Ichthys Symbol

The Ichthys symbol is an important symbol in the Christian religion. The name Ichthys is an acronym for the Greek words Iesous, Christosi, Theos, Yios, and Soter, which translate to Jesus Christ of God Son Savior. This symbol was first used as a Christian symbol within the first thee centuries. In the Bible, there are many references to fish, the most famous being when Christ turned two fish and five loaves of bread into enough to feed 5000 people. Also, the Ichthys was used as a secret symbol persecuted Christians used to identify themselves and mark where others are buried. Early Christians met in secret and in order to identify one and other one person would draw a curved line in the sand, another person would complete it and a third person would draw the eye. Another reason the Ichthys is a common Christian symbol is because Jesus refers to his disciples as "fishers of men." According to some astrologists say that Jesus Christ represents Zodiac sign, Pisces. The Ichthys is still a popular symbol used to represent Christianity today, and is used by many people in clothing, signs, and emblems to show their religion. In conclusion, the Ichthys has been around for centuries to identify Christians and show their beliefs.
Sources

•  Fairchild, Mary. "Christian Fish - Image of the Christian Fish or Ichthys." Christianity - About Christianity and Living the Christian Life. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <http://christianity.about.com/od/symbolspictures/ig/Christian-Symbols-Glossary/Christian-Fish.htm>.
• "History of the Christian Fish Symbol." Canadian Business and Service Directory - Eureka4you.com. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <http://www.eureka4you.com/fish/fishsymbol.htm>
• "Ichthys - Christianity Knowledge Base." Main Page - Christianity Knowledge Base. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <http://christianity.wikia.com/wiki/Ichthys>.
• Ichthys - New World Encyclopedia." Info:Main Page - New World Encyclopedia. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ichthys>.

Saint Petka's Chapel Reflection

Today in class we visited Saint Petka's Chapel. There were many beautiful mosaics covering the walls. The mosaic I chose to analyze depicted a scene with many people. The main focus in the mosaic was Jesus Christ, you can tell who he is because he has a golden circle around his head, his feet appear to be floating,  he is located in the center of the mosaic, and is wearing bright red robes that make him stand out. He is also sticking his hands out over a poor old man with a cane and bag on his back, wearing dull gray robes who is hunched over and is not floating, therefore you know he is not currently Christian. I think he is being baptized because he is standing next to a fountain with his eyes closed and kneeling before Jesus, whom has his hands above the old mans head. On the left side of the picture there is a group of men. They are grouped close together and are wearing colorful clothing. Since they overlap they are not the focus of the mosaic. Also you can tell the men in the front of the group are more important because they stand in front of the group so you can see them better. The entire group's feet appear to float, so you can tell they are Christians. I think this is a mosaic of Jesus Christ baptizing a person while surrounded by his followers.This picture features a lot of details that can be used to figure out the story of this mosaic.

Overall, this mosaic is a satisfactory example of Byzantine art. The mosaic is full of bright colors and the people have floating feet and are also shown complete, without being cut off by the boarders of the mosaic. Also, the location of the figures shows importance and the pictured is balanced. In addition, there is not much interest in the background and the main focus is on the people. While this mosaic follows many of the rules of the Byzantine art, it also breaks one. I noticed that there is a bit of shading around the fountain, while some of it might be marble, the cloth hanging above the fountain also uses shading to show depth and the folds of the cloth. In conclusion, you can use clues in the mosaic to easily decipher the story of the mosaic.

Saint Barbara

Saint Barbara lived between 200-400 ad in what is now known as Turkey. Her father was a emperor and a devoted pagan worshiper, and tried to instill the pagan traditions and beliefs into her by building her a magnificent tower to live in so she could learn these lessons. In secret she was baptized and became a Christian. Then when her father was building her a bathhouse by her tower she requested it have three windows to honor the trinity and a cross engraved in the marble walls.  When Saint Barbara's father saw this he became enraged. He ordered for her to be tortured until she accepts the pagan ways of life and stops being a Christian. Through all of this, she is strong and sticks to her beliefs. Then, when she was tossed into a prison cell, she prayed to God for the strength to keep her faith. As she was praying she felt a heavenly joy fill her as her wounds instantly started healing. After more torturing, she was still loyal to her beliefs and her father then decided that he would execute her. Saint Barbara was then beheaded, along with another christian girl. Then as soon as they killed them, the Emperor and other Executioner were struck down by lightning and killed. Saint Barbara then became the patron saint of protection from sudden death or harm, such as death in battle and especially protection against fire and lightning. Also, she is known for being one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers and a Wonder Worker who protected people from harm.Today there are many ways in which people honor her sacrifice and protection. One example is the Ancient and Honorable Orders of Saint Barbara military award which is awarded to people in the Army and Marie Corps. In addition, on December 4th many people hold feasts in her honor. Overall, Saint Barbara is remembered as a saint because of her loyal devotion to her faith.
Sources

• "St. Barbara (Patron of Protection from Harm) : Apostle.com - Catholic Gifts." Apostle.com: Exquisite Religious Catholic Gifts & Jewelry. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <http://apostle.com/st.-barbara-patron-of-protection-from-harm?chapter=1>.
• Hand., The Lord's. "St. Barbara - Saints & Angels." Catholic Online. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=166>.
• "Life of Saint Barbara." Welcome to Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church! Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <http://www.saintbarbara.org/about/frp_stbarb.cfm>.
• Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. <http://www.suite101.com/content/st-barbara-patron-saint-of-arty-a38895>.
  

