Assyria An Introduction to the Ancient Empire

A Semitic people, the Assyrians lived in the northern area of Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers at the city-state of Ashur. Under the leadership of Shamshi-Adad, the Assyrians tried to create their own empire, but they were squashed by the Babylonian king, Hammurabi. Then the Asiatic Hurrians (Mitanni) invaded, but they were, in turn, overcome by the growing Hittite Empire. The Hittites gave up control of Ashur because it was too far away; thereby granting the Assyrians their long-sought independence (c. 1400 B.C.). Leaders of  Assyria The Assyrians didnt just want independence, though. They wanted control and so, under their leader Tukulti-Ninurta (c. 1233-c. 1197 B.C.), known in legend as Ninus, the Assyrians set out to conquer Babylonia. Under their ruler Tiglat-Pileser (1116-1090), the Assyrians extended their empire into Syria and Armenia. Between 883 and 824, under Ashurnazirpal II (883-859 B.C.) and Shalmaneser III (858-824 B.C.) the Assyrians conquered all of Syria and Armenia, Palestine, Babylon, and southern Mesopotamia. At its greatest extent, the Assyrian empire extended to the Mediterranean Sea from the western part of modern Iran, including Anatolia, and southward to the Nile delta. For the sake of control, the Assyrians forced their conquered subjects into exile, including the Hebrews who were exiled to Babylon. The Assyrians and Babylon The Assyrians were right to be fearful of the Babylonians because, in the end, the Babylonians—with help from the Medes—destroyed the Assyrian Empire and burned Nineveh. Babylon was a problem having nothing to do with the Jewish diaspora since it resisted Assyrian rule. Tukulti-Ninurta destroyed the city and set up an Assyrian capital at Nineveh where the last great Assyrian monarch, Ashurbanipal, later established his great library. But then, out of religious fear (because Babylon was Marduks territory), the Assyrians rebuilt Babylon. What happened to Ashurbanipals great library? Because the books were clay, 30,000 fire-hardened tablets remain today providing a wealth of information on Mesopotamian culture, myth, and literature.

