BaeszlerHistory Blog

73 Comments for this entry

• 

  amanda-FONG
  December 7th, 2009 on 6:38 pm

  Comparison Essay
  Amanda Holly
  Per. 1 12/7/09

  Athens and Sparta war vs. Roman war 500 BCE – 500 CE

  Thesis: While both ancient Sparta/Greece war and ancient Roman war had used geography to their advantage, and used similar war tactics, they differed greatly on who they fought.

  Sparta and Rome both relied on their knowledge of their terrain in order to fend off invaders from foreign lands. Sparta was very isolated from everything by mountains all around them. Since they were isolated, Sparta focused on one type of art, war. Any other types of art were frowned upon and discouraged from learning. This gave them a huge advantage in knowing the geography of their land if they only focused on how and where to fight. During the battle of Thermopylae, the Spartans used their knowledge of the mountain’s geography to make sure the Persians were coming from the direction that they were believed to be coming from. They were right until a trader who had known his geography well, told the Persians a route that would lead them into the city allowing them to sack the cities unfairly; except, not long after their defeat, they attacked again with the largest army and defeated the Persians this time. Considering the huge amount of influence that Greek had on Rome, they used the same strategy. During the beginning of the Roman Republic, Rome had many enemies lying on all sides of them, meaning they were in constant war for about 100 years. Because Rome had built many roads connecting different cities throughout the Apennine Mountains, they knew the land very well. They defeated the states of Latium, and then moved on to a rugged battle between the hill people of the Apennines, the Samnites. Having built these roads through the mountain range already, they were victorious in their conquest. Both Sparta and Rome had realized they needed a naval fleet and used being on the sea to their gratification as well. They built their naval fleets so they could not only have the advantage of the land but with the sea too.

  Both the Roman Empire and The Spartan Empire had great military with how much land they both conquered. Both empires used similar tactics and weapons leading to them being great military states. The Roman’s used a bronze Cassis helmet, multiple sheets of armor layered on top of one another, a smaller length sword used for stabbing instead of throwing. They used a pilium, this ‘spear’ would break the other warrior’s shield making them defenseless in battle. In addition, they used a scorpio, which is just like a crossbow we see later in civilizations. Shield to shield is a tactic they practiced so that the front, advancing line of an army would be completely shielded and there would be fewer deaths. During battle, the soldiers would be at the front lines for 15 minutes or less and then move to the back, making it so the soldiers would not be as tired. The most important factor of Roman tactics was the fact that they were unified and thought of every man as his brother. It was thought that if u let down your army, you have let down your family and this was unacceptable. In ancient Sparta, these practices were almost identical, with minor differences. They had used a system called the phalanx, which is basically the same thing as the Roman’s shield to shield strategy except they used this all the way throughout their army instead of just in the front lines. They also had layered shields but with leather added on. They used helmets and swords, but they had also used a pike for thrusting, which the Roman’s didn’t because they had thought it would have slowed them down. Another commonality between the Sparta and Roman tactics is the unity factor. It isn’t completely the same thoughts but basically the same idea. Sparta had the men on the front line with their shield on their left arm, and the sword on the right. By doing this, they protected the man on their left and were simultaneously protected by the man on their right.

  The difference in each of these great military powers is who they fought and what land they conquered. Sparta, classical Greece, had to form an alliance with The Peloponnesian states to dominate and take control over in 500 B.C.E. While the Greeks were using their knowledge of their land to conquer and spread throughout the Mediterranean, they had to battle the Persians. There were 3 specific battles relating back to the Persians. The Greeks also fought in the Great Peloponnesian War in which the Spartans knew they could defeat the Athenians in an open battle but the city of Athens stayed put until a plague devastated them and they eventually lost to Sparta. The conquests of Alexander the Great in Macedonia were a significant domination of land for Greece. He conquered south all the way to Egypt and then all the way east as well into Bactria and the Indus Valley. Rome on the other hand, had mostly conquered Italy with the Samnite wars, the first, second and third Punic Wars, the destruction of Carthage and Macedonia being made into a Roman province. Eventually, the Romans made it into Greece and conquered it as well. Both city states conquered much land but at different places.

  All in all, the city state of Sparta and the Roman Empire are much alike. Both used their knowledge of geography to gain advantage on the battlefield to win wars and conquer land and they both use similar weapons and tactics in the wars they fought. They differed greatly however in whom they fought and what lands they conquered all together. This similarity is caused by the great influence that Greece had on other areas of the world, especially Rome.

