Architecture Dissappears out of no Where!

(pg 41, The Ancient Mediterranean World) "Mycenaean Places were often constructed on high ground, either for social reasons( to symbolize the higher status of the ruling class) or for military reasons( to make the site more defensible)"

Although the Mycenaean civilization could be said to be descendants of the Minoan culture, their technology in their architecture was still below that of the Minoans. Even though the Minoans were alive before the Mycenaeans, their technological innovations were lower. Mycenaeans built their palaces on high mountains/hills. Like the quotation states, it was for both military and social reasons. Building a town or palace on a hill/mountain is extremely smart for the time because as enemy lines would approach the palace to attack, they would need to be angle up while defenders of the palace would be aiming down, making it allot easier to defend. Also it would show from a distance where the palace was and showing off the social status of the people in the area. They also built their walls very thick, 25 feet thick to be exact! This made it extremely hard to think about breaching the walls as it would have been impossible in the time period. But for the time period these were extremely innovated techniques that we will not see for another 1000 years. While the Minoan culture was above the Mycenaeans, they both were extremely innovated cultures that would shape history throughout the ages.

"Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. There is an idea, Mr. Creedy - and ideas are bulletproof."

The quote above is from the great movie; V for Vendetta. V says this after being repeatedly shot by government agents and one of them (Mr.Creedy) asks why just won't die. It relates to the quote I have chosen from our reading on page xiv; "History makes it clear that we may die, as we may live, as a result of what someone believed to be quite true in the relatively remote past."

All throughout history people have laid down their lives in the name of the ideas they believed in or, sometimes more importantly, in what their leaders believed in. Right now wars are being fought in the name of freedom, democracy, and secularism. Most of the great memorable battles in history are relevant today because they were fighting for ideas. The Persian Wars, Peleponnesian, Punic Wars, Crusades, American Civil War, and World War II were all clashes of ideologies. These wars are relevant to us today because they dictated which ideas were going to live on to the next generations. Its mind blowing to think that in an indirect way, the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae, or the Romans on the sands of Tunisia dodging Punic elephants are responsible for giving us the opportunity to vote. Seems like we should thank the greeks for more than just souvlaki.

The Mycenaean Civilization

"Between about 1700 and 1100 B.C., a separate Bronze Age civilization flourished on the Greek peninsula. Until the late nineteenth century, this civilization - like that of the Minoans - was known only through the mythology that later developed around it..."

What I found to be most interesting about the Mycenaean civilization was that they were known only through the mythology that established around it. The civilization is not being reminisced for being civilized, or for events that altered the way other civilizations were formed, but rather the Mycenaean civilization is remembered by the myths that were formed around its culture, and religion.

History Forms Current Opinions

"But we also discover something fundamental about a people in what they choose to argue over in the past."

This quote from Preface: The Value of History, taken from The Ancient Mediteranian World, refers to what effect history has on current culture. The writer is implying that history shapes peoples opinions, and posions in today's society, and that what has happened in the past alters people's decisions in the present time. People learn about historical events, and change their opinion about different topics. For instance, people learn about past conflicts between countries, such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, which has been going on since the 1940's, and use that knowledge to establish their opinion on the current issues.

When reading this quotation in the text, I took notice to it because immediatly many different examples of past issues, becoming present came to mind. Issues such as, the one between The U.S. and Iraq. This issue was occuring in the early 1990's, and became a current issue again after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

People are too often are reluctant to change and alter their opinions about highly controversial topics. Occasionally their opinion is on based off of correct information, and is not necessarily an unfair opinion, but I beleive that everyone should keep an open mind when it comes to important issues.

Reading Between the Lines

"History is a series of arguments to be debated, not a body of data to be recorded or a set of facts to be memorized."

History should not just be about recorded data or a bunch of facts to be memorized, although sometimes it seems as if in the classroom, dates, names, and numbers are the only things teachers are concerned about. Because of this, overtime, I think we've lost a sense of priority in what is important in history. A lot of the time we get caught up in all the little tiny details of what went on in the past instead of stepping back and taking a look at the big picture. We really don’t learn anything from memorizing what day the War of 1812 started, but what we are affected by are the mistakes people made, the unruly and unjust things that were enforced, world wide epidemics, and the hardships people endured. Those are the things that with discussion help to stretch and expand our horizons.

The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth...?

“Who controls history, and how it is written, controls the past, and who controls the past controls the present.”

