Mircea Eliade "From Primitives to Zen": THE DEAD PHARAOH ASCENDS TO HEAVEN
And I have destroyed wickedness for you.
I have committed no evil upon men.
I have not oppressed the members of my family.
I have not wrought evil in the place of right and truth.
I have had no knowledge of useless men.
I have brought about no evil.
I did not rise in the morning and expect more than was due to me.
I have not brought my name forward to be praised.
I have not oppressed servants.
I have not scorned any god.
I have not defrauded the poor of their property.
I have not done what the gods abominate.
I have not cause harm to be done to a servant by his master.
Ancient History Sourcebook: Herodotus: Mummification, from The Histories
Ancient History Sourcebook: Herodotus (c.490-c.425 BCE): On Libya, from The Histories, c. 430 BCE
Explanation of Argument: In the first and second source it is written by Herodotus. He uses I think a lot and he has many opinions and rumors in his. Thucydides has written down facts that he knows is true, therefore he is a better model. Question: Considering all of the conflict of the first century BCE, was Rome better off as an "empire" than as a republic? Thesis: Rome was better of as an empire because that put the power in one person's had which led to less conflict, and the power was not in everyones hands. Primary Source #1 Country slaves ought to receive in the winter, when they are at work, four modii [Davis: One modius equals about a quarter bushel] of grain; and four modii and a half during the summer. The superintendent, the housekeeper, the watchman, and the shepherd get three modii; slaves in chains four pounds of bread in winter and five pounds from the time when the work of training the vines ought to begin until the figs have ripened. Ancient History Sourcebook: Slavery in the Roman RepublicPrimary Source #2: We are told that Galba, taking hold of Piso's hand, spoke to this effect: "If I were a private man, and were now adopting you by the Act of the Curiae before the pontiffs, as our custom is, it would be a high honour to me to introduce into my family a descendant of Gnaeus Pompey and Marcus Crassus; it would be a distinction to you to add to the nobility of your race the honours of the Sulpician and Lutatian houses. Ancient History Sourcebook: Tacitus: The Principle of AdoptionPrimary Source #3 When the report of the murder of the Emperor Pertinax spread among the people, consternation and grief seized all minds, and men ran about beside themselves. An undirected effort possessed the people---they strove to hunt out the doers of the deed, yet could neither find nor punish them. But the Senators were the worst disturbed, for it seemed a public calamity that they had lost a kindly father and a righteous ruler. Also a reign of violence was dreaded, for one could guess that the soldiery would find that much to their liking. Ancient History Sourcebook: Herodian of Syria (3rd Cent. CE): History of the Emperors: - How Didius Julianus Bought the Empire at Auction, 193 CExplanation of Argument: In the first source it shows how during the republic there was a lot of slavery which caused conflict. In the second source it shows that there was no conflict for who would be king next because it would just be an heir to the thrown. In the third source it shows how upset they were when their king died which shows Empire worked better for Rome. Question: What was the significance of the Black Death and the 100 Years' War to the development of Europe as we know it today? Thesis: After the Black Death and the 100 Years' War it developed Europe in different ways because they learned from these experiences how to keep more people alive and how to stay away from some conflicts. Primary Source #1 I say, then, that such was the energy of the contagion of the said pestilence, that it was not merely propagated from man to mail, but, what is much more startling, it was frequently observed, that things which had belonged to one sick or dead of the disease, if touched by some other living creature, not of the human species, were the occasion, not merely of sickening, but of an almost instantaneous death. Whereof my own eyes (as I said a little before) had cognisance, one day among others, by the following experience. Medieval Sourcebook: Boccaccio: The Decameron - IntroductionPrimary Source #2 In 1348 there appeared in Europe a devastating plague which is reported to have killed off ultimately twenty-five million people. By the fall of that year the rumor was current that these deaths were due to an international conspiracy of Jewry to poison Christendom. It was reported that the leaders in the Jewish metropolis of Toledo had initiated the plot and that one of the chief conspirators was a Rabbi Peyret who had his headquarters in Chambéry, Savoy, whence he dispatched his poisoners to France, Switzerland, and Italy. Jewish History Sourcebook: The Black Death and the Jews 1348-1349 CEPrimary Source #3 The Englishmen, who were in three battles lying on the ground to rest them, as soon as they saw the Frenchmen approach, they rose upon their feet fair and easily without any haste and arranged their battles. The first, which was the prince's battle, the archers there stood in manner of a herse and the men of arms in the bottom of the battle. The earl of Northampton and the earl of Arundel with the second battle were on a wing in good order, ready to comfort the prince's battle, if need were. Medieval Sourcebook: Jean Froissart: On The Hundred Years War (1337-1453)Explanation of Argument: In the first and second source it talks about the Black Death. During this the people were getting sick because it was highly contagious and they started blaming the plague on other people. In the 100 Years' War there were many battles and they couldn't settle their conflict. These events taught the Europeans a lot and they were able to live well after that. Question: Were the Vikings "barbarians"? Thesis: The Vikings are known today as barbarians but back then, in their eyes, it was just their way of living which was normal for them. Primary Source #1: Pirates of the Northmen's race came to Nantes, killed the bishop and many of the clergy and laymen, both men and women, and pillaged the city. Thence they set out to plunder the lands of lower Aquitaine. At length they arrived at a certain island [the isle of Rhé, near La Rochelle, north of the mouth of the Garonne], and carried materials thither from the mainland to build themselves houses; and they settled there for the winter, as if that were to be their permanent dwelling-place. Medieval Sourcebook: Three Sources on the Ravages of the Northmen in Frankland, c. 843 - 912Primary Source #2 They went without shields, and were mad as dogs or wolves, and bit on their shields, and were as strong as bears or bulls; men they slew, and neither fire nor steel would deal with them; and this is what is called the fury of the berserker. Mircea Eliade "From Primitives to Zen": INITIATION OF A WARRIORPrimary Source #3 After the sixteen winters had lapsed, from the time when Eric the Red went to colonize Greenland, Leif, Eric's son, sailed out from Greenland to Norway. He arrived in Drontheim in the autumn, when King Olaf Tryggvason was come down from the North, out of Halagoland. Leif put into Nidaros with his ship, and set out at once to visit the king. King Olaf expounded the faith to him, as he did to other heathen men who came to visit him. It proved easy for the king to persuade Leif, and he was accordingly baptized, together with all of his shipmates. Leif remained throughout the winter with the king, by whom he was well entertained. Modern History Sourcebook: The Discovery of North America by Leif Ericsson, c. 1000 |