Monday, November 19, 2012 0 comments

Aqueduct Inspiration

            Saturday was a wet, rainy, cold day. The wind was blowing and all the trees were swaying. The air smelled of fresh autumn leaves and oak trees. Most importantly, the rain was pouring down from the sky in small sizes like tear drops. In some places, the rain created shallow puddles that could show a reflection if you stared right into it.  As I stood outside I observed, and saw that even though the rain was pouring heavily, it had a place to run. There were drains for the water to run into and that water was carried away. Where did these drains come from? Who inspired these drains? When was the idea of water having a place to run created?  All the answers to these questions I later discovered in the seminar class with Mr. Dundov.
 
           The Roman Aqueducts.  I learned that the Aqueducts were created to carry away waste and disease. The Aqueducts were also created to supply clean water to the people and to solve the problem of supplying water to crops. The aqueducts were created from a combination of stone, brick, and volcanic cement. Despite the fact that visible structures have left quite an impression on viewers many of the aqueducts were underground, similar to our drainage systems today. Only 30 miles of aqueducts are visible arch structures. Gravity was a key factor in making sure that water traveled at the right angle and speed. Once the water reached Rome it flowed into large reservoirs. The reservoirs could be utilized by everyone; they served as a city resource. The water in the reservoir was used for public baths, water fountains, and private villas. Water was transported to these locations through pipes that ran underground in the city.  Additionally, a major part in the functioning of the aqueducts was the maintenance. The labor upkeep was done by slaves there was also a Curator. The Curator maintained the aqueducts. Today the Trevi-fountain is still fed by aqueduct water. The Proserpina dam still feeds farmers crop's today. Here in America we have drainage and sewage systems throughout the entire country. The inspiration of the great engineering of Roman aqueducts has carried on and plays a major role in the functioning of our society today just as they did during the time of ancient Rome.
 
                              Taylor Mitchell
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

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Our Humanity?


Where has all of our humanity gone? Just like our quest for the lost city of Atlantis, has it just vanished away, or have we found a way to hide the fact that we still have a sliver of humanity left by hiding our emotions away until society calls upon them? Centuries ago in Ancient Rome, the value of a life must have not meant a thing if the only source of entertainment was watching a slave or war prisoner be slaughtered in front of thousands of other country men. There is no humanity in that. In today’s society, luckily we have movies that show actors get slaughtered for or amusement thanks to 21st Century technology. What that being said, have times really changed and has our value of a human life altered since Ancient Rome or has it stayed the same.
A story that was brought to my attention at our last Context Workshop dealt with a lot of Ancient Roman Emperors and the one that spoke to me the most was Julius Caesar, the first self-proclaimed Emperor of Rome. It is true that Julius Caesar is debatably one of the smartest generals the world has ever known but I believe that he only attained that legacy through his small regard for human life. In one of his battles to further his empire, Caesar cornered Vercingetorix and his soldiers and forced them to hide in their city. Because he would not surrender, Caesar felt he needed to send a message to Vercingetorix, so Caesar had his army build a wall around the city so that no one could escape. Knowing that Vercingetorix and his people would eventually die off of starvation or from feeble escape attempts, Caesar had them cower in their city for nearly two years until Vercingentorix would surrender or until he was the only one alive. Caesar knew that this would appear as a psychological message to Vercingetorix and after watching his people die because of his ego telling him not to surrender, Caesar knew it was only a matter of time before his enemy would eventually give up. Caesar knew that Vercingetorix would sacrifice his people just for his own well-being and still Caesar had all of those men, women, and children slaughtered. Where is the humanity in that? Why couldn’t Caesar just let the innocent go instead of having them killed by the actions of one man? We all know the man, Julius Caesar, for his famous legacy of being the first Emperor of Rome but because of actions such as these, should his name go down in infamy as well?


Devin Hunter
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Caesar, Why did you do that?


Saturday’s last seminar started off on a rocky start.  We were locked out of the building -it was cold, windy and raining. Poor Mr. Dundov had to run around to find a way in. I was hoping that we would get let in so that they didn’t have to cancel the seminar.  We were stuck outside for about 45 before we were let in; that was 45 minutes that was cut from our class time.  Once in class Mr. Dundov started off by showing us a picture of a Colloseum that was on his wall. He asked us to guess where it was from.  Of course all of us knew that it wasn’t the Roman Colosseum since the Colloseum in the picture was still standing and had no destroyed sides.  I thought it was in Greece which was a good guess but not the right answer.  The Colosseum was actually in Croatia. 

