Thermopylae Speech Essay Example for Free

Thermopylae Speech Essay The battle at Thermopylae was a long awaited battle, after both powers Athens and Persia submitted to a 10 year inter-war period from 490BC to 480BC, in order to carefully prepare a second invasion from the Persian’s, following the humiliating defeat of Darius at marathon. Xerxes actions were motivated by revenge and the urge to burn Athens to the ground, just like Sardis, however he knew it would not be easy. The Persians spent multiple years recruiting new infantry from all areas of its Empire, gathering a total of 500,000 new soldiers,archers, cavalry and inmortals for the second invasion. Not only this, but Xerxes determination to conquer the Greeks was so great he ordered his engineers to build a Poonton consisting of 314 ships crossing the Hellospont for him and his troops. The Greeks received information regarding the numbers and desires of the Persians from spies they sent to Sardis, Xerxes headquarters. Having experience gained from previous Persian campaigns, they knew that in order to battle against such super power , they had to form alliances to fight for one common goal, despite the fact they belonged to different races and were organized into city-states. In Autum of 481 B.C. , A Pan-Hellenic meeting was held in Corinth , having 31 cities attending the meeting besides a few that did not. Unanimously Sparta was given leadership of the army and the fleet under the command of King Leonidas, although the general defense plan was commanded by the Athenian Themistocles, who foresaw the battle will be determined on the seas, if only the pass between Central to Southern Greece was guarded. Fighting in the open land would be fatal as they lacked cavalry units and were highly outnumbered, 3 to 1. Thermopylae was the perfect site. The pass itself was narrow, situated between the sea and the steep cliffs. It had a length of about 9 km and narrows in three places: at the eastern and western ends there was room for only one carriage, while the middle section was 15 m wide. The Greeks would use this to their advantage, because it was so narrow, even with an army as big as the Persian’s had, only a small number could genuinely fight at any one time. This enables a minimal manpower to hold off enormous armies for long amounts of time, which is exactly how Spartan combat was fought. The Hellenic Army, reached Thermopylae at the beginning of August. In total, a force of about 7000 to 8000 men was assembled. The numbers were again given by Herodotus: 300 Spartans, 700 Tegeats, 550 Mantineians, 300 from Arcadian Orchomenos, 1,000 Arcadians in general, 600 Corinthians, 460 from Phlian, 150 Mycenaeans, 800 Thespians, 450 Thebans, the complete army from Opuntion Locrain and 1,000 Phocians. The Pass would prevent the enemy from developing his land forces while the small channel of the Evripou prevented the possibility of the Hellenic Fleet being encircled. In addition, a fortifications had been built by a 1000 Phocians to the east of the central pass of Thermopylae in Anopaia to defend the other entry. By defending the Pass the Greeks would be able to apply a withdrawal strategy and at the same time wear out the enemy and cause him serious casualties and lower his morale. They were very fit, agile, used to marching with heavy armory, they knew the land and their weapons were heavier and more effective. The hoplite phalanx that the Spartans formed was a compact, moving metallic wall of shields and lances. In comparison to Persian armory which was minimal, soldiers wore bright robes with chain armors underneath, carried a long shield called spara and spears much shorter than the Greeks or if they were archers a caved wooden bow. Inmortals were more equipped , having a bronze armor, helmet a bronze square shield for better grip and a axe. Thinking that the Greeks were impertinent and reckless, he sent Medes and Cissians with orders to take the Greeks prisoner and to bring them back alive. The resistance they encountered however was tough, and the same result was achieved by the â€Å"Immortals† who were sent into battle led by General Hydarnes. Their casualties were high and they were forced to withdraw during the night. In fact, as Herodotus characteristically reported, Xerxes jumped up three times from his throne as he watched the battle, fearing for his army. Like the first day, Persia’s second attack was again unsuccessful. Forcing the Empire to retreat with high losses. Xerxes was perplexed and while pondering what to do, a Greek named Ephialtes, son of Eyrydimos and Malida, presented himself and informed the King that the Lakedaimonian positions were accessible from the Anopaia path. That same night, Hydarnes and the â€Å"Immortals† proceeded along the path, guided by Ephialtes With the retreat of the Phoebians at the pass of Anopaia, Leonidas dismissed the remaining Greeks, to be left alone standing with his 300 spartans and a few thebians , encircled agains 10,000 inmortals. Defeat was quick thanks to Persian arrows. Herodotus was the only writer who recorded the events of the battle but this was done nearly a generation later, so reliability may be questioned. Numbers and dates are often regarded as incorrect due to the tendency of exaggeration from Herodotous. According to Herodotus, the main force was to arrive later, after the completion of the Carneia Festival in Sparta and the Olympic Games. However, the festivals did not prevent the Peloponnesian Fleet to sail, which is very contradictory . Apart from the exaggeration and reliability, both Herodotous and modern historian Tom Holland agree upon the importance of Thermopylae.The sacrifice of these men remains in history forever as the most characteristic expression of Spartan bravery, according to Tom. Leonidas managed to safeguard the honour and fame of Sparta, as well as the withdrawal of his allies, while at the same time delaying significantly the advancement of Xerxes and causing serious losses to his forces while raising the morale of the Greeks, who finally crushed the Persians during the naval battle at Salamina just a few weeks later. If it wasn’t for Leonidas army and all the other city states that fought alongside, there was a major possibility that Greece would have been lost to Persia, and most of its future influence in the world such as art, philosophy , language, architecture and maths would have been erased. Therefore Leonidas time delay against the Empire was crucial for Athens to prepare for the naval battle at Salamis.

