Augustus Caesar's World (Foster) & The Story of the Romans (Guerber/Miller)

 The readings for this post are for my Greeks & Romans class tomorrow. I have read these chapters in previous years but, as it is a good idea to do, I read them the day before class to refresh my memory and make note of anything I want to be sure to highlight. We do reading in class, followed by narrations, and then they read the rest during the week and submit written/recorded narrations. 

In Foster's book, I am reading pages 186-194, "The Law of Moses" and "Augustus, the God." 

The Torah, or the Law of Moses, was an old book containing the first five books of the Bible. It was written even before Virgil wrote the Aeneid. It was written after the Jews were exiled to Babylon. Those who were afraid that their history would be forgotten gathered all that they could of the tales, myths, legends, stories, songs, and psalms that had been passed down, and compiled them into a Bible. It told how time and again the people who had turned from God were brought back by the prophets to worship the one true God. Their ideas of what God was like changed over time.

Before the time of Babylon, when the people thought of God as righteous and just, they thought of Him as vengeful and directing them into battle against their enemies. Before that they thought of Him as one of the many spirits of the desert. Before that they made sacrifices, even of their firstborn children and later the firstborn lambs, to whichever spirit of the desert was popular.

As time passed, these people moved from one place to the next and encountered the Phoenicians and Canannites. They worried that their spirit gods were not as powerful as the foreign gods and so began to worship and sacrifice to them instead. It was when in Egypt, still worshipping other gods, that Moses came to direct them back to the true God. 

Moses led the people out of Egypt to Mount Sinai where they encountered God, Jahveh, whose power could be seen by a pillar of smoke by day and pillar of fire by night. They were to have no idols and an ark was carried with them wherever they went for the spirit of God to be with them as they traveled. 

The next portion goes through the books of Genesis-Deuteronomy. I will say that there are some inaccuracies in her recounting of the Torah writings.  

In the beginning God created everything. On the sixth day He created man. After the Garden of Eden was ready and man placed in it, God took a rib from man and created woman. The woman was beguiled by a serpent and ate of the forbidden Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Foster says Tree of Life). Because of this disobedience, God exiled Adam and Eve from the garden, condemning Adam to till the ground until he returned to it.

Eve bore sons to Adam; Cain, tiller of the ground, and Abel, keeper of sheep. After a while, Cain killed Abel. Cain was then sent far away, a "vagabond on the earth forever."

There were more people born and eventually they were all evil so God decided to destroy them with a flood. He told Noah to build an ark and to take his wife, sons, and their wives into the ark, along with "every living thing went in two by two." (That's wrong also; seven each of the clean animals and two each of the unclean were taken in the ark.) After this was done the ark was sealed and the rain fell for forty days and nights. Eventually the land dried out and Noah and his family went out of the ark. The Lord said He would never again "smite the earth as I have done." Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japeth, were told to be fruitful and multiply. 

One of Shem's descendants was Abram. Abram was of Ur of the Chaldees but God told him to leave the land of his father and go where He would tell him. If he walked rightly then God would bless him with abundance and "thy seed after thee all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession." When Abram was 100 years old he had a son, Isaac.

Isaac had two sons, twins: Esau, a skillful hunter, and Jacob, man of the field. Later in his life, God told Jacob that he would no longer be called Jacob but Israel. Israel's sons were twelve but he loved Joseph most and made a coat of many colors for him. Joseph's brothers were jealous and hated him. They sold him to merchants on their way to Egypt.

In Egypt, Jospeh, though a slave, became the overseer of Potiphar's house and all that he had. Foster omits many details, but next we are told that Joseph saved up food for seven years so that when there was a famine in the land, only Egypt had stores of food, so people from all over came there to buy. Some of those people were Joseph's brothers. He knew them when he saw them, but they did not recognize him. When he told them who he was, he bade them bring Israel and all he had to Egypt. Joseph died in Egypt.

Time passed and a new pharaoh rose up in Egypt who did not know Joseph. As the Israelites were getting to be "more and mightier" than the Egyptians, he became oppressive to them. He demanded they make bricks. Also, because of their numbers, he commanded that all male Hebrew babies were to be killed. Of course there was a male born to a Hebrew of the house of Levi. His mother hid him until he got too big to hide, so she made a basket of bulrushes and set it adrift in the river. She had his sister, Miriam, watch over him. After a while, the daughter of Pharaoh came down by the water and found the baby. She named him Moses and raised him as her own. 

I am going to kind of summarize the rest of this chapter (that's not how a narration should go). Moses killed an Egyptian and then was sought by Pharaoh. Moses fled to Midian. He became a herder of flock and went to the land of Horeb, "the mountain of God." Here he saw the burning bush and was told that he would be sent to deliver the people from the Egyptians.