After that ice breaker class went by really quick.  Everyone was very into what he was teaching and I almost forgot to write notes as  I was so engaged in the lesson. It didn’t feel like a class at all, Mr. Dundov was so friendly and into what he was talking about it felt as if everyone was just having a conversation about history.  It’s really cool when a teacher can make learning fun and interesting and that’s what I appreciated from the seminar.

 We learned about the Etruscans and how they were the first civilization in Rome and the origins are really unknown but they are the basis of the culture in Rome.  We also found out about the technologies that the Romans were the first to create. The Romans were the first to make aqueducts (water systems), sewage systems and roads.  A very interesting fact that I learned is that the Romans use arches a lot in their architecture.  They figured that arches not only look great they can be strong structures and can save materials.  The most interesting things that I went in the class wanting to learn about were how Julius Caesar came to power as an emperor. Mr. Dundov told us a story about a war that Caesar was in where an emperor was hiding within the walls of his city and he wouldn’t come out.  Caesar then built another wall around the emperor’s original walls to make sure he couldn’t escape or get help without running into Caesars army. Somehow the emperor tried to get help so Caesar had another wall built around again.  That is a lot of determination to get just ONE person. I learned that it was mainly because of the Caesars military that he was able to become the emperor of Rome. Although he technically was the first emperor of Rome he isn’t really credited as the first official emperor of Rome. Octavian Augustus is credited as the first official emperor of Rome. Some fun things I also learned were that the month of July was named July because of Julius Caesar. Also the procedure known as Cesarean Sections on women during child birth is named after Julius Caesar because that is how he was born.  Although Caesar was a powerful leader he started to take advantage of the power he was given and became a tyrant which would later be the reason for his assassination.  A lot of questions that I had were definitely answered in this seminar. I left again a very happy camper. Like the prior seminars the time just flew by and it was a little bittersweet because I was so into the class and I wanted to learn more and more. I went into the car and told my mom some of the cool things that I just learned in the class.  I left and gave my mom a lesson in the car until she begged me to stop! I am very thankful for the experiences in the last three classes and to all of my teachers I’ve learned so much over the past 3 weeks. Thank you! –Courtney Manriquez 




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Caesars Empire


Julius Caesar organized a collation, known as the First Triumvirate, made up of Pompey, commander in chief of the army; Marcus Licinius Crassus, the wealthiest man in Rome, and Caesar himself. All three of these men weren't the best of friends, they all fought for power in Rome. Before Caesar stepped into Roman politics it was a Republic which was two consuls, a senate, and a tribal assembly. Which led to the twelve tables of Rome which were the first written laws, but after Caesar beat out his competition and having the title of being a great military leader he had enough power to overtake the republic and turn it into his own Empire. They didn't think that Caesar would continue to be emperor for long, but as the years went on he continued to rule and the people got fed up and revolted. Caesar was brought down by his own people. Some people would say that Caesar was the first emperor of Rome, but if you think about it, Caesar declared himself emperor and that really didn't count. The second Triumvirate consisted of Octavian Augustus, Mark Antony, and Marcus Lepidus, and Octavian won. He was the first official emperor of Rome.


Born July 100 BC-15 March 44 BC (aged 55)
Born 23 September 63 BC-19 August AD 14 (aged 75)

There many more emperors after Octavian, but let it be known that Julius Caesar changed Rome from a republic into a empire. After that the Roman empire grew very large, but it was very hard for Rome to keep track of there large empire, so different countries attacked the outskirts of the Roman empire and slowly reduced the size of it to the point of containment. The reason why I thought this was interesting topic that we talked about is because I never knew that Rome was once a republic and now that I know I just wonder what would have become of the Roman society if Julius Caesar never changed it. Would it have been better or worst as a republic?    
-Malik Lee
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Is this War?

