Blog Post #1

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest surviving pieces of literature to date, and has been the basis of many literary sources in modern times. It has been written in many contexts, including fictional and nonfictional works, however caution must be applied by the reader as historical facts can be stretched and other information added that is not accurate. The Enchantress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is a fictional series written by Michael Scott, following a set of twins foretold to either save or destroy the world. This conquest is guided by an immortal human named Nicholas Flamel who seeks other immortal beings to empower the twins with knowledge in the different elements of magic. This process of learning magic is referred to as being ‘Awakened’ and is incredibly dangerous, often times resulting in death. Along the twins’ journey one of these ancient beings they encounter is Gilgamesh, who is introduced as the first and oldest immortal human, having been alive since the beginning of time.

The author describes him as a filthy, scrawny, old man who due to his long life struggles to retain or recall any memories. But due to his extensive knowledge of magic, he is sought after to educate the twins as a final resort. Comparing Scott’s description in The Enchantress to the man portrayed in the beginning of the Epic of Gilgamesh, they appear to be complete opposites. In the Epic he is portrayed as a great king, “this is the shepherd of the city, wise, comely, and resolute… A goddess made him, strong as a savage bull, none can withstand his arms.” This description of Gilgamesh clashes greatly with how he is portrayed in The Enchantress. However later in the Epic, after the death of his best friend he becomes a shadow of himself, so afraid of death that he spends the rest of his days in search of eternal life.

These characteristics can appear to describe two different people, however both are Gilgamesh. The latter is the person that is portrayed in The Enchantress. Aside from memory loss and potential lunacy, the character comparison of The Enchantress is very similar to the Epic. I believe Scott chose to portray Gilgamesh in this light because it included another variable of unknown to the plot. Being that the process of learning the magic could possibly mean death, suspense was only added as the person administering the ‘Awakening’ was a deranged old king. As a young reader having The Enchantress be my first exposure to Gilgamesh, I naively did not question the author’s portrayal. Sadly it would be years later until I would finally be introduced to the error of my view. While the description of Gilgamesh in The Enchantress does a fantastic job of catching the reader’s attention, it errs on the side of exaggeration and is not the way history should be written because of its lack of accuracy.

Does Tyranny Still Exist?

*The article reviewed does not necessarily reflect my own opinion nor that of the U.S. Navy.

In Andrew Sullivan’s article “America Takes the Next Step Toward Tyranny” from NYMag, he asserts that tyranny has not only gained footing in America, but that the second phase of tyranny has begun. Early in the article, Sullivan discusses the first phase of tyranny as described by Plato. This phase is a period of calm, during which the tyrant cancels debts, redistributes the land, among other things with the purpose of pleasing the people. Sullivan points to President Trumps tax cuts as one such act. This early phase of tyranny closely fits the pre-democratic definition of tyranny because the leader is beneficent and likely popular. Oxford English Dictionary defines “tyrant” several different ways including “(especially in ancient Greece) a ruler who seized absolute power without legal right.” While President Trump does not fit that description, it is important to note that the definition does not mention cruelty by the leader or displeasure from the citizens. As described by the article, the tyrant in the first phase could fit this definition.

As Plato’s narrative goes on to the second phase, however, the leader expels from government those who speak against him and replaces them with his allies. This description of a tyranny fits the post-rise of democracy stereotype that tyrannies are good at first but become corrupted. He writes about how President Trump has replaced many high ranking government officials with people who will do what he wants. Aside from this purge that Plato describes in his description of tyranny, he also writes about the need for a tyrant to stir up war in order to validate the need for a leader. Sullivan argues that President Trump does this through rhetoric wars with our allies and trade wars with nations such as China, as well as with increasing our military presence overseas. At the end of the article, he writes that as the President is backed into a corner, he may employ this greatest distraction, war. Oxford English Dictionary also defines “tyrant” as “a cruel and oppressive ruler.” This definition is closer to the second phase tyrant that the article describes, and a more fitting description of how the article uses the word tyrant.