Skipping all of the plagues, Foster then moves to the Passover; the Israelites were to mark their doorposts with the blood of the lamb. The angel of the Lord "passed over" those houses, but smote the first born of every other house. Pharaoh let the people go, but then changed his mind. The Red Sea was divided; the Israelites walked on dry land through it; but the Egyptians were drown when they tried to follow. 

At Sinai, Moses went up the mountain where God gave him two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments: 

1. Thou Shalt have no other gods before me; 
2. No graven images;
3. Do not take the name of the Lord in vain;
4. Remember the Sabbath;
5. Honor thy father and mother;
6. Do not kill;
7. Do not commit adultery;
8. Do not steal;
9. Do not bear false witness;
10. Do not covet.

Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are more laws given to the Israelites. Moses was shown the promised land that the Israelites would go into (the land of Canaan) but he wasn't allowed to go. He died in the land of Moab. 

(Perhaps a case of "read the book" and not just about the book! So much was omitted by Foster.)

Next Chapter: "Augustus, the god"

August, 12 B.C., Augustus was made a god of the Romans. An altar was erected and it was a glorious time. But the whole year was an eventful one! Agrippa had died; Julia was once again a widow. And she had four children, with another on the way. Augustus adored all his grandchildren: Gaius and Lucius (he'd adopted and made his heirs), Julia and Agrippina. But Julia was still young and he felt she needed another husband to keep her in check look after her. 

Augustus chose Tiberius to be her next husband, which was so sad for him, as he was already married! But he divorced his wife and married Julia. For a time it was fine but he was too sober and quiet for Julia, as she was wild and craved excitement. While he was away she surrounded herself with others who would lead her to a tragic end. 

Drusus, Tiberius' younger brother, was married to Antonia, daughter of Octavia and Antony. He had gone to Germany and crossed the Rhine, realizing his boyhood dream. In Germany, he built fortifications to protect against the German tribes and dug canals to the North Sea. 

In the year 12 B.C., Drusus was made governor of Gaul so he and Antonia went to live in Lyons. This place had been a great meeting place of the Druids; they held court every spring, settling disputes among the people. But the time of the Druids had gone and Roman law was firmly in place. Instead of their ancient gods, the Gauls were given Augustus Divus (Augustus, the Emperor of Rome) for their worship. Drusus built the first altar to Augustus Divus at Lyons and on the first day of August, 12 B.C. it was unveiled for all to see. A high priest was chosen and from then on, on August 1st, pilgrims were to come to worship. There were similar altars erected elsewhere in Gaul.

Making Augustus a god did not mean that the Romans looked at him as the God of Creation, but more like a saint; kind of like a saint of the Roman Catholic Church of today. He was the patron saint of the Roman Empire. It grew out of the old religion of Rome where when the High Priest died, the office was switched to Augustus, making him Pontifex Maximus. 

He did not allow altars to be erected to him in the city of Rome but they were built all around the Empire, and people bowed down to the altars. One group of people refused to bow down to this god: the Jews. They would pray for him but not pray to him. The first of their commandments was they would have no other gods but the One True God. 

The Oracle of Delphi

[Previously, the chapters talked about the king, Tarquin, seventh king of Rome.]

Tarquin was unhappy and he'd begun to have bad dreams. At the time, people thought that their dreams meant something about what was to happen in their lives. He asked the Roman priests to tell him what they meant but they couldn't. So Tarquin decided to ask the Oracle of Delphi. 

Delphi was a temple in the mountains for the worship of Apollo the sun god. A priestess named the Pythoness lived there and would converse with the gods, then passed this along to those who came seeking answers. 

Tarquin had murdered a nephew who had a brother but Tarquin had spared the brother because everyone thought him an idiot. His name was Brutus, possibly because of his "brute-like stupidity." But Brutus was not dumb at all; he was pretending and waiting his time for revenge. 

Tarquin sent two of his own sons to the oracle and sent along Brutus as an attendant. These gave the oracle the gifts from Tarquin and then decided to ask about their own futures. 

All three had brought gifts and the two sons' were rich indeed, but Brutus' was worth much more. He had given the staff he had traveled with; it was hollow and filled with gold! The answer given to the travelers' question of who would next be king was that he would rule who first kissed his mother on returning home. The sons thought that was easy enough and planned how to get home first. 

But Brutus, since he'd given a better gift, was given a hint by the oracle on what to do next. When they all got home, Brutus knelt down on the ground and kissed the earth, thus kissing the mother of all mankind. He had obeyed the command of the Pythoness without anyone being the wiser! 

The Death of Lucretia

The Romans did not like Tarquin because he was very cruel. But no one was strong enough to do anything. They were waiting for an opportunity and a leader. During the siege of the town of Ardea a group were having a disagreement about whose wife was the best. Collantinus said his wife, Lucretia, was the best. After visiting the houses of each, all agreed that Collantinus was right!

