The Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire lasted from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 467 A.D. to 1453 A.D., when Constantinople was lost to the Ottoman Turks. In its thousand year history Byzantium had many important rulers although Justinian and Theodora were perhaps the greatest among them. After Western Rome fell the Eastern emperors still saw themselves as rulers of all of Rome. In the year 527 Justinian, succeeded his uncle as emperor and Justinian make this a reality. After many campaigns lead by his best general, Belisarius, Justinian had conquered all the territory Rome ever ruled and could now truly call himself a Caesar. Justinian did not rule the empire alone, his wife Theodora also worked with foreign leaders, passed laws, and took part in politics. In 532, during the Nika Rebellion, Theodora convinced Justinian to stay in the city when he had wanted to flee to safety. To rule his vast empire Justinian created a set of laws know as the Justinian code. Justinian created the code from old Roman laws that still applied for Justinians time. Byzantium was constantly attacked from its beginning to its end. Thus, the Byzantines became skilled warriors and shrewd diplomats. They employed tactics such as diplomacy, bribery, and military power to fight their foes. Like the fallen Eastern Empire they found that they could trust mercenaries, sometimes even more than their own soldiers. A company of Scandinavian mercenaries known as the Varangian Guard remained under the control of the Byzantine emperor and they could be trusted far more than Byzantine soldiers. The Byzantine Imperial flag is yellow with a double-headed eagle wearing black crowns. The double-headed eagle was the symbol of the Palaiologos, the last Byzantine dynasty to rule from Constantinople from 1258-1453. The double-headed eagle symbolized the dynastys interests in both Asia and Europe, and was kept despite the fact that nearly all of the Empires Asian possessions were seized by the Ottomans. The two headed eagle would eventually become identified with the empire itself, and with institutions outside the Byzantine Empire that were connected to Constantinople. Thus, it is not surprising that the flag was in use by the Russian Czars and the Greek Orthodox Church. Another flag of the Byzantine Empire is a combination of the St. George cross (which is a red cross on a white field) and the arms of the Palaiologos family (yellow crosses on a red field). The four symbols in the corners of the two crosses in the arms of the Palaiologos family could be either firesteels, which were used in badges of the Order of the Golden Fleece, or as the Greek letter Î’, which makes up the initial letters of the Paleologuess motto: Î’Î ±ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ »ÃŽ µÃâ€¦Ãâ€š Î’Î ±ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ »ÃŽ µÃâ€°ÃŽ ½ Î’Î ±ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ »ÃŽ µÃâ€¦Ãâ€°ÃŽ ½ Î’Î ±ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ »ÃŽ µÃâ€¦ÃÆ'ÃŽ ¹ÃŽ ½ which means: King of Kings, ruling over Kings. The Byzantine Empire also developed its own unique culture that separated it from its Roman ancestors while still preserving Greco-Roman culture and its many great works. Justinian worked to beautify Constantinople by repairing buildings and building a stone wall along its Western half. He also built the Hagia Sophia, which was considered to be the greatest church built in medieval times and still stands today. The Hagia Sophia symbolizes the union of Church and State in the Byzantine Empire. Byzantine art was heavily influenced by its Roman ancestors, which was influenced by Greek art. Therefore Byzantine artists never lost sight of their classical heritage. Because of this, the Roman art of creating mosaics was retained by the Byzantines. Byzantine art, while influenced by its ancestors, had developed its unique style. Byzantine painting and mosaics use many colors and figures but the figures were typically seen as stiff or flat. The figures have large eyes with golden or gold tone d backgrounds and were mainly produced for churches and as such the art often portrays people as somber and solemn. Byzantine art also shows only a small attempt made at creating realism. Throughout the centuries Byzantine emperors issued coins in gold (the solidus), silver, and copper. Their picture and name would be imprinted on the coins. The main function of coins was the collection of taxes. Works Cited American Museum of Natural History. American Museum of Natural History. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Awesome Planet. Www.awesomeplanet.org. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Constantinople. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Democracy frontline. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Globe Hoppers. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Harris, Jonathan. Byzantium and the Crusades. New York and London: Hambleton and London, 2003. Print. Herrin, Judith. Byzantium The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2008. Print. The History Guide. Steven Kreis. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Planetfigure. Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Sherrard, Philip. Byzantium. New York: Time-Life Books, 1966. Print. Timothy Ministries. TimothyMinistries.org. Web. 26 Dec. 2009. . Treadgold, Warren. A Concise History of Byzantium. New York: Palgrave, 2001. Print. Weider History Group Online. Weider History Group. Web. 26 Dec. 2009.