How to Become an Ancient Greece Expert in Middle School:

When I last studied ancient Greece (in the sixth grade), I remember thinking that I was some sort of expert on the topic based on my extensive knowledge from reading and re-reading all of the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” books. These books made me feel as though I understood the stories of many ancient Greek figures, including the gods. While they are meant to be fiction, kids can still learn about ancient cultures from Rick Riordan’s books.

In each of the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” books, the main character, Percy Jackson, a twenty-first century demigod, goes on a quest where he interacts with different gods, monsters, and characters from ancient Greece, and hears their perspectives on their fates. For example, in the fourth book, Percy finds himself in Daedalus’ Labyrinth, and he meets and talks with King Minos. While a tremendous amount of creative license is applied by Riordan as he takes notable figures from Ancient Greece, and places them in the twenty-first-century (Medusa, for example, runs her own stone garden figure shop), the general idea of each character’s story is present, which is what is important.

Riordan’s books are meant for kids in middle-school; they give kids a version of ancient history that they can get excited about, and understand. I showed these books to my younger brother recently, and he just bought a book that goes with the series that has detailed descriptions of Greek gods and monsters. Am I going to use his book to study for this midterm? Probably not. Did the book (and the rest of the books in the series) make my little brother (who hates to even write his own name) excited to write about Ancient Greece when he studied it in sixth grade? Yes, and as such Riordan’s mission for writing these books is accomplished.

Given the audience of the books, I think that Riordan’s way of examining history is perfectly acceptable. He makes his protagonist the same age as his readers, and because of this, they do not learn about ancient Greece through an objective lens. Instead, they learn through the eyes of someone who mispronounces the same names that they, the reader struggles with, and is far from an expert on Ancient Greek culture. This way of examining history allows Rick Riordan’s young readers to learn about history through a story, as opposed to a textbook.

Word Count: 398

 

 

Technology is Tyranny

              In ancient Greece a tyrant is a ruler who obtains power in an “unorthodox way…and exercises a strong one-man rule”.[1] Although tyrants were viewed as well-known and beneficial, they “expelled many aristocratic opponents” despite their intentions of maintaining alliances.1 Towards the end of the sixth century, tyrants held a bad reputation in the Greek states and were known to defy law and tradition. However, the tyrants’ contributions aided Greece in developing technology and communications which secured prosperity in the future for Greece.

              Modern tyranny takes on a new face that is seen in a variety of actions and movements. One aspect of modern tyranny is the advancement of artificial intelligence. Intelligence, as branch of technology, plays a key role in developing modern democracy but is also viewed as an act of tyranny. Tyranny is now considered to be any “oppressive” act that is capable of hindering our basic human rights.[2] The rights that our society has created post-rise of democracy such as freedom of speech, religion, and press. Therefore anything that challenges the freedoms of modern democracy are considered to be tyrannical and have taken on a negative connotation. According to author Yuval Harari in the Atlantic, technology has embedded itself in “our inner lives, our emotions, thoughts, and choices [which can lead to unprecedented upheavals in human society, eroding human agency and, possibly, subverting human desires”.[3] For instance, the advancement of artificial intelligence in the military has given rise to UAV’s, unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones. Drones are replacing military personnel and their minds when targeting foreign enemies. The ability of a computer to control the fate of a person’s life goes against what American democracy stands for. This results in a fear of losing the very morals and freedoms that encompass our democracy. America then becomes divided, in regards to the extent of artificial intelligence due to its controversy against our morals, the foundation of democracy.

The current context of the word “tyrant” takes on a harsher connotation in post democratic society than in pre-democratic society. However, I think Yuval Harari’s article uses ‘tyrant’ in the correct setting because most people do not think of technology as something cruel, or ‘oppressive’.  This article bridges the gap of modern tyranny and ancient tyranny because it is conveyed in a less authoritative context. The article suggests that tyranny does not always have to be harsh and brutal, as depicted in modern society. There are other ways to define tyranny that have benefits and positive connotations associated with the term. The notion of technology as a form of tyranny fits the ancient definition of a ‘tyrant’ because it includes the advantages and disadvantages associated with the term. This article helps readers to see tyranny in its purest form with both negatives and positives, a mix of modern and ancient. Both scenarios of tyranny bring about negative connotations but have made big steps in stimulating economic growth.