Unattainable Things in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Unattainable Things in The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The roaring twenties. Cars were the things to have and a party was the place to be.   Everybody wanted something. F. Scott Fitzgerald's book, The Great Gatsby, describes the events that happen to eight people during the summer of 1922. In the book, people went from west to east because something they desired was in the east; unfortunatly in the end those 'somethings' were unattainable.         Ã‚  Ã‚   ...I decided to go east and learn the   Ã‚  Ã‚   bond business.   Everybody I knew was   Ã‚  Ã‚   in the bond business so I supposed it   Ã‚  Ã‚   could support one more single man. All   Ã‚  Ã‚   my aunts and uncles talked it over as   Ã‚  Ã‚   if they were choosing a prep school   Ã‚  Ã‚   for me...       Nick went to the east to make money.   He was from the midwest, and even though his family was doing pretty well in the money department, Nick wanted to make his own money. By going from the midwest to the east, Fitzgerald shows Nick's desire to have more money.   After spending the summer in the east and seeing how money affects people, he decides to go back west.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I see now that this has been a   Ã‚  Ã‚   story of the west,   after all-Tom   Ã‚  Ã‚   and Gatsby,   Daisy and Jordan and   Ã‚  Ã‚   I,   were all westerners and and   Ã‚  Ã‚   perhaps we possessed some deficiency   Ã‚  Ã‚   in common which made us subtly   Ã‚  Ã‚   unadaptable to eastern life.       In other words, after finding out what the east was really like, Nick lost his interest in being in the east and returned to the west.            Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gatsby came east looking for another type of money - Daisy.   Gatsby and Daisy had last seen each other about five years before, when they were dating. Then Gatsby had to go to war.   While he was away in war, Daisy met Tom and then married Tom.   Daisy had always been rich and thought that in order to get Daisy back, he need to have money and be able to give Daisy anything she wanted.   He found out that Daisy was in the east and went to go try to get her back.         Ã‚  Ã‚   ...I thought of Gatsby's wonder when

Financial Markets Assignment Essay

Explain how interest rates decline following major Fed purchases of mortgage-backed securities. The FED implements quantitative easing by buying financial assets of longer maturity, e. g. , mortgage-backed securities, from commercial banks and other private institutions in order to inject a pre-determined quantity of money into the economy. This is a means of stimulating the economy and lowering longer-term interest rates further out on the yield curve; quantitative easing increases the excess reserves of the banks, and raises the prices of the financial assets bought, which lowers their yield. Graphically, this can be explained with the aid of Figure below. The supply of money is shifted from point 1 to the right (MS1 to MS2) and, all else equal, the new equilibrium point (with aggregate money demand curve) is at point 2, where the interest rate is lower. i i1 i2 AD1 MS1 MS2 Quantity of Money 2. What could be the implications of lower interest rates for households and businesses? By implanting the policy of purchasing mortgage-backed securities, the FED has set its sight on increasing consumption and investment, which will ultimately increase employment. As described in question one Bernanke’s policy decreased interest rates to new record lows, encouraging borrowing for both businesses and households. The ability to borrow money at more attractive rates stimulates investment in durable consumer goods, such as automobiles, and in operational necessities such as buildings and capital equipment for businesses. Indeed, after the implementation of the policy mortgage applications increased significantly. Because of low interest rates households and businesses as investors could shift their preference away from bonds and into stocks. According to frbsf. org, the increase in stock trading volume has the effect of raising the value of existing stock portfolios, which in turn stimulates consumer and spending across the country due to the psychological effects of rapid capital appreciation. Lower interest rates can have negative effects on the value of the local currency compared to other currencies. As foreign investors dump their local-denominated investments in favor of more profitable currencies, exchange rates can shift to the detriment of the local currency. The weakening of the local currency serves to increase the attractiveness of local goods to foreign purchasers, which has the effect of boosting exports and international sales. All of the factors mentioned above have the combined effect of increasing productive output, or GDP, and increasing employment across a wide range of industries. As individuals, businesses and foreign investors are encouraged to spend more due to increased access to capital, higher portfolio valuations and weaker currency values, businesses in nearly every sector experience an increase in sales, often requiring them to grow their operations and employ additional labor. However, there are some negative implications from this policy. Without a strong commitment to control inflation over the long run, the risk of higher inflation is one potential implication of experiencing real interest rates below the economy’s natural interest rate. Low interest rates provide a powerful incentive to spend rather than save. In the short term, this may not matter much, but over a longer period, low interest rates penalize savers and those who rely heavily on interest income. If short-term interest rates are low relatively to long-term rates, households and firms may overinvest in long-term assets, such as Treasury securities. If interest rates rise unexpectedly, the value of those assets will fall (bond prices and yields move in opposite directions), exposing investors to substantial losses. Finally, low short-term interest rates reduce the profitability of money market funds, which are key providers of short-term credit for many (large) firms, e. g. the commercial paper market. 