Assess Whether Pericles Was a Good or Bad Leader Essay

Pericles (C. 495-429 BC) was a very influential politician and general in Athens. He is said to have brought about a very important time in Athenian history known as ‘The Golden Age of Athens’ where he brought about or placed focus on certain things like art, which gave Athens the reputation as the cultural and educational centre of Ancient Greece, architecture, where he created a project to beautify the city and provide work for Athenians with most of its products like the Parthenon still surviving and giving us an idea of the glory of Athens. He also made valuable contributions to drama, the bringing about of democracy and the establishment of the Greek empire. Democracy, which allows all citizens to influence and be involved in the running of the state was a concept reaffirmed by Pericles. This is why he made sure he played a major role in the ostracizing of Cimon who was characterized as being a tyrant. Other historians may argue that Pericles’ ulterior motive for doing that was to ensure that he came into power with his main opposition out of the way but for a man who made so many important advancements for the Athenians, I strongly believe he did it not with the intention of capturing power but helping give the Athenians a voice. This made him a very great political leader as he was able to rid the state of the many problems of dictatorship and oligarchy like corruption which was further emphasized by one of his ancient admirers, Thucydides who said, ‘he kept himself untainted by corruption, although he was not altogether indifferent to money-making’ He ‘excelled all his fellow citizens in skills of oratory’ (Diodorus Siculus) The art of oratory has been a rare skill possessed by very few people who turned out to deliver some of the most well known speeches in history. Oratory has been a very influential tool for some of the world’s greatest leaders and Pericles falls in that category of leaders with exceptional skills. People such as Abraham Lincoln who’s famous speech, the Gettysburg Address gained parallels to Pericles’ great funeral oration by the American Civil War scholar, Garry Wills which leads many to believe that one of the greatest modern speakerâ€⠄¢s drew inspiration from Pericles. This gesture alone shows the great oratory skills of a great man in Athenian history. This extraordinary ability is attested to by Thucydides who once again was full of praise for the famous Athenian when asked about whether he or Pericles was the better fighter by the Spartan king, Archidamus. Without hesitation Thucydides said Pericles was better and justified it by saying that even when he was defeated, he managed to convince the audience that he had won. This shows how he was able to persuade and influence the Athenians which even though some may say was manipulative and defeated the concept of democracy gave the simple Athenian citizen thought provoking ideas to make an informed choice. His speaking skills, which were able to draw the exact emotions got from the Athenian people was however criticized by people like the poet, Ion, who says that Pericles had an arrogant and somewhat big-headed manner of talking, and that into his pride there entered a good deal of disrespect and d islike for others. This is highly debatable as we are supposed to believe a person who says Pericles had a good deal of disrespect and dislike for others, the same Pericles who put the true Athenian people first and made sure they had a say in how their home state was ruled. By that observation alone I believe Ion’s quote about Pericles should be discarded as total rubbish and the ranting of a person simply envious of his (Pericles’) ability. Plutarch mentions in his criticism of Pericles about the strange occurrence in Agariste’s (Pericles’ mother). He says, ‘She, in her dreams, once fancied that she had given birth to a lion and a few days thereafter bore Pericles.’ I do not believe this is actually counts as a criticism of him because even though a lion may be a dangerous animal, its traditional symbolism of greatness should be taken into account. Other symbolic attributes for a lion are strength, courage, power, royalty, dignity, authority, dominion, justice , wisdom and ferocity which I believe are all attributes displayed by Pericles in both his political and military career. Ancient Greek symbolism for a lion is the protector of the home and Pericles really showed that in the battles protecting his beloved home, Athens. There is also the argument of whether Pericles was actually a leader or just got carried away by the masses. Plutarch said, ‘he was no longer the same man as before, nor alike submissive to the people and ready to yield and give in to the desires of the multitude as a steersman to the breezes.’ Here, Plutarch suggests, Pericles had no leadership over the Athenians and that he put the city in chaos to do as they could do what they want which is supported by others saying he made the Athenians idle, talkative and greedy (Plato). This motion would however have to be rejected with strong evidence against it in his speeches and oratory skills. Thucydides offered the correct leadership style of Pericles by arguing that Pericles ‘was not carried away by the people, but he was the one guiding the people.’ The evidence, as said in the last paragraph is in his great speeches and his ability to draw a certain reaction from the Athenian people and so though some may argue that he left the Athenians with no authoritative leader which could only be gained through other methods of governing like dictatorships, he offered a better alternative as he served more as a sort of ‘guardian’ for the Athenian people and guided them to make predominantly good choices like getting rid of the tyrant, Cimon. Pericles, for more than 20 years was involved in the military. He led many expeditions mainly naval ones. He was a wise and cautious military leader and he never went into battles that were mostly likely a wild goose chase for the Athenian people. This was a great attribute for a military leader because he did not just march his men on to grounds when the odds were not in their favour to have them killed or running back to Athens with their tails between their legs. He avoided the high risk of losses and instead chose each battle wisely and as such there are no major criticisms of his Periclean Grand Strategy which sought to preserve, not expand, the empire, this strategy could not reach completion however as his successors changed everything and lacked the military abilities and character that caused it to work under Pericles. Pericles’ legacy cannot be understated as most of it still survives till today. The concept of democracy practiced by all free states in the modern world and used as a measure of a country’s justice and fairness is one of them. His most visible legacy however is found in the artistic and literary works of the Golden Age and The Acropolis, though in ruins, is still a great symbol of modern Athens and a remembrance of a great man that once roamed those very streets. I believe Pericles was a great leader both in politics and in the military and I also support the idea that his abilities in both areas caused the famous bust statue of him around to have a helmet sitting on top of his head to show the two equally talented faces of the great leader that is Pericles. In the movie ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008), the character Harvey Dent famously says to the lead, Batman, ‘You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.’ I believe it’s the latter that caused the ostracizing of Pericles because there is no evidence that he did anything major to deserve that sort of punishment but even if his story with the Athenians should end on a bad note, I believe he still is one of the greatest leaders in Ancient History and even if he wasn’t perfect, I mean, who is? and had a few flaws and bad traits, he still ensured that Athens was a major part in history and the effect he had is still present today in modern day Athens.

