Greek Fire Essays - Incendiary Weapons, Medieval Artillery, Europe

Greek Fire ?GREEK FIRE? The original Greek fire was an invention used as a weapon of the Eastern Roman Emperors. It is also said to have been invented by a Syrian engineer, one Callinicus, a refugee from Maalbek, in the seventh century. The Byzantines of Constantinople originally used it. But they never used the term Greek fire because they claimed to be Romans, and never called themselves Greeks. It was like an insult to them because in their times to be Greek was to have a bad reputation. The Greek fire was first time used in the war of seven years. In which the Arabs established a naval base on the peninsula of Kyzikos. This was on the second attack of a battle started by Theophanes. On the third attack of the same battle, Greek fire was used again against the Arabs. The ?liquid fire? was hurled on the ships of their enemies from siphons and burst into flames on contact. As it was reputed to be inextinguishable and burned even on water, it caused panic and dread. Its introduction into warfare of its time was comparable in its demoralizing to the introduction of nuclear weapons in our time. Both Arab and Greek sources agree that it surpassed all incendiary weapons in destruction. It is also possible that Greek fire was really invented by the chemist in Constantinople who had acquired the discoveries of the Alexandrian chemical school. An Emperor, Constantine Porphyrogenitus, said that the recipe for Greek fire had been revealed by an angel to Constantine the Great, and that the earliest chemists called their science ?the divine art.? Constantine Porphyrogenitus (tenth century) in his instruction to his son had commanded him emphatically to keep the composition secret: ?The secret had in the past been given by an angel to Constantine the Great, those imparting it were anathema, and one about to communicate it had been struck by lightning. Anna Komnena (b.1083), the gifted but vain daughter of the Emperor Alexios I Komnenos, gives the composition of an incendiary material: ?This fire made by the following arts. From the pines and the certain such evergreen trees inflammable resin is collected. This is rubbed with sulfur and put into tubes of reed, and is blowing by men using it with violent and continuos breath. Then in this manner it meets the fire on the tip and catches light and falls like a fiery whirlwind on the faces of the enemies.? She also says it was used in the siege of Durazzo in 1108, when the Normans under Bohemond had mined under the walls, and the Byzantines had countermined until they reached the sap, when the appearance produced by these pyrotechnics would be terrifying but not very dangerous. The Normans, she said, had their beards signed but were not much injured. Kedrenos reported that in his time (eleventh century) the secret of the fire was possessed by Lampros, a descendant of Kallinikos. The state chemist who had the recipe, a secret not to put into writing, no doubt took an oath not to divulge it. And the Emperor, who lent troops and engines to his allies, reserved for himself the secret of Greek fire, and sent it already made as a sort of ancient hydrogen bomb to his worthy but not wholly reliable dependants. It was thought that the secret of Greek fire had been lost; a Dupre, born in Dauphine, claimed to have rediscovered it, and sold the recipe to Louis XV in 1756. The secret was in reality never lost, and Greek fire only slowly made way to artillery and gunpowder; in the earlier stages both Greek fire and cannon were sometimes used together. Greek fire, like hydrogen bomb, was not prerogative of angels or emperors; a chemist, and further east, in Saracen lands had discovered it. There were other chemists no less inventive. The secret behind the Greek fire was handed down from one emperor to the next for the centuries. Rumors about its composition include such chemicals as liquid petroleum, naphtha, burning pitch, sulfur, resin quicklimeand bitumen, along with some other secret ingredient. The exact composition, however, remains unknown. Bibliography the history of Greek fire and Gunpowder

Prohibition in the 1920s essays

Prohibition in the 1920's essays Following the year 1919 came a decade of corruption and many changes in the way people lived. For a while in the United States people lived as though their reputation mattered more than anything, and letting go and having fun were not the appropriate things, especially for woman to do. With the many changes came one of great importance that actually made American citizens appear more innocent Prohibition in the 1920s came hard to many Americans, mostly men. The banning of selling, making, and transporting alcohol was enforced through the Volstead Act. Effective on January 16, 1920, at 12:00 pm, the Volstead Act was the start of a new experiment in the United States. The chief prohibition leaders Mr. Volstead, Mr. Bryan, Mr. Wheeler, and Mr. Sheppard all gathered at the First Congregational Church to watch the act become legal. Prohibition and the Volstead Act were induced to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce the tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America. Although many people thought that Prohibition would help society, it changed it once again for the bad. Although consumption of alcohol fell at the beginning of Prohibition, it subsequently increased. Alcohol became more dangerous to consume, crime increased and became "organized", and the court and prison systems were stretched to the breaking point. It led many drinkers to switch to opium, marijuana, patent medicines, cocaine, and other dangerous substances that they would have been unlikely to encounter in the absence of Prohibition. During prohibition people made their own bath tub gins producing alcohol that many people died from. Speak easies were many peoples escape from prohibition, where they could drink alcohol in a bar, but illegally. Bootleggers, who made their own alcohol and ran it ...

