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?

Wikipedia Assignment - Ancient History

Summary of Article:
The Peloponnesian War was actually a series of three smaller wars or phases that plagued Ancient Greece. The opposing forces were Athens and its entire empire and the Peloponnesian League that included Sparta. The first battle is known as the Archidamian War in which the Peace of Nicias signified the conclusion in 421 BC. Although the treaty was signed, it was only 6 short years before the fighting began again. This second phase represents a huge failure on behalf of Athens when they posed an attack on Syracuse and lost their entire army. In the third and final part of the war, the Decelean or Ionian war, the Persian supported Spartans were in support of the States of Athens in their rebellion which ultimately destroyed the naval strength of their mother State. Athens surrendered shortly after this defeat.

1. The article is 361 words long.
2. I searched through google with 'Peloponnesian War' as the search keywords. The article is titled Peloponnesian War.
3. There is no disambiguation link on the site I used.
4. On the discussion page of the site it looks like anyone can post a question and it gets answered by another reader that is educated in the subject. The person answering also gives links to where they get their information from. It seems kind of like the blog we do for class. It looks like there are all different kinds of comments on this page.
5. There have been well over 500 changes, the most recent being minutes before I logged onto the page and the earliest listed was July 23, 2003.
6. There are three external links listed.
7. & 8. On the site I found, the references are listed with Further Reading. There are fourteen references listed under modern authors, and five under classical authors.

I would personally recommend this article to others interested in the Peloponnesian War because the article was just the right length and all the key points were reached quickly and clearly. I have a general overview of the war now and it didn't take too long to read it and the subject matter wasn't so dense that I was falling asleep. There is also a summary that gives a generalized overview of the effects of this war on Greece and the surrounding area in the time to come and how devistating it was to a large area and a lot of people.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peloponnesian_War

Diminishing Influence of the Gods

Whenever I think of the Greek people and history, the first thing that comes to mind are the Greek Gods and all the legends surrounding them. I never really thought that there would be a point when the people of the Greek nations would start looking for more realixtic answers to why things happen and how they happen. The 5th century is when all the folklore began to unravel. The people had seen years and years of brutal and savage warfare which lead to the diminishing influence of the Gods on the Greek people. As the people started looking for answers from the natural world and science rather than the Gods, many well known philosophers began to make names for themselves through their radical ideas. Philosophy was the answer to the disappointment and dissatisfaction the people were experiencing with the mystical world of the Gods and all of their myths. Answers with concrete evidence such as things existing from water or material substances without incorporating the work of the Gods was something new yet the people embraced it. It's almost sad for me reading about how the Greeks slowly stopped believing in the Gods and stopped considering them in their every day life. The Gods, their powers and purposes and all the myths that went along with them were the coolest thing about Greece and ancient history to me, it will be even more interesting to see where they went to next with their ideas and philosophy.

Changes Under Solon

Athens came to be controlled by Solon, an archon. The agriculture debts the people of Athen carried were forgiven, which was huge. If all the debts could be forgiven today, can you imagine the changes for the better it would make to our society as a whole? Not only were debts forgiven, but slaves were set free. Now, everyone that owned land could make a name for themselves within the four new classes of Athens. I think this sounds pretty similar to the American Dream in the sense that it is thought that anyone who is driven and strikes out on their own can reach success. It's like rags to riches. These farmers had a new opportunity every year to gain political and social standing. No longer was worth or position determined solely on birth but rather on personal drive and accomplishment, which is the way it should be. Although this worked for a lot of people, those who did not own land or were women and children, couldn't take part. This shows that although the Athenians were making great strides, they still had a lot of work to do.