#apele romane

[anarchywoofwoof]

so today i learned that there’s a piece of graffiti written on the wall of a brothel in Pompeii that reads, “Weep, you girls. My penis has given you up. Now it penetrates men’s behinds. Goodbye, wondrous femininity!”

this lead me down a rabbit hole of Pompeii graffiti, in which i found the following:

From Herculaneum (a bar/inn joined to the maritime baths): "Two friends were here. While they were, they had bad service in every way from a guy named Epaphroditus. They threw him out and spent 105 and half sestertii most agreeably on whores."

From just outside the Vesuvius gate: "Defecator, may everything turn out okay so that you can leave this place."

From the peristyle of the Tavern of Verecundus: "Restitutus says: 'Restituta, take off your tunic, please, and show us your hairy privates.'"

From Herculaneum (a bar/inn joined to the maritime baths): "Apelles the chamberlain with Dexter, a slave of Caesar, ate here most agreeably and had a screw at the same time."

From the basilica: "O walls, you have held up so much tedious graffiti that I am amazed that you have not already collapsed in ruin."

that lead me down a rabbit hole of obscene ancient Roman graffiti such as the following:

Floronius, privileged soldier of the 7th legion, was here. The women did not know of his presence. Only six women came to know, too few for such a stallion.

Chie, I hope your hemorrhoids rub together so much that they hurt worse than when they ever have before!

Theophilus, don’t perform oral sex on girls against the city wall like a dog

Apollinaris, the doctor of the emperor Titus, defecated well here

Restituta, take off your tunic, please, and show us your hairy privates

I was fucking with the bartender

Secundus likes to screw boys

Phileros is a eunuch!

Cruel Lalagus, why do you not love me?

I made bread on April 19th

Gaius Sabinus says a fond hello to Statius. Traveler, you eat bread in Pompeii but you go to Nuceria to drink. At Nuceria, the drinking is better

Anyone who wants to defecate in this place is advised to move along. If you act contrary to this warning, you will have to pay a penalty. Children must pay [number missing] silver coins. Slaves will be beaten on their behinds.

Epaphra doesn’t play football well

You can ride your maid whenever you want. It’s your right

Pyrrhus to his colleague Chius: I grieve because I hear you have died; and so farewell

O walls, you have held up so much tedious graffiti that I am amazed that you have not already collapsed in ruin

My lusty son, with how many women have you had sexual relations?

If anyone sits here, let him read this first of all: if anyone wants a screw, he should look for Attice; she costs 4 sestertii.

Samius to Cornelius: go hang yourself!

If anyone does not believe in Venus, they should gaze at my girl friend

To the one defecating here. Beware of the curse. If you look down on this curse, may you have an angry Jupiter for an enemy

We have wet the bed, host. I confess we have done wrong. If you want to know why, there was no chamber pot

What a lot of tricks you use to deceive, innkeeper. You sell water but drink unmixed wine

The finance officer of the emperor Nero says the food here is poison

Gaius was here – the oldest graffiti, dated 78 BCE; found in Pompeii.

Vote for Isidorus for aedile, he licks cunts the best

i fucking love human beings.

[jeannereames]

How many love interest did Alexander have in all of his life? I just recently found out he had an affair with a prostitute named Camaspe and apparently she was the one who was the first to have a physical relationship with him although not for long.

Love your work! 💕

Alexander’s Reported Lovers

Just an FYI … Kampaspe (Campaspe in Latin, also Pancaste) is a character in the second volume of Dancing with the Lion (Rise), as I wanted a second female voice and also a slave’s perspective. Even better that she was born to privilege, then lost it. She was reportedly a Thessalian hetaira from Larissa, which was handy as the Argeads had a long history of ties to the city of Larissa. I wrote about her before in a post from the blog tour the publisher had me do when the books first came out. You can read it HERE.

That said, she’s probably a Roman-era invention, mentioned only by late sources (Lucian, Aelian, and Pliny) all with one (repeated) story: Alexander as Super-patron. Reputedly, he gave her to his favored painter Apelles when, commissioned to do a nude,  Apelles fell in love with her. Alexander kept the painting, Apelles got the girl. You bet I’ll have some fun with that. Kampaspe will remain a major character throughout the series…but not as Alexander’s mistress.

When trying to figure out how many sexual partners Alexander had, we must ask which were invented—or denied. Remember: ancient history wasn’t like modern (academic) history. It was essentially creative non-fiction. It inserted speeches, dialogue, even people and events to liven things up and/or to make a moral point. Or it obscured people and events, if that worked better.

