What factors contributed to the dissolution of the Roman Empire

What factors contributed to the dissolution of the Roman Empire One of the major reasons that led to the fall of the Roman Empire was the decline in morals particularly among the emperors, nobles as well as the upper rich classes. For example, Emperor Tiberius had kept young boys in his palace for his homosexuality;and Emperor Nero often ordered for male slaves to be castrated to allow him take them as his sex partners(Roman Colosseum Info 5). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on What factors contributed to the dissolution of the Roman Empire? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Besides, during religious festivals like Bacchanalia and Saturnalia, sexual promiscuity, ribald songs as well as lewd acts were practised. As a result, forced prostitution as well as bestiality increased throughout the empire. People began to use gladiatorial combats as well as chariot races to gamble as consumption of alcohol became rampant (Roman Colosseum Info 5). These acts of immoralities had devastating im pacts on the empire. Again, political corruption especially by the Praetorian Guard affected the leadership of the Roman Emperor. It was the Praetorian Guard who decided on who to become the emperor or whether it was necessary to remove the incumbent emperor (Roman Colosseum Info 6). At some points, the Praetorian Guard auctioned the throne of the Roman Empire to the highest bidder. This weakened the leadership of the empire as it now belonged to the rich who had poor leadership qualities. The Roman Empire was also affected by its fast expansion. The empire conquered many territories including the Greek and the Barbarian territories, which it could no longer manage effectively. As a result, it needed to defend the Roman territories and borders. Besides, taxes levied on non-Romans were so high that they constantly rebelled (Roman Colosseum Info 7). Mistreatment of slaves by the Romans also caused rebellions as well as constant slave wars and civil wars. Consequently, the rebellions, slave wars and civil that were relentlessly staged by the non-Romans weakened the empire’s ability to defend itself. The cost of defending the expanded Roman Empire became so high that the economy could no longer sustain. High inflation as well as heavy taxation affected the economy such that the government was often threatened by bankruptcy. Besides, most of the gold that was available was used to buy luxury goods creating shortage of gold that was to be used to make Roman coins (Roman Colosseum Info 11). As a result, the Roman currency was devalued. This further strained the Roman economy. The spread of Christianity within and outside the empire also contributed to the decline of the empire. Millions of people who were under the rule of the Roman Empire became tired of its rule (Roman Colosseum Info 17). The message of life after death gave them the courage to rebel against the empire. They became pacifistic, and this worsened the empire’s troubles.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Roman Empire was also weakened by natural disasters like famines, plagues as well as earthquakes. Natural disasters weakened its capacity to defend itself or to manage revolts and civil wars. As a result, the Roman Empire became disintegrated. The fall of the Roman Empire is also attributed to the constant attacks from its enemies especially the Barbarians. Its frequent warfare with its neighbors required much military spending which it could no longer manage as the economy was also falling. Besides, the Roman military became over-stretched, and hence called for reinforcement to help it defend the empire. As a result, the conquered Barbarians as well as other mercenaries were recruited into the Roman army. This weakened the army further as the Barbarians gained knowledge of their military tactics. The Barbarians in the army turned against the empire and j oined the other Barbarians in attacking the Roman Empire. The final blow to the Roman Empire came from the Barbarian Invasion which occurred in 410 and another one in 415 (Roman Colosseum Info 18). These invasions led to the disintegration of the Roman Authority, and finally, itsfall. The Black Death Conditions in Western Europe that contributed to the spread of the Black Death The Black Death hit Europe in 1347-1351 causing loss of many lives in Europe (Herlihy 25). Cold weather conditions, poor knowledge in medicine, war and famine were the major factors which contributed to the spread of the disease. Civil war in China which took place in 1205-1353 between the Mongol hordes and the native Chinese interfered with farming and trade, and this led to widespread famine across many regions (Herlihy 25). It is possible that the Mongols who were merchant caravans brought the disease from central Asia to Europe. The disease was first reported in Trebizond and Constantinople which were tr ading cities, at around 1347 (Herlihy 26). It was during this time that the Mongol warriors attacked the Genoese possession of Caffa. After a prolonged siege, the Mongol army was reported to be dying from the disease. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on What factors contributed to the dissolution of the Roman Empire? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Mongol army decided to use infected corpses to drive the Genoese traders out of the city by capitulating them over the city’s walls. As the traders fled to southern Europe, they transferred the disease to this region where it spread to Western Europe and other parts of Europe. The extremely cold weather, which was known as â€Å"Little Ice Age† that began towards the end of the 13th centuryfueled its spread (Herlihy 27). The cold weather extended into the 14th century and reached its climax in the first half of the century. This weather had severe results across the globe. A catastrophic famine, known as â€Å"the Great Famine†, struck Northern Europe including parts of Western Europe in 1315-1322 (Herlihy 27). Besides, there was no hay, wheat or oats for livestock to feed on. As a result, livestock population diminished causing more hunger and malnutrition. Livestock population was further reduced by anthrax which killed animals in Europe, especially cattle and sheep. This occurred in 1318 causing reduction in food supply as well as income to farmers (Herlihy 27). Hunger as well as low-level debilitating disease affected the productivity of farmers. This lowered the production of grains. The consequence of the famine was therefore weakened immune system which increased the vulnerability of the population to the disease. In addition, the governments of Europe did not have the capacity to respond to the epidemic since nobody knew the cause of the disease or even how it spread. The measures that were instituted by the monarchs to control the disease were also ineffective. Effects of the disease on the social structure Black Death led to a significant decrease in the continent’s population by about 30-50% (Herlihy 29). However, this increased the social mobility across Western Europe. It created shortage of cheap labor which made landlords to compete for laborers, hence, increasing wages to acquire their services. Thus, the pandemic improved the situation for peasants who survived. Due to the shortage of labor, they had more power since they were in high demand. Besides, there were more available fertile lands for them. The Black Death weakened the church’s power in Western Europe and the continent as a whole. As a result, the social roles that the church had played before were substituted by secular ones (Herlihy 29). The epidemic also led to peasant revolts across many parts of Europe, particularly in Western Europe. Such included the English Peasant Revolt, the Jacquerie Rebellion in Franc e and the Ciompi Rebellion in Italy (Herlihy 29).Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire.†Roman Colosseum Info. Roman Colosseum Info, 2008. Web. Herlihy, David. The Black Death and the Transformation of the West. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1997. Print.