  Bibliography

  J, T, Roman Weapons and Tactics, Retrieved from http://www.richeast.org/htwm/Greeks/Romans/weapons/weapons.html on December 7, 2009.

  Ancient Greek Warfare, Retrieved from
  http://www.essortment.com/all/ancientgreekwa_rwea.htm on December 7, 2009.

  Spielvogel, Duiker, “World History Fourth Edition”, 2004, Thomson Learning, Inc.
• 

  Gcolucci
  December 7th, 2009 on 6:44 pm

  Mike Colgate,

  I think your response to cory was awesome, but let me give you tips on how to make someone feel bad about themselves subsequently making everyone in the world hate you , because I don’t think you have quite fully mastered the art of being a jerk.. Let me teach you…
  1. Try to bunch up insults or critiques, instead of spreading them permitting the victim to have a time to dry up the tears they shed from the previous insult. You want to make an animation of a tidal wave full of hatred striking the victim in their head appear.
  2. Don’t admit that you are trying to “find as many flaws as you can”; make sure they know that you don’t even have to try to find flaws,and that the only reason it is so easy for you to find so many flaws, is because there are so many!
  3. Don’t ever try to flatter your victim with attributes they have that are appealing to you. This gives them the false hope that one day they will be as good as you are.

  I do like however that you started off with “I wish I could congratulate you” and that you ended your response with “it was decent.” Two beautiful techniques to make your victim want to do things such as: Jump off a building, find the nearest innocent child and push it down, or start to read “don’t jump” books while eating cold popcorn and drinking flat soda in their basement.

  You’re almost there Colgate, it just takes practice.
• 

  Adesso
  December 7th, 2009 on 7:00 pm

  McCaela Adesso
  World History: Period 1
  December 7, 2009
  Greek Art v. Chinese Art [ 500 B.C.E. - 500 C.E. ]

  While both Greek and Chinese art were based on the average belief system of the region and greatly reflected upon the culture of the time, they varied greatly in the forms of art that showed most popularity.
  It’s obvious that the art of this age revolved around ideas, stories, and concepts commonly believed in the area of creation. While the Greeks created statues of Gods and Goddesses, the Chinese created paintings of their beliefs in philosophy. Though Daoism later evolved into a religion, it remains a form of philosophy that many Chinese paintings, sculptures and poetry was originated from. The various paintings found in China of these concepts that show man as a lowly and insignificant part of the world, demonstrating the superiority of nature in the beliefs of the average Chinese male or female. Many paintings show a great landscape or mountains, rivers, plains, or other geological structures with a human or group of humans towards the bottom of the scroll and much smaller in comparison to the natural works of nature. Greek sculptures and pottery are much the same in terms of the inspiration behind the art. Greek temples and cities were loaded with sculptures, paintings and pottery of Gods, Goddesses, or Heroes. Often times, the Greek works would tell the story of the significant figure with their art. The Greeks revered their religious figures and would visit temples daily, in which the statues of the God or Goddess the temple was dedicated to resided. Art was such a large part of their life and is really showed in the quality of the work as well. This art reflected on the culture of the age, showing the Greeks were very religious in much that they did and the Chinese believed more in philosophy than a ‘true-born’ religion. The societies these people lived in were so completely diverse, but could be connected through their art even if they were based off of two things so different they would not normally be associated with each other. The Greeks showed devotion to their religion, composed of God[ess]es and deities, but the Chinese demonstrated their concept of universal order explained by Daoism. The art was a large part of their beliefs and culture, and it really shows.
  Though the two arts are similar in many ways, they also differ in terms of the forms of art. Greek art gave sculpture it’s popularity, showing how advanced they could have been in human anatomy and sculpting tools for their age. The Chinese, on the other hand, are much more renowned for their paintings, as they were created on long scrolls giving it a unique aspect of Chinese culture and ideas. The Chinese scrolls would be unrolled in a way that showed the bottom of the painting first, slowly making it’s way up to the epic peak of the masterpiece. A Greek’s masterpiece was shown all at once, but gave attention to the smallest crevices and details allowing it to be analyzed for long amounts of time, without boring the audience. Greek sculptures gave the human body more attention than the other areas of the world at the time, sculpting temple monuments with care and precision. The Daoist painters of China gave detail to the surroundings rather than the people, painting trees and mountains with care as if to not insult the power or beauty of nature. They gave the art great, vibrant colors but later moved to Black and White to provide a challenge. both art forms are done amazingly well for their time and helped Historians further understand the two unique civilizations.
  To conclude, the amazing artworks of Greece and China are often based off of the beliefs of the era and area, reflecting on the cultural advancements or society of the age. Although the states used different forms of art to show such things, both are still honored as great pieces of history.