 

Life is filled with hatred and some people like to express that feeling with words or violence. As for the Etruscans it was all about war. In the past seminar I've recently attended, I've learned that hatred wasn't just the only thing that drove war upon colonies. It was things like power, riches, people, bigger military, gain of slaves, architecture, and even inspiration. The Romans would conquer another colony and discover something new that they would use in the future for their purposes. Romans would also build up their military to destroy others and gain power. Through the entire lesson I was most interested in the Etruscans.
 
 
The Etruscans was never really founded. There was myths of how they came to be, but it was unknown to how they were brought up. They were enemies of the Romans and because they were enemies, the Etruscans defeated the Romans in battle. The Etruscans were known as barbaric, but they were very smart. Even though the Etrucans defeated the Romans, the Romans were inspired by their sewage system. Before the Romans would just throw their waste out into the roads and people would be surrounded by poop and such, which was very unsanitary. Because of the sewage system, this cleaned up their bad habits that caused disease. There was several other things that influenced the Romans by the Etruscans. Archs, language and writing was picked up by the Etruscans and helped with the new era of the Romans. I believed that the Romans were smart to pick up new things from a colony that overruled them. You learn from your mistakes and sometimes pick up the habits to gain strength.
 
 
Not only was this inspiring but it brought a revolution to the new and modern world we live in today.
- Meryssa Mayshack

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A Real Life Soap Opera


AP World History was not my favorite class my sophomore year of high school, but there were some key civilizations I remember because I enjoyed learning about them so much. Rome was at the top of that list. This past Saturday during our seminar, my knowledge on Rome’s history was not only refreshed but enhanced. Everything we were lectured on I remember learning last year, but Mr. Dundof added a lot of little details that I wasn’t aware of. I already knew that Octavian Augustus was the first “legitimate” emperor (after Cesar) of Rome, but what I found most interesting was the climb to the top.
The Second Triumvirate is the name historians have given to the official political alliance of Octavian Augustus, Marcus Lepidus, and Mark Antony it marked the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire. Unlike the earlier First Triumvirate, the Second Triumvirate was an official and legally established institution, whose overwhelming power in the Roman state didn’t violate any laws. Although like the First Triumvirate, the Second Triumvirate was unstable and could not withstand the internal turmoil involving its three members. Although Antony was married to Octavian’s sister, Octavia, he openly had a relationship and chidren with Cleopatra VII. Octavian obtained Antony's will in July 32 BC and exposed it to the Roman public: it promised substantial legacies to Antony's children by Cleopatra, and left instructions to bury his body in Alexandria for burial. The Romans were outraged and Senate declared war on Cleopatra and Egypt. Octavian's forces defeated those of Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium in Greece in 31 BC. Antony and Cleopatra fled to Egypt in 30 BC where they committed suicide in Alexandria. Octavian personally took control of Egypt and Rome, becoming the first emperor of the Roman Empire.
I found this story most interesting because it has all the elements of a modern day soap opera. The only difference is it isn’t fiction, the plot and setting weren't made up by writers, and actors aren’t paid to play the characters. Instead, this is history: the events actually took place. The people involved had lives and families. Their ambition is what drove them and untimely brought them to their demise, but their legacy lives on forever.


Octavian Augustus                               Marc Antony
   


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Formation of Domnation

This week, I learned how the Romans dominated all of Europe, North Africa, and Britain. Romans were not only great Artists, and Sculpture Designer. They were also great warriors. How the Romans dominated all of Europe, North Africa, and Britain is because of their smart Strategy and Technology. Romans had State of The Art Weapons and Educated Generals. All soldiers who join the army are volunteers. The Romans did not force anyone to join the army. Most people who joined wanted Honor and Respect. All soldiers were great soldiers because they were taught combat training at a very young age. The Romans used the technique called the Phalanx Military Formation to dominate their enemies. Using this technique all soldiers are well protected from all sides and at the same time soldiers inside the formation are able to attack from all direction. The formation requires a group of soldiers to hold up their shields and form a chain of shields. The shields are like a moving wall, with spears poking out and stabbing anyone in front. With this great strategy the Romans can breach their enemy front line of defense. 