Free Essays on Hasidic Teachings Of Aliens

ALIEN PHILOSOPHIES AND IDEOLOGIES: The only true wisdom is the wisdom of the Tzaddikim. It brings them to a lofty perception of God and gives them the power to communicate their perception to those who follow them. Compared with this wisdom, all other ideological systems are utter foolishness. But because of our many sins, it can happen at times that this genuine wisdom falls into the hands of the heathens and the forces of the Sitra Achra, the Other Side. Their new-found wisdom gives them power and dominion, and then the heathens gain the upper hand, God forbid. Who can bear the sound of the great and terrible cry when this wisdom falls into their hands and fools affect to be wise? They try to adapt this genuine wisdom to their own purposes, as if it could be made a part of their own ideologies, as if their own foolishness had anything to do with the knowledge of God. They start claiming that they alone are the wise ones and there is no wisdom greater than their own erroneous speculations, parasitic! as they are on the fallen, genuine wisdom. God Himself cries out because of this. Every Jew has a part to play in the task of identifying how this wisdom that has fallen into their hands can be separated from them and elevated in order to return it to its source. The way to achieve this is through acts of charity and kindness under the guidance and inspiration of the Tzaddikim (30:6). Wisdom is the root of all things (Psalms 104:24) One should always guard one's mind against false ideologies. The only way to achieve fulfillment in life is through the pursuit of genuine wisdom, namely the wisdom of Torah, which is concerned with Godliness. Compared with this all other systems of ideology are sheer emptiness, they have nothing to do with wisdom at all (35:1). When a person is born his intelligence is limited. When he begins to use it to think about how to serve God, it starts growing. Bu... Free Essays on Hasidic Teachings Of Aliens Free Essays on Hasidic Teachings Of Aliens ALIEN PHILOSOPHIES AND IDEOLOGIES: The only true wisdom is the wisdom of the Tzaddikim. It brings them to a lofty perception of God and gives them the power to communicate their perception to those who follow them. Compared with this wisdom, all other ideological systems are utter foolishness. But because of our many sins, it can happen at times that this genuine wisdom falls into the hands of the heathens and the forces of the Sitra Achra, the Other Side. Their new-found wisdom gives them power and dominion, and then the heathens gain the upper hand, God forbid. Who can bear the sound of the great and terrible cry when this wisdom falls into their hands and fools affect to be wise? They try to adapt this genuine wisdom to their own purposes, as if it could be made a part of their own ideologies, as if their own foolishness had anything to do with the knowledge of God. They start claiming that they alone are the wise ones and there is no wisdom greater than their own erroneous speculations, parasitic! as they are on the fallen, genuine wisdom. God Himself cries out because of this. Every Jew has a part to play in the task of identifying how this wisdom that has fallen into their hands can be separated from them and elevated in order to return it to its source. The way to achieve this is through acts of charity and kindness under the guidance and inspiration of the Tzaddikim (30:6). Wisdom is the root of all things (Psalms 104:24) One should always guard one's mind against false ideologies. The only way to achieve fulfillment in life is through the pursuit of genuine wisdom, namely the wisdom of Torah, which is concerned with Godliness. Compared with this all other systems of ideology are sheer emptiness, they have nothing to do with wisdom at all (35:1). When a person is born his intelligence is limited. When he begins to use it to think about how to serve God, it starts growing. Bu...

