates heaven and the other, earth. Babylon (the home of the gods) was created. Peace was restored and the gods wanted to create humans to sacrifice, Marduk creates man from the blood of Kingu. The gods build a shrine and temple to show appreciation and respect to Marduk in Babylon (Fiero B1 18). Learning about the different gods and religious concepts of ancient cultures gives future generations the opportunity to compare the foundations of their own beliefs, as well as mythology and cosmology of further early traditions.\r\n\r\nPreserving historical literature also assists future generations by supplying them with various works of art. This helps by being able to compare the characteristics of one body of work with another from the same era and/or topic, and to get a greater sense of what life was like and what was essential in their society.  Characteristics of the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> myth are comparable to other literary works of Mesopotamia. It is similar to the <em>Epic of Gilgamesh</em> with the clear fact that they both were narrative poems<em> </em>recited orally, possibly through song for generations before finally being recorded otherwise. They are both significant and innovative to this era because they are considered the originals of their type of work;<em> Enuma Elish </em>is the first cosmological creation myth whereas<em> Epic of Gilgamesh </em>is the “world’s first epic.” Furthermore, the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> and <em>Epic of Gilgamesh “</em>recounts the deeds of a hero in quest of meaning and identity”,both literary works also “embodies the ideals and values of the culture from which it comes” (Fiero B1 19). Even though <em>Epic of Gilgamesh </em>is currently the first epic, some believe that the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> isn’t truly a myth of how our world was created but also an epic in respects because it focuses on a hero, Murduk. The Crystallinks, a metaphysics and science website formulates the opinion that “This epic is […] centered on the supremacy of Marduk and the creation of mankind for the service of the gods. Its primary original purpose, however, is not an exposition of theology […], but the elevation of Marduk, the chief god of Babylon, above other Mesopotamian gods” (Crystal).\r\n\r\nThe <em>Babylonian creation</em> not only is innovative because it is one of the first creation myths but also because it influenced politics during its time as well. It is perceived that the hero/god of the poem, Marduk was revered as such so he could take his place as the head in the Babylonian Pantheon. According to Giovanni Pettinato, author of <em>Mesopotamian Religions: An Overview [Further Considerations]</em> the scribes “[…] chose to establish a father-son relationship between Enki (Ea) and Marduk […] their syllogistic reasoning is clear: if Enki the king is Marduk\'s father, then Marduk becomes the king. […] The text then goes on to describe the generation of the god Enki and his son Marduk, thus ensuring that Marduk is given a definite place in the Mesopotamian pantheon” (Pettinato 5965). The <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology </em>also states that “<em>Enuma Elish</em> had political as well as religious meaning for the Babylonians. By identifying the heroic creator god as Marduk of Babylon, the myth justified the city\'s dominance over the region” (355).\r\n\r\nFrom my research and comprehension the citizens of the Mesopotamian era believed this myth as truth, and they used it as part of their New Years celebration. However, some scholars today say that it was used as propaganda. Swedish scholar on ancient history of religion, Ola Wikander “states firmly that Enuma Elish is the work of one single writer, who saw Babylon as the natural center of the world, and wanted to express just that.  In addition to propagating Babylonian superiority, Wikander speculates that the text also intends to justify the turn from collective rule to absolute monarchy” (Stenudd). From another academic perspective, according to <em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em> in most scholarly groups “The poem is usually viewed as theological underpinning for the rise of an upstart city to become the seat of a mighty empire and for the elevation of its hitherto obscure god to the head of the pantheon in place of the Sumerian god Enlil” (269).\r\n\r\nPersonally I found this poem fascinating because I like to reflect on the different creationism/evolutionism ideals from other cultures and eras. The questions of “where did we come from?” and “why are we here?” are questions that all humans consider in their life time. It’s a curiosity that binds us in unity and yet, unfortunately, sometimes because of these beliefs cause hostilities.  I think it is important to educate ourselves and the next generations in our diversities. In doing so we are helping humanity by understanding and hopefully respecting, the uniqueness of various traditions and civilizations.\r\n\r\nBibliography\r\n\r\nBRINKMAN, J. A. \"Enuma Elish.\" <em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em>. 2nd ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 267-269. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 5 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nCystal, Ellie. \"Babylonian Creational Myths Enuma Elish - Crystalinks.\" <em>Crystalinks Home Page</em>. 1995-2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. &lt;http://www.crystalinks.com/enumaelish.html&gt;.\r\n\r\nEnuma Elish.\" <em>U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em>. Vol. 2. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 354-356. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. 6th. McGraw-Hill, 2011. B1.17-23 eBook. (Fiero B1. 17-23).\r\n\r\n\"Marduk.\" <em>U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em>. Vol. 4. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 668-670. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nPettinato, Giovanni. \"Mesopotamian Religions: An Overview [FurtherConsiderations].\" <em>Encyclopedia of Religion</em>. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 9. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 5963-5967. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nrymer-Kensky, Tikva, and Giovanni Pettinato. \"Enuma Elish.\" <em>Encyclopedia of Religion</em>. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 4. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 2809-2812. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nStenudd, Stefan. \"ENUMA ELISH - Babylonian Creation Myth - Theories.\" <em>Aikido, Art, Myth, Fiction, and More - by STEFAN STENUDD</em>. 2007. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. &lt;http://www.stenudd.com/myth/enumaelish/enumaelish-4.htm&gt;.','The Babylonian Creation','','inherit','open','open','','375-revision-11','','','2011-03-06 14:25:03','2011-03-06 20:25:03','',375,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=546',0,'revision','',0),(547,1,'2011-03-06 14:25:20','2011-03-06 20:25:20','<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/enumaelish1.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-460\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/enumaelish1-300x208.jpg\" alt=\"Enuma Elish\" width=\"300\" height=\"208\" align=\"center\" /></a></p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">http://www.crystalinks.com/enumaelish.html</p>\r\nThe <em>Babylonian Creation</em> is a Sumerian poem, traced back to the early second millennium b.c.e. It is the first cosmological creation myth; it describes the birth of the Babylonian gods and the progression of creation. According to our textbook <em>The Humanistic Tradition </em>it was “[R]ecited during the festival of the New Year,[…] [I]t describes a universe that originated by means of spontaneous generation: at a moment when there was neither heaven nor earth, the sweet and bitter waters “mingled” to produce the first family of gods” (Fiero B1 17). <!--more-->Around 1700 BCE, the time of the Babylonian King Hammurabi, the poem was inscribed on seven clay tablets and is known as <em>Enuma Elish</em>. The <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em> explains that “Its title, meaning “when on high,” comes from the first line of the epic, which begins: “When on high the heaven had not been named/Firm ground below had not been called by name” (354). The main theme of this poem is creation but it also describes the ascending power of the myth’s hero and deity Marduk. <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology </em>writes that “Marduk represents the supreme power of the gods over humans. According to myth, he created humans for the sole purpose of doing labor for the gods, […] Marduk also represents youth and strength, which overcome the army of the older gods and Tiamat” (669). The <em>Babylonian Creation </em>is an imperative literary poem to include in our time capsule because it is vital for future generations to be educated and understand the origins of the Mesopotamian era. This is important because the Babylonian civilization was one of the first societies to set roots and help evolve humanity.