Why this interest most is because Romans were able to work together. When soldiers work well and  cooperate with each other they will dominate those who work alone. The soldiers is loyal to their General  and well respects the General because when Romans win a battle with their enemy, they would take all the enemy's belonging and share it with the soldiers. The Roman's Domination happened because of their Technology Advances, and Education. With the Education Romans are able to come up with new weapons and strategy for their soldiers. With Technology Advances they are able to make better weapon for the soldiers. The Romans army is Educated, well trained, and well equipped with Advance Technology they will dominate.

- Menh Thau

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The Reign of Pride


On Saturday I attended the Roman history seminar with Mr. Dundov. Despite the cold, I was very excited to go to this class. I knew that I was going to walk out with new information I had never known before. I really enjoyed Mr. Dundov's teaching style because he made it casual and easy to understand. He has had much experience with Roman history and shared many interesting events with the class. One interesting thing that I got out of this seminar, was the reign of Julius Caesar. In 49 B.C, Caesar declared himself as emperor of Rome. I came to notice that Julius Caesar had a big ego, hence naming the birthing process “C section” after himself, followed by our favorite summer month, July. Over the years, Caesar formed a partnership with Gaius Magnus Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus, both being politicians at the time. This partnership among the three men is known as the First Triumvirate. Crassus was known to be a very wealthy man at the time, him being a threat to Caesar. During this time, Pompey and Crassus had come to be rivals. In 49 B.C Caesar went to war against Pompey, leading his army across the Rubicon. Though, Pompey knew that his military was not as strong as Caesars. Caesar pushed his enemies out of Italy and followed Pompey to Egypt, eventually leading in Pompey’s death. In Egypt, Julius Caesar was involved in a romantic relationship with Queen Cleopatra. They later gave birth to a son named Caesarion. In 44 B.C, a man named Cimber, who pleaded for his brother’s recall, assassinated Julius Caesar. After Julius denied his request, the man pulled down Caesars toga from his neck, and stabbed him 23 times. It is to say that Julius Caesar was a man of much pride that led him to his death. I am fascinated with how much honor meant to the Romans then. The pride of the country, families, and protection of others is what all great military leaders strive for!
-Bethany Vidales
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March to Honor



This past week I attended Mr. Dundov's seminar on Roman History. As much as I have been learning about Roman history I knew that there is always something more I can learn and I was eager to do so despite the how early it was. Although so much was taught in the class from aqueducts to Julius Caesar the military lesson sparked my interest the most for several reasons. It was crazy to me how much the military meant to the people of Rome at this time, not only to the government but to each individual and family. Even though I know people of this day are still excited to join the military it seemed as though there was a total different motive and reward for joining during this time. The people of this time knew how important the military was in keeping Rome such a powerful country and they wanted to have anything to do to help out. All of the soldiers were volunteers which shows the push they had for the fact they weren't being drafted to be forced to work in the army. Having such a strong military and knowing that they are what held Rome as one of the most powerful countries in the world, they saw the military as more of and honor than just a civic duty. When men would do a great job in duty they would bring the entire family respect for years to come. The Roman women would stay home and do domestic duties while the men would fight in battle, as some would see that as sexist it was just how they made the country flow and everyone was participating. It seemed as though everyone knew what they were expected to do and did it to the best of their ability. The Romans seem like such nationalist, they believe in more than just themselves, they believe in Rome and that is so beautiful to me. They weren't just marching to defeat the next country they were marching for honor.
- Faith Virgen
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"Your Life for Honor"


  This Saturday class was early but I didn't mind. I knew it was an opportunity to learn more about Rome. Our seminar class teacher was Mr.Dundov he taught us about the geography of Rome. A couple of things interested me the most about this class they were the Aqueducts and the Phalanx military. The Phalanx Military because they used a tortoise formation and were almost always impenetrable to attackers. All the soldiers were volunteers because being in the army was about honor. They joined because of honor; do men still do it today? They used really long spears so they could attack their enemies from farther distances. Imagine carrying a 14ft spear or sometimes longer to attack someone who was yards away from you. The soldiers went to military schools and trained all their lives to be a great soldier to bring their family name honor. I think it’s crazy how people risked their lives just to make their parents proud. The Aqueducts interested me because the government thought it was important to provide people with water so the built aqueducts. Aqueducts are ground water which passes through arch structures which go to cities. This water went to public baths and to provide people with drinking water. They used archs because they were strong buildings and they pushed together in the middle and saved them materials. Not only did Romans give their people fresh water so they didn't complain or revolt they saved materials and money by building the archs. Romans are smart and resourceful. I would love to see the Aqueducts in person!  


