Battle of Issus Essay Example for Free

Battle of Issus Essay The Battle of Issus Sometime around 310 BCE an artist by the name of Philoxenus of Eretria created a mosaic (creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored material) of the Battle of Issus that has long been considered one of the greatest artworks of antiquity. Found at the House of the Faun in Pompeii in 1831 the mosaic is composed of about one and a half million tiny individual colored tiles called tesserae. The artwork illustrates the battle in which invading troops led by Alexander of Macedonia defeated the army led by King Darius III of Persia. When looking at the piece the viewer cannot help but be impressed by the psychological intensity of the drama taking place. On the Persian side of the piece the viewer’s eye is immediately drawn to the prominent figure of Darius shown in his chariot. A look of pure desperation, and perhaps even fear, is etched in Darius’ face as victory slips through his hands. As his steely eyed charioteer turns to rein his horses for a fast retreat to safety Darius stretches out his hand toward Alexander either in disbelief that Alexander has beaten him, or perhaps in grief over the death of one of his â€Å"immortals†. Around him are his Persian soldiers who mill in confusion in the background, their faces filled with fear and determination. On the same side, there are two other figures that are quite notable and demonstrate the artist’s technical mastery. The first is the artist’s depiction of the rearing horse right below Darius which is seen in a three-quarter rear view. The rider, his terror evident upon his face, glances back at the battle as he attempts to control his horse. This kind of depiction is very impressive and is much more accomplished then other similar attempts such as the shading in the Pella mosaic or the Vergina mural (Kleiner 142). The second, perhaps even more impressive, is the artist’s portrayal of the Persian in the foreground who has fallen onto the ground and raises a small shield in a pathetic attempt to prevent being trampled. The man’s terrified face is reflected on the polished surface of the shield moments before the chariot crushes him under its ornate wheels. On the Macedonian side of things the viewer’s eye is of course drawn to Alexander. This portrait of Alexander is one of his most famous. His breastplate depicts Medusa the Gorgon. He leads the charge into battle on his horse Bucephalus, without even a helmet to protect him, and maintains an aura of unshaken confidence in direct contrast to Darius. As Alexander surges forward in a supreme effort he drives his spear straight through one of Darius’s trusted â€Å"immortals† who puts himself between him and the King of Persia. As the impaled Persian collapses to the ground, Alexander fixes his gaze upon Darius in utter hatred. Although the deteriorated condition of the mosaic makes it difficult to distinguish much on the Macedonian side a cavalryman wearing a Boeotian helmet with a golden wreath can been seen behind Alexander. Looking at the mosaic as a whole there are a few important details that grab ones attention. First is the fact that the landscape is very minimal, only one gnarled tree trunk appearing in the background and a few discarded weapons and rocks in the foreground. Secondly, everywhere in the scene men, animals, and weapons cast shadows on the ground. This unusual attention to detail is what enhances the intensity of the piece and gives it an aspect of realism that truly shows the horror and confusion of battle. The viewer cannot help but be drawn into the conflict and become a part of the drama as it unfolds. To me this mosaic is not only a truly great piece of art but also has furthered my understanding of Roman artwork, Macedonian warfare and the emotion in Hellenistic-styled mosaics. It is easy to understand how Roman author and natural philosopher Pliny the Elder concluded that Philoxenus’ depiction of the Battle of Issus was â€Å"inferior to none† (Kleiner 142). Battle of Issus. (2018, Oct 25).