Ernest Hemingway Legend Essay

Ernest Hemingway is the ideal of an American legend, rugged, no-nonsense, with personal adventures rivaled only by those in his groundbreaking fiction.   His sparse newspaper style created a literary furor and his success came early and grew until the day he died.   In addition to his canonical novels, Hemingway was also adept at short fiction, including one only six-words long.   Besides, his male bravado, he also managed to capture the alienating effects of modern life in his fiction.   The modern themes of abortion, feminism, and alienation are expressed simply and eloquently in â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants.† In the short story â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants,† Hemingway explores modern alienation in a tense discussion between a couple waiting for a train.   Two Americans in Spain, the man is trying to pressure the woman into some operation, though it is never revealed what this operation is.   Throughout the tense, yet sparse conversation, the man insists she have the operation, yet the woman resists.   It becomes increasingly clear that the operation they discuss may be an abortion, and the tension between the two symbolizes something uniquely modern.   Though abortions have been performed for centuries, it remained taboo until the twentieth century. Hemingway, though never specifically citing abortion as the subject in the story, displays the alienating effect it has on relationships and couples:   â€Å"‘It’s really an awfully simple operation, Jig,’ the man said. ‘It’s not really an operation at all.’   The girl looked at the ground the table legs rested on. ‘I know you wouldn’t mind it, Jig. It’s really not anything. It’s just to let the air in’† (Hemingway).   The man refuses to completely acknowledge the significance of the situation, perhaps suggesting either his refusal or dismissal of Jig’s role as a woman worthy of making her own decision. According to critic Paul Lankin, â€Å"as the man persists in opposing the continuance of Jig’s maternity, he grossly oversimplifies the issue, even to the point of self-contradiction, calling abortion first ‘an awfully simple operation’ and then ‘not really an operation at all’† (234).   His dismissive attitude speaks of a former socially acceptable condescension by men towards women during a time when women were often treated as second class citizens.   This frank discussion between the man and the woman seems only possible in modern literature and seems unimaginable during Victorian times. The tension between the man and the girl is palpable in the short story.   Though they are travelers, imbibing alcohol and waiting for the train to their next destination, the conversation is filled with underlying themes of male dominance and female perseverance.   The man continuously belittles the girl’s feelings towards the pregnancy, and his argument includes many attempts at downplaying the importance.   The man persistently tries to convince her, even though he seems to feign sincerity in much of his words: â€Å"‘Well,’ the man said, ‘if you don’t want to you don’t have to.   I wouldn’t have you do it if you didn’t want to.   But I know it’s perfectly simple’† (Hemingway).    The girl does her best to contend with the man, believing that if she listens to him the relationship will be back to normal.   She hides her worry with levity, including her comment about the hills looking like white elephants.   It becomes apparent that more than fear over the procedure, the girl is coming to the realization that her relationship with the man is not what she thought it was: â€Å"the girl clings to a dream of family and togetherness until the last minute, and finally decides to give it all up as the requisite price of staying with the man-not knowing, as the reader does, from the many hints provided by Hemingway, that the man is likely to leave her, even if she goes through with the abortion† (Hashmi 3). Her final declaration that she is fine is the affirmation that a man cannot dictate her womanhood and her life decisions.   In the end, she becomes the one with the strength and wisdom, understanding that the relationship is forever changed.   The newfound disconnect between the man and the girl will be permanent after this episode, exemplifying the theme of alienation brought by many modern decisions. Though the man believes that the only way to preserve the comfortable relationship is to maintain the status quo, even if it means aborting their baby, the woman disagrees.   The American tries to make himself sound perfectly reasonable and rational, but as the dialogue continues, it becomes clear that he is both selfish and hypocritical (â€Å"Overview: Hills Like White Elephants†). The couple’s disagreement, about something as monumental as creating human life, is a clear sign that they have little that bonds them other than their superficiality.   The girl even comments in the beginning of the story how, â€Å"That’s all we do, isn’t it – look at things and try new drinks?’† The man responds, â€Å"I guess so† (Hemingway).   Later, when the man claims that everything will be the same after the abortion and the baby is the only thing that made them unhappy, it seems like a statement lacking all truth. The very fact that keeping or aborting a baby is a choice, is a uniquely modern issue.   The reality of having to even consider it completely destroys their carefree lifestyle as travelers in Europe, and underlines their existences as solitary beings alienated from each other.   Ironically, the man claims that he only wants her and no one else, but his statements seem insincere. The girl realizes their alienation from each other and the happiness they once knew with the â€Å"claim that Europe ‘isn’t ours anymore,’ which expresses her knowledge that such an innocent return to a secularized American-in-Europe experience of time is impossible† (Grant 3).   Europe is not theirs to share, seemingly as if enjoyment is also no longer theirs to share.   The complexity of their modern dilemma illustrates the true distance between them. Hemingway’s story is one that could only be written during modern times.   Though not many years removed from the Victorian Age, the themes of abortion, feminine independence, and modern alienation have continued to echo throughout the literature of modernity.   While short and devoid of lengthy descriptions, the dialogue and significant themes give â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants† a lasting power that only continues to grow as time goes by. Works Cited: Grant, David. â€Å"Hemingway’s ‘Hills Like White Elephants’ and the tradition of the American in Europe.† Studies in Short Fiction. Summer, 1998. 25 July 2008. . Hashmi, Nilofer. â€Å"‘Hills Like White Elephants’: The Jilting Of Jig.† The Hemingway Review.   Fall 2003. 25 July 2008. . Hemingway, Ernest. â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants.† The Heath Anthology of American Literature.   Lauter, Paul.   3rd Ed.   Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. â€Å"Hills Like White Elephants.† Short Stories for Students, Vol. 6. The Gale Group, 1999. Lankin, Paul. â€Å"Hemingway’s Hills Like White Elephants.† The Explicator. Summer 2005; v63.

