Ryse: Son Of Rome EC

This photo was taken in my room, and it shows me holding the game case of a video game I own called Ryse: Son of Rome.  The main character of this game is called Marius Titus.  He is a Roman general looking for revenge on the death of his family.  Replaying the game, I found myself face to face with a person we discussed in class, Nero.  The emperor whom Marius blames for the death of his family.  I remember talking about him in class and how much of a jerk/faces we called him.  In this game, he is the main villain and is showed off very well in it.  The graphics in this game also help display many things in Rome that we have seen before or discussed.  You will come across the colosseum, Roman funerals, and Roman generals and the senate building.  It really is fun with what we have learned about Rome.  I highly recommend this game for anyone who loved our lessons on Rome.

• Scott Vincent, Team Cronos

Are You Getting Tired of My On-Campus Posts Yet?

I was at the Brooklyn College library recently and I happened to notice a certain sign that contained a very familiar symbol… That’s right, there is a fasces in the picture! The woman in the seal of Kings County, NY bears a fasces because it represents power and authority, and both of those connotations are desirable to align oneself with, especially when it comes to the symbol of a place. Everyone wants to believe that their hometown is powerful and strong, and the fasces present in the image representative of the place hints that this is the case.

This seal can be found in the BC library, near the help desk. It’s funny how many connections to class can be found right in front of us if we look closely. How many of us have walked past this very plaque without noticing she is carrying something dating back to imperial Roman statements of power?

-Chaya, team Venus

Team Aphrodite Studying

 

As finals quickly approach studying has become a very important tool for team Aphrodite.  Since we left class a little early after completing our work, we decided to do a little studying on the second floor of the library. In this picture is Edyta, Bedirhan and my self (Izadora).

-sincerely yours,

Team Aphrodite

Caesar in Brooklyn College

This image was taken on the third floor of the Brooklyn College library. The image consists of Roman men talking but the main focus is on the man to the right. That is Julius Caesar, as he is seen sitting in a chair with a green reef on his head. Julius Caesar was a Roman ruler from forty six-forty four BCE. Julius Caesar was known for his war accomplishments and reconstruction of Corinth and Carthage. He was also known for his many affairs and numerous sexual relationships.

This image relates to what we learned in Unit seven. In Unit seven, we learned about Julius Caesar and how his dominant reign impacted society. The image above shows all Julius’s colleagues looking at him, as if he the most important man in the room. This idea is similar to how Julius is portrayed in Classics, as his numerous political and societal accomplishments discussed in class suggest that he was the most important man in Rome

 

Frank- Team Artemis

Extra Credit

Extra Credit:

This picture relates to the class because we are currently learning about Augustus and Julius Caesar. The month on July is named after Julius and the month of August is named after Augustus. This is me holding a calendar opened up to the month of August. Augustus named this month after himself which shows that he is very powerful and respected by many.

Team Ares

Adam Allan

Extra Credit- Selfie with Sebastian the Cat

My friend’s cat’s name is Sebastian. He was named after the T.V. show, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, because in that series, Sabrina had a black cat that was named Sebastian. The name Sebastian is derived from the Greek name Sebastos.  Translated, it means venerable, which means someone is granted with a great deal of respect due to their age, wisdom, and character. The Roman Emperor Augustus was given this title as he was someone who had very honorable characteristics that deemed him worthy as Emperor. Sebastian shares similar characteristics to Augustus. He runs the household by making his presence go unnoticed. He is definitely successful at obtaining his goals when it comes to food. In addition, his presence alone makes sure NYC rats do not dare enter the house. He keeps the house secured and free of all outsiders. Before Classics, I did not know how powerful a name was and how it determines the characteristics of oneself. It just goes to show how names are essential in forming one’s identity.

Mary Huang, Team Vulcan

Extra Credit – Selfie with Augustus

While I was making a visit to the MET, I came across this marble head of Augustus. We learned in class that Augustus was a young man who was the adopted son of Julius Caesar. After Caesar’s assassination, Augustus became the first Roman Emperor. With this new title, came with it many responsibilities. His identity changed from originally being born Gaius Octavius, to being Imperator Caesar Divi Filius Augustus. Not only did he adopt Julius Caesar’s name, but he also got his title and legacy. Augustus successfully controlled the Roman Empire for about forty years. He even made it his sole purpose to avenge Caesar’s death by persecuting his murders. Augustus is viewed as someone who was very honorable, brave, and capable of many things. During his reign, even with all the wars and battles he fought, he never let the Roman Empire fall. As a young man, he took on many challenges, but nonetheless came out stronger than ever each time. This is a quality many young adults of today must aspire to be. Even if we don’t have the power to run an empire like Augustus, we must at least have his underlying ambition to face any challenge head on.

Mary Huang, Team Vulcan

Extra Credit- Selfie with a Python

I remember in Classics, we learned about a Greek myth pertaining to how the god Apollo slayed a huge serpent named Python at Delphi. While I was at my friend’s house, I saw that he owned a snake. Albeit it may not be large like the serpent Python, it has the capabilities of growing up to be one. I don’t know what breed this particular snake is, but I do know that it is a female, which likewise in the Homeric Hymn to Apollo, was the original gender of Python. Later in Euripides’ Iphigenia Among the Taurians, Python’s gender was portrayed as male. In the story, Apollo killed the serpent because it prevented him from finding his oracle. This snake isn’t harming anybody, therefore I don’t have any ill intentions towards it. Overall it was a good experience holding the snake and at the same time relating it to Classics.

Mary Huang, Team Vulcan

Extra Credit- Xenophobia in NYC

As I was riding the MTA, I noticed a rare occurrence that took place. I’m on the Q train in the middle of Manhattan, during rush hour, and no one’s sitting near me. Do you know how rare it is to have seats on the train during rush hour? This reminded me of the idea of Xenophobia that we learned in class. Xenophobia is the fear of others, people who are unfamiliar and potentially dangerous. When you’re commuting alone on the subway, you really don’t know who you’re standing or sitting next to. The person next to you could be a criminal and you wouldn’t even know. No one thinks about this, but when the thought is presented, it makes people realize the dangers of strangers. I noticed that everyone’s on their phones while on the train to avoid human connection. Everyone’s in their own little world, trying to mind their own business because they don’t want interact with other people. The only time they’re conscious about their safety is when a panhandler comes into the cart. #StayWoke #LastMinuteExtraCredit

Mary Huang, Team Vulcan

Goddess Isis

The main subject of this picture is a gold bracelet with snakes which is on my wrist that is associated with Isis. She was the Egyptian goddess of magic, fertility and motherhood, and death, healing and rebirth. Isis was born on the first day of the first years of creation. This goddess is associated with cobra snake because, in Egyptian iconography, cobras are commonly found on Isis’ headdress, while in Greece and Italy, Isis could be shown holding a cobra, or with a cobra wrapped about her arm. I took this picture at the place where I work, which is called Awakening. It’s an amazing place filled out with crystals, and different object connected to gods and goddesses. I think that this is connected to our classics class because even though we did not talk about goddess Isis, we talk about others. I found it interesting because I didn’t know much about her, and lately, I found this bracelet, and one of my friends working with me told me the story behind it, which interested me.

Edyta, Team Aphrodite

Posted up in the Subway with Julius

“When they had begun to honour Julius Caesar (now Dictator), it was with the idea, of course, that he would be reasonable; but as they went on and saw that he was delighted with what they voted, — indeed he accepted all but a very few of their decrees, — different men at different times kept proposing various extravagant honours, some in a spirit of exaggerated flattery and others by way of ridicule.”

” At any rate, some actually ventured to suggest permitting him to have intercourse with as many women as he pleased, because even at this time, though fifty years old, he still had numerous mistresses. Others, and they were the majority, followed this course because they wished to make him envied and hated as quickly as possible, that he might the sooner perish.”

Both of these quotes are close and similar to each other and they symbolize Julius to me because they are also speaking about him from the perspective of the people that witnessed him rule. The impressions that were made about him are important because it was the reason for his downfall. I chose both of these passages because I thought that they gave me the best idea of what the public thought of Julius Caesar. They speak about how he’s envied, hated and addresses his numerous mistresses. It opens my eyes to see Julius Caesar as flawed because the opinions about him were so mixed.

The first passage also talks about how he was also flattered and honored. These two opposing views gave me a great, unbiased idea of Julius Caesar and I really appreciated that. I feel like I have a better idea of Caesar’s arrogance, and I could understand the frustration of the people. These two passages are similar because they are both talking about how people felt about Julius’ acts. They are different because the second seems to be talking more about rumors about him while the first is discussing the way people felt about the way that he ruled.

The image in my blog post is a photo of me and my best friend Julius. We were just at the subway heading to my apartment. I asked him where his name came from and what he knew about Julius Caesar. He said that he thinks that the name Julius comes from the month Jupiter and admitted to not knowing much about Julius Caesar. I think that his name is similar to Julius Caesar because of his parent’s Roman background. They are very ambitious and I feel like by giving their son a big name, they are subconsciously willing him to want to do great things.

This relates to my readings because Julius Caesar, although he had an unfortunate ending, accomplished a lot and is such an important figure in world history despite being called arrogant and having numerous people have negative opinions about him.

-Mckensi Pascall, Team Aphrodite

 

Extra Credit Selfie

This is a selfie of me with two containers of Greek yogurt that I found on the top shelf of my refrigerator. They might be labeled the same but one is more of a plain yogurt, and the other is a dip. Greek yogurt originated from Greece, where it was traditionally made from goats milk. In addition, the container on the left incorporates Greek columns as well as Greek motifs in the frieze above the columns. These architectural techniques were designed by Greek architects mainly to be used in religious and public buildings such as the Parthenon and other such temples. The columns seems to be of Doric order due to their overall simplicity, but it is hard to tell exactly. I don’t think the ancient Greeks intended for their mastermind architectural developments to be used on food containers, or their culinary developments to be mass produced by Costco. Consumerism has engulfed the modern world and here we are now.

Gabriella, Team Hestia

Caesar’s Bay

Cassius Dio – “When they had begun to honour Julius Caesar (now Dictator), it was with the idea, of course, that he would be reasonable; but as they went on and saw that he was delighted with what they voted…”

“whether he will go across the great Alps,
seeing the great monuments of Caesar,
the Gallic Rhine or those monstrous men,
the furthest Britons” -Catullus

 

These two quote describes Julius Caesar to be ambitious and self-centered because in Catullus, he mentioned Caesar having a monument because of all his hard work. In Cassios Dio’s passage, Julius expects the people to vote for him because he is reasonable. However, in truth, Julius wanted people to like him and vote for him. I chose these two quote because in the story it had a connection. Both stories are sexual because the senate wanted Caesar to have numerous mistress while the poem talks about love, sex and rivalries. So I figure that both story can be a great comparison to each other.

The two stories are different because Catullus poem feels more passionate, for example, “Let us live, my Lesbia, and love”. While the other one is more like a history book in my opinion. There is more facts and information about Caesar too, compared to Catullus’s poem. 

This image shows Caesar’s Bay in Brooklyn, Ny. Caesar’s Bay was named after Caesar Salama. He was a entrepreneur that opened a business called the bayside Bazaar in 1982. I suspect that the name for both Caesar Salama and Caesar’s Bay is deprived from the Julius Caesar because the place Caesar’s Bay had became a place where people love to relax, exercise, and travel. Also, because of Caesar Salama, this place became know as Caesar’s Bay. So it became famous because of the person name Caesar.

 

-Jia, Team Athena

The Origin of April

I always knew that August is the month of Augustus Caesar and July is the month of Julius Caesar. But I never know the meaning and symbolism of other months, so I start to search for their history. Something very surprise me was April is taken from Aphrodite. April in Greek is Aphro, which is the short for Aphrodite. We learn about Aphrodite in Unit 1, we know she is the goodness of love and beauty, we learned from the first class that she is godly. Reflect on how beautiful is she that people say she is goldly. We can see countless paintings and sculptures of her in museums. Also, we learned that Roman people call her Venus and name the planet Venus after her. This is very surprised for me that April is named after Aphrodite. Now I can tell people that April is not only special of the April Fool’s day but it is beautiful because of its meaning and origin.