Sextus Tarquinius heard of Lucretia, who was a great wife and housekeeper, as well as beautiful. Sextus decided he must see her and so one night he left the camp of soldiers laying siege to the town of Ardea to visit her. He was a horrible man and "insulted her grossly." 

Lucretia sent a message to her husband and her father telling them to come quickly. When they arrived, she told them about what Sextus had done. It was so horrible that she said she had no desire to live any longer. Taking a dagger she'd hidden in her robes, she stabbed herself in the heart, dying at her husband's feet. 

Though it is wrong to kill oneself, or take the life which God has given, the Romans thought her very brave in this act. Collantinus and her father were speechless but Brutus, the supposed "idiot," removed the dagger and swore to avenge her death. Collantinus and Lucretia's father agreed.

Brutus had Lucretia's body laid out so that people could see "her bleeding side" and told them it was because of Sextus. He roused up the people who pledged to help him avenge her. They voted to drive out all the Tarquin family from Rome. Not only that, but they vowed to never use the word king again. 

Tarquin Superbus ran away to Etruria but Sextus went to Gabii, whom he had betrayed. The people of Gabii rose up and put Sextus to death. This was the end of the Roman monarchy, after about 245 years. Brutus was given the title of "Deliverer of the People."

The Stern Father

Even though the Romans had decided to not have kings they would gladly have let Brutus rule them. He would not do this and instead suggested they elect consuls. Of course the people chose Brutus, and Collantinus, as the first consuls. The government was called a Republic because it was in the hands of the people. 

When Tarquin heard that the Romans were building an army to fight him, he sent messengers into the city to "claim his land;" but really it was to bribe people to join his side. There were plenty of greedy men who would rather be under a bad ruler than the honest Brutus. Two of these men were Brutus' two sons. 

When they were found out, it almost broke Brutus' heart but he decided to make an example of them. They were tried for their part in the conspiracy to get Tarquin back on the throne. Brutus let them say their piece and if they were able, to deny the charges. But they could not. So Brutus said that they would be punished as if they were foreigners. They were executed and it was witnessed by Brutus who thought it better to die than live as traitors.

The people of Rome hated the Tarquins even more now and all relations of them were exiled from the city. Collantinus, though a bitter enemy of Tarquin, was related and therefore had to leave the city. The people voted for another Roman to be consul: Valerius. 

Tarquin then convinced the people of Veii to join his fight against Rome. Tarquin's army met that of Brutus' but when one of the sons of Tarquin saw Brutus, they rushed toward each other. They fought so furiously that they both died at the same time. The battle did not end there; both sides fought fiercely and by nightfall it was a draw. 

Brutus' body was carried back to Rome and a statue erected in the Capitol. 

There are four more chapters for the week's reading but I will stop my narration here. 

The History of the Ancient World- chapter 5 (Bauer)

 Previously in the Ancient World... to be absolutely honest, by using the "study guide" I do not recall anything from the second half of chapter four! I am a little disheartened that I retained nothing that I can recall from the last reading. (I will say now, which is after the fact, that I retained way more by doing a narration before attempting the questions from the guide.)

For today's narration, I am reading from chapter five, The Age of Iron, and I am not going to use the study guide until after. 

When the king of Kish was collecting tribute from those sailing up and down the Euphrates, and Memphis rose with its white walls in Egypt, the third great civilization of the ancient world was still just a string of fishing villages. It would be a while before India grew up!

Those in India were not list makers, city dwellers, nor did they carve their rulers' face on stone. They didn't put down their achievements for us to read so we don't know a lot about them from this time.

We can however look to the stories told thousands of years later. Though they were told so much later, they were most likely preserving an older tradition. There is one date in particular of interest from these stories: 3102 BC and a king Manu. ("And his age still has four hundred thousand years to go.")

Before 3102 shepherds and nomads traveled to India from Central Asia, through the Khyber Pass, or others may have come over the Himalaya themselves; skeletal remains shows it was just as treacherous then as now.

Coming down, they found warmth and water. The Himalayas acted as a barrier where in the winter it never dropped below fifty degrees. In the summer, the countryside was ablaze with heat. The two rivers (Ganga and Indus) kept it from being a desert. Snow melts from the mountains and runs into both the Ganga, which then runs into the Bay of Bengal, and the Indus. At one point she says there was another river, now long dried, that ran into the Arabian Sea. This caused the current Thar Desert to be just as green as the Sahara had been (read about this in a previous chapter).

After people had grown their first crops in the Mesopotamia and Egypt, others from the north were settling in the hills to the west of the Indus (today called Baluchistan). Villages sprang up along the five branches of the Indus river (called the Punjab- Five Fingers). Other villages formed along the Ganga. There have also been primitive tools like those in Africa of this time suggesting some were brave and made their way to India from there. 

