The Olympian gods play an important role in Homer's Iliad. Their nature and power provide the setting in which the heroes act, and their interventions in human affairs decisively shape the plot of the epic.
NO PERFECTION HERE
The Greek gods definitely were not perfect. They could be spiteful, cruel, jealous, and deceptive— rather like human beings. They had their own particular concerns. These were related to that aspect of human life (love and war, for example) or the natural world (sea and sun, for example) over which each deity was thought to hold sway. The gods also played favorites among mortals, helping or harming as they saw fit. So, while they were immortal, they were not all-powerful. Zeus, the king of the gods and the god of the sky and thunder, ruled over all the deities from his lofty seat atop Mount Olympus, restraining them when their quarrels threatened to overthrow the order of the world. Still, the gods often sought to escape his control through trickery and disguise.
This story is from the October 2017 edition of Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens.
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This story is from the October 2017 edition of Dig Into History Magazine for Kids and Teens.
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China's Guardian Lions
Huge beasts, one male and one female, protect the entrances to palaces, temples, mansions, and other important buildings in China.
Augustus Of Prima Porta
One of the most famous statues of Augustus is known as the Augustus of Prima Porta (right), named for the site where it was found. Prima Porta is the suburb of Rome where Augustus’ wife Livia built a huge house, known as a villa.
Take A Look
Visual imagery— including statues, inscriptions, and paintings—carried deep meaning for the ancient Romans. In essence, it was a powerful and lasting way of communicating with the masses. Rulers of Rome often used art to make clear their authority to their subjects and to express political and religious beliefs and practices. Just as Augustus started a new political tradition when he became Rome’s first emperor, so he also re-imagined Roman art.
According To Tacitus
The Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus (c. 55–117 C.E.) wrote a number of important works that offer an insight into life in the early Roman Empire. In his Annals, he presents a history of the emperors from the death of Augustus (14 C.E.) to the death of Nero (68 C.E.). But Tacitus did not just recount events. Rather, he included moral and political judgments about the people he highlighted.
Livia's Magic Garden
Chilling out on a hot summer day in ancient Rome? For the emperor Augustus, his wife, Livia, and their friends, the ideal place was the dining room of Livia’s home at Prima Porta on the outskirts of the city.
Not Always A Win
The Battle of Teutoburg Forest (as shown in this 1909 illustration) was fought when an alliance of German tribes ambushed and destroyed the three legions and their auxiliaries led by the Roman general Publius Quintilius Varus.
You're The One!
In 27 B.C.E., Octavius, having saved Rome from civil war in the battle against Mark Antony and Cleopatra, was awarded the civic crown, a wreath made of oak leaves tied with a ribbon
'Father Of Europe'
On December 25, in the year 800, the huge nave of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome buzzed with Roman nobles, Frankish counts, and archbishops, bishops, abbots, and priests from many parts of Western Europe, all eager to witness an unprecedented event.
Spreading The Word
Charlemagne was determined to carry out his ambitious educational and cultural agenda to reform and renew both the church and society. To achieve this goal, he issued a decree to bishops and abbots to create schools in every monastery and bishop’s residence for the sons of both serfs and freemen. He then instructed these schools to teach the boys psalms, music, math, and grammar and to provide the students with “correct Catholic books.” If new copies of the books were needed, Charlemagne decreed, “Let men of full age do the writing, with all diligence.”
The Song Of Roland
In the centuries after Charlemagne’s death, the number of poems, legends, anecdotes, and tall tales about him multiplied at an increasing rate. Among the most popular were the chansons de geste (French for “Songs of Heroic Deeds”). One, the Song of Roland, is based on an expedition Charles made to Spain in 778 to help a Muslim ally in Saragossa against the emir of Cordoba. When Charles learned that the ally had already settled with the emir, he retreated.