[1] From Chapter 3 of The Heritage of World Civilizations, Tenth Edition. Albert M. Craig, William A. Graham, Donald Kagan, Steven Ozment, Frank M. Turner. Copyright 2016 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

[2] “Tyranny.” Merriam-Webster.com. Accessed 5 Sep 2018. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tyranny.

[3] Harari, Yuval Noah. “Why Technology Favors Tyranny.” The Atlantic. August 30, 2018. Accessed September 05, 2018. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/10/yuval-noah-harari-technology-tyranny/568330/.

300 vs the Real Spartans

Kody Crider

West in the Pre-Modern

Sagstetter

300 vs The Real Spartans

The movie 300 was produced in 2007, and while the movie does have some historical accuracy, there is a lot added to the movie to create a protagonist feel to the Spartans. During the movie, the Spartans wear almost little to no armor aside from their helmets. Their entire body was left open and vulnerable; this is not entirely accurate. The real Spartans were known to value their armor, and their body was covered in armor making them all look the same. I believe the director did this to add to the warrior vibe of the Spartans and to attempt to put an emphasis on their strength and courage.

Adding to this inaccuracy, another part of the movie that is not entirely true is this protagonist role the Spartans played. While in the movie they were made out to be the good guy and had the audience supporting them, in reality the Spartans were quite cruel. The Spartans would conquer their neighboring lands and enslave the citizens to their labor force. The director most likely did not want to show this side of them because if this was shown in the movie, then it would have changed the whole plot of the story. The Spartans would then have not been the good guys they were made out to be in the movie, and this may have lowered the popularity of the movie.

I believe that using media to teach history is a valid way of learning history because it is modernized and relatable. Our generation is more willing to sit down and watch a movie about history then to open a history book and read it. Although, these modern representations of history may not always be accurate, they give a stage to shine light on the history of the world. 300 is not the most accurate but there are many movies and other forms of entertainment out there that are much more historically accurate and give viewers a true knowledge of the subject. Without this, we would most likely go on without studying or attempting to learn about the history of ancient civilizations which helped shape the world we live in today.

Tyranny: An Analyzed Definition

Ben Cracraft

9 September 2018

The West in the Pre-Modern World

Sagstetter

Blog #1

In my opinion, the article, “Why Tyrants Dehumanize the Powerless”, written by Sarah Jones, both correctly and incorrectly uses the term “tyrant” in context throughout the article. The article explains how tyrants, such as the Nazi’s and Donald Trump pursue power by dehumanizing the weak. The ancient definition of tyranny would also not fit when used in this article. Although the article provides historical examples of powerful people seeking the support of their people, the article is partially incorrect in calling these people “tyrants”. The ancient use of the word “tyranny” did not always have a negative connotation. People would often support their ruler and not question their divinity or method of rule[1]. The article, “Why Tyrants Dehumanize the Powerless” states many examples of powerful leaders throughout our history, however, the article does not fully use the term “tyrant” properly.

The article explains how Donald refers to Mexicans crossing the border into America as criminals and rapists. This article does not correctly use the term tyranny in either a modern or a pre-democratic context. In a modern context, the term “tyrant” does not fit when used referencing Trump. A tyrant is someone who’s rule is absolute and is unrestrained by the law or constitution and abuses their power[2]. It could also reference someone who is brutal and oppressive towards their people. Trump has to follow the constitution and is kept in check by our government’s checks and balances. Additionally, the pre-democratic definition is much different. A pre-democratic tyrant would refer to someone who inherited their power illegitimately and rules at the will of the people.

Additionally, this article lists the Nazis as a tyrant. The use of this word is correctly used in both the modern and ancient context. The term tyranny fits a modern context because the Nazi’s were extremely brutal and oppressive towards large portions of its own people. They gained power violently with a great deal of opposition. Additionally, the article uses the term tyranny with the ancient definition correctly because the Nazi’s were a political party with support from many of its people. In conclusion, the article “Why Tyrants Dehumanize the Powerless” uses the term tyrants both correctly and incorrectly in a modern and ancient context.