But these areas of the south, east, and northwest have long been separated by many barriers. There are mountain ranges and plains. As time passed and the weather warmed, there stretched a vast desert three hundred miles wide. So from the beginning, these civilizations have lived independent of each other.

The villages near the Indus, to the northwest, grew into cities first. 

The first houses were built well above the flood line because like in Egypt, water meant life and death. 

This brings us to the first king of India. Manu V. (I do not recall his long name.) Before this king there were six semi-divine kings, all with the name Manu, and each with a reign longer than four million years!

According to the story- it can be understood to be myth but like other times, history and myth get intertwined- the seventh Manu (this would be Manu V.) was washing his hands in the river and a fish came up asking for protection from a bigger fish. Manu pitied the fish and saved it. 

The fish was safe and to repay Manu's kindness gave him a warning of a flood that would destroy. Manu built an ark and took abroad seven wise sages, known as the Rishis. When the flood past, Manu was in the ark on a mountain and became the first king of India. The Rishis were the seven stars of the Big Dipper. The year was 3102. 

However, this story is not set on a real firm foundation. There is less to prove Manu V. was legit, along with the date, though he was around the same time as the Scorpion King; there is more evidence for the Scorpion King. Because Indian history lacks definite dates, the fact that 3102 is rather precise attracts historians into latching onto it. ("being one of such improbable exactitude, it deserves respect." - Keay)

It is certain however that in 3102 villages along the Indus began to grow into towns. There were two-story houses, kiln-cured pottery was made, tools were devised out of copper. They were becoming less vulnerable to the destruction of water.

But even though there was prosperity, it seems that there was a time of decline rather than progress. This part gets a bit confusing because it tells of the ages having a spiritual connection, and the Iron Age was the most wicked of them all. There would be dishonesty, theft, greed, etc. "becoming slaves to their earthly possessions rather than free men who knew how to use the earth."

Based on the fact that these stories were told much later, it is probable that they were reflecting a more modern (she says mature) society where the state of affairs was a bit bleak to start. But they point back to 3102 as the start of the declension, when the villages began to grow into towns.

It was at this time when Manu spoke to the fish. 

Looking at the timeline on page 35, it shows that in Egypt Menes (Narmer was king at the same time as Manu V. was the first king of India. 

Now some questions from the Study Guide. I have to try to do this without looking at the answers!

Section I: Who, What, Where

Kali Yuga- one of the ages, this one was to be overtaken by the Iron Age, I believe.

I was incorrect! Kali Yuga was the Iron Age.  

Vinhya and Satpura- these are mountain ranges in the south of India. Correct!

Section II: Comprehension

Q. Why is the upper end of the Indus River called the Punjab? 

A. Because Punjab (pronounced panj-eb?) means Five Fingers, and the Indus River has five branches. 

Correct! Except my pronunciation is incorrect: panj-ab

Q. How do we know the people of the Indus Valley participated in trade outside of the valley?

A. Because there have been found semi-precious stones from the north, primitive tools from Africa and other such things.

Somewhat correct- not specific enough. Turquoise and lapis lazuli from Mesopotamia were found in ruins of the Indus settlers.

Section III: Critical Thinking

Passage: The earliest houses in the Indus River valley were built on the river plain, perhaps a mile away from the river, well above the line of the flood. Mud bricks would dissolve in river water, and crops would wash away. (p. 32)

Connection to previous chapters: The Nile River flooded and washed away crops and houses. There was a legitimate fear of the power-destructive as well as regenerative of water. With time they were able to better understand how to plan for the changes by digging canals and filling up reservoirs. By building their houses above the flood line they were able to avoid (mostly) the destructive power. 

Page 4, "The people who lived on the southern plain, closest to the Gulf, scratched for survival in a shifting and unpredictable landscape. Once a year, far too much water covered their fields."

Page 13, "The Black Sea overran it's banks and settled into a new bed, forever drowning the villages on its edge; the people who escaped travelled south, and took with them the memory of the disaster." 

Page 22, "Thanks to the decreasing rains, the Nile flood had become more moderate; the refugees found that they could manage the yearly inundation, digging reservoirs to hold the water at flood-time, and canals to irrigate their fields in the drier months. They built settlements on the banks..."

Passages from pages 13 and 22 were included in the guide. My initial connection is close to the book's offered for "appropriate answer." 

Ourselves (Mason)

 Ourselves: Improving character and conscience by Charlotte Mason, Volume 4 of the "Home School Series."

This is not the book I have. I am reading from the "pink" cover but I really appreciate Living Book Press copies so that's what you see there. 

Alright, on with this installment. 

Book II, chapter 2: The Instruction of Conscience

Instruction by Books-- How are we to instruct the conscience? We know that life affords many instances of good and bad for us to think on. When we see a good deed, our conscience learns from it; when a bad one, our conscience condemns it. But we want more than just life, "a wider range of knowledge," to instruct. That is where books come in handy. 

