What Was the Umayyad Caliphate

What Was the Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of four Islamic caliphates and was founded in Arabia after the Prophet Muhammads death. The Umayyads ruled the Islamic world from 661 to 750 C.E. Their capital was in the city of Damascus; the founder of the caliphate, Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan, had long been the governor of Syria. Originally from Mecca, Muawiya named his dynasty the Sons of Umayya after a common ancestor he shared with the Prophet Muhammad. The Umayyad family had been one of the major combatant clans in the Battle of Badr (624 CE), the decisive battle between Muhammad and his followers on the one hand, and the powerful clans of Mecca on the other. Muawiya triumphed over Ali, the fourth caliph, and Muhammads son-in-law, in 661, and officially founded the new caliphate. The Umayyad Caliphate became one of the major political, cultural, and scientific centers of the early medieval world.    The Umayyads also began the process of spreading Islam throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe. They moved into Persia and Central Asia, converting the rulers of key Silk Road oasis cities such as Merv and Sistan.   They also invaded what is now Pakistan, beginning the process of conversion in that area that would continue for centuries. Umayyad troops also crossed Egypt and brought Islam to the Mediterranean coast of Africa, from whence it would disperse south across the Sahara along caravan routes until much of West Africa became Muslim. Finally, the Umayyads waged a series of wars against the Byzantine Empire based in what is now Istanbul. They sought to overthrow this Christian empire in Anatolia and convert the region to Islam; Anatolia would eventually convert, but not for several centuries after the collapse of the Umayyad Dynasty in Asia. Between 685 and 705 CE, the Umayyad Caliphate reached its apex of power and prestige. Its armies conquered areas from Spain the west to Sindh in what is now India. One after another, additional Central Asian cities fell to the Muslim armies - Bukhara, Samarkand, Khwarezm, Tashkent, and Fergana. This rapidly expanding empire had a postal system, a form of banking based on credit, and some of the most beautiful architecture ever seen. Just when it seemed that the Umayyads truly were poised to rule the world, however, disaster struck. In 717 CE, the Byzantine emperor Leo III led his army to a crushing victory over the Umayyad forces, which had been besieging Constantinople. After 12 months trying to break through the citys defenses, the hungry and exhausted Umayyads had to retreat empty-handed back to Syria. A new caliph, Umar II, tried to reform the financial system of the caliphate by increasing the taxes on Arab Muslims to the same level as taxes on all other non-Arab Muslims. This caused a huge outcry among the Arab faithful, of course, and caused a financial crisis when they refused to pay any taxes at all. Finally, renewed feuding broke out among the various Arab tribes around this time, leaving the Umayyad system tottering. It managed to press on for a few more decades. Umayyad armies got as far into western Europe as France by 732, where they were turned back at the Battle of Tours. In 740, the Byzantines dealt the Umayyads another shattering blow, driving all Arabs from Anatolia. Five years later, the simmering feuds between the Qays and Kalb tribes of Arabs erupted into full-scale war in Syria and Iraq. In 749, religious leaders proclaimed a new caliph, Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah, who became the founder of the  Abbasid Caliphate. Under the new caliph, members of the old ruling family were hunted down and executed. One survivor, Abd-ar-Rahman, escaped to Al-Andalus (Spain), where he founded the Emirate (and later Caliphate) of Cordoba. The Umayyad caliphate in Spain survived until 1031.

