T&R on The Funeral Oration

Trevor Jones                                    1/16/15

Thoughts and Reflection on "The Funeral Oration"                                                    

Source: Thucudidies  

The Aspects that Made Athens the Greatest Grecian City-State

Athens was a great and powerful city-state, one like no other. They had several core beliefs as well as a unique style of government that lead to their success. It was not just a few things that made Athens great though, it took everybody working together and following the same things that really let Athens to its success. First of all, Athens was unique in their style of government, and was unlike any one of their neighboring states. Athens style of Democracy gave them social structure which allowed them to make decisions as a community, rather than the decision of one man and his council. Second, Athenians did not treat anyone unjustly because of their place in society, they instead judged people based off of what they can return to society. Athenians judged people on their individual skills and merit, and did not discriminate on people such as the poor. Third, Athens did not get into fights with their neighbors for no reason. They respected their neighboring states and did not bother them for the sake of bothering. Fourth, Athens did not close its gates to the world, instead Athens embraced people of all sorts because they had no secrets to keep. This wasn't because they rely on weapons to keep people at bay, but because they rely on their own courage and loyalty of the people that live there. 

The fifth reason is the Athenian people are free to make their own decisions. Unlike the Spartans who are forced into training to become a warrior, the Athenians can choose how they contribute to the society, and face danger when it is thrown at them, rather that preparing for it their entire life. Sixth, the Athenians are very humble and modest people and do not boast about their achievements. Also, the Athenian people do not focus on themselves, instead, they give back to and support their community. Seventh, rather than hastily attacking the enemy, Athens does not rush into action and takes time to strategize. Athenians know how to weigh their possible consequences and estimate their risks beforehand. Eight, Athens does not rely on their allies for success or assist, but they do keep a strong relationship with them. Athens makes reliable friendships with other neighboring states by doing good to others rather than receiving good from them. This concludes the reasons on why Athens was so great, but truthfully, the courageous men who fought for their community with a sense of pride, ultimately provide the backbone of Athens. Because in the words of Pericles, for men to end their lives with honor, and for you to honorably lament them: their life was set to a measure, where death and happiness went hand in hand.  

http://www.allposters.com/-sp/The-Parthenon-Acropolis-Athens-Greece-Posters_i8950648_.htm 

 

 

T&R on The History of the Peloponnesian War

Trevor Jones                                    1/12/15

Thoughts and Reflection on "History of the Peloponnesian War"                                                    

Source: Unknown 

 

The Story Behind Thucudidies and the History of The Peloponnesian War     

Thucudidies believed that people believed anything that they read more or less. Instead of searching for true facts of ancient stories, they would instead be inclined to accept the first story they heard as true. Instead of Thucudidies doing this himself, he presented himself with multiple eye witness facts and versions of the same story until he came to a conclusion of what actually happened. Thucudidies wrote this history not for people that wanted a romantic story, but for people that wanted to know the facts of the Peloponnesian War. He didn't just write his works to be done for the immediate public, but rather to be a long lasting record for future generations to come. 

 http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/peloponnesian-war 

     

Digital History Scrapbook #6 - China

Trevor Jones 

1/12/15

Per. 7 

Links:

Footbinding:  http://www.theatlantic.com/china/archive/2013/09/the-peculiar-history-of-foot-binding-in-china/279718/  

Plastic Surgery: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_surgery

Public Appeal Enhancement Throughout History

In our day to day lives, people all around us use methods to enhance their sex appeal, due to sheer lack of confidence. We've seen it in the form of plastic surgery related methods, and others such as footbinding, which was used mostly by upper class chinese women. This personal  need for self-improvement was first seen in the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt around 3000-2500 BC. This was the earliest form of 'plastic surgery' seen in the history of mankind, which dealt with the reconstruction of body parts. Treatment for the plastic repair of a broken nose are first mentioned in the Edwin Smith Papyrus, a transcription of an Ancient Egyptian medical text, the oldest known surgical treatise. This started the idea of plastic surgery which was used in multiple civilizations and evolved into what it is today. Today, men and women use plastic surgery to reconstruct or enhance almost any part of the body in order to improve their outward appearance. People mostly do this because they feel that society is judgmental and does not approve of their appearance. Similar to this was a Chinese practice done originally by upper class women, to show a sign of elegance and eventually was the 'norm' for any middle class chinese woman. This practice started in the 10th century and by the 12th century, all middle class girls by the age of four and six who wished to marry would have their feet bound. This process entailed bending the girls' toes underneath the sole, using very long ribbons to wrap their feet all the way to the ankle, and would continue breaking the girls foot until it stopped growing and remained this way for the rest of the girls life. In the 19th century towards the end of the Qing dynasty, this practice dies out and the women with bound feet suddenly found it harder to find a mate. These two practices have many similarities, but the outcome of each is somewhat different.   

