Website of the Gods!!!

This is a blog of the gods, Ancient Rome, the Gallic Wars, translations, and other Latiny stuff!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

When in Rome-When

 "When in Rome, do as the Romans do"





Many often hear this phrase, but what does it really mean? The statement mean that when in new environments, try to follow the customs and traditions of the area, often used when speaking of heading to foreign countries. This is to avoid conflict that could arise from not knowing the culture. A popular story thought to hold the key to this mystery, is that when St. Augustine asked St. Ambrose to go on a mission to Rome, he didn't know what holy day to follow to fast, as Romans held it on a different day. St. Augustine wisely told Ambrose, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Picture: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/04/28/article-1017063-0101159700000578-232_468x395.jpg

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Hippocampi-What


The hippocampus is the mythological creature shared by Greek and Phoenician mythology, though the name is purely Greek, meaning "horse" and "monster." It is often called a sea-horse in English. Typically the horse is the front part and a coiling, scaly, fish-like tail. The hippocampus became a part of Etruscan mythology, which affects Roman mythology. Neptune often drives a sea-chariot pulled by hippocampi.
Link: http://www.theoi.com/image/P12.4BThetis.jpg

Monday, December 14, 2009

SPQR-Who


SPQR is an initialism for the Latin phrase "the Senate and People of Rome." It refers to the government of the ancient Roman Republic. It was used as the official signature of the government. It appears on coins, documents made public by inscription in stone or metal, in dedications of monuments and public works, and was emblazoned on the standards of the Roman Legions. The phrase also appears many times in Roman literature.

Link: http://www.novaroma.org/vici/images/thumb/400px-Spqr-big-trans.gif

Friday, December 11, 2009

Titans-What

 The Titans were: Kronos, Koios, Krios, Hyperion, Iapetos, Okeanos, Ouranos, and Gaia. They ruled the cosmos before the Olympians came to power. Hyperion, Koios, Krios, and Iapetos were all posted at the 4 corners of the world, and the Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires were placed in the pit of Tartaros.
A prophecy was told that Kronos' children would overthrow him. Therefore, he ate all of his children as soon as they were born. When Zeus was born, Rhea gave to Kronos, the Titan-king, a rock to eat instead. When Zeus grew up he made Kronos disgorge his siblings, who, being immortal, were still alive. The gods then overthrew the Titans.

Pictures: http://www.fashion-res.com/EX/10-08-03/The%2520Battle%2520Betwee
n%2520the%2520Gods%2520a
nd%2520the%2520Titans.jpg
-http://www.theoi.com/Titan/
Titanes.html

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Latin (FAIL) Review for Mid-term *cough fail cough*

A.
 ID and translate each Ablative Absolute and Passive Periphrastic-> Sententiae Antiquae-> page159
1. Carthago delenda est-Passive Periphrastic
2. Asia victa-Ablative Absolute
3. Omnibus ferro militis perterritis-Ablative Absolute
4. Quidquid dicendum est-Ablative Absolute
5. Sananda sunt-Passive Periphrastic
6. Augusto terras tenente-Ablative Absolute
7. Tarquinio expulso-Ablative Absolute
8. Regenda sunt-Passive Periphrastic

B. 
 ID and Parse each participle-> Sententiae Antiquae-> page 152-> ex. laudans-present active participle
1. Oppressus- future passive participle
2. Tendentes-present passive participle
3. Sitiens-present active participle
4. Fugientia-present active participle
5. Futurarum-future active participle
6. Capta-perfect passive participle
7. Fugienti-present active participle
8. Educandum-future passive participle
9. Scripturus-future active participle
10. Dicturi-future active participle
11. Audituros-future active participle
12. Legens-present active participle
13. Factorum-future active participle
14. Timens-present active participle
15. Iussus-perfect passive participle

16. Emissum-perfect passive participle

C.
 ID the verbs that introduce the indirect statements-> Sententiae Antiquae-> pages 167-168
1. Negavit
2. Pronuntiatis, scivisti
3. Sentis
4. Vidi
5. Cerno
6. Credo
7. Sciebam
8. Nuntiavit
9. Dico
10. Vidisse
11. Putabat
12. Negant
13. Negavi
14. Credo
15. Dicere
16. Aiunt

D.
 ID and translate jussives-> Sententiae Antiquae-> page 191
1. Ducat-let it command
2. Cedant-let them concede
5. Rapiamus-

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Temple of Peace-Where


The Temple of Peace (AKA Forum of Peace) was built by Vespasian. It was built with the spoils of the Jewish War after the fall of Jerusalem in 71 AD. The temple was dedicated in 75 AD, and it was one of the most impressive monuments in the city. It was located north of the Basilica Aemilia that was in an area of the city that hadn't recovered from the great fire of 64 AD. The forum included a plaza with garden, a temple, and a library, within which were placed many of the treasures from Jerusalem. Vespasian brought multitudes of important works of art from all of Rome to the temple. He made the collection available for the enjoyment of the public.

