The Romans Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Romans - Term Paper Example This paper examines the influence of roman civilization on the contemporary society, with focus on engineering, science, mathematics, science and politics. The Roman Empire is the hallmark of Roman civilization and it spread across three continents. The continents included parts of the current Europe, Africa and Asia. The vastness of the empire and its longevity facilitated its widespread influence across the globe. According to Kagan et al (2003), the Western Roman Empire lasted for 1101 years, from 625BC to AD 476. The eastern Roman Empire lasted up to AD 1432. In total, the entire Roman Empire lasted a remarkable 2078 years (Kagan et al, 2003). Comparing it with United States and the significant influence that the country has had in the modern society for a period of less than 250 years, it is apparent Roman Empire had tremendous impact in the world. Before investigating the contribution of the empire to the modern society, it important to examine its salient features. Roman Empir e had a strong military organization that played a critical role in acquisition of larger territories and maintaining absolute loyalty to the emperor. In a period where armies were armed with rudimentary weapons such as spears, swords and shields, the Roman military displayed high level of organization and spirit that ensured success in virtually all battles they were engaged in. According to Rogers (2010), Hellenistic philosophy and roman stoicism played a critical role in maintaining military discipline especially in challenging battles. As their territories expanded, the Romans exerted their influence, bringing with them their culture and language. Latin was the official language of the Romans and after acquisition of larger territories; it was adapted in the entire empire. However, the language later developed and differentiated into two namely vulgar and classical Latin (Kagan, et al, 2003). Classical Latin became the official language for use in academics while Vulgar Latin la ter evolved due to its fluidity to give raise to various languages. Some of the languages that originated from Vulgar Latin include Spanish, Portuguese, French, Romanian and Italian among others (Rogers, 2010). Although Latin was the official language in the empire, the eastern part remained under heavy influence of the Greek language. Kagan et al (2003) attributed the widespread use of Greek in the empire to strong historical ties between Rome and Greece. Greece remained an influential part of Roman Empire in the entire period of the civilization. Kagan et al (2003) argues that while Greeks were popular thinkers, the Roman were doers and practical individuals. The relationship between Greece and the Romans played a crucial role in the stimulating development of science, engineering, mathematics and other technologies in the Roman Empire. The natural character of the Romans is another unique trait that determined the progress of the empire. According to Rogers (2010), Romans were co mpetent at adapting, preserving, applying and disseminating information and technology. This trait enabled them to adapt technology from Greek, who had a rich history of philosophy, science, medicine, and art among other important traditions. Hence, Romans were practical people who applied the technology and information from their Greek counterparts to develop their empire, while Greeks were the innovators. For this reason, Rogers (2010) argues that Romans did not develop

The Black Power Mixtape Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Black Power Mixtape - Essay Example   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Black Power Mixtape† was directed by Goran Hugo Olsson a Swedish and helps depict a story of black power movement in a neutral eye. A little odd is the fact that the Swedish Journalists were following and recording the efforts and of course frustrations by blacks surviving in America’s back streets.   All the documentation was for long stored in a basement for close to forty years until the making of this Mixtape. Indeed a Mixtape, the film presents the facts as they were, raw in a matter of speaking put together. It is refreshing due to its arbitrariness, not following a style but with the theme of showing the Black power in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. The stylistic approaches used by the director of the film displays the struggles of blacks in 1960’s in a random and virgin, non-fictional memorabilia depicting the atmosphere as it was and benefited the presentation of a cinema of truth. The film is a compilation of interviews from people that championed the Black power movement who after witnessing or experiencing the struggles of their own kind, had to stand up for themselves. Interviews include inter alia; Angela Davis, Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver, Huey Newton and Dr. Martin Luther King. Their words and voice resonating and evoking such an era-specific picture of what occurred. Fictional movies such as ‘Mississippi Burning’ and Tate Taylor’s ‘The Help’ have often brought this era out in a palatable way.... Angela Davis’s voice interview when in jail reverberates over and over again in my head when she says, â€Å"You ask me if I approve of violence, I just find that incredible.† She struggles to show the misconceptions towards her people, the black people. It shows the irony of the situation where a people violent and racist towards the black people, depict violence as coming from the black people. She evokes so much by her words and silence too just after the short interview that resonates almost half a century later. Stokely Carmichael agrees with the idea of Dr Martin Luther King policy of non-violence as a method for blacks to use to change the hearts of the racial discriminators. In his interview, the impossibility of Dr King’s method is brought out in a humorous and almost seductive way amid the chaotic and dangerous atmosphere. Impossibility in this method is because to be moved to a change of heart required conscience which discriminators seem not to have a s seen by Carmichael. We are reminded of the many failed revolutions and counterrevolutions in a time that shaped the culture that we enjoy today. During an interview with Stokely Carmichael’s mother Mabel, the film takes an awakening turn. In an inspiring and downright courageous act, Stokely takes the microphone from the Swedish journalist and asks his mother why his father, a carpenter was laid off so often. Even without watching more of the film, one can tell the frustration, this fresh graduate feels knowing too well the truth but watching his mother struggle to go around the facts. The lack of freedom of expression or the double standard of it, the fear experienced by the ‘coloured’ people as the mother calls them. The result of the film is sobering making one