Single-Parent Children Behavior

Single-Parent Children Behavior SINGLE-PARENT CHILDREN BEHAVIOR Based on census information, the number of children being raised in a single-parent home is on the rise. It always causes negative implications for children. When children have both parents, they tend to have better educational and financial advantages. Many people dont even realize how much a childs behavior is impacted when it comes to being raised in a single-parent home. Find out more by reading below. Impact on Academics Many single-parent homes are run by mothers. Beyond not having a father, there is also the chance that household income will be lower for these single-parent households. When you combine all of this together, it tends to increase the chance that the children are going to end up performing badly in school. Because many fathers arent providing financial support to the children, it makes mothers work harder to make ends meet. Working harder takes mothers a lot of time. As a result, Â  they have no time for their children. In turn, children dont have a parent readily available to assist them with completing their homework. If the other parent sent money to the single parent raising the child, it would help free up time for that parent to spend it with children. When the children have the emotional support of the non-custodial parent, they often end up doing better in school when compared to children who dont have contact with the other parent. You may also be interested in: Perspiration Is Nothing without a Little Bit of Inspiration Junk Food in School The Bright Sides of Academic Intellectuals We Call Nerds Relieving Students School-Related Stress Developing Students Creativity and Self-Expression through Crayons Impact on Emotions When there is only one person in the house earning an income, it puts the family at risk of being below the poverty level. Families that live in poverty tend to be more stressed. This can carry over to the children and cause them to struggle with low self-esteem, frustration, anger and even violent tendencies. Some children feel as if they are the one to blame for the other parent leaving. They act out on their peers because of their anger at the other parent. Beyond all of the financial struggles, many children end up feeling sad, lonely and abandoned. They struggle to form relationships with other children and connect with them emotionally. While the effects are going to vary from one child to the next, it doesnt get any easier when there is only one parent in the household supporting the family. Impact on Social Life Many children from single-parent households end up withdrawing socially. They tend to dive into a state of depression and loneliness. This often occurs because the one parent is always working and has no time for children. Because the children are often alone, they tend to feel that they arent wanted or that the parent doesnt care. When the children enter the state of loneliness, they end up turning away from their peers and spend most of their time in their bedroom alone. This can cause a number of problems for children. Everything you do in life involves communicating with someone at some point. This is why it is so important for children to feel like they can come to their parent and talk about how they are feeling and what they need help with. Otherwise, it is only going to end up causing them, even more, problems later on in life when they try to get a job or even find a mate. Even though it isnt all that easy to be a single parent. Spend more time communicating with children and make sure that they have everything they need to succeed in life. In time, you will be able to work your way through the whole ordeal and grow to form a long-lasting bond.