Diversity (cultures) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Diversity (cultures) - Essay Example Usually, the need to form a team arises from the need either to get things done more efficiently, using lesser time and effort (Mattson, 1998). And with this, the idea of a cross-cultural team sprouted up. Studies and researches were done to understand whether it would be of competitive advantage for a certain company if there are team members from different cultural backgrounds and how such differences can be understood and will not pose any problem for the company. With the continuing movement of the economy - may it be a decline or growth - every businesses and companies are using every possible means to keep the company at a stable end. Every organization must have the capability to adapt to the movement of the market and the ever-changing needs of the customers. However, an organization can only do this if the people - the very members of the workforce - are working smoothly as a team. Moreover, now that diversity in the workforce is seen as advantage rather than a problem, management have been seeking every possible means to maintain the competitiveness of each and every member of the workforce, thereby benefiting the company in the end (Becker, 1964). Diversity in the workplace has taken on a new face today. ... Moreover, now that diversity in the workforce is seen as advantage rather than a problem, management have been seeking every possible means to maintain the competitiveness of each and every member of the workforce, thereby benefiting the company in the end (Becker, 1964). Diversity in the workplace has taken on a new face today. Nowadays, workplace diversity is no longer just about the issue of anti-discrimination compliance. Leveraging workplace diversity is increasingly seen as a vital strategic resource for competitive advantage of the people and of the business. More companies are linking workplace diversity to their strategic goals and objectives. Because of this, the human resource department (HRD) plays a key role in diversity management and leadership to create and empower an organizational culture that fosters a respectful, inclusive, knowledge-based environment where each employee has the opportunity to learn, grow and meaningfully contribute to the organization's success (Jayne and Dipboye, 2004). Organizations intending to introduce multiculturalism in their workforce have two avenues of guidance. Organizations can base their structures on multicultural pedagogy and team management theory to help them prepare for an increasingly diverse workforce. Companies can benefit from academic studies, which have already provided an outline of difficulty. Pedagogical methodologies facilitate the re-conception of the relationship between the self and the 'other', and the active participation in the learning process. On the other hand, industry's team management theory, which recommends participatory structures over hierarchical structures, offers methods for

Prepare a marketing plan for a company of your choice for the next one Essay

Prepare a marketing plan for a company of your choice for the next one and three years - Essay Example GSK has a unique mission statement which explains their aim and (objective of) providing consumers with new products and with more improved projects. The following essay elaborates the marketing plan of the company by describing the current scenario of the industry and also GSK. SWOT analysis identifies the strength and weakness and also the opportunities and threats of GSK that are changing from time to time with the competitive market. The responsibilities that are taken by GSK towards the environment, consumers and the shareholders have been discussed in the study. To evaluate the position of the competitors of GSK, competitive analysis has been done. The Segmentation, targeting and positioning concept explains the target market of GSK and what they do to position their products among its consumers. Lastly a forecasted budget for the year 2013-2015 has been prepared. The income is expected to decrease, even though it can be assumed that the expenses can be controlled. This would p ossibly because of the unstable condition of the global economy. Mission Statement and Market Overview The mission of the company is to improve the quality of human life by giving them more products and make them feel better and live longer. The Research and Development units, the partners of the company and the workers of the company work in harmony to prevent and treat diseases and make the world a better place to live. The business is focussed towards the delivery of three strategic priorities, which aim to increase growth, reduce risk and improve long term financial performances. These priorities are; 1) growth of a diversified global business, 2) delivery of more products which offer more value, 3) simplifying operating model. Grow diversified global business by creating a balanced business and product portfolio capable of delivering sustainable sales growth. The main business areas are pharmaceuticals, vaccines and consumer healthcare which provide the company significant comp etitive advantages and opportunity of synergy. Deliver products of value: The Company has re-engineered the research and development (R&D) division in the organisation to develop a whole bunch of products that offer improvement in treatment of patients and healthcare providers. The company has outsourced the research activities allowing access to new areas of science and share the risk of development of its partners. Simplify the operating model through global restructuring programmes designed to deliver significant savings to support investment in priority growth business and thus improve competitiveness further. Pharmaceutical companies are making great contribution to the economy of UK,  higher than most  other high-tech industries. The National Health Service (NHS) accounts for more than 98% of UK’s prescribed medicines market, which is the sixth largest pharmaceutical market in the world. Most of this market is driven by approximately 35,000 general practitioners (GP s) of UK. The Pharmaceutical industry of UK is an open market, where the leading foreign companies and brands have strong presence. While the growth rate of this market has been decelerating, it remains one of the fastest growing components in