How useful is the Letter of Jude for the Church Today Essay

How useful is the Letter of Jude for the Church Today - Essay Example The book comes in handy today as there are many false teachers who look down upon the word of God with disdain. Jude was driven by purpose to protect the status of the faith and church of God. In his letter, he intended to bring out the aims of false teachers whose infiltration in the church of god threatened to derail the faith of Christians. Through this exposure, he intended to pass a message to Christians that they should find courage and stand firm in relation to their faith. According to him, the Christians ought to get motivated and seek their way to the truth. He dwells on this during the first part of the epistle. In verse 4, Jude states that â€Å"for certain persons have crept unnoticed†. He meant that there were false teachers of the word of god and they were peddling their wares in the church and elsewhere among Christians without being noticed or questioned. He described ion the book how these false teachers perpetrated terrible acts under concealment. For the Christians to be aware, Jude recommended that they had to remember the teaching of the apostles of Christ, help each other to build their faith in the word of God, employ the use of Holy Spirit to guide them in prayer, wait upon the mercy of Jesus by living their lives in such a way that they are prepared for this second coming and stay within the unending love of God. Staying in the love of God demands that believers trust in God and do whatever he wants us to do as highlighted in the teachings of the epistles. Commitment and following the guidelines he put forward, Christians can be able to stand up against those false tea chers who were working against the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ. In modern times, there are many false teachers. Jude say that these teachers are a threat because they teach that being saved by the grace of god gives freedom to do what one wants which includes living immorally. This is an act of denying Christ according to Jude. This is

Imago Dei Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Imago Dei - Research Paper Example In this attempt, Christianity, Judaism and Islam consider mankind as an image of God or consider them being created in the image of God. Genesis and Psalm are the Old Testament that are widely accepted and used as reference while discussing Imago Dei. Other testament passages are James 3:9 and 1 Corinthians 11:7. In order to understand the definition of Imago Dei, it is important to consider the actual meaning that can be derived out of this term, its theological aspects and human attributes that are perceived as a reflection of God and other perspectives present related to its functional view, relational capacity, humankind’s destiny and intellectual formation. Imago Dei not only emphasizes on religious aspects of this notion but also attempts to derive a scientific view out of this conception. In specific contexts, Christianity provides four definitions of Imago Dei. According to these definitions, humans bear similarity to God, they are God’s counterpart in this univ erse, human have dominion in this universe, and they are God’s representatives2. Substantive View of Imago Dei According to Gardoski, content and context of Genesis 1:26 help in viewing Imago Dei in a substantive manner. This substantive view illustrates that God has provided man with intelligence, volition, morality and spirituality. These characteristics helps man in operating as God on earth and this is how God has restored himself in creation of man which also differentiates him from other living beings. These spiritual and non-material aspects when combine with a physical body form a human in a holistic view3. Existence of man, his ability to function independently and rule the land does not make him capable of being a reflection of God. Instead, God gave him this body as a vessel or mean to enjoy the resources provided to him. However, along with these earthly blessings, he is also given an opportunity to exercise two significant corollaries of God’s image. These corollaries demand man to rule over other creation as the representative of God in whom all the trust and power of God has been bestowed along with enjoying cordial relationship with the creator and his creations. These corollaries provide us an indication as to why God made man his representative and created him in his image. Hence, this body provided to man is just a mean of fulfilling God’s will4. As far as view of a fallen man is concerned, a fallen man is a sinner who has digressed from the path of God but remains God’s creation and thus, inherits a reflection of God. However, for a fallen man, it is important to renew himself to be and act like God and live a life as God intends man to live. On the other hand, Christianity renders Jesus Christ as an example of restoration of Godly image in man and salvation believers expect to renew themselves in the same manner. Although attempt of seeking salvation in Jesus Christ does not restore the same image of God instead it affects the behavior and mannerism of the believer to match the conduct of God. Substantive view further illustrates that man attempts to match his actions to God’s and tries to seek conformity even in the daily life activities. Functional View of Imago Dei Imago Dei helps in identifying the functional purpose of humankind and his existence in a corporate sense. Hence, valuation of mankind can be performed and assessed. According to excerpts of Genesis in Klasson’

