On Oedipus Rex Sir William Blackstone once said, “That the King can do no wrong is a necessary and fundamental principle of [the government].” In the novel Oedipus Rex by Sophocles this statement still remains true. The people of Thebes must think of Oedipus as perfect for complete order to be obtained. But, Oedipus has been known to be short-tempered, and he seems to be overly proud of himself. Also, He makes rash decisions as king. That is why; Oedipus is not a suitable king. ...

The Deities Of The Ancient Greeks Religion in just about every culture has always played an important part in the lives of mankind. It is interesting, however, to look back into time and see a past civilization’s religious beliefs and practices. In some instances, we can see how our own customs in our present religion date back many centuries, even though both belief systems could be structurally different. One ancient culture that seems to draw a lot of interest in these latter days...

Dissecting the Mummies of Ancient Egypt Ancient Egyptians do not routinely check into hospitals complaining of chest pains or sore muscles. There are no current medical reports that outline the symptoms or diagnosis of an ancient Egyptian's stomachache and no ancient Egyptian has shown up to any contemporary clinics for blood tests. The only way, therefore, for modern scientists and anthropologists to examine the cause, result, and other factors of ancient Egyptians' diseases is to study the...

The Theme of Death Analyzed in "Antigone" In the play Antigone, Sophocles poses many different themes and moral lessons. The specific component I would like to focus on is selfishness and its effects. Through the character’s various actions and ultimate fates, Sophocles teaches us that selfish, self-serving motives lead to destruction, loneliness and loss. Two characters that exemplify the consequences of selfishness are Creon, the King, and Ismene, Antigone’s sister. Antigone, of...

In Homer's Odyssey, the great protagonist is Odysseus, a man who departed from his home to fight the Trojan War and who comes back after twenty years to find his household overtaken by lofty and contemptuous suitors courting his wife Penelope against her will. Throughout his journey, this rich and complex character battles life's temptations towards purification, since he must overcome his sins and flaws in order to obtain redemption from the gods, thus returning home to his throne on the...

What were the cultural and environmental effects of the Bronze Age explosive volcanic eruption of Thera, Greece? “And, that high heaven might be no safer than the earth, They say that the Giants essayed the very throne of heaven, Piling huge mountains, one on another, clear up to the stars. Then the Almighty Father hurled his thunderbolts, Shattered Olympus, and dashed Pelion down from underlying Ossa. When those dread bodies lay o’erwhelmed by their own bulk, They say that Mother...

Roman History of Alexander the Great He was the ruler of Greece in the fourth century B.C. He was one of the greatest military geniuses of all time. He was born in Macedonia, the son of Phillip II, King of Macedonia. He received his military education from his father and was tutored by Aristotle, the great philosopher, and other great teachers of his time. By the time he was sixteen Alexander was left in charge of the kingdom when his father was away for any extended period of time and once...

Greek Language, History, Religion, Architecture, Clothes, Education and More The Greek language evolved in four different phases: Ancient Greek, Hellenistic Greek, Byzantine Greek, and Modern Greek. Ancient Greek (1400-400 BC) introduced letters and vowels. Hellenistic Greek was from 400 BC- 400 AD and was a widely spread language thanks to Alexander the Great. Byzantine Greek (500-1500 AD) is the official language of the Byzantine Empire. Last but not least, Modern Greek is the language...

Woman Equality in the Comedy Lysistrata Lysistrata is one of the most popular of the existing Greek comedies and therefore has been of tremendous influence. The play provides insights into politics, sexual values, and family values of the time it was written. The play is not feminist but displays the sexual hypocrisy of the times and has given feminists some encouragement. One has to realize that a lot will depend upon how the production is staged. Using women, some of them naked, will get the...

Research Paper on Egyptian Gods What caught our attention about Egyptian gods was that there were so many of them and they each served their own purpose. The Egyptian gods each were used to explain a certain aspect of nature, such as the sun, stars, or rain. Nut and Geb The sky is Nut's body, arching from horizon to horizon. Geb is the Earth, lying beneath her. During the day, Nut and Geb are separated, but each evening Nut comes down to meet Geb and this causes darkness. If storms came...