Literature is replete with examples for us to learn from. History and biography are good, yes, but poetry, drama, and novels are even better because they will describe behaviors of people that we may not read in a book about a real person. Autobiographies are also good because the writer can be more free with themselves. The Bible gives many lives that are not told in a manner that cover a vice, quite like Plutarch; though he doesn't always treat each 'life' with equal justice. 

The Poet and the Essayists-- Young children get moral notions from fairy tales; adults the same from tales and verse. But Matthew Arnold suggests that poetry is the best. Psalms, Proverbs, plays, essays; these are all a help to us. It would be very sad if we were to wake and find the Psalms removed from the world. How often a line from a poem or passage will come to mind. 

Novelists and Dramatists-- Novelists and dramatists may have done the most work in the regard of helping us through reading, but not every work is good. It is best to look to those which have stood the test of time. It shows that what was written has worth and that it was written in a manner that the world cannot do without. In the other, these deal with conduct and not just emotions. More modern works often deal with emotions and other things not worth contemplating. Conduct is of chief concern to us. Also when we find such books, don't focus on getting it read but on assimilation; such good books deserve to be read again and again. 

She will offer many references to such works but she is sure we will be able to find our own (and better still). We should learn little by little, an incident here and there, by way of the grace of the writing, beauty of the poem, or interest of the story. 

Chapter 3: The Rulings of Conscience in the House of Body: Temperance

Temperance in Eating-- In this section a bit of a book is recounted (of which I am not familiar): The Fortunes of Nigel. It appears that there was a cook who was preparing the king's meal when a friend of his came around and asked to speak to him (Laurie Linklater). The cook says, "look, I'm busy making the king's soup; I don't have time." The visitor says, "I want to speak to the king." "Not happening!" says Linklater. "But I can't stop you from slipping a note between the bowl and the plate and the king will see it when he drinks the broth." It turns out (if I understand correctly) that the king didn't see the note because he was so intent on his food. 

The next paragraph compares the king's behavior to Isaac, whose love of 'savoury meat' divide his family (the story of Jacob and Esau). She goes on to tell of Plutarch's recounting of his own youth. There was a time when his group had indulged themselves too much on food and so their teacher commanded one to put his own son to the whip, because he couldn't eat his victuals without sauce. Though the boy was whipped it was all of them who were intemperate. 

In Drinking-- For this she recounts the book Quentin Durward (another I've not read). In it there is a celebration for someone that a Lord is attending. Wine is being passed around but he declines, as it is not for him to partake. It is fine for others, but not for him, he knows. (Actually I think he doesn't think anyone really should drink, especially the younger generation.) As time passes, he thinks he should at least take a sip, to be polite. Next thing we know, he's being questioned by someone and he just keeps talking, all the while drinking the wine he knew he shouldn't have, and telling the younger men to avoid. His speech soon became slurred and I imagine he was just talking way too much. 

Times have changed, she said. Those who eat and drink in excess are not of the Lord's character. Many know that plain living equals clear thinking. If it continues, we shall see that this excess is looked up on with contempt. 

In taking our Ease-- This portion is over a Harry Warrington, who had a lot of stuff; all that was expected of his station. But he was busy at idleness; nothing was of importance that he put his hand to. She then talked about Charles II being of the same kind of person. We have lots of examples in history and literature of people who idle away their opportunities. 

(I have a note in the margin of my book from another years' reading: Industry & Idleness. It is apparently what the title of Hogarth's prints referenced.)

In Day-Dreaming-- There are other ways of being intemperate, not just in food, drinking, sleeping in. The reference here is Hepizbah in House of Seven Gables. She has resided in the house for a long time but rather than doing anything worthwhile spends her time building castles in the air. All is spent on creating her life when and if fortune were to smile on her, she could quit the house ... maybe. "The sum of ill-doing is -- leaving undone."

'Know thy Work and do it'-- Now we will hear from Carlyle. He says, why would you brag about all that you have that pertains to your idleness? One monster there is in the world... the idle man. "Know thy work and do it." Know what you are capable of doing and put your hand to it, like a Hercules. Dedication to work makes a man. Otherwise he is like a jungle, chaotic. Work clears this all away. "Fair seed-fields and stately cities rise" in place of a jungle or desert. 

Principle underlying Temperance-- But here our concern is more in regard to the underlying principle than the intemperance itself. When there is more regard for the creature than the Creator, we have a problem. If there is a diet ("of nuts or apples, of peacock's brains, or of cock-a-leekie") or exercise program, or anything that puts so much excessive focus on the self, we need to be suspicious. In England, in her time, there was a real danger of being consumed with the pursuit of health (physical and mental) to the point of it being a religious cult. (Oh, if she could see it now!) But when we lose sight of Christ because of such self-conscious focus, it is to our detriment. This is for our own glory, rather than Christ. 