Chemistry Mnemonic Devices for Elements

Chemistry Mnemonic Devices for Elements A mnemonic (pronounced ne MON ik) is one useful way to remember a list. This chemistry mnemonic is a phrase, consisting of words made using the symbols of the first nine elements in the periodic table. Happy Henry Likes Beer But Could Not Obtain Food for: H - hydrogen He - helium Li - lithium Be - beryllium B - boron C - carbon N - nitrogen O - oxygen F - fluorine More Chemistry Mnemonics for Periodic Table Element Symbols Of course, there are many more mnemonic devices you can use to help remember the element symbols. Here are a few more. Keep in mind, youll remember the element symbols best if you pick (or write) a mnemonic that you find funny or memorable. Some chemistry mnemonics cover the elements through neon, while several continue on to calcium. Happy Harry Listens B B C Network Over France Nevertheless Nothing More Arose So Peter Stopped Cleaning Airgun K Ca.Happy Henry Likes Beer But Could Not Obtain Four Nuts.Naughty Magpies Always Sing Perfect Songs Clawing Ants.Harry Helped Little Benny Balmer Carry Neat Oranges From Neptunes Natural Menagerie Always Singing Polite Sonnets Clearly Arf Key Casually.Harry Helps Little Betty Brown Crack Nuts On Friday Nights.Ha. Healthy Little Beggar Boys Catching Newts Or Fish.Hell, Here Little Beatniks Brandish Countless Number Of Flick kNives.Nagging Maggie Always Sighs, Please Stop Clowning Around.Here He Lies Beneath Bed Clothes, Nothing On, Feeling Nervous.Naughty Margaret Always Sighs, Please Stop Clowning Around.Hi He Lied Because Boron Could Not Oxidize Fluorine. New Nations Might Also Sign Peace Security Clause. Arthur King Can. (elements up to calcium)Hi! Hey Little Ben Became Charlie’s Number One Fighting Nemesis.Native Magpies Always Sit Peacefully Searching Clear Areas .Hi! He Lies Because Boron CanNot Oxidize Fluorine. Necromantic Nato Mg (abbreviation for make good) All Silicon Ports. Superman Clean Argons K-Capture. Hi Hello Little Beryll Brown Cracking Nuts On Friday.Nellies Naughty Magpie Always Sings Pop Songs ClearlyAfter Killing Cathy.

WA 11-12 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

WA 11-12 - Essay Example This is because, in times of crisis a firm would still need an accountant to supervise and manage the company’s cash inflow and outflow. So the job has comparatively lesser risks attached to it. Also, being an accountant one can understand the company’s financial standing and predict the future functioning of the company. So through this information they can stay well informed and make better decisions like investing in stocks and shares or not. The majority of stocks are traded on stock exchanges. Stock exchange is a medium of communication between the buyer and seller. Stock exchange can be a physical place or a virtual place where purchasers and sellers meet up and negotiate on a price of the stock. The main aim of the stock exchange is to lessen the risks linked up with investing and smooth the swap of securities between the buyer and seller. New York Stock Exchange or NYSC is one of the most renowned stock exchanges and it is also known as the â€Å"Big Board†. Huge companies in America like Mc Donalds, Coca Cola, Wal Mart, City Group, Gillette have their stocks in NYSE which has the largest market choice for the biggest firms. The orders are received through the brokerage firms and they stream down to the floor brokers who cover a precise place on the floor where the stocks are traded. This place is identified as the trading post where the person known as the specialist links the buyers and sellers. The NASDAQ is another famous stock exchange. It is a virtual stock exchange and doesn’t have any physical location. The stocks are traded electronically through a complex network of dealers. It serves as a home to the tech masters like Microsoft, Dell, Oracle, Intel, Cisco. The American Stock Exchange, AMEX is another top of the line stock exchange in the U.S and stands third in the ranking. Trading with small cap stocks and their derivatives occurs in AMEX. There