Modern readers of ancient sources must always ask WHO wrote this, WHEN was it written, and what POINT did the author intend? Also, especially with anecdotes, look at the wider context. People are especially prone to take anecdotes at face value and treat them as isolated little tales. Yet CONTEXT IS KING.

A lot of our information about Alexander’s love life comes from Plutarch, either in his Life of Alexander or his collection of essays now called the Moralia. Another source is Curtius’s History of Alexander. And finally, Athenaeus’s Diepnosophistai or The Supper Party (really, The Learned Banqueters). All wrote during the Roman empire and had tropes and messages to get across.

Of the WOMEN associated with Alexander, I’m going to divide them into the historical and the probably fictional, or at least their relationship with Alexander was fictional.

Of the certain, we can count one mistress, three wives, and one probable secret/erased liaison.

Barsine is his first attested mistress for whom we have ample references across multiple sources. Supposedly, she bore Alexander a son (Herakles). Herakles certainly existed, but whether he was Alexander’s is less clear to me. As the half-Persian, half-Greek daughter of a significant satrap, she had no little influence. Monica D’Agostini has a great article on Alexander’s women, btw, in a forthcoming collection I edited for Colloquia Antiqua, called Macedon and Its Influences, and spends some time on Barsine. So look for that, probably in 2025, as we JUST (Friday) submitted the last of the proof corrections and index. Whoo! Anyway, Monica examines all Alexander’s (historical) women in—you guessed it!—their proper context.

Alexander also married three times: Roxane, daughter of the warlord Oxyartes of Sogdiana, in early 327. He married again in mid-324 in Susa, both Statiera (the younger), daughter of Darius, and Parysatis, youngest daughter of the king before Darius, Artaxerxes III Ochus. Yes, both at once, making ties to the older and the newer Achaemenid royal lines.

Out of all these, he had only one living son, Alexander IV (by Roxane)—although he got his women pregnant four times. If we can trust a late source (Metz Epitome), and I think we can for this, Roxane had a miscarriage while in India. Also, Statiera the younger was reputedly pregnant when Roxane, with Perdikkas’s help, killed her just a few days (or hours!) after Alexander died.

That’s 3 …who had baby #4?

Statiera the Elder, Darius’s wife. Netflix’s proposal of a liaison between them was not spun out of thin air. Plutarch—the same guy who tells us ATG never even looked at her—also tells us she died in childbirth just a week or three before the battle of Gaugamela, Oct. 1, 331. Keep in mind, Alexander had captured her right after Issos, Nov. 5, 333. Um … that kid wasn’t Darius’s. And if you think ANYbody would have been allowed to have an affair with such a high-ranking captive as the Great-King’s chief wife, I have some swampland in Florida to sell you. More on it HERE.

Now, for the probably fictional….

Kampaspe, I explained above.

Kallixena was supposedly hired by Philip and Olympias (jointly!) to initiate Alexander into sex, because he didn’t seem interested in women. (Yes, this little titbit is also in Rise.) Athenaeus reports the story as a digression on Alexander’s drinking, and how too much wine led to his lack of sexual interest. But within the anecdote, the reported reason for his parents’ hiring Kallixena was because mommy and daddy feared Alexander was “womanish” (gunnis).

Thaïs was linked to him by Athenaeus, almost certainly based on her supposed participation in the burning of Persepolis…which didn’t happen (or not as related; archaeology tosses cold water on it). Thaïs was Ptolemy’s mistress, and the mother of some of his children.

Athenaeus also mentions a couple unnamed interests, but all illustrate the same point: Alexander is too noble to steal somebody else’s love. Two are back-to-back: the flute-girl of a certain Theodoros, Proteas’ brother, and the lyre player of Antipatrides. The last is a boy, the eromenos of a certain Kalchis, a story related apart from the women, but with the same point.

Even more clearly fictional are his supposed encounters with the Amazon Queen Thalestris and Queen Kleophis of the Massaga (in Pakistan). Reportedly, as Onisikritos was reading from his history of Alexander at the court of King Lysimachos (who’d been a close friend, remember), Lysimachos burst out laughing when Onisikritos got to the Amazon story, and asked, “Where was I when this happened?”

Now, when it comes to his MEN/BOYS, the ice is thinner as no names are definitively given except Bagoas (in a couple sources, chiefly Curtius and Athenaeus). We also have a few generic references to pretty boys, as with Kalchis’s boyfriend mentioned above, and some slave boys offered by a certain Philoxenos, who he turns down, a story told by both Plutarch and Athenaeus.