"Take no thought," the Bible says, "the LORD knows you need these things." So we really need to stop focusing so on ourselves to the detriment of things that need accomplished, things than can be accomplished, and that should be accomplished. 

The last portion she titled "We Live in Our Times" and rather apologized for swinging so wide of her mark. But really, everything she's said is relevant because we have to take into account what is going on here and now and how we will think and deal with it. 

I do wonder: is there a modern equivalent to Punch?

The History of the Ancient World (Bauer), with the study guide

 I am taking a slightly different approach with this now. I have the Study & Teaching Guide by Julia Kaziewicz that I will be going through as if I were a student. I may not do all that it has for each chapter but I'll use it as a springboard. Sometimes I may just do the written narrations as I have been. We shall see how it goes!

In the guide it has different Sections, which are essentially different ways of telling what is recalled from the text. In Section I it is in reference to who, what, where. For example, for chapter four the first entry is "3200 BC." I am terrible with dates, especially as I get older, so this is not generally one that I will connect with (I'm guessing). Section II is more along the lines of a narration of some specific point in the reading. One of the prompts here is, "Which way did the Nile flow? How did this affect the Egyptians' view of all other rivers?" I do like these kinds of prompts so more likely than not, I will write on those often. Section III is labeled "Critical Thinking" and is interesting. The prompts are longer, the writing required is just a few sentences, but it also requires references to the text to back up the answer. Finally, Section IV is map work. I don't think that there are actually any listed in this guide; maybe it is at the teacher's discretion. What I have been doing, but not noting it in my previous postings, is to use a blank map I already had and label it with what I find on the maps in the book. 

In order to follow the guide though I need to read the chapter in its entirety before choosing a Section to work on. This means I need to hold more in my brain for longer. I had been reading a few paragraphs and narrating from that. I had gotten through half of the chapter last time. I will finish the reading and then choose a Section to work on from the guide. 

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Section II: 6. How does the construction of the oldest Egyptian king lists vary from the construction of the Sumerian king list?

A: The Sumerian king list had kings who reigned for thousands of years. It only told of their name and how long they reigned. The Egyptian king lists were grouped into "dynesteia." 

Added after reading the "answer": Whereas the Sumerian king list intended to chronicle time from the beginning, the Egyptian king lists did not and was missing a lot of names. Also my answer originally compares what I learned from earlier chapters and not just from this chapter. I had forgotten that Manetho, a king many many years after the Scorpion king, changed the Egyptian king lists into the groups; it wasn't that way originally. 

9. What did Narmer build to celebrate his victory over Lower Egypt? Why did he choose Memphis? What does "Memphis" mean?

A: Narmer built a new capital at Memphis. It means white walls. They were painted so that they shone in the sun. Memphis was a good location. 

Added after the fact: I said it was a "good location" but should have been more specific that it was in a location where he could control both the southern valley and northern delta of Egypt. Details are important. 

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I am not entirely sure I am recalling as much this way! I will continue to try it out and see if I can't retain more from what I read so that I can answer these questions more fully. But that is all for now. 

Night Sky Tracker (Horvitz)

 My husband bought this for me years ago when I was interested in astronomy. I put it on the shelf, under other books (never a good thing). Recently I rearranged all my shelves and decided to go through the book. Half of it is a logbook but the first half is quite informative. Those pages are what I will be narrating from. My goal is half a chapter. We shall see. I have only a short amount of time this morning for reading. So, let's get to it!

A Brief History of Astronomy

From the dawn of time, people have believed that the sky, movement of the planets and stars were of major importance to their livelihood. Astronomy is the oldest science and yet it is still evolving. 

Ancient Astronomy

In the beginning there was no distinction between astrology and astronomy- the belief that the stars and planets impacted lives directly and the scientific study of stars and planets. Comets and such phenomena were taken to mean there would be negative occurrences on the earth (earthquakes, plague, etc.). Even into the Middle Ages, astrologers were also astronomers. 

Astronomy developed independently on various continents, taking on various forms, mythological to scientific. Archaeology backs this by physical findings just about everywhere that people tracked the stars and planets. In China, during the Shang Dynasty, there was a calendar of 360 days that tracked the solar and lunar phases. The Egyptians went one further and devised a 365-day calendar. 

Later in history, observation met philosophy and Aristotle declared the universe was a finite (limited) sphere with Earth at the center. This was a geocentric universe theory. The Greek-Egyptian Ptolemy stated that the Earth was the center of universe, and as such, the Sun and planets revolved around it. He made a list of 48 constellations that are still used today, with some revision.