What would your view point be on Hitler if you never learned or were exposed to all of the horrendous things that he and the Nazis did? If historians kept all of these crucial bits of information from us, we might think Hitler was a great, positive leader. The point is, people who write about history control the past. The way they write about certain events, and the details they decide to include or exclude influences the minds of modern day people. Historians may not be intentionally lying to us, but if they decide to only include half of the facts, as readers, that’s all we’ll ever know and essentially, that’s all we’ll ever believe, hence also controlling the present. This can drastically change or viewpoint, and although we expect history to be completely unbiased and strictly factual, that is not the case at all. In essence, when we read about history, we are forming our own opinions based on other people’s opinions, not raw facts. So, are our thoughts considered to be valid if what we read is already a skewed version of the truth? My real question is; how is our society supposed to “learn from the past” if we’re only given one side of the story where certain aspects are embellished and downplayed?

"Cometh the hour, cometh the man."

I found this an interesting concept that only an unhappy land looks for heroes. I also find it a true concept. I agree it is the environment that creates the hero. When society faces disaster they need someone to look up to and guide them through difficult times. Further on in the paragraph Hughes-Hallett goes on to say “It is desperation that prompts people to crave a champion, a protector, or a redeemer and, having identified one, to offer him their worship.”

People do not go looking for Heroes on a day-to-day basis. Disaster must strike, and that disaster fuels desperation and desperation sparks the need for a leader, and this is where a hero comes in. Desperation is a powerful notion; it dulls your logic, makes people do things they wouldn’t normally do in the right frame of mind. For example, after WWI the German people were in despair, and Hitler seized this opportunity for power. He was in the right place, at the right time, and desperation clouded the people’s judgment. Of course he did not end up being a hero, but he proves that only in the right time will we seek a leader. Heroes need tragedies, like police need crime, and firefighters need fire.

Products of our Culture

"In the end, to know the past is to now ourselves-not entirely, not enough, but a little better"

What struck me while reading this, is how very true that statement is. If we are products of our culture, which I believe we are. Than in order to understands how we became who we are today, we need to understand how our culture came to be. In order to understand that, we need to study the history of our culture.

Twisted Truth

"When a society seeks to alter how the record is presented, well-proven facts notwithstanding, we learn how history can be distorted to political ends."

I agree with the the authors on this fact, but I disagree that well proven facts can not be twisted for political reasons. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for example is clams that the Holocaust is a myth. Even when it is a well proven fact that the Holocaust did happen, and there is an amply supply of proof. This is a modern example of a political figure twisting history. I found an interview with President Ahmadinejad that was conducted on the topic. If you have a few minuets it can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykd-syzZ4ZY&feature=related.

The Hour Makes the Man

“It is in times of emergency that heroes are looked for, and found. Bertolt Brecht wrote, famously, that it is an unhappy land that looks for heroes.”

Extraordinary circumstances foster the heroic qualities in everyday people. In other words, heroes are born when there are surrounded by ideal circumstances. More specifically, it is usually under unfortunate circumstances or tragedy that heroes often emerge. When something goes wrong, as a society, we look for some individual to take lead, step up to the plate, and ultimately "save" us from the crisis at hand. But without these specific circumstances, heroes would not exist. Their success and claim to fame heavily relies on the fact that they were in the right place, at the right time.

Just another thought...

Lucy Hughes-Hallett’s case on how heroes emerge is very similar to Gladwell’s, author of Outliers, view on how successful people are made. Gladwell insists that successful people are not self-made, instead he argues that they “are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot.” Before any other teen on the planet had started programming, Bill Gates acquired 10,000 hours of programming experience by the time he was 19. Now would he be the success he is today without having all of those extraordinary opportunities? Gladwell thinks not. And the same could be argued about heroes and their successes. The average, everyday man who miraculously lifts up a car to save a trapped little girl would be no hero, if the little girl was never trapped in the first place, would he? And would the firefighter who recently rescued a boy from a burning house be considered a hero, if the house never caught on fire? Or how about Martin Luther King Jr., would he have emerged as a hero if racism seized to exist?

Heroes: dangerous or essential?

"The notion of the hero- that some men are born special- is radically inegalitarian. It can open the way for tyranny."

Although great at times, the concept of a hero can be dangerous. Throughout history people have always searched for a hero in their time of need, out of desperation. Hitler's rise to power can be used as an example of this (although Hitler shouldn't be considered a hero). The German people needed a strong ruler who would look after them. Putting so much power in one persons hands is never a good idea, even if the "hero" has good intentions. Putting all of your faith in one thing leads to disappointment, and a heroes status is never secure. He or she is always being closely watched, people waiting for them to make a mistake. Or in Hitlers case, giving one person so much power was a mistake because he abused this power and his influence over people. A hero's success also depends on the time, for example, some leaders are better in times of war or conflict; while others are better at managing a countries day to day issues. Heroes are unpredictable and sometimes dangerous, but everyone needs something to believe in, just in moderation.