3. Explain the Fed’s policy dilemma and try to rationalize why unemployment in the US is stubbornly high while inflation is low. Based on the theory of the Philip’s curve diagram we notice that there is an inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment. Stated simply the lower the unemployment in an economy the higher the rate of inflation. Philip’s Curve Inflation Unemployment The explanation of the inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment is based on two assumptions. The first has to do with the fact that as unemployment rises there is no room for workers and labor unions to demand an increase so a wage inflation that would increase the prices of the final products cannot occur. Secondly high unemployment is a reflection of the decline in economic output and indicates an economy’s slowdown. Therefore competition among firms in recession will lead the prices at lower levels. But this is not the case currently in the US since we observe high unemployment and low inflation. The FED is concerned about the unemployment rate and in an effort to stimulate the economy and improve the labor market conditions it started implementing the quantitative easing policy. So the FED purchased MBS, helped banks to rebuilt their balance sheets, contributed into maintaining price stability, preserved interest rates near zero for more than three years, and prevented the economy from slipping into greater recession. Despite all these efforts the situation in the labor market did not improve. Apparently the fact that unemployment is still very high depicts the limitations of the monetary policy. The low business confidence, policy uncertainty, and the government’s reluctance to act are beyond the FED’s capacity. What is more the infinite use of the quantitative easing may produce undesirable effects in the long run such as stagflation. The only optimal solution under these circumstances is the co ordination of the FED’s monetary policy with the government’s fiscal policy plan that could boost the society’s confidence. . Do you think that another round of quantitative easing (QE) by the Fed would help stimulate the US economy? Please explain. The FED declared that the use of QE will be aggressively continued until the economy is improved. The cash injections into the economy helped interest rates to remain at low levels. Consequently everyone wins from this decision in the short run; homeowners can borrow at historical low levels of inter est rate, corporations can also take advantage of this act and invest, consumption increased and also the banks increased their profits and the stocks record a growth. So as long as the QE is active in the short run everyone is a winner. But in the long run things become vague. First of all historical evidence shows that despite the fact that interest rates may be at levels near zero it remains uncertain whether this will be the incentive to boost the actual economy. Secondly the fact that consumers will have more money to spend but fewer goods to buy might lead to a hyper inflation. Furthermore by repeating the use of QE is very possible to lead to a liquidity trap, unless the economy finds ways to stimulate production. Last but not least the FED’s decision to inject cash into the economy by purchasing MBS is questionable; Mortgage backed securities entail the risk of defaulting once again as they did in the real estate crisis and that would cost the Americans a lot more money repeating the history that started back in the September of 2001. To sum up the use of QE is indeed very effective but only in the short run. Short periods of economic recession can be avoided by stimulating the economy temporarily through cash injections but to maintain growth on the real economy we need to improve labor market conditions, productivity, innovation and bolster the economy’s confidence. So a combination of fiscal and monetary policy is the only way to prevent an economy from collapsing, and also is this is the only way to avoid a possible systemic risk that will negatively affect all the institutions and individuals. . How is a loose Fed monetary policy in the US affecting fundamentals (such as inflation, asset and commodity prices) in other countries? What does that imply about global monetary policy? Since the dollar is the vehicle currency in the global economy almost every country is tied to its value and everyone is affected by the monetary decisions of the FED. By the QE, the supply of dollars is increased and consequently the dollar depreciates against foreign currencies. This means that America’s exports will increase and on the contrary the imports will decrease. So countries trading with the US fear about the capital inflows and the possible inflation on commodities. On the other hand the FED support that there can be no further inflation since the global economy is in recession. Moreover countries experiencing huge capital inflows resulting in inflation can implement fiscal policy, such as imposing taxes, in order to contain the effects of foreign capital inflows which push up local stock prices and the currency itself. Every country should focus on its own monetary policy adjusting it to the problems that may experience. For example the US chose to inject more money in the economy. The results of such a decision are low interest rates, more exports but always with the risk of inflation. On the other hand a country experiencing high inflation might limit the money supply, increasing the interest rates with the risk of experiencing a decline in exports.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Fifty-four

