Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies Written Works
When I was about eight years old, I happened across a book about Greek Mythology in my elementary school library which sparked a deep seeded interest in ancient mythology, and, in turn, the history of the cultures which produced the stories I quickly became so interested in. This interest persisted throughout my school years in the form of independent study, and eventually solidified into my decision to attend college in order to receive a Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (CAMS) degree in addition to my Geosciences degree. Throughout my undergraduate program, I have had the opportunity to take many fascinating classes with a CAMS concentration, as well as attending several study abroad programs regarding ancient history and archaeology; and it is in light of taking advantage of these opportunities that the papers below have been created. Within their contents you will find papers discussing myth, art and archaeology, and the history of Herodotus and his histories.
Out of the PagesOut of the Pages was an essay written for my Athenian and Theban Mythology class I took while studying abroad in Athens, Greece. This paper serves as a comparison between Aeschylus's version of the tale of the Oresteia to those of Homer and Stesichorus. In doing so, we are able to better understand alterations made to the myth made through time and how these changes reflect changes within the author's time and place and the issues correlated with them. It is this inherent variation on a tale which many of the time would have recognized, and which has been passed down through time to the current day, which enables us to see the ties which bind all humans together, both past and present, and understand the importance which our imaginations, cultures, and struggles have played in our lives and likely will long into the future.
A Willow in the WindComposed for my Herodotus and His World course, this essay attempts to uncover and describe several instances within Herodotus's Histories in which he provides an alternate view of the more well known story, or works to incorporate other culture's beliefs and history into the origins and tales of which we are aware. His examples of Helen of Troy, Heracles, and Perseus, among others, serve as a clear reminder that what is heralded as fact in one region of the world may have different origins or meanings all together in another. This is no less true in the present day, and we must continuously be reminded that only together can we hope to see the whole picture.
Across the WayThis essay, created for my Art and Archaeology course, serves to describe various points of interest within the Ancient Athenian Agora. Sitting below the view of the Acropolis, the Agora was the center of daily life in Ancient Athens, and as such catered to merchants, scholars, politicians and priests alike, causing many memorable monuments to be erected throughout the area throughout the duration of its use. This essay goes into detail regarding the sanctuary of the twelve gods, the monument of the Eponymous heroes, the Tholos, and South Stoa I, and how they helped transform the Agora from a largely open area to the major religious and public domain center of Golden Age Athens.
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The Nature of a StoneThis essay, created for my Art and Archaeology course, describes several of the korai and kouroi to which we were exposed throughout the course, and sought to determine their identity as archaios or relatively more modern. This analysis was done through comparison of the method of stonework, as well as through comparison of stylistic aspects, such as pose, formation, shape, and clothing and hairstyle. Overall, this topic helped to hammer in the concept that nostalgia is a powerful tool, both in the past as well as in the current day, and is capable of misleading some into viewing a particular object or construction as older or younger than it may in fact be.
The Echoes of DesignThis technology report works to expand upon the knowledge of ancient building techniques, particularly in terms of those utilized for building roofs, which those in my Herodotus and His World previously held. This research project was completed using both text and in person resources, and drew heavily upon the information which we learned throughout our various travels and field trips across Greece. In researching for this project, I was able to gain a better understanding for the various types of architectural designs implemented, as well as the difficulty of the technique and precision which they required.
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