Levellers, old fashioned under dogs

The Levellers were unjustly ridiculed and punished for standing up against the strong, the wealthy, and the poweful. They didn't think religion had to be organized with rules and repeated ceremonies; they believed in worshiping in your own way, however you believed was right for you. They didn't feel that any one person or group had the right to tell you how to worship or what to do with your lives. They stood for the people having a voice and not just being told how to lead your life and when to do your duties that were basically the beck and call of the military and governing forces. These people were simply trying to be a voice of reason within dominating hand of the ruling class and amidst all of the fear they inflicted on the people.

Scared to Read

It was surprising to me that average people were actually afraid to read the Bible. That they felt they weren't intelligent enough or had enough training to interpret the writings correctly. Wasn't the word of God one that supposedly spoke to everyone and didn't leave anyone out? I think it's a bit hypocritial that only leaders of the church and those with training were the ones reading the Bible. That left them with the sole responsibility of relaying the information they uncovered within the text to the people however they pleased. Had everyone been reading the same thing, they could have drawn their own conclusions. Since the people were afraid of being swayed by the Devil, they put all of their faith in the hads of the church leaders. Whether that is a safe or dangerous thing depended on what church, in what town I suppose, but the fact remains they were leaving a huge part of their lives and mental well-being in the hands of others.

Phillip IV on His High Horse

King Phillip IV may have been important and accomplished many things, but he sure did like to have his way with no questions asked. Imagine if our government today just made up their own rules to cover their backsides, think for a moment that they don't already do this, and they made no bones about it, it was just what happened and that's the way it was. He wanted to live the life of luxury he felt he deserved, regardless of what it took for that to happen. He stepped over people's beliefs and the history of the country, these common courtesies were too much to be considered. I wonder how the American public at large would react to a leader like this, that not only did what they wanted to but loudly made rules to cover their actions regardless of what anyone said. I know they do it now and lie about it, but what if they shook it in our face, knowing there was nothing we could do about it? I hope we still have a little of the pioneering spirit left that would be needed to stand up for our rights and say no to something that is wrong.

The Return of the Black Death?

A statement in the reading referred to there being medication to those that may become infected now, I thought the Black Death was all but gone, extinct. That scares me to death to think this horrendous plague could come back, seemingly at any time. With the catastrophic effects this plague had on the economy, the population of the people themselves, and all the way to the arts, I can just about get a mental image of what it would do to our more modern world. Entire states could be driven to bankruptcy or total disaster areas in a matter of a week or two, and how would we fight back from that? How would it be possible to get back to where we currently are again. I don't want to think about it, but it's something that will not be ignored.

The Miserable Life of a Peasant

Reading the information about the peasants, their homes, farming methods, and all of their constant worries, I can't imagine much happiness in their lives. Living in homes that often housed not only the family but some of the animals too? No way. Not only that, the homes were built of materials that would house more insects and vermines than they would protect the family from, and dirt floors? How uncomfortable for these people. Not only the actual living conditions but the way of life and the means by which their life was governed were a constant stress and worry. Weather, watering, ferterlizer, and soil exhaustion are just the beginning. Then there was the raw cost of maintaining the plot of land that was farmed and all of the equipment. One bright side was that this way of life may have brought the community of peasants together as they all owned bits and pieces of land and all had different pieces of equipment the others needed to use as well. So sharing and community support were probably stronger then when the people had so little comparted to now when we have more than we need at times.

Wikipedia - Middle Ages

William I of England had many accomplishments throughout England. There were changes to the laws and even the language during his reign. William I went from hte Duke of Normandy to the King of England. A slightly odd and unique factor in William's life was that he became the Duke of Normandy at the age of eight, due to his father's will. William was also knighted by the age of fifteen. William was seen as a noble leader and had the strong support from the people of Normandy. Through the Battle of Hastings William gained power of England over his two other competetors. Throughout his reign there were many reforms to the governmant of England, one that was long-lasting was French taking over as the language of the ruling classes for more than 300 years. William's history in England is that he was one of the few successful attempts at over-ruling the English throne through force as a foreigner.

1. 4,812
2. William the Conquerer, William I of England
3. No disambiguation link found
4. There is only one article posted, it talks about how this particular article was nominated for good article but it didn't ultimately meet the requirements.
5. There have been more than 500 changes; First change: Nov 22, 2001; most recent: Oct 19, 2008.
6. Seven external links.
7. 20 references.
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I would reccommend this article to anyone interested because it was a relatively quick and easy read while much information was present. I had no idea who William I was before this article and now I feel I have a fairly good understanding of his importance. The article articulates his life in easy to read and understand paragraphs that are clearly labeled and detailed.

ISLAM

Having read this article, its one of much information and knowledge when it comes to Islam. Muhammad was a determined, powerful and inspirational man during his time. He managed to change the the religion of an entire town (Medina) to Islam. Some of Muhammad's actions in his quest to be "THE PROPHET OF GOD" is recognized and still being practiced in the Muslim communities today. Muhammad was not a well liked man when he first started his trek to Mecca. Some of the Mecca leaders threatened to kill Muhammad for making the proclamation of being the only prophet. Muhammad would go on to become a powerful leader. Maybe not a well liked leader in some people eyes, but nonetheless a powerful leader of Islam. Since Muhammad's death, the nation of Islam has grown tremendously. A key figure (leader) in the nation of Islam today is Luis Farrakhan who resides in the United States. Luis Farrakhan was born Luis Walcott, but after studying the Qu'ran and the words of the late Muhammad, Farrakhan changed his name and religion.

Big Bad Dad

I cannot believe the amount of unlimited power the fathers or paterfamilias had within the household. To be able to kill your wife or children based on something that couldn't always be proved goes to show these men could conduct their lives nearly unchecked. If a wife was in bed with another man, it comes down to the husband's word against the wife's and we all know where that ended up, bye bye wife. Selling the children into slavery is a tiny step above killing them altogether. Although the men had so much power and control, it's surprising to me that the wives were viewed as high as they were. Wives having input and arranging the childrens' marriages is huge as marriage is the means by which the family name and wealth is continued. Then again, Big Bad Daddy comes in and takes control and ownership of any land, business, and wealth the new extension of the family has created. This is one aspect of Roman society that isn't missed by many, I'm sure.

Hannibal's Trajedy

I think it's sad that after all of the victories and status Hannibal and his army gained for Carthage that he fell from favor as soon as a mistake, a loss, was made. For years Hannibal was the leading general, conquering the unconquerable, and bringing fortune and status to the people of Carthage, when his victories stopped, the hero and legend went down the drain too. Now, because of movies and is history, whenever the name Hannibal is said it conjures images of a certain Sir Anthony Hopkins movie many of us are familiar with. This story is right in line with stars of our day and age. A celebrity can be 'on top' for years and years, once they mess up or make a few mistakes, that's it, they have fallen from grace and are no longer viewed in a soft light. People are humans and they make mistakes, maybe a little forgiveness and giving aid to one another may be just what it takes to save our own lives as well as the lives of others. Just a thought :)

The Plebians - Americans?

In some ways I the Plebians resemble the majority of the American People. The Plebians were the work force that kept the economy going, they provided members for the army, and they provided the food that fed the people. If only they could have organized and met with a common goal or idea, they could have had a much better place in society. This is also true with the majority population of the US. It is the top two percent of the population that basically runs the country and it seems a lot of it has to do with the fact that the masses that make up the work force can never completely unite. Could it be that we are too big of a population now and it's virtually impossible for everyone to agree, or are we just stubborn and self-preserving?