\r\n\r\nFrom reading excepts of the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> Myth in <em>The Humanistic Tradition </em>and an overview from the<em> </em><em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em>, my summary of <em>Enuma Elish </em>is as follows: before there was heaven and earth, light, names for anything, etc., there was Apsu (fresh water) and Tiamat (salt water). They created the gods, Lahmu and Lahamu (male and female primordial beings) and Anshar and Kishar (horizon of the sky, male and horizon of the earth, female) in their waters to bring order to the world. From them, Anu (god of the sky) and Ea (god of wisdom) were born. The divine beings Anu and Ea were very powerful and chaos broke out between the gods. “Ea kills Apsu; Marduk is born and Tiamat spawns serpents and monsters (the leader of the monsters being Kingu) to make war on the gods.” to avenge Apsu’s death. Marduk becomes the commander of the war and used a net held by the winds on all sides (north, south, east and west) so Tiamat could not get through or escape. Once held captive, Marduk kills Tiamat, cutting his body in half, from one half he creates heaven and the other, earth. Babylon (the home of the gods) was created. Peace was restored and the gods wanted to create humans to sacrifice, Marduk creates man from the blood of Kingu. The gods build a shrine and temple to show appreciation and respect to Marduk in Babylon (Fiero B1 18). Learning about the different gods and religious concepts of ancient cultures gives future generations the opportunity to compare the foundations of their own beliefs, as well as mythology and cosmology of further early traditions.\r\n\r\nPreserving historical literature also assists future generations by supplying them with various works of art. This helps by being able to compare the characteristics of one body of work with another from the same era and/or topic, and to get a greater sense of what life was like and what was essential in their society.  Characteristics of the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> myth are comparable to other literary works of Mesopotamia. It is similar to the <em>Epic of Gilgamesh</em> with the clear fact that they both were narrative poems<em> </em>recited orally, possibly through song for generations before finally being recorded otherwise. They are both significant and innovative to this era because they are considered the originals of their type of work;<em> Enuma Elish </em>is the first cosmological creation myth whereas<em> Epic of Gilgamesh </em>is the “world’s first epic.” Furthermore, the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> and <em>Epic of Gilgamesh “</em>recounts the deeds of a hero in quest of meaning and identity”,both literary works also “embodies the ideals and values of the culture from which it comes” (Fiero B1 19). Even though <em>Epic of Gilgamesh </em>is currently the first epic, some believe that the <em>Babylonian Creation</em> isn’t truly a myth of how our world was created but also an epic in respects because it focuses on a hero, Murduk. The Crystallinks, a metaphysics and science website formulates the opinion that “This epic is […] centered on the supremacy of Marduk and the creation of mankind for the service of the gods. Its primary original purpose, however, is not an exposition of theology […], but the elevation of Marduk, the chief god of Babylon, above other Mesopotamian gods” (Crystal).\r\n\r\nThe <em>Babylonian creation</em> not only is innovative because it is one of the first creation myths but also because it influenced politics during its time as well. It is perceived that the hero/god of the poem, Marduk was revered as such so he could take his place as the head in the Babylonian Pantheon. According to Giovanni Pettinato, author of <em>Mesopotamian Religions: An Overview [Further Considerations]</em> the scribes “[…] chose to establish a father-son relationship between Enki (Ea) and Marduk […] their syllogistic reasoning is clear: if Enki the king is Marduk\'s father, then Marduk becomes the king. […] The text then goes on to describe the generation of the god Enki and his son Marduk, thus ensuring that Marduk is given a definite place in the Mesopotamian pantheon” (Pettinato 5965). The <em>Encyclopedia of World Mythology </em>also states that “<em>Enuma Elish</em> had political as well as religious meaning for the Babylonians. By identifying the heroic creator god as Marduk of Babylon, the myth justified the city\'s dominance over the region” (355).\r\n\r\nFrom my research and comprehension the citizens of the Mesopotamian era believed this myth as truth, and they used it as part of their New Years celebration. However, some scholars today say that it was used as propaganda. Swedish scholar on ancient history of religion, Ola Wikander “states firmly that Enuma Elish is the work of one single writer, who saw Babylon as the natural center of the world, and wanted to express just that.  In addition to propagating Babylonian superiority, Wikander speculates that the text also intends to justify the turn from collective rule to absolute monarchy” (Stenudd). From another academic perspective, according to <em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em> in most scholarly groups “The poem is usually viewed as theological underpinning for the rise of an upstart city to become the seat of a mighty empire and for the elevation of its hitherto obscure god to the head of the pantheon in place of the Sumerian god Enlil” (269).\r\n\r\nPersonally I found this poem fascinating because I like to reflect on the different creationism/evolutionism ideals from other cultures and eras. The questions of “where did we come from?” and “why are we here?” are questions that all humans consider in their life time. It’s a curiosity that binds us in unity and yet, unfortunately, sometimes because of these beliefs cause hostilities.  I think it is important to educate ourselves and the next generations in our diversities. In doing so we are helping humanity by understanding and hopefully respecting, the uniqueness of various traditions and civilizations.\r\n\r\nBibliography\r\n\r\nBRINKMAN, J. A. \"Enuma Elish.\" <em>New Catholic Encyclopedia</em>. 2nd ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 267-269. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 5 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nCystal, Ellie. \"Babylonian Creational Myths Enuma Elish - Crystalinks.\" <em>Crystalinks Home Page</em>. 1995-2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. &lt;http://www.crystalinks.com/enumaelish.html&gt;.\r\n\r\nEnuma Elish.\" <em>U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em>. Vol. 2. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 354-356. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. 6th. McGraw-Hill, 2011. B1.17-23 eBook. (Fiero B1. 17-23).\r\n\r\n\"Marduk.\" <em>U*X*L Encyclopedia of World Mythology</em>. Vol. 4. Detroit: UXL, 2009. 668-670. <em>Gale World History In Context</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nPettinato, Giovanni. \"Mesopotamian Religions: An Overview [FurtherConsiderations].\" <em>Encyclopedia of Religion</em>. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 9. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 5963-5967. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nrymer-Kensky, Tikva, and Giovanni Pettinato. \"Enuma Elish.\" <em>Encyclopedia of Religion</em>. Ed. Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 4. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. 2809-2812. <em>Gale Virtual Reference Library</em>. Web. 16 Feb. 2011.\r\n\r\nStenudd, Stefan. \"ENUMA ELISH - Babylonian Creation Myth - Theories.\" <em>Aikido, Art, Myth, Fiction, and More - by STEFAN STENUDD</em>. 2007. Web. 21 Feb. 2011. &lt;http://www.stenudd.com/myth/enumaelish/enumaelish-4.htm&gt;.','The Babylonian Creation','','inherit','open','open','','375-revision-12','','','2011-03-06 14:25:20','2011-03-06 20:25:20','',375,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=547',0,'revision','',0),(550,18,'2011-02-28 15:18:01','2011-02-28 21:18:01','<em>“The excellence of Aristophanes has never been questioned. Critics have argued about this or that detail in his work; but there has never been any doubt that he is a dramatist of the front rank, a comic artist of the highest order. His plays have survived not by accident or by the light they shed on other matters, but for their intrinsic quality. They are a unique, and uniquely important, part of the heritage of Western literature; they offer the reader or spectator an engrossing, enriching experience”</em> (McLeish, Kenneth. <em>The Theatre of Aristophanes</em>. 2nd ed. Great Britain: Taplinger Publishing, 1980. 13. Print.). <!--more--><strong> </strong>\r\n\r\n<strong>Lysistrata</strong>\r\n\r\nLysistrata (411 B.C.) is a Greek comedy by Aristophanes.   Aristophanes uses the comedy of Lysistrata to reveal “his inventive wit, sharply directed against Athenian politics and current affairs” (Fiero, Gloria. <em>The Humanistic Tradition</em>. Vol. 1. N.p.: McGraw Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. Web.).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe plot of Lysistrata is structured on the discontent of the women of Athens.  