All Quiet On The Western Front, By Erich Maria Remarque

Throughout history, war between man has been nearly inevitable. The impact of war has always been devastating on all aspects. However, loss in war is mostly seen within the loss of land, wealth and the numbers of lives lost. There are few accounts of the true losses felt from war, the loss felt by the survivors and the true cost of human life. In the excerpt from All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, illustrates the impact on human life and question what the cost of human life was impacted. While Vera Brittain memoir of Memory and Battlefield Tourism, recounts her pain felt as a survivor. The cost of war is not only a calculated number, it has a long-lasting effect on the survivors. Within Remarque’s excerpt from All†¦show more content†¦Vera Brittain was an English writer who served as a nurse during World War I. Nearly directly after the war, tours of the battlefields began. Brittain goes on a tour in Italy in 1921 to find her brother’s gra vesite. She recounts the pain she feels due to the loss of her brother, fiancà © and many if her friends. As she walks through the rows of graves on an Italian plateau, Brittain describes the peaceful life her brother lived before the war. His life was calm and safe in an uneventful town in England, but he ended up dying in an extremely bloody war in the country sides of Italy. Brittain finds her brother’s grave and is overcome with sadness, she wishes to stay at her brother’s side so she does not have to return to her trivial life as a survivor. She states that at least there with her brother, there is a sense of peace and dignity that the survivors do not have now. After the war, the people who survived were left without fathers or husbands and there were very few people able to return to the work force. Within both excerpts, the pain felt from war is showcased in a more personal way. It is not about the demographics of the loss but how the war truly impacted the li ves of people. While Remarque’s excerpt focused more on the suffering of the soldiers, he also makes it apparent that there will be suffering after the war. And Brittain showcases exactly what theShow MoreRelatedAll Quiet On The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque1714 Words   |  7 PagesAll Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque is a narrative describing World War I from a German soldier s perspective. The story is narrated by Paul Baà ¼mer and predominantly revolves around the experiences of him and his comrades Kemmerich, Katczinsky, Kropp, Mà ¼ller, and Leer. The novel begins with Paul Baà ¼mer and his friends in a cheerful mood as extra rations are being allocated to them due to the missing soldiers. During this event, Baà ¼mer introduces and describes the variousRead MoreAll Quiet On The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque1469 Words   |  6 Pagesjoy and happiness in life. Through the experiences that the soldiers encounter, their humanit y is compromised. Thus, as war strips soldiers of their innocence, they start to become disconnected from themselves and others. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque illustrates the negative effects war has on a soldier’s humanity, through his use of Paul’s books and the potato pancakes by revealing the soldiers loss of emotion that causes them to become detached from society. Through theseRead MoreAll Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque800 Words   |  3 Pages All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque was the war novel that changed what ‘war novel’ meant. No longer would war be a fantasy for the growing generation, but a real-life death trap. World War I came with many innovations to warfare: machine guns, poison gases, trench-style warfare. While these technologies were supposed to improve warfare, it made war longer with more casualties. In All Quiet on the Western Front war is not looked up to, it is loo ked down upon from the perspectiveRead MoreAll Quiet On The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque2100 Words   |  9 Pagesthoughts, feelings and experiences. All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, which takes World War I as background, is the great war novel which talks about the German soldiers extreme physical and mental stress during the war, and the hopeless of these soldiers about the â€Å"future† – the time the war would have ended. All Quiet on the Western Front is narrated by Paul Bà ¤umer, a twenty-years-old German soldier who fights in the French front in World War I. Paul and his classmatesRead MoreAll Quiet On The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque1292 Words   |  6 PagesGermany flourished on the nationalism in the early 1900’s of its people. Ready to encounter an attack at any moment and any time. People forget the decision of war until they are in the flame of its fire. In the novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque explains his experience of the war in World War 1 through a character Paul Bumer. Bumer was a kind and sensitive man. Back in school he used to write poets. Pual’s Bumer teacher brainwashed him and other students who where his classmatesRead MoreAll Quiet On The Western Front, By Erich Maria Remarque1655 Words   |  7 Pagessupporting Gandhi’s belief is World War I, which was fought between the Central Powers and Allies and infamous for its d evastating repercussions and savage warfare that occurred from 1914 to 1918. In his historical fiction novel, All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque describes the traumatic and deadly war conditions of WWI from the perspective of a German soldier named Paul Baumer, who provides readers with firsthand insight on war’s atrocious nature. Nonetheless, war’s violence did notRead MoreAll Quiet And The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque1249 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"We are forlorn like children, and experienced like old men, we are crude and sorrowful and superï ¬ cial, I believe we are lost† (Remarque 123). World War I is a tragic event that occurred in 1914 to 1918. Paul Baumer and the rest of the soldiers in the novel of â€Å"All Quiet in the Western Front† by Erich Maria Remarque are lost; they are broken from the fist World War, they don’t know anything aside from War, and they have lost their innocence during the years of matur ation. When the young men heardRead MoreAll Quiet On The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque1482 Words   |  6 PagesThe novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque is a tale about a group of young gentlemen in Germany who decide to join the army, and fight in World War I for their country. The boys become interested in fighting for their country after their schoolmaster informs them about the importance of this war. With much excitement, the young men have high expectations of what they want the war to be like. Throughout the course of the novel, the attitudes and opinions of the boys change asRead MoreAll Is Quiet On The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque1051 Words   |  5 PagesNathan Brown Quarter 2 Book Report American History My second quarter book was called â€Å"All is Quiet on the Western Front† by Erich Maria Remarque. This book as about a man named, Paul Baumer who is fighting for Germany in World War 1. He and a bunch of his friends from high school join an army voluntarily. They heard their teacher (Kantorek) in class giving patriotic speeches. After joining the army, Paul and his friends soon come to a conclusion that joining the army was not what they thought itRead MoreAll Quiet On The Western Front By Erich Maria Remarque1222 Words   |  5 PagesSelf-Learning Lessons There is no doubt that when war occurs, every single human being is affected by it even if it is just a little. In the novel, â€Å"All Quiet on the Western Front† written by Erich Maria Remarque, a group of teenage men, who also appear to by classmates, are in the German army of World War I because they have chosen to leave their adolescence at home and school for grown up work at the army. Throughout this fictional novel, they face many challenges that result in them not seeing

