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What Makes an Empire?
Empires throughout human history have been diverse and unique, but some common elements make them recognizably imperial. The Persian, Greek, and Roman Empires all exercised hegemony over vast areas for long periods of time, relying on military might to maintain control. Their centers of political power were strong and centralized, not only allowing them to apportion resources effectively but also to communicate the unifying laws and principles that defined their rule. Moreover, these three empires often used both religious authority and cultural practices to legitimize their power and make it harder for subject peoples to challenge themthe ancestor worship of the Persians, the legends of divine origin amongst the Greeks, and shared gods large parts of the Roman world all served this purpose.
While there are many other factors that separate or distinguish different empires from one another, a combination of military strength, strategic centralization and ideological framework appears essential for an imperial formation. Yet, as Xuanzang shows in his ancient records and documents regarding his visit to India in 629 BC, there is more to empire than military, strategy, and ideology. One other aspect is culture. Culture must also be at the heart of empireand it was certainly there at...…is eventually communicated in political, military, and economic forms. [2: Homer, The Iliad (University of Michigan, 2007), 1.] [3: Virgil, The Aeneid (Collectors Library, 2004), 1.] [4: Huili, A Biography of the Tripitaka Master, Considering the Evidence: Documents, 345.]
In conclusion, what makes an Empire is always the samewhether it is in China, Persia, Greece, Rome or India: it is the heritage and the ability of the people of the Empire to embrace it, sing it, and make it live in an epic way. It is the embodiment of the lands pride in whatever it possesseswhether that is the story of the Buddha, the politics and philosophy…
Bibliography
Homer, The Iliad (University of Michigan, 2007).
Huili, “A Biography of the Tripitaka Master,” Considering the Evidence: Documents,345.
Virgil. The aeneid. Collector's Library, 2004.
There are several layers of halos that surround the figure on the scroll, adding an aura to the image that is not available to the sculptor. Although the museum has attempted some duplication of the effect as you can see by the shadows created behind statue. By using perspective the artist of the scroll has given a great deal of dimensionality to the drawing. The crossed legs of the
The demon even sent beautiful women to tempt the Buddha, but nothing would sway him from his determination to find the ultimate meaning of life (Editors). Therefore, the truth is that historians do not know exactly how Buddha actually attained enlightenment. They know the event occurred, and Buddha left the tree and began his teachings, but the actual event has survived history in many different forms. Perhaps the how and
At first he "went forth," literally walking away from the Brahmin society he knew, by joining the "forest monks," a group of honored rebels, seekers of truth, and engaged in many yogic trances and ascetic deprivations with them. This proved unfruitful, however, and only by seeking out his own self-liberation, with a determination to find the truth within himself, did he realize the way out of the cycle of
Iliad With our observation of God, it can, every now and then, be extremely complicated to understand the proceedings and judgments of the Greek divine beings. In modern times, it is believed that God does not tend to take such a vigorous and energetic function in the dealings of people's lives, where, in contrast, the Greeks considered and respected undeviating participation and association by the gods as an every day, unmanageable
Lysistrata stands in the foreground, guiding the men to peace, despite the fact that neither side wants to admit blame. She reminds the Spartans of Athenian assistance in the wake of the quake, and she likewise reminds the Athenians of Spartan assistance in overthrowing Hippias. "Why on fighting are your hearts so set? / For each of you is in the other's debt" (228). The Spartan and Athenian make
Homer is particularly fond of the pastoral pastime of stargazing, contrasting it with Achilles' warpath: "…as he swept across the flat land in full shining, like that star which comes on in the autumn and whose conspicuous brightness far outshines the stars that are numbered in the night's darkening." He also contrasts the image of the brightest star with the image of Achilles' spear: "And as a star moves among