Review of Related Literature Essay

The review of related literature for this study focuses on different previous studies about working students locally and outside the country. These studies identify models and several case study of a working student including the reasons why students are force to work are also enumerated. (cited,.) ( ïÆ'ŸHindi ako sure dito) Local Literature According to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) about 216,000 students in the country are currently juggling school and work, this figure is about 8% of the total number of college students in the country. CHED said working students today are mostly into food service, entertainment and sales, apart from their usual stints as library and research assistants. â€Å"Due to financial crisis that’s why they need a extra income,† said lawyer Julito Vitriolo, officer-in-charge at CHED’s office of the executive director. He also added that these students are forced to work because of higher commodity prices and tuition fees. The CHED said that only 50% of working students get to finish college, as many cannot cope and cannot concentrate on their studies, while some have poor health, while others give up because of insufficient funds.CHED advised working students to get jobs that are not that demanding, and that are more closely related to their courses. FOREIGN LITERATURE According to the National Center for Education Statistics in America, in 2007 nearly half (45 percent) of â€Å"traditional† undergraduates—that is, students between the ages of sixteen and twenty-four attending college full time—worked while enrolled. About 80 percent of traditional-age undergraduates attending college part time worked while enrolled. The amount of time students spend working has been of increasing concern for the educators that serve them and, in some instances, the students themselves. Recent data would indicate that 80% of American undergraduates worked while attending college in 1999-2000 (King, 2003).This represents an 8% increase over the class less than a decade previously, among whom 72% worked  (Cuccaro-Alamin & Choy,1998). Further, there appears to be a strong body of literature that points to the positive effects of not working versus working while attending college (King, 2002; Pascarella& Terenzini, 1991). As College Board policy analyst Sandy Baum argues in a 2010 collection of essays I edited, Understanding the Working College Student: New Research and Its Implications for Policy and Practice, while some of these students are awarded â€Å"work† as part of their financial aid package, other students either do not receive work-study funding or find such awards insufficient to cover the costs of attendance. Some traditional-age students may use employment as a way to explore career options or earn spending money. For other students, particularly adult students, work is a part of their identity, as Carol Kasworm, a professor of adult education at North Carolina State University, and other contributors to Understanding the Working College Student point out. Regardless of the reason for working, trying to meet the multiple and sometimes conflicting simultaneous demands of the roles of student, employee, parent, and so on often creates high levels of stress and anxiety, making it less likely that students will complete their degrees. How does Working Affects Students’ Success (?) Some researchers have reported that â€Å"the more time a student devotes to employment, the less he or she has for either academic or social activities† (Fjortoft, 1995). Although this may leave the students with less time, what is the impact on college success? Some studies have looked at the effects of working on social and academic integration—or student engagement. This is an important component in student behavior theory (Bean, 1985; Pascarella & Staver, 1985; Tinto, 1975) that has long been linked with persistence (Kuh, 1995; Pascarella & Terrenzini, 1983). Lundberg (2004) examined a national sample of 3,774 responses to the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ) and found that students working more than 20 hours per week reported significantly fewer interactions with faculty and lower quality student relationships with peers. Cheng (2004) examined how work affected the academic and social experience of college students, using a mixed method design, and found â€Å"no significant difference between working and nonworking students in their academic and social experience, though working students’ GPAs are lower than those of the nonworking†(p. 1). Bibliography http://www.aaup.org/article/understanding-working-college-student#.VLCOT9KUf5N http://indiana.edu/~ipas1/workingstudentbrief.pdf http://www.aaup.org/article/understanding-working-college-student#.VLCOT9KUf5N