Qiyi, Team Vesta

 

Wherever you go, They Go

They’re everywhere. Like, literally they really are. This fasces was seen yesterday around the area of Rockefeller Center.  One thing that peaked my interest in them is the fact that I could take a selfie with them and I would get easy extra credit points. Another reason for my excitement is the colors. Usually in the past when I have seen faces they were very plain, rusty and just blend. This one, on the other hand, is vibrant. They both posses several colors, vibrant enough to catch the attention of the tourists.

-Izadora, Team Aphrodite

Similar Names, But That’s It

 

Fatema Islam, Team Jupiter (Right)
Julie Theodore, Team Venus (Left)

Beautifully it comes together for the shameless Cinaedii Mamurra and Caesar the pervert.
Cattulus

Is this why, oh most pious of citizens, Oh father- and son-in-law, you’ve ruined EVERYTHING?!
Catullus

Both these quotes are from a poet that is rather biased towards Julius Caesar so they may not be the most accurate depiction of Caesar but it doesn’t mean there isn’t some truth to his verses. I chose them because it was actually some of the first verses of Caesar that was in the reading as well as the fact that this is someone who wasn’t afraid to state their true opinion of Caesar. Caesar wasn’t liked by everyone but some hid it better than others, Catullus didn’t bother hiding his distaste at all though. As seen in the verses above  he doesn’t think much of him and fears that he may ruin Rome. The only difference is the difference in verses.

 

In the image above there is Julie Theodore on the left and me on the right sitting on a bench with a tree behind us with yellowing leaves. I am wearing a red hijab with a knitted gray sweater while Julie is wearing a red coat with black buttons along with a blue scarf around her neck. I chose to take a picture with Julie because her name sounds similar to Julius. Her name doesn’t match up to the verses above because Julie isn’t a politician who wants to become an emperor. I’m going to assume to that one of her parents named her that for reasons that are theirs. Because of that it’s okay for her name not to match those verses because all parents have their reasons when it comes to naming their children. Weather it’s in memory of someone or if they want their children to have strong names there are lots of reasons when it comes to names.

Fatema Islam
Team Jupiter

 

Hands move quicker than the eye can see

Suetonis Life of Augustus

“Gallius was tortured as if he were a slave; and though he confessed to nothing, Augustus himself tore out his eyes and sentenced him to death.” (Suetonis 27)

“According to some historians, he chose 300 prisoners of equestrian or senatorial rank, and offered them on the ides of March at the altar of the God Julius, as human sacrifices. (Suetonis, 15)”

The first quote is addressed in the 27 paragraph where it is explained by Augustus was hated during his reign. This quote is an example of Augustus being irrational, using just what he thought he saw (a sword) and killing a possibly innocent man. Augustus acted rashly. The reason I associate the term Iris with this quote is because although Augustus could have been mistaken with the object he thought he saw on Gallius, he went so far to tear his eyes as if removing doubt to what he saw. It is a guilty complex to assume someone is a threat and instead of being incorrect, Augustus uses the idea “If you don’t see it, it never happened”. He was trying to mask his mistake  but removing the eyes of his victim.

The second quote refers to Augustus again being hot headed. In the passage, Augustus seek revenge with sentencing death to crowds of prisoner. The event happens to be on the Ides of March, the day Julius Caesar was given his fate. The ides of march, best known as the foretold date, reminded me of eyes that could see into the future. Ides, translated to the day falling to the middle of the month, made me think of eyes (play on words) . The iris of a person’s eyes is near the front of the eye, between the cornea and the pupil- the middle of the person’s eyes. It control the amount of light a person processes. The eyes move quickly and rapidly change the amount of light it processes to the brain. Just like the Iris, Augustus is rash and impulsive to act.

 

Latin may be a dead language, but several words derive from it, including the word iris. During Caesar’s error it would not be uncommon to hear someone say iris and not refer to the color of one’s eyes. Iris was the goddess of the rainbow and the messenger of the Olympian gods, specifically the God named Hera.

In your own words

This is an image of me. I took it to show my Iris and how my eyes of dilated because of the flash. Although the name Iris, comes from a God, it comes from a God Augustus most likely knew of and worshiped during his life.

The quotes to not directly connect with Iris since it is the name of a God but I found it interesting how rash and impetuous Augustus was, especially about killing people. It reminded me of how my father teases me that my eyes are bigger than my mouth or when I go through episodes of rapid thought and continuously look for everything to do and never being able to slow down and concentrate.

This image relates to Art 1010 because I took this image in my living room next to the blue lamp my father loves. This lamp has a similar shape that of a Pelike which is a one-piece ceramic container similar to an amphora. It has two open handles, a narrow neck, a flanged mouth, and a sagging, almost spherical belly. I thought it was interesting since I considered everything in my home very modern. Having a lamp resemble something from ancient Greece would be fun to say in a conversation. 

Cameron, Cannon TEAM JUPITER

 

 

Caesar the Great

Augustus:

“Yet Augustus never wantonly invaded any country, and felt no temptation to increase the boundaries of Empire or enhance his military glory” and “Such was his reputation for courage and clemency…” (Suetonius,Life of Augustus 21)

Caesar:

“When they had begun to honour Julius Caesar (now Dictator), it was with the idea, of course, that he would be reasonable.” (Cassius Dio, Book 44.7)

The reason I chose these quotes is because these quotes shows the characteristics of Julius Ceasar and Augustus. They are both good leaders of Rome- Julius was making Rome safe from the possibility of Gallic invasions, as the quote says he is reasonable; and Augustus brought peace and stability to Rome, he was not afraid to fight. They were all thoughtful for the well-being of their people. However, we can see the different from the quotes- Julius was making himself a dictator but Augustus replaced the Roman republic with an effective monarchy instead of following Caesar’s example and making himself dictator.

The picture was showing the month August, which derived Augustus. August was named after Augustus Caesar in 8 B.C. Previously, August was called “Sextillia,” which was Latin for “sixth.” It was renamed in honor of Augustus.

Shiyin Zhao, Team Jupiter

The Month of Augustus

From unit 7, chosen from the readings on the imperator, I chose two quotes that I thought best summarized who Augustus was and his mission in life. The author claimed that “the underlying motive of every campaign was that Augustus felt it his duty, above all, to avenge Caesar and keep his decrees in force.” I chose this quote because it explained a little about his motivations, it showed that he wanted to live up to or even to exceed Julius Caesar’s accomplishments. Another fact about Augustus is that he would not stand for people against him, in this quote he said that he “drove the men who slaughtered my father into exile with a legal order, punishing their crime, and afterwards, when they waged war on the state, I conquered them in two battles.” This shows that he is the type of man that is not afraid to punish others and also to eradicate anyone against him. The similarities between the two quotes is that the subject is about the death of his father and him avenging him. The difference is that the second quote is from Julius himself, which in my opinion was more graphic which showed his true feelings about his actions towards his father’s murderers, and the first quote was an overall statement about what drove him to be the man he became.

Through researching, I found that the month August was originally called Sextillis for being the 6th month in the Roman calendar,  it wasn’t until the 700th BC that it became the 8th month of the year when the months January and February were added. Then was later changed during the 8th BC after Augustus. I suspect that the month was renamed in honor of Augustus because the month was allegedly the month he conquered Egypt. This information does connect with how the two quotes described Augustus, he accomplished a lot during his time so he could live up to Julius Caesar’s accomplishments.

Sherique Vassell, Team Artemis

Emperor on your salad?

“I am not really keen, Caesar, to wish to pander to you,
Nor to know whether you are a hero or a villain.”

CATULLUS 93

“Caesar is Apollo, true — but he’s Apollo of the Torments”

LIFE OF AUGUSTUS

In Catullus I believe that the author does not really care what kind of person Caesar was. He can be great or not and it wouldn’t make a difference. In the Life of Augustus, Caesar is called Apollo of the Torments which I believe is a negative comment towards Caesar’s character. I chose these two quotes because they both describe Caesar in a negative fashion.

These passages are different because one is a biography and the other is a poem.

This is a picture of me holding Caesar dressing which has the same name as Julius Caesar. Did Julius Caesar ever think that his name would be on a dressing bottle?

-Luisa, Team Hermes

The Tastiest Consul

1. Cinaedus Romulus, will you see, and suffer, these things? YOU are shameless: a glutton and a gambler! Is this why, oh inimitable imperator,
2. He no longer restrained his wrath but showed great irritation, as if these very officials were really stirring up sedition against him

The first passage characterizes Caesar as a person of poor character. Specifically, it states that he is shameless, a glutton and a gambler. These disgraceful characteristics indicative of a sinner and criminal, not a proud ruler. The next passage characterizes Caesar as a strong but angry man. This is shown by the key phrase “ no longer restrained his wrath”. This means that he generally able to restrain his wrath and anger. Despite this, he allows the situation to get the better of him. I chose these passages because they characterize Caesar very similarly, as a man of generally low moral character. The both passages show examples of sin, both gluttony and wrath.

The image is of myself holding a bottle of Ken’s Steakhouse Creamy Caesar Dressing. Ken’s Steakhouse Creamy Caesar Dressing is likely named after the famous Roman dictator because similarly to him Creamy Caesar Dressing has many powerful yet sinful qualities. My speculation does connect with what we read as many of the texts describe Julius Caesar as a strong rough man whose actions led to the beginning of an empire. Creamy Caesar Dressing is similar as it has a strong and powerful flavor, and transform any week republican salad into a strong and unstoppable empire.  

John J. -Team Diana

July and How Its Name Is Narcissistic

July: the seventh month of the year. We use its name at least 31 days a year, but do we ever stop to think about its origins? Have you ever wondered why SEPTember, OCTOber, NOVember, and DECember are not the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth months like their prefixes would suggest?

Originally, September through December were numbered the way you would expect, but then Julius Caesar and his nephew Augustus had the calendar rearranged to create new months so that they could have the summer (the best months, in their opinion) as their own. This was done to create an association between them and the most pleasant part of the year and. Thus these months are named July after Julius, and August after Augustus.

In the readings assigned for homework, Julius Caesar is characterized as haughty and obsessed with displays of power, as seen below:

…most men suspected him of being inflated with pride and hated him for his haughtiness (Cassius Dio, Book 44.9)

Augustus followed with a very small escort, along roads held by the enemy, after a shipwreck, too, and in a state of semi-convalescence from a serious illness. This energetic action delighted Caesar, who soon formed a high estimate of Augustus’s character (Suetonius, Life of Augustus, 8)

Julius Caesar is shown to be the kind of person to give off the impression that he is overly proud, and to be fond of someone for displaying similar traits like brash military actions. This characterization is exactly in line with the profile of someone who would fit the entire calendar to his own personal desires. He would probably love to know that we still use this system today.

-Chaya, team Venus

Augustus, The Great Emperor

Quotations-

“Caesar then went to fight Pompey’s sons in Spain; Augustus followed with a very small escort, along roads held by the enemy, after a shipwreck, too, and in a state of semi-convalescence from a serious illness. This energetic action delighted Caesar, who soon formed a high estimate of Augustus’s character.” (Suetonius, 8).

“When I administered my thirteenth consulate (2 B.C.E.), the senate and Equestrian order and Roman people all called me father of the country, and voted that the same be inscribed in the vestibule of my temple, in the Julian senate-house, and in the forum of Augustus under the chario which had been placed there for me by a decision of the senate.” (Res Gestae, 35).

These two quotations characterizes Augustus as a great emperor. The quotations expresses his militaristic and royal qualities. Even at the age of sixteen, he was pretty brave to follow Caesar to protect him. I chose these two quotations because they really give us the insight that Augustus was a great ruler. He had that quality since his childhood. He had that courage to protect the people of the country which is why he was very much respected by his countrymen. The passages are similar in the sense that they both depicts Augustus as brave and respected ruler of the country. The passages are different because the first one tells about him when he was too young, that is when he was sixteen years of age. The second quotation is when he got older, seventy-six years old. This was the other reason I chose these quotations because they portrays Augustus as a great person at his different ages of life.