Daenerys When he had taken his pleasure, Khal Drogo rose from their sleeping mats to tower above her. His skin shone dark as bronze in the ruddy light from the brazier, the faint lines of old scars visible on his broad chest. Ink-black hair, loose and unbound, cascaded over his shoulders and down his back, well past his waist. His manhood glistened wetly. The khal's mouth twisted in a frown beneath the droop of his long mustachio. â€Å"The stallion who mounts the world has no need of iron chairs.† Dany propped herself on an elbow to look up at him, so tall and magnificent. She loved his hair especially. It had never been cut; he had never known defeat. â€Å"It was prophesied that the stallion will ride to the ends of the earth,† she said. â€Å"The earth ends at the black salt sea,† Drogo answered at once. He wet a cloth in a basin of warm water to wipe the sweat and oil from his skin. â€Å"No horse can cross the poison water.† â€Å"In the Free Cities, there are ships by the thousand,† Dany told him, as she had told him before. â€Å"Wooden horses with a hundred legs, that fly across the sea on wings full of wind.† Khal Drogo did not want to hear it. â€Å"We will speak no more of wooden horses and iron chairs.† He dropped the cloth and began to dress. â€Å"This day I will go to the grass and hunt, woman wife,† he announced as he shrugged into a painted vest and buckled on a wide belt with heavy medallions of silver, gold, and bronze. â€Å"Yes, my sun-and-stars,† Dany said. Drogo would take his bloodriders and ride in search of hrakkar, the great white lion of the plains. If they returned triumphant, her lord husband's joy would be fierce, and he might be willing to hear her out. Savage beasts he did not fear, nor any man who had ever drawn breath, but the sea was a different matter. To the Dothraki, water that a horse could not drink was something foul; the heaving grey-green plains of the ocean filled them with superstitious loathing. Drogo was a bolder man than the other horselords in half a hundred ways, she had found . . . but not in this. If only she could get him onto a ship . . . After the khal and his bloodriders had ridden off with their bows, Dany summoned her handmaids. Her body felt so fat and ungainly now that she welcomed the help of their strong arms and deft hands, whereas before she had often been uncomfortable with the way they fussed and fluttered about her. They scrubbed her clean and dressed her in sandsilk, loose and flowing. As Doreah combed out her hair, she sent Jhiqui to find Ser Jorah Mormont. The knight came at once. He wore horsehair leggings and painted vest, like a rider. Coarse black hair covered his thick chest and muscular arms. â€Å"My princess. How may I serve you?† â€Å"You must talk to my lord husband,† Dany said. â€Å"Drogo says the stallion who mounts the world will have all the lands of the earth to rule, and no need to cross the poison water. He talks of leading his khalasar east after Rhaego is born, to plunder the lands around the Jade Sea.† The knight looked thoughtful. â€Å"The khal has never seen the Seven Kingdoms,† he said. â€Å"They are nothing to him. If he thinks of them at all, no doubt he thinks of islands, a few small cities clinging to rocks in the manner of Lorath or Lys, surrounded by stormy seas. The riches of the east must seem a more tempting prospect.† â€Å"But he must ride west,† Dany said, despairing. â€Å"Please, help me make him understand.† She had never seen the Seven Kingdoms either, no more than Drogo, yet she felt as though she knew them from all the tales her brother had told her. Viserys had promised her a thousand times that he would take her back one day, but he was dead now and his promises had died with him. â€Å"The Dothraki do things in their own time, for their own reasons,† the knight answered. â€Å"Have patience, Princess. Do not make your brother's mistake. We will go home, I promise you.† Home? The word made her feel sad. Ser Jorah had his Bear Island, but what was home to her? A few tales, names recited as solemnly as the words of a prayer, the fading memory of a red door . . . was Vaes Dothrak to be her home forever? When she looked at the crones of the dosh khaleen, was she looking at her future? Ser Jorah must have seen the sadness on her face. â€Å"A great caravan arrived during the night, Khaleesi. Four hundred horses, from Pentos by way of Norvos and Qohor, under the command of Merchant Captain Byan Votyris. Illyrio may have sent a letter. Would you care to visit the Western Market?† Dany stirred. â€Å"Yes,† she said. â€Å"I would like that.† The markets came alive when a caravan had come in. You could never tell what treasures the traders might bring this time, and it would be good to hear men speaking Valyrian again, as they did in the Free Cities. â€Å"Irri, have them prepare a litter.† â€Å"I shall tell your khas,† Ser Jorah said, withdrawing. If Khal Drogo had been with her, Dany would have ridden her silver. Among the Dothraki, mothers stayed on horseback almost up to the moment of birth, and she did not want to seem weak in her husband's eyes. But with the khal off hunting, it was pleasant to lie back on soft cushions and be carried across Vaes Dothrak, with red silk curtains to shield her from the sun. Ser Jorah saddled up and rode beside her, with the four young men of her khas and her handmaids. The day was warm and cloudless, the sky a deep blue. When the wind blew, she could smell the rich scents of grass and earth. As her litter passed beneath the stolen monuments, she went from sunlight to shadow and back again. Dany swayed along, studying the faces of dead heroes and forgotten kings. She wondered if the gods of burned cities could still answer prayers. If I were not the blood of the dragon, she thought wistfully, this could be my home. She was khaleesi, she had a strong man and a swift horse, handmaids to serve her, warriors to keep her safe, an honored place in the dosh khaleen awaiting her when she grew old . . . and in her womb grew a son who would one day bestride the world. That should be enough