Biological Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Biological Science - Essay Example In mitosis, all the daughter cells resemble the parent cell chromosomal number and configuration (diploid). 6. During meiosis, the daughter cells formed are genetically different; in mitosis, the daughter cells are genetically identical. 7. Meiosis causes gamete formation or reproductive cells; mitosis causes increased population of somatic cells and causes repair of worn out cells and replaces dead cells. The commoner cell division is mitosis because the number of somatic cells is far greater than the number of the reproductive cells. So, mitosis is the more frequent cell division. 2. Why is biodiversity so important Be detailed and discuss the various ramifications of losing our biodiversity. Biodiversity is the key to the survival of every species. The existence of a wide variety of species or other taxa of plants, animals, and microorganisms in a natural community is called biodiversity. The main importance of biodiversity is stability of ecosystem. It also provides huge amount of genetic material useful for humans. Biodiversity results in an interspecies relationships, such as, scavenging, commensalisms, proto-cooperation, symbiosis, etc. These interspecies relationships are caused by interaction between two species so that each can be benefited from it. Foodweb is an important part of ecosystem. More is number of species in an ecosystem, better will be the foodweb, which means scarcity of food can be prevented by biodiversity. Apart from this, it can attract tourists so that by ecotourism, the economic condition of the country can be improved. It can promote pharmaceutical research, and indirectly, it can protect our civilization. Loss of biodiversity affects the humans, animals, and nature. We know that quality of foodweb depends upon biodiversity, so biodiversity loss can decrease the food productivity causing prices of food to go up and even death in many cases. Chances of natural disasters also increase with loss in biodiversity. Biodiversity can keep a check on zoonotic diseases, so loss of it can increase health risks of humans from zoonotic diseases. Plant diversity is the source of economy for the country because it provides many products like, timber, fruits, wood fuels, etc. So damage in plant diversity can cause the downfall of economy. This might lead to labor problems too. Loss of biodiversity may lead to habitat destruction, which contributes to the extinction of the animals. Apart from these, geographically, the continuous loss of forests affects rainfall, hence can compromise the quality of water for household use. 3. Explain the following: biotic potential, carrying capacity, logistic vs. exponential growth. Biotic potential: Biotic potential is the maximum rate at which the population could increase. In ideal condition, the variables like maximum birth rate and minimum death rate are determinants of biotic potential. However, the biotic potential can be influenced by environmental resistances, such as, competition