 http://www.plasticsurgeryinfocanada.com/plastic-surgery-toronto/

These practices have the same general idea and that is to make your physical appearance more attractive. However, plastic surgery is more of a category, rather than a practice like footbinding, which includes reconstructive surgery, cosmetic surgery, psychological disorders and many more. Plastic surgery has been around a lot longer than footbinding, most likely because the level of pain is much less than that of footbinding, and it is much more useful. Footbinding is a practice used by ONLY upper to middle class chinese women that was a symbol to show elegance and wealth. Plastic surgery is useful for men and women of all ethnic races (who can afford it) and targets multiple different body parts, rather than just feet. However, these two practices require a somewhat skilled doctor who knows what they are doing. Obviously the more evolved these two practices became, the more doctors knew about them, so naturally, more training was needed and pain levels lessened. Drugs were used for anesthesia in the 19th and 20th century which made the practices much more comfortable and gave people a greater desire to partake in them. At around this time, footbinding started to die out but the practice of plastic surgery boomed, especially in the facial area thanks to anesthetics, and continues to evolve with no sign of slowing. 

http://www.lisasee.com/images/footbinding/footbinding.htm

All in all, footbinding and plastic surgery are similar in many ways, but both with different uses and outcomes. Plastic surgery has been around since 3000 BC (in a form) with the same general idea today, and includes multiple different uses. Footbinding was used for similar purposes, but was not around for nearly as long as plastic surgery. Both practices were equally popular at their individual heights (plastic surgery's being today) and both served the same purpose to society. In a society where the community is judgmental and people are equally as self-conscious, these practices evolve and thrive to fit people's needs and expectations.  

T&R on "Two Ancient Cities Follow Diverse Paths"

Trevor Jones                                    1/7/15

Thoughts and Reflection on "Two Ancient Cities Follow Diverse Paths"                                                    

Source: James C. Davis 

Athens and Sparta: The Two Greatest Greek City-States

The two greatest city-states of Greece, Athens and Sparta differed greatly in many ways such as their form of government, war strategies and culture. Sparta had a very bizarre form of government. They had a council of 28 elders, each man older than 60 years old, as well as a board of five overseers, and an assemble of all the Warriors in Sparta's heavily armed infantry. This group of Spartan upper class warriors and landowners as well as Lycurgus made decision for the city state as their form of government. However, the Athenians government was a form of democracy in which men with Spartan citizenship could only take place in. Men over thirty could be apart of the Athenian council and had full rights under Cleisthenes, which means that even poor men could serve. Law courts were set up and lead to voting from all male citizens. These two city-states were also very diverse in war tactics for multiple reasons including their government and their geography. Sparta was ruled by a military caste rather than by a democracy like that of the Athenians which means the Spartans thought less, and took more chances. The Athenians used their geography to their advantage and used their enormous hills and mountains as walls to keep out intruders as well as developed massive naval power which they used to fight off the Persians, Spartans and multiple others. 

Throughout their timeline, the Greeks accomplished many significant things. Some of these things include making alliances, forming their government as well as mathematics and literature (plays). The creation of alliances between city-states helped and hurt both Athens and Sparta. When Athens sent ships to help the Ionian's rebellion, The Persian emperor was furious and later launched attacks on Athens, which ended unsuccessfully, but still did damage to the Athenian people. The formation of government was also a success in both city-states because it defines each one and gave it structure under its leader(s). As I mentioned earlier, Athens and Sparta had very diverse forms of government which made each city-state function differently. These city-states also accomplished mathematical achievements as well as some of the greatest literature of their era, including the most famous of all Greek tragedies is Sophocles' Odeipus the King.

In America today, we still have multiple traditions that are taken directly from Greek legacy including Democracy, a large navy and the Olympic Games. Today we still hold a similar form of democracy in America, where each man has a chance to be granted citizenship and will have the right to vote. We have also taken to Greek's legacy by establishing a very large and powerful navy which allows us to intimidate and defeat any threats in war. The Olympic Games however has been a long lasting tradition directly from Greece that still takes place in America and the world today. The Spartan that was the winner of the Olympic Games was permitted to stand beside their King in war. This has changed a bit today but still has the same principal. 