Picture: http://intranet.arc.miami.edu/rjohn/images/RomeFora/Vespacian%20with%20Temple%20of%20Peace.jpg

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

79 AD-When


Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. The long, catastrophic eruption lasted 2 days. Pompeii was buried under 60 ft of ash and pumice. Herculaneum, its sister city, was also destroyed and completely buried. Pompeii was lost for almost 1,700 years, until is was accidentally discovered in 1748. Pompeii is now a ruined and partially buried town-city near Naples, in Campania, in the comune of Pompei (sic). It now provides insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire.

Picture: http://www.dogsofpompeii.com/images/pompeii_temple_of_jupiter.jpg

Monday, December 7, 2009

Ambigrams-What



An ambigram is a typographical design that may be read as one or more words not only in the form presented, but from a different viewpoint, direction, or orientation.The words could be the same or different from the original words. All of the above ambigrams are rotational ambigrams, meaning if you turn them 180 degrees, you see the same word again. "Ambire" in Latin means "to go round, visit in rotation, inspect, circle"

For an ambigram generator, check out: http://www.flipscript.com/ambigram-generator.aspx

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Why Did Pygmies Fight Cranes?


Pygmies were an African tribe who  lived on the southern shores of the great, earth encircling river. They were engaged in eternal war with flocks of migrating cranes. Pygmies were short, dark-skinned men who grew to be the foot of one pygmy. Pygmy was a unit of measure from the length of a man's elbow to knuckle bone (about 1 and 1//2 ft). The pygmies lived in India and sub-Saharan Africa

Picture: http://www.theoi.com/Phylos/Pygmaioi.html

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Domus Augustana-Where


The Domus Augustana was the principal residence of the emperors in Rome from the late 1st to 3rd centuries AD. It covered an enormous area on the southeastern side of the Palatine. This structure dates to the time of Domitian (AD 51-96). It was designed by his architect, Rabirius. The Domus Augustana sits on massive terraces where the House of Griffins and Nero's Domus Transitoria were buried. The upper level was for public places (ex. reception, banquet halls).  The lower level was for the private quarters of the imperial family. It was located inside of the Circus Maximus, the Hippodrome, and the Septizodium.

Picture: http://maquettes-historiques.net/R93.jpg

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Definition of a Hero


A hero is one who makes a positive difference in someone else's life. This could be in the form of the garden variety superheroes like Superman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, etc. It could also be one of the great heroes of Greek mythology, like Perseus, Heracles, and Achilles who are eventually deified. Then there are the less known heroes, the person who saves a child from a life of crime and redirects him towards good, or the person in the bank during the robbery who takes down the robber before he strikes, or all the policemen/policewomen and firefighters from 9/11, or the soldiers in Iraq who gave their lives for their country. A hero is one who is selfless for the good of others. Heroes may not always succeed. Maybe the man trying to stop the robber gets shot, but that doesn't make him any less of a hero. The thought and act of self-sacrifice, courage, altruism, and moral good were there.
Heroes are not the ones who score the game-winning touchdown or make the last goal in their soccer game to win it, they are the ordinary people who do extraordinary things. Heroes don't necessarily have to be the big, courageous, strong types either. The person who donates his time and efforts to Manna House, for example, is a hero of his own.
Heros are also not those who do the act of heroism just for the credit. They are those who never want the credit.
A hero is one who does great deeds for the benefit of others. A hero makes a difference.

Picture: http://sojournproject.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/super_hero.jpg

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Satyrs-What


In Greek mythology, satyrs are deities of woods and mountains. They are half man, half goat. The upper half of the body is human, while the lower half has a goat's tail, flanks, and hooves. Even though the upper part of the body is human, they also have the horns of a goat. Many satyrs are the companions of Dionysus, god of wine. They spend their time drinking, dancing, and chasing nymphs.