The image that I chose is the month of the “August” in my calendar. The word, August can be described as an adjective which basically means respected and impressive. This word is derived from the Latin word, Augustus, named after the Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor. (Merriam Webster Dictionary). I can also connect this to the quotes that I chose above because Augustus really was respected and impressive person. His countrymen respected him. He won so many battles. He not only ruled over Rome, but doubled up the size of the empire by adding territories from Asia and Egypt. Thus, he is known as one of the great ruler of the Roman Empire.

I can also connect this to something that I learnt in my Art History class. In that class, we studied the sculpture of the Augustus of Primaporta. Augustus was the adopted son of Julius Caesar who also became the first emperor of Rome. He is always shown with the cupid on the dolphin and bare feet which is why he is also considered a God. His breastplate portrayed the battle between Romans and Parthians where Rome lost. But Augustus was successful in peacefully negotiating with the Parthians which is why he is also known as good master and diplomat. 

Gurleen Kaur, Team Venus 

Man I wish it was AUGUSTUS again….

“He argued that ‘Augustus‘ was both a more original and a more honourable title, since sanctuaries and all places consecrated by the augurs are known as ‘august‘ — the word being either an enlarged form of auctus, implying the ‘increase’ of dignity thus given such places, or a worn-down form of the phrase aviuw gestus gustus-ve, ‘the behaviour and appetite of birds’, which the augurs observed. Plancus supported his point by a quotation from Ennius’s Annals:

‘When glorious Rome had founded been, by augury august.’” (Suetonius)

“9. The senate decreed that vows be undertaken for my health by the consuls and priests every fifth year. In fulfillment of these vows they often celebrated games for my life; several times the four highest colleges of priests, several times the consuls. Also both privately and as a city all the citizens unanimously and continuously prayed at all the shrines for my health.” (Augustus)

The first of the quotes manages to describe Augustus in that he wanted to express his name in almost a more poetic manner.  It appears that this quote is meant to help show us how serious he was when it came to everything, including titles, especially for himself.  The second quote talks about how Agustus sees himself in the eyes of the people.  It shows us how he notices his surroundings and how he feels about the peoples reaction to him.  The second quote tends to see it as very positive, as many people are saying that they will pray for his health.  I chose these 2 because they seemed the most interesting to me.  How Agustus got his name seemed like a really cool thing to explore and examine.  I figured that it was a cool thing to look for in order to also understand my photo below.  The second one seemed cool as it was still talking about him, yet from the perspective of other people.  Also to see how they feel about him seemed pretty cool and impressive.  But since they both talk about different things, there really isn’t much in common between the 2.  The 1st one like I said is more about Augustus himself, while the second one is more about his relationship with his people in some manners.

The photo above is a picture of me with the August poster for 2018.  I found this to be one of the easiest things to connect back to our readings with.  Perhaps since the name was so similar to what Augustus named himself after, Perhaps this month was given this name to honor him.  This most certainly connects with the first quote at the top of my post as it is that it can almost be seen that Augustus and August coexisted with each other during his time.  The second one, being as it talks about Augustus’ relationship with his people and also deals in with his health, has no connection whatsoever here with the picture that I have above.

I was also able to connect this to Art History as we have been studying Roman architecture recently, including things that have been seen and made during the time of both Augustus and Julius Caesar.  That can connect to here, as both men had large impacts on Roman lifestyle, and we could see more of that as we move on with the lessons.

• Scott Vincent, Team Cronos

Lady Liberty

Last summer, my mom and I had the pleasure of seeing the Statue of Liberty, with the courtesy of one of her good friends. In Classics, we recently learned that the translation of the word ‘Libertas’ means Liberty. Coins were made in the celebration of Julius Caesar’s assassination. They represented the overthrow of Caesar’s tyrant rule. On one coin, there is an image of the Roman goddess, Libertas who represents freedom. On another coin, there an image of a pileus alongside two daggers above the words “EID MAR.” “EID MAR” is the Ides of March and is referring to the actual day Caesar was killed. A pileus, known as a freedman’s cap, was worn by slaves after they were finally set free. The symbolism shows that Caesar’s death was a representation that the citizens of the Roman Republic were now free of his rule and no longer had to live in fear.

 

-Estrella Roberts, Team Vulcan

Caesar Dominates!

Res Gestae –

” In my nineteenth year, on my own initiative and at my own expense, I raised an army with which I set free the state, which was oppressed by the domination of a faction. For that reason, the senate enrolled me in its order by laudatory resolutions, when Gaius Pansa and Aulus Hirtius were consuls (43 B.C.E.), assigning me the place of a consul in the giving of opinions, and gave me the imperium.” (1)

Res Gestae shows the positive impacts that Julius Ceasar had as a leader and as a individual.  Gestae showed that even though Caesar was very young and inexperienced that he had the drive and desire to do anything for his people.  This characterizes Julius as a positive leader and showed his great attributes as a person and what he means to his people. It also shows that his people had faith in him with the confidence and assurance he gave off to them.  Overall Gestate puts Caesar in a high class showing why he deserves it and what he will do to marination his power.

Cassius Dio-

“When they had begun to honour Julius Caesar (now Dictator), it was with the idea, of course, that he would be reasonable; but as they went on and saw that he was delighted with what they voted,” (7)

In this quote Cassius Dio also talks highly about Julius Caesar and represents him as a positive and powerful figure. This relates to the quote regarding Res Gestate in how they relate to each other because both of them show Caesar in a postie way. Cassius states that his people are going to honor Caesar as they should because he represents Caesar as a inspiration to his people.

Caesars Palace 

This image shows the one and only Caesar’s palace which is named after Julius Caesar. This palace also has a huge statue of Julius Caesar representing his power as a individual.  They named this historic place that people all over around the world have heard of after Caesar himself because of how iconic he was as a person as well. His legacy is well known around the world just like the palace itself. Both the palace and Caesar symbolize power and bringing people together.

Anthony Mancuso , Team Venus

 

Augustus is more relevant than I thought

Life of Augustus

“Augustus now took command of the Army, and governed the Empire: first with Mark Antony and Lepidus as his colleagues; next, for nearly twelve years, with Antony alone; finally by himself for another forty-four years.” (Suetonius, 10)

Res Gestae

“In my nineteenth year, on my own initiative and at my own expense, I raised an army with which I set free the state, which was oppressed by the domination of a faction.” (27)

The first quote shows the power that Augustus was able to accumulate and maintain for decades. It indicates that he was very influential to his soldiers as well as to the Empire. He was able to clearly express his ideas and motives while having people follow his endgame plans. I chose this passage because it’s a written biography of Augustus and tells a story of how he was able to become powerful overtime.

The second quote indicates that Augustus discovered his independence and his leadership abilities only at the age of nineteen. The repetition of the words “own” and “I” in the underlined phrases indicates that Augustus did these actions on his own free will. He recognized that change needed to occur. By building an army with his own expenses, it expresses the determination that he possessed during a time of oppression. I chose this passage because it reveals Augustus’ personal experiences from his perspective. He writes about first-hand accounts of his accomplishments; from his multiple consulships to rebuilding the Capitol. These two quotes are similar because they convey how powerful Augustus became as a ruler and the impact he created in history.

This is a picture of my brother and I, who’s middle name happened to be Augustine. The name Augustine is derived from the name Augustus. When my brother was named, I don’t believe it was because it’s a derivative of Augustus; he was named after my grandfather. I think the second quote may connect with my brother because although he’s still young, he’s a person who likes to take initiative to certain situations rather than allowing to wait for something to happen.

-Estrella Roberts, Team Vulcan

Julius “Caesar Salad”

Cassius Dio

“7 2 At any rate, some actually ventured to suggest permitting him to have intercourse with as many women as he pleased, because even at this time, though fifty years old, he still had numerous mistresses.”

Suetonius

Life of Augustus

“8 Having recovered possession of Spain, Caesar planned a war against the Dacians and Parthians, and sent Augustus ahead to Apollonia, in Illyria, where he spent his spare time studying Greek literature.”

The first quote portrays Julius Caesar as a man of multiple women who was, to certain extent, honored by his people. Though the majority didn’t perceive him as a leader, but rather a weak link to their kingdom that they wanted to perish, he didn’t inflict harm on those who went against him. Perhaps his personality led to his assassination. Second quote expands on Caesar’s military determination. He is also shown to be a man of knowledge as he ‘plans’ wars and spends his spare time learning.

This image is me holding a Caesar salad that was made only to be advertised. I remember my first time in an unfamiliar restaurant years ago. I was given a menu in an Italian language, I didn’t understand anything but a word that looked familiar – ‘Caesar’. I quickly made a reference to Julius Caesar. Since then, I believed that the name Caesar Salad was influenced by Julius Caesar. Though my theory can be a myth or a fact, it is pretty interesting. Rumors arose that Caesar Cardini, born in Italy, was the man behind the tasty Caesar salad. Unfortunately, the rumors claim Julius Caesar was not an influence to Cardini to create the Caesar salad. On the other hand, rumor has it that Caesar salad was invented in about 1903 by Giacomo Junia who is an Italian chef in Chicago. Giacomo Junia named his invention after Julias Caesar, ‘the greatest Italian of all time’. Regardless of all these rumors, I believe that Caesar salad was greatly influenced by Julius Caesar and is an easy make and good taste – only if you stab it 23 times!

To connect this with art class, statue of Julius Caesar is shown in contrapposto wearing military uniform depicting his power over the army. In his statue we see a more naturalistic look, ideal proportions, and lack of emotions.

-Amir, Team Juno

Similar Names = Similar Thoughts?

“As for foreign nations, those which I was able to safely forgive, I preferred to preserve than to destroy.” (Gestae, 3).

“Augustus thought it most important not to let the native Roman stock be tainted with foreign or servile blood, and was therefore very unwilling to create new Roman citizens, or to permit the manumission of more than a limited number of slaves.” (Suetonius, 40)

Both of these quotes characterize Augustus and his believes. It shows that he wants to preserve the cultures he conquers and not just destroy them. He also doesn’t want new blood mixed into the native Roman Population through. He wants to preserve, but keep a strict divide. These two quotes are similar because they show how Augustus dealt with foreign affairs whether it be the people or their culture. The difference though is he prefers the culture and their history over the current population. He rather know and not have the present population mixing with his “perfect” blood.

The image above is a selfie I took with a friend name Tim, but his middle name is Augustine, which derives from the name Augustus. In this picture we had just helped a friend figure her way out on the subway late one night and had seen many rats. We wanted to take a picture to remember our adventure. I asked Tim why his parents gave him the middle name of Augustine and he said it was a family name. As Augustus was very poplar there are many versions from his name and therefore to have it be a family name is not to uncommon. Perhaps his family is an actual descendant of Augustus or some how related to have this name, or it could be that a member farther back really enjoyed the name. I have only known Tim for a few months, but I think that he connects to the quotes I picked from the reading, more so the first one than the second one. Tim is very inclusive and wants to make sure that all people are represented. Like Augustus he thinks that everyone’s culture is worth learning about, unlike Augustus he doesn’t want the divide between cultures. –Emma, Saturn

Royal Blood

 

“King Tarquinius Priscus admitted Octavian’s, among other plebeian families, to the Roman Senate, and though Servius tullius awarded them patrician privileges, they later reverted to plebeian rank until eventually Julius Caesar made them patricians once more.” (Suetonius, page 9)

“One was the number of those who were privy to the plot, although Caesar would not receive any information about anything of that sort and punished very severely those who brought news of any kind” (Cassius Dio, page 5)

I chose these two quotes to characterize Julius Caesar. The first quote depicts Caesar as being someone with respect to familial ranks in society, and make him seem “nice.” Like Professor Yarrow discussed in class, a reason for Caesar’s murder might have been because he felt the need to be nice to all parties, seen through him wanting to give back family’s ranks that had been taken from them. The second quote paints Caesar as someone who doesn’t want to hear bad news. He doesn’t want to be told of any revolts or plots, and insists that no one tell him of any news at all. This also shows that he might come across as being too nice, for he just wants to live in a happy, violence free world. I chose these quotes because they show through Caesar’s actions his personality. One way these quotes are similar is that they are very vague, yet you get a direct sense of who people thought Caesar was.

