BLOG#3-"The Two Exceptional Wives"

There are two prominent and distinguished wives of Troy. Those are Creusa, the wife of Aeneas in the book Aeneid and Andromache, the wife of Hector in Illiad and Oddysey. In Illiad and Odyssey, Andromache, foreseeing Hector’s death, pleads with him to withdraw from the fighting. “Dearest, your own great strength will be your death, and you have no pity on your little son, nor on me, ill-starred, who soon must be your widow …” She reminds Hector that all of her family have already been killed in war, including her father and seven brothers, all slain by Achilles, who is destined to defeat Hector in mortal combat. This is the moment on the battlements of Troy, when the Trojans’ great hero Hector has left the fighting momentarily; his wife Andromache comes to speak with him, accompanied by a nurse and their infant son, Astyanax. This designates the great affection expressed by Andromache to her husband.

Just like Andromache, Creusa exhibited such concern and affection to her husband, Aeneas. For instance, When Anchises refuses to leave the house, prompting Aeneas to decide that he will leave to continue the fight against the Greeks so that he may die in battle. Creusa grabs his feet and begs him to think of what would become of Ascanius, Anchises and herself if Aeneas were to be killed. As she does this, Ascanius catches fire with an un-earthly flame. The flame is quickly doused with water. Anchises believes this to be an omen from Jupiter, who confirms this omen by sending a shooting star. Anchises now agrees to flee Troy. The family leaves the home, Aeneas carrying his father and Ascanius holding his hand, while Creusa is to remain some distance behind them. This indicates the unconditional love of Creusa to her husband, Aeneas.

These two situations signify the tenderness of love of the two eminent wives in Troy. They showed their great passion of love to their husbands. And always be reminded that a wife is essential to great longevity. She is also the receptacle of half a man's cares, and two-thirds of his ill-humor. Wives are young men's mistresses, companions for middle age, and old men's nurses.

“Blessed is the man that hath a virtuous wife, for the number of his days shall be double.”

BLOG#2-“A Triumph beyond the Silhouettes”

What is something that we desire to have, work diligently our entire life for, and will do almost anything to obtain? It is victory. Victory is a favorable or desired outcome. It is also the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence. As individuals, we have a drive for victory, our life depends on it.  

The word “victory” could be reflected in the book Aeneid itself, especially in the adventures of Aeneas. After the fall of troy, Aeneas set sail from Troy. Many Trojans had joined him. All were eager to find somewhere to settle, but no one had any clear idea where that should be. At that time, Aeneas was told in a dream that the place destined for them was a country far away to the west Italy. Although the Promised Land was distant by a long journey, they were still thankful for the assurance that they would someday have their own home. This situation denotes the ultimate victory of the Trojans behind the defeat they experienced after the fall of Troy. This proves that they are still blessed, in spite of all the adversities they suffered. Those hardships that they experienced were given to them in order to teach them some lessons and for them to be strong enough to the problems that they will experience in the future.

Always remember that there is no gain without taking risk. How can a man who never ventures win? In life one has to take bold decisions quickly. Time and tide wait for nobody. The timid, weak and undecided are swept aside by the tide of time. Determination and concentration can enable a man to attain success in any field of life. So success is not a matter of luck, it depends on firm determination and full preparation. Nothing is impossible to a man who has a purpose and the perseverance to persist with it.

BLOG#1-"The Decease of Trojans"

Odysseus came up with a plan to get the Greeks into Troy. Under Athena's direction, the Greeks built a gigantic wooden horse with a hollow body. Odysseus and an elite group of Greek warriors hid inside the horse. Their Greek companions took the horse to the city gates and left it there with an inscription explaining it was dedicated to Athena. The Greek army then withdrew from sight, pretending to sail away. The Trojans weren't quite sure what to do with the horse. Some wanted to destroy it. Others wanted to bring it inside, and still others could hardly contain their curiosity.