for any woman . . . but not for the dragon. With Viserys gone, Daenerys was the last, the very last. She was the seed of kings and conquerors, and so too the child inside her. She must not forget. The Western Market was a great square of beaten earth surrounded by warrens of mud-baked brick, animal pens, whitewashed drinking halls. Hummocks rose from the ground like the backs of great subterranean beasts breaking the surface, yawning black mouths leading down to cool and cavernous storerooms below. The interior of the square was a maze of stalls and crookback aisles, shaded by awnings of woven grass. A hundred merchants and traders were unloading their goods and setting up in stalls when they arrived, yet even so the great market seemed hushed and deserted compared to the teeming bazaars that Dany remembered from Pentos and the other Free Cities. The caravans made their way to Vaes Dothrak from east and west not so much to sell to the Dothraki as to trade with each other, Ser Jorah had explained. The riders let them come and go unmolested, so long as they observed the peace of the sacred city, did not profane the Mother of Mountains or the Womb of the World, and honored the crones of the dosh khaleen with the traditional gifts of salt, silver, and seed. The Dothraki did not truly comprehend this business of buying and selling. Dany liked the strangeness of the Eastern Market too, with all its queer sights and sounds and smells. She often spent her mornings there, nibbling tree eggs, locust pie, and green noodles, listening to the high ululating voices of the spellsingers, gaping at manticores in silver cages and immense grey elephants and the striped black-and-white horses of the Jogos Nhai. She enjoyed watching all the people too: dark solemn Asshai'i and tall pale Qartheen, the bright-eyed men of Yi Ti in monkey-tail hats, warrior maids from Bayasabhad, Shamyriana, and Kayakayanaya with iron rings in their nipples and rubies in their cheeks, even the dour and frightening Shadow Men, who covered their arms and legs and chests with tattoos and hid their faces behind masks. The Eastern Market was a place of wonder and magic for Dany. But the Western Market smelled of home. As Irri and Jhiqui helped her from her litter, she sniffed, and recognized the sharp odors of garlic and pepper, scents that reminded Dany of days long gone in the alleys of Tyrosh and Myr and brought a fond smile to her face. Under that she smelled the heady sweet perfumes of Lys. She saw slaves carrying bolts of intricate Myrish lace and fine wools in a dozen rich colors. Caravan guards wandered among the aisles in copper helmets and knee-length tunics of quilted yellow cotton, empty scabbards swinging from their woven leather belts. Behind one stall an armorer displayed steel breastplates worked with gold and silver in ornate patterns, and helms hammered in the shapes of fanciful beasts. Next to him was a pretty young woman selling Lannisport goldwork, rings and brooches and torcs and exquisitely wrought medallions suitable for belting. A huge eunuch guarded her stall, mute and hairless, dressed in sweat-stained velvets and scowling at anyone who came close. Across the aisle, a fa t cloth trader from Yi Ti was haggling with a Pentoshi over the price of some green dye, the monkey tail on his hat swaying back and forth as he shook his head. â€Å"When I was a little girl, I loved to play in the bazaar,† Dany told Ser Jorah as they wandered down the shady aisle between the stalls. â€Å"It was so alive there, all the people shouting and laughing, so many wonderful things to look at . . . though we seldom had enough coin to buy anything . . . well, except for a sausage now and again, or honeyfingers . . . do they have honeyfingers in the Seven Kingdoms, the kind they bake in Tyrosh?† â€Å"Cakes, are they? I could not say, Princess.† The knight bowed. â€Å"If you would pardon me for a time, I will seek out the captain and see if he has letters for us.† â€Å"Very well. I'll help you find him.† â€Å"There is no need for you to trouble yourself.† Ser Jorah glanced away impatiently. â€Å"Enjoy the market. I will rejoin you when my business is concluded.† Curious, Dany thought as she watched him stride off through the throngs. She didn't see why she should not go with him. Perhaps Ser Jorah meant to find a woman after he met with the merchant captain. Whores frequently traveled with the caravans, she knew, and some men were queerly shy about their couplings. She gave a shrug. â€Å"Come,† she told the others. Her handmaids trailed along as Dany resumed her stroll through the market. â€Å"Oh, look,† she exclaimed to Doreah, â€Å"those are the kind of sausages I meant.† She pointed to a stall where a wizened little woman was grilling meat and onions on a hot firestone. â€Å"They make them with lots of garlic and hot peppers.† Delighted with her discovery, Dany insisted the others join her for a sausage. Her handmaids wolfed theirs down giggling and grinning, though the men of her khas sniffed at the grilled meat suspiciously. â€Å"They taste different than I remember,† Dany said after her first few bites. â€Å"In Pentos, I make them with pork,† the old woman said, â€Å"but all my pigs died on the Dothraki sea. These are made of horsemeat, Khaleesi, but I spice them the same.† â€Å"Oh.† Dany felt disappointed, but Quaro liked his sausage so well he decided to have another one, and Rakharo had to outdo him and eat three more, belching loudly. Dany giggled. â€Å"You have not laughed since your brother the Khal Rhaggat was crowned by Drogo,† said Irri. â€Å"It is good to see, Khaleesi.