My dog’s name is Julia Blu. The name Julia derives from Julius, and was the name of all the females in Caesar’s lineage. My mom named her this because she felt Julia seemed like a royal name, and my dog is a purebred German Shepard, so it’s almost like she has royal blood. Although it doesn’t really directly connect to Caesar, it shows that his family name comes across as being very royal, especially because all of his family had this one family name.

 

Camille, Team Diana

Don’t Monkey Around!

Cassius Dio: “he no longer restrained his wrath but showed great irritation, as if these very officials were really stirring up sedition against him.” (10)

Dio describes Caesar as an actual human being in this quote, meaning under all the hype about this romanticized image of the great Roman dictator Caesar, he is Julius Caesar first. People keep referring to Caesar as something that he feels that he isn’t, which I can understand why that would make him feel uncomfortable. Everyone only sees him as the Roman dictator, and nothing else, even if he tells others that he is only human. I picked this quote because it’s somewhat relatable because if people don’t listen to you after you have told them multiple times, you get annoyed after a while. This situation reminds me of what celebrities go through daily because their privacy is forgotten about, and their private lives are merged with their public lives.

Res Gestae: “In my nineteenth year, on my own initiative and at my own expense, I raised an army with which I set free the state, which was oppressed by the domination of a faction.” (1)

In this quote, Gestae shows Augustus in a positive light because he portrayed as a man who is willing to do whatever it takes for the benefit of his people. Despite Augustus being at a young age, his strong desire to contribute to society and his community persuades readers that the Roman dictator is a courageous, modest man; an image that contrasts the ones in the textbooks. I chose this quote because it promotes the message that every story has two sides to it. Even though we have been taught in school that Augustus was not a great leader, Gestae reminds readers about the positive aspects of Augustus because he was a young man that wanted to improve the well-being of his country, unaware of the fact that his risky political actions would contribute to the downfall of the Roman Empire.

The point-of-view in both passages are different from each other. In the first quote, Caesar’s thoughts of annoyance are written in third person. However, in the second quote, Augustus’ opinion is expressed in first person. Also, the passages are both referring to a different person.

In my selfie, I took a picture with Caesar. He is the main protagonist of the movie, Planet of the Apes, and he was named after Julius Caesar because his role in the movie is to lead his people. My image relates to the quotes above because of the way the leader is portrayed. For example, the quotes describe a positive image of Julius Caesar and Augustus because of their leadership qualities. Julius Caesar may have been a big risk-taker when it came to the well-being of the people he ruled over, but Julius did it with good intentions. Caesar was considered to be a hero of his time because of the way he ruled over Rome. He was a fair and caring leader, similar to Caesar, the chimpanzee, because Julius took account of the people’s thoughts and opinions to better the empire. I think the writers of the movie decided to name the main protagonist after Julius Caesar because they wanted to convey the image of a great ruler who would guide his people through battle and politics for their well-being.

– Rebecca Lee, Team Jupiter

 

It and Augustus

For this blog post, we are supposed to write about an object or person that has a name that derives from Julius Caesar or Augustus, two of the most well-known Roman emperors in history. The object I chose that has a name that derives from these two emperors is the book It by Stephen King. Even though on the surface this novel doesn’t seem connected to these two famous emperors, it actually does. If you are familiar with the novel, the 1990s mini-series, or the movie that came out this year, you know that half of the book takes place in the summer of 1958 and two months in the summer are July and August. July is named after Julius Caesar and August is named after Augustus. Even though Stephen King didn’t choose these months because of the origins of their names, it is still interesting to look at why these months have these names. While both are important, I’m mainly going to focus on August and Augustus in this post.

Augustus was the adopted great-nephew of Julius Caesar and was emperor of Rome after Caesar’s death. I thought the month of August was named after Augustus because it was the month he was born, but this speculation actually isn’t true. According to Suetonius’ “Life of Augustus,” he states, “that the name ‘August’ should be transferred to September, because Augustus had been born in September but had died in the month now called August; and that the period between his birth and death should be officially entered in the Calendar as ‘the Augustan Age.” This is quote shows that August is actually named after Augustus’ death and not his birth. This also clears up this common misconception that many people have about the origins of the name “August.”

Augustus was a very popular ruler. In the same writing, Suetonius states, “Such was his reputation for courage and clemency that the very Indians and Scythians — nations of whom we then knew by hearsay alone — voluntarily sent ambassadors to Rome, pleading for his friendship and that of his people.” This shows how Augustus was seen as this powerful, courageous, merciful leader that was a desired ally. I chose this quote because it shows how other countries saw Augustus and how they all wanted to be his ally. He was seen as someone who would protect all the people he ruled over and who were on his side. As well as being courageous and merciful, he was also well accomplished. In Res Gestae, Augustus himself says, “Twice I triumphed with an ovation, and three times I enjoyeda curule triumph and twenty-one times I was named emperor.” This shows just some of the things that Augustus accomplished his long reign as emperor and it shows how accomplished Augustus was. I chose this quote because it shows how accomplished Augustus is and how Augustus views himself. These two quotes show how Augustus was seen as this powerful figure who accomplished many triumphs. Both passages list Augustus’ political and military victories.

This postive view of Augustus can be seen in artwork such as “The Augustus of Primaporta” made in 20 BC. This was meant to be a propaganda piece that showed Augustus as a powerful decendant of the gods that had a vast amount of political triumphs. His power is show by his powerful stance. Also, his divine herititage is symbolized by the cupid and the dolphin, which are symbols of Aphrodite, and his bare feet, which was used in art work to show god-like status. Furthermore, Augustus’ breast plate depicts many of his political victories, such as the returning of military standards to Rome from the Parthians. This sculpture, the passages, and the name, “August,” shows how Augustus was seen as this powerful, god-like figure and how he has a lasting legacy.

Augustus of Primaporta picture link

-Emily Ryan, Team Mars

Augustus The Avenger

“The underlying motive of every campaign was that Augustus felt it his duty, above all, to avenge Caesar and keep his decrees in force. On his return from Apollonia, he decided to punish Brutus and Cassius immediately; but they foresaw the danger and escaped, so he had recourse to the law and prosecuted them for murder.”- (Suetonius, 10)

“I drove the men who slaughtered my father into exile with a legal order, punishing their crime, and afterwards, when they waged war on the state, I conquered them in two battles.”- (Res Gestae, 2)

These two passages characterize Augustus an avenger for Julius Caesar’s legacy. Julius Caesar chose Augustus to be his adoptive son. I specifically chose these two passages because Augustus is often characterized as a someone who was a powerful, great, and successful ruler, but I wanted to shine a light on why he was so mighty. His underlying purpose and intentions were to carry out what Julius Caesar could not because of his early death/ assassination. In Suetonius’s passage, it states how Augustus felt obligated to avenge Caesar by prosecuting Brutus and Cassius for murder. Similarly in Res Gestae’s passage, Augustus himself states that he wanted to take legal action in punishing those who harmed his father, Caesar. Both passages mention taking legal action as a form of punishment, but Suetonius specifically mentions Brutus and Cassius, while Res Gastae’s passage keeps the perpetrators anonymous, but points out all the things Augustus has done to avenge Caesar; not only does he punish them through law, but he successfully conquers them in two battles to defend Caesar’s honor.

In this image, I took a picture with the “Silver Denarius of Octavian”. It is a silver coin that shows the head of Augustus. Augustus’s original name was Gaius Octavius. The coin was deprived from Augustus’s original name because it is meant to show that Augustus is someone who is one amongst the gods. Gods’ heads were the only ones who were allowed to be on coins. The fact that Augustus’s head is on a silver coin indicates that he is someone who is not only favored by the gods, but also someone who is a god himself. My speculation correlates with the quotes chosen above because it shows how powerful Augustus is. He is able to carry out orders as a great ruler should and he punishes those who are in the wrong. He is also victorious in his battles and brings peace among the Roman empire. A god’s job is to create order in the world and punish those who have sinned, which is similar to how Augustus controls his empire. In a way, Augustus plays the role of god among the Romans. When inheriting Caesar’s name, with it came all the titles that followed. Augustus’s name became: Imp [Julius] Caesar [Octavianus] Divi filius Augustus Imp XXI Pont Max Trib Pot XXXVII Cos XIII Princeps Senatus Pater Patriae [imperium maius]
Augustus’s full name in and of itself is something that shows how great he is. “Divi filius” means “son of god”. “Imp” is short for “Imperator” which means “emperor”. Albeit his name may be long, it shows everything that Augustus defines himself to be.

Mary Huang, Team Vulcan

First Sextilis, then August

Quotes characterized Augustus:

1) “Augustus announced his candidature for a tribuneship of the people– death had created a vacancy- although neither a patrician nor a senator, and thus doubly disqualified from standing” (Suetonius, 10).
2) “In my nineteenth year, on my own initiative and at my own expense, I raised an army with which I set free the state, which was oppressed by the domination of a faction” (Res Gestae, 1).

These two quotes show that Augustus was a man who fought for himself and people. In the first quotation, we can read that he tried to be a candidate for tribuneship, even though he never had anything to do with that, which disqualified him automatically. Another quote is a part of the piece that Augustus wrote about himself. It shows that as a young man he already was able to be there for people, and help them out.
I chose those two quotations because I wanted to describe Emperor Augustus as a brave young man who was not afraid to take actions and help.
Two passages are similar because both of them emphasizes Augustus’ courage. The first one is from Suetonius. The author describes the ruler willingness to take a risk. The second quote is Augustus’ own words. He describes how he raised an army on his own.

I took a selfie with the month of August from my new planner for 2018. August it the eight month of the year in the Gregorian calendar and it’s named after Emperor Augustus. At first it was named Sextilis (in Latin), but later on, Julius Caesar changed it in honor of Augustus Caesar in 8 BCE.

I think that there is the connection between Augustus that we read about in class and my picture. The month August was named in honor of Emperor Augustus, which means that he was an important person who deserved it. In our readings, we can read about Augustus as a young man who was able to help people, take the risk and show his courage. This post is also connected to our art history class because we spoke about Augustus’ sculpture and described him very specifically as a young brave man.

Edyta, Team Aphrodite

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everybody Hates Caesar

“Caesar could not keep back tears, and he took care that the head was burned with many very costly perfumes.” This quote from ‘Lives of Illustrious Men’ shows Julius Caesar in a more sensitive way. Even though he was a very strong man, he still had emotions that could not be held back when Pompey died. It helps us to see that he was still a regular person with feelings like us even though he was powerful. “Subsequently, however, when he was riding in from the Alban Mount and some men again called him king, he said that his name was not “Rex” but Caesar; but when the same tribunes brought suit against the first man who had termed him king, he no longer restrained his wrath but showed great irritation, as if these very officials were really stirring up sedition against him.” Just like the previous quote, this quote from ‘Cassius Dio’ shows the human side of Caesar. The men kept trying to call him king after he repeatedly told them not to. This caused Caesar to get aggravated. This would happen to anyone who has been telling someone to stop doing something and they kept doing it.

I chose these passages because they show how even though Caesar was a strong and powerful man, he was just like any regular person reacting in natural ways. They give a different view of him and not just someone who hid their emotions to look more potent.

I was watching ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ and realized Chris’ father’s name is Julius. I looked it up and Chris Rock’s middle name is Christopher Julius Rock III while his father’s real name is Christopher Julius Rock II. The name ‘Julius’ derives from Julius Caesar and I think that the name was passed down through the Rock family. I mean his great great grandfather’s name was Julius Caesar Tinghman, so they probably wanted to keep the tradition. They could be trying to follow the way names were handled back in Julius Caesars’ time but I don’t think that their names are because of what was discussed in the quotes above.