  




 

-Myriah Catalano

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The Prideful Julius Caesar




My third seminar class was taught by Mr. Dundov. It was Roman History. He told the class many things that took place in Rome. One thing I found the most interesting was Julius Caesar, but I am probably not the only one who feels this way. There are so many interesting things about him. Julius Caesar never backed down from a battle, even if it was a small one. Mr. Dundov told us of this battle Julius Caesar was in. He said that Julius Caesar anticipated it would be a few months but it became about a year long battle. When Julius Caesar went to where his opponent was, the man had built a wall around the city so no one could get in, but the man found a way to send someone to get help and/or food. When Julius Caesar discovered this he made his men surround the area and then he built a wall around the previous one. The man then had no way to get food or help, so he sent out all a thousand something children and women to be saved but Caesar did not help them because of a pride thing. The women and children died in the end. After a long time and two more walls being built, Julius Caesar captured his opponent and took him back to Rome where he was killed in the middle of the city. One thing I had learned about Julius Caesar is that he always lets his pride get in the way, he would never give up a war or battle no matter how insignificant it was.
Julius Caesar’s ego became so big that he marched into Rome and decided to crown himself emperor which ended the republic Rome had. At first nobody said anything because they believed it would be temporary. Then he stayed longer and longer. He also decided to change a few things. He decided to name the C-section after himself because that was how he was born. He even changed the calendar by naming a month after himself, July. His people began to get fed up with him so in 44B.C.E an event called Beware the Ides of March! Julius Caesar was giving a garrulous speech and the senate stabbed him a total of 22 or 23 times and he died.

          When I learned about all of this I was astounded. This man helped spread the Roman Empire but then his ego became too big and he thought he could do anything. Some people still think like that. They think since they are good at one thing then they think they can do anything. Julius Caesar was a great general the problem was that he was too prideful. If I have learned anything from Julius Caesar it is to be great at what you do just do not let your pride get in the way.    -Jessica M.


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'Battle' of Will


            Rain! Today was quite cold and rainy, but Roman History was worth the wait. I had the ability to wait for the class in the rain, and now I have some knowledge about the ability of the Roman Military, especially Julius Caesar. I’m ecstatic! The Romans used military tactics such as the Tortoise Formation and many other forms of military formations. Julius Caesar and his soldiers, for one, used a neat trick against his enemy during the Battle of Alesia.
            The Romans had great pride and family honor. All men believed that fighting would bring their family honor and a higher social status. Roman soldiers were well-trained because they were trained when they were small boys by their fathers who were ounce in their son’s shoes. However, while fighting for Rome, these soldiers formed an attachment to their Generals. Instead of being loyal to Rome, they became loyal to their Generals.  One way Romans won the battles were by using a Formation like the Tortoise Formation/ Testudo Formation, which is the ancient forerunner of the modern “Tank”. While the soldiers and their General win their battle, the generals pass out compensation to his soldiers which are usually just the small left-over’s that are collected from their enemy. Their honor was what led them on their odyssey.
            Julius Caesar was one of the greatest Roman warriors (second greatest in Mr. Dondov’s opinion). He was known for his well thought-out plan with his battles with Gaul. During battle against Vercingetorix (Battle of Alesia), Cesar built two fortification, one to keep one force trapped and one to keep the other force from destroying his own army. This plan was brilliant in my opinion, because now Caesar just gets to relax. However, this Battle was delayed longer than Caesar thought. He believed that this battle would only last about four months. Instead, this battle lasted for one year and a half. This battle, however, was not a battle of force but a battle of will.  
            Roman Military is interesting to me because it's amazing how they were able to hold onto their fort. The way Julius Caesar fought really shows that the Romans had not just physical power to win their battles, but they also had brain power! They had strategies and plans to help spread the Roman Empire. It's amazing how the Romans fought their battles while comparing it to the way battles are fought in the modern era. We have all these fire power and technology that helps us calculate the best strategy to win our battles, while people like the Romans didn't have any type of fire power or technology to help them and yet, they still conquered their battles. I like to watch how battles are fought out because it gives me a better understanding of situations during war time. I like the gore because it just shoes human nature. To me, that means to fight for what we believe in, no matter if it's not actually going out killing people. This is because word is strong by itself; you just have to let others hear your voice.
 -Susan Vang
Tuesday, November 13, 2012 0 comments

