Battle of Breitenfeld Essay -- essays research papers fc

It is said that the Romans owed the conquest of the world to no other cause than continual military training, exact observance of discipline in their camps and unwearied cultivation of the arts of war. The historical references of their battles will prove time and again that this statement has validity. How could such an Army rise to the power that was Rome in all its glory while being outnumbered on almost every battlefield? In an attempt to explore this question, one must delve into the foundation of the early Roman army and follow it through the five hundred year reign of power as the city-state rose to an empire (Preston.pg.29) The process by which Rome developed from a small military outpost on a river-crossing to become the dominant power of the Italian Peninsula was by no means swift or continuous. It took the better part of five centuries and during that time Rome itself was twice occupied by foreign powers (Warry. Pg.108). As the strength of Etrurua diminished, Rome asserted its authority over both the Etruscans and the Latins, but at the beginning of the fourth century B.C. the city was overwhelmed, after the disastrous battle of the Allia, by a vast horde of Gallic raiders (Contamine. pg.9). The Romans retreated into their citadel on the Capitoline Mount where they eventually fought off the Gauls, whose immediate interest was in pillaging for anything of worth and not in the land (Dersin.pg.8). Roman history records that the great Camillus, Rome’s exiled war leader, was recalled to speed the parting Gauls with military action, but this tries to hide the fact that the Gauls departed of their ow n accord, having obtained what they wanted. Roman military history is checkered by catastrophes that few great empires could have sustained during the period of their growth. Nobody would deny that the Romans were a formidable military nation; yet the genius which enabled them eventually to dominate the ancient world was as much political as military. Their great political instrument of choice was the concept of citizenship. Citizenship was not simply a status which one did or did not possess. It was and aggregate of right, duties, and honors, which could be acquired separately and conferred by installments (Boatwright.pg.25). Such were the rights of making legal contracts and marriages. From both of these the right to a political vote was not separable; no... ...rise to power, no single people dominated all or even most of that world. Military force and tactics that adapted over time and between enemies were large factors in Rome’s eventual dominance over the entire region, and credit must be given to the resiliency of the Romans in the face of victories and defeats along the way. Works Cited Preston, Richard; Roland, Alex; Wise Sydney. Men In Arms. (Ohio: Thompson Wadsworth, 2005) Warry, John. Warfare in the Classical World. (London: Oklahoma University and Salamander Books Ltd, 1995) Boatwright, Mary; Gargola, Daniel; Talbert, Richard. The Romans From Village to Empire. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004) Grant, Michael. The Fall Of The Roman Empire. (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1990) Nardo, Don. The Rise Of the Roman Empire. (California: Greenhaven Press, 2002) Contamine, Phillip. War in the Middle Ages. (Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 1999) Dersin, Denise. What Life Was Like When Rome Ruled the World. (Virginia: Time Life Books, 1997) Harris, Nathaniel. History of Ancient Rome. (London: Octopus Publishing, 2000) Roberts, Timothy. Ancient Rome. (New York: Friedman/Fairfax

Examining The Concept of Politically Correct Speech Essay

â€Å"Let’s be politically correct about this.† This is a common statement people make when they want to avoid offending people. This is the goal of the concept of being politically correct: avoid offending people’s sensibilities. Case in point, it is not uncommon to call blind people â€Å"visually impaired.† The reason for this is that somehow the word â€Å"blind† became derogatory. Well, actually it didn’t and neither did a number of benign words but in the 1990’s there was a movement that started with the clear intention of making words as antiseptic as possible. The movement was somewhat mocked at first and pop culture comedian George Carlin quipped â€Å"It is just a means of people hiding their guilt without really atoning for their sins.† But, the politically movement has far from gone away. In fact, it has gained significant momentum in certain quarters. This is good in some ways and negative in others. One of the most negative aspects of the political correctness movement is that perpetually trying to be politically correct has a tendency to hinder communications. That is, when people are always trying to choose their words or phrases carefully they may find the end result to be stilted. That is to say, the words they select in their writing or oral presentations may end up being silly. Again, most people assume a blind person is blind. If one refers to a blind person as â€Å"optically challenged† then one may discover the audience laughing at the choice of words. This is because it is obvious the individual is going really out of the way to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings. Granted, this end result may avoid offense but it could also yield laughter. If that was not the intended result of your actions then the actions would be deemed a flop. Sorry to be so blunt but this is the common end result of going to ridiculous extremes in order be politically correct at the expense of using â€Å"good† language. There are, however, some benefits to politically correct speech. This is most evident in the workplace. Remember when it comes to success in the workplace success will often be based around relationships with people. If your relationships with others are not as best as they can be then you may discover your career suffering. This would obviously be a bad situation and best avoided. Since one of the most common ways of developing bad relationships is through offending people seeking to be more politically correct in your dialogue would not be a bad idea. If you are involved in the insurance sales business there will be a multitude of people whom you will come in contact. As such, you would want these people to feel as comfortable as possible and opt to avoid using words that may prove offensive. For example, you would want to avoid calling the elderly â€Å"old† if you come in contact with such individuals. Sticking with the term â€Å"senior citizen† would be a much wiser option. Of course, you will want to select words that are sensible and not silly. There is a fine line between politeness and parody when it comes to speaking in a politically correct manner. However, if you use simple logic and common sense in your approach to selecting politically correct terms you will avoid many of the common â€Å"political correctness† pitfalls associated with the movement.