Write Like a Modernist Essay Example for Free

Write Like a Modernist Essay Over the course of the next several days, you will complete a writing assignment. In the assignment, you will demonstrate your understanding of the tenets of modernist literature by rewriting a Romantic poem in a way that incorporates typically modernist qualities in terms of language, style, literary elements, and themes. The assignment is broken down into four parts. Part 1: Choose a Romantic Poem Romantic literature champions the beauty of the world and the inherent goodness of human beings, and Romantic verse is highly structured and deeply traditional. Modernism frequently defines itself as a reaction against and a rejection of romanticism. Modernist poets viewed Romantic poetry as a remnant of the nineteenth century. Modernists did not think that writing as the Romantics did in the 1800s could effectively capture their twentieth-century world or their experiences in that world. Begin this assignment by choosing a Romantic poem from the nineteenth century that you intend to rewrite in a way that incorporates typically modernist qualities. You can find numerous examples of nineteenth-century Romantic poetry on pages 83–112 of your Journeys anthology. For example, William Wordsworth’s â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,† which appears on pages 90–91 of your anthology, is a well-known Romantic poem. Note: You may not use this poem in your answer. Part 2: Briefly Explain the Romantic Poem You Chose In a single paragraph, describe the Romantic poem that you selected. Focus on the language, style, literary elements, and themes of the work. This step of the process is important because these are the aspects of the work that your modernist rewrite of it will change. Here, as an example, is a brief explanation of Wordsworth’s â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud†: Most of Wordsworth’s poem describes how a â€Å"crowd† of daffodils near a lake looked as they fluttered in the breeze. This poem uses formal language, has a fixed rhyme scheme, and employs an even meter. The speaker is very closely linked to the poet, and neither the voice nor the perspective in the piece ever shifts. The work contains a number of similes—one compares the speaker to a lonely cloud, another compares the daffodils to stars—and the flowers are personified to make the descriptions of them more vivid. Thematically speaking, the poem is about how, even long after having seen the flowers, the speaker feels comforted and happy whenever he thinks of their beauty. Part 3: Do a Modernist Rewrite of the Romantic Poem You Chose Begin your rewrite. To do so, imagine yourself as a poet in the early twentieth century, and imagine your rewrite as an attempt to update the outdated elements of the nineteenth-century work you selected. Remember that modernist poems †¢ Capture the cynicism and disappointment many people felt toward outdated nineteenth-century ideas †¢ Focus on the complexities of modern life †¢ Highlight the alienation of the individual in the modern world †¢ Break with past literary traditions and styles †¢ Employ references to diverse cultures, belief systems, and histories †¢ Use experimental language and techniques, such as drawing a distinct line between the poet and the speaker and writing from multiple perspectives and in different voices Your rewrite must incorporate at least three of the six listed characteristics of modernism. Here is an example of a modernist rewrite of the first stanza of Wordsworth’s â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud†: Part 4: Briefly Explain Your Modernist Rewrite In a response of at least two paragraphs, provide an explanation of the steps you took to rewrite the Romantic poem you selected. Your explanation should point out at least three typically modernist qualities in your work with regard to elements such as language, style, literary elements, and themes. Here, as an example, is a brief explanation of the modernist rewrite of the first stanza of Wordsworth’s â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud†: In the first stanza of my rewrite, I tried to drastically change the mood of the poem. I did so by first changing the opening simile, linking the speaker (who is most certainly distinct from myself as the poet) to a World War I flying ace looking down on an empty town devastated by war. This image not only calls to mind the destruction that people in the early twentieth century witnessed, but also the loneliness felt by the individual when witnessing such devastation. I introduced ambiguity by not identifying the nationality of the pilot to whom the speaker compares himself: He may be a man seeing the destruction of his own town, or he may be one of the men who brought destruction on the town during battle. Then I decided to change the daffodils—a symbol of the beauty of the natural world in Wordsworth’s poem—to a crumbling building on an abandoned and ugly street. I thought these images helped convey a sense of loss. I used the word crumblecracking—an invented term—to call to mind how the broken bricks of the building look. This type of experimentation with language is typical of modernist poetry. Finally, I used the word forsaken not only because it suggests abandonment, but also because it calls to mind the last words of Jesus on the cross. This allusion then quickly blends into the reference to a mythological figure, Tefnut, the Egyptian goddess of rain and fertility. This allusion hints at the possibility of remaking a new world out of the fragments of the old, yet the â€Å"sagging† hospital attests to how hard such a restoration would be. Thematically, I was trying to depict the loneliness and the alienation of the speaker in this decrepi t world.

Copernicus, Galileo and Hamlet :: Hamlet Copernicus

Copernicus, Galileo and Hamlet If imagination is the lifeblood of literature, then each new scientific advance which extends our scope of the universe is as fruitful to the poet as to the astronomer. External and environmental change stimulates internal and personal tropes for the poetic mind, and the new Copernican astronomy of the late 16th- and early 17th-centuries may have altered the literary composition of the era as much as any contemporaneous political shifts. Marjorie Nicolson, in "The Breaking of the Circle," argues that the heliocentric system greatly influenced the metaphysical poets, especially John Donne, as it necessarily mated the concept of a universal macrocosm with the preexisting notions of a personal microcosm and earthbound geocosm. Nicolson claims that the Elizabethans, Shakespeare included, failed to apply the new motion of heavenly bodies to their own bodies of work, and that their obsolete cosmology confers obsolescence upon their literary endeavors. I will argue that Hamlet, written in the aftermath of Copernicus's De Revolutionibus and Tycho Brahe's cosmological observations, not only follows many of Nicolson's tenets for the metaphysical poetry of the time, but stands as a central metaphor for the ambiguous period between Copernicus's initial theories and Galileo's visual proofs in Sidereus Nuncius. The conflict of Hamlet is the geocentric pitted against the heliocentric; Hamlet the "son/Sun" must revenge his Hyperion father's death by deposition of his traitorous and swinish uncle from the English throne, the center of the action and royally emblematized through the Sun. But the addition of the macrocosmic/heliocentric view to Hamlet's preexisting microcosmic†¹that is, self-centered or, to use a word that rings of etymological irony, solipsistic†¹obsessions does not make for a happy marriage; rather, the two spheres, representing externality and internality, stall Hamlet's geocentric development†¹earthly, physi cal action. Hamlet's legendary propensity to delay stems not from a mere excess of thought but from a divisive thought process that clouded Shakespeare's times: its fractured and debated cosmology. As Nicolson postulates, "'Correspondence' between macrocosm and microcosm, which man had accepted as basic to faith, was no longer valid in a new mechanical universe and mechanical world" (Nicolson, xxi). In Nicolson's eyes, King Lear reflects Shakespeare's preoccupation with the new cosmology more in astrological than astronomical terms: "Disruption in the heavens presaged disruption upon earth, the storms of the geocosm paralleled those in the microcosm, but our attention and Shakespeare's is centered on Lear, the man, rather than on the world and the universe" (Nicolson, 149).