Curtius alone suggests two more, but at least one is meant to show Alexander’s descent into Oriental Corruption(tm), so it’s possible Curtius made them up. At the very least, he used them for his own narrative purposes. Sabine Müller has a great article on this, albeit in German. Still, if you can read German: “Alexander, Dareios und Hephaistion. Fallhöhen bei Curtius Rufus.” In H. Wulfram, ed., Der Römische Alexanderhistoriker Curtius Rufus: Erzähltechnik, Rhetorik, Figurenpsychologie und Rezeption. Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences Press, 2016, 13-48.

Romans had a certain dis-ease with “Greek Love,” especially when it involved two freeborn men. Fucking slaves was fine; they’re just slaves. Citizen men with citizen boys…that’s trickier.

Curtius labels two youths “favorites,” a phrasing that implies a sexual affair. One is mentioned early in the campaign (Egypt) when Alexander is still “good”; the other after Alexander begins his slide into Persian Debauchery. These are Hektor, Parmenion’s son (good), and Euxinippos, described as being as pretty as Hephaistion, but not as “manly” (bad). Curtius employs Bagoas similarly, even claims he influenced imperial policy for his own dastardly goals. Gasp!

Yes, of course I’m being sarcastic, but readers need to understand the motifs that Curtius is employing, and what they really mean. Not what 21st century people assume they mean, or romantically want them to mean. (See my "Did Bagoas Exist?" post.)

What about Hephaistion? I’ve discussed him elsewhere in an article, but I’ll just remind folks that it’s nowhere made explicit until late sources, in large part because, by the time we meet Alexander and Hephaistion in the histories, they were adults, and any affair between them would be assumed to have occurred in the past, when they were youths. (See my “It’s Complicated” and a reply to them maybe being “DudeBros.”)

This is why we hear about Alexander’s interest in youths, not adult men. It would be WEIRD to the ancient mind (= Very Very Bad) if he liked adult men. In fact, by comparing Hephaistion to Euxinippos, Curtius slyly insinuates that maybe he and Alexander were still…you know (wink, wink). That’s meant to be a slam against Alexander (and Hephaistion)! Therefore, we cannot take it, in itself, as proof of anything. Alexander’s emotional attachment to Hephaistion, however, is not doubted by any ancient source.

So, all those people are attached to Alexander in our sources, but over half may not be real, or at least, may not have had a sexual relationship with him. There may be (probably are) some that simply didn’t make it into the surviving sources.

Yet I’ve mentioned before that we just don’t find sexual misconduct as one of Alexander’s named faults. Even Curtius and Justin must dig for it/make up shit, such as claiming Alexander actually used Darius’s whole harem of concubines or held a drunken revel through Karia after escaping the Gedrosian Desert. (Blue Dionysos and drag queens on the Seine at the Paris Olympics got nothing on his Dionysian komos!)

Drink, anger, hubris…he sure as hell ticked all those boxes. But not sex. In fact, a number of sources imply he just wasn’t that randy, despite his “choleric” temperament. Some of the authors credit too much drink (bad), others, his supreme self-control (good). He’s more often an example of sexual continence—as in the stories from Athenaeus related above. He also didn’t rape his captives, etc., etc.

Make of that what you like, but I find it intriguing.

[artsandculture]

Mona Lisa (1503-1517) 🎨 Leonardo da Vinci 🏛️ The Louvre 📍 Paris, France

One of the most iconic and recognizable paintings in the world is the Mona Lisa (ca. 1503-1519) painted by Leonardo da Vinci. The unique appeal of the portrait lies in its enigmatic nature, Mona Lisa’s smile radiates mystery, sensuality and contentment. This was achieved through sfumato, Leonardo’s painting technique that softened the transition between colors. This depth and complexity of expression is the reason the Mona Lisa is regarded as the pinnacle of portraiture. The interest in the portrait was further amplified by its mysterious history: the identity of the sitter, who commissioned the painting, how long Leonardo worked on the portrait and how it entered the French royal collection are all topics of scholarly debate.

It is thought that the sitter was Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a wealthy Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo. For this reason, the painting is sometimes called La Gioconda. The earliest identification of the painting was provided by the Renaissance art historian Giorgio Vasari. In Vasari’s 1550 biography of Leonardo, he wrote about the magnificent portrait of Lisa del Giocondo, which Leonardo worked on between 1503 and 1506. Many were skeptical of Vasari’s account; however, a 2005 discovery at the University of Heidelberg provided compelling new evidence that confirms Vasari’s assertion. In a volume written by the ancient philosopher Cicero from 1477, there was a handwritten marginal by Leonardo’s contemporary, the secretary and assistant to Niccolò Machiavelli, Agostino Vespucci. In the note dated October 1503, Vespucci praises Leonardo’s skill by comparing him to the Greek and painter Apelles, and states that Leonardo is working on a portrait of Lisa del Giacondo.

