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Rhetoric is taught with academic pride and flourish at major universities around the world, and it's closely associated with the prestigious, ancient name of Aristotle, one of the greatest thinkers that Western Civilization has ever produced. Yet --- though most people don't know it, including many teachers of writing --- Rhetoric has historically been surrounded by a tradition and reputation for deceit and corruption. Just about everyone knows that Socrates was negative about Rhetoric, as shown by Plato in his Gorgias dialogue. In it, Socrates concludes, "Rhetoric is mere flattery and disgraceful declamation." What most don't know is that even proponents of Rhetoric have had a lot of negative...

Hot Tubs and natural Hot Spring Spas have been used for a lot longer than many people are generally aware of. The Romans and earlier civilisations clearly new that the beneficial effects of the water was helpful to their general well being. I say this as the Romans had very large public bathing facilities for many hundreds of years, the majority of which were heated. This was accepted as being very much a daily activity for men of all classes and indeed many women. Bathing today is considered a private activity carried out in the home but bathing in Rome was very much a communal activity carried out usually in public baths One has only to look at the Roman Baths and there is a prime example at Bath...

Gortys or Gortyn is one of the most important ancient cities of prehistoric Crete. Almost 100,000 tourists visited the archaeological site of Gortys in 2006. Whilst its story goes back as far as the Minoan period, one particularly important period was that which followed the occupation of Crete by the Dorians (1100 BC). Later, during the Roman occupation (68 BC), Gortys was the largest city and the Capital of Crete and Northern Africa. The city was destroyed in 828 AD by Arabs. One of the many important facts about Gortys is that it was the first city that accepted Christianity. The first Christian temples were built there and the remains of the biggest and most important Christian cathedral of...

Wiltshire is beautiful, quiet county with grassy uplands, rolling plains and picture postcard villages, like Ford near Chippenham. Ford is a small village offering a perfect retreat for anyone who wants to escape from the hustle and bustle of town and city life. Situated on the edge of the Cotswolds, there are several opportunities for remote walks along the nearby river and throughout the miles of unspoilt countryside and picturesque villages. Wiltshire is on the edge of the West Country on one side and the Cotswolds in the northern part of the county. It is also surrounded by counties of Somerset, Dorset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. Much of Wiltshire is agricultural and...

Don't Let One Pass You By! When you look at a country such as Spain, it's difficult to narrow down all of the attractions and experiences to the top ten. However, here are the top ten attractions in Spain that we think you shouldn't miss. 1. Museo del Prado in Madrid The Prado is considered to be the world's most premier art museum. With some 4,000 masterpieces, you can explore the history of Spain and the art movement all under one roof. Many of these art featured in the museum was acquired by the kings of Spain and include the works of the masters including Goya, Caravaggio, Fra Angelico, Botticelli and Hieronymus Bosch. 2. La Alhambra in Granada La Alhambra is a Moorish fortified palace. The...

If you think you have seen all that Spain has to offer, or maybe you feel that it is a country able only to provide sun, sand, Sangria and silly hats on even sillier people, you need to think again. If you've been to Ronda, Alhaurin el Grande, Arcos, Frigiliana or one of the innumerable other white towns in Andalucia, and think you seen all you need to see, you are wrong. Antequera has lots more to offer you than any of the former. If you like fine church architecture, or just fine buildings in beautiful surroundings, good food, great wine, nice people and the enjoyment of an ideal city break destination, this is where you might just have struck lucky! A city break in 'RealSpain' in Antequera will...

We all know that some time spent in the wonderfully relaxing warm bubbling waters of a hot tub can be incredibly relaxing. Did you know that it can also be healing as well? Even our ancestors from the ancient ages in Rome, Greece, and Egypt were already using hot tubs as sources of healing and vitality. Back then, they were not the sophisticated hot tubs we have access to today, but rather were sometimes as simple as a natural hot spring. The Romans went a step beyond simply traveling to the hot springs, since they built their own hydrotherapy baths. These Roman baths, which are quite famous even today, were used as sources of healing, rejuvenation, and relaxation. In ancient times, hydrotherapy was...