Secret Service Protection For Presidential Candidates

Most presidential candidates are entitled to receive Secret Service protection from the federal law enforcement agency that also provides security to all U.S. presidents and vice presidents and their families. Serious presidential candidates begin receiving Secret Service protection during the primary campaigns and continue to get coverage through the fall election if they become the nominee. Secret service protection for presidential candidates is provided for in federal law. Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about Secret Service protection for candidates. Which Presidential Candidates Get Secret Service Protection   The Secret Service protects only major presidential candidates and only those who request coverage. The secretary of Homeland Security determines which presidential candidates are considered major after consultation with an advisory committee, according to the agency. Major presidential candidates can decline Secret Service Protection. Who  Decides Which Candidates Get Secret Service Protection The Homeland Security director makes his determination on which candidates get Secret Service protection in consultation with an advisory panel that includes the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the House minority whip; the Senate majority and minority leaders; and an additional member chosen by the committee itself. Criteria for Providing Secret Service Protection Major candidates are those that have considerable prominence among the public and have raised substantial money for their presidential campaigns. Specifically, primary candidates become eligible for Secret Service protection, according to the Congressional Research Service, if they: Are publicly declared candidates.Are actively campaigning nationally and are contesting at least 10 state primaries.Are pursuing the nomination of a qualified party, one whose presidential candidate received at least 10 percent of the popular vote in the prior election.Are qualified for public matching funds of at least $100,000, and have raised at least $10 million in additional contributions.Have received by April 1 of the election year an average of 5 percent in individual candidate preferences in the most recent national opinion polls by ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN, or have received at least 10 percent of the votes cast for all candidates in two same-day or consecutive primaries or caucuses. When  Presidential Candidates Get Secret Service Protection Presidential and vice presidential nominees and their spouses are to receive Secret Service protection within 120 days of a general presidential election. In modern history, however, major candidates receive Secret Service protection well before that time, usually early in the primary campaigns in the late winter and early spring. Not every presidential candidate wants Secret Service protection, though. Ron Paul, 2012 Republican presidential hopeful popular among libertarians, declined Secret Service protection. The Texas congressman described Secret Service protection as a form of welfare. You know, you’re having the taxpayers pay to take care of somebody. I’m an ordinary citizen. I would think I should pay for my own protection. And it costs, I think, more than $50,000 a day to protect those individuals. That’s a lot of money, Paul said. Cost of Secret Service Protection The cost of providing Secret Service protection to presidential candidates exceeds $200 million. The costs have risen dramatically as the field of candidates has grown larger. The cost of providing Secret Service protection for candidates in the 2000 election was about $54 million. It rose to $74 million in 2004, $112 million in 2008, $125 million in 2012 and about $204 million in 2016.   Secret Service protection costs taxpayers about $38,000 a day per candidate, according to published reports. Secret Service Protection History Congress passed a law authorizing Secret Service protection for presidential candidates for the first time following the 1968 assassination of U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy, who was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination.

Use of the Battered Woman Defense in Canada - 1337 Words

The battered woman defense is a defense that is used in court to defend assault/murder charges where the defendant is abused and commits a offence under duress or necessity. It is mainly used by women and also referred to as the battered woman syndrome/battered wife syndrome. It is not gender specific as men have used this defense but the majority of the accused are female. The argument consists of a woman who are physically assaulted or sexually assaulted, who in their mind thinks they deserve the abuse from the abuser. Which is why they very rarely report it to the authorities and refuse to press charges and the abuse keeps on occurring. They may become depressed and this explains why they didn’t seek help form others, leave they†¦show more content†¦.(USDJ,1996)As in the Angelina Napolitano case where killed her husband to save her life. -The plea of duress is when the abusers had to agree with the abusers demands to stop something else worse from happening. This may include illegal activity, illegal behavior, drug related activity, theft, fraud, or violence to others. To argue this plea of duress the judge has to find it was necessary to agree under that circumstances he/she was in harm or serious threat to their life or well being and this was the only way to avoid it.(USDJ,1996) Angelina Napolitano was a immigrant who came to Canada in 1909. She was married to Pietro. Their marriage was violent as Pietro abused, beat, and threatened his wife. In November 1910 Pietro attacked her with a pocketknife assaulting her causing 9 slashes to her neck, shoulder, chest and arms putting her in the hospital and leaving scars. Pietro was charged with assault but his abuse reign continued after the trial because his sentence was delayed for a period of time. Judges back then would often do this as a prohibition period. If the defendant didn’t break the law again in this period the cases would get thrown out. 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