DISCUSSION QUESTION RESPONSE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 38

DISCUSSION QUESTION RESPONSE - Essay Example I also completely agree with what you said about dealing with a challenging person in terms of gossip and jokes. I had not considered this aspect before, but I think you are right that it might hurt your credibility with that person. According to an article entitled â€Å"How to communicate effectively with difficult and challenging personalities,† it is vital that a person is very organized and has what they are going to say planned out when talking to a challenging person(Sabol). I definitely think you hit the nail on the head with this idea when you talked about sending them further information like a credible website after speaking with them. I think doing this allows the challenging person some time to think over what you have said and work through any of their doubts or concerns with what was said as well. In talking to an open minded person, you mentioned that you might ask their thoughts on certain things. I think that is a good idea because it lets this person know that you care about their thoughts and ideas and are open to suggestion. The one thing that I think is difficult in a workplace environment, however, is the process of identifying which person fits into which category, especially in terms of peers, challenging people, and open-minded people. In your opinion, how do you decide who fits into what category before embarking on a specific persuasion or communication technique? Sabol, Byron. "How to Communicate Effectively with Difficult and Challenging Personalities." EzineArticles. 2007. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.

Book Assesment Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Book Assesment Report - Essay Example The book that we are going to analyze is Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond. Latesvology is a model that deals with the impacts of change in the society brought about by economical, technological and social changes. It further examines the dominant views and acceptable variance in the society related to economical or technological changes. Discussion The changing global economy has been of concern to the many people in different spheres of the global economy since these changes in the global economy have had an effect on the technological and social values within the society. The global world economy has grown tremendously over the years, and thus various sectors, such as the energy and mining sectors, have grown. However, these industries have experienced growth which has boosted the technology sector but has been detrimental to the society in terms of environmental pollution. The growth in the global economy impacted negatively the society in terms o f environmental degradation. This book specifically looks at the advancement of society during the past years and explains how economic growth has contributed to the collapse of different societies. ... Regions such as Europe grew in the past decades leading to the growth of agriculture, industry, technology and the society. As a result, to support this growth, many societies demanded more of resource allocation to be used in supporting industrial growth in order to accommodate the lifestyles of the society. However, growth in the economical aspect led to growth of industries and technology, and as a result, technology was used in the exploitation of resources. Technology was used in expanding industries as new forms of technology, such as growth in the transport systems paved way for industrial growth. As a means of sustaining the industrial growth and other forms of growth, minerals and other resources became the focal point of the development and search of these resources over the long period of time. Therefore, mining and other activities related to mineral extraction became major economic activities. The book in this case compares the race and rate of resource utilization durin g the Mayan, Vikings periods as equal to the current rate of resource utilization in the world (Diamond 187). The current global situation is that commodities and resources are the main drivers of the global economy. As a result, resources such as oil, steel and land are regarded as big economical factors in the development of societal life. Moreover, technology also assisted the development of the economical sector in that it was utilized in the process of acquiring resources from the earth easily for consumption. Consequently, the development of technology aided in the growth of the market economy within the business world. As the economy grew, the net effect in the society was the change in lifestyle and change of the standards of living. People began