Hubris Schmubris?

"The Argonauts left Heracles behind," noted Aristotle, for the same reason that the Athenians took to ostracizing and sending into exile outstanding citizens, "so the Argos would not have on board one so vastly bigger than the rest of the crew ."

One of the major themes in Greek literature is the destructive power of hubris, yet this is a blatant example of such a force being exhibited by the Greeks. The assumption that times are good therefore we do not need a hero, is one for the hubristic kind. That is equivalent to saying that because we think we are getting by as is, we do not want anything that could improve our current state of affairs. This notion is dangerous one because that means whenever we do fall into a crisis there will be no heroes to lift us out, for they have all been driven away. Even the great Athenians, the arguable ideal western state, drove away people that they knew could help them develop and progress. Heroes help us to see the best in ourselves, not taking the status quo for an answer, and shatter the our accepted view of normal leaving the extraordinary in their wake. Human kind would be foolish to assume that we do not need as many heroes as it can find, at whatever time it can find them, for a true hero is not only a beacon of hope, but a catalyst towards a better society and a better future for humankind.

Hero Worship

"Hero worship still plays a vital part in our political lives. It inspires both terrorists and those who combat them. It shapes the rhetoric of our election campaigns. It helps determine the choices made by democratic voters and it eases the dictators' ascent to power."

This passage sums up what hero worship is in a nutshell. Worshipping a hero can have positive or negative ramifications, and shapes the morals we practice today. Today's foolishness, and the personalities possessed by people today are configured by heroes and the story's of heroes.

Timing is everything...

“It is in times of emergency that heroes are looked for, and found…”

Heroes are rebels, they are the brave souls who defy authority and stand up for what is right. The reason that heroes have such an appeal is because in times of need there they are, capes blowing in the wind, ready to save the day. Take Franklin D Roosevelt for example, 10 years before the depression his New Deal would not have been accepted. It was only after a few years of the Depression, when unemployment rates were 25% that Americans were willing to accept governments help in job creation. “It is an unhappy land that looks for heroes.” When times are tough we look to the sky in hopes of seeing Superman sweeping in to save the day.

The Image of a Hero

"Heroes must look, and act the part. They must swagger and preen or, if their public's taste inclines the other way, they must make a show of their humility, as Cato did, going indecently underdressed to the Forum. Heroic gestures are frequently histrionic, which is not to say they are frivolous: a symbolic gesture can have substantial consequences."


A hero does not necessarily need to be wearing a cape, and mask in order to "look the part." However, a hero must be one to stand out in a crowd, whether it be by ones image, actions, or simply just being different. Being a hero does not require any need to demonstrate acts of swagger, as Hughes-Hallett indicates. The simplest, and possibly most discreet of actions can make someone a hero. A manifestation of someone becoming a hero through the simplist actions is an advocate for women with breast cancer. An extraordinary undertaking that few women in support of breast cancer do is to shave their heads regardless of the fact that they are not undergoing chemotherapy, these women instantly become heroes to the millions of women suffering from this disease. This is an example of someone becoming a hero through the most uncomplicated of actions. When people advocate for others at their own will, it makes them a hero, most likely not in a historical sense, but the fact that they put others needs ahead of their own makes them a hero to someone.

Right time, Right place!

"Cometh the hour, cometh the man. It is in times of emergency that heroes are looked for, and found."

A hero does not gain glory by what he or she does at everything they do in their life. It is at one point in the life, where they decide to make a change and stand up for what they believe in. This moment is decided by the hero. Like the quote says, "in times of emergency that heroes are looked for, and found." Heroes magically have found the power to be in the right place at the right time, earning everlasting glory. We the people need this hero, they pull through and know exactly when to step in and exactly what to do.
The more we read about heroes the more we can understand their mindset when it comes to their claim to fame. When they make the choice to do something in their life that their name will be forever remembered.

Slow and steady wins the ambient race

"The average is the borderline that keeps mere men in their place. Those who step over the line are heroes by the very act. Go." -Henry Rollins

Human beings are fascinated by heroes, those extraordinary people that slay dragons, save damsels, and vanquish evil. But if you look around, you'll find no dragons to be slain, no damsels locked away in tall towers, and nothing with a label sign reading "evil", in the real world its all much more toned down. The real heroes of today aren't the ones on the front page, scoring goals and being praised by hordes of people, they're the everyday people that recognize the wrongs in the world, when its much easier to simply pretend we don't see them, and then do something about it. A real hero takes many small steps over that line, not yelling to the world that the line is long gone, but just persisting in their humble righteous journey.