† Dany smiled shyly. It was sweet to laugh. She felt half a girl again. They wandered for half the morning. She saw a beautiful feathered cloak from the Summer Isles, and took it for a gift. In return, she gave the merchant a silver medallion from her belt. That was how it was done among the Dothraki. A birdseller taught a green-and-red parrot to say her name, and Dany laughed again, yet still refused to take him. What would she do with a green-and-red parrot in a khalasar? She did take a dozen flasks of scented oils, the perfumes of her childhood; she had only to close her eyes and sniff them and she could see the big house with the red door once more. When Doreah looked longingly at a fertility charm at a magician's booth, Dany took that too and gave it to the handmaid, thinking that now she should find something for Irri and Jhiqui as well. Turning a corner, they came upon a wine merchant offering thimble-sized cups of his wares to the passersby. â€Å"Sweet reds,† he cried in fluent Dothraki, â€Å"I have sweet reds, from Lys and Volantis and the Arbor. Whites from Lys, Tyroshi pear brandy, firewine, pepperwine, the pale green nectars of Myr. Smokeberry browns and Andalish sours, I have them, I have them.† He was a small man, slender and handsome, his flaxen hair curled and perfumed after the fashion of Lys. When Dany paused before his stall, he bowed low. â€Å"A taste for the khaleesi? I have a sweet red from Dorne, my lady, it sings of plums and cherries and rich dark oak. A cask, a cup, a swallow? One taste, and you will name your child after me.† Dany smiled. â€Å"My son has his name, but I will try your summerwine,† she said in Valyrian, Valyrian as they spoke it in the Free Cities. The words felt strange on her tongue, after so long. â€Å"Just a taste, if you would be so kind.† The merchant must have taken her for Dothraki, with her clothes and her oiled hair and sun-browned skin. When she spoke, he gaped at her in astonishment. â€Å"My lady, you are . . . Tyroshi? Can it be so?† â€Å"My speech may be Tyroshi, and my garb Dothraki, but I am of Westeros, of the Sunset Kingdoms,† Dany told him. Doreah stepped up beside her. â€Å"You have the honor to address Daenerys of the House Targaryen, Daenerys Stormborn, khaleesi of the riding men and princess of the Seven Kingdoms.† The wine merchant dropped to his knees. â€Å"Princess,† he said, bowing his head. â€Å"Rise,† Dany commanded him. â€Å"I would still like to taste that summerwine you spoke of.† The man bounded to his feet. â€Å"That? Dornish swill. It is not worthy of a princess. I have a dry red from the Arbor, crisp and delectable. Please, let me give you a cask.† Khal Drogo's visits to the Free Cities had given him a taste for good wine, and Dany knew that such a noble vintage would please him. â€Å"You honor me, ser,† she murmured sweetly. â€Å"The honor is mine.† The merchant rummaged about in the back of his stall and produced a small oaken cask. Burned into the wood was a cluster of grapes. â€Å"The Redwyne sigil,† he said, pointing, â€Å"for the Arbor. There is no finer drink.† â€Å"Khal Drogo and I will share it together. Aggo, take this back to my litter, if you'd be so kind.† The wineseller beamed as the Dothraki hefted the cask. She did not realize that Ser Jorah had returned until she heard the knight say, â€Å"No.† His voice was strange, brusque. â€Å"Aggo, put down that cask.† Aggo looked at Dany. She gave a hesitant nod. â€Å"Ser Jorah, is something wrong?† â€Å"I have a thirst. Open it, wineseller.† The merchant frowned. â€Å"The wine is for the khaleesi, not for the likes of you, ser.† Ser Jorah moved closer to the stall. â€Å"If you don't open it, I'll crack it open with your head.† He carried no weapons here in the sacred city, save his hands—yet his hands were enough, big, hard, dangerous, his knuckles covered with coarse dark hairs. The wineseller hesitated a moment, then took up his hammer and knocked the plug from the cask. â€Å"Pour,† Ser Jorah commanded. The four young warriors of Dany's khas arrayed themselves behind him, frowning, watching with their dark, almond-shaped eyes. â€Å"It would be a crime to drink this rich a wine without letting it breathe.† The wineseller had not put his hammer down. Jhogo reached for the whip coiled at his belt, but Dany stopped him with a light touch on the arm. â€Å"Do as Ser Jorah says,† she said. People were stopping to watch. The man gave her a quick, sullen glance. â€Å"As the princess commands.† He had to set aside his hammer to lift the cask. He filled two thimble-sized tasting cups, pouring so deftly he did not spill a drop. Ser Jorah lifted a cup and sniffed at the wine, frowning. â€Å"Sweet, isn't it?† the wineseller said, smiling. â€Å"Can you smell the fruit, ser? The perfume of the Arbor. Taste it, my lord, and tell me it isn't the finest, richest wine that's ever touched your tongue.† Ser Jorah offered him the cup. â€Å"You taste it first.† â€Å"Me?† The man laughed. â€Å"I am not worthy of this vintage, my lord. And it's a poor wine merchant who drinks up his own wares.† His smile was amiable, yet she could see the sheen of sweat on his brow. â€Å"You will drink,† Dany said, cold as ice. â€Å"Empty the cup, or I will tell them to hold you down while Ser Jorah pours the whole cask down your throat.† The wineseller shrugged, reached for the cup . . . and grabbed the cask instead, flinging it at her with both hands. Ser Jorah bulled into her, knocking her out of the way. The cask bounced off his shoulder and smashed open on the ground. Dany stumbled and lost her feet. â€Å"No,† she screamed, thrusting her hands out to break her fall . . . and Doreah caught her by the arm and wrenched her backward, so she landed on her legs and not her belly. The trader vaulted over the stall, darting between Aggo and Rakharo. Quaro reached for an arakh that was not there as the blond man slammed him aside. He raced down the aisle. Dany heard the snap of Jhogo's whip, saw the leather lick out and coil around the wineseller's leg. The man sprawled face first in the dirt. A dozen caravan guards had come running. With them was the master himself, Merchant Captain Byan Votyris, a diminutive Norvoshi with skin like old leather and a bristling blue mustachio that swept up to his ears. He seemed to know what had happened without a word being spoken. â€Å"Take this one away to await the pleasure of the khal,† he commanded, gesturing at the man on the ground. Two guards hauled the wineseller to his feet. â€Å"His goods I gift to you as well, Princess,† the merchant captain went on. â€Å"Small token of regret, that one of mine would do this thing.