Picnic Spot Marketing Essay

Introduction The village of Maizbhandar is very old. Its roots can be traced as far back as the year 1425 with the earliest settlers in the village being migrants coming over from Saudia Arabia. It is a part of the Nanupur Union council that is located in Fatikchori, Chittagong. It takes approximately around two hours on clear roads to reach Maizbhandar from Chittagong city. The road leading to Maizbhandar offers a tranquil and beautiful environment filled with lush greenery that can be a welcome relief at times in contrast to the rough and exhausting city life. One landmark that is bound to grab attention is the Maizbhandar Darbar Sharif that comes into once you enter Fatikchori, something that attracts many unique visitors from all over the country. It is dedicated to the late Ziaul Haque Maizbhandari upon whose memory the village Maizbhandar gets its name. The lives of villagers have prospered well over the years. It is at times difficult to comprehend the change that has occurred in their lives, especially when one looks upon the situation of the same family during post  1971. There also many villagers who have gone on to work in the Middle East thus sending in valuable remittances back to the village that has been in instrumental in improving the lives of the villagers. In fact, it can be said that there is average of 1 person from every family who is working abroad. There are also some entrepreneurs operating in the village manufacturing food products like chanachur, biscuit, etc. Most of the villagers are expectedly farmers whose major crops include rice and chilli. Some of the locals have also set up carpentry shops to boost their livelihood. For shopping, there is the Nanupur Bajar nearby where all types of food and basic necessities are available. It takes around 10-15 minutes on foot to get to the Bazar. There are 5 banks within village and its surrounding areas where villagers can make deposits or take loans. The income disparity is pretty low although there are one or two families who fall in the extreme poverty line although there is always donations coming in to help support these families. The Darbar Sharif of Maizbhandar has also played a pivotal role in the village’s development. As stated earlier, it attracts visitors all over the countries which in turn has helped boosted the  local shops. In fact, some say traffic to the Darbar Sharif was a prime mover behind the development of roads around these parts.  However, despite all the positive changes, there is always the problem of floods that remains a constant thorn in the lives of the villagers. This is a problem that is increasing in frequency due to illegal construction work that is going around the village which is in turn changing the village landscape for the worse. The situation will continue to escalate if the authorities do not take preventive measures. Business Idea Chittagong is getting industrialized at a very high rate these days. There are a lot of offices, restaurants, schools, etc. opening around making city life pretty hectic these days. As such, the situation can be said to be pretty similar to that of Dhaka. As industrialization has moved in, so has moved in the demand for quality family outings or office picnics at beautiful locales in or around the city. However besides the Patenga beach, Chittagong does not offer much. As result, it would be great for the dwellers of Chittagong if picnic spots were to open up around the city. At a distance of 2 hours away from the city, Maizbhandar would provide an ideal picnic spot with its idyllic village surroundings. Companies looking out for HR outings may put this up to good us to boost up the morale of their employees through these picnics. It would prove to be an ideal substitute against the dearth of beaches and sea side resorts that Chittagong seems to offer. SWOT Analysis Strength: I already have a village home that can act as the resort or housing facility. The infrastructure is more or less established giving the picnic spot a good base to start off from. Weaknesses: A nature resort has not been tried out in Chittagong before so the inexperience in this filed may come to bite back later. Opportunities: This would be the first village oriented picnic spot in Bangladesh. As a result, the hype surrounding the undertaking would be enough to lure in potential customers here. Threats: There already some established holiday/picnic spots around Chittagong and they may prove to be a bummer when the project will finally take off. Finance Plan The following table shows the capital investment needed to kick off this venture. Land Development Infrastructure Swimming Pool Complex Water Supply (tubewell) Backup Generator Dà ©cor Utilities The staff costs are estimated to be at around 40,000 taka. The charging rate for picnics would be around 2000 taka per person or 50,000 taka if people were to take a corporate package involving a lot of people and food per person would be priced at 500 taka. Conclusion This a plan that has a lot of potential. Maizbhandar is a prime spot for such a project since its only two hours away from the main city. As such, building in such a plan would lead to great success for the investors.