How to Prevent a Shark Attack

Even though youre more likely to die from a lightning strike, alligator attack or on a bicycle than from a shark attack, sharks do sometimes bite humans. In this article, you can learn about the actual risk of a shark attack, and how to avoid one.​ The International Shark Attack File The International Shark Attack  File  was developed in the late 1950s to compile information on shark attacks. Sharks attacks may be provoked or unprovoked. According to the International Shark Attack File, provoked attacks are those that happen when a person initiates contact with a shark (e.g., bites occurring to a fisherman removing a shark from a hook, a bite to a diver that has touched a shark). Unprovoked attacks are those that occur in the sharks natural habitat when a human has not initiated contact. Some of these may be if the shark mistakes a human for prey. Over the years, records of unprovoked attacks have increased — in 2015, there were 98 unprovoked shark attacks (6 fatal), which is the highest on record. This doesnt mean sharks are attacking more often. It  is more a function of increased human population and activity in the water (visiting the beach, increase in participation in scuba, paddle boarding, surfing activities, etc.), and the ease of reporting shark bites. Given the large increase in human population and ocean use over the years, the rate of shark attacks is decreasing. The top 3 attacking shark species were the white, tiger and bull sharks. Where Do Shark Attacks Occur? Just because youre swimming in the ocean doesnt mean you may be attacked by a shark. In many areas, large sharks dont come close to shore. The regions with the highest percentage of shark attacks were Florida, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Hawaii, and California. These are also regions where lots of people visit the beaches and participate in water activities. According to  The Shark Handbook, most shark bites occur to swimmers, followed by surfers and divers, but the majority of these bites are minor flesh wounds or abrasions. Ways to Prevent Shark Attacks There are many ways (most of them common-sense) that you can avoid a shark attack. Below is a list of what not to do if youll be swimming in waters where sharks might be present, and techniques for getting away alive if a shark attack really does happen. How to Avoid a Shark Attack: Dont swim alone.Dont swim during dark or twilight hours.Dont swim with shiny jewelry.Dont swim if you have an open wound.Dont swim too far offshore.Ladies: dont swim if youre menstruating.Dont splash excessively or make erratic movements.Keep pets out of the water.Dont swim in areas where there are sewage (for other obvious reasons!) or pinnipeds that are hauled-out. Both areas can attract sharks.Dont swim in areas being used by fishermen, as their bait could attract sharks.Dont push your luck — never harass a shark. Get out of the water if one is spotted and never attempt to grab or touch it. What to Do If Youre Attacked: Lets hope youve followed safety advice and successfully avoided an attack. But what do you do if you suspect a sharks in the area or you are being attacked? If you feel something brush against you, get out of the water. According to an article from National Geographic, many shark bite victims dont feel any pain. And sharks may strike more than once.If you are attacked, the number one rule  is do whatever it takes to get away. Possibilities include yelling underwater, blowing bubbles, and punching the sharks nose, eye or gills and then leaving the area before the shark strikes again. Protecting Sharks Although shark attacks are a horrific topic, in reality, many more sharks are killed by humans each year. Healthy shark populations are crucial to maintaining balance in the ocean, and sharks need our protection. References and Additional Information: Burgess, George H. 2011. ISAF Statistics on Attacking Species of Shark. (Online). FL Museum of Natural History. Accessed January 30, 2012.Burgess, George H. 2009. ISAF 2008 Worldwide Shark Attack Summary (Online). FL Museum of Natural History. Accessed February 5, 2010.Burgess, George H. 1998. Just for Kids: How to Avoid a Shark Attack Reprinted with permission from The Kids How to Do (Almost) Everything Guide, Monday Morning Books, Palo Alto, California. Accessed February 5, 2010.ISAF. 2009. International Shark Attack File. (Online). FL Museum of Natural History. Accessed February 5, 2010.Skomal, G. 2008. The Shark Handbook. Cider Mill Press Book Publishers: Kennebunkport, ME. 278pp.