  Bibliography:

  Unknown, Greek Art, Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_art#Ancient_Period on December 7, 2009.

  Minneapolis Institutes of Arts, Taoist Art- The Art Of Asia, Retrieved from http://www.artsmia.org/art-of-asia/explore/explore-collection-taoist-art.cfm on December 7, 2009.
• 

  colgatem
  December 7th, 2009 on 7:14 pm

  thanks gabe, i appreciate your tips. Corey, you better watch out now! I’m going to practice these on Mr. Baeszler and perfect these techniques.
• 

  Gcolucci
  December 7th, 2009 on 7:15 pm

  that-a-boy
• 

  Kaitlyn French
  December 7th, 2009 on 7:17 pm

  Gabe-
  At first glance at your essay several things are vividly clear. To start off, your thesis is very interesting and I (and maybe this is my Nerd edge)was very interested in reading it further. It was simple, but provoked me to read further because of the interesting areas of analyze. The wording is clear, simple, and easy to understand, which is great to ensure reader comprehension but I know you can beef up the vocab to incorporate a more academic sounding essay. I say this not to slight your current language but i ask you to build upon it because i know you are capable and i’m assuming that that’s what those A.P essay fellows prefer. But it is nice how your essay currently shows that you know what you’re talking about, and you follow it easily.
  —
  In Rome, women still took part in arranged marriages for the most part but were far freer in their marital rights.
  –in this excerpt,i thought a rewording of the idea might be in order.Maybe more along the lines of “Woman in rome had much more freedom…and so on”
  –
  over all awesome essay,you’ve clearly got the comparative essay writing down and just need to tweak the aforementioned.
• 

  kendra macneill
  December 7th, 2009 on 7:19 pm

  Ancient India Architecture VS. Ancient Greek Architecture

  While both ancient Greece architecture and ancient Indian architecture have religious influences and cultural significances, they differ in the craftsmanship of the structures.
  Ancient Greek and Indian architecture are religiously influential. In Greece religion was very dominate, so therefore the religious structures are normally very large to reinforce the importance of their gods. Then in India they built large gorgeous buildings to show devotion and necessity to their gods. Both Indian and Greek temples had intricate details. The details could depict faces of gods, there contribution to the religion, or their needs. For example in Greece they may have water, or plants, or even the sun to show the direct faith to those specific gods. On the other had in India they would have specific domes where they would go and worship their gods. Weather it was from the extensive temple details or the beautiful columns those specific details are the most beautiful and important indictors of the tributes to the gods.
  Architecture had great influences in Greek and Indian culture. In India the styles and structures have changed over the years during the different rulers. For example during the Mughals architecture gained a new style, they were now mainly arched or domed- shaped. More specifically the Taj Mahal was developed. Yet the Greek buildings have also changed in structure over years to help make the spaces more useful ant economically sustainable. On the other hand in Greece the architecture influenced their well being and relationships within their life. In India you will mostly find building in the use for trading, worship, and living- each structure had different style according to their uses, as so in Greece too.
  Craftsmanship is greatly different in India and Greece. In India the buildings were very colorful and vibrant. The colors could consist of rich reds, earthy colors such as greens and browns, also yellows. Then in Greece the colors scheme is more calm and cooling. Such as beautiful blues and crisp whites. In Greece they use many columns and open structures in their everyday homes and buildings. Then in India their buildings are symmetrical, closed, and more extravagant. Then materials used in the construction of the building in Greece mainly consisted of marble and ceramic tiles. However in India they used more of a concrete substance to make their buildings.
  In conclusion architecture in ancient India and Greece have some similarities in religious and cultural influences, bet differ in the craftsmanship.
• 