Beyond the Borderline

“The average is the borderline that keeps mere men in their place. Those who step over the line are heroes by the very act. Go.”

To me, a hero is not Superman, or Spiderman, or Batman. To me, a hero is someone that like this quote says, steps past the “borderline that keeps mere men in their place.” Heroes are born when people realize that they are not content with following the steps of every other person in society. Eventually, through their actions they rise above and the average man. Though the point of blogging about heroes may have been for me to say; a hero is a mythological or iconic figure of great physical strength and supernatural powers who always destroys evil, I truly believe a hero is someone with strong morals who is brave, gracious, and humble. True heroes are the types of people that set out to do good not because they are looking to get a cool “hero” title, but because they genuinely want to help and bring happiness to the people around them. They’re the people that put themselves at risk for the sake of someone else and always do the right thing, though it may not make them popular. But in the end, I think true heroes are people who make decisions based on compassion and leave some form of legacy long after they’re gone.

True heroes are finally recognized

"Old myths, old gods, old heroes have never died. They are only sleeping at the bottom of our mind, waiting for our call. We have need for them. They represent the wisdom of our race."
- Stanley Kunitz

People do not choose to be heroes. They are ordinary people confronted by extraordinary cirumstances, that result in the very best being brought out of them. Heroes do not seek to be called heroes, heroes are people that we look up to, and strive to be more alike. It is for this reaeson that other people choose to label them as heroes. Acts of heroisim serve as examples to other people. Most people are be saisfied with acheiving modest objectives. If everybody was satisfied with themselves and beleived that they had acheived their reached their full potential, there would be no need for heroes. Heroes remind us that perhaps we too can act heroicly, and they encourage us to acheive more than we ever thought we were capable of. Humanity needs heroes. In todays society, celebrities are commonly confused with heroes. One positive, but unfortunatly temporary outcome of 9/11 was that true heroes were finally recognized. The true heroes in the events of that tragic day were the fire fighters, police officers, doctors, paramedics, the passengers on the highjacked planes that hit the world trade centre, and the office workers in the twin towers. Celebrities were finally reduced to the "cheerleaders" for real heroes, ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. We need to admire the simplicity, the purety, and the nobility of what constitutes a hero. They are role models that we need to emulate and to admire. Heroes remind us of what we are capable of, and what we should aspire to be.

The Wisdom of Our Race

"Old myth's, old gods, old heroes have never died. They are only sleeping at the bottom of our mind, waiting for our call. We have need for them. They represent the wisdom of our race." -Stanley Kunitz

Myths were created as a way to explain natural phenomena and provide a moral code that the Greek and Roman people could live by. There was need for them and there still is, as humans today can still relate to the basic ideas of these stories. Myths represent "the wisdom of our race" because even though they were written thousands of years ago, people today can still learn important lessons from them. They are "sleeping at the bottom of our minds" because these stories are based on human nature.

Heros are never Satisfied

“If everybody was satisfied with himself there would be no heroes.”

Mark Twain In my mind a hero is a human who battles adversity and goes above and beyond what a normal human thinks they can do. A heroes battles throughout his or her life for immortality. Played out with battles, tasks, and great challenges to prove his or her heroism. Heroes are never satisfied with being a number in a crowd, left to die and forgotten. But to do something extra ordinary so that thousands of year after their death their name lives on.

What makes a hero a hero?

"If everybody was satisfies with himself there would be no heroes."

-Mark Twain

What is a hero? They are everything we want to be. Selfless, giving, self sacrificing; the best of us. We idolize heroes because, even thought they have their flaws, they are put in extraordinary circumstances and come out victorious. If we thought of ourselves as perfect than there would be no traits that we aspire to have, and as a result no heroes.

My Conception of a Hero

“Virtue is not necessarily qualification for heroic status: a hero is not a role model. On the contrary, it is of the essence of a hero to be unique and therefore inimitable.”

~ Lucy Hughes-Hallett

The quote by Lucy Hughes-Hallett accurately describes the way I perceive a hero; not necessarily someone with high or moral standards, and also not necessarily someone that people look up to or try to imitate. Heroes are rather unlike anyone else, and so much so that it makes the hero someone that is impossible to copy.

What is a hero?

“Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves.”

Carol Lynn Pearson To me a hero is exactly what Carol Lynn Pearson said, Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves. People always look up to heroes, they always cheer when they walk down the street or get honored with a medal. A hero is somebody that is a "freak" they have unhuman like capabilities. Such as human strength or ability to see through walls, jump high, just stuff out of the ordinary. My example of a hero is Hercules or Spider-man they do what is needed without thinking about if they would be safe or not.