The Problem of Leadership in Cuba, Mexico and Brazil Essay

The Problem of Leadership in Cuba, Mexico and Brazil - Essay Example 2. Cuba The Cuban tale of independence was preceded by two more important events namely the independence of Haiti in 1791 and the call for independence from Spain in the 1820’s. The Haitian revolution had proven beyond doubt that people from various racial and ethnic backgrounds could operate together to subdue not one but three colonial powers to claim their independence. The Cuban revolution and its constituents resembled the Haitian insurgents in racial composition as the call to arms was taken up by blacks, mulattos and whites alike. Previously the Cuban domain had remained faithful to Spain even though other nations were claiming their independence. Cuba was given the motto â€Å"The Always Most Faithful Island† by the Spanish Crown although small plans for insurgency had been unearthed throughout the 1830’s and 1840’s. The loyalty towards the Spanish Crown stemmed from dependence on Spain for trade as well as protection from pirates and unease at the rising power of the United States. The actual insurgency was initiated by Carlos Manuel De Cespedes who was a sugar plantation owner. Carlos freed his slaves and declared that any slaves who were presented for military service would be freed. The conflict emerged in 1868 and became known as the Ten Years War with the emergence of a new government supported by blacks, mulattos and white men. Throughout the struggle race was nearly dismantled as a classification as white men served under blacks and blacks and mulattos rose to prominence as colonels, generals and the like. The newly formed government was not recognised by the United States though other European and Latin American governments recognised it. The war ended in 1878 with the Pact of Zanjon as Spain promised greater autonomy to Cuba. In the following year another insurgency was initiated by a Cuban patriot better known as Calixto Garcia. This effort was labelled as the Little War but it received little support. Slavery was abolished generally in Cuba following these events and abolition was completed in the 1880’s. The next conflict in Cuba emerged in 1895 with forces led by Jose Marti who was finally killed in the battle of Dos Rios on May 19, 1895. The large Spanish army outnumbered the insurgents as local people were forced into concentration camps by the military governor of Cuba. The final end of the war in 1898 placed leadership in the hands of the influential whites and some mulattos. Following independence Cuba saw social and political corruption along with short regimes that boomed and waned in rapid succession till the socialist revolution. 3. Mexico Mexico was ruled by a republican general Porfirio Diaz who took over Mexico during the French intervention. Porfirio was in charge of the country from 1876 to 1880 and then from 1884 to 1911 through five consecutive reelections and the period became known better as Porfirio. This era was characterized by large progress in economics as wel l as the arts and sciences though economic disparity was on the rise along with political repression. Election fraud associated with Diaz’s fifth election instigated the Mexican Revolution of 1910 which was led by Francisco I. Madero forcing Diaz to resign in 1911. However Francisco was overthrown only two years later in a coup by the conservative general Victoriano Huerta which put the nation into another civil war

Business tourism in Abu Dhabi Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Business tourism in Abu Dhabi - Assignment Example The decision to focus on the promotion of business tourism in Abu Dhabi is strongly connected to the Emirate's geostrategic location which makes it accessible to business professionals and corporate entities from Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific (Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, 2010). This research is conducted with the view of identifying the most important elements of the development of Abu Dhabi as a business tourism center and how best they can be developed for the optimum results. Research Design Research design is generally related to the creation of a system of studying and making enquiries into a given subject (Marshall & Rossman, 2011 p3). This research is designed to answer the research question: optimization of the structures of business tourism in Abu Dhabi through the incorporation of external studies and views of business professionals. The design seeks to use the various elements of scientific research to identify important factors that can help make recommend ations about the best ways that business tourism can be boosted. It will focus on examining the needs and expectations of targeted consumers and how best to attain the elements of the strategies identified by the relevant authorities (MICE and ADNEC) to ensure that the best results are attained. The process therefore draws on various information that are relevant to the numerous stakeholders in this drive to ensure that the best recommendations are done. The research is going to be an exploratory research in nature. Although it will examine information and data from numerous sources, attempts will be made to acquire primary data and study new trends. The inferences that will be made from the findings and conclusions will... Research design is generally related to the creation of a system of studying and making enquiries into a given subject. This research is designed to answer the research question: optimization of the structures of business tourism in Abu Dhabi through the incorporation of external studies and views of business professionals. The design seeks to use the various elements of scientific research to identify important factors that can help make recommendations about the best ways that business tourism can be boosted. It will focus on examining the needs and expectations of targeted consumers and how best to attain the elements of the strategies identified by the relevant authorities to ensure that the best results are attained. The process therefore draws on various information that are relevant to the numerous stakeholders in this drive to ensure that the best recommendations are done. The research is going to be an exploratory research in nature. Although it will examine information and data from numerous sources, attempts will be made to acquire primary data and study new trends. The inferences that will be made from the findings and conclusions will become the basis for the recommendations that will be targeted for key players of the business tourism drive of the UAE. In this research, the main independent variable that is being tested is business tourism in Abu Dhabi. Business tourism in Abu Dhabi is the basis for the entire research and it is examined with the view of getting the best results in the future.