People Who Influence Me

The Most Influential For each and every one of us, there has been at least one person who has influenced us. It can be a family member, a friend, or a teacher. It doesn't necessarily always have to do with doing better all the time, It can also be bad Influence as well. I chose good Influential people, which Is my father, my 5th grade teacher, and my best friend Junior. Although It can be anyone, those are the three people that have influenced me to do better in my life more than anyone else has. My mother, my brother, and a few other people in my life have also made a good difference.Even Hough I had plenty of other people be good influence to me, if I had to choose, I will still choose my father, my 5th grade teacher, and my best friend Junior again and again. My father immigrated to the United States from Mexico when he was only 16 years old all by himself. He started working immediately, and worked very hard. As soon as he turned 22 he bought his own house in the San Fernando Val ley. He didn't put 1,000 dollars down payment, he didn't put 10,000 down, nor did he put 50,000 down.He bought It all at once, he was so proud and now that he tells me about his story I am proud as well. Here Is a 16 year old boy who emigrated from Mexico, and worked so hard doing construction work. In about 5 years or so he managed to buy a 4 bedroom home. I mean when I think about it, who has a home this big by the age of 22? Let alone come from another country and learn everything on his own. He did this all by himself and even though he says it was hard, he never gave up. My father is about to turn 50 years old in a few months and till this day he is a hardworking man.He works a lot, but he still manages to communicate and spend time with his wife and children. The reason why my father is one of the most influential people in y life is because he taught me and still reminds me to never give up. No matter how far my dream Is or how big it is, he says to me â€Å"keep pushing and in a matter of time you'll get there. † It's great to see how much he had when he arrived to the US and how much he has at this moment. It's not all about the money, It's also the way he Is, the way he always keeps a positive energy around me when I don't feel motivated.For a man that has come this far, he has always stayed humble about it and I love that about him. Another person who has been a big influence in my life is my 5th grade teacher. Her name is Ms. Hollander and I believe she is around her ass's as of today. It's been 9 years since I was in the 5th grade and I know I will never forget her. This teacher always went out of her way for her students. Every time we had a test she would call her students the night before reminding us to get good sleep.The day of the test she would have breakfast for us to eat and always pushed us Into doing better. I had a lot of teachers every school year but she wasn't Just a teacher. Ms. Hollander was Like our second mother, literall y. She always brought In public speakers to talk to us, always got a hold of our parents and updated them. She gave us her cell phone number and her house number Just In case of an emergency. She was Just amazing! She always taught us to do well, in school, in life and overall in general. After we school.She would take us out shopping, to the movies and to theme parks Just to catch up on each other's lives. She was a teacher, a friend, a second mother, I cannot describe the feeling she gave to some of her students. She is one of the most influential people in my life because she never stopped pushing me into doing better. She also influenced me into doing the right thing all the time. To know how such a teacher could care so much about how a student is doing in school, not only for the 5th grade but up to college makes me feel good.She believes in her students, and no matter how much time passes by I know she will always care. The last person I chose for the 3 most influential peopl e in my life is Junior. Junior is 20 years old and has impacted my life greatly in many ways. He is one of the most caring people I have ever met in my life. He comes off hard, but he is the total opposite. I believe I have known him since I was 8 years young. This man has been here for me through my ups and downs since I could last remember. He has showed me throughout the years what a best friend truly is.One of the most influential things I appreciate him for is telling me the truth. When he sees me fall, he makes me pick myself up on my own so I can be strong. He has wise words that can change your whole point of view about something in a matter of seconds. He always makes me realize things that I don't want to realize. For example, I used to work and not go to school. I used to think work was more important than school. He gave me lectures, and gave me hard times until I literally went back to school. He always makes me realize what the right thing to do is.I thank him for givi ng me hard times about work because I can truly say If it wasn't for him I would not be writing this essay right now. I now I would of eventually went back to school but not as soon as I did because of him. That is one of the reasons why Junior is one of the most influential people in my life. He makes me want to do better in school all the time. These 3 people I mentioned are my top 3 influential people in my life. All 3 have made a drastic difference in my life for the better, and have also made me into the errors I am today.If I did not have my father I would not have the motivation I have today to reach my goals. If I did not have my 5th grade teacher in my life I would have never known how it feels to have a teacher who cares about me so much that she still wants to know how I am doing 9 years later. She is like an angel in disguise. If Junior was not in my life, I would not attend college as soon as I did or maybe never attended at all. He saw potential in me that I didn't see in myself. I love everyone who has influenced me in a good way and I will forever be grateful.