They have been neglected by their husbands who are constantly at war.  Lysistrata calls upon the women of Greece to unite. Her plan is twofold.  First they must forbid their husbands of sexual pleasure until they reach an agreement of peace.  The women are at first appalled by such a proposal and begin to leave in protest. The second part of Lysistrata’s plan requires the older women of Athens to seize the Acropolis and establish control of the city’s money.  Lysistrata explains “If Eros of the sweet soul and Cyprian Aphrodite imbue our thighs and breasts with desire, and infect the men with sensuous rigidity and club-cock, Then I believe that all Greece will one day call us Disbanders of Battles (Henderson, Jeffrey. <em>3 Plays by Aristophanes: Staging Women</em>. 2ndnd ed. New York: Routledge, 2010. 64. Print). With persuasion the women vow an oath of loyalty to the plan.  The plan proves fruitful and the sexual weakness of man brings the end of war.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLysistrata is definitely a work that has survived the ages and it’s preservation for future generations should be recognized and protected.  Its themes are universal and applicable to a wide audience.  Its plot has been applied to current time by women of different cultures.  Right now in 2011, there is a sex strike in Belgium to implement a faster founding of their government. In 2009 thousands of Kenyan women withheld sex “to try to protest their country\'s bickering leadership, which they say threatens to revive the bloody chaos that convulsed the African country last year” (Odula, Tom. \"Kenyan women, tired of fighting, vow sex strike.\" <em>The Huffington Post</em>. N.p., 29 Apr. 2009. Web. 27 Feb. 2011. <a href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html\">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/kenyan-women-tired-of-fig_n_192909.html</a>). In 2008, hundreds of women in Neapolitan tried to convince their husbands from playing with dangerous, illegal fireworks by refusing to perform their domestic duties.  Authorities in Neapolitan supported the cause by sending “out text messages urging the men to ‘make love, not explosions’ (\"Naples Sex Strike over Fireworks.\" <em>BBC News</em>. BBC, 31 Dec. 2008. Web.17 Feb. 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7806367.stm).   Most likely history will continue to repeat itself and future women will have to take peace into their hands and hypnotize their men with out of reach pleasures. Lysistrata must be preserved to tell the original tale of women bringing peace to a battle zone.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe historical context that Lysistrata was written in is reflected politically in the play itself. “Athens and Sparta and their respective allies had been at war for twenty years, since 431. A peace, negotiated in 421, ended when the Athenians undertook an expedition to Sicily in 415. There they suffered a major defeat in 413, and the Spartans took possession of the town of Deceleia, on the northern boundary of Athens\' territory, less than ten miles from Athens itself, from which they freely raided the agricultural land of Athens. Some of Athens\' allies, whose loyalties were maintained with threats, had begun to revolt. The <em>Lysistrata</em> was performed in the midst of these grim circumstances and alludes directly to them” (Hook, Brian S. <em>The Tragic Comedy of Sex in Aristophanes\' Lysistrata and Plato\'s Symposium</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. In Bloom, Harold, Ed. Human Sexuality, Bloom\'s Literary Themes. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe women of Lysistrata banded together and created a power that would not have been feasible in ancient Athens. Off the stage women were seldom a visible member of the city. Women were expected to stay home and tend to household obligations. Women were not to be identified by name in public unless necessary, let alone seen in public. They were not allowed to participate in politics, let alone discuss them. The men of Lysistrata were also a bit fantastical, as the audience is asked to dismiss the fact that men had many opportunities for sex and that this was an accepted part of Athens society.  Men could easily seek and demand sex with slaves, younger men, mistresses, or even with one another. Instead we are to believe that sex is reserved for husbands and wives in Athens.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLysistrata was typical of its time because it is one of the only surviving works of Old Comedy and its author was the sole creator of most these works. The comedies of Aristophanes provide almost an exclusive representation of Greek comedy.  Aristophanes’ comedies are political in nature, take place in the center of the city, and tackle current issues; Lysistrata abides by this description.  Furthermore the political background of these comedies is focused on the Peloponnesian war, which at the time of Lysistratas premiere had been going on for twenty years.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n“In <em>Lysistrata</em>, Aristophanes created a play that contains material that has provoked the ire of censors in different time periods. In the playwright\'s time the political implications of the play drew greater negative attention than the sexual situations and innuendo”(Sova, Dawn B. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2004. Banned Plays: Censorship History of 125 Stage Dramas. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).   Kleon, an Athenian politician, had Aristophanes brought to court because he did not appreciate Aristophanes mockery of the government and himself.  Aristophanes avoided serious punishment due his great public popularity.\r\n\r\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"> </span>\r\n\r\n“<em>Lysistrata</em> is Aristophanes\' most popular play with modern audiences, and its appeal is easily understood from the universality of its sexual content” (Thorburn, Jr., John E. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).  Sex in Athens in 411 BCE was an accepted and celebrated aspect of society.  Sex was nowhere near as taboo then as it is today; it was an excepted and expected part of society. The play has been censored over the years, either politically or sexually. There are many versions and interpretations of the play.  Several interpreters have chosen to leave out some of the explicit nature dialogue of the play and or the extreme phallic leather pieces to be worn by the Athenian men.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAt first I was excited about the material of the play and the unusual ownership of power by women in this play.  The heroine’s name, Lysistrata, literally means disbander of wars. She rises against society’s assigned role of a woman and delegates an army of lower class citizens to take charge of the political scene. Once I read past the feminist allure of the plot I realized that the only way such an outcome would have been accepted in Greece is as a fantastical comedy.  “However possible such a \"sex strike\" and occupation of the Acropolis as depicted in the fictional <em>Lysistrata</em> may be now, they most certainly were not then” (Hook, Brian S <em>The Tragic Comedy of Sex in Aristophanes\' Lysistrata and Plato\'s Symposium</em>. New York: Chelsea House, 2009. In Bloom, Harold, Ed. Human Sexuality, Bloom\'s Literary Themes. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011). It is important to know that “Aristophanes uses a female-controlled government and a peace treaty engineered by women to show the foolishness and stubbornness of the men in his society, rather than highlight the plight of women in his society” (Thorburn, Jr., John E. <em>Lysistrata</em>. New York: Facts on File, 2005. Facts on File Companion to Classical Drama. <em>Bloom\'s Literary Reference Online</em>. Web. 20 Feb. 2011).\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe pressing themes of Lysistrata will be ever pressing to generations to come. The carnal urges of sex and war will always be present, as will the power of money. Domestic affairs will continue to somehow be in the center of many issues and the power of physical love will prevail triumphant in both men and women.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Lysistrata','','inherit','open','open','','521-revision-5','','','2011-02-28 15:18:01','2011-02-28 21:18:01','',521,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=550',0,'revision','',0),(554,25,'2011-03-09 13:16:18','2011-03-09 19:16:18','While strolling through Paris, France, one may be looking up in awe at the beauty of the cathedral of Notre Dame but from above, multiple pairs of eyes look down on them. The eyes belong to stone structures of different beast and creatures known as gargoyles.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','The Gargoyles of Notre Dame ','','inherit','open','open','','552-revision','','','2011-03-09 13:16:18','2011-03-09 19:16:18','',552,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=554',0,'revision','',0),(555,25,'2011-03-09 13:16:40','2011-03-09 19:16:40','While strolling through Paris, France, one may be looking up in awe at the beauty of the cathedral of Notre Dame but from above, multiple pairs of eyes look down on them. The eyes belong to stone structures of different beast and creatures known as gargoyles.