by Manuel Marino | History, Music
So called “Alexander Rondanini”. Ancient copy, the original belongs to a group created by Euphranor: King Philip of Macedon on his chariot lead by 4 horses; his son Alexander, taking on the chariot, holds the reins in both hands (armor and garb added the copist). Creation of the group after the Battle of Chaeronea, 338 BC. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Most people know that Iron Maiden wrote a song about Alexander the Great, but others aren’t sure about whether or not this historical figure enjoyed music. Can we talk about Alexander the Great music? We’re going to take a brief look at Alexander’s life and answer the question about his taste in music once and for all. The truth may shock you – especially if you’re not a student of history. If you’ve ever wondered about Alexander the Great’s musical tastes, keep reading to learn more about this world ruler.
If you read ancient texts about Alexander the Great, you’re going to find that he did indeed have a taste for poetry and music – especially during his teenage years. The thing you have to remember is that in the Classical Age, not everyone knew how to read and write. However, because of his position, Alexander the Great was allowed to learn and really picked up a taste for the finer things in life – like music.
As the son of King Philip II of Macedon, Alexander was destined to have some advantages in life. One of these was the fact that he was taught by the masters of the time, including Lysimachus of Acarnania who taught him how to play the lyre. After that point, Alexander had a lifelong love of all types of music that were popular in his day and age – including the music of enemy lands he conquered when he was out on a military campaigns.
While he didn’t learn a lot of music from him, Aristotle was actually one of Alexander the Great’s in his late teen years. During this time he kept up with his music studies, but he also learned about strategy and tactics for war – part of the training that would allow him to take over so much of the known world at the time. One of the biggest lessons Alexander learned from Aristotle was that it’s not a good idea to force Greek culture on lands he conquered.
Using this tactic, Alexander was able to subdue many lands he conquered. His love of music was one thing that probably led to him allowing conquered people to keep their music, but it was also his ability to take a look at the big picture. One can imagine that he had an internal soundtrack running in the back of his mind as he conquered Persia and then moved into India.
If you think you know what modern songs Alexander the Great would like, feel free to leave us a comment and let us know what you think he would listen to if he was alive today. There’s no way to tell for certain, of course, but it can be fun to imagine.
Written by: Sara Stark buys Sheet music online because it’s easy and she likes to pay for all the music that she uses for her online and offline projects. She’s saving up to buy a new piano, but she also enjoys making music with a keyboard by writing articles about music.
by Manuel Marino | History, Music
Photo credits: Jeffrey Zeldman
The music of the 1950s is wonderful in many ways. We’re going to take a look at some of the music styles that were popular during the 50s in the United States. By looking at this list, it’s easy to see where music from later generations came from originally; though there are soe very interesting infographic designs on music as well. As a huge music fan as well as a student of history, it fascinates me to learn about music from this era.
Top Music Genres of the 1950s
Here’s a look at the general genres of music that was popular in the 50s as well as a few specific looks at music you can look up to enjoy the musical products of this generation.
- Classic pop – This musical style had been around a little while, but it started to become more popular during the 1950s as more people began to listen to radios at home and in their cars.
- R&B – Rhythm and blues had been around a while as well, but in the 1950s, the music genre really began to see some innovations. It also influenced other musical styles as well.
- Rock and roll – Rock and roll really began to take off in the 1950s. Whether you’re talking about Chuck Berry or Elvis, many artists made this genre big. By the end of the 1950s, it was readily apparent that Rock & Roll would be around for many years to come.
- Blues – Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and others were the big names in blues music in the 50s. While this musical style declined in popularity a bit, it was still an important part of the music scene in the 50s.
- Country music – Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Bill Monroe, and many others were popular in the 50s as they began their country music careers. Country music didn’t change a lot during the 1950s, but the lack of innovation was made up for in the quantity of music coming out.
- Jazz – Some of the big names in Jazz music of the 1950s were Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Thelonious Monk. This was one of the most popular musical styles in the 1950s.
- Folk music – The Kingston Trio and Woody Guthrie are just two of the big names who were producing folk music in the 50s. They would lead the way to the rebirth of folk music in the 1960s.