Of Mice and Mengood1 essays

Of Mice and Mengood1 essays The novel Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, is about two men who are brought together and share few good times, such as each others company, and the more overwhelmingly the bad times. Both men fight the loneliness that was ramped during the Depression. The story begins in the foothills of Salinas, California, in the middle of the Great Depression. Here we meet two men, who are able to carry all of their possessions in a bindle, and are continually planning on how to get their own land and live off of the fat a da land. George, the mentally stronger of the two, tells his companion Lennie, how life is going to be on this piece of land. Lennie is constantly asking George to repeat his because it makes him feel good and this is understandable because Lennie has the mental capacity of a two year old. Before the two men are able to purchase this coveted piece of land that they are after, they need to save enough money. That is the reason they go to work on a barley ranch. This ranch wil l change their lives forever. While at the ranch, Lennie breaks the hand of the bosses son and then accidentally kills the wife of the son. After Lennie kills the woman, and other previous mishaps at previous jobs, George realizes that because of Lennies mental capability, or lack of it, Lennie will continue to hurt and maybe even kill other people. George decides to shoot Lennie in fear that if anyone else will get to him, that they will hurt him. Throughout this entire novel, there are many examples of loneliness. Steinbeck stresses the theme of loneliness through the characters of Crooks, Candy, and Curley's wife. The first character Steinbeck uses to express loneliness in his book is Crooks. Crooks is a crippled, black, ranch hand. He became crippled when a horse kicked him in the back. Also, because of his skin color, he is never allowed in the other mens bunk to play cards or just hang out. Crooks is all alone in th ...