Negative impact of modern technology on students Free Essays

Introduction The paradigm shift in the contemporary society in relation to the learning environment witnessed in the wake of a new light of advancement in technology has had all sorts of impact on various entities in the society. The forces of globalization have been viewed directly as destructive in many ways though this is still debatable as it is subjective of personal judgment. When technology fails to be used constructively or when it does not find an effective application, technology becomes detrimental to autonomy in thinking and action. We will write a custom essay sample on Negative impact of modern technology on students or any similar topic only for you Order Now This technology has seen introduction of the gadgets of science into the classrooms, study rooms and to be specific, to the students’ life. It has impeded the capability of self creativity in students as they leave all thinking to machines like computer and the hi-tech learning gadgets. Most people argue that modern technology has a negative impact on the socialization of students because it eliminates need for physical activity, impairs critical thinking skills, and limits face to face interaction. Discussion Limits face to face interaction This is not a subject one would conclude at once by leaning on one particular side. It is therefore imperative to critically look at both sides of the divide and an analyze views on the basis of zero bias. On the contrary, and in support of the argument above, we find that technology has invaded the learning environment and turned it upside down. The introduction of computers in schools, for example, has reduced the level of student- to-student interaction and in its stead placed student-to-computer interaction to rule supreme. (Glenn M. Kleiman (2000) The Digital Classroom- http://hepg.org/hel-home/home). This means that the students spend most of their time relating and communicating with the machines rather than face-to-face interaction of the students to each other. This later on leads to development of ethical dilemmas in the future society. In such a milieu the learner prefers to associate with ‘non-physical’ characters on TV, net or web. This leads to stereotyping behavior in students. Recent research carried out in 2001, (Seemann, E. et al-(2001). Also see C. Crawford et al. 2001 , reveals that the use of computer mediated communication and technology in the learning environment has great impact in changing the lives of students in the classroom. It further indicates that through modern technology, students’ behavior in terms of interactions with the teachers and the tutors is immensely influenced as well as that among the students themselves. This approach, the researchers argue, downplays the significance of social contact hence may lead many students to fail in developing the necessary social skills to function in the world. .Impediment to Critical thinking Secondly, the use of the modern technology in learning environment may be a substantial threat to the ability of students to develop high level of critical thinking. This means that since the use of computer aided communication will entail the fingers pressing for a click of the mouse, liberation of ideas will be thwarted and thus hinder creativity. When there is no liberation of ideas there’s little or no creativity and therefore originality and subsequent development take a back seat. Because of availability of a machine with ready-to-use programs, the student will not care questioning of the present method of approach to a problem and therefore will not discover new ways and means of solving a given problem. Eliminates need for physical activity The technology can also play quite a significant role in producing laziness in terms of reduced physical dexterity to engage in any exercise that involves exercise to the body. The importance physical exercises play to the body is of great relevance to the healthy development of a physically fit individual. The above research also reiterates that even physical activity by students becomes a nightmare as the only involvement of the student will be the hand or fingers, the eyes together with ears- if there be any additional item on the list, it should be nothing other than maximum fixation to the screen, (Seaman, E. et al-(2001)). Opposing arguments On the other side of the divide lies the great relevance computer aided communication and technology based learning have in modeling individual students in the classroom and the society. Those who argue that the relevance of technology in a learning environment is absolute contend that though the technology may have some negative impacts, the positive achievements are far much superb and outweigh the negative ones.   This argument holds that a student needs to develop the skills referred to as the multiple intelligences (Howard Gardner, 1983). Gardner says that the use of the powerful technological enables speeded development of these intelligences. In addition, human machine interaction enables an individual to think, communicate and deliberate on ideas through development of creativity in words, speech and writing. Most modern technology like some computer software that allows young children to and illustrate their own narratives or stories before their motor skills are fully developed enhance learning and creativity to start early in life. Even though the use of computer aided communication and the technology in the conveyance of learning information is objected by some, learners are able to interact closely with mathematical intelligences which enable them to memorize, and carry out mathematical operations in addition to thinking mathematically, analytically and logically before applying the understanding to solve problem. Through these modern systems students are able to interact with scientists exploring the depths of certain places but electronically. The students also develop high ability to understand the world they live in through what they see thus developing spatial or visual intelligence. By development of kinesthetic intelligence students are able to learn through dexterity and coordination thus developing the ability to express their feelings better thereby removing any doubts of ethical dilemmas. The students too can have musical intelligence thus be able to perform and appreciate or create music by whichever means, voice, dance or instruments. Though some scholars argue and maintain that use of the technology reduces the student’s socialization capability, others maintain that in the real sense the technology gives the student the chance to gain high levels of interpersonal intelligence thus being able to cooperatively work with others. This is done through electronic networking. Refutation The bias that is revealed when trying to analyze the argument from one viewpoint is quite evident. Technology has been of great importance in improving the quality of education, the efficiency in acquisition of information and effective application of positive changes in the society and realization of the relevance of these changes to the learning environment. At the same time, it would still be unwise to refute the negative impacts of the technology to the social relations, physical activity and critical thinking of the students in their classrooms. However, the positive role played in enhancing the appreciation of technology in the learning environment cannot go without being lauded. The role for sure supersedes by far the demerits that accompany it. Conclusion To be of maximum benefit and relevance, application of technology in the learning environment must be applied with care and consideration in order to make the learning process to be qualitatively different and attractive. As we embrace the benefits of having technology, we must also prepare to deal with its negativities. This way, the learning process in the classroom can become richer and pose less threat to the values and autonomy of every individual student. Otherwise it would have an impact that is not desirable whether the learning environment is home-based or institutional one. References: Seemann, E., Wilkinson, L., et al. Impact of Technology on Socialization of Student in the Classroom, 2001. Kleiman, Glenn M. The Digital Classroom- 2000. Accessed on Friday April 25, 2008 from URL: http://hepg.org/hel-home/home Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Teacher Education and Information Technology. International Conference; 2001 pp. 104-108. How to cite Negative impact of modern technology on students, Essay examples