Look at the list above, it’s easy to see that the music of the 1950s was going through a lot of changes. This is actually a good thing, however, as innovation takes time but usually results in new musical styles and other things that make listening to music more pleasurable. If you have any of your own thoughts or opinions about music of the 50s, leave a comment below.
by Manuel Marino | History
History is not an indisputable collection of absolute truths. History is enjoyed as the documentation of the past, still there can usually be contrasting perspectives and interpretations of any 1 event. In purchase to really know the past, we should fuse our knowledge of recorded evidence with all the individual experiences and memories that fill the gaps left by history. These concepts are effectively portrayed in Mark Bakers work The Fiftieth Gate, an exploration of the ability of history to validate memory and the energy of traumatic experiences in shaping a person’s existence. Memory and Witness, Jerry Fowlers interview with Nobel Peace Laureate Elie Wiesel not just deals with all the character of remembrance in history, but issues its dependability.
History and memory have an innate and complex bond; 1 cannot exist without the additional. Memory forms the basis of history, whereas history is selected to explain the fragmented and usually selective aspects of memory. In this means, throughout The Fiftieth Gate Baker delves into his parent’s past and utilizes his historic resources to confirm their experiences. As the text progresses, we are shown that both concepts have their flaws. Through the juxtaposition of his father’s shared experience with his mother’s miraculous lone survival “His was a previous created on a page of history shared by different survivors. My mom couldn’t point to anyone” (pg 136), we are shown that Baker favours the exactness of history over the indistinct and evasive nature of memory. Conversely, later in the chapter history is characterised as cold and colourless “What are these papers anyway except echoes of the past, dark shadows without screams, without smells, without fear” (pg 138). The utilize of accumulation and repetition of “without” emphasises that among the important faults of history is its deficiency of emotion.
Although Memory and Witness is an completely different text kind, it manages to be equally lucrative in questioning the accuracy of memory. Elie Wiesel asserts it is our responsibility to “bear witness”, that is, to tell the truth. He uses rhetorical query and inclusive code when asked why we should remember the truth “If we are not bearers of truth, then what are we?” This has the impact of connecting with all the audience and empowering them to analyze their own authenticity in recalling. Additionally to the, he concludes it is inherent in the human psyche to “lower the truth to comfort”. This use of the bad tone of voice is essential in the representation of fictitious remembrance as destructive.
The preservation of the past through both individual remember of earlier experiences, and the documentation of these experiences as evidence, is without question indispensable to humanity. Despite this, it’s not constantly a positive feeling. In The Fiftieth Gate we see that the traumatic nature of an event including the Holocaust has a durable impact on its surviving victims. Baker uses sensory imagery in his memoir in purchase to present memories to be fact, as opposed to the usually meaningless impression provided by history, and to show the eternal force of memories of individual experiences; “Can you hear, or do the screams within the mass grave drown out the sounds and melodies of Wierzbnik in its innocence?” (pg 59). The damaging connotations of the extract are repeated later in the text “Jews never remember with mirrors but cover them with a fabric during the initial 7 days after death; as if what we see in our reflection is what we are.” (pg 114). This really is a prime illustration of collective memory, and the integration of the past into the life-style of the present. Baker utilizes metaphoric code here to present the visitors with an underlying theme in The Fiftieth Gate; that searching into oneself is to look into the past.
The Fiftieth Gate and the interview Memory and Witness is watched to share a synonymous theme; the function of memory in history. A further parallel to Baker’s autobiographical research is the realisation of the value memory to be its capability to humanize, or as Wiesel articulates, “…humanize history, humanize destiny, humanize humanity…we are responsible for it and to it”. When again our interviewee utilizes repetition, in this case to associate history with destiny and humanity. This has the impact of suggesting that history is an key piece of the human experience. Additionally, through the discussion of anti-Semitism, Fowler and Wiesel come to focus found on the fake document called “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion”. In his reasoning of the “historic prop” to be false, Wiesel claims that “Some lies have a lengthy lifetime because there are some persons who believe in it.” Here he utilizes the literary device of personification to characterise “lies” as enduring just if we remember them as truth. This really is additionally an exploration of the energy of collective memory, that is really what history becomes.