Livia Drusilla the 1st Empress of Rome

Livia Drusilla the 1st Empress of Rome Livia (58 B.C. - A.D.29) was a long-lived, influential matriarchal figure in the early years of the Roman Principate. She was held up as an example of womanly virtue and simplicity. Her reputation has also been negative: she may have been a murderer and has been described as treacherous, avaricious, and power-hungry. She may have been instrumental in the banishment of Augustus daughter, Julia. Livia was the wife of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, mother of the second, Tiberius, and deified by her grandson, the Emperor Claudius. Livias Family and Marriages Livia Drusilla was the daughter of Marcus Livius Drusus Claudius (note the Claudian, the gens that had produced Appius Claudius the Blind and the colorful Clodius the Beautiful, among others) and Alfidia, daughter of M. Alfidius Lurco, in c. 61 B.C. In his book,  Anthony Barrett says Alfidia appears to have come from Fundi, in Latium, near Campania, and that Marcus Livius Drusus may have married her for her familys money. Livia Drusilla may have been an only child. Her father may also have adopted Marcus Livius Drusus Libo (consul in 15 B.C.). Livia married Tiberius Claudius Nero, her cousin when she was 15 or 16- around the time of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. Livia was already the mother of the future emperor, Tiberius Claudius Nero, and pregnant with Nero Claudius Drusus (January 14, 38 B.C. - 9 B.C.) when Octavian, who would be known to posterity as the Emperor Augustus Caesar, found he needed the political connections of Livias family. He arranged for Livia to be divorced and then married her after she gave birth to Drusus, on January 17, 38. Livias sons Drusus and Tiberius lived with their father until he died, in 33 B.C. They then lived with Livia and Augustus. Augustus Adopts Livias Son Octavian became the Emperor Augustus in 27 B.C. He honored Livia as his wife with statues and public displays; however, instead of naming her sons Drusus or Tiberius as his heirs, he acknowledged his grandchildren Gaius and Lucius, sons of Julia, his daughter by his previous marriage to Scribonia. By 4 A.D., Augustus grandsons had both died, so he had to look elsewhere for heirs. He wanted to name Germanicus, son of Livias son Drusus, as his successor, but Germanicus was too young. Since Tiberius was Livias favorite, Augustus eventually turned to him, with provision made for Tiberius to adopt Germanicus as his heir. Augustus died in 14 A.D. According to his will, Livia became a part of his family and was entitled to be called Julia Augusta from then on. Livia andHer Descendants Julia Augusta exerted a strong influence on her son Tiberius. In A.D. 20, Julia Augusta interceded successfully with Tiberius on behalf of her friend Plancina, who was implicated in the poisoning of Germanicus. In A.D. 22 he minted coins showing his mother as the personification of Justice, Piety, and Health (Salus). Their relationship deteriorated and after the Emperor Tiberius left Rome, he would not even return for her funeral in 29 A.D., so Caligula stepped in. Livias grandson the Emperor Claudius had the Senate deify his grandmother in A.D. 41. Commemorating this event, Claudius minted a coin depicting Livia (Diva Augusta) on a throne holding a scepter. Source Larry Kreitzer  Apotheosis of the Roman Emperor  Larry Kreitzer  The Biblical Archaeologist, 1990Alice A. Deckman  Livia Augusta  The Classical Weekly, 1925.

History of Russia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

History of Russia - Essay Example ever, later internal conflicts, political tension as well as socio-economic difficulties of the country forced it to go for a bloody revolution which brought into power Lenin and so called Bolsheviks. Joseph Stalin was part of the Communist Party of Russia, which was instrumental behind the revolution of 1917. Joseph Stalin was one of the most important characters in the history of Russia after revolution. The revolution that was materialized by Lenin and has comrades finally resulted into establishing the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin. He was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Russia until his death and rose to the prominence only after the death of Lenin. His rise to the power is a really interesting story because he carried forward the beliefs and values which he adapted as a child and as an adolescent. His era was one of the most important eras for Russia in terms of economic progress as there was a massive shift from rural based economy to more industrial economy within Russia. In order to assess whether the era of Stalin represented a significant break from the course begun by Lenin and his party, it is very important that we must first understand the circumstances behind the rise of Stalin to the power. Stalin’s early life wasn’t well as he was born in a family which was not financially well off however, as he grew, he developed himself as a person who has great liking for bank robberies, kidnapping, extortion etc. since his joining of the Communist party, he took active part into such activities and was jailed too. However, he continued to impress the leaders within the communist party for his superiority in executing such activities. The Russian revolution was largely a result of internal socio-economic conditions, which were mostly considered as oppressive and were against the interest of the common Russian. The Tsars of Russia was mainly behind creating political tension within the country which was also widening the class gap within