 

Works Cited

https://newrepublic.com/article/149232/tyrants-dehumanize-powerless

https://www.britannica.com/topic/tyrant

[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/tyrant

[2] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/tyranny

300: A Fabricated Blast of the Past

If one examines the world of cinematography, he or she will notice that the themes of many movies are adoptions of historical events or literary works. An epic battle between two rivals or an endless saga between two lovers make great stories for an audience to feel an emotional connection to. However, oftentimes filmmakers will try to manipulate the historical accuracy of events to make a movie more entertaining. This causes dispute amongst historians because it can distort the true events of the historical record. One of these events is the Battle of Thermopylae. In the movie 300, film writers intentionally manipulate the historical accuracy of the Battle of Thermopylae to evoke emotion and draw interest out of viewers.

As a story passed through oral tradition, the Battle of Thermopylae has a limited amount of primary sources covering it, making it hard to uncover the true facts. One well-known thing is that the battle was fought between the massive Persian Empire and the Greeks. 300 filmmakers did an accurate job depicting the massive disparity between the Greek city-state Sparta, led by King Leonidas, and the massive Persian empire, led by King Xerxes. However, since the movie 300 is a fictional recount of an inspirational battle, told from a mainly Greek point of view, some questionable inaccuracies present themselves. The film portrays Xerxes as a barbaric ruler in comparison to Leonidas. This is not accurate because Xerxes is a dignified king of an empire twice the size of Greece. Similarly, filmmakers overestimate the Spartan’s abilities in battle. While it is true that Spartan soldiers were well trained and strong, they did not fight battles without proper armor. The portrayal of the Spartans fighting almost naked is highly unrealistic. These inaccuracies attempt to portray Spartans as superior fighters as a way to help viewers support their cause.  

 Ultimately, the sole purpose of making a movie is to make a profit. What drives profit in the film industry is viewers emotions. While the movie 300 recounts the story behind the Battle of Thermopylae, it is clear that the filmmakers wanted to apotheosize Spartan culture to make the audience feel more connected to the movie.  Of course, every person’s understanding of history is different. Some choose to only remember the glam and others choose to accept the reality. When filmmakers purposefully make movies historically inaccurate, they make it hard for viewers to see history in its true reality. This purposeful manipulation of the historical record is dangerous because it has the potential to distort future understandings of history.

Words: 424

Ancient History in Modern Media: Percy Jackson

Most of the Percy Jackson series is not what people would consider historically accurate, but it does give a great interpretation of ancient Greek Mythology. Author Rick Riordan thought of this series when his son asked for bedtime stories. After running out of myths to tell, Riordan thought of new ways to incorporate stories that his son would love. Though they are not the same, the books rely heavily on Greek mythology. The main character, Percy is considered a half-blood meaning half Greek God and half human. Percy, is the son of Poseidon, one of the most powerful gods. During his high school years, Percy attends a camp that teaches half-blooded children necessary skills for survival. While the antagonists in many of these books tend to be ancient gods there is also the disgraced half-blood who seeks revenge. Some other differences are the half-blood camp which is not depicted in any Greek mythology as well as the Lotus Hotel that Percy gets trapped at. There was Perseus, who was the son of Zeus. He was cast away when he was just a baby and remained stuck on an island ruled by Polydectes. The ruler was in love with Perseus’s mother and did not like the son. Polydectes thought if he made Perseus get the head of the Gorgon Medusa then he would die and thus not be present at the wedding. However, Perseus succeeded and became a hero.

This story brought into speculation if there was any relation between Perseus and Percy. They are both cunning young men with very powerful fathers. Their high status attracted many enemies. The accuracy between the ancient world culture’s and this book are many. The series includes the infamous Minotaur, Medusa, the three Furies. Having Greek mythology shown in a relatively easy book to read definitely draws interest on where the inspiration came from. Personally, I was interested in what the strengths and weaknesses of these gods had after reading the series. I wondered what other stories were out there about ordinary people taking on these beings of great power.