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','The Gargoyles of Notre Dame ','','inherit','open','open','','552-revision-2','','','2011-03-09 13:16:40','2011-03-09 19:16:40','',552,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=555',0,'revision','',0),(556,5,'2011-03-09 14:24:19','2011-03-09 20:24:19','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\r\n\r\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\r\n\r\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\r\nImage 1\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"295\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource: Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011): N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\r\n\r\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\r\n\r\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\r\n\r\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\r\n\r\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\r\n\r\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\r\n\r\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\r\n\r\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\r\n\r\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilica\'s role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\r\n\r\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St. Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\r\n\r\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\r\n\r\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\r\n\r\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\r\n\r\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\r\n\r\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\r\n\r\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','publish','open','open','','st-pauls-outside-the-walls','','','2011-03-12 15:19:03','2011-03-12 21:19:03','',0,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=556',0,'post','',7),(557,5,'2011-03-09 13:23:01','2011-03-09 19:23:01','','Auto Draft','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision','','','2011-03-09 13:23:01','2011-03-09 19:23:01','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=557',0,'revision','',0),(566,5,'2011-03-09 14:14:14','2011-03-09 20:14:14','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\r\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\r\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\r\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\r\nImage 1\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\r\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\r\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\r\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\r\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\r\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\r\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\r\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\r\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\r\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\r\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\r\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\r\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\r\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\r\n\r\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\r\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\r\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\r\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\r\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\r\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-6','','','2011-03-09 14:14:14','2011-03-09 20:14:14','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=566',0,'revision','',0),(559,5,'2011-03-09 14:07:58','2011-03-09 20:07:58','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\nImage 1<img src=\"/Users/ncatuser/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png\" alt=\"\" />\n\n&nbsp;\n\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\n\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-2','','','2011-03-09 14:07:58','2011-03-09 20:07:58','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=559',0,'revision','',0),(561,5,'2011-03-09 14:11:30','2011-03-09 20:11:30','','Diagram','','inherit','open','open','','diagram','','','2011-03-09 14:11:30','2011-03-09 20:11:30','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(562,5,'2011-03-09 14:08:58','2011-03-09 20:08:58','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\nImage 1<img src=\"/Users/ncatuser/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-2.png\" alt=\"\" /><img src=\"/Users/ncatuser/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png\" alt=\"\" />\n\n&nbsp;\n\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\n\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-3','','','2011-03-09 14:08:58','2011-03-09 20:08:58','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=562',0,'revision','',0),(565,5,'2011-03-09 14:14:44','2011-03-09 20:14:44','','Diagram','','inherit','open','open','','diagram-2','','','2011-03-09 14:14:44','2011-03-09 20:14:44','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(563,5,'2011-03-09 14:12:04','2011-03-09 20:12:04','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\r\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\r\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\r\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\r\nImage 1<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-561\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram-300x140.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"140\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\r\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\r\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\r\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\r\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\r\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\r\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\r\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\r\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\r\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\r\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\r\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\r\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\r\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\r\n\r\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\r\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\r\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\r\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\r\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\r\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-4','','','2011-03-09 14:12:04','2011-03-09 20:12:04','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=563',0,'revision','',0),(564,5,'2011-03-09 14:13:58','2011-03-09 20:13:58','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\r\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\r\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\r\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\r\nImage 1<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-561\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram-300x140.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"156\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\r\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\r\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\r\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\r\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\r\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\r\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\r\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\r\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\r\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\r\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\r\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\r\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\r\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\r\n\r\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\r\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\r\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\r\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\r\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\r\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-5','','','2011-03-09 14:13:58','2011-03-09 20:13:58','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=564',0,'revision','',0),(567,5,'2011-03-09 14:15:13','2011-03-09 20:15:13','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\r\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\r\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\r\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\r\nImage 