Alexander The Great Essay -- essays research papers

Alexander the Great is said to be one of the greatest conquerors of all time, and yet, his significance in battle showed up late in his life. His early years were spent in poverty, and as the years progressed, his dream of being a war hit man grew dimmer and dimmer.Ironically, while he was later hold upn as a war hero, he was still feared by all because of his reputation as a drinker and murderer. But first, his background. He was born in 356 BC. His parents were Philip, the brother of King Perdiccas III of Macedon, in Northern Greece. His mother was Olympias, daughter of King Neoptolemus I of Epirus, in modern Albania. He also had a younger sister, Cleopatra (not the famous Egyptian queen).However, this family was not as ordinary as one might think. In fact, his parents perfectly hated each other. Philip had complied with Macedonian tradition and had a some wives. Soon, one of his wives had a baby which had mysteriously become disabled after birth. It was said that the handicap was due to poisoning from Olympias. Olympias sometimes told Alexander that Philip wasn&8217t his real develop, but this probably wasn&8217t true.After all, Philip certainly did seem to care for Alexander as if he was his real son. He even appointed Aristotle himself as Alexander&8217s first and only tutor. Yet, there weresome things about Alexander that made Philip angry. He hated the fact that his was very skinny and the fact that he had a high-pitched voice. Still, Alexander felt lucky to have this man as his father and mentor. In 359 BC, when Alexander was three, Philip&8217s Brother, King Peridcaas III, died. It was originally planned that his son, Amyntas, was tosucceed him with Philip as his regent, but Philip usurped his nephew&8217s throne and made himself King Philip II. In a few decades, he proved to be a stronger king and he eventually conquered most of Greece. When he was in his teens, Alexander&8217s father came to him one twenty-four hour period and told him that he had to leave to fight in a war. Thus Alexander, being his regent, would have to serve for the time being. While his father was away, Alexander led an military expedition to a wild region of modern day Bulgaria. Here, he found a race of wild barbarians, whom he later subdued. He, then, established his first city, Alexandropolis, at the site of this defeat. This made his strength apparent to everyone and ... ...y from Roxane for a long period of time. His men refused to go any further, however, and he turned back to go home. On the march home, he fought many cities, and took an arrow in the chest, but lived.On a later visit to Persia, he found that many of his Governors had abused their power. He had them execute and, in an attempt to reunite the two civilizations, he married the old King&8217s daughter, Barsine, while stillmarried to Roxane. His best friend, Hephaestion, married Barsine&8217s sister, Drypetis. He even gave some Persians high rankings in his army. But these attempt s failed and even the marriages broke up.In the fall of 324 BC, Alexander&8217s best friend, Hephaestion, died.Alexander was heartbroken and in the pursuance summer, Alexander became ill and died on June 13 in Babylon at the age of 32. Modern historians have long suspected that he died from Malaria, but, recently, it has been suggested that Typhoid Fever was the culprit. Today, we know Alexander as one of the greatest generals, leaders, andconquerors of all time, and we know that this was his main goal in life... To beremembered, not as a villain, but as his childhood dream.....A war hero.

Punk music in the 70s and 90s Essay -- essays research papers

     Punk music has gone through an evolution ever since the punk explosion in the novel seventies. Although todays punk music retains most of the ideology and sound that defines the punk genre, there are some distinct differences between mid-nineties and Seventies punk. Most of the punk bands to emerge and gain popularity in the nineties mostly hailed from California (Green Day, the Offspring, etc.). Punk vanguards from the seventies hailed from the East Coast and from Great Britain (the Ramones, the Clash, etc.). The put forward Pistols "Liar" and Blink182s "Whats My Age Again?" demonstrates how conditions social, political, and physical are reflected in the nature of the music produced by these punk bands.     The wake up Pistols emerged in the late seventies as one of the commencement ceremony politically charged punk bands, advocating anarchy in most of their tunes. The band embraced and produced songs that reflected the punk ideology rebellion and nihilism. The Sex Pistols also reacted to the stark social conditions that infected Great Britain in the late seventies rising unemployment, a hard-line, conservative government, and a depressed post-industrial economy. With a discouraging future at the horizon, the restless youth in Britain had plenty of things to get angry about. The Sex Pistols embodied the eras anger and restless ambition.     Blink182 first gained popularity as a local band from San Diego. The southerly California environment was completely different from the harsh, cold urban environment of London. The environment from where Blink182 cultivated their mode was sunny and suburban San Diego. The mid-nineties were economically good in the United States. The youths of Southern California did not face the very(prenominal) despair as the youths of Britain in the seventies. Moreover, Blink182 gained popularity by producing songs that reflected the "skater&qu ot and teen culture of Southern California. Their music is sportswoman, carefree, rebellious, and filled with adolescent, bathroom humor.     The harsh, dense noise that is the hallmark of every Sex Pistols song can be heard in "Liar." The distorted guitar is the centerpiece of most punk music. The guitarist, Steve Jones, plays with an incessant, down strumming of power chords, cre... ...rank phone calls / What the hell is caller ID? / My friends say I should act my term / Whats my age again?" Sung in the mellow style of Hoppus, the aloofness and sarcasm are evident in the lyrics. The song rejects immaturity and advises that "No one should take themselves so seriously." The themes evoked in the song reflect the carefree and mellow attitude of Southern California while at the same time reflect the rebellious attitude of traditional punk. Moreover, the themes, along with the goofy sense of humor of the band, relate to the teen/pop culture tha t emphasizes music that is fun to listen to.     The punk revival in the Nineties retains the energy and freshness of Seventies punk. But as previously evidenced, the creative forces and inspiration that produced this music influenced and stirred the message and sound of the songs. "Liar" is a song derived from the angry punk scene of Great Britain and "Whats My Age Again?" reflects the warm, mellow attitude of Southern California. The distinctions end there. Those looking for the raw sound and power of punk music can find it in both Nineties and Seventies punk.