How Important is an Identity free essay sample

A person’s identity will stay with them throughout their whole life and will provide many important purposes. Everyone has their own identity, it is what they are known as or known for. One’s identity could be derived from anything about them, whether it be race, religion, or political status. The most common example of someone’s identity, is what you call them every day, their name. A name can mean many things to many different people, sometimes circumstances can change how one feels about their name, but a name will always be a part of their identity. There is no limit on what someone’s name can mean, whether it to them or someone else. In Trikatikningsih Byas’s â€Å"Where the Land is Stepped On, The Sky Above Must be Upheld†, Byas talks about the importance of her name and what the meaning of it is to her culture. We will write a custom essay sample on How Important is an Identity? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The first part of her name indicates the order of her birth compared to her siblings, the second part is the meaning or source of her name, and the last part told whether she was a male or female (Byas 33). In different cultures names can have more and more significant meanings than most people would think. There are examples in Japanese names where their names mean other things whether it be moon, love, serenity, etc. Someone’s name is what they will usually be called for the rest of their life. No matter where they go in life they will always have a name that belongs to them. There are some who reject their name and refuse to use it. There are many things that can make someone like or hate the name that they were given at birth. When foreigners that only have one name move over to America to go to school they have to apply for a Social Security card and need a last name (Byas 33). Byas also brings up how when she moved to America she had to go through this process and it mortified her to have to change the name she was given by her parents. There are stories of when people trying to get away from persecution change their names in order to hide that they were of a certain people (Rosenberg 29). In Tom Rosenberg’s â€Å"Changing My Name After 60 Years†, Tom talks about how his family changed their last name to avoid persecution of being Jewish. Even though their name was changed it did not stop the bullying towards him which made him feel even more shame towards his already given up name. Other than these examples there are people all over the world who due to the circumstances hate the name they were given. A name is something that will stick with someone all through their life and can in turn shape their life. An identity can be affected in many different ways. A name can drastically affect someone’s identity. There are many who are bullied and treated differently based on their name because it can show their origins (Rosenberg 30). Tom states that if he would have kept his original last name many things in his life might have changed. There are certain fraternities he might not have been able to get in because of his Jewish heritage or he may have even became a respected member in the Jewish community. Regardless of his name change there was still stereotyping and racism towards him. In Lewis Sawaquat’s â€Å"For My Indian Daughter†, Lewis talks about how the discrimination of his race affected him, and how it is ignorance of people’s cultures that causes people to have misinterpretations of other’s cultures and make rude or racist comments (Lewis 60). Labeling is a form of stereotyping, by labeling someone there will be those who will automatically that they are just like everyone else who is labeled the same. Stereotyping affects a person in many different ways, whether it be in the case of and Indian getting persecuted because someone thinks they are taking something away from themselves (Lewis 60) or a Jewish kid getting bullied just because of his race. All of these experiences will change someone and mold them into a different kind of person. The hate and discrimination towards their name or race could change them for the worse if they choose to let it. Their names can mean many different things to them or to other people because everyone perceives it differently. The circumstances they go through in life can change how someone feel about their name or their identity. Regardless of what happens a name or identity will stay with someone for as long as they live and even after that. A name can shape one’s identity in itself. Although there can be many hardships in life just because of an identity, one should accept who they are and learn to have pride in who they are because all someone can be in life is themselves and no one else.