1<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"295\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\r\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\r\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\r\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\r\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\r\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\r\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\r\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\r\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\r\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\r\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\r\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\r\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\r\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\r\n\r\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\r\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\r\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\r\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\r\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\r\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-7','','','2011-03-09 14:15:13','2011-03-09 20:15:13','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=567',0,'revision','',0),(568,5,'2011-03-09 14:16:43','2011-03-09 20:16:43','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\n\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\n\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\nImage 1<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"295\" /></a>\n\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\n\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\n\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\n\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\n\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\n\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\n\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\n\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\n\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\n\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\n\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-8','','','2011-03-09 14:16:43','2011-03-09 20:16:43','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=568',0,'revision','',0),(569,5,'2011-03-09 14:17:07','2011-03-09 20:17:07','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\r\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\r\n\r\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\r\nImage 1<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"295\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\r\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\r\n\r\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\r\n\r\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\r\n\r\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\r\n\r\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\r\n\r\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\r\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\r\n\r\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\r\n\r\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\r\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\r\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\r\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\r\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\r\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-9','','','2011-03-09 14:17:07','2011-03-09 20:17:07','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=569',0,'revision','',0),(570,5,'2011-03-09 14:17:58','2011-03-09 20:17:58','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\r\n\r\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\r\n\r\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\r\nImage 1<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"295\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\r\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\r\n\r\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\r\n\r\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\r\n\r\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\r\n\r\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\r\n\r\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\r\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\r\n\r\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\r\n\r\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\r\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\r\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\r\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\r\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\r\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-10','','','2011-03-09 14:17:58','2011-03-09 20:17:58','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=570',0,'revision','',0),(571,5,'2011-03-09 14:18:03','2011-03-09 20:18:03','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\r\n\r\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\r\n\r\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\r\nImage 1<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"295\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\r\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\r\n\r\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\r\n\r\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\r\n\r\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\r\n\r\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\r\n\r\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\r\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\r\n\r\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\r\n\r\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\r\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\r\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\r\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\r\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\r\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-11','','','2011-03-09 14:18:03','2011-03-09 20:18:03','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=571',0,'revision','',0),(573,5,'2011-03-09 14:19:49','2011-03-09 20:19:49','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\n\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\n\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\n\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\nImage 1<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"295\" /></a>\n\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\n\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\n\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\n\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\n\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\n\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\n\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\n\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\n\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\n\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\n\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\n\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\n\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\n\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-13','','','2011-03-09 14:19:49','2011-03-09 20:19:49','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=573',0,'revision','',0),(572,5,'2011-03-09 14:18:36','2011-03-09 20:18:36','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\r\n\r\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\r\n\r\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\r\nImage 1<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"295\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\r\n\r\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\r\n\r\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\r\n\r\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\r\n\r\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\r\n\r\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\r\n\r\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\r\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\r\n\r\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\r\n\r\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\r\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\r\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\r\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\r\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\r\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-12','','','2011-03-09 14:18:36','2011-03-09 20:18:36','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=572',0,'revision','',0),(574,5,'2011-03-09 14:22:44','2011-03-09 20:22:44','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\r\n\r\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\r\n\r\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\r\nImage 1\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"295\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\r\n\r\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\r\n\r\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\r\n\r\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\r\n\r\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\r\n\r\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\r\n\r\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\r\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\r\n\r\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\r\n\r\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\r\n\r\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\r\n\r\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\r\n\r\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\r\n\r\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\r\n\r\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-14','','','2011-03-09 