Nudity is Key



Anxious today for class to start, I made sure to wake up early in case it started at 9, which it didn’t. Before 1, I felt that I couldn’t wait long enough. One thing I wondered constantly was if today’s art history class will be like my art history class at school. It was not! This information packed art history class was… Mind Blowing! We learned about the 3 main art topics in Rome today: Architecture, Sculpture, and 2D artwork.  Within this 2 hour lecture, the thing that I was most interested in was Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel. Of course you all know and have heard many things about this artist and his magnificent art work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but I’m here to add on! Out of all the 400 figures on that ancient ceiling, the Last Judgment is the most powerful and hypnotizing! He dominated the Renaissance during his time, even Raphael, his Rival couldn’t compete. One thing, however, that is surprising is that they were comrades in a big cartoon hit, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! By the way if you are not familiar, his color is orange and Raphael is red. Also to take note that when Raphael was determined to be the artist for the Chapel, its Pope, Pope Sixtus asked Michelangelo to paint it even if he was a sculpture and not painter. Named after Pope Sixtus, the Sistine Chapel took Michelangelo 4 years and 5 months to finish. When it was open to the public, they were shocked! Astonished! Who in their right mind would paint naked people on the ceiling of a blessed church? It was indecent, improper. This is what leads to the “Fig-Leaf” campaign. Yes, Fig-Leaves to cover up the bottom portion of all the people in the painting. When I learned about this I was like, GASP! Why?! This campaign was brought on by one of his very own pupil, which was unacceptable in my opinion. Eventually the leaves were taken off, and the original artwork was restored to its former glory, but it was never the same again. Nudity in general may not be for everyone, but for Michelangelo it was the key to his artwork and he has become a legend ever since.  His spectacular specimen of art work has generated many other forms of art, even though his art may not be based on realism, but it is still artwork that should last a lifetime. – Susan Vang
Monday, November 12, 2012 0 comments

He Created What!!!?



               
The Roman Art History seminar on Saturday with Mrs. Everett was AWESOME! I learned so much that I never knew before. The time went by so fast that before I knew it I was walking to the car. I didn’t even think to ask about the football game that everyone was just leaving and talking about.  Racing through my mind was the class I had just experienced and my wanting to share it.  I got into the car and told my mom, younger brother and nephews everything that I learned. My nephews were so excited when I told them that the Ninja Turtles they had in their hands, Raphael, Michelangelo  and Leonardo were famous artists in Rome’s history.  I couldn’t believe I never made that connection.  What always fascinates me about learning about history is seeing how it influences us now. It is remarkable to see that the architecture that was created then would later be a basis for the buildings and architecture that we have now.  For example, the Colosseum is one that I would like to visit and am interested to learn more about. I’ve always seen the Colosseum as just a huge bowl like structure that I knew hosted gladiator  games, but that’s all I knew. I didn’t really put together that the Colosseum has inspired famous sports arenas and auditoriums we all go to today.  The Colosseum has so much history to it besides the gladiator games. It’s amazing, fascinating and most importantly inspiring. I learned that the Colosseum worked with such efficiency  it was able to get people in and out within 30 minutes. I can’t even get out of school in 30 minutes! The Colosseum has not only been this huge arena that hosted entertainment but also a roof for those who were homeless after the fall of Rome and an income for those who decided to destroy it to get pieces of copper from within its walls.  Another form of art that Ms. Everett shared with us and interested me was the Frescoes. Frescoes is a form of painting that is done on wet plaster and then painted with layers of pigment. One of the most famous examples of a Fresco is the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel which was painted by the one and only Michelangelo. A Fresco has to be very challenging since you only have a small window of time to paint before the plaster dries up. I can’t imagine painting a ceiling for four years with wet plaster. That is an example of  a true Artist; dedication, patience, precision and pride in their masterpiece.  Today we don’t have that kind of dedication in anything, technology is our crutch and what we rely on. The frescoes in the Sistine Chapel have started to mysteriously deteriorate and its unclear why.  Visitors have been limited as one idea that they have is that too many people may be the reason.  When I learn about these ancient people and their rich history and advances, it really makes me wonder who was really more advanced? I loved the Seminar it went by so quickly it didn’t feel anything like 3 hours.  I have a different appreciation for  Roman art /architecture.  It seems to be everywhere I look and I’ve never really paid attention. From the pillars on the buildings downtown, the dome ceilings in the capitol building, the paintings on the ceilings in churches, like St. Francis and the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacramento and the sculpture of the Pieta that my grandparents have had in their house since I can remember- all of these are all replicas and were inspired by Roman art and history many centuries ago.  I wonder what future generations will get a chance to see and learn about regarding this great history.  I can’t wait till our next seminar…more learning…and more experiences that will not be forgotten.  -Courtney Manriquez B.