The Mona Lisa was the earliest example in Italian portraiture that portrayed the sitter in a half-length format. Leonardo presented a new artistic formula: the figure is shown at half-length sitting in armchair in front of a loggia - a gallery or room with one or more open sides. The incorporation of the loggia allowed Leonardo to present an imaginary landscape as the backdrop of the portrait. This significant innovation influenced Leonardo contemporaries: Raphael adopted the composition and pose in his portrait Young Woman with Unicorn (ca. 1506). Still it is important to note that Leonardo was indebted to Flemish portraiture of the second half of the 15th century, particularly the portraits of Hans Memling such as Portrait of Barbara van Vlaendenbergh (ca. 1470-1472) and Man with a Roman coin (ca. 1480).

Leonardo spent his final years in France, where his patron the King of France, Francis I, purchased Mona Lisa for the royal French collection. From 1797, the portrait is on permanent display at the Louvre and is the crown jewel of the museum collection. On the morning of August 22 1911, Louvre employees were shocked to discover that the painting was stolen the previous night. Two years later, Louvre employee Vincenzo Peruggia was identified as the thief. Peruggia claimed his motives were patriotic: he believed Leonardo’s masterpiece belonged in Italy and was caught trying to sell the painting in Florence. After its discovery, the Mona Lisa was exhibited throughout Italy before its celebratory return to the Louvre in 1914.

[mayweblue]

gimana sih cara memperkaya diksi dan menemukan gaya menulis seperti aya?

kayaknya, ada puluhan atau bahkan lebih pertanyaan semacam itu masuk ke halaman curiouscatku yang sekarang total inboxnya ada 712 unanswered questions. hampir tiap hari ada pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang tipenya sejenis. tapi aku, yang oon dan berjiwa pemberontak ini, jarang membalasnya. bukan karena aku gak suka berbagi ilmu, jawabannya justru karena: aku gak tahu formula yang tepat soal diksi dan gaya menulis ini. gak ada metode ilmiah yang aku bisa bagikan jadi aku takut kalau jawabanku malah seperti anak kecil yang meledek simply karena dia nggak tahu sebenernya isi kepalanya itu seperti apa.

to be fair, sekalipun aku akan dengan lantang bilang kalau aku adalah seorang amatir bahkan hingga sekarang, aku sudah menulis dengan konsisten sejak 2013. nyaris satu dekade. dan dalam kurun waktu itu, aku hampir tidak pernah berhenti menulis. sekalipun aku hanya memproduksi puisi yang luar biasa jelek, aku nyaris tidak pernah meninggalkan kesukaanku pada tulisan. bahkan, saat aku tidak menulis pun, aku tetap membaca sesuatu. memastikan kalau ada kata-kata yang aku ciptakan di kepala, sekalipun aku tidak mengeluarkannya.

tapi, apakah tulisanku langsung bagus? tentu saja nggak.

berikut adalah puisi yang aku tulis pada tahun 2013:

tulisan ini ditulis oleh bocah yang baru masuk SMP. tidak paham komposisi puisi, tidak tahu apa yang harus dilakukan untuk membuat puisi ini nyaman untuk dibaca. di kepalaku yang usianya 12 tahun saat itu, aku cuma menginginkan satu hal: menulis. dan, keinginan itulah yang sampai sekarang nggak pernah berubah. meskipun sudah banyak waktu berlalu.

setelah melalui proses perenungan yang panjang (tiga puluh menit), aku akhirnya merumuskan beberapa hal yang mungkin bisa aku bagikan. ini sama sekali tidak ilmiah. dan aku bukan nabi yang bisa membagikan ilmu atas dasar wahyu. apa yang aku tuliskan di sini adalah hasil menulis selama beberapa tahun—entah untuk kesenangan atau pekerjaan. nah, jawaban dari pertanyaan paling mendasar (yang dengan tidak cerdasnya aku jadikan judul), kurang lebihnya adalah begini.

1. membaca satu buku untuk menghasilkan satu paragraf

oke maaf, sebetulnya nggak seberlebihan itu. aku cuma nggak ngerti caranya bikin sub-judul. intinya, kamu harus membaca untuk bisa menulis. dan ini mutlak. paten. fardhu.

konsepnya seperti mengisi air menggunakan teko. teko adalah kepalamu, air di dalamnya adalah buku, dan tulisan adalah apa yang akan dikeluarkan teko itu. apapun yang keluar dari teko itu tergantung apa yang kamu isi di dalamnya. nggak mungkin teko kosong bisa mengeluarkan air, kecuali kamu dapat mukjizat.

sebelum menulis, aku sudah lebih dulu membaca. aku tergila-gila pada bacaan. bukungitis. dan aku berharