Posted on 07/02/2007 12:09:07 PM PDT by NattieShea
Our Dad had the idea of analyzing current issues for the underlying moral values, then analyzing Roman history to compare the effects of those morals in ancient times. It took us a year to write and research. As it was difficult for us to decide upon a thesis, our Dad helped us write both our thesis and our conclusion. He also read and commented on several sections to exemplify what he expected. We read most of the books in their entirety, some we read for pertinent information due to time constraints.
You showed an interest in my paper ‘Seven Stars for Aslan,’ some six years ago, so I thought I would ping you to this one.
Your conclusion seems like another familiar country but I can't put my finger which one that is...
Seriously though, I couldn't read all of it but it looks to be a comprehensive look at what happened.
Why did you write it? As a HS project?
You guys seemed interested in my paper “Seven Stars for Aslan” six years ago, so I thought you might like this one too.
Cuz Daddy said so. :-)
Yes, it was a homeschooling project. We do one of these every couple of years, although we haven't published them all.
Carry_Okie had better watch out, these younguns are going to rule the planet.
That nitpicking however is not at odds with your conclusions that the Patricians bought off the rest of society with "a government that functions" to turn a phrase. The period after the Republic was full of attempts from members of the Empire to appeal to Republican virtue and forms and thereby gain legitimacy for their maintaining a firm hold on power.
Thanks for posting this. A welcome diversion.
Just one correction I’d like to make. Constantine didn’t create the papacy, Jesus did when he annointed Peter as the person who would serve as the rock who his church would be built upon
The statement I just made is not a statement that can conclusively be made to be an objective statement of fact, and neither is the one I responded to. The official position of the church is my position, Peter was the first pope, and in general, we’re given the liberty of it. For political reasons, non-Catholic denominations, have to say that Constantine created it, or else they run a real theological risk in not following what is the original denomination
That one statement should have subjectivity noted, other than that though, seems to describe the United States.
WOW! You did it! It will take me two days to read all that. I’m so proud of you me girls. Dad has to be very proud of you both. I can tell just by scanning that you have done college level work on this. I’ll be in and out on this thread. Will mark it.
But the choice of the progress of Virtue within its history is a thread that many of the great commentators have settled upon. May I suggest one such to you? He is Niccolo Machiavelli and his treatise is Discourses On The First Ten Books Of Titus Livy, commonly shortened to The Discourses. People who know him only as the author of the occasionally frightening The Prince are only hearing a minor part of his story.
The topic is Virtue, or more precisely Virtù - his theme is your theme, his subject material yours as well. For Machiavelli this incorporated the relations between citizen and government as well as those between individuals. His focus was on the role played by Virtù in the decay and downfall of the Republic in favor of the Caesarean monarchy to follow. Livy himself was writing during the accession of Augustus and so had to be very circumspect about direct criticism; Machiavelli was under no such restriction.
It helps to know that Machiavelli was a fierce defender of his own Florentine Republic (its Minister of Defense at one point) and so was most interested in the maintenance of representative government and its host society, and why both tend to decay and fall into despotism. Since Florence did precisely that under the Medici and it cost him, in order, dismissal, impoverishment, and a turn on the rack, you might suspect that his thoughts on the topic were a very personal matter indeed.
It's just a thought if this sort of thing continues to interest you. Now close your ears a minute while I tell your Dad how proud of you he ought to be. ;-)
You are citing Catholic doctrine as if it was an agreed fact. It's not. Perhaps you can explain how Peter deferred to James when it came to deciding the standards under which Gentiles would be allowed in the synagogue in the Apostolic Decree? Then there's the matter of Paul rebuking Peter in Galatians. If he, as the first "pope," was the authority you presuppose, neither would have happened.
eh? :-))
They're both great kids.
You all posted on that thread, so I thot you'd be interested in the girls' progress.
The Waspman has fond memories of the times spent with all of you on that piece of environmental "heaven" near "Holy City, CA!"
Hopefully I'll see you all again someday soon. You sure have been keeping busy, but that's good. My mother always said "idle hands are the Devil's workshop!" So, therefore busy hands/minds must be the precise opposite!
I proud of you young women and your parents! Thanks for the ping and do it again, soon!!!
Outstanding! Bookmarking for further reading.
Thanks for the ping, Dad.
He did not actually create the church, but he took it from a persecuted network of organizations to the dominant Imperial Roman Religion. He came as close to creating it as he could.
Congratulations on your daughters’ accomplishments.
You must be very proud.
Thank you for posting the link to the Finest Thread. I can’t believe it has been almost 5 years. It was great to refresh my memory.
Happier than proud; it's the L-rd's way.
Just doing my duty. See post 5 :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.