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Dude's Legacy

Dude's Legacy are everywhere! From the start of time, people always want to be remembered long even after death. One of the greatest way leave a Legacy is by building the biggest building ever. Trajan was the Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. The Trajan's Forum was build in the year 112 AD. The Trajan's Forum interested me the most during the Roman Seminar. The Trajan's Forum is a simple yet complex building. The building tells the story of all the battles that the Great Trajan's has won under the rule of Trajan. The complex thing about the structure is that creating a gigantic forum about the height of a two story building without modern technology is impossible. When Emperors die they want to leave a big Legacy for everyone to remember them by. In Rome there are tons of " Dude's Legacy" everywhere. Each time Rome gets taken over the Emperor leaves his Legacy behind for people to remember him by. I believe that "Dude's Legacy" are influenced by the Roman Emperor's. Today we have the Mt. Rushmore as a "Dude's Legacy" influence  because it was created to remind who the Great Founding Father of America is. We carve their faces in big stones so that everyone can see it and remember the Great Founding Father. I really like the Trajan's Forum because the building that they left a few thousands of years ago is still in good condition today. Many of the building in Rome left by "Dude's Legacy" is either broken or has been broken and "fixed". The Trajan's left the building because they wanted show how great and wealthy the Emperor is. To make a building that all require a lot of resources and wealth. To the Emperor it meant nothing but just pure "Dude's Legacy". For a building to be untouched for a few thousands of years really showed how powerful and fearful the Emperor is. I would really like to see the Trajan's Forum in Rome. I want to see all the Legacys left by the Romans.
trajan forum romeTrajan's Forum
Mt Rushmore

-Menh Thau
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Faith Translated Into Art


Last Saturday I had another seminar, but this time with Ms. Everett and we discussed art history in Rome.  She showed use slides that contained pictures of Romans 2d and 3d arts, and also a couple of different architectural buildings made by great artist who lived in Rome. In long stories put into short word faith in God brought inspiration into art. The Sistine chapel was the biggest example of faith being translated into art.  It’s basically Michelangelo telling his own story on the creation of man in a 2d painting, and without the inspiration of religion the Sistine chapel wouldn't have been as inspiring. Michelangelo was a huge artist in the break out of the high renaissance which was funded by popes to create art around the city. The Roman Colosseum was a good example of the Romans architectural works. Even though the Colosseum was slowly destroyed over the years of the dark ages do to "recycling" the Colosseum still stands today and is still very  popular in our day of age. I just find it really amazing that with the lack of technology these people had the intelligence to put together all the extravagant buildings, bust, sculptures, frescoes, etc... The Greeks were perfectness who believed that all of there art workings should be there image of a perfect man or woman. On the other hand the Romans believed in realism in there art, they thought they should have more reality then perfection. Both of there styles of art inspired future artist to become better and make even more beautiful art. Three hours wasn't long enough to explain all of the Romans art history, there's way more to learn, and I'm curious to find out what more there's to learn.
-Malik Lee


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Glorified Brilliance

     
       People are always talking about how corrupt and horrible it is when those in power muscle their influence over others or may honor themselves with lavish paintings or sculptures. But I’m beginning to appreciate their bravado, because what they’ve made from their power and tyranny is beauty. You can’t really say you don’t approve of someone when you can’t help but love what has come from their ambitions.