† Doreah and Jhiqui helped Dany back to her feet. The poisoned wine was leaking from the broken cask into the dirt. â€Å"How did you know?† she asked Ser Jorah, trembling. â€Å"How?† â€Å"I did not know, Khaleesi, not until the man refused to drink, but once I read Magister Illyrio's letter, I feared.† His dark eyes swept over the faces of the strangers in the market. â€Å"Come. Best not to talk of it here.† Dany was near tears as they carried her back. The taste in her mouth was one she had known before: fear. For years she had lived in terror of Viserys, afraid of waking the dragon. This was even worse. It was not just for herself that she feared now, but for her baby. He must have sensed her fright, for he moved restlessly inside her. Dany stroked the swell of her belly gently, wishing she could reach him, touch him, soothe him. â€Å"You are the blood of the dragon, little one,† she whispered as her litter swayed along, curtains drawn tight. â€Å"You are the blood of the dragon, and the dragon does not fear.† Under the hollow hummock of earth that was her home in Vaes Dothrak, Dany ordered them to leave her—all but Ser Jorah. â€Å"Tell me,† she commanded as she lowered herself onto her cushions. â€Å"Was it the Usurper?† â€Å"Yes.† The knight drew out a folded parchment. â€Å"A letter to Viserys, from Magister Illyrio. Robert Baratheon offers lands and lordships for your death, or your brother's.† â€Å"My brother?† Her sob was half a laugh. â€Å"He does not know yet, does he? The Usurper owes Drogo a lordship.† This time her laugh was half a sob. She hugged herself protectively. â€Å"And me, you said. Only me?† â€Å"You and the child,† Ser Jorah said, grim. â€Å"No. He cannot have my son.† She would not weep, she decided. She would not shiver with fear. The Usurper has woken the dragon now, she told herself . . . and her eyes went to the dragon's eggs resting in their nest of dark velvet. The shifting lamplight limned their stony scales, and shimmering motes of jade and scarlet and gold swam in the air around them, like courtiers around a king. Was it madness that seized her then, born of fear? Or some strange wisdom buried in her blood? Dany could not have said. She heard her own voice saying, â€Å"Ser Jorah, light the brazier.† â€Å"Khaleesi?† The knight looked at her strangely. â€Å"It is so hot. Are you certain?† She had never been so certain. â€Å"Yes. I . . . I have a chill. Light the brazier.† He bowed. â€Å"As you command.† When the coals were afire, Dany sent Ser Jorah from her. She had to be alone to do what she must do. This is madness, she told herself as she lifted the black-and-scarlet egg from the velvet. It will only crack and burn, and it's so beautiful, Ser Jorah will call me a fool if I ruin it, and yet, and yet . . . Cradling the egg with both hands, she carried it to the fire and pushed it down amongst the burning coals. The black scales seemed to glow as they drank the heat. Flames licked against the stone with small red tongues. Dany placed the other two eggs beside the black one in the fire. As she stepped back from the brazier, the breath trembled in her throat. She watched until the coals had turned to ashes. Drifting sparks floated up and out of the smokehole. Heat shimmered in waves around the dragon's eggs. And that was all. Your brother Rhaegar was the last dragon, Ser Jorah had said. Dany gazed at her eggs sadly. What had she expected? A thousand thousand years ago they had been alive, but now they were only pretty rocks. They could not make a dragon. A dragon was air and fire. Living flesh, not dead stone. The brazier was cold again by the time Khal Drogo returned. Cohollo was leading a packhorse behind him, with the carcass of a great white lion slung across its back. Above, the stars were coming out. The khal laughed as he swung down off his stallion and showed her the scars on his leg where the hrakkar had raked him through his leggings. â€Å"I shall make you a cloak of its skin, moon of my life,† he swore. When Dany told him what had happened at the market, all laughter stopped, and Khal Drogo grew very quiet. â€Å"This poisoner was the first,† Ser Jorah Mormont warned him, â€Å"but he will not be the last. Men will risk much for a lordship.† Drogo was silent for a time. Finally he said, â€Å"This seller of poisons ran from the moon of my life. Better he should run after her. So he will. Jhogo, Jorah the Andal, to each of you I say, choose any horse you wish from my herds, and it is yours. Any horse save my red and the silver that was my bride gift to the moon of my life. I make this gift to you for what you did. â€Å"And to Rhaego son of Drogo, the stallion who will mount the world, to him I also pledge a gift. To him I will give this iron chair his mother's father sat in. I will give him Seven Kingdoms. I, Drogo, khal, will do this thing.† His voice rose, and he lifted his fist to the sky. â€Å"I will take my khalasar west to where the world ends, and ride the wooden horses across the black salt water as no khal has done before. I will kill the men in the iron suits and tear down their stone houses. I will rape their women, take their children as slaves, and bring their broken gods back to Vaes Dothrak to bow down beneath the Mother of Mountains. This I vow, I, Drogo son of Bharbo. This I swear before the Mother of Mountains, as the stars look down in witness.† His khalasar left Vaes Dothrak two days later, striking south and west across the plains. Khal Drogo led them on his great red stallion, with Daenerys beside him on her silver. The wineseller hurried behind them, naked, on foot, chained at throat and wrists. His chains were fastened to the halter of Dany's silver. As she rode, he ran after her, barefoot and stumbling. No harm would come to him . . . so long as he kept up.