  Megan
  December 7th, 2009 on 7:22 pm

  While the Chinese poet Du Fu and the Greek poet Sappho both reflected upon personal and emotional reality, they differ greatly in mainstream topics within their writing and their lives and legacies left behind.
  First off, both Du Fu and Sappho both wrote to reflect upon personal and emotional reality. Not only is Du Fu’s work highly reflective of history and morality, but of his personal life as well. For case in point, in Spring Prospect he writes, “…Saddened with parting, the birds make my heart flutter. The army beacons have flamed for three months; A letter from home would be worth ten thousand in gold. My white hairs I have anxiously scratched even shorter….” His own writings are where most of the information known today comes from. Sappho also showed personal and emotional reality in her work, especially considering most of her work consisted of homosexual love. She wrote in the form of first person and told how love and loss personally affected her. For example a section of her poem Please reads, “Come back to me, Gongyla, here tonight, you, my rose, with your Lydian lyre. There hovers forever around you delight: A beauty desired…”.
  Secondly, Du Fu and Sappho differed greatly in the mainstream topics within their writing. Du Fu was very reflective within his writing. His work was very diverse, but the majority of his poetry was focused on historical concerns and ethical ideas which would furthermore benefit scholar-officials living in a period full of chaos. Du Fu’s writing can also be perceived as being autobiographical. The direction of his work shifted from an unoriginal nature to being more individualized as he adapted to surroundings and built his own writing style. He sometimes was even blunt and critical. Sappho however had very different key points of focus in her writing. She had a very melodic and sensual writing style; typically using women as her targets. Most of Sappho’s work can be described as homoerotic. She even wrote her poems to be accompanied by a lyre, giving her the title of a lyrist. The images she portrayed were sharp and she even used humor and rhetoric.
  Tertiary, Du Fu’s and Sappho’s lives and influences differed. Du Fu was born in china and was raised by his aunt as a Confucian, but he did not succeed in reaching the official position he desired as a civil servant. However he continued to be a sober Confucian throughout his life. His youth was devoted to the normal future civil servants’ education. His writing never reached most of the Chinese population; however it was not intended for that purpose. Sappho on the other hand had quite a different life. She studied art on the island of Lesbos. She spent a period of time in Sicily for exile because of political affairs within her family. She had the title of a lyrist because she invented lyric poetry and was one of the original poets to write from a first-person point of view. The word lesbian even came from her city of Lesbos. Unlike Du Fu’s work, only one of Sappho’s poems is known in modern times in its entirety.
  Conclusively, although Du Fu and Sappho undeniably differ in mainstream writing topics and their lives and legacies, they share a commonality in that they both wrote reflectively in a personal and emotional manner.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY:
  Duiker, William and Spielvogel, Jackson, “World History”, Fourth Edition, 2004, Clark Baxter
  Asia Explorers, Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage, retrieved from http://www.asiaexplorers.com/china/du_fu_thatched_cottage.htm, December 5th, 2009.
  North, Alix, Isle of Lesbos (Sappho), retrieved from http://www.sappho.com/poetry/sappho.html, December 5th, 2009.
• 

  Ana Bedoya
  December 7th, 2009 on 7:42 pm

  Ana Bedoya
  Period 6
  Indian vs Chinese Music

  While both the Indian and Chinese civilizations shared a common prospect of music, they differed greatly in their sole purpose, and the specific kind of instruments that were used.

  Ancient Indian music used performers and instruments to establish their essence of music. Chinese culture also shared the same basic foundation. Both cultures brought in instruments introduced and somewhat adapted from other parts which were then used to construct a rhythm and melody. Both shared the aspect of performers as a source of entertainment for the audience and it was also a challenge for the artist since much of the music was based on the performer’s creativity.

  Indian music originally came from the chanting of Vedic hymns; with this important aspect Indian music seems to be a quality that came along with a strong metaphysical and spiritual world. The hymns were chanted by priests in the temples then followed by musical tone. The music was finally created with rhythm and melody. Within every aspect of Indian music it was all brought back to the spiritual world. At any point if an improper rendition of a sacred text it could upset the harmony and balance of the entire universe. Unlike Indian music, Chinese brought forth music to promote ethical and moral principles, and to maintain social order. Music in ancient China was most used to enforce ethical behavior and much was attributed to Confucianism.

  Most prominently used in India was a stringed instrument called a sitar, also a variety of wind instruments and drums were used. Later on performers selected a raga and then were free to improvise the melody and rhythm. In early years Chinas musical instruments were around the same basis of those of India, later on jazz was added to traditional music by adding xylophones, saxophones and violins, and other instruments, while Indian music for the most part remained the same.
• 

  amanda-FONG
  December 7th, 2009 on 7:45 pm

  Kelly clark

  i think u did a really good job on your thesis in how specific you were in the similarities and differences. i like how u related confucianism’s ideas back to the indian practices of dharma and then again to the civil service exams, it shows that his ideas were lasting and left an impression. also i like how you elaborated on your last differece in each of their ideas and what they were constituted by. all of it made perfect sense and overall it was a great essay!