14:22:44','2011-03-09 20:22:44','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=574',0,'revision','',0),(575,5,'2011-03-09 14:23:44','2011-03-09 20:23:44','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\r\n\r\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\r\n\r\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\r\nImage 1\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"295\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\r\n\r\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\r\n\r\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\r\n\r\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\r\n\r\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\r\n\r\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\r\n\r\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\r\n\r\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\r\n\r\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\r\n\r\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\r\n\r\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\r\n\r\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\r\n\r\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\r\n\r\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\r\n\r\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-15','','','2011-03-09 14:23:44','2011-03-09 20:23:44','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=575',0,'revision','',0),(576,5,'2011-03-12 15:16:43','2011-03-12 21:16:43','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.<!--more-->\n\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\n\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\n\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\nImage 1\n\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"295\" /></a>\n\nSource: Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011): N. pag.; Web.\n\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\n\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\n\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\n\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\n\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\n\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\n\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\n\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\n\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\n\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\n\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\n\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\n\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\n\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St. Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\n\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\n\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\n\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\n\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\n\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\n\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\n\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-autosave','','','2011-03-12 15:16:43','2011-03-12 21:16:43','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=576',0,'revision','',0),(577,5,'2011-03-09 14:24:19','2011-03-09 20:24:19','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\r\n\r\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\r\n\r\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\r\nImage 1\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"295\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\r\n\r\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\r\n\r\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\r\n\r\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\r\n\r\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\r\n\r\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\r\n\r\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\r\n\r\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\r\n\r\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\r\n\r\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\r\n\r\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\r\n\r\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\r\n\r\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\r\n\r\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\r\n\r\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-16','','','2011-03-09 14:24:19','2011-03-09 20:24:19','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=577',0,'revision','',0),(578,5,'2011-03-09 14:32:24','2011-03-09 20:32:24','St. Paul’s Outside the Walls is a Roman basilica that was built to be the most revered place of worship in the entire city. At its consecration by Pope Silicious in 395, St. Paul’s became the largest basilica in Rome (The Vatican). It was designed to improve upon the humble structure built by Constantine, consecrated in 324, to honor the tomb of the Apostle Paul. The new basilica was intended to better accommodate the many pilgrims who came to worship at Paul’s tomb. The three emperors who mandated its construction, Theodosius, Valentian II, and Arcadius, insisted that it be larger and more magnificent than the Constantinian basilica (Brandenburg 114). The basilica was called San Paolo fuori le Mura, or St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s is an awesome structure that employs architectural principals in ways never seen in a basilica before. The work of many artists and designers filled St. Paul’s with mosaics, statues, paintings, and architectural ornamentation. It was a beacon for those who had come to pay their respects, find fellowship, or discover new life through a new religion. This inspiring sanctuary for the faithful should be preserved so it can continue on its mission to the world.\r\n\r\nPrior to building the first structure, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Up until this time, Rome had been a pagan empire where Christians had been periodically persecuted and driven underground. Constantine changed all this after having seen a vision of a cross during a military campaign, accompanied by the words “By this sign you shall be victorious.” He then defeated a far larger army and became convinced that he was under the protection of the Christian God. This led him to grant to Christians full freedom of worship, return all confiscated items to the church, and give them funds from the imperial treasury. He also stripped power from the empire’s provincial governors and bestowed it on the local bishops. This was followed by many pagan conversions which created huge congregations who needed a place to gather. Constantine then mandated that Christian churches be built throughout the empire (Brandenburg 16-18).\r\n\r\nMany of these churches took the form of a basilica, or a rectangular hall with rows of columns. In the past, this type of structure had commonly been used for a variety of secular purposes (Fiero). This form may have been chosen to make Christianity feel less foreign to new converts. Most of these churches were rather simple and consisted of only a main hall. Like St. Peter’s before, shown in Image 1, St. Paul’s took a more elaborate form.\r\nImage 1\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\"><img class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Diagram1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"628\" height=\"295\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSource:  Gloria K. Fiero; “The Christian Identity”; The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1 (2011):  N. pag.; Web.\r\n\r\nThe unroofed atrium was the main entryway and was flanked by covered walkways called ambulatories. Crossing the narthex led one into the more sacred central hall, or nave. The nave had two aisles on either side to provide more space for worshipers. At the front of the nave was a rectangular chamber known as a transept, beyond which was the apse, the site where communion was received (---.).\r\n\r\nThough completed and consecrated in 395, work on the basilica never really stopped. It was so loved that subsequent popes wanted to restore and add to it with new paintings and mosaics. St. Paul’s was known throughout the empire as a welcoming site for pilgrims and a storehouse of precious artworks (The Vatican). It even attracted the attention of several groups of pirates who took advantage of its location near the Tiber River. This caused Pope John VIII to build a wall around St. Paul’s that led to the founding of a small village, called Johannipolis in honor of their protector (Vicchi 94).\r\n\r\nBut it was more than art that drew the faithful to St. Paul’s. In an innovation it shared with St. Peter’s the tomb of the Apostle lay directly beneath the transept. This offered a unique opportunity to draw strength and pray in his perceived presence. Pilgrims who approached the tomb were greeted by a huge marble slab engraved with the words “Paolo Apostolo Martyri”, or St. Paul the Martyr Apostle, with several holes piercing through to the tomb. Many pilgrims wanted so much to be close to Paul that they would lower strips of linen through these holes to touch his bones, believing that this would confer a healing ability (Runckel).