– Ivory, Team Artemis

 

Welcome to Manhattan

 

 

In the photo above is my friend Julia (on the left) and I at the foot of the Manhattan bridge. We’re sitting at a small steps at the bottom of the arch. We’re on the Manhattan side of the the bridge, and this photo shows an architectural piece that divides the incoming and outgoing traffic of the bridge. Similar to St. Peter’s square, the archway shares unique characteristics. In the photo, the sides of the arch has colonnades that extends outwards. The colonnades only contain two closely lined columns used as decoration, rather than the church’s incentive to direct traffic of pilgrims and carriages. The column’s simplistic and smooth unfluted shaft also follows the tuscan order that can be identified around St. Peter’s square. The colonnades that line either sides of the triumphal arch creates a wide semicircle shape. The shape can be compared to St. Peter’s square where people describe it to be the open arms of the church. In this case, the archway can be the welcoming arms for people coming into Manhattan. However, the entrance of the archway does not create the same sense of movement as to the piazza. St. Peter’s basilica’s columns display Baroque qualities of invoking movement in the way that the columns are unevenly spaced and are not freestanding. The colonnades of the archway are tightly lined, and are elevated so people are unable to interact with the architectural piece. Unless the steps are climbed, people are only able to approach the columns; Whereas, the columns of the piazza are much larger in scale and are spaced out for people to walk through. Another characteristic that both places share are the tops of the colonnades. It seems like fence-like structures that resemble crenellations of castles.

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I met Julia (left of photo) in high school, and I found out that her grandmother chose her name. When her grandmother was pregnant with her father, her grandmother chose the name “Julia” if the baby was a girl. Instead, her grandmother named her father “Julio” when she found out he was a boy. Before hearing this story about Julia’s name, I thought that Julia was a common name in Hispanic culture. This story does support my speculations somewhat, and is related to what we have learned in class. The similarities of family names are passed down to different generations. I can relate this influential factor of naming choices to modern day culture, because I noticed that a lot of siblings share the same first letter of their names. For example, my cousins are named Ada, Anna, and Andy. I think that many parents find it easier to remember names if they match the first letters. Though the names “Julia” and “Julius” were separated according to gender, there was a similarity between the way a family names their relatives.

In relation to Julius Caesar, he has been described in Catullus’ poem where the poet questions “what is this but perverse generosity? Has he not achieved enough gluttony?” Catallus’ syntax interestingly juxtaposes the connotations of someone that is perverse and generous. Someone that is generous is seen as selfless and willing, whereas, perverse describes someone that is corrupted and improper. Thus, Catullus implies that Caesar’s actions may seem like they’re positively improving the community, however, his intentions may be corrupt and out of self interest. Cassius Dio also explores the same idea that Julius Caesar is not a respectable public figure by stating that “most men suspected him of being inflated with pride and hated him for his haughtiness” in his book. The quote creates the image that the public may interpret Caesar’s ego as a negative influence on his popularity and favorability towards his followers. I chose these quotes because both writers elaborate on a common theme that runs through history and culture. Leaders become examples of how their high self-esteem leads to their downfall, or hubris. This idea can be identified in how Julius Caesar was killed by his closest peers. In addition, current events display how celebrities, politicians, and fictional characters in movies are exploited by their own flaws.

Vicky, Team Hermes

August(us)

“At sixteen, having now come of age, he was awarded military decorations when Caesar celebrated his African triumph, though he had been too young for overseas service”-Suetonis

 

“Augustus actually engaged assassins to murder Antony and, when the plot came to light, spent as much money as he could raise on enlisting a force of veterans to protect himself and the Constitution.”-Suetonis

 

These two passages characterize Augustus as a triumphant, young ruler of Rome that used his wealth to protect his citizens. I chose these passages because they highlight adjectives and words that represent who Augustus was and what he has done. These two passages are different, as the first passage is about Augustus prior to becoming emperor whereas the second passage is about Augustus as emperor.

The image I chose shows me holding a calendar, showing the month of August.  August comes from Augustus. This is probably because Augustus achieved an important accomplishment in this month and was later renamed in honor of him. My speculation does not connect with the first quote but does with the second. In the first quote, Augustus was sixteen and may have been too young to have a month named after him. In the second quote however, the assassination of Antony may have earned the respect of Roman officials and honor him with August.

 

Frank-Team Artemis

See her See Caesar

This is a picture of me and my cousin Juliette. Juliette’s name derives from the name Julius, of the great emperor Julius Caesar. It possesses the prefix “ Juli” which is Latin. As you can see there is a lot of warmth between us in this picture. Although this name derives from Julius, someone could have used the name just because it sounded lovely to their ears or because it is a family name that must be passed on.

From the multiple readings we read in and out of class there seems to be a contradiction in the depiction of Caesar’s character. In the book Cassius Dio, which is, “an account of the assassination of Julius Caesar by a Roman senator living in the late Second Century CE writing a history of Roman in Greek”, such dictions of Julius Caesar are present. Subsequently, to Caesar becoming dictator the people had a lot of respect for him, thus they constantly praised and honored him and they even went as far as, let him have sexual intercourse with as many women as he pleased. With this kind of proposition in the air, “… men suspected him of being inflated with pride and hated him for his haughtiness…” While here he is depicted as being overly prideful; in the “Lives of Illustrious Men excerpts” the actions that are depicted by Caesar are not at all prideful, in contrary, he was very humble. Following the death of Pompey, “Caesar could not keep back tears, and he took care that the head was burned with many costly perfumes.” Based on the actions being described here, I think it is fair to say that Caesar is not as prideful as those other men might think. Just like other people honor him, He also honored Pompey and approached him with utmost respect especially after his death.– Izadora, Team Aphrodite

Hail Julia!

“When they began to honor Julius Caesar (now dictator), it was with the idea, of course, that he would be reasonable…”
(Cassius Dio book 44.4-20 chapter seven line two)
“whether he will go across the great Alps, seeing the great monument of Caesar, the Gallic Rhine or those monstrous men, the furthest Britons.”
(Catullus, chapter eleven line thirteen)

These quotes characterize Julius Caesar in a negative way. I chose them because of the way they similarly characterize Caesar as a monstrous dictator who is getting power and glory despite not deserving said power and let alone deserving to rule the empire as a dictator. The passages that I took the quotes from are most likely used to justify or excuse the Roman Sennett’s action of assassinating Caesar.

Cassius Dio and Catullus used their work as propaganda against Caesar as well as a justification for his assassination. This is different than the propaganda Augustus’s wife made for him after his death, the statue Augustus Of Prima Porta that we learned about in art1010. The propaganda that Augustus Of Prima Porta was portraying was positive and was praising him for his military and diplomatic victories.
The image I have chosen for this blog is a picture of the name Julia written in rainbow lights, like those on a billboard sign. In the family of Gaius Julius Caesar, all women were named Julia. Someone may have the name Julia because every woman in a family were given the family name as their first name.
This does not connect to the quotes because based on the quotes no one would want to name their child after a man like Julius Caesar. More likely, each generation named a child Julia or Julius to honor a relative from the past or just because the parents liked that particular name. It is my opinion that in this way the name Julia has survived from Ancient Rome to the present day and not as a way to continue to honor Julius Caesar.

Hinda Honikman, Team Mars

Caesar and salad aren’t that different?

(Image by @adamtots)

CassiusDio

7 some actually ventured to suggest permitting him to have intercourse with as many women as he pleased, because even at this time, though fifty years old, he still had numerous mistresses.

11 he no longer restrained his wrath but showed great irritation, as if these very officials were really stirring up sedition against him.

Lives of Illustrious Men

Pompey ordered Caesar to disband his army but was driven from the city when Caesar approached prepared for battle.

Caesar could not keep back tears, and he took care that the head was burned with many very costly perfumes

Julius Caesar had a extremely mixed reputation. At times the people loved him and at times he was rather questionable which overall leads to his death. In the quotes from Cassius it really shows the questionable side of Caesar. How he would sleep with many women and his temper. However these traits made some people like him and praise him even more. In the quotes from “Lives of Illustrious Men” we see a good portray of Caesar. How he was prepared to defend and fight back and his more sensitive side in honoring Pompey even though he did not actually like him. These two passages show very different sides of Caesar and how some people loved his characteristics as a ruler but others did not.

This is Creamy Caesar dressing you put on the famous Caesar salad that many enjoy and love. However many people don’t like salad as well. Just like Julius Caesar it has qualities about it many people like and dislike. But in all seriousness Caesar salad wasn’t named after the dictator Caesar but rather after Caesar Cardini who invested in Tijuana, Mexico in 1924. He threw together a salad last minute from the ingredients he had and it was a hit. You can argue that Caesar Cardini’s name origin was from Julius Caesar considering Cadini who is from Italian decent. However the salad wasn’t originally named after Julius Caesar but it does has some qualities that the dictator has. Such as it’s popularity and people’s mixed opinions about the salad we can relate to Julius Caesar’s popularity and the mixed opinions he got from his people.

Francesca, Team Cronos

I met Aphrodite! OMG

Yesterday I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to do my paper for Art class. I was so excited and shocked to see all the paintings and statues that we have discussed in class. It almost felt unreal. As I was walking by this statue, I realized it was Aphrodite!!!! We have learned about her in both art and classics. she is a beautiful goddess known for her incredible beauty. And we also have heard her stories in classics. Meeting her was like a dream. She stands alone in the hallways with her own spark and value. I could see people stopping by her and viewing this beautiful body. It looked extremely gorgeous even though its not in well condition anymore. Somethings are just priceless and seem unreal. Fizza saeed, Team Hermes

Augusto!

• “As a judge he was both conscientious and lenient…”

-(Passage 33, Life of Augustus, Suetonius)

This quote portrays one of Augustus’ main qualities – being diligent and meticulous, while being lenient. The author gives summarized examples of how Augustus exercised his power in this manner, which included him adding a third tablet for jurors in a particular case for the benefit of the suspect, and assigning different cases to the City Praetor, with citizens’ appeals. This passage gives us insight into how Augustus executed his duties, and we are able to see that he was a dedicated and fair-minded leader.

 

• “When the dictatorship was offered to me, both in my presence and my absence, by the people and senate, when Marcus Marcellus and Lucius Arruntius were consuls (22 B.C.E.), I did not accept it.”

-(Passage 5, Res Gestae)

The second quote displays one of Augustus’ other predominant qualities – seeming humble, but with a hint of pride. This is evident in the way he highlights who and what circumstances surrounded him being offered the dictatorship – the people and senate, the consuls, and in his presence and absence. In this passage, Augustus is offered the dictatorship, and turns it down multiple times. Additionally, we are informed of how he frees the city from fear and danger through utilizing his own expenses, which also displays his humble, yet prideful, characteristic.

The traits selected stood out in both of the authors’ pieces, and were crucial in describing Augustus. Though these passages exhibit attributes that might not be that similar, they are somewhat connected in relation to building a well-respected and successful leader. Being humble, with hints of pride, and possessing diligence and leniency in work ethics are two predominant qualities in the formation of a great leader. I chose these two characteristics because of this connection, and due to the fact that these are extremely important features of Augustus. Through the presentation of different events, the first passage being his work in the courts and the second passage entailing his denial of a prestigious role, we are able to obtain these two traits and connect them.

 

This is an image featuring me and my cousin, Keon. It was taken the day after I had just arrived from Guyana. Keon, whose middle name happens to be Augusto, is from Grenada, where this name is extremely uncommon.

Theory! – After researching the actual meaning of “Augusto,” which derives from “Augustus,” and means majestic and venerable, I began to think that his parents named him this because of the name’s rarity in the Caribbean, and due to their knowledge of Augustus, while dreaming of Keon becoming someone outstanding (“majestic”), yet humble.

To confirm my speculation, I asked my Uncle why he had named my cousin “Augusto,” who responded, “Just like Augustus, he will be well-known for something amazing.” I was correct on where they obtained the name from, and their wishes for his future.

My theory of why they named him “Augusto” does connect with quotes I selected in that the quotes and my speculation of the reason for Keon’s name are extremely similar. Keon does manifest these traits in his personality – he is the type of person who tries to present himself as humble, which is obvious in everyday actions, while being very diligent in whatever he does.

 

-Daniel, Team Diana.

How Comes that Augustus Caesar relates to a Hotel’s name?