The Copernican Revolution

In the 15th century Nicolas Copernicus wrote a book titled On the Revolution of Heavenly Bodies. In this work, he refuted the geocentric universe theory and instead advanced a heliocentric theory; that the Sun is the center of the universe and all revolve around it. This meant that the Earth was "just another planet" (third rock from the Sun) and that the stars and other planets appeared to revolve around it because the Earth itself was in motion. In addition, he put forth the idea that the stars and planets seemed to be brighter at different times in direct relation to the distance it was from the Earth. 

Copernicus did not answer all questions, such as if the Earth was in motion, how did objects on the Earth stay put and not fly off? He also understood that his ideas were in contradiction to the Catholic Church, so he was careful to state them as theories, not fact. At first, his theories made little difference but in the late 16th century the observations of others finally overthrew the geocentric theory.

There is an illustration of the Copernican model with the planets orbiting the Sun. 

Tycho Brahe and the Supernova

In the 16th century Tycho Brahe was a mathematician studying to become a diplomat. But he was in a duel (over a mathematical argument) in which he lost part of his nose. His major notable accomplishment was his observations of the constellation of Cassiopeia in 1572, in which there was an explosive birth of a new star. His well documented observations have helped many astronomers searching for evidence of other supernovas. He did however still believe in the geocentric universe theory. 

The Story of the Greeks (Miller)

H. A. Guerber's The Story of the Greeks, edition by Christine Miller. The reading for the week is over pages 186-199, eight chapters, but I will not narrate the entire thing here. 

Death of Demosthenes

When Alexander (the Great) went to the East, the great orator Demosthenes (who wasn't a fan of Alex) tried to persuade the people to rise up against him and take back their freedom. But they didn't heed him. However, when they heard Alexander was dead, then they were more agreeable. There was a man named Phocion who wanted the Athenians to have patience. Phocion argued that they should at least wait until the rumor was confirmed. After all, if he was dead today, he'd still be dead tomorrow and the next day. What was the rush? 

The Athenians were not patient however and, joined by quite a few little cities (except Sparta), they marched to confront the Macedonians at Thermopylae. 

At first the Greeks were successful. They captured a fortress and besieged it. But then the Macedonians were able to defeat the Greeks at another time. That was all there was to the war really because Antipater, the Macedonian general, made peace with each of the cities separately. 

Antipater was so angry at the revolt that he swore to kill any who had had a part in stirring up the people. He learned that Demosthenes was one of them. He ordered his soldiers to take him prisoner. Demosthenes caught wind of this and was able to escape, but only to a temple of Neptune. Although usually temples were holy and weapons were not brought in, the soldiers went in anyway to get him. When Demosthenes saw that he had no choice, he asked if he might take a moment to write a litter to his friends. The soldiers saw no problem with this and watched him take up his parchment and reed. 

Demosthenes would write a bit then bite the tip of the reed, as if he was thinking. But he didn't continue to write, instead he covered his head with his hood and remained quite still. The soldiers waited a bit but then decided to check on him. He didn't answer when they called, so they pulled back the cloak and to their horror, saw that he was clearly about to die! They rushed him out of the temple because it was bad to defile the temple with death. 

Demosthenes had thought it better to kill himself than be a prisoner so he had hidden poison in the reed that he had bitten when pretending to write to his friends. 

The Greeks then thought that they should have listened to Phocion. They realized their mistake and put him at the head of their affairs. But Phocion was not very clever and much too cautious. His cautious nature eventually turned to cowardice. He feared the Macedonians so much that over time, they controlled more and more of Greece until after just a few years later, Antipater, the Macedonian governor, controlled all of it. 

The Last of the Athenians

Antipater was now in control of all of Greece but he was not a cruel ruler because he wanted to make friends so he would have help securing his portion of the realm that had been Alexander's. He soon heard that Perdiccas was on his way back from the East and had the infant king, named after his father, Alexander. Antipater knew that Perdiccas would want to make the infant king and himself regent, but Antipater wanted to be regent. 

Antipater decided to fight rather than give up easily. At this time many of Alexander's generals were also unhappy so they revolted as well. Perdiccas was surrounded by enemies but even so, he fought bravely, and even led an army against Ptolemy in Egypt. There was the Nile river to cross in order to get to Ptolemy, and in doing so many of his soldiers were eaten by crocodiles! Those who survived were so angry with Perdiccas that they fell on him and killed him. 

Around this time, Antipater also died. (So much for all that fighting!) Cassander, his son, was left to quarrel with a general, Polysperchon, over ruling Macedon. They both amassed an army to meet in battle. 

Though the Athenians tried to remain neutral, Polysperchon stormed into the city and accused Phocion and others of siding with Cassander. He condemned them to die by poison from hemlock plant. But there wasn't enough to kill them all! Phocion was forced to give money so that more could be bought. He said "It seems one cannot even die for nothing in Athens."

After Phocion died, it was said he was the last of the Athenians because he was the last notable politician; no one even tried to win back the freedom of Athens or uphold the city's power. 