       The Sistine Chapel, the Pantheon, the Coliseum, the Arch or Constantine: all created to honor powerful figures in Roman society, even if not in the same sense. The Coliseum was built in order to immortalize the dominance of emperors Vespasian, Titus, and Domitan. This also reflects the intent of those in power to keep the people happy, allowing people an outlet of national pride and culture. If someone had status and money you could literally leave your mark upon history. But it did; not only did it revolutionize entertainment, engineering, construction, and architecture but also set a model for modern arenas. Nothing could ever compare to the importance of this building for its technique in modifying the way masses could congregate. You never think to actually appreciate Arco Arena “Powerbalance Pavillion” the same way.

       Sway by power is also exemplified heavily within the Roman Catholic Church. Because the Church had money and influence, it was able to incorporate itself into many aspects of Roman culture, especially when analyzing the Baroque Movement.  Due to their plunging popularity, in order to draw people back to the church, officials were forced to embark on a mission to make people want to come back to the church. What better way than constructing magnificent works of art, that and stimulated people visually to make them feel like they were being directly touched by the spirit. I certainly would have fallen victim to this visual manipulation, not being a religious person, and cause me to become a religious zealot. Who can really fight that sort of thing? Unfortunately, it was all propaganda, so you can’t really look at it in a light of religious pride because it really is only for the benefit of the church to draw in more followers based upon superficial looks, allowing the church a safe cover for whatever it might have done that would be considered less than holy. But I appreciate it for what it is, regardless of the motives, even if it’s just another powerful faction flexing against the free thinking and wills of the people, or maybe an opposing powers contradicting effect.

Inspires you just looking at it right?

 

       I honestly don’t see anything wrong with naked people. You’re born naked, can’t be that bad; especially when created by a master, and revered genius such as Michelangelo.  As I look at the massiveness of the church itself, it’s hard to fathom setting yourself atop anything other than a cherry picker to reach the ceiling, which I believe is what makes this work of art all the more brilliant, knowing that Michelangelo probably did not have much more than wooden platforms, ladders, and maybe rope to keep him secure so high above the ground. I can’t help but feel moved by the magnificence of it all, knowing I would never be able to even half way understand the complexity, the strenuous care to creating such an important, massive, and inspiring image, that would draw people to it for hundreds of years after its creation.
 
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"He did that with a Chisel?"

During our Saturday seminar which was Roman Art History I was very interested in the famous sculptures of Rome. Every time I think of sculptures I think of ancient Egypt and how the Pharaohs would use slaves to carve out their statues of themselves. The roman Emperors did the same thing, they wanted their sculptures to look as real as possible. They believed that having a good sculpture of someone made their ghost happy so they wouldn’t haunt them. The thing that was most interesting was how the statue of Marcus Aurelius on the horse survived antiquity (before the Middle Ages). If you notice how Marcus Aurelius is bigger than the horse, the sculptor did that on purpose. He did it to balance the body on the horse because the horse only had 3 legs that were straight and the 4th was up in the air. The pope thought it was Emperor Constantine but discovered it was Marcus Aurelius.  I would love to just walk around Rome and see the sculptures that are so old and so valuable just to witness that amazing piece of history with my own eyes would be breathtaking.  The other thing that interested me was that some sculptures would have big eyes which are common during Christianity in Rome. The thing that was most crazy is the relief sculpture which is used to record military history. The one we learned about is a cylinder that is 700 feet tall! Im only 5’5, so that pillar has about 695 feet on me which is ridiculously crazy! How did they have ladders that tall to mold the pillar or to record the military history with a chisel? These things are mind boggling.  The pillar is placed In Trajan’s Forum and it’s where Pope Gregory had his funeral monument. My favorite sculpture is Michelangelo’s Pieta! Not only did he carve this with only one slab of marble but to capture such fine details like the ripples in the cloth and the holes in Jesus’ hands and feet where the nails were is just pure genius. The Pieta is the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus this statue represents my faith and how Jesus died for our sins. From my last blog you guys must think I have an obsession with Michelangelo well I kind of do. He just has such talent and mystery in his artwork. I would love to witness all his sculptures and many more magnificent ones in Rome! 

  

 

-Sincerely,

          Myriah Catalano
 
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