Through the examination of individual experience, memory and recorded evidence, it may be concluded that each individual aspect is a fundamental component in a complex relationship. Each 1 has its own particular part, be it to personalise history or to validate memory. These issues is effectively conveyed in the representation of the historically extensive event like ‘The Holocaust’. Through the analysis of code and stylistic devices in Mark Baker’s The Fiftieth Gate and the interview between Jerry Fowler and Elie Wiesel Memory and Witness, the durable impact of the traumatic incident is revealed.
by Manuel Marino | History
Perhaps because historic because the Bible itself, the history of meditation has been recorded going back thousands of years. While no exact information exists on its origination, numerous speculate on its origins.
The Buddha has been lengthy known as an icon in the history of meditation; dating back to 500 B.C. After living a luxurious lifetime in his early years with his dad, Siddhartha became familiar with all the realities of existence outside of his upbringing. He determined that existence was mired with sorrow and suffering, and announced abstinence from worldly pleasures to follow more spiritual goals. Upon finding that the opposite end of the scale he chose wasn’t the answer to end life’s suffering, he rather traversed to the center ground between deluxe and asceticism. Siddhartha was 30 years older when he found “enlightenment”, or Nirvana; a increased amount of awareness achieved through meditation.
He invested the remainder of his life training his techniques to various persons, gaining a following of thousands of people.
Teachings within the Buddha spread through the Eastern globe in different types. Since there was no formal set of protocols, the adoption of the teachings in diverse regions branched out to shape numerous doctrines over the upcoming 400 years. Even thus, many thousands of years nonetheless passed before the Western planet learned of the history of meditation and all of its principles.
Researchers who have invested years studying the history of meditation have furthermore learned that its practice was recorded by Indians, although called Tantra by these individuals. Historical theories include that meditation and differing states of consciousness were attained by ancestral persons who would focus on flames in campfires, transcending their thoughts into ideals and plans of action.
Meditation as it exists now moreover takes countless forms; probably through its loose formation and development in early years after the Buddha’s teachings ceased. Each variation is as useful and efficient for its followers as the upcoming, serving to balance psychological and bodily energies of the body and notice. The history of meditation has evolved into a technique that may assist persons rest, overcome depression, eliminate strain and uneasiness and achieve total peace of notice. It has moreover been imperative in helping people in conquering diseases like smoking, fat, drug issues and alcoholism. For countless, meditation is a signifies of dealing with all the everyday pressures that the globe imposes; centering them and helping them to regain composure and joy in their existence.
While it is very true that nobody knows how far back the history of meditation extends, it really is acknowledged that the art has developed over time into the most practiced techniques in the planet. Books, lectures, seminars and classes that teach the techniques of meditation are accessible to all who find internal peace; the same objective desired by millions throughout the history of meditation.
by Manuel Marino | History
Pizza is a form of food that originated in Italy, and be populated with individuals all about. And the routine practice is to utilize the round fermented bread covered with tomato sauce, plus cheese and different elements and then baked by the oven. The cheese generally become the Mosa Lira cheese, furthermore there are some mixed shape of cheese, including Parmesan cheese, Romano, Ricotta or Monterey Jack etc. It also offers a interesting history, thus allow us take a look.
It is mentioned in third century BC, the initial history of Roma had stated this form of food. That is round bread with olive oil covered on, plus spice and honey, and baked found on the stone. In the ruins of Pompeii, archaeologists found a synonymous pizza home. Although the food they found is fairly synonymous with today’s pizza, pizza today should contain 2 kinds of ingredients: tomato and mozzarella, which had not yet spread to Italy and the Mediterranean area.