Comparing poems Nothings changed Essay

The Poem ‘nothings changed’ is based on Tatamkhulu Afrika himself who spent many years in South Africa and his autobiographical poem which describes most of what him and others had experienced and his own feelings expressed during the policy of Apartheid, introduced by the government in his country. This forced many popular attractions such as beaches, buses and even towns to be changed to ‘white areas’ only. For some this meant leaving the country forever all just because of the colour of there skin. The poem itself is set out in six stanzas, each including eight fairly short but important lines. This kind of layout and structure in the poem creates a sense of control, showing how the poet is extremely clear about what he is saying and feeling in his head with no sudden actions leading to rage. Within the pattern of the poem the line lengths do also vary from a whole entire stanza to just two little words. For example: ‘District Six. No board says it is: but my feet know, and my hands, and the skin about my bones, and the soft labouring of my lungs,and the hot, white, inwards turning’. This shows how the structure of the strong poem changes in the stanza’s, gradually getting bigger sentences as the stanza speaks on, giving a feeling of confidence in the poet proving he knows what he is talking about with all the information gathering. The whole poem is written in the present tense, although always recalling past experience he had the poet is constantly reliving the experience as he writes every word. This makes this poem in particular stand out from ‘what were they like?’ due to the fact it is easy to identify what is going on. The poet also clearly states how he is feeling and what he is exactly doing as he writes, describing every little detail by putting us in his shoes. The poem overall describes how he returns to the wasteland that was once his home and relives the anger he felt when the area was first destroyed. With him seeing the restaurant Which consists of being expensive, stylish, exclusive with a guard at the gatepost it makes him think about the poverty around it especially the working mans cafi across from it were people live without eating from plates and on a plastic table top. This makes him reflect that despite the changing political situation, there are still huge inequalities between blacks and whites. Even though South Africa is supposed to have changed, he knows the new restaurant is really ‘whites only’. He feels that nothing has really changed overall. The deep anger he feels makes him want to destroy the restaurant completely – ‘to smash the glass with a stone, or a bomb’. Secondly the poem ‘what were they like’ written by Denise Levertov who wrote poems that opposed American fighting in Vietnam in the 1960’s. This particular poem is against the typical American ignorance of the Vietnam war. She published the poem to show her true feelings about what the American army themselves had done to the people and the way of life of Vietnam. The structure of the poem is like an interview, having the interviewer or questioner ask all the questions together and then the speaker answer each question after one another. Altogether there are six questions followed by six very surprising answers. Also at the end of the poem the answers are followed by a rhetorical question ‘who can say? ‘ This makes the reader think in there head about the answer and shows the unusual treatment Vietnam received by the American army. In the poem itself she compares two different periods, before and after the war had ended showing the interesting experiences people were put in and what she wants answered for. The tone in the first section of the poem includes a thought on curiosity and full of wonder and also could be considered as being questions which are asked quickly and impatiently as when reading them you want to get to the answers straight away. Also the tone of the questioner may seem to be angry and a state of foolishness and insensitivity, yet still having a sense of sadness because of the loss of such an innocent country and the people who lived there during this hectic time. The questioner themselves represent the uninformed Americans and the response being Denise Levertov giving the impression that the questioner should have known more about Vietnam. The responses to the questions seem rather bitter and brutal to the suffering people as when read seem honest and quickly spoken in your head which is what the poet is trying to get at to show the emotion of which happened during the war itself. Overall both poems include some similar qualities, both being completely true and poets experiencing the lives lived out there. Yet ‘nothings changed’ is describing the life long change of the country since introducing the law of Apartheid in the 1960’s and how the country is still living with it, and overcoming the stress and changes the country had to make to change the lives of black and white people which is something of anger and hatred. This is shown by a personal experience form living in the country and visiting local areas and recording the atmosphere of the place. This anger can also be shown in ‘what were they like’ although this particular poet may have had experience from Vietnam she was not there to see it and includes in her poem questions referring to the fact she wants answers to what has happened in the past war against America. This shows the poems are different one including life experience on unfair laws made and the other just wanted answers on what she believes what happened in the Vietnam war is completely wrong.