Ancient Mexico and the Spanish Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ancient Mexico and the Spanish - Essay Example On the other hand, the political control and power of the Spanish even before they came to conquer new world in the 1500s was invested in military personnel who were qualified in terms of leadership skills and prowess to fight. This is thus the reason it was not so hard for the Aztec rulers to welcome the Spanish due to their lack of leadership skills and wisdom. According to history, there are three major reasons that led to the defeat of the Aztec by the Spanish in not only a short span of time but also by a very small number of Spanish people. These reasons include but are not limited to: technology, disease and religion (Pohl, 2005). As discussed earlier, the technology of the Aztec and that of the Spanish was incompatible. The technology used by the Aztec was naà ¯ve, ancient and could not stand a chance with the modern technology of the Spanish. This is especially so with fighting technological gear. The Spanish therefore easily used their horses, guns, cannons and qualified military to fight the unqualified, sword-fighting Aztec soldiers. The Aztec people were religious individuals who related everything in their life with religion including sickness, death and success. As a result of their many gods, they thought the Spanish were one of their gods and hence welcomed them in their empire and exposed them to their lifestyle and once the Spanish had learnt enough about the Aztec people, they easily conquered them without using much military force or personnel. The Spanish brought with them diseases like measles when they came in 1519 to Aztec. Since the Aztec people had no developed technology in medicine and relied on herbal doctors who had no idea what measles what or even how to cure it, many Aztecs died of the disease and the remaining were too weak to fight the conquers hence it was easy for the Spanish to defeat them. The

The Strategies that Mountain Bank Should Implement to Achieve a Essay

The Strategies that Mountain Bank Should Implement to Achieve a Competitive Advantage - Essay Example Since the Swiss and European banks operate in a different way, this new scenario poses new challenges for implementing controls. In order for Mountain Bank to thrive in its sphere, it is crucial that it implements certain elements in its practice. For instance, it must understand the specialty of its product. Will it penetrate e-banking? Will it accommodate to student loans or mortgage? Deciding to penetrate a target market is the first step towards achieving competitive study. Since Mountain Bank offers many business services, such as retail banking, lending, real estate and corporate banking, it must complete a SWOT analysis to understand the true essence of profitability that each sector can give. Banks, such as Chase and PNC, utilized the points system and spending methods to attract customers. Similarly, Mountain Bank must develop a unique core strategy that creates customer value overtime. Another crucial element that Mountain Bank must embed in its organization in order to gai n a competitive advantage is to enact a cost leadership strategy. It is clear that the mortgage sector has been struggling for years as the recessive environment continues to hurt the economy. Thus, the clear way channel to penetrate the cost leadership strategy is to focus on commodities that other financial banks are not exploiting. Introducing a higher rate for savings account can dramatically be one of the innovative solutions towards creating a brand revenue channel. 2.Describe the types of practices a human resource professional should recommend for Mountain Bank with respect to its tellers, based on the universalistic approach and commitment strategy.   As a premier bank, it is essential that human resources individuals continue to implement strict rules of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act along with strict auditing standards to achieve an excellent commitment strategy. The goal is to excel in providing customers with products that accommodate to their needs while adhering to strict standards that deter frauds. Another element that is crucial in developing these criteria is enterprise risk management system which is applied in order to mitigate the risks that can plague banks such as frauds or bad investments. Moreover, the economy in the past years has been weak, not to say the least. Banks have been defaulting in loans as creditors have failed to pay their loans. These trickled effects have been a domino effect internationally. When one bank is hit by a fraud, it has a dynamic impact throughout the banks in the international front. The bank already was mounted with numerous amounts of risks and troubles prior to this massive problem. The Wall Street Journal reports that many banks, such as UBS, were charged $2 billion for conducting unauthorized trades. Such practices have to be eliminated in order to achieve a higher level of efficiency. 3.Discuss the four human resource strategies (internal/cost, external cost, internal/differentiation, and external/differe ntiation) that may be implemented within an organization.   The four human resource strategies that are associated with internet and external cost and differentiation can be implemented in many ways. First and foremost is the fact that the HR must enact a means of benchmarking organizational performance. An organization performance examines the HRM-firm performance link and allows the bank to evaluate their methodological challenges of measuring