Good vs Evil in Gregory Maguire’s “Wicked” Essay Example for Free

Good vs Evil in Gregory Maguire’s â€Å"Wicked† Essay What is good and what is bad seems pretty easy to define. Good is being morally right, an action or a quality that does not cause harm to people, harm to self, nor cause sadness. Goodness benefits others, if not the self, and it causes happiness. Evil is the opposite of good, or the absence of good. But these are only the general meanings of these two concepts. In religion, good and evil are represented by different beings. In Christianity, being good means to please God, the Creator. Jesus Christ is also good, and heaven is where good souls go to. On the other hand, the Devil, being a fallen angel, represents evil, and hell is where bad souls are tortured for eternity. Other religious practices in the world may or may not have divine beings that people worship, but they also have concepts of good and evil. Evil is defined by goodness. If good is defined, bad is automatically defined as well, because bad is, to put simply, not good. For example, if good would be represented by a child who obeys his/her parents, then bad would be a child who does not obey his/her parents. The question is what if the â€Å"bad† child has a reason to not obey his/her parents? What if the reason is besides being bad, such as what if the child disobeyed his/her parents to fulfill a promise to a friend? Good and evil only represents the black and white, but reality tells us that there are also grey areas, some things which are not exactly bad, but not exactly good either. Gregory Maguire’s novel, â€Å"Wicked†, a sort of prequel to the classic children’s novel, L. Frank Baum’s â€Å"Wizard of Oz†, is about good and evil, and these grey areas in between, which are acts done by people which are not good but also not evil. It tells of the story of the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. In the original â€Å"Wizard of Oz† books, the witch is not named, only given the title of The Wicked Witch of the West. Described as green-skinned, wearing black clothes with a black pointed hat, riding on a broomstick, and afraid of water, this witch character became almost a stereotype for all other witches. In â€Å"Wicked†, this witch is given the name Elphaba Thropp, with the first name take from the initials of the original author of â€Å"Wizard of Oz†. One of the first things that readers will notice and perhaps find interesting is the quotations in one of the first pages. Maguire quotes three, one of which is from â€Å"The Wizard of Oz†, about the dialogue between the Wizard and Dorothy. The Wizard requests Dorothy to kill the Wicked Witch of the West, and in return he will help her return to Kansas. This quote may make a child think, given that the child fully understands what is morally right and wrong in the society. Killing is wrong. Why should Dorothy kill the witch? Because she is bad? But killing a bad person will not make a person good. Or does it? Does a wrong action turn into a right action if there is a good reason for committing the action? With this quote, a person who is about to read â€Å"Wicked† will start thinking about the nature of good and evil, and will get the central idea of the book. In the first part of the â€Å"Wicked†, the birth of Elphaba is told. Readers will learn the occurrences when she was born and the background of her parents. From the time she was born, Elphaba had skin of â€Å"undeniable green† (p. 20). She also had sharp fangs that she bit off the finger of the fisherwife when she was still a baby (p. 20). These different characteristics makes her an oddity, and somehow inhuman. For this reason, it is assumed that Elphaba grew up being a victim of prejudice. This prejudice later proved to be an important experience for her, because her intentions and motivations all came from the prejudice and cruelty that she experienced as a child, and even as an adult. Despite this, she grew up smart and curious. She also questions things that most people accept, such as the concept of evil. In a conversation with Galinda, she asks if evil does exist. â€Å"They seemed to be obsessed with locating it [evil]†¦ an evil spring in the mountains, an evil smoke, evil blood in the veins†¦ â€Å"†¦ The early unionists†¦ argued that some invisible pocket of corruption was floating around the neighborhood, a direct descendant of the pain the world felt when Lurline left. Like a patch of cold air on a warm still night. A perfectly agreeable soul might march through it and become infected, and then go and kill a neighbor. But then was it your fault if you walked through a patch of badness? If you couldn’t see it? † (p. 80-81) This is foreboding, because later in the story, Elphaba does â€Å"walk through a patch of badness†, though she does not mean to walk into it.