Underfloor heating is a type of central heating using radiant heat or heat conduction for indoor climates. It has come a long way since they were first used by ancient Rome. During those days, Romanians used this technique of floor heating by supplying hot air under the floor in the Roman baths and villas. You can fix these heaters in several places. They are available for tile, under stone, carpet, laminate and concrete made houses. Underfloor heating has gained popularity because many people dislike walking at frosty floors during winter season. Additionally, cost of installing these heaters at home has dropped in the past few years making it a feasible option for many under construction and...

Antique writing instruments guide contains details about hundreds of olden day fountain pens used by famous writers and manufactured by famous companies. This simple article will tell you about ancient and other important pens and some collectible that are very important in history. If you are person of collecting some of the most important and ancient products then you can try out to collect some of the instruments that are mentioned in the book "The Illustrated guide to Antique Writing Instruments". This book is written by famous Stuart Schneider and George Fischler. They both live in the state of New Jersey and are well known in the field of antique fountain pens and other important collectibles...

Archery has always been a popular sport, and longbow archery may be the purest, most basic form of the sport that exists. From pre-history through modern times, some form of archery has been present in most cultures and practically all continents, but it wasn't until relatively recent history that the longbow came to be. Longbow archery,which is also known as the The English Longbow, and is also called the Welsh Longbow (which is a type of tall bow developed for archery), is a powerful type of bow that was developed during the medieval era which occurred between 500 - 1450 A.D. The longbow is a tall bow, standing well over 6 feet in length if placed on the ground, and has been used both as a weapon...

"body"> Robert Ripley's life was an unbelievable adventure. For 35 years he explored the uncanny and witnessed the amazing. His Believe It or Not! cartoon teemed with incredible - but proven - phenomena every day. Called a liar more often than any man who ever lived, Ripley never failed to establish the truth of every assertion. He was a world traveler who visited more than 200 countries seeing places few people had even heard of, from the tombs of the Ming Emperors in China, to a town called Hell in Norway! Ripley was an artist, a reporter, an explorer, and a collector. The stories he gathered, illustrated by Ripley himself, would later appear in his popular newspaper cartoon feature Believe It or...

From Erwin Rommel to General Douglas McArthur, the history of the world is littered with ace military tacticians that won for their empires and countries pieces of conquered land. These days, however, you don't need to be in the military to discover and hone the hidden tactician in your. You only need browse the Internet and play your favorite war strategy games and you can be your build your own army and set them off to conquer land, all from your computer chair. Indeed, online strategy games are typical military-themed, with the era and gaming environment ranging from the beginning of civilization to the future. These military strategy games usually ask players to build their own civilization or...

Lasko Kosher Cruises, which recently merged with Suite Life, a leading kosher cruise operator for the past seven years, has announced that it will be adding the first Glatt Kosher cruise to Israel and Egypt to its list of 2009 sailings. This “Ancient Empires” cruise will include 13 days aboard Celebrity Cruises’ brand new Equinox leaving from Rome, Italy on Tuesday, August 18, 2009. The Ancient Empires itinerary features culturally rich ports of call including Rome and Naples, Italy; Athens and Rhodes, Greece; Ephesus, Turkey; Alexandria, Egypt; and Haifa and Ashdod, Israel. Guests will sail around the Mediterranean Sea visiting ruins, perusing architecture and sampling the flavor of these...

A MOMENT OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE IN THE ROMANIAN HOMELAND'S HISTORY. Alba Iulia Municipality is one the symbols of the Romanian people's millinery existence, which evokes the tormented history of our people, characterized by the ceaseless wish to keep pace with the development of the civilization, to contribute both to the building of an ever better and more dignified life on the homeland's soil, and to the development of civilization and progress of the whole mankind. The age-old Dacian fortress, which existed on these lands more than 2000 years ago and which became a Roman municipium, powerfully confirm, just as many other localities and vestiges of the past, the strong civilization which blossomed...

Throughout the 20th century, notions such as identity, self and the other have been consequently constructed and deconstructed and have received new areas of interest. The notion of hybrid identity, for example, has been transformed from a technique of distinguishing pure from infected blood (from a racial point of view, but not only), to one of the key elements of political correctness: nations have become overrated, while cultural and regional identities have gained ground. In this essay, I propose a closer view into the cross-identities structures of an Apartheid South-Africa ruptured by race, religion, political and cultural views, and so on. J. M Coetzee is indeed the typical result of this...

