Reflection on Humanities
The study of Humanities is a mind blowing experience, I understand it as the study of history with a strict focus on the human aspect. From this perspective I find most topics interesting. I have explored the Middle Ages and some of the characteristics that are very unique for the time. I also explored the age of the Greeks and the expansion they led by developing their intellectual approach to life. Another interesting subject was the Romans and the continuation they led of the Greek way of thinking. I would like to explain what aspects became more appealing and why.
It became apparent to me, historians dissect the history of human bind into sections to better specialize in one particular topic, however, we never really appreciate the full picture.History is composed of all aspects that form it. History can be better understood when we take a wholistic approach. Past the previous assignments I began to realize the influence one specific period had over the others and another period over another period and so on. History is alwaysbeen a chain of links that cannot exist alone. Approaching the period, any period, by understanding what came prior and what developed next really helps the student understand and grasp the situations and atmosphere during the period being studied. I will begin with the Greeks. Their knowledge and eagerness to become better, proved through history that their accomplishments would forever shape the standards of living, even today. The most amazing of their discoveries is the introduction to people of what a republic should be ran and how essential is to establish a structure supported by the same people that will endure its structure. Greeks also introduced the "jury system led and organized by commoners instead of powerful politicians and religious figures. These juries became the standard for trials of importance and made of their function an essential aspect of a newfound justice. These two are just the beginning of the wonders they left behind for us to enjoy. Of course, not to mention the unique architecture they created and gifted to the world, the coliseum, the theatres, the house of government the Parthenon. Now, how about the invention of drama? Not too bad right? What will the modern world do without the one thing we cannot avoid? Exactly, Drama. The discoveries of the Greeks really go beyond what they could ever imagine they could go and is this aspect that makes them as relevant today as they ever have been.
Another subject I would like to discuss was the conversion of the state of Rome. How it became, and how it developed following the motto of the ancient Greeks. Its revolution and rapid expansion made them an indelible mark in history, times of uncertainty and success mark the rise and fall of the Roman empire. Republican vs imperial Rome was the title we used; we can guess from this title; the content was about the comparisons of both structures which commanded the people of Rome, what their flaws were and what made some of the enriching aspects of each of the structures. Again, we see the term “republic” and we can almost immediately refer to the Greeks, right? Well, the up-and-coming republic system in Rome proved to be inefficient and fruitless due to the size of the territory. Military units almost acted as independent armies since there was not a clear understanding of the ranking and structures of the military groups that fueled the rapid expansion of the soon to become empire. All the level of politicians completely inefficient ruled over the selected few in the urban-most cities, all those in the skirts of Rome suffered tremendous amounts of inequality and a severe lifestyle due to sickness. The combination of the two (poor leadership and rapid expansion) began the shift onto an imperial system. A key figure we need to point out here is the one and only Julius Caesar. Under his rule, although short, the imperialism platform really took off. He would introduce so many great things to the lower classes of Rome that his popularity rose amongst the common men, on the other hand the already established ruling class grew uneasy about the power that he could gain by this move and opted to assassinate Caesar. Tragic Right? But again, all this chaos is only one step in the already long and extended history of our peoples.
My last literary adventure before this reflection was on the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. In the past I had heard of the renaissance Fairs that are celebrated across the country, fairs that began to popularize over time. This to me was an idea that perhaps should honor the time in which a huge development in art history was established. However, I never realized how near to us those times are. The Middle Ages are truly what separates us from the ancient world and the modern world. Is the beginning of the transition into modern thinking and all the following inventions that are now key components to us, such as light, communications beyond the written form, internet, and the list goes on. The Middle Ages was the last stop of humanity to live in a form of “austerity”. I, myself, when I think of the Renaissance period, my mind automatically travels to Florence Italy. Italy is the one region that I understand as having lived through the Renaissance and although other parts of Europe also did, I find it hard to expand my interest past the borders of this specifically city. The development of the arts is what captivates my attention. We mostly view art, specially after the invention of photography, as something people just do. There is not an intellectual approach to it, we simply enjoy the aesthetic aspect and the way it makes us feel or perhaps just the way it adorns our hallways. During the Renaissance art was more than that, Art was a status, was a way to prove that you were doing the right things and you could prove it by commissioning portraits of your family and showcasing them to the closest of friends. Art, more than ever, was commercialized and important as it never will be again in the future of the craft.