Suetonius wrote in “Life of Augustus” that “Yet Augustus never wantonly invaded any country, and felt no temptation to increase the boundaries of Empire or enhance his military glory; indeed, he made certain barbarian chieftains swear in the Temple of Avenging Mars that they would faithfully keep the peace for which they sued.” From this quotation, we see Augustus is a very peaceful and rational person, he had no temptation of expanded his empire, the reason why he fought is not that he wanted to have more glory or become more powerful but only because he wanted to united all barbarians, keep the peace and prevent further wars. He had such a big heart.

This an excerpt of what Augustus Caesar wrote at Res Gestae, it is about himself for his own Mausoleum in Rome. “I often waged war, civil and foreign, on the earth and sea, in the whole wide world, and as a victor, I spared all the citizens who sought pardon. As for foreign nations, those which I was able to safely forgive, I preferred to preserve than to destroy.” This is an excerpt of what Augustus Caesar wrote about himself, he said that he often started wars inside of the empire or outside with other nations, in the whole wide world. As a winner of the wars, he forgave all the citizens as they sought pardon, he preferred to keep these nations with peace than to destroy them. We can see here that Augustus wanted to let people know how generous he is, he didn’t want to eliminate these nation even they lose.

The reason why I chose these two quotes is that I learned from Art class that Augustus Caesar brought Pax Romana- 200 years of peace to Rome. What I learned from Art 1010 really connect to what we learned in this unit for Clas 1010. Also, this is very interesting that both Suetonius and Augustus himself described the reason of wars that Augustus started is because he wants to keep a further and longer peacetime, he is very kind to forgive the loser nation and make barbarians to vow and keep the peace.

This is an image of Hotel Caesar Augustus in Capri, Italy. Capri is famous by the statue of Augustus Caesar, it is the symbol of the city. The Hotel Caesar Augustus has it history since 19 century. Before to be transformed to be a hotel, it was a village that bought by Russia’s Prince Emmanuel Bulhak by the first half of 19th century. Bulhak believed that Augustus Caesar is the person who made Capri famous and he is the emperor of the world, Bulhak placed the statue of Augustus on the terrace because of it. By the second half of 29th century, Prince Bulhak sold the village to the family Signorini and the family transformed it into a hotel. The name of this hotel has nothing to do with the kind and peaceful characteristic of August Caesar but there is no doubt that Capri had become famous because of him and this was the reason why the family Signorini named it after him.

#Qiyi, Team Vesta

“Augustus” named on the planner

Suetonius: Life of Augustus:

“Next to the Immortals, Augustus most honoured the memory of those citizens who had raised the Roman people from small beginnings to their present glory; which was why he restored many public buildings erected by men of this calibre, complete with their original dedicatory inscriptions, and raised statues to them, wearing triumphal dress, in the twin colonnades of his Forum.”

Res Gestae:

“As for foreign nations, those which I was able to safely forgive, I preferred to preserve than to destroy. About five hundred thousand Roman citizens were sworn to me. I led something more than three hundred thousand of them into colonies and I returned them to their cities, after their stipend had been earned, and I assigned all of them fields or gave them money for their military service.

In the first passage, Augustus appears as a character who is an excellent administrator. He carried out an enormous work of reorganizing the entire Roman Empire. Furthermore, through stringent rules with strict discipline Augustus was able to bring a lasting Roman peace that improved communication and prosperous trade. Rejuvenation of old practices adequately integrated Judaism and Christianity through transmission of Classical heritage from Romans and Greeks.

Contrastingly, in the other passage of Res Gsestae, Augustus is depicted as a merciful emperor who forgave those that surrendered and gave themselves to the Roman Empire.”

These two passages characterize Augustus more than Julius Caesar. This describes more as Augustus because while I reading the text, it talks more about Augustus and what Augustus has done. It also shows the kind of person Augustus was. The first quote talks about Augustus most honored memory and how those people are respected by the Roman people. The statue that was created to make those people wear winning dress.The second quotes talk about talks about how Augustus was kind enough to forgive the one who gave up and gave themselves to the Roman Empire.

I choose those two passages because since it has many details on Augustus and talks a lot about what Augustus did and how he is so important. Also shows how he is characterized as a person.

The two passages I choose have some similarities and differences.The similarities between the two passages are that they both talk about Augustus. Both of the passages talk about him being honored and what he has done. The differences are that the first passages talk about how Roman people respect the dead people and honored them with the statue that has the wining dress. The second passage talks about how Augustus forgave people that gave up but were able to give themselves Roman Empire. It also talks about how Augustus recognize as an excellent administrator and he has much excellent recognition throughout the Roman Empire.

When I was going through my Brooklyn College planner, I came across to this page for the month of Augustus. As soon I saw that I automatically knew how Augustus connects with the month of August. The calendar derived the name of Augustus because since the name of the month August is named after Augustus.

The comparison to speculation to the quotes above, I will say it somewhat connects because is the month of the August was named after Augustus which already shows that Augustus is powerful and people showed him respect to him. And shows his importance to what he has done.

In Art History class, we also discussed about Augustus. This image was studied in Art History class.

This topic connects with art because since we studied this sculpture of Augustus Caesar in art. In art, we learned about every detailed of the image and what pose Augustus Caesar is making or what his intentions and what he is trying to say. This portrait was found in Italy and named Augustus of Prima Porta. In this picture, Augustus is the military dress, wearing highly decorated breastplate or cuirass and the drape is around his hip. His right hand is raised up and pointing up to show that his power and addressing to his troops. He is also depicted barefoot which show that he is the god. This sculpture also shows political propaganda and to show the importance of him.

-Mantaha Mannan, Team Vulcan

Citation:

“History – Augustus.” BBC, BBC, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/augustus.shtml.

Caesar the pit bull.

• Lives of Illustrious Men (**GNAEUS POMPEIUS MAGNUS Experts)

“Caesar could not keep back tears, and he took care that the head was burned with many very costly perfumes.”

This was written to portray what had happened to Julius Caesar after Pompey’s death. He appears to be a soft hearted man who cried at the death of Pompey and very knowable for he took his head and burnt it with perfume, the best way possible.

• Cassius Dio (Book 44.7-20)

8. 4“hence most men suspected him of being inflated with pride and hated him for his haughtiness, when it was they themselves who had made him disdainful by the exaggerated character of their honours.”

In this quote it shows Julius Caesar as someone that is full of themselves and is swayed by others affection/attention.

I choose these quotes because they show two different sides of Julius Caesar. In the first one it makes Caesar look like a kind person that looks out for others. While in the second quote it looks as though he cares only about himself and his well being.

The image I took was of me and my dog, Caesar which is derived from the name Julius Caesar. I think he was named Caesar because Julius Caesar was a strong leader and emperor. Caesar is a blue nose which makes their structure look very big and muscular, which may come off scary, making him look strong.  

Unlike the first quote where Julius Caesar comes off as a softie my dog is an actually softie. He such a sweet dog that he wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone. For the second quote my dog does not relate because he is not full of himself. But it can be interpreted as such, a lot people hate the pit bull breed because these dogs are “aggressive” but in fact the only reason they are like this is because of the owners treatments towards them. So too Julius Caesar became the way he was because of the people.

Anora, Team Diana

The Great Augustus Caesar

Suetonius

“Augustus introduced many reforms into the Army, besides reviving certain obsolete practices, and exacted the strictest discipline. He grudged even his generals home leave and granted this only during the winter.”

Res Gestae

“I often waged war, civil and foreign, on earth and sea, in the whole wide world, and as the victor, I spared all the citizens who sought pardon. As for foreign nations, those which I was able to forgive safety, I preferred to preserve than to destroy.”

In the first passage, Augustus appears as a character who is an excellent administrator. He carried out an enormous work of reorganizing the entire Roman Empire. Furthermore, through stringent rules with strict discipline Augustus was able to bring a lasting Roman peace that improved communication and prosperous trade. Rejuvenation of old practices adequately integrated Judaism and Christianity through transmission of Classical heritage from Romans and Greeks.

Contrastingly, in the other passage of Res Gestae, Augustus is depicted as a merciful emperor who forgave those that surrendered and gave themselves to the Roman Empire.

The choice of two passage relies on the fact that they bring out clearly how Augustus was able to tactfully conceal autocracy in a traditionalist way to satisfy a war-worn generation. For instance, Augustus hardly was he known for mercy over his enemies, but he uses the propaganda to cloak his ruthlessness over his subjects to satisfy the upper bourgeoisie that much benefited from new requests made by the emperor.

The passages are similar in such a way that both reveal Augustus’ mastery of imaginative propaganda that was used to expand his territory as well as conquering his enemies. The technique was used to get massive following even beyond boundaries of the Roman Empire.

This is an image of my young cousin called Augustine and me. The name Augustine is a derivative of Augustus which means “the increase” or “majestic.” In particular, my cousin in the picture is believed to be having the qualities of a splendor or a leader. He is very charismatic, principled for a young boy, courageous and brave and very respectful.

Comparing my speculation to the quotes, I will say it partially connects to the quotes as my cousin is a brave and courageous boy like Augustus Caesar, but the name he was given according to his parents was influenced by a man of God.

In Art History, we discussed some of the qualities of Augustus Caesar, by analyzing the sculpture below.

This piece of sculpture is one of the famous portraits of Augustus Caesar. The portrait is called Augustus of Primaporta because of where it was found in Italy. Augustus is standing in contrapposto, this means he is a bit slanted in his stance. The emperor is wearing military regalia, and his arm is raised and outstretched, demonstrating that he might have been addressing his troops. The bare feet of the emperor suggest he was a god, and so does the cupid beside his right leg. The artwork here also serves as a visual propaganda by expressing the emperor’s divine lineage and military triumphs.

Richard, Team Vulcan.

Citations

Dowson, Thomas. “Augustus of Prima Porta.” Archaeology Travel, 10 Jan. 2017, archaeology-travel.com/friday-find/augustus-prima-porta/.

 

 

 

 

“Augustus” on my Planner

When I was looking through my planner and I came across tho this page which said August. When I was thinking about something that we learn in Classics, I thought about Augustus. I decided to take a selfie since the month of the of the calendar “August” is similar to the name of Augustus. The month August is named after Augustus. Also, Augustus names the month August after himself. By naming a month after himself shows that he is a very powerful man. The name month of August was an honor to Augustus. Augustus was important because since he was the founder of the Roman and also consider as first Roman emperor. He was the controller of the Roman Empire until his death. Therefore, his name was honored on the calendar or planner.

-Mantaha Mannan, Team Vulcan

It’s a Metaphor!!

 

1. “…when, at a crisis in the fighting, the standard-bearer of his legion was seriously wounded, Augustus himself shouldered the Eagle and carried it for some time” (Suetonius 9).
2. “… After the fall of the city Augustus took vengeance on crowds of prisoners and returned the same answer to all who sued for pardon or tried to explain their presence among the rebels” (Suetonius 15)

These two passages show that Augustus is a responsible and righteous man. He is also someone with great leadership skills since he was able to lead an entire army. Augustus takes the burden and fights for his people. I chose them because it shows how brave and capable he is as a leader. Both passages talk about Augustus’ burden of being a powerful figure that is leading a whole army in order to conquer lands, and how much the people depend on him.

This image is a picture of Augustus Waters from the movie The Fault In Our Stars; It is an adaption of the book which is by John Green. The name ‘Augustus’ is actually suitable for this character because he is brave, courageous, loyal, but, not perfect. The first quote can support how Augustus from the movie and book tries to fight cancer with a smile on his face, knowing that he may die. The second quote supports the part when he helps his blind friend, Issac, get revenge on his ex-girlfriend by throwing eggs at her car. Augustus could have literally been the most perfect guy in The Fault In Our Stars, like Augustus from the “Imperators”, however, both are not perfect beings.

Becky, Team Hera

Extra Credit

This is a selfie of me and a character from a popular anime called Black Butler named Sebastian. This picture is related to Classics because the name Sebastian derives from Greek word σεβαστος (sebastos)  which means “venerable”. This was the Greek translation of the title Augustus. 

https://www.etymonline.com/word/sebastian

Image: https://www.google.com/search?q=sebastian+black+butler&rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS752US752&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0saG7uM7XAhVr6YMKHaNBBykQ_AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=662#imgdii=Wmp_I-jQaaelPM:&imgrc=v8ocVZNwoWSQiM:

Masuma, Team Mercury

Breaking News! History is back! Better and modern!!!

