Hell Yeah!

Dante the Pilgrim's attitude towards Hell progresses as he visits the various circles of Hell. In Canto V, he feels pity for the two lovers: Francesca and Paolo. Contrarily, in Canto VIII, Dante is ruthless towards Filippo Argenti, the shade that attaches itself to the boat while Dante crosses the Styx. He transcends from pitying the shade of hell, to believing that their punishment is just or even that they should be punished farther. Therefore, he has a more positive attitude towards the necessity of Hell then he did at the beginning of his journey into Hell.

Christianity vs. Mythology

Dante manages to blend Christianity and Mythology. Normally, we think of these two things as irreconcilable. But Dante makes a whole epic poem containing both. Obviously, Hell is a Christian doctrine. However, Dante inserts Roman poets and mythological creatures into Hell. Charon, Cerberus, the River Styx, and Phlegyas, to name a few, are mythological people who appear in the Christian Hell. Dante also compares himself to Paul and Aeneas by saying "I am not Paul, I am not Aeneas." Dante blends these two religious beliefs together to great an amazing epic poem.

Inferno

I am really enjoying Dante's Inferno. The Bible does not really give us a really a description of Hell, so Dante wrote an epic poem about it. He inserts himself in the poem to give it a personal aspect. His construction of Hell is very interesting. He includes Pagans in the first circle because they weren't really sinners; they just didn't believe in God because Christianity did not exist yet. The farther down in Hell, the worse the sin.

Nudity in Ancient Rome

In the Roman baths, people did not wear clothing most of the time. But, this was in stark contrast to the normal values of Rome. Unlike the Greeks, Romans often thought that nudity was distasteful. Unlike Greek sculptures, Roman sculptures were often clothed unless specific figures were being portrayed. Despite this, interestingly, the Phallus was a very prominent symbol in Roman culture.

Rulers Trajan and Augustus

During this period of Roman history, two main rulers made significant impacts on not only the overall Republic, but also the people that encompassed it. Augustus's rule is interesting because it directly followed his uncle's, Julius Caesar, assasination. After much conflict with Antony and Cleopatra  during the Battle of Actium, Augustus sealed his role as the first real emperor of Rome. With titles like, Augustus, a name given to him by the Senate, and "First Citizen of the State," it is evident that Augustus wanted to relate to the people, especially Caesar's followers, rather than rule by fear. Similarly, Trajan was all about ruling for the people. Both leaders attempted to beautify the city and make economic improvements such as better roads, aqueducts, and systems of protection, like the Praetorian Guard.  All these public works signify both leaders as in line with Cicero's ideal of the best and most fit ruler.

Architecture and art matches values

Nowadays, people don't necessarily think of architecture as a way to see the values of modern society. This is because you must look at something from the past in order to make assertions on the progression of values. Knowing this, the architecture from the times of the reign of Augustus and Trajan definitely portray the values of Roman society at that time. For example, the Ara Pacis Agustae was built under the command of Augustus and related to the total peace that he wanted under his Pax Romana. Under Trajan, the values are different in that they stress expansion and regional domination more. The most clear example of this is Trajan's column, which was located in the new forum that he had built. On this column, there are depictions of the Dacian wars that Trajan himself took part in to dominate the barbaric empire. Therefore power and strong leadership was a more important value in the reign of Trajan.

Roman Country Clubs

One thing I found interesting while doing research for the presentation, was the Roman Imperial Baths. These "baths" had hot and cold swimming pools, gymnasiums, restaurants, bars, walking paths, libraries, shops and more. The baths were open to everyone, and were a common hang out spot for the Roman citizens. The baths seem very progressive and close to modern day country clubs that would be open to the public. The Roman rulers were expected to give back to the people in some way, and the imperial baths were a way to build something to provide entertainment for the citizens of Rome. Today country clubs and community centers are similar, but I do not think either draw as much attention as the imperial baths did. The sense of community also most likely strengthened Roman culture.