Any reflective student of history is often amazed at the products and processes invented and discovered in the ancient world that we take for granted today. Paint, gunpowder, weaponry, cement, the arch, beer, silk, papyrus, champagne, and so many others remain at the center of modern society and commerce in one form or another. Two of the most interesting ancient inventions are among the most popular consumer products of modern times, chewing gum and chocolate. Chocolate was first harvested and converted into a consumable drink by the Aztec's in Mexico. Before the Aztec's, the cacao bean was considered a nuisance plant that neither animals or humans would eat. Tough, bitter, hard, and inedible...

The Akshardham in the Delhi, India is the largest Hindu Temple in the world. It is dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan who was one of the most known Hindu prophets. This temple depicts the cultural beauty at its best. It is situate at the outskirts of Delhi on the banks of the Yamuna River. The architecture of the temple speaks volumes of the Indian culture from 10,000 years ago. The temple was built over a period of 5 years and it hired the services of 11,000 artisans. Akshardham was inaugurated in November, 2005 and ever since it receives thousands of visitors daily. There is another Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat state. Akshardham means eternal or lasting forever. There are...

It's not impossible that even these days, we can still discover diverse Aztec symbols imprinted or etched in flags, silver coins, landmarks, etc. This is due to right now there are a lot of people who are fond of many Aztec symbols which illustrate a civilization which has been lost over time and history books. If you are familiar with the Aztecs, you have to know that they are one of the most unexplainable people ever. Amid all of those other historic people which have been unknown to many people, the Aztecs are the ones who happen to be keen on symbolisms as they often worship several gods. That makes it not really a big shock to anyone that numerous historians who may have recently been obsessed...

Illuminati in Kentucky: My fevered imagination includes the probability that Andrew Jackson and stories of the Bell Witch are connected with this kind of knowledge. "In his 1806 book Travels In America, Thomas Ashe writes of his experiences with a vast cavern originally discovered in 1783 beneath the city of Lexington, 300 feet long, 100 feet wide and 19 feet high, containing exotic artifacts, a stone altar for sacrifices, human skulls and bones piled high, and mummified remains. The mummies are very strange looking and have red hair. The local native Americans claimed that these were the remnants of an ancient civilization that died out long ago. Respected historian George W. Ranck also discusses...

When we were children our noted film maker Mr. Ramanand Sagar launched his opus magnum Ramayana on Indian television and during those days color Television was a novelty in every household and, though under strict government control, the televisions had a limited number of channels. This teleserial was aired in the evening prime time slot and we clearly remember that we would not shift anywhere during that hour and would watch Ramayana with rapt attention. As a child I remember reading the unabridged Ramayana and it had taken me about a month to finish that epic. By the time I had reached the last chapters I had forgotten the intricate details of the earlier chapters. Every Indian either living in...

In Mexico, a number of gangs or the different clan groups wear the same kind of tattoo to show their loyalty or show that they all belong to a particular gang. These tattoos are mostly the skull tattoos with various colors and decorations. Tattoos are not only famous among the gang people of Mexico but it is even popular among individuals because of its many style, colors and designs. The ancient civilization like Incas, Aztecs and Mayans had inspired them. The Aztec tribal tattoos are the popular and the common tattoo of the South Americans. These people living in South America were inspired by the ancient civilization and have involved themselves in creating tattoo designs for the modern world of...

Mexican gangs today have been known to don different types of tattoos that depict their loyalty to a particular gang or clan. The tattoos that they wear usually depict a skull with additional decorations and coloring. Aside from the gangs, tattoos have been very popular in Mexico due to their many colors, styles and designs. Due to their popularity, there are different types of Mexican inspired tattoos that are out in the market today. Most of them were inspired by the ancient civilization of the Incas, Mayans and the Aztecs. The Aztec tribal tattoos are the most common among the ancient civilization in South America that are being inspired in creating different tattoo design in modern times...