Some individuals have mentioned that pizza originated in China. There is an interesting legend mentioned that the distinguished Italian traveler Marco. Polo loves to consume a form of pie that is favored in northern region of China. After his return to Italy, he wants to consume that pie again, but nobody will bake it. One day, he met with neighbors at house, among them there is a chef from Naples. Next Marco. Polo had an inspiration, he described the pie that he ate in China to the chef, and the chef was rather interesting about the pie, thus he did as Marco .Polo told him. But, the chef tried many of ways; he nevertheless couldn’t fill the stuffing into the dough. At time was near 2pm, individuals all had been hungry. Next, Marco .Polo proposed to place the stuffing found on the dough to consume. After eating, persons all think perfectly of the form of pie. The chef has tried for a number of occasions after return to Naples, and accompanied by a cheese and condiments, and just t discover it is greatly welcomed by diners. From then on, pizza spreads out.
According to statistics, Italian has virtually over 2million pizzeria, among which Naples has taken up 1200. Many of the Neapolitan would eat at least 1 a week, and some can deem pizza as their lunch and dinner. Whether the bad or the wealthy like to fold pizza in their hand to consume, therefore it’s a method to distinguish whether the pizza is advantageous or not. Pizza should be moderate in hardness, even fold it as the wallet, it won’t rupture is the wise 1.
by Manuel Marino | History
Discovered in China, tea has exerted a deep influence on societies and cultures throughout the globe. The tea story starts in China around 5,000 years ago. the famous Emperor of China and inventor of agriculture and Chinese medication was drinking a bowl of boiling water some time around 2737 BC when a limited leaves were blown from a nearby tree into his water, changing the color. As a scientist, the emperor became intrigued by the liquid, drank some, and found it quite appetizing and was pleasantly amazed by its taste and restorative qualities. He instantly gave the control that tea bushes to be planted in the gardens of his palace.
So the custom of brewing fresh tea leaves in hot water started and it instantly spread. After the creation of tea, usage spread throughout the Chinese culture. In 800 A.D. Lu Yu wrote the initially book on tea, the Cha Ching.
His work was thus explicit and complete that it projected him into near sainthood within his own lifetime. Tea creation in China, historically, was a laborious procedure, performed in distant and usually improperly accessible areas. This led to the rise of countless apocryphal stories and legends surrounding the harvesting procedure.
Until the fifth century A.D., tea was basically employed as a treatment, due to the medicinal advantages attributed with it. From this time onwards, China’s upper class adopted the fashion of presenting packages of tea as very esteemed presents and of enjoying drinking tea at social occasions and in private homes. At around the same time the Chinese tea ceremony started to develop and the tidings of tea started to spread as it reached Japan.
Advent of tea in the west
Tea arrived in Europe via Dutch and Portuguese sailors at the beginning of the 17th century.
The tea trade was a extensive element in establishing connections between east and west. In China, tea leaves were chosen as a replace for coins. In Europe, tea was chosen as a symbol of significant status and as a stimulus for numerous technological developments. The locals had to create do with tea dust to create their brew. Choosing the taste strong, they experimented with milk and spices, glucose etc. therefore their was a entire fresh development to the methodology adopted for the preparation of tea
At the beginning of the 18th century, tea arrived in Northern America, rapidly becoming a desirable drink there too. But the British later levied taxes found on the tea commodities which greatly angered the general public. They exposed their frustration in the shape of demonstrations and boycott movements that denied the ships carrying the tea products unload. One well-known case was that which happened in Boston, where a group of locals boarded among the cargo ships and threw all their shipments into the sea. This distinguished occurrence in this respect was called the “Boston Tea Party”
A noticeable rise in tea expenditure resulted within the appearance of tea bags at the beginning of the 20th century. With the different types of tea noticed, it happens to be just but apparent that the whole globe delves itself in the wealthy aroma of the brew. During the 20th century, the source of tea crops spread throughout the globe, from Japan to Africa and South America. Towards the finish of the 20th century, an more rise in the western world’s tea usage happened and in evidence was a demand for standard teas.
India, that is the biggest manufacturer of tea (off late, its position has been displaced by china) didn’t drink tea for pleasure till the British introduced the culture. It was generally considered a medicinal herb and with all the British establishing tea plantations along the borders of Assam, the tea culture was thereby introduced in India.
Whatever become the origin, tea has today spread across classes and ethnicity to every of the planet and continues to evolve even as you read this.
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