  amanda holly
• 

  MDomingo
  December 7th, 2009 on 7:53 pm

  Maggie Domingo
  Period 6

  Buddhism in India vs. Buddhism in China

  While both traditional Indian Buddhism and the Chinese variations of Buddhism were popular because of their contrast to previous ideologies, and were misinterpreted in a variety of sects, they differed greatly in degree of outside influence.
  Both forms of Buddhism gained much popularity from peoples with fresh requirements of their ideology. Though highly influenced by Hinduism, traditional Buddhism was more a philosophy, and Hinduism was one of the least philosophical religions of the time period. The lack of a godlike figure was a crucial difference since Hinduism had a multitude of gods. Both forms of Buddhism had an element of simplicity as seen in the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path. Hinduism could never be described as simple what with its use of the Vedas, its many gods, and its use of the caste system. The caste system was perhaps the most significant difference between the two ideologies. It was a defining way of life and the mindset of the system was maintained long after new religions had taken the place of Hinduism. Because Buddhism rejected the caste system, it was highly appealing to those in the lower castes wishing for equality and more opportunities in life. From this it is clear that Buddhism presented vast changes in Hinduism and would therefore have appealed to those seeking a new outlook on life.
  Since it was a new philosophy in both India and China, many tried to modify Buddhism to better suit their needs. The result was a number of sects that can only be referred to as such loosely because, by definition, any move toward extremes contradicts the idea of the middle path. Jainism, for example, required its followers to abandon all possessions, which clearly does not show moderation. The Mahayana division of Chinese Buddhism is another instance of the massive changes made to Buddhism to maintain its number of followers. Here Buddhism becomes a religion complete with gods and salvation through devotion. Such alteration of the original concepts of Buddhism show that the people were once more searching for new religions to satisfy their spiritual needs. Ironically, the Chinese returned to Hinduism to fulfill their want of the supernatural aspects of religion.
  Although they had similar problems with their followers, these forms of Buddhism were almost more different than they were alike. In Mahayana Buddhism, the method of attaining Nirvana, which had been the source of much of the philosophy’s uniqueness, was drastically changed. Because of this, the Four Noble Truths were all but abandoned since Buddhism no longer placed emphasis on proper behavior and the avoidance of desire. A variation of the caste system was brought back to satisfy those in search of a more structured life. This too undermined the egalitarian foundation of Buddhism. Such radical changes showed the people’s need for a religion rather than a philosophy. Traditional Buddhism remained in China in the form of Theravada Buddhism, which stayed true to Siddhartha Gautama’s vision. However, the majority practiced Mahayana Buddhism, which was to be expected since it had been altered for the sole reason of appealing to a wider range of people. It is clear from the major changes made and the similarities between Buddhism and its contemporaries that Buddhism had borrowed concepts from other religions in order to become more popular. In the process, the essence of Buddhism was lost and it eventually declined despite these desperate attempts to compete with up and coming religions.
  In conclusion, the spread of Buddhism from India to China made it almost unrecognizable. Buddhism no longer had the insistence on proper behavior or the rejection of the caste system that had defined it in India. There were some commonalities in the beginning stages, and both forms of Buddhism were severely altered in sects that completely disregarded the message of Buddhism. Despite the efforts to prolong the life of Buddhism, it eventually gave way to new and old religions in both India and China.

  Myanmar, Mandalay, National Geographic, and Religion: Buddhism, http://java.nationalgeographic.com/studentatlas/clickup/buddhism.html

  Buddhism India to China, http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/3992.html
  Civilization Comparison Chart, http://curriculum.new-albany.k12.oh.us/shacker/documents/chinaandindiachart_001.pdf
  The spread of Buddhism – an interesting fact about Buddhism, http://www.eastern-philosophy-and-meditation.com/interesting-fact-about-buddhism.html
• 

  MDomingo
  December 7th, 2009 on 8:17 pm

  Hey Cejka,
  You had a lot of good info in your essay and the ideas were well developed. However, you should spend longer on word selection since I know that essay took you about 10 min to write. Your thesis was very strong until you said “trying”. I also think you didn’t need all the dates in the essay since they don’t really prove anything. You should know that we weren’t allowed to use wikipedia either. I know it sucks…I mean…it is most unfortunate. And the biggest problem I had with you essay was the conclusion. It was REALLY good and then you ruined it with, “Its size caused Rome to go away from its original values.” I’m pretty sure you could have found a better way to say go away from…All things considered, it was a good essay.
• 

  Tyler Walburn
  December 7th, 2009 on 8:47 pm

  Ancient Greek class structure Vs. Ancient Indian class Structure

  Although ancient Greece and ancient India both had social classes, they differed greatly in terms of social mobility, social tolerance, and role in religion.