In chapter seven, Our readings were about Julius Caesar. He was a Roman politician that played a huge part in the events that led to the rise of the Roman empire. He is seen as powerful military leader who did a lot for the Roman empire. In Live of Illustrious experts, it states that ” His authority was so great that Opimius took up arms against Gracchus, and Marius against Glaucia and Saturninus, because of Scaurus’ advice in private” this quote gives just one of the many examples discussed in the writing like him building Mulvian Bridge and his military sacrifices. People  really thought of him as Great leader for doing such great acts. They honored him until his true colors came out. But in another passage we see a different side. In Cassius Dio ( Book 44.7-20), we get to see more of Caesar or the hidden side of him. It states “At any rate, some actually ventured to suggest permitting him to have intercourse with as many women as he pleased, because even at this time, though fifty years old, he still had numerous mistresses” this quote shows how he did not had much respect for women or his own wife. He had many mistresses for his own pleasure.  The fact that he treated used women like this shows that he is not as perfect as he seems. As we go on in the readings we truly see his selfish side. He took too much pride in himself and thought of himself more than a king. We see his self conceited side again when he rejects the king role, the offer that priests give him ” Caesar answered: “Jupiter alone is king of the Romans,” and sent the diadem to Jupiter on the Capitol; yet he was not angry, but caused it to be inscribed in the records that he had refused to accept the kingship when offered to him by the people through the consul” in this quote his response shows how he refuses the offer and calls himself better than a king. He did not care what people are offering him but instead declined for his selfish reasons. The readings in chapter seven clearly show both sides of Julius Caesar. It shows how no one is perfectly great. His flaws and his good actions are written perfectly for the audience. The readings both praise and show his evil side of the story. The different quotes given above show his different sides. The  image that I used is of this haircut called “Caesar’. It’s a selfie of me and my best friend. He has Caesar hairstyle which I recognized after doing my research on this type of hairstyle. It was introduced by Julius Caeser from who the name is derived. The Caesar haircut requires short hair, although your fringe can be long, and should be styled by bringing the hair forward. It was really popular in the 90s and is still used in modern era. This shows how our past is all around us. Our important figures names are even used in haircuts but we never really pay attention to it. This knows how powerful knowledge is and how important it is to be aware of our surroundings because the possibilities of finding new things are endless. Fizza saeed, Team Hermes

LOVE MY CAESAR SALAD!!!

Yes!! This is me being extremely messy while enjoying my Caesar salad. I love salads and this one has always been my favorite. While I was doing my readings for class and learning about Caesar in unit seven, the name Caesar sounded so delicious. I love food but I didn’t think of my favorite salad until yesterday. I was extremely hungry and while I shoved that salad down my throat I realized how it relates to what we are learning in class. I told my friend to take my ( nice) picture because my hunger doesn’t let me do anything. Which is why I look this weird in the picture but it does show my true personality so  its ok  to make fun of yourself sometimes. The fact that classics teachings came in my mind shows how our minds work. We go through our days seeing so many things and people but never truly pay attention to our surroundings. The name Caesar is actually a salad name as well is such a crazy concept but its also delicious. We all should enjoy it. I have learned to be more carefull and aware of myself because I realized how knowledge gives us power to be able to enjoy things more. Relating one thing to completely a differnet object is great fun and shows how learning is endless. This class has truly helped me see things differently and I’m forever grateful. Yours truly Fizza saeed – Team Hermes

He’s Got Ethos…

Here I am in a Starbucks in Manhattan taking a selfie with “ethos” water and trying to avoid stares from random people.

When Herodotus accounts the conflict between the Persians and the Greeks I’m fairly certain that he uses ethos, to convince the audience of his credibility. His ethos is shown within his authoritive voice in these sentences from Herodotus on The Persians “she herself (Io) they say, having formed an intimacy with the captain, while his vessel lay at Argos, and perceiving herself to be with child, of her own free will accompanied the Phoenicians on their leaving the shore, to escape the shame of
detection and the reproaches of her parents. Whether this latter account be true, or whether the matter happened otherwise, I shall not discuss further.” By assuring the audience that he is unbiased, he is displaying his accountability, that he is ethical in relaying this information to the audience.

Whether or not Herodotus is actually a reliable source, I shall not discuss further… 😉

Carrissa, Team Hestia

Extra Credit Julius Caesar

This picture was taken inside the basement of the Brooklyn College Library. This was taken as I was completing my blog for class seven of classics and I thought that this could be used as an extra credit since it is a selfie and does relate back to what we learned in class. In class we learned about Julius Caesar and what he accomplished and how revered and great he was. We also learned about what people thought of him, how he was characterized;very similar to when we were learning about Alexander the Great. Whilst doing my blog post for this class, I learned that the month of July was actually named after Julius Caesar upon the time of his death, in order to honor him, his memory, and all that he had achieved and accomplished. So as soon as I learned that I asked the librarian for a calendar and took this selfie. One little cool fun fact, is that I’m actually born in the month of July, with means that I share the same birth month as Julius Caesar;which is something that I thing is actually pretty cool!

The Month of “Augustus”

Throughout the readings, we learn a lot about who he is and his characteristics.

“He argued that ‘Augustus‘ was both a more original and a more honorable title, since sanctuaries and all places consecrated by the augurs are known as ‘august‘” (Life of Augustus 7).

“I drove the men who slaughtered my father into exile with a legal order, punishing their crime, and afterwards, when they waged war on the state, I conquered them in two battles” (RES GESTAE 2)

These two quotes displays how people honored Augustus and Augustus’s actions. People feel that his name is empowering and respected while he gets revenge to the people who slaughtered his father. I chose these quotes because they both display to the reader they type of person Augustus is. One is what others characterized him as while the other is what the reader takes away about his actions. Both quotes are similar in that they both use specific wording to fully characterize Augustus. In the first quote, the terms original and honorable are being used to characterize Augustus while in the second quote it uses the terms punish and conquer.

This is a picture of me holding a calendar opened up to the month of August. The month of August is named after Augustus. Augustus completed the calendar and named the month after himself. This relates to the reading in a way because Augustus is known for conquering therefore him naming a month after himself shows power and honor as discussed  in the previous quotes.

Extra Credit:

This picture relates to the class because we are currently learning about Augustus and Julius Caesar. The month on July is named after Julius and the month of August is named after Augustus. This is me holding a calendar opened up to the month of August. Augustus named this month after himself which shows that he is very powerful and respected by many.

Adam Allan, Team Ares

Julius Caesar

The first quote I choose is from the Lives of Illustrious Men, ” Here lies Pompey the Great. Pompey’s head, wrapped with an Egyptian covering, was presented along with a ring to Caesar by Achillas, an attendant of Ptolemy. Caesar could not keep back tears, and he took care that the head was burned with many very costly perfumes.” I chose this quote in particular because it depicts Julius Caesar in a slightly different light than most people are used to. Most people when they read about Caesar or think of him, they think of a strong and powerful man, one with barely any flaws or vulnerabilities; similar to that of depictions of views of Augustus or Alexander the Great. But this passage shows Julius in a vulnerable state. Albeit it doesn’t show him in a particularly bad light, but he is deeply mourning and saddened over the death of his friend and ally, Pompey, which is something new. Moreover, this passage also shows him in a more human way and characterizes him as a man with great humility. Like stated above, he is not some great god or savior, he is a human man, who is not afraid to openly mourn over a friend’s death.

The second Quote I choose is from Cassius Dio, “Antony with his fellow-priests saluted him as king and binding a diadem upon his head, said: “The people offer this to you through me.” 3 And Caesar answered: “Jupiter alone is king of the Romans,” and sent the diadem to Jupiter on the Capitol; yet he was not angry, but caused it to be inscribed in the records that he had refused to accept the kingship when offered to him by the  people through the consul.” This second quote is very similar to the first one, in my opinion, which is the reason why I picked it. In this quote, Julius Caesar rejects the kingship that the priests/Diadem present him with. stating that he is not a king, but the god, Jupiter, alone is the true king of the Romans. When I first read this, I was confused because I thought that Julius was a king. What I realized, after doing some research, was that Caesar in fact was not the king of the Roman Republic. He was simply the dictator/leader of the Roman Republic. But going back to how this quote is similar to the first one above, is the fact that this passage once again illustrates the humility that Julius Caesar possessed within his character. He had enough humility to outright say he, himself, is not the King, without any hesitation or second thought. In addition, it shows him as not being merciless or a angry leader, as he did not get furious when the priests presented him with the crown. 

The selfie that I decided to take was one of me and the moth of July. When googling things named after Julius Caesar, I learned that the moth July is actually named in honor of him. Apparently when Julius Caesar died, the Roman month Quintillis (which was in fact his birth month) was renamed July. Unfortunately, the two quotes placed above does not entirely show why something like a whole month would be named after Julius Caesar. Sure he was a man with great humility and benevolence, but in my opinion that alone wouldn’t give him this great honor. I speculate that what gave him  or what influenced this great honor was due to how great Julius Caesar was and all the things he achieved and accomplished for the Roman Republic. Furthermore, because of all that he did and accomplished he was revered and renowned in Roman society.

Fun fact: I’m actually born in the month of July as well, it’s interesting because I hadn’t realized this fact until just now.

Sean lau, Team Ares

Persians Invaded the Babylonions *Extra Credit*

I went to Wallkill over the weekend to the tour the Watchtower facility. There was a beautiful, huge, detailed painting on the wall and as an artist myself I stopped to admire it. When I asked the tour guide what it depicted she stated that it was King Cyrus’ Persian empire invading Babylon. I thought to myself, “Hey, I think I heard those names in Classics.” When I checked the website I saw that we did in fact learn about the Persians and Cyrus during the 3rd unit. Thus, I proceeded to take a selfie, the painting was so colossal it could not fit in my selfie so I asked my brother to take it for me (hope this still counts). I did some more research and found out that, “When Cyrus set his sights on Babylon it was already the most venerable of Middle Eastern cities—perhaps of all cities in the world,” states the book Cyrus the Great. It almost seemed impossible what had occurred on that night, (of October 5/6, 539 B.C.E.) the city of Babylon was on the Euphrates river and there were moats around the city and on top of that high security, there were also massive walls.  Upstream from Babylon, Cyrus’ army  were commanded to channel the Euphrates and cause the water level in the city to fall. After this happened, the army then walked right through the now low river right through the city gates. Coincidentally, that night the city gates, had been left open. According to Greek historians Herodotus and Xenophon, the Babylonians felt so secure behind their city’s defenses that on the night of the attack, many were feasting, including the king! All of these event helped Cyrus and the Persians to overthrow Babylon.

-Chante Morren, Team Venus

Sources:

Herodotus. The History of Herodotus: Volume 1. Book. 1, section CXCI,  Talboys and Wheeler, 1824.

Crompton, Samuel Willard. Cyrus the Great. Chelsea House, 2008.

Filipino Vs. Haitian

This picture was taken in the Brooklyn College Library alongside my friend Gaby. One thing I’ve learned in this class so far is that “the others” were considered barbaric. In other words, anyone who was not Greek would be looked down on because to the Greeks their speech sounded like so, “Bar-bar-bar”. Here the same concept applies because Gaby here is Filipino and I am Haitian. Since ethnically we are in different groups, to me she fits in the group of “the others”  and that same concept can be applied to me coming from her point of view. It is very fortunate that we did not live in those ancient times otherwise, we would not have only torn each other apart, but we would be cruel, judgemental, and would treat each other like we are lesser than human. But today, due to evolutions in society we are able to accept each other’s differences.                                                                  -Izadora, Team Aphrodite 

Aphrodite Card

I took this picture at my work while I was picking the card from the set, and for the first time, I got Aphrodite. When I saw this card it immediately reminded me about Classics because at first that’s my team name, and second that was the first chapter we discussed in class. Aphrodite is a Goddess of beauty and love, and that’s how I always remember about her. On this card, she is described as Inner Beauty, which of course match with her. She was beautiful to that point that everyone wanted to meet with her. She wasn’t loyal to Hephaestus and preferred to spend time with her lover – Ares. Some of the legends even say that prostitutes consider her as their patron, which at some point might be accurate when we think about her. She is also Goddess of war, especially in Sparta. However, beauty and love is her significant sign and that’s how most of the people recognize her.