Strategically placed almost eight thousand feet above sea level, Machu Picchu is a set of ruins fondly called the Old Peak by local Peruvians. The Urubamba River flows by and below it while it is on the Urubamba Valley mountain ridge. Machu Picchu was constructed by Emperor Pachacuti of the Incan Empire and he made it a major estate of the empire. Today it is an icon of the Incan civilization that was conquered by the Spaniards and is commonly referred to The Lost City of the Incas. Machu Picchu was constructed and engineered approximately in AD 1400 as a royal estate. However, it was later abandoned once the Spaniards entered and conquered the Incan empire. Since it is so high up in the mountains...

Mediterranean CruiseNatural beauty of Mediterranean Sea, romantic Greek islands and visiting ancient cities along the way have attracted many people from around the world to enjoy Mediterranean cruise as their lifetime experience. Hence, the Mediterranean cruise has the most varied type of cruise routes available. There are over 100 seaports around the Mediterranean coastline, offering numerous combinations of cruise vacation from 3-day trip to over two-week trip.    You can expect a diversity culture experience on a Mediterranean cruise. There are over 15 countries for you to visit, including Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Portugal, Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Turkey, Ukraine, Morocco, etc. Each...

After all the hubbub of a wedding, the honeymoon is the time you and your new spouse can get away from it all and relax. There are no guests lists to deliberate over, no relatives to please and no one to worry about except you and your beloved. All the excitement of the wedding and the work to get ready for the big day is one reason that so many couples prefer to get off the beaten path for their first couple weeks of life together. Few couples say they want to go to the big city for their honeymoon. Instead, many head for a sunny locale at a luxurious resort - where the biggest decision they have to make is which swimsuit to wear that day. Here are 10 suggestions for an off-the-beaten-path...

"Health, fashion, vitality" is the theme of the First China International Yoga Fitness Expo will be held October 21 in Beijing Exhibition Center, is expected there will be exhibitors from around the world more than 300 the number of visitors reach eight to million, as Asia's largest and most influential public exhibition of Yoga. Over the world, originated in ancient India, yoga fitness method, with its respect for nature, the unique balance of physical and mental health   Body theory, won the world's esteem and love of fitness enthusiasts, especially in the fast-paced, high-intensity modern society, the weight loss is no doubt become decompression, particularly in modern white-collar workers...

Rome is an enchanting place that has been attracting tourists for its rich cultural heritage and brilliant historic monuments. In the ratings of Condé Nast Traveler's 2004 Reader's Choice Awards, Rome grabbed the coveted second spot on the list of top ten European cities. Some quick helpful facts about traveling to the city. You need to have a valid passport to enter Italy though you do not need a visa if the duration of the stay is less than 90 days. However, there is an exception to this rule for some specific countries. Since the summers are hot and dry, you should visit Rome between October and March. Book yourself at a hotel that is close to the historic district. The ideal place would...

specializes in private guided tours of Rome and the Vatican City with Russian speaking licensed Rome touristic guides to explore Rome most famous landmarks and enjoy Rome surroundings including private day trips from Rome to Villa Adriana and Villa d'Este, Tivoli Gardens, Ancient Ostia, Bracciano Lake and the Roman Castles by licensed fully insured a/c Mercedes Benz sedans and minivans. Nancy Aiello Tours private guided Rome day tours in Russian language are designed for the discerning Russian travelers looking for unforgettable Roman holiday combined with Rome shopping, comfort and best Rome concierge services. Since 1997 advises leisure and business Russian travelers with the finest personalized...

TARQUINIUS SUPERBUS (TARQUIN THE PROUD) AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE MONARCHY Tarquinius Superbus was son of Tarquinius Priscus and therefore, of the Etruscan origin. He became a king after arranging the assassination of his father in law. His reign was marked by tyranny and violence. He destroyed all the Sabine shrines and altars. But then came the tragedy. His son, Sextus Tarquinius, as violent as his father raped a patrician woman named Lucretia who became a legendary figure in the history of Rome. The central figures of this tragedy were: virtuous Lucretia, the wife of Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus, Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus – her husband, Lucius Junius Brutus – brother of Lucretia and...