Implementation of Basel II in Europe Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Implementation of Basel II in Europe - Thesis Example The basic aim of this approach is to ensure that the banks and financial institutions must maintain financial soundness and retain the consumer confidence in order to ensure the stability of the financial system and protect the interests of the deposit holders. With these perspectives in mind, Bank of International Settlement formed a Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in 1974 to provide a comprehensive forum for dealing with banking matters of such magnitude. The Basel Committee is made up of senior officials responsible for banking supervision or financial stability issues in central banks and other authorities in charge of the prudential supervision of banking businesses. Members of the Basel Committee come from Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US. This essay will discuss the implementation process of Basel II in Europe besides discussing some of the challenges and aspects that may raise tensions while implementing the accord in Europe. However, before exploring the issue of the implementation of the BASEL II accord, we will be discussing some of the key issues and points raised by BASEL II in order to implement it in true spirit. Before discussing the BASEL II and its implementation in Europe, it is necessary that a view must be taken in order to provide a historical account of the process of BASEL II implementation in Europe and rest of the world. Bank of international Settlements was established in Basel, Switzerland in 1930 and is considered as the world’s oldest international financial institution. It remains the principal center of international central bank corporations around the world. The BIS was formed as a result of the treaty of Versailles which ended the First World War and BIS was basically established for repatriation

The case of Libyan Arab Foreign Bank v Bankers Trust Co [1989] QB 728 Essay

The case of Libyan Arab Foreign Bank v Bankers Trust Co [1989] QB 728 - Essay Example This traditional approach can be seen in the case of Serbian Loans3 any contract that is not a contract between states in their capacity as subjects of international law is based on the municipal [domestic] law of some country The rules thereof may be common to several states and may even be established by international conventions or customs, and in the latter case may possess the character of true international law governing relations between states.4 Therefore when it comes to investment contracts between states then it will have elements of adhering to the contractual word of the agreement; as well as the duty of care that the obligations are met as in public international contractual agreements. There has been a suggestion that cases that are on a private international matter allows the domestic court that makes the decision have an extraterritorial effect in imposing the obligation across borders, i.e. applying the higher standard of obligation and care that public internationa l law holds.5 On the other hand, the case of Holmes v Bangladesh Biman6 argued that foreign jurisdictions have no legitimate reason for subjecting their civil law on foreigners in their own country. Therefore these two cases make it difficult for correctly pursuing fraud, negligence or any circumstance that leads to an action when it is a case of foreign investment, i.e. where would you make the action and could you legally serve and enforce the action papers in foreign jurisdiction. However, it seems that the Libyan Bank Case was ahead of its time although it did surround a time of terrorism that was strikingly the same as the 9-11 attacks, such as the Lockerbie case. Therefore business law is under an obligation at state and at international levels to protect security, by imposing a duty for businesses to disclose any actions that would indicate terrorism, organized crime or threaten national and international security. Yet, as the following case study will illustrate that freezing assets is a common approach and duty of the bank that is mainly prevalent in Post 9-11, which the Libyan Bank Case failed to do.7 On 2 September, High Court of Justice in London rules in favor of Libya, orders Bankers Trust London to transfer to Libyan Arab Foreign Bank $131 million, plus accrued interest, that has been blocked by US assets freeze. US Treasury authorizes payment on 9 October. 2) In the era of terrorism and protection of the security of states, this means that financial institutions and international businesses are embarking on a different era of state co-operation. Companies are faced with being diligent in ensuring that they are free from fear of money laundering investigations. On of the strictest guidelines can be seen in the EU, therefore Barclays Bank Plc the fourth largest bank in the world ensures that their regulations are strict as their mother state is the UK. It has been realized that one of best methods to stop organized crime is through stricter policing of finances. The EU has become a lot stricter in this area, especially in respect to opening bank accounts and the ID required