Edyta, Team Aphrodite

Alexander Bracelet

 When I was looking for all my bracelet and I saw this bracelet that had a name Alexander inside. I never notice it because the name is written really tiny. I usually never read the name inside bracelet because I don’t really care about it. This bracelet was gifted to me from one of my close friend who went to visit Spain and got me the bracelet. This relates to the class and what we are learning because in class we learned about Alexander. We also saw few pictures of Alexander arts in class. And the bracelet actually also looks like one of the coins we saw in class. I never thought that there is a bracelet that had Alexander name on it. I was surprised how the design and color of the bracelet are very similar with the coin that had his portrait. Therefore, now I know that sometimes it’s the good look at the name because if I didn’t look at the inside than I would never know that it had the name Alexander.

-Mantaha, Team Vulcan

Suman Afzal & Brittany Lay (Team Hephaestus) Brooklyn College Library

Walk like an Egyptian

The statue in the image above was taken in front of an Egyptian restaurant a block away from my high school building in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Similar to the New York Kouros, the statue stands in a trademark Egyptian stance in which the individual has a very rigid posture, flat feet, and arms with clenched fists stuck to their side. I believe the owner of the restaurant wanted this piece, along with the others inside, to look Egyptian so that the overall theme of the store fits with the Egyptian cuisine they specialize in and to have a tied together atmosphere to the location. To me and other potential viewers, the decor looks Egyptian due to the use of gold and darker hues throughout the building. Ancient Egypt was known for being very luxurious and saturated with gold and riches, along with the traditional practices of mummification and use of sarcophaguses in tombs. The picture below shows the inside of the eatery, known as “Mr. Falefel”, where a sarcophagus stands beside the booths that shows a figure adorned with an Egyptian headpiece and various colors. This is different from the Greek view on Egyptians because although the Ancient Egyptian empire was very powerful and wealthy, the Greeks often believed them to be thieves and looked down upon them. As seen in Theocritus Idylls, Praxinoa states “Nowadays no criminal sneaks up to you Egyptian style as you’re walking along and does you a mischief like the tricks those deceitful scoundrels used to play, nasty rascals all as bad as each other, curse the lot of them.” Clearly, the Greeks held a lot of hatred and dislike for the Egyptians who were seen as nothing but lower class individuals. The decorations in the restaurant, however, portray them as classy, wealthy beings worthy of respect and honor, as they are put on display for all who pass by the building to admire.

Name of location: Mr. Falafel

Address on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/NtR89T

– Natalie, Team Vesta

Exploring Ancient Greece Through Aristotle’s Politics

Last weekend in Manhattan, I purchased The Politics of Aristotle because even though learning about Greek mythology is very interesting, I wanted to know a little bit about their more concrete ideas and beliefs; since Aristotle was a very prominent philosopher in Ancient Greece, I thought I’d look to him. Even though I haven’t read the entire book yet, I already have a very different view on Greek society. It was shocking to realize just how oppressed women were! Before reading this book, I thought that their only limitations were not being able to participate in government and having to look after the house. However, Aristotle makes it very clear that he thinks women should be bound to their houses, which is disappointing coming from such an enlightened thinker. Aristotle also refers to slavery as “natural” and stresses separation of labor and classes. While some of Aristotle’s ideas are clearly questionable, the questions he poses are thought provoking. It makes me wonder what a perfect society would actually look like. But one thing is for sure: it wouldn’t be anything like the Greeks.

Elene T., Team Mars

Cursed? Try a mati!

On a certain Sunday, my best friend came back from Uzbekistan. After embracing her in a big hug, my eyes immediately fell upon the blue bracelet she was wearing on her hand. This bracelet is called kuzmunchoq. As you can see from the picture, the bracelet is decorated with big blue eye – like balls with black pupils. In our culture, this bracelet is worn to protect an individual from evil eyes and meant to be a good luck charm. This superstition was popularized during Ancient Greece around the sixth century. The Greeks created a tangible device in the shape of an eye with a blue iris and named it the mati. The evil eye, they believed, was a type of curse that was brought upon a person when another glared at them with negative intensions and jealousy. Often times, if someone were to compliment one excessively it represented hidden begrudge. Furthermore, the Greeks believed that children were more subject to the evil eye because of their youth and innocence. In order to protect himself from the evil eye, the Greeks prescribed the mati. The mati was a apotropaic visual device in the shape of an eye with a blue iris. It existed in many forms such as jewelry or as a part of vessels and antiquities of the classical era. The idea of the evil eye was spread to different parts of the world and became especially popular in the Mediterranean by Alexander the Great. As you can see, this superstition has dominated much of the eastern world and still exists today.

 

-Khilola, Team Juno

The Corinthian Column; Sean Reilly, Team Artemis

The Corinthian column is a piece of architecture used to hold up buildings, and have some form of an aesthetic. This kind of column, one of the big three (Doric, Ionic, and the Corinthian) was very popular within Roman art culture, while the Greeks preferred Doric and Ionic columns. You can see these columns like where this one, throughout all cultures and places, due to its familiarity, and notoriety. While walking back from a dinner I had for my friend’s birthday, we all headed back to Penn Station to prepare for the train ride home. As I’m strolling by, class clicked in my head, as an enormous horizontal Roman column was waiting to be photographed. From a bank, to a school, to the middle of Penn Station, the column can be traced back to ancient times, and brought back to modern contemporary society. Here the piece of architecture is being used for more than just it’s artistic elements, but used as a single piece of historical art itself.

Venus de Milo: A modern reproduction

While walking along 6th Avenue, better known as the Avenue of the Americas, I spotted a familiar trio of statues standing before the West 53rd street entrance to the Credit Agricole CIB building. The three green-turquoise sculptures were made to resemble Alexandros of Antioch’s “Venus de Milo”, an iconic marble statue believed to portray Aphrodite, Venus being the Roman goddess equivalent. Unlike the original, the pieces were missing their heads and arms but the statue’s draped clothing and stance make the artist’s reference clear. This statue characterizes Aphrodite by showing her partially uncovered by the clothing around her waist, a symbol of her being the goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality.  However, unlike the original sculpture, this version is bumpy and seems to have jagged edges to it, as opposed to the usual smooth perfection Greek artists strived for in their work. These statues also have a series of three hidden faces on them that seem to appear out the twists and folds of her dress that may be representative of her sly, yet helpful personality.

In the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, lines thirty-four and thirty-five state “As for all the rest, there is nothing that has escaped Aphrodite: none of the blessed gods nor any of mortal humans.” This quote, however, was meant to convey the reach of Aphrodite’s power and influence, having made gods and humans alike succumb to love, lust, and procreation rather. I selected this quote because the statues I saw stand tall above bustling Manhattan traffic, overlooking the passing cars and rushing people on their way to work. Much like Aphrodite did, the sculptures watch over humans and their daily activities, having born witness to the love, affection, kindness, and the full range of emotion displayed by countless passing strangers.

Aphrodite’s Backstory; or, Her Complicated Relation to Zeus

This is a book about Greek mythology I found in the Brooklyn College library on the “for sale” shelf. (For the record, although it is a CliffNotes book, I did not read it to find the following information. This is prior knowledge, because I happen to like Greek mythology.)

Aphrodite is the goddess of love and beauty in Greek mythology. The man on the cover is most likely Zeus, king of the gods and father to quite a few of them, usually depicted bearded and scowling as pictured. He’s related to Aphrodite in a complicated way…

The Greeks believed that way back in the very beginning of everything, there was Chaos. Then there was Gaea, their (vaguely psychopathic) version of Mother Earth, and then Ouranos (or Uranus, as the Romans spelled it) as the Sky. Gaea and Ouranos had children called the Titans, including Kronos (sometimes spelled Cronus; the Romans called him Saturn). Kronos decided, with the urging of Gaea and the help of his brother Titans, to kill Ouranos and take over. Kronos cut Ouranos into pieces with his scythe, and one of the pieces fell into the sea and the foam formed Aphrodite. It’s a weird origin story. So where does Zeus come in?

Kronos married his sister Rhea (gross, but there wasn’t anyone else around yet). But Kronos had heard a prophecy (from another of his sisters, the Titan of prophecy) that his child would overthrow him and cut him up, just like he’d done to Ouranos. So when Rhea gave birth to a daughter (Hestia, later to be known as goddess of the hearth and home), he saw how threatening these kids would be. They weren’t Titans; they were gods: way more powerful. He got worried about the prophecy, and ate Hestia whole. He continued eating his children as Rhea handed them to him, one at a time: Demeter (goddess of agriculture), Hera (goddess of marriage), Hades (god of death), and Poseidon (god of the sea). Francisco Goya painted Saturn eating his children, as mentioned in Art1010.

Finally Rhea had had enough of her husband eating their children, so she gave birth to the sixth child, Zeus, on an island away from Kronos and secretly swapped the baby with a rock. She left Zeus to be raised by nymphs and a magical goat. (Also a weird origin story. I’m not making this up.) Kronos was evidently not the brightest, as he ate the rock and believed it to be Zeus. Zeus grew up and came back to rescue his siblings, gaining Kronos’ trust and then feeding him mustard wine to make him regurgitate the swallowed gods and goddesses, who then went on to overthrow the Titans and become the Olympians. Zeus cut up Kronos with his own scythe, just as prophesied, and threw him into Tartarus (AKA a big scary pit in the Underworld).

Essentially, therefore, Aphrodite is the eldest of the gods, and Zeus’ aunt. She doesn’t really have parents, so it’s hard to make claims like that, but Ouranos gave her life and he is Zeus’ grandfather. So “aunt” it is. Imagine the family reunions!

We’ve been learning about different viewpoints about Aphrodite, including the story of her affair with Aeneas. This was brought about because Zeus was annoyed that Aphrodite kept making him love mortals, so he made her love a mortal to give her a taste of her own medicine. Aphrodite and Zeus have always had a complicated relationship, both in the sense of family trees and of interactions.

Chaya Ovits, team Venus

#ClassicsEC #Selfie #SeeninNYC

Aphrodite

As you can see this is my deodorant. I got this deodorant from my home. The brand of this deodorants is, Dove. A Dove, is Aphrodite’s one of many attributes. #SeeninNYC #Seeninmyroom # ClassicsEC #Selfie –Izadora,  team Aphrodite

Cameron, Team Jupiter

 

This is an image of me [Cece] in my bedroom. While I was reading the final play for class on Friday, I could not help but think about some really good Greek food like Souvlaki.  While food was on my mind, I also remembered an old saying about the a olive branch but I did have any symbol like that to take a selfie with nor did I remember the saying. While shuffling through my jewelry box, I realized I a oak tree accessory for my choker I always wear.  The oak tree is a symbol in Greek Mythology usually representing several powerful gods such as “Zeus, God of Thunder,  or a symbol of physical strength and morale” (nickthegreek, ladyoftheloch.co.uk). After taking a picture, I thought how does this relate to our lessons after only ONE DAY in class?! It hit me- Medea of Euripides’ Medea held strong to her own moral compass. In her mind, the death of her own kin was validated because of her ex husband’s betrayal. Despite the several pleas of the Chorus, Medea replies  to being told she would regret her decision with “never mind all other words are in vein” (Lushnig, 818). This shows how her stubbornness and strength, much like the Oak Tree, lead her to the sacrifice of her own children. Even before going on with her plan to poison  her children, the King and Jason’s new wife, she grieved knowing what she had done as wrong. It was more upsetting for her to be betrayed and replaced than to leave in exhile. The act of committing such sacrifice  is unbearable however I must admit takes the strength of hundreds of Oak Trees.

Greek Life

While I was at the Brooklyn College Library, I thought, what on campus relates to this class? And then it hit me: Greek life. If you look closely you can see that in the computer screen it shows different groups and organizations, otherwise known as Greek life. –Izadora,  Team Aphrodite  #SeeninNYC #ClassicsEC #Selfie #ComputerSelfie