  The social classes in ancient Greece differed depending on which region one traveled to. Most of Greece used Athens’ social class system consisting of Politicians (coincidently they were usually aristocrats), regular citizens, then the slaves. One city state named Sparta differed from the rest mainland Sparta was an oligarchy and was ruled by two kings, followed by a council of 28 men over age 60 (council of elders), 5 men responsible for conduct and education, soldiers, women, and finally the slaves. Both of these practices were exceedingly opposite from Indian classes.

  India was one of the most discrimnatory ancient civilizations due to their stringent social classes. These classes grew out from their holy book titled “Rig Veda”, which dubbed four indenpendant classes. The most respected of these classes were the Brahmin. Brahmin were the priests of Indian culture and served as vehicles between the gods and the people. Next in line is the class of the Kshatriya’s. This group consisted of soldiers and rulers. It was stated that their mission on earth was to protect society from evils. The Vaishya’s followed and originally began as farmers but later evolved into businessmen. The three previous classes were considered to have been born twice, while the next two have only been born once. On top of the bottom of the pile was the class of the Sudra. This lowly class was composed of farmers and common labor’s who did the undesirable work for the other three classes. They are almost comparable to slaves, but weren’t treated quite so harshly. Lower than dirt in the Indians’ eyes however, was the Chalandras’ (untouchables). These unforunate souls were not permitted inside cities or villages and were considered to be unholy in every possible aspect. Nearly considered lepers, it was forbidden to even speak to such a person of this lowly status. Unlike Greece, there was no hope for moving up the social ladder during this life.

  The Greeks and Indians were black and white differences in terms of social mobility. Even slaves in Greece could have hopes of being bought out of slavery or being freed by their owners. With enough dedication and effort, it may have been possible for a slave to rise to the level of an actively involved politician. In Sparta, slaves could not ascend but that city is the only exception. Regrettably, Indians did not have the same fortune as most of Greece. The glimmer of light in Indian belief was for lowly classes to act in a positive manner. The reason for this was so in next life they may be blessed by being born into a higher social ranking. High classes in both societies could descend but such behavior was frowned upon. In Sparta however, males could the climb social ladder with their unrealistically gigantic muscles. This was achieved by going through the military process described in paragraph II.

  In Greece, every class(even slavery) was tolerable on some level. The slaves may have been slaves, but commoners and politicians alike would still look them in the face. Chalandra’s, being the lowest social class in India, did not even have this luxury. These people were not even allowed by society to carry out the most menial and miniscule tasks. The higher social classes in both societies were lavished, but the Brahmins were treated as close to kings without being a king. Politicians in Greece usually enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle but they were not worshipped as the Brahmins were in India.

  In both societies religion was a daily component of people’s lives. In Greece however, religion did not create the social classes nor did it influence them. India is walking on the other side of the street in this case. Greece during this time period was running on a democracy (again, except Sparta) and officials were elected and slaves were bought, the gods made no decisions for the people. Indians were born into publicity, and slaves were born into slavery by the actions in their past lives. Politicians in Greece did not serve as intermediates between the commoners and the gods, while the Brahmins did.

  By examining the differences in social mobility, social tolerance, and role of religion in these cultures, one can see that Greek and Indian classes were on different sides of the spectrum.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY!!!!!

  Kelley L. Ross P.H.D, The Caste System and The Stages of Live in Hinduism(excerpts and chart), Retrieved from http://www.friesian.com/caste.htm on December 6th, 2009

  University Press, Culture and Society retrieved from http://www.ancientgreece.com/culture on December 7, 2009
• 

  Corey Morrow
  December 8th, 2009 on 1:29 pm

  Thanks Mike- I’m glad someone had the **(fortitude of mind or nerve) DB** to finally comment on one of mine. Unfortunately, I must agree with you because this was one of my worst essays ever. I was ashamed to even post it because it had such bad structure and wording that people might think it was one of Gabe’s essays instead of mine. I will have to agree with Gabe that you need help on being a jerk to others, but luckily he is a very experienced teacher that practices daily. I actually was going to post a list of everything that I did wrong (including what you had), but decided to not mention everything in case they went by unnoticed-my conclusion was 430 words out of the total 997.
  Unfortunately I don’t have the 4 hours of time needed to write the list of corrections for Gabe’s essay or yours, so unfortunately I will have to let Baeszler correct it. Gabe will probably get a grade similar to his IQ (<60), but I’m sure that you will do much better.
• 