Digital History Scrapbook #5 - India

Trevor Jones 

12/12/14

Links: 

Karma: http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/karma.htm

Criminal Record: http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/features/criminal-record-chris-huhne-vicky-pryce

Actions Have Consequences 

In ancient India, and in some cases modern day India, the people believed in a concept known as Karma. This concept was introduced by Buddhism and essentially means that ones actions correlate with their status in their next life or even their present life. In other words, it is the result of our own past actions and our own present doings. If you have bad karma in your present life, then it will negatively affect you for eternity or until you reach moksha. This ancient concept of karma, and more specifically, bad karma, introduced and taught by the Buddha himself is very similar to modern day criminal records, not just in the United States but in most organized communities, states or countries. If you do something illegal in this modern day, that crime can be recorded and placed on what is called a criminal record. This document can be retrieved at any time by anybody making a financial or official deal with you, such as a job or a loan. Bad karma and living with a criminal record can harm you and potentially ruin your life or next life (Buddhism).  

Of course, like with most things, there are consequences for doing the wrong thing. In this aspect, bad karma and possessing a criminal record are very similar. If you do not follow your dharma during your life, you will be reborn as a lesser being. This could mean being born into a lower class or even being born as a non-human animal. However there are also ways for bad karma to affect you in your present life. If the crime that you have committed it so severe, you could possibly be exiled from your community or even given the short way to samsara, the death penalty. Similar consequences apply to criminal record-holders. If you have committed a (usually major) crime in your life, it can restrict access to everything from jobs to insurance, loans and travel. Even though you are allowed equal rights after you have served your punishment, business owners or higher ranking officials will take that into consideration and most likely deny your request for work, loans, insurance and many other things. In some cases, having a criminal record for certain things can be a complete bar for exchanging business, such as applying for a job, adopting a child, or even working with adults or children in general. Having a criminal record generally only affects your present life (Unless of course your religion has rules against it) but there is a big similarity connection between the two subjects. 

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/jobapplications/a/reapply-after-rejection.htm 

These consequences may seem dire to you at the time, but think in the long run how it may affect your family. If you have bad karma in your lifetime and don't fulfill your dharma, in the lower classes, nobody would have given you a job which would greatly affect your ability to raise a family. If you have no job, you cannot buy for for your family or pay taxes which would get you into even more trouble, but in this case it would be with the government which could eventually get you killed. Obviously it does not affect your family in your next lifetime, but if you serve the death penalty or even go to prison, you are leaving them alone to fend for themselves. With a criminal record, the result for your family is the same, they have nobody to support them if you cannot find a job and your backup money slowly fades away until suddenly, you are in debt. Also, your social aspect would certainly be crushed in both situations, if businesses reject your offer, then acquaintances would certainly not be there to take your back. 

http://nitaaiyoga.smugmug.com/Miscellaneous/Charts/i-CDbLJbn

Dharma is a concept that Buddhists must follow in order to have good karma and move up in the caste system, if not then their will be consequences.this idea of bad karma very similarly relates to possessing a criminal record in this modern day. Karma can have consequences in your present life as well as your next life, compared to possessing a criminal record which greatly affects you in your present life, but not your afterlife (unless you are a Buddhist of course). Having bad karma or having a criminal record can also have a great affect on your family and your social life, and may even ruin them. Just remember, your actions have consequences. 

My Silk Road Video

http://youtu.be/ARuv1w3u9q8

T&R on "Women in Ancient China"

Trevor Jones

Thoughts and Reflection on "Women in Ancient China"                                                     12/2/14

Source: Unknown

T&R on "Women in Ancient China"

In Taoism, women were given equal rights to men and some even carried out important jobs such as philosophers. Although, with the reign of Hsi Huang Mu, fear was brought to the people for having a women ruler and the derogatory term' "like a hen crowing", was bestowed upon China's only female emperor, Wu Zetian. The same applies to Buddhism, women were given equal rights under Wu Zetian and in some cases, high status and freedom. This being said, Confucianism did not empower women because it did not put women on a higher or even equal status to the male population. Confucianism did not degrade women, however, it did place them at a lower end of the patriarchal family structure. Some Confucian writings said for women to "yield to others", by putting others first and herself last. NeoConfucianism is a reinterpretation of Confucian teaching that was written in the Song Dynasty. These teachings enforced the position of women in society even more and pressured women to carry out egregious practices such as footbinding, widow chastity, and the selling of unwanted daughters. Not all women practiced these, such as women of ethnic minorities, but those who did severely limited female mobility.

  http://www.i-china.org/news.asp?type=8&id=859