\r\n\r\nThe mere existence of St. Paul’s must have also felt like the final triumph over oppression. After Constantine’s edict of 313 there was one more attempt to revive paganism to the detriment of Christianity. Emperor Julian took power in 360 and began to revoke many of the privileges that Christians had been granted. Fortunately for Christians, Julian ruled for only three years and after his reign Christianity was reestablished as the official Roman religion (Morey). Less than 30 years later, when the doors of St. Paul’s were opened for the first time, its luminous interior must have signified the dawn of a new era of freedom.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s continues to play an active role in the Roman church. It houses the annual feast that commemorates the conversion of the Apostle Paul to Christianity. It has also been designated as the site of two significant papal tasks: The Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the planning of ecumenical initiatives (The Vatican). St. Paul’s continues to be viewed as a valued resource for the church as it most likely will for years to come.\r\n\r\nWhen the improved St. Paul’s was conceived, one of the goals was to surpass the other major basilica in town, St. Peter’s (Runckel). Historical records confirm that it succeeded on many levels. It was a larger structure whose proportions were more congruent, creating a more cohesive appearance. The transept and the apse were both deeper allowing greater number of pilgrims to approach the primary places of worship. These components also spanned the width of the nave, creating a more spacious appearance (Brandenburg 115). This openness is one of the most noted characteristics of St. Paul’s and was further supported by the unique style of its other appointments.\r\n\r\nThe columns of the colonnades were more widely spaced creating more unity between nave and aisle. Above these columns was an arcade, or row of arch shaped windows, that allowed light to infuse the nave with its energy. As in St. Peter’s, this space was usually reserved for a row of ornate decoration, or entablature. The aisles of St. Paul’s also had taller windows, which added to the luminous effect (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThe furnishings of St. Paul’s also showed a significant departure from common practice. St. Peter’s had largely been fitted out with spoils taken from other ancient buildings. By the time of St. Paul’s a decree had been issued to end this practice. As a result, the ornaments of St. Paul’s were constructed of imported Proconnesian marble. The light color and uniformity of this material contributed greatly to the overall luminous effect of St. Paul’s. This also allowed for custom made columns and capitols of exceptional quality. The columns of the nave were fluted in a return to classic form. The capitols, or capstones, of these columns were of a highly ornate Corinthian style. Both were created with the highest standards of craftsmanship and greatly exceeded the standard of the day (Brandenburg 116).\r\n\r\nThough the lavish interior has had to endure the effects of numerous fires and earthquakes efforts have been made to preserve the original feel of the basilica. Many significant artworks have survived in a restored state and are still on display to this day. This includes a series of portraits depicting each pope that runs above the columns of the central and outer colonnades (Vicchi 108). To see the popes in this airy, welcoming space makes them seem more approachable. In the apse is a heavily restored mosaic depicting Christ enthroned along with Peter and Andrew on his left and Paul with Luke the evangelist on Christ’s right side. Placing Paul instead of Peter at Jesus’ right hand signifies his primacy in the basilica that bears his name (Vicchi 110). All hold pieces of inscribed parchment to signify the message that they bring to all humankind. The others are reaching out with their free hands toward Christ, wanting to be near their savior.\r\n\r\nAlso preserved was an elaborate, well rendered mosaic depicting a scene from Revelation. Christ appears in the central portion flanked by two staff bearing angels. To the sides are the 24 elders who cast down their crowns before Christ. Flying overhead are the four creatures, lion, calf, man, and eagle, who ceaselessly praise God day and night (Vicchi 111). The mosaic is exquisitely rendered in form, color, and subject, with one glaring exception: the face of Christ. Elsewhere in St. Paul’s Jesus is depicted with his usual serene, compassionate visage. In this mosaic he appears with the oversized, gaunt features of a caveman. This horrible rendering is a blight on an otherwise beautiful piece of art.\r\n\r\nOther notable works include a series of frescoes placed between the windows of the arcade. These depict scenes from the Apostles life, each including a descriptive caption held aloft by cherubim (Vicchi 103, 108). The basilica also has a group of heavily stylized brass doors which are meant to symbolize the passage into eternal life through Christ. These doors are decorated with a variety of scenes from the lives of Christ and the Apostles. One door in particular, known due to its style as the Byzantine Door, is revered as “…one of the most beautiful doors of its kind in existence…” (Vicchi 101-103).\r\n\r\nSan Paolo fuori le Mura is no longer the largest church in Rome, having been surpassed by St. Peter’s after it was restored in 1626 (The Vatican). But to me, that is less important than the fact that it continues to serve its original purpose of providing a sanctuary for those who want to draw nearer to God. The space is awe inspiring, many of the artworks are stunning and one of a kind, but this is secondary to the basilicas role in bringing the faith of compassion to a violent, pagan world.\r\n\r\nI also find it fitting that the place of veneration of the Apostle to the Gentiles has been designated for the sacrament of reconciliation. Paul took up the difficult task of bringing the message to a foreign people who had no prior knowledge of a messianic tradition. And those who approach St. Paul’s seeking redemption must feel like foreigners trying to gain re-admission to the Promised Land.\r\n\r\nSt. Paul’s Outside the Walls should be remembered as one of the first major sites that was built to welcome weary and dedicated pilgrims. It houses the remains of the Apostle who is probably responsible for more conversions than any other. The light, spacious, art filled interior inspires reverence in a way that is warm and welcoming. Far from being a dreary place of the dead, it should be known that St, Paul’s was created to minister to the needs of the living.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBrandenburg, Hugo. Ancient Churches of Rome From the Fourth to the Seventh Century. Trans. Andreas Kropp. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers N.V., 2005. Print.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. “The Arts of the Roman Empire.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 05 March 2011\r\n\r\n---. “The Christian Identity.” The Humanistic Tradition Vol. 1. By Fiero. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2011. N. pag. McGraw Hill’s Connect. Web. 04 March 2011\r\n\r\nMorey, William C. “The Reorganization of the Empire” Outlines of Roman History. By Morey. New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: American Book Company, 1901. N. pag. Forum Romanum. Web. 04 March. 2011 http://www.forumromanum.org/history/morey28.html\r\n\r\nRunckel, Charles. “S. Paolo fuori le mura (Basilica of St. Paul\'s outside the walls).” Dartmouth Department of Classics. Dartmouth University, 24 Oct. 2005. Web. 04 March 2011.\r\n\r\nThe Vatican. The Papal Basilica Saint Paul Outside the Walls. 04 March 2011. Web. http://www.vatican.edu/various/basiliche/san_paolo/index_en.html\r\n\r\nVicchi, Roberta. The Major Basilicas of Rome. Ed. Patrizia Bevilacqua. Trans. Susan Scott. Antella (Florence): Scala Group S.p.A., 1999. Print.','St. Paul\'s Outside the Walls','','inherit','open','open','','556-revision-17','','','2011-03-09 14:32:24','2011-03-09 20:32:24','',556,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=578',0,'revision','',0),(579,25,'2011-03-09 16:54:25','2011-03-09 22:54:25','','Screen shot 2011-03-09 at 4.50.44 PM','','inherit','open','open','','screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-4-50-44-pm','','','2011-03-09 16:54:25','2011-03-09 22:54:25','',552,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-4.50.44-PM.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(580,25,'2011-03-09 16:59:23','2011-03-09 22:59:23','','Screen shot 2011-03-09 at 4.57.34 PM','','inherit','open','open','','screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-4-57-34-pm','','','2011-03-09 16:59:23','2011-03-09 22:59:23','',552,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-4.57.34-PM.