Strategies to Motivate Students Essay -- Education, Learning Teaching

Strategies to Motivate Students In the field of education there is a broad spectrum of strategies to motivate students. Through research only a sample of the spectrum was covered, which consisted of twenty-nine sources. Four interrelated categories were created that individually provide strategies to motivate students. The four categories consist of teaching strategies to motivate students, program structure to motivate students, self-motivational strategies, and parent strategies to motivate students. All of these categories conclude that a positive environment provided by parents, school officials, and the students themselves, act to enhance a students motivational drive to succeed in the classroom. Teaching Strategies to Motivate Students A teaching strategy is any technique a teacher projects in the classroom. Enthusiasm and body language in combination with creative classroom activities are effective tools for teaching. According to Barbara Davis in "Incorporating Instructional Behaviors That Motivate Students" from the Tools For Teaching web site, most students respond positively to a well structured course taught by an instructor who is enthusiastic and shows interest in their students as well as their subject. With this in mind, Davis gives six instructional behaviors that teachers can utilize to motivate students. These are holding realistic expectations, helping them to set achievable goals, informing students of how to succeed in their class, strengthening self-motivation, avoiding to create competition among students, and being enthusiastic about their subject. Davis argues, beneath the same web site in Motivating Students, that instructors can do the following to encourage st... ...is a collection of opinions on the subject about teachers and school administrators around the United States. It contains strategies to stimulate students at home and how parents can properly motivate their children to succeed as students throughout their education. 101 Ways Parents Can Help Their Children Achieve is a booklet distributed by the Educational World, written by school administrators. This booklet provides many creative family projects designed to stimulate their children to want to achieve academically. Conclusion A common ground can be derived from all four of the perspectives relating to the broad spectrum of strategies to motivate students. By providing a positive atmosphere at home as well as in the school, a student develops the desire to succeed in the classroom, and later, utilizes this motivation to succeed in life.

Personal Reflection †My life compare to the Amish Essay

The Amish had first been discovered in 1693, they are known for simple living and plain dressing. Even though they have been around for a very long time their ways of living are still very similar to what it was since the beginning. Unlike my ways of living, I have been on this earth for 16 years (still counting) and my ways of life have changed dramatically year after year. The Amish and I have some similarities and many differences. From the way the use of technology, our gender, our roles and status and even our religion. my life revolves around technology, from the moment I wake up to the moment I step into bed at the end of the day I am surrounded by technology. we might think technology is what makes the world go round. But the Amish thinks differ, they live their life with no use of technology what so ever. this means no phones, no television, no laptop, no electricity (only allowed in certain areas) and definitely no cars. they believe if too much technology is used, the community will slowly be separated from each other. which I believe is very correct. instead of using cars for transport, they would use horse – drawn buggies. my daily routine, everything I do most likely consist of the use of technology. throughout the day I use my phone, use my computer, I use car as a transport, and I am surround by electricity. I feel ashamed of myself because I think the use of technology is the only way someone can get through a day. As for gender, the Amish always had the male(father) as the head of the family. But in my house hold my mum(female) is the head of the house, which is completely opposite to the Amish. The Amish said that unmarried could work and married women had to work within the home . But in my life, women have a choice whether they want to work or stay home whether they’re married or not. when working I have the choice whether to give my pay to my mother or not. but according to the Amish, working children have to give all their pay to their father to support the family. The Amish are very close to one other and families are usually always nearby even after marriage. but where I am living, at the age of 18, family member are able to leave as they please and as far away as they want. since birth my mum never forced me into a certain religion, I was given the choice to choose which religion would suite me best. unlike me the Amish aren’t as lucky as I am, from birth have Christianity forced onto them, and every since that day their lives are now devoted to god. this means devoting  yourself to god before being accepted as an adult member. they are believe that they must obey god at all times. They strongly believe in peace and cooperation. unlike us people who think technology and money makes the world go round and that power is the key to happiness. And lastly our roles and statue, from a young age the Amish were taught their roles, kids would go to school till year 8. The males are always the leader of the family and the person who makes decisions for the entire family and sometimes community. they are also expected to have to work on farm to provide for the family. the females are expected to take care of the family and maintain the house. females usually don’t have jobs outside the house, but young women are usually school teachers. in our society the roles and status can be similar and very different compare to the Amish, in our society males can be the leader but so can the females, the roles in our society are more equal. both males and females can find jobs, do house chores and both can look after the family. And kids finish school at a much older age. in conclusion, the Amish ways of living compare to mine are very different. there is no right way or wrong in living life, both cultures have different views to thin gs so their beliefs to think will be different. At the end of the day we are all human, and we should all respect each other instead of stereotyping one another.