King
Nebuchadnezzar many times I have heard that name, it
is the name of a ship in the movie The Matrix but I was not aware that he was a
prominent figure in the Bible, but he also Nebuchadnezzar
was king of Babylonia from approximately 605 BC until approximately 562 BC. He
is considered the greatest king of the Babylonian Empire and is credited with the construction of
the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar is mentioned by name around 90
times in the Bible, in both the historical and prophetic literature of the
Hebrew Scriptures. Nebuchadnezzar receives the most attention in the book of
Daniel, appearing as the main character, beside Daniel,
in chapters 1–4. In biblical history, Nebuchadnezzar is most famous for the
conquering of Judah and the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem in 586 BC. Judah
had become a tribute state to Babylon in 605 BC but rebelled in 597 BC during
the reign of Jehoiachin and then again in 588 BC during the reign of Zedekiah. Secular history records Nebuchadnezzar as a
brutal, powerful, and ambitious king, and the Bible, for the most part, agrees.
However, the book of Daniel gives additional insight into his character. Nebuchadnezzar recorded in the book of Daniel have led some
to consider the possibility that Nebuchadnezzar became a believer in the one
true God. History records Nebuchadnezzar being a follower of the Babylonian
gods Nabu and Marduk. Is it possible that Nebuchadnezzar renounced these false
gods and instead only worshiped the one true God? Yes, it is possible. If
nothing else, Nebuchadnezzar became ahenotheist, believing in many gods but worshiping only
one God as supreme.(www,encyclopedia.com)
Pericles (495–429
BC, whose name means "surrounded by glory") was a prominent
statesman, famous orator, and general (in Greek 'Strategos’) of Athens during the Golden Age of Athens. So profound was his
influence that the period in which he led Athens has been called the 'Age of
Pericles’. This statesman’s
influence on Athenian society was so great that Thucydides,
his contemporary admirer and historian, called him "the first citizen of
Athens". Pericles led the Delian League forward to form the Athenian empire and guided his countrymen during the first two years of the
Peloponnesian Wars. This statesman’s influence on Athenian society
was so great that Thucydides, his contemporary admirer and
historian, called him "the first citizen of Athens". Pericles led
the Delian League forward to form the
Athenian empire and guided his countrymen
during the first two years of the Peloponnesian Wars.
Pericles promoted the arts, literature, and philosophy and gave free reign to some of the most inspired writers and thinkers of his time. During the Age of Pericles, Athens blossomed as a center of education, art, culture, and democracy. Artists and sculptors, playwrights and poets, architects and philosophers all found Athens an exciting and enlivening atmosphere for their work. Athens under Pericles saw the building of the Acropolis and the glory of the Parthenon. Pericles family's nobility, prestige, and wealth allowed him to pursue his inclination toward education, and he is recognized as the first politician to attribute great importance to philosophy as a practical discipline which could help guide and direct one’s thought and actions rather than a mere speculative past-time or the trade of the Sophists.
Pericles’ early years were quiet and the introverted young man took to avoiding public appearances and speeches, instead preferring to devote his time to his studies. Later in life, this initial shyness would lend credence to the claims of his detractors that his consort Aspasia taught him how to speak and wrote his speeches for him (it was a grave insult to a man of Athens, especially a statesman, to claim a woman was responsible for his successful career).
At the beginning of 431 BCE Athens entered into the long, drawn-out Peloponnesian Wars with Sparta. Thucydides recorded Pericles’ famous Funeral Oration given at the service for the Athenian dead in which he said, in part, “Grief is felt not so much for the want of what we have never known as for the loss of that to which we have been long accustomed.” It was shortly after this speech that Athens itself would lose what it was accustomed to as the tide of the war turned against it. In 429 BCE the plague struck the city and Pericles was among the victims.
Bereft of his leadership, the Athenians made mistake after mistake in their military decisions leading eventually to their defeat by the Spartans in 404 BCE, the destruction of their city’s walls, and their occupation and rule by Sparta. In his histories, Thucydides makes abundantly clear what a disaster Pericles’ death was for Athens in that those who came after him desired to be popular rather than effective, and in so doing doomed the city to ruin. With the death of Pericles, his 'age’ ended and Athens fell into an intellectual, cultural, and spiritual darkness which the Athenians would struggle with over the next 30 years. It culminated in the execution of Socrates in the year 399 BCE. (
Pericles promoted the arts, literature, and philosophy and gave free reign to some of the most inspired writers and thinkers of his time. During the Age of Pericles, Athens blossomed as a center of education, art, culture, and democracy. Artists and sculptors, playwrights and poets, architects and philosophers all found Athens an exciting and enlivening atmosphere for their work. Athens under Pericles saw the building of the Acropolis and the glory of the Parthenon. Pericles family's nobility, prestige, and wealth allowed him to pursue his inclination toward education, and he is recognized as the first politician to attribute great importance to philosophy as a practical discipline which could help guide and direct one’s thought and actions rather than a mere speculative past-time or the trade of the Sophists.
Pericles’ early years were quiet and the introverted young man took to avoiding public appearances and speeches, instead preferring to devote his time to his studies. Later in life, this initial shyness would lend credence to the claims of his detractors that his consort Aspasia taught him how to speak and wrote his speeches for him (it was a grave insult to a man of Athens, especially a statesman, to claim a woman was responsible for his successful career).
At the beginning of 431 BCE Athens entered into the long, drawn-out Peloponnesian Wars with Sparta. Thucydides recorded Pericles’ famous Funeral Oration given at the service for the Athenian dead in which he said, in part, “Grief is felt not so much for the want of what we have never known as for the loss of that to which we have been long accustomed.” It was shortly after this speech that Athens itself would lose what it was accustomed to as the tide of the war turned against it. In 429 BCE the plague struck the city and Pericles was among the victims.
Bereft of his leadership, the Athenians made mistake after mistake in their military decisions leading eventually to their defeat by the Spartans in 404 BCE, the destruction of their city’s walls, and their occupation and rule by Sparta. In his histories, Thucydides makes abundantly clear what a disaster Pericles’ death was for Athens in that those who came after him desired to be popular rather than effective, and in so doing doomed the city to ruin. With the death of Pericles, his 'age’ ended and Athens fell into an intellectual, cultural, and spiritual darkness which the Athenians would struggle with over the next 30 years. It culminated in the execution of Socrates in the year 399 BCE. (
Writer of The Allegory of the Cave, after considering the video we watched in class and doing a little more research of my own, I think Plato's point was many will only believe what they see or hear even when someone comes along and explains what they've seen they will refuse to believe it if it doesn't fit with what they believe. To put it plainly, it's all about perspective.(philosophyzer.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/the-allegory-of-the-cave-by-plato)
Wow! This is great. ---I'm actually talking to you right now about Nero--- I can't wait to share this on Twitter. Some students will find this very helpful.
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