Roxana and her son (Alexander) were brought to Macedon and placed under the protection of Polysperchon. When the infant Alexander's grandmother saw him, she was determined to secure the throne for him. She killed the "idiot king" Arridaeus and all his family! 

Cassander pretended to want to avenge the crime, captured and killed  Olympias, the grandmother. He also wrested power of Macedon and Greece from Polysperchon. After this, there was no one to fight for the mother and child, so he had them imprisoned, then killed them, too. Twelve years after Alexander the Great's death, all of his family was also dead. His empire fell to quarreling and split into several states.

(The other chapters for this week are titled "Ptolemy in Judea," "The Wonderful Library," "The Colossus of Rhodes," "The Battle of Ipsus," "Demetrius and the Athenians," and "The Achaean League.")

The Secret World of Weather (Gooley)

 Last time I ended with Gooley saying that it used to be that a forecast more than 2 days was crazy to believe (quite unreliable, and that upsets people) but more recently we have 10-day forecasts that aren't too bad (not 100% accurate but way better). I will pick up at the bottom of page 5 today. 

This development of accurate forecasts (with the help of advanced technology) has caused two problems (a disconnect) for us. It has led us to believe the weather itself cannot be its own forecaster and that the weather is detached from the land.

One noticeable thing is that tv and internet forecasts give us an unrealistic image of weather. On tv and the internet we often see large swirls of "weather" covering entire regions, when in reality it could take one many hours to even travel the region. We experience weather on a smaller scale.

When in conversation with a meteorologist, if they speak of showers, Gooley asks pointedly if it will rain in his backyard. The meteorologist will laugh of course because he knows that even with all the technology they have today, they still struggle to pinpoint where a predicted shower will fall. If they don't know the landscape personally or well, they will just kind of give up on that attempt altogether because they understand that even with all the computers put together they still cannot accurately determine exactly where. So, a 48-hour forecast was deemed impossible in the 1800s and yet with our extended forecasts today, the weather man still cannot give precise localized weather forecasts (small scale).

But we don't have this problem. With the use of our senses we are able to determine where rain will fall later, locally. First, the weatherman is trying to cater to thousands of people, in many counties. We only are concerned with our local area, which doesn't generally cover huge tracts of land. Second, the weatherman is looking at the atmosphere whereas we are looking at it as a person on the ground. So by being sensitive to the land a person can definitely learn the secrets of the weather that machines cannot.

The Secret World

The landscape shapes the weather. Machines can detect the factors that will affect the weather over large land masses but not when there is a change in landscape. All aspects of "weather" fluctuates as one walks even a short distance, up or down a hill, from one side of a tree to the other. If you mention this to a meteorologist they may get pedantic and say, no that's microclimate. But whatever they may call it, it is the weather we actually experience. 

The landscape we live in is actively shaped by the weather and the weather in turn is shaped by the landscape. Example: a wooded area is generally known for more rainfall. It allows the trees to grow, which in turn leads to more rain. He even says the rain we feel changes from one tree to another. 

A small flat island has different weather from a larger hilly one. From the air, you can even see the difference in color from one side to the other. One any day you may see sunbathers on the dry coasts of the Canary Islands and then rain-soaked plants on the opposite side. 

He talks next about Swiss Jura where on the two sides of a 2600 foot high ridge the climate is so drastically different it is like what we normally find traveling 625 miles across and/or 3000 feet in altitude in one single step. This proves that weather is and can be very different over very small spaces.

Another example of the extreme differences that can be detected in small areas is the juniper bush of the temperate zones of both the US and Europe. On the north side it can be as different from the south side as if we traveled 3000 miles, but it's just a few yards difference really. 

These are not theoretical or merely academic facts and figures. We can figure the average and probable weather conditions from the microclimate, but it also dictates the weather. These are our clues and with them we can learn to recognize and predict changes in weather. 

On a walk in early December, Gooley stepped into heathland from under some pines, expecting a chill in the air. He experienced just what he expected and saw some iced puddles, whereas in the wooded areas and grasslands it was not as cold. This is because heathland loses heat quickly at night resulting in cooler temperatures than surrounding land. He says we'll learn more about why it loses heat in the next chapter. 

Meteorologists are aware of these vast fluctuations and position their 'meters' at heights that will avoid them. It is ironic that those who forecast the weather go to such measures to avoid the very things that we actually experience when it comes to weather. They have perfected (well, made great strides toward this) predicting and understanding "big weather" and it has definitely proven its worth but they have also shortchanged us into thinking of weather as much bigger than it is where we actually are. 

In this book we will look at our local landscapes, towns and cities, in the hills and trees. Much will overlap with the big weather of the meteorologists but most are nestling in our small, local landscapes. It is the secret world of weather.

I have stopped before the next subheading of The Blocking High on page 9.