  Tyler Walburn
  December 8th, 2009 on 6:04 pm

  Hi Megan!
  Your essay was composed of insightful information that was pertinent and you had no problem staying on topic. Another thing you did well was demonstrate researched knowledge of your topic. I think you could of worked on dividing up your essay more. Division in an essay creates smaller pieces for the reader to swallow and lets the brain rest inbetween paragraphs. Heading back to the top of the paper, I could see what you were trying to say with your thesis statement, and it was a good idea but I think that you may need to practice wording. The idea was there but the vehicle for it was broken by too much “ands”

  Good Job though =)
• 

  Kaitlyn French
  December 8th, 2009 on 6:24 pm

  Hey A.P. World Students!I would absolutely LOVE for someone to give me constructive critisim so that i better understand the flaws in my writing and improve in the future.If anyone needs to still submit their respective comment,I’d appreciate it!Thank you.
• 

  Nathan Elsishans
  December 9th, 2009 on 3:13 pm

  Baeszler I uploaded my assignment to turn it in a few days ago, and when I went to check and see if it was graded it doesn’t show anything was uploaded
• 

  brenna b
  December 9th, 2009 on 4:23 pm

  Comparing Chinese vs. Indian Art

  While both Chinese and Indian art share similar techniques and styles of painting, plus similarities in the scenery in which they would often paint, they appear very different in the ways that they would use their art to express their religious thoughts and beliefs.

  Chinese and Indian art are very similar in the techniques and ways in which they are constructed. Both cultures would use unique strokes and twists of their brushes to represent the stem or leafs on flowers or often of trees. Abstract patterns often would appear in the means of trying to focus the viewers eyes on the whole picture rather than just one specific object or detail being displayed. In both Indian and Chinese paintings poems would often be added on the top right hand corner or bottom left corner of the painting to help distinguish the mood the viewer should be capturing from studying it. Both cultures painting techniques also added empty space throughout the painting to help focus on the focal point. Having the paintings appear to unfold slowly also making the viewer spending more time focusing and depicting the art itself.

  Both Chinese and Indian art would often symbolize something significant in or to nature. Such as flowers, trees, and mountains. The painters were often known for going somewhere peaceful to paint so that they could then be in “the way” of nature, often feeling more at peace and in tune with their surroundings. They often would include less detail of the specific object they were painting, but rather the outside lining image, also referred to earlier as “empty space.”

  The ways in which Chinese and Indian art reflected their beliefs often varied greatly. Chinese art was inspired primarily from Buddhist and Daoism sources. The Chinese reasoning to painting on the mountain tops was their belief in having to find the way in Dao, and way of becoming one with nature. On the other hand, Indian art was represented as a way of respecting and honoring their mother goddess as the source of life and fertility. Sayings or texts on the paintings would often depict the message in which they were intending to send this god. Many of them often asking for forgiveness and talking about sins.

  Although there is a lot more still to be unraveled about Chinese and Indian art and very little is really known, it is clear to say that both had major contribution and inspirations to what art is today in our society. The reflection of our own culture and the beliefs of another.

  Bibliography:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_art on December 7, 2009

  http://www.chiff.com/art/art_history/asian_art.htm on December 7, 2009

  http://ignca.nic.in/pb0013.htm on December 7,2009
• 

  brenna b
  December 9th, 2009 on 8:16 pm

  Maggie,

  Reading your essay, i think you clearly understood your topic getting the point across strongly without getting off topic. You backed up Indian and Chinese Buddhism giving many examples and clear evidence to the existance of this religious aspect stating both similarities and differences. I also liked how you made your essay interesting so that the reader can be entertained throughout and not get bored reading. I also liked how you included Indian and Chinese’s ways of life and the forms of Therevada Buddhism.The only thing that i could say could use a little more improvement on would be your conclusion paragraph better summarizing up what you had written. But overall you wrote an amazing essay!
• 

  Valerie
  December 10th, 2009 on 7:43 pm

  Megan,
  You did an amazing job on your essay. There were lots of great examples that were detailed, that people will easily remember. Nice usage of quotes to help the reader furthermore understand your point. Overall you did a terrific job!
• 

  sarah
  December 10th, 2009 on 8:14 pm

  Arab civilization vs. Islam culture 500B.C.E to 500C.E

  While both Arab civilization and Islam were greatly involved in trade, and they both shared high taxation on conquered lands, they differed greatly, what the Arabs could not conquer the Islam were able to.

