Discussion 1: Roman Legacy
Life in Ancient Rome can be likened to the contemporary life in the United States today in terms of decline of moral values in both times. In Ancient Rome, crime rates were high and gladiator fights were celebrated just like in the U.S. today where crime is commonplace and people fancy violence on the streets, in movies, video games and violent sports like football and boxing. Similarly, prostitution was rampant in Ancient Rome just like it’s widespread in the U.S presently. The latter even have licensed strip clubs and pornographic content on television in addition to some states legalizing prostitution.
St. Augustine’s world view constitutes of Christian tenets relating to creation, the fall of man, as well as the redemption. Augustine perceives history in a strictly linear form, where there is a clear beginning and a definite end – the Earth was created by God who then created man. The earth is not eternal; it has a beginning and an end. Further, Augustine explains that man was created to endure eternally but condemned when the first man disrupted God’s perfect good order. As such, all humankind inherited the effects of Adam’s original sin meaning a few will receive salvation while the vast majority will face damnation on Doom’s day. The modern Western worldview is largely built on this ancient tenet of Rome philosophy.
Discussion 2: Augustine’s Christianity
The Confessions and The City of God express St. Augustine’s views of Christianity, particularly art and architecture elements of Ravenna. The architectural aspects of Ravenna were inspirational and served to remind the faithful why they were Christian. Augustine employs the metaphor of light as a representation of the word of God. In San Vital, the Church building takes the shape of an octagon. The interior of the Church is illuminated regardless of the positioning of the Sun or the season. Similarly, the Theodora mosaic symbolized the promise of eternal life. Accordingly through the eternal fountain of life, one is able to transcend the natural world (earthly city) to the city of God for the rest of time.
Discussion 3: Islam and Christianity Made Visual
Islamic visual arts at Alhambra and Dome of the Rock are decorative, colorful and typically nonrepresentational of humans or animals. This is because Muslims disapprove creation of idols. On the contrary, Christian calligraphy at Ravenna is highly representational where there is use of iconography and the human form. Calligraphic design in Islamic art has religious exhortations such as Quranic verses, verses of poetry, as well as inscriptions representing ownership or donation. The Mosaic on the Dome of the Rock depicts scrolling vines, lowers, jewels, and crowns shaded in green, blue and gold. The inscriptions on it show proclamations of Islamic religious superiority while the Christian calligraphy at Ravenna represents the essence of the religion to the people.
Discussion 4: The Medieval Experience
During the middle Ages in Europe, crusades were largely a series of military expeditions that were promoted by the papacy, initially targeted at taking the Holy Land for Christendom. On the other hand, pilgrimages at the time were journeys to sacred places for religious reasons. In view of this, if I lived in Europe during the middle Ages I would have rather gone on a pilgrimage rather than a crusade. This is because I believe that while the motive behind pilgrimages was pure, crusades were inspired by ill-motives of expansionism, sheer adventure, conquest and plunder. The crusades were merely military pilgrimages.
The Bayeux Tapestry tells of a battle between two nations – England and France. The Normans, whom the British and French argued about their real nationality, owned the Bayeux Tapestry which had great tradition and popularity. The Tapestry’s narrative is indeed sympathetic to both sides of the conquest – the modern English have long integrated Norman heritage into their own identities; the French still hold that the Norman initially originated from the northwest side of France. The We Were Soldiers film depicts the Battle of la Drang of November 1965 where American soldiers fight the Vietnam War. The harsh experience of American troops in the war evokes sympathetic emotions among viewers in support of them but also makes Vietnamese sympathizers to feel their plight.
Discussion 5: Medieval Education
As an illiterate peasant in Chartres Cathedral in 1250 A.D., I would learn much about Christianity from the stained glass windows. I would learn about the story about the finding of Moses (Exodus 2). I would learn of Baby Moses being placed in a basket in the river. The river water is represented by the waving glasses colored in blue, green, and pink having specs of black and white colors. Pharaoh’s daughter would be the person in the center because of the crown while her handmaid is to the right because of the cleaner and better dress she wears. Moses’ sister is the one dressed in a simple looking dirty dress. Pharaoh’s daughter and sister are conversing about saving the baby.
A doctorate in Catholic Theology would be my most likely subject of my summa at the University of Paris in 1250 A.D. This is because at the time the most popular course for study at the University of Paris was the philosophy of St. Augustine. It would have been a privilege to be a student of the Western church’s great Father and Doctor of the 4th and 5th centuries. Furthermore, I like Augustine’s argument that people must rely upon sense experience in their search for truth.
Discussion 6: Renaissance Self-Help Books
Most leaders of the word today use Machiavelli’s management technique, “The end justifies the means”, in both government and corporate structure. As such, they undertake whatever is necessary so as to ultimately achieve a certain result. In my opinion President Barrack Obama is a good example of a current leader employing this controversial technique. In the effort to do whatever it takes to guarantee the safety and security of the United States, President Obama has sanctioned the use of controversial drones in military operations both domestically and overseas.
The restriction on the participation of women in society was at its peak during the period of Renaissance. Only privileged daughters of highly educated such as Laura Cereta, Lucrezia Marinella, and Isabella d’Este had a chance to assert their higher intellectual abilities. However, some contemporary women were able to express themselves too. A good example is Isabella Andreini (1562-1604), the most famed actress of the Commedia dell’arte. Andreini was able to become the first woman ever to perform on a French stage at a time when women were not permitted to do so. She was overly talented, beautiful, and intelligent and cultured besides being a gifted actor and poet (Ray, 2008). Her legacy was long felt in theatre and literature realms after her death.
Reference:
Ray, K. M. (2008). Andreini, Isabella (1562-1604). Retrieved from: http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/efts/IWW/BIOS/A0003.html