Koran And Women Essays - Women In Islam, Quran, Feminist Theory

Koran And Women Essays - Women In Islam, Quran, Feminist Theory Koran And Women The Korans Attitude Towards Women The Koran is a book following the religion of the Muslim people. In it, many aspects of their ways of life and their attitudes towards different people are addressed. It mentions the strong feelings of the true believers towards Jews and Christians, however it gives a view of women that is taken two ways. A major part of their religion is the way women should be treated. This idea is a controversial topic as seen from a person that is not a true believer, or a Muslim. Conventional thinking brought out by the media have led non-Muslim people to perceive the treatment of women as suppressive. The Koran shows the reader both sides of the coin, and therefore, the reader must form an opinion of the way they thing women are treated. After reading The Koran, one would think that it belittles women, such as the way they are treated, and the role they play in society. However, with respect to their society habits, rituals, ways of life, and their religion, Muslim women are actually treated wi th more respect, and with more decency. The people of the book have very strict ideas about how society is to be run based upon their religion and culture. They are given certain rules and are expected to follow them. They have a proper understanding of how they are to live their life and how they are to treat other people. In the case of women, The Koran is very specific when it comes down to how they are to be treated and their role in life. Women shall with justice have rights similar to those exercised against them, although men have a status above women. As long as you are not a true believer, you will never really know what this exactly means. Obviously in The Koran, men have more rights than women. But then how is this statement to be understood? In The Koran, men and women have rights that are far more gender bias; men are guided more towards money and power, while women are guided towards a family and the home. It is a society in which the woman is in charge inside of the house while the man has more power outside . People would think of this as degrading towards women, but it is done to look after them. As a protection to women, men are forced to go outside of the house into the world that is cold and evil. They are told that they must do this everyday and bring home money to provide for their family and wife. The woman is to stay home in a safe place and take care of what she knows best. This is not mean to make women feel inferior but to make them feel safe and free from the world. There are many reasons why people believe that women are treated without respect in the Islamic nations. First and foremost, it says in The Koran that women may be beaten: Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them, forsake them in beds apart, and beat them. Then if they obey you, take no further action against them. (64) Many people see this as wrong, but why? It is clearly stated in the Islamic religion that women may be beaten if they are disobedience. Why then, would a woman do something defiant if she knows that she will be hurt? She should realize that she must be a true believer and not be insubordinate; and if she is, then she must realize that she did something wrong, and according to her religion, she must be punished. She will know that she has done something wrong, and unfortunately will get beaten; however, if she is smart, she will know not to do it again and obey her husband. Another point that is stated in The Koran is that if a woman feels like she is being treated unfairly by

The History of the Taxi

The History of the Taxi A taxicab or taxi or cab is a car and driver that can be hired to carry passengers to a requested destination. What Did We Hail Pre-Taxi? Before the invention of the car, the practice of vehicles for public hire was in place. In 1640, in Paris, Nicolas Sauvage offered horse-drawn carriages and drivers for hire. In 1635, the Hackney Carriage Act was the first legislation passed that controlled horse-drawn carriages for hire in England. Taximeter The name taxicab was taken from the word taximeter. The taximeter is the instrument which measures the distance or time a vehicle travels and allows an accurate fare to be determined. The taximeter was invented by the German inventor, Wilhelm Bruhn in 1891. Daimler Victoria Gottlieb Daimler built the worlds first dedicated taxi in 1897 called the Daimler Victoria. The taxi came equipped with the newly invented taxi meter. On 16 June 1897, the Daimler Victoria taxi was delivered to Friedrich Greiner, a Stuttgart entrepreneur who started the worlds first motorized taxi company. First Taxi Accident On September 13, 1899, the first American died in a car accident. That car was a Taxi, there were about one hundred taxis operating on New Yorks streets that year. Sixty-eight-year-old Henry Bliss was helping a friend from a street car when a taxi driver lost control and fatally hit Bliss. Yellow Taxi Historical Facts Taxi company owner, Harry Allen was the first person to have yellow taxis. Allen painted his taxis yellow to stand out. Taxi Dreams: By the end of the 19th century, automobiles began to appear on city streets throughout the country. It was not long before a number of these cars were hiring themselves out in competition with horse-drawn carriages.Vance Thompsons Cab Drivers: Vance Thompson (1863-1925) published five articles on horse cab drivers in Paris, London, Dublin and New York and on gondoliers in Venice.Taxi! A brief history of the London Taxi: The first motorized London taxi, the 1897 Bersey, was electrically powered and was called the Hummingbird because of its sound.In 1922, the Checker Cab Manufacturing Company was founded in Joliet, IL, and production was set for three taxis a day

Dessertation on ''stress on international students Dissertation

Dessertation on ''stress on international students - Dissertation Example To determine the specific stressors affecting the students, I structured questionnaires intended to be filled by the international students. In the the questionnaires the students are required to fill whether they are stressed or not by the following factors. They include financial challenges, university fees, getting job in the United Kingdom, language and accommodation. In addition, the questionnaire will determine whether international students pay more fees than the local students do. The questionnaires were sent 100 the international students through the internet and they were supposed to send back the results after one day. The study will target undergraduate and graduate students and all genders. This study is informed by recent findings by Amposah (2010) which established that international students in Manchester University have considerably higher levels of stress than the local students in spite of them facing equal academic challenges. This has resulted to the students ado pting poor stress coping mechanisms including drug abuse, dropping out of school and prevalence of psychological disorders. According to Agnes and Harriet (1993), stress is the emotional feeling a person experiences while under pressure. In this regard, stress is a response of preparing the body to face anticipated tough challenges, with renewed focus, strength and high level of concentration. According to Abe, et al. (1998:21) regulated stress is a motivational factor and it enhances output of the affected person. However, too much stress arising from excessive pressure is counterproductive and it could lead to physical and mental illness. A research conducted by Amposah (2010) established that international students are very prone to stress because of enormous pressure of excelling in their studies, meeting their living expenses and adjusting in the foreign country. Stress often happens in situations that require immediate attention, but in some cases, it extends for long periods causing a lot health and behavioral problems to a person. The effects of long-term stress normally results to feelings of being overwhelmed by the challenges at hand and low energy levels to cope (Mind for better mental health, 2010). Abe, et al (1998:442) established that congested schedules that hardly leave enough time for relaxation and rest as the most prevalent stressors among international students. Though most international students face similar stressors, they have different ways of handling and coping with the stressing situations. Some externalize it by projecting their anger to other persons while other internalize the pressures resulting to mental and physical disorders .These can subsequently develop into severe health and behavioral conditions such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks , drug abuse, suicidal tendencies among others(Mind for better mental health, 2010). This study investigates stressors on international students, undertaking their studies in Manchester University in the United Kingdom. Manchester University in United Kingdom has an ancient tradition of attracting and admitting students from different countries in the world. The most common feature that attracts foreign students to universities in the UK is the high academic standards that often lack in the institutions of higher learning in their home countries. British universities are credited for producing prominent personalities in the world in their respective areas of specialization. In this respect, they attract numerous