Source: http://rickriordan.com/about/frequently-asked-questions/

Ancient History in Modern Media: Assassins Creed Origins

From the Trireme to the geography, Assassins Creed Origins is a unique representation of ancient Egypt. The creators seamlessly incorporated historical accuracy with dynamic gameplay to create an experience enjoyable for historians and gamers alike. The creators invested genuine time and effort to make the game as historically accurate as possible, while maintaining an action-packed piece for everyone. The geography and architecture alone are worth noting due to their shear detail. And while actual events and actual scale of the playable map are altered, they still follow relatively accurate timeline. It would likely not be as an enjoyable game from a player’s perspective if the game was completely true to history and it is easy to see why some details and events in the game are altered by the creators to make it more fun to play. In almost every way this game offers a chance for people to actually learn about history while having a good time.

The art and open world aspect of the game are designed so that players can actually go into certain areas of the map to take actual tours of museums and libraries. The storyline itself depicts Cleopatra, Alexandria, and ancient Egypt to the point where someone who didn’t even care to look through the game can come away with historical context and still learn a lot about that time period. While I wouldn’t go straight to the game over my textbook, I think there is still much to learn from the game from a big picture perspective.

It is my personal belief that something like this is a creative way at making something potentially unappealing to younger kids into something really educational. Yes, it is violent and bloody, but I would rather have my child play this than Call of Duty or Evil Within. They certainly would actually come away with some sense of history than any other game out there today. Using a platform like video games and media to reach kids that are growing further from books and studying is a great way to adapt to learning styles. Assassins Creed Origins does not only deliver a great experience, but offers players a chance to learn about the world and history in a different way.

Ancient History in Modern Media: 300

 

Blog Post 1: 300

Ancient history is depicted today in many forms. One of the most popular forms of a modern representation of the ancient world is film. Movies based off of ancient history are either depicted very well or miss the mark in some capacity. The movie 300, is an example of a modern representation of western Europe’s ancient history. The movie highlights the Battle of Thermopylae, which took place in 480 B.C., as it tells the story of King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans fighting the Persian army of 100,000 (Imdb.com). This battle was a result of the Persian Empire’s invasions to conquer ancient Greece. The movie covers much of Spartan and Persian culture on top of the story itself to give the reader an idea as to what life was like there at the time. Some of these scenes showing this culture is accurate, but some are also inaccurate.

In the very beginning of the film, the Spartans are seen inspecting newborn infants to deem if they are fit for life. Should they be rather small or deformed, then the infants are discarded into what is called “the place of rejection.” This scene is questioned by many for its accuracy as it seems hard to believe that people would simply “discard” of newborns not up to a certain standard. However, the depiction of this practice is accurate as the Spartans actually did get rid of infants not up to their standards (Historyvshollywood.com). Another questionable depiction from the film is if the Spartans actually faced the Persians by themselves. In the movie, the culminating battle scene shows the force of 300 Spartans face the large army of Persians alone. This scene is inaccurate as the Spartans received aid from other small groups of Greek armies in the Battle of Thermopylae (Historyvshollywood.com). This false representation was most likely featured for dramatic cinema affect. Being that the title of the movie is 300 and the Spartans are shown alone as an army of 300 the entire time, it is perhaps assumed the most effective way of creating the battle scene was to feature the 300 Spartans alone. Tampering with history is never the best choice to make, however, it is only a small detail the filmmakers excluded in their motivation to drive the film home to the viewers. Thus, the argument can be posed that this is a valid choice.

This film on a major historical event portrays the story well overall. Despite some inaccuracies in the representations of people as well as the history, the film as a whole stays close to the actual story. Movies based on historical events will not always follow the history exactly. In order to please the audience and critics, certain aspects of the truth may be omitted or altered to achieve the cinema quality film makers strive for. The movie 300 serves as an example of modern media containing both inaccurate and accurate representations of history.

Works Cited

Historyvshollywood.com. HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media, 2018.  http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/300spartans.php. 7 Sep 2018.

Imdb.com. IMDb.com, Inc, 2018. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416449/plotsummary. 7 Sep 2018.