  Arab civilization and Islam culture were both significantly involved in trade. The most successful civilizations in Africa were the ones that cultures were based on trade. The Arabs before Islam were a nomadic tribe, they were also polytheistic but once Islam came into the Arab civilization they started settling down which then led to them being heavily involved in trade. While Islam was spread rapidly to the Arab civilization though the Silk Road, it’s the main reason that the empire was brought together. Arab civilization and Islam culture both had alliances that were made because of the trade routes that were open to other cultures. The Islam’s just like the Arabs were extensive in trade the only reason why the Arab civilization and Islam culture is still around in modern day time is because of the fact that they have based there life’s around trade. For example the Silk Road played a major part, in the spread of Islam and Arab civilization along the Silk Road. Other then the Silk Road the Arab civilization and Islamic culture are a trader society they would travel from east to west, trading by ships that were called “fleets of the desert “, also by camel caravans. The exchanges of the goods were facilitated by the development of the banking system and the use of currency and letters of credit. Islam’s and Arabs believed in the importance of trade to the prosperity of the state that contributed to the egalitarianism.

  Also they are similar in the fact that they both share high taxes, both Arab civilization and Islam culture share high taxes on the people that they conquered. Arab civilization and Islam culture were the most successful both in expansion and he tenacity. As the wars of expansions were furthermore advanced by the devotion of the faithful to the concept of Jihad both the Arabs and Islam’s were spreading more of their ideas and beliefs while having high taxation on the people and civilizations that they conquered. Both the Arab civilization and the Islam cultures conquered people had to pay a high tax that was called Jiziya. The non-Muslims had to pay this special tax; this tax was to push the people into turning to the Muslim faith. For example the Muslim rule entered India east of the Indus River peacefully. Over a period of time Muslims gained political power this is just an example of how the gained power over time, and the people that refused to follow the 5 pillars and the Shari ‘a that was drawn from the Koran which was a book or a collection of sayings from the prophet that was used to describe the holly scriptures. Islam means “submission “ implying that people will submit to the will of Allah, so when the conquered people refused to convert to Islam so they were taxed heavily, and they had rules that when they conquered the conquered people needed to follow. Once they become Islam it might be different from there old way of worship or religion.

  Yet all in all whatever the Arab civilization could not conquer the Islam’s did. The Islam’s were very involved in trade and became well known for being a trader society. Seeing as Islam’s were able to conquer from east to west while the Arabs could not do that. While Arab civilization could only go so far, the Islam was spread widely throughout Africa to east, it acquired many of the cultural attributes of the people it conquered. Even though Arab merchants traveled from North Africa and other places would go to African nations along the east African coast and the upper Niger River area to trade with other African kingdoms during this period in time. They were always peace full when other places in Africa converted to Islam.

  In conclusion by seeing how Arab civilization and Islam culture have there similarity and differentiation’s thus far they are more corresponding then different , one could see that Arab civilization and Islam culture are closer then they might have seemed .
• 

  sarah
  December 10th, 2009 on 8:16 pm

  Bibliography

  - Incorporated from the Magazine “Islam: A Global Civilization”, prepared by Islamic Affairs Department, The Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington, D.C.

  -This letter was sent to Carly Fiorina, CEO of Hewlett Packard Corporation, in response to a speech given by her on September 26, 2001.
• 

  Rose
  December 11th, 2009 on 10:53 am

  Garrett –
  The part of your thesis saying “While the Bantu and Mongols were both nomadic societies” was well supported in your essay.
  But, the last to points of your thesis were kind of the same thing. The difference in both societies conquering strategy was the Bantu assimilated and Mongols did not. Because of that, your 3rd paragraph was weak and redundant.
  Also, you don’t have a concluding paragraph, which is essential for the AP exam.
  The way in which it was written was decent, but could use more interest and “BAM!”

  -Rose Cardinal.

• Howdy. Welcome to BaeszlerHistory Blog!

  Thanks for dropping by! Feel free to join the discussion by leaving comments, and stay updated by subscribing to the RSS feed. See ya around!

• Recent Posts

  • Welcome to BaeszlerHistoryBlog!
  • Awards
  • A.P. World Contention Blog
  • Service Project
  • Country Project III
  • The Leadup to The Great War
  • Comparitive C.O.T. 1400 – 1900
  • A.P. Human Geography Country Project II
  • A.P. Human Geography Movie/Book Report #2
  • A.P. Euro Book Report #2

• Browse by tags

• Categories

  • A.P. Human Geography
  • Euro Blog
  • Euro Discussion
  • History Club/RhoKappa
  • Human Geo
  • Senior Awards
  • World Blog
  • World Discussion

• Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Valid XHTML