Abstract Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Abstract - Research Paper Example The paper examines how the vision of Hrothgar is accurate in predicting that Beowulf would become a victim of his own pride if he would not be careful. He made his warning clear to Beowulf, but that warning was not enough in the end. Yes, he had his better spiritual qualities, such as his understanding of the role of fate in his life. On the other hand he was not strong enough to stay humble and not become too proud. The paper explores the way the events in Beowulfs life made it difficult for him not to become proud. He simply had too much power and success, and too human not to be affected by all that. His humanity had to result in some flaw, and that flaw is pride. The paper demonstrates that Hrothgar sees this and that Beowulf would put himself in danger because of it (Stitt; â€Å"Beowulf†). Stitt, Michael. â€Å"The Transformation of the Heroic Beowulf†. English 477, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. n.d. Web. 8 October 2014

Logistics - FedEx Distribution Systems Coursework

Logistics - FedEx Distribution Systems - Coursework Example The company is observed to use a distribution system of its own known as the ‘FedEx International DirectDistribution’ which is said to be an easy and cost-effective process, resulting in the distribution of various shipments in proper time along with decreasing its operational cost. This mechanism thereby facilitates to ensure that low cost is charged from the customers. This, in turn, plays a vital role in ascertaining the preference of FedEx amid consumers. With reference to the above graphical representation i.e. ‘FedEx International DirectDistribution’, it can be viewed that the distribution system of FedEx comprises three steps that include packaging of the shipment received from different sources, making transportation of goods with the help of different means, as well as the concluding step is to deliver the shipment to the final customers or retailers. The different steps have been elaborated below: The packaging of the shipment received: In the first step of the distribution process of the company, the shipments received are packed according to their requirements. The packaging process is considered to be a vital part of the distribution process of the company as the shipment of the goods in proper order or quality is reliant on the way in which the packaging is done. FedEx does have different packaging policies for diverse forms of products. The different packaging policies comprise stacking the shipment received in order to have a proper estimation of the width, length, and breadth of the boxes that would be needed to pack the product. The next step is the process of cushioning and bracing, resulting in the proper handling of the products while transporting the shipments from one location to another. And, the last step is banding and wider packaging so that no damages occur owing to an inadequate stacking of the products (FedEx, 2013).