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(581,25,'2011-03-09 17:02:41','2011-03-09 23:02:41','','Screen shot 2011-03-09 at 5.00.39 PM','','inherit','open','open','','screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-5-00-39-pm','','','2011-03-09 17:02:41','2011-03-09 23:02:41','',552,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-5.00.39-PM.png',0,'attachment','image/png',0),(582,25,'2011-03-09 17:03:57','2011-03-09 23:03:57','While strolling through Paris, France, one may look up in awe at the beauty of the cathedral of Notre Dame but from above, multiple pairs of eyes mysteriously stare down at anyone below. The eyes belong to different beast and creatures that have sculpted society’s view of life. These stone structures are known as gargoyles.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nThe 12<sup>th</sup> century was a time and place for impressive historical change in Europe (Snyder). Especially in France, a new period of time was emerging which is know as the Gothic Age. During the Gothic Age, Christianity and the church were being built unlike anything anyone had seen before.  Instead of solid Greek like temples for worship, the cathedrals were, “An engineer’s grandiose dream of thrust and counterthrust diagrammed in stone lines” (Snyder).  The gothic cathedral represented, “The ultimate achievement of those spiritual aspirations” (Snyder).  If there were such a thing as the essence of Gothic, it would be thought of as, “The architecture created in the Ile-de-France” (Snyder). One of France’s most notable cathedrals is the cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris. Built between 1163-1250, Notre Dame marked a new beginning for Gothic architecture in France.\n\nSurrounding the outer edges of the cathedral of Notre Dame are gargoyles, best known as the creatures that peer down over the city of Paris (Camille). Gargoyles became, “Very popular on architecture in medieval times…” (“Gargoyle History”). The word gargoyle comes from the Roman term of protruding gutter (Evans). They were built in order to drain the water from the roofs of the cathedrals. The gargoyles were placed to extend far off from the walls of the structures to prevent any damage from happening to the cathedrals themselves as the rain ran off  (“Gargoyle History”).  If the gargoyles did not exist to control the rain run-off, “the mortar between the stones of their buildings would, in time, erode away and the building would fall over” (Evans).  The gargoyles come in packs to distribute the flow of rainwater because, “A single gargoyle would not be much good in a ferocious storm” (Evans).  The gargoyles did serve the same purpose as the classical wooden drainpipe but society was changing and so was the architecture that followed. Today, tourists find the stone figures or gargoyles to be, “The most appealing element of the magnificent structure,” but in the Gothic age they were decorative gutters (Camille).\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-5.00.39-PM.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-581\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-5.00.39-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"284\" height=\"160\" /></a></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://www.eden-study.org/personal/images/notre-dame-gargoyles.jpg</p>\nGargoyles are imaginative forms of creatures that have little or no resemblance to anything real. Most of them consist of many animal-like features formed into one. The faces of the gargoyles are very extreme and intimidating as well. They almost look like they are yelling at the city down below (Evans). The gargoyles were considered to be, “Symbolic guardians against the external forces of evil” (Camille).  Though they are an opposition to the supernatural evil spirits, they are just as haunting to the society. The gargoyles in the 12<sup>th</sup> century were seen to, “Represent those who under estimated the power of the devil” (Evans).  In Valencia, Spain there is a notable gargoyle of a man with his genitals out. This image was to portray that the devil would catch you exactly when he wanted to. Since sex was seen as sinful during the middle ages, it was placed to scare people of anything non-religious and immoral (Evans).  This image implored ethical behavior.\n\nThe average superstitious person from the middle ages would have found gargoyles like the one from Spain to be quite frightening. Architects of the gargoyles perhaps, “Knew that what people feared most of all was what lay within” (Evans).  The most disconcerting gargoyles do not seem beast like, but portray human qualities (Evans). They “Represent the evil inside human beings…” (Camille). The gargoyles are placed on monumental structures, staring down as a reminder of what humans fear most, themselves and the choices humans make.\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-4.57.34-PM.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-580\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-4.57.34-PM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"293\" height=\"201\" /></a></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://www.corbisimages.com/images/67/F812E5B3-890E-447E-81DC-7DDA23C76A0C/AAGB001637.jpg</p>\nDuring the 19<sup>th</sup> century the cathedral of Notre Dame went under reconstruction. Viollet-le-Duc restored the cathedral while adding 54 chimeras to the balustrade (the balcony). The chimeras were considered, “The modern (medieval) monsters” (Camille). They were similar to the gargoyles, only slightly larger and were not used as drainpipes. The chimeras were placed at Notre Dame in order to regain, “The spirit of the middle ages” (Camille).  The gargoyle-like chimeras were not a symbol of evil doing through out the society. They represented, “Political and social extremes, contemporary society rather than the Christological symbolism of the medieval bestiary” (Camille).  The fascinating thing about the chimeras though, is the slightest detail of their face or structure has meaning behind it. Large noses represented being a descendant of Jews who were then frowned upon for not being Christian.  A chimera that was built with their tongue sticking out of their mouth represented, “The tradition of grimacing” (Camille).  Though the meaning behind gargoyles and chimeras change constantly through time, their appeal to society stays the same.\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-4.50.44-PM.png\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-579\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-09-at-4.50.44-PM-300x199.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" /></a></p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://lh5.ggpht.com/_qe9TdddBrIQ/SleD8wtSZVI/AAAAAAAAIEc/Stn_sep77Yk/_MG_4816_a.jpg</p>\nThe gargoyles and chimeras through time have expressed historical values. The changes in beliefs reflected through the architecture. How people perceived the world is seen within the eyes of each haunting creature. Most of the gargoyles and chimeras today stand hardly unrecognizable due to the deteriorating of the stones. The stone figures are being harmed by slow death because of industrial pollution (Camille). The cities that once gave gargoyles life are now, “Also the gargoyles main agent of destruction” (Camille).  Restoration of the gargoyles and chimeras can be controversial but without it, a period of time could be lost forever (Camille). Some argue that restoring historical monuments makes them no longer of history, but that is not the case. Future generations would not have the chance to visit the places they hear/learn about and experience them in full effect if history could not be restored. With the gargoyles, people would be deprived of the feeling of fear, intimidation, or laughter of looking up to a beast or human like creature glaring at you from above.  The gargoyles and chimeras give character to monuments such as the cathedrals and should be restored in order to preserve a mystical time in history.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Work Cited</strong></p>\n&nbsp;\n\nCamille, Michael. <em>The Gargoyles of Notre-Dame: Medievalism and the Monsters of Modernity</em>. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2009. Print.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nCarr, Karen. \"Medieval Religion - History for Kids!\" <em>Kidipede - History for Kids - Homework Help for Middle School</em>. Web. 07 Mar. 2011.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nEvans, RJ. \"Gargoyles – Glorious Gruesome Grotesques | Quazen.\" <em>Quazen | Arts, Autos and More</em>. 14 Mar. 2010. Web. 07 Mar. 2011\n\n&nbsp;\n\n\"Gargoyle History, Architectural, Religious and Mythical.\" <em>Feng Shui at Wind and Water with Annie Lane. Gargoyles and Gargoyle Photographs, and Various Others</em>. Web. 07 Mar. 2011\n\n&nbsp;\n\nSnyder, James. \"Gothic Architecture.\" <em>Medieval Art: Painting-sculpture-architecture, 4-14th Century</em>. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1988. Print.\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','The Gargoyles of Notre Dame ','','inherit','open','open','','552-revision-3','','','2011-03-09 17:03:57','2011-03-09 23:03:57','',552,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=582',0,'revision','',0);