Roman Civilization

In my opinion, the Roman Empire was more advanced than both the Byzantine and Greek Empires. The Romans were brilliant engineers, building magnificent buildings and roads that would be extremely influential for centuries to come. For example, the Apennine Way is still used today as a road and the Pantheon has inspired architects who have built many buildings, including many government buildings all over the world. The Romans also invented the incredibly  important aqua duct that revolutionized water transport, as well as help keep their cities clean. Also, their architecture was very advanced, they used both the columns and arches while building things, using both Etruscan and Greek influence. The Romans also had a strong government, with powerful Emperors and the wise Senators who led the Empire successfully  for many years. They also developed a democratic republic, which is a major form of government today. In addition, their art was also very advanced, the sculptures and painters created magnificent pieces of art. The Romans also had an extraordinary military. Their soldiers were specially trained and well equipped with deadly weapons. Also, their battle tactics were genius, demonstrating the intelligence of this great empire, and helping them expand  it to cover parts of north Africa, much of Europe, and parts of Asia.  They also had strong defenses to protect their people and the territories that they commanded. The Roman Empire also cared a lot about its citizens and worked hard to keep them all happy. Emperors built great stadiums for entertainment and gave out food to its citizens. Overall, the Roman Empire was very advanced and a magnificent empire.

Wordle

Unit 2 reflection: Rome and Christianity

1. Describe how you prepared/studied for the unit test.

a. Do you think your studying strategies were effective-why or why not?

b. How will you prepare next time?

To study I organized the information about the big ideas and created webs. Then I studied the webs to make sure I knew the most important information. Next, I flipped through my notebook and studied some of the details, like the people, vocabulary, and geography. Also, I reread some of my blog posts and the summaries and questions I had written for the chapters. I think this method is very effective. I knew all of the information and was able to connect the ideas and events in a way that made sense. I will definitely create the webs again next time because they were very helpful. One way I would improve my studying would be to look at the notes more and study the people and dates better.

2.What was the most surprising thing you learned about during this unit?

I found that learning about the crazy emperors was the most surprising. It was shocking to learn about how Nero supposedly burned down Rome for his new palace and killed anyone who the considered a threat and how Caligula put his horse in the senate.

3.) If we had more time to spend on Rome and Christianity- what would you want to learn more about?

I would have like to learn more about the gladiators and other entertainment in ancient Rome. Also, I would like to know more about how the empire split, what the people thought of it, and how they adjusted to the separate empires. Another subject I would like to learn more about in ancient Rome because I found it very interesting to learn about the Etruscan and Greek Influences.

The Fall of Rome

Once Rome was a large powerful empire, but the Western Roman Empire  eventually fell. In 401 ad Rome was invaded by the barbarian tribe Visigoths. For many years the Romans battled with the barbarians. They bargained with them and gave them land and jobs. This worked for awhile, but then the barbarians overran and looted Britain, Gaul, Spain, and Northern Africa.Then the Germanic chiefs forced out the Emperors. 476 ad is the year that the Roman Empire Fell
Many factors contributed to the fall of Rome. One was the Geography. Rome was far away from many places, which made sending troops our very difficult. Also, there was a major economic decline, which caused prices to rise and many people could not afford to buy things. Another factor was the growth of government. The Empire was divided in two and had officials all over the Roman Empire and people had lots of trouble making decisions. There was also a large decline in work force, the slave population significantly decreased, sot there were not as many people to do all the work. The decline in work force also contributed to the lack of Technology. Without people working, they could not invent and produce new things. Also, there was a lot of military defeat. Without the army winning battles, the empire was loosing all their territory. Another factor in the downfall of Rome was religion. Many pagans blamed the decline in the Roman Empire on Christianity and said that they had angered the gods. The internal as well as external conflict inside of Rome all lead to the downfall of the Western Roman Empire.
I think the downfall of Rome was inevitable. After the Empire was divided into Eastern and Western Roman Empire, Rome had become weaker and more vulnerable to attack. Also, for centuries Romans had been fighting over their religions and caused a lot of internal distress in Rome. In addition, for many years Rome did not have good emperors and they ruled terribly. Romes location was also a part of the fall. It took a long time to send troops all around the empire to protect from invasion. In conclusion, the fall of Rome was bound to happen because of the fights over religion, lack of leadership, and bad location for a capitol.