A raggedly dressed Greek soldier, Sinon appeared. He said that the Greek army had planned to sacrifice him to Athena, but he had escaped. Athena was furious with the Greeks, he explained, because they had stolen the Palladium. As if disclosing a great secret, Sinon told the Trojans that the Greeks had built the great wooden horse as an offering to Athena, but that they'd purposely built it to be too big to fit through the city's gates. The horse would replace the Palladium and bring the Trojans victory. Most of the Trojans agreed that they should try to get the horse inside the city walls. One man, however, spoke out against the idea. The prophet Laocoon, wary of what the horse would bring, warned the Trojans not to trust the Greeks. To emphasize his point, Laocoon threw his spear at the horse. Just then, a two fearful serpents glided straight to him. They wrapped their huge coils around him. The people misinterpreted the situation, and so, Laocoon was punished for opposing the entry of the horse. Then after, the Trojans decided to bring the horse into the city. When the horse was inside Troy's walls, they celebrated what they believed was their sure victory. No one noticed Sinon release the Greek warriors who hid inside the horse. The warriors who'd hidden in the horse opened the city gates. They sacked Troy, destroying the city completely and capturing all the Trojans they could find.

As a matter of fact, I really feel compassionate and sympathetic about the fall of Troy and the suffering of Trojans under the Greeks. Too many Trojans had been slaughtered in the battle. By the time the Trojans were awake, before they realized what had happened, while they were struggling into their armor, Troy was burning. Actually, it was not a fighting, it was a butchery. Very many died without ever a chance of dealing a blow in return.

Truthfully, I admired Aeneas’s courageousness in the story. He fought the Greeks as long as he could find a living Trojan to stand with him. But as the slaughter spread and the death came near, he thought of his home, the helpless people he had left there. He could do nothing more for Troy, but perhaps o something could be done for them. He hurried to his old father, his son and his wife. And his mother, Venus, urged him to escape.

When he set sail from Troy, many Trojans had joined him. All were eager to find somewhere to settle, but no one had any clear idea where that should be. Several times they started to build a city, but they were always driven away by misfortune or bad omens. At last Aeneas was told in a dream that the place destined for them was a country far away to the west Italy. Although the Promised Land was distant by a long voyage over unknown seas, they were still thankful for the assurance that they would someday have their own home. Before they reached their desired heaven; however, a long time passed, and much happened which if they had known beforehand might have checked their eagerness. I adored his enthusiasm and keenness in the story. He was really determined to achieve his destiny to found the Rome.

“Perseverance surmount every difficulty. It is the key ingredient in any recipe for achieving greatness.”

FOURTH

QUARTER

BLOG#5- A Hiding Smile in the Shadows

The smile has become a hallmark of Leonardo's style. It is most obvious in the painting of the Mona Lisa, but also to be seen in most of his other works. There is no mistaking the same smile and upturn of the left side of the mouth on the face of St. Anne in the Burlington House Cartoon. That drawing dates from a bit earlier than the Mona Lisa, somewhere around 1498. Speculation exists that the smile originated from his mother, Caterina. A less romantic suggestion is that the painter merely "concerned himself with certain arrangements of lines and volumes, with new and curious schemes of blues and greens."

The truth is that this style of smile was not invented by Leonardo da Vinci. It can be found in a number of sculptures from the fifteenth century, one of these being Antonio Rossellino's Virgin; it is somewhat reminiscent of Greek funerary statues and Gothic statues in medieval cathedrals. The mysterious smile can also be found very widely in the works of Leonardo's master, Verrocchio and Leonardo used the same smile in a number of his paintings.  

A variety of other suggestions have also been made as to the reason behind the smile including the simple idea that during this period in history women were instructed to smile only with one side of their mouths so as to add an air of mystery and elegance. An Italian doctor's answer was that the woman suffered from bruxism, an unconscious habit of grinding the teeth during sleep or times of great stress. The long months of sitting for the portrait could well have triggered an attack of teeth grinding. Another  reason is the dental analysis of the Mona Lisa which is based upon the assumption of Leonardo Da Vinci's accurate portrayal of the features he observed in the subject, concludes that the enigmatic smile is not a smile at all, but rather a solemn expression whose appearance is characteristic of people who have lost their front teeth.

The smile of Mona Lisa in the painting expresses such happiness, in my opinion. But I think, there is something troubling her that we cannot see easily. Its meaning lies in Leonardo’s imagination and ideas, not in some secret skeletal clue buried in a vault. That is why the painting has remained an enigma to art enthusiasts and perhaps the most famous painting in the world. Always remember, art is an idea that has found its perfect visual expression, and design is the vehicle by which this expression is made possible. It is the foundation of all the arts. 

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire. You will what you imagine and you create what you will.” ~ George Bernard Shaw