Suez Crisis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Suez Crisis - Term Paper Example Ever since the proposal of the Suez Canal was suggested, controversy broke out among key nations. The canal offered an important strategic advantage which was recognized by many different powers. The assignment will focus on the construction and opening of the canal in order to better understand its importance in the modern world. The factors which contributed to the beginning of the Crisis will also be examined. The Crisis itself will be explored with its complex political goings on and brutal military action. The assignment will also take a look at how and why the Crisis ended. Finally, the aftermath of the Crisis will be examined and assessed in order to see how it affected the countries involved and their future relations. 2. THE SUEZ CANAL The Suez Canal was opened on 17 November 1869; there by, creating a water way between Africa and Asia; for, it allowed ships to sail directly between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. The canal was 160 km [101 miles] long and 296m at its narrowest point. [New World Encyclopedia Contributors, 2008] Although, Napoleon had entertained ideas of opening such a canal, it was Ferdinand de Lesseps, a French diplomat who put the dream into motion for a linking water way which would be accessible to ships of all nations. He presented his idea to Egypt and in 1854 the Viceroy of Egypt, Mohammed Said Pasha, agreed upon the construction of the Suez Canal. A prospectus was circulated among the leading nations of the time in order to promote the idea of the canal and to find investors to sponsor the construction. This lead to the formation of the Universal Company of the Suez Maritime Canal on 20 December 1858. Due, to rivalry between France and Britain during this time, Britain was loth for France to extend its power in the region where the canal was to be constructed. Therefore, Britain refused to invest in the canal and campaigned against its construction. This led to a lack in foreign investors; thus, it was that Egypt receiv ed 44% in shares of the canal. Construction on the canal was finally begun on 25 April 18599. [British Broadcasting Corporation, 2009] It has been reported that the French employed forced labor from Egypt to construct the canal. Britain used this leverage to disrupt work on the canal by insighting unrest among the workers. It has been estimated that over 30 thousand Egyptians and 1.5 million foreigners helped in the construction of the canal. Due, to the hard working conditions over 120 thousand laborers died. [NWEC, 2008] The construction of the canal cost almost double the original estimate, totaling $100 million, making it $1 million per mile. France conducted the tariffs which were to be paid by vessels travelling on the canal. [Penfield, 1907 p7] It is ironic that three quarters of the traffic of the canal during the first year was made up of British vessels transporting goods to and from their colonial territories as well as transporting military and administrative personnel m ore quickly to Africa; thus, aiding Britain in the expansion of its colonies. [New World Encyclopedia, 2008] It took only 14 to 16 hours to traverse the canal. The canal shortened the route from Britain to Bombay in India from 10,860 miles to just over 4,600 miles. [Penfield, 1907 p15] Egypt’s Viceroy, Said Pasha, died before the completion of the canal and was succeeded by his nephew, Ismail Pasha. He was an ambitious man who

Principles of Entrepreneurship Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Principles of Entrepreneurship - Coursework Example As the report declares  smart TV which is also known as connected TV is incorporated with internet features that provide the users a better experience. The features of Smart TV’s include video streaming, video on demand along with web browsing. Smart TV’s enables the users to share music, movies, photos and other multimedia files. These TV’s have entered the market since two years which provides a complete package of entertainment to the users like Youtube, Netflix, iPlayer along with various other applications that add up to the features of the smart TV’s. Besides, along with smart TV’s it has been observed that there has been a growth in the smart TV devices like PVR’s, TV adapters and Blu Ray players, that provide accessibility to internet services through TV. There are some Smart TV’s which are wireless enabled for using the internet services.This study stresses that TV viewers often do not find enough time or interest to watch s hows provided by the broadcasters anymore as there has been an emergence of a wide range of solutions pertaining to entertainment which enables the users to watch those shows that they desire to watch. The objective of the report involves determining the prevailing market scenario in the United Kingdom for a new smart TV manufacturing firm and developing a set of strategies to enter into the market. In addition, it has been observed that there is downward trend regarding the sales of TV’s in the UK.