Picture:http://www.elfwood.com/art/s/a/sarabean/satyrs.jpg

Monday, November 30, 2009

Chapter 28 Optional (yet not so optional) Exercises

  1. Other than fact, but could become fact
  2. More common
  3. -e, -a
  4. Jussive
  5. Purpose
  6. Jussive
  7. No
  8. Subjunctive labels
    1. He will send
    2. Subjunctive-3rd sing
    3. He is sending
    4. Subjunctive-3rd sing
    5. He gives
    6. Subjunctive-3rd plural
    7. They believe
    8. They will believe
    9. They move
    10. Subjunctive-3rd plural
    11. We shall be heard
    12. Subjunctive-1st plural
    13. We are heard
    14. Subjunctive-2nd sing
    15. You are seizing
    16. You will seize
    17. They are known
    18. They shall be known
    19. Subjunctive-3rd plural
    20. You are freed
    21. Subjunctive-2nd plural
    22. You will be freed
    23. They are destroyed
    24. Subjunctive-3rd plural
    25. You will be conquered
    26. You are conquered
    27. Subjunctive-2nd sing
    28. We say
    29. We shall say
    30. Subjunctive-1st plural
  9. Let the leader come. We are waiting for him.
  10. Let the lowly citizens depart from our state so that we may live in leisure.

Themis-Who


Themis was the Greek Titan goddess of divine law and order (the traditional rules of conduct first established by the gods). She was also a prophetic goddess who presided over Delphoi. Themis was the divine voice (themistes). She first instructed mankind in the primal laws of justice and morality. Themis was an early bride of Zeus, and is often represented seated next to him, advising him.

Picture:http://www.theoi.com/image/T8.1Themis.jpg

Chapter 28 SA

  1. Let reason lead, not luck.
  2. Let arms yield to the toga.
  3. Leave the city so that I might not be suppressed by fear and weapons.
  4. One thin must be done immediately in order to have the greatest peace and solace.
  5. Let us take the opportunity from the day, my friends.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Why did Talos Patrol the Island?


Talos was a giant, living bronze automaton. He was forged by Hephaestus, and Zeus presented him to his lover Europa to protect her. Zeus then sent Europa to the island to Crete, where Talos patrolled the shores for pirates, etc. 3 times a day. If anyone tried landing, he would pelt them with rocks or put them in a a fiery death embrace. Talos was eventually killed with magic from Medea.

Picture: http://goremasterfx.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/talos.jpg

Thursday, November 26, 2009

The Temple of Heliogabulus-Where


The Temple of Heliogabulus was dedicated to the Syrian sun god Heliogabulus. It was built near the imperial palace on the Palatine. It was built by the emperor Elagabulus. Elagabulus moved sacred objects from Roman temples to here. After Elagabulus' assassination, Alexander Severus rededicated the temple to Jupiter Ultor (Jupiter "the Avenger")

Picture: http://www.psy.ritsumei.ac.jp/~akitaoka/sun.jpg

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

First Samnite War (343-341 BC)-When


This war was fought between the Roman Republic and Samnium. The First Samnite War was short, and was marked by Roman victories. This ended after 2 years with the Romans winning over the Samnites. The war with these hill people was ended in a hasty peace, as the Romans were also dealing with other tribes trying to fight Rome.

Picture: http://www.heritage-history.com/books/church/rome/front2.gif

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Manticore-What


The Manticore was a man-eating Persian monster. It had the body of a lion, the face of a man, and a spike-tipped arrow-shooting tail. "Manticore" was derived from the Persian for "man eater".

Picture: http://www.theoi.com/image/pictures-manticore.jpg

Monday, November 23, 2009

Psyche-Who


Psyche was the goddess of the soul. She was the wife of Eros, the god of love. Psyche was once a mortal princess. Her astounding beauty caught the attention of Aphrodite, who wished that she would fall in love with the most hideous of men. However, Eros fell in love with her and took her to his secret place. Psyche was not to look Eros in the face, but she did. He then abandoned her. She searched all over till she found Aphrodite, who made her so many tasks. In the end, Eros and Psyche were reunited and wed in a ceremony attended by the gods.

Picture: http://shalottianshards.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/gerard_francoispascalsimon-cupid_psyche_end.jpg