Sunday, December 21, 2014

How to deal with deaths of leaders in ancient times.



How to Deal with Deaths of Leaders in Ancient Times

I researched the pyramids of Giza and the Mausoleum of Augustus. I tried to compare and contrast them in my product where I 'stepped in the shoes of' both Augustus and King Khufu in each others burial place. I learned a lot about the construction theory of a Greek philosopher that had a proven way to make the pyramids. It involved using water and floating several tons of rock up hill using a system of gates that use pressure to bring the blocks up the tube. They were then laid out in a base built up from there. Mining the blocks was probably the hardest job though. The master cutters cut and leveled blocks in water to perfect the rough cuts made with stone tools. The inside of the pyramids were also extremely interesting. The corridors, vents and rooms were all nearly perfect in design only off by a percent or two. This was a great feat as there was no such thing as a level or any power tools (1). The pyramids also had a spiritual use. They were supposed to reflect the light to the gods so that the mummy inside could use the rays of light to help him ascend to the gods, particularly, the sun god, Ra. Helping him to this place were also a number of priests, close friends, and a great number of luxuries. The luxuries were to provide him comfort during his journey to the gods (2).

Before limestone, or any type of cut stone was used, mud bricks were used. They were sturdy but nothing in comparison to the limestone and sandstone. The first pyramid made with these blocks was a large step pyramid. Something like what we might see in Giza today. This of course was very different in ancient times as the lateral faces were smooth and shiny with white limestone (3)

The mausoleum of Augustus in currently in Rome where it is a hot spot of many tourists.

The mausoleum did not just hold Augustus. It also held his descendants except the daughter of Augustus who disgraced her family. A large portion of the building was made of white marble but a lot has been stripped away due to erosion over almost 2000 years. The site can be visited today in Rome but it cannot be entered due to robberies and so there is no graffiti. When built, it must have looked something like this.





As you can see the building has a number of tiers and many flourishes and shrubbery. On either side of the entrance were two large columns. It was surrounded by a few gardens that held some of the most diverse of that in Rome. Atop the building was a large statue of Augustus Caesar holding what looks to be a spear.

In comparison to Augustus' mausoleum, the pyramids were big, burial places of important people, and are now important landmarks.
In contrast to the pyramids, the Mausoleum of Augustus is a bit smaller, rounded, surrounded by gardens, and in Rome while the Pyramids are larger, more technical, near a city and in the desert.

My final product can be found here


Building the Pyramids of Egypt ...a Detailed Step by Step Guide. Dir. Pyramidsreallybuilt. Youtube. Youtube, n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2014.

History.com Staff. "Egyptian Pyramids." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014

Doyle, Noreen. "EGYPT's Master Builders." Calliope 24.3 (2013): 12. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 22 Dec. 2014.

"Mausoleum of Augustus." Mausoleum of Augustus. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014..

Doyle, Noreen. "EGYPT's Master Builders." Calliope 24.3 (2013): 12. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 21 Dec. 2014.

5 comments:

  1. This post was very informative, and it was interesting to read about. This is a topic I never gave any thought to, but your post intrigues me to learn about this further. The only things I would add are pictures detailing what you were describing and telling if they were influenced by each other at all. Also I can't see your product (it says I need permission).)

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  2. This was very interesting! Your title is a bit misleading, but your essay itself is well-written and easy to read. I learned a lot about ancient architecture by reading this, and I'd like to learn a little more about the Kings and Emperors themselves and whether they were liked or not. If you incorporate just a sentence or two about these leaders' relationships with the public, it would greatly improve your title's relevancy. Overall, great essay, but I can't see you're product either.

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  3. I thought that your blog is very informative, I like how you added lots of links to other websites about Augustus and Greek Philosophers. It really expands the readers knowledge of the topic. However I was not able to view your product... I was told that i needed permission to view it. From reading your blog I learned a lot about a topic that I never knew about before. Overall I really like your blog!

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  4. The ancient people were very skilled at artwork being able to cut almost perfectly with no power tools. They went through a lot to make the best burial for their leaders. I can't believe they added so much details to the chambers and they were only off by a percent or two.

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  5. Great job! I found the entire article engaging and it was really interesting to learn about this roman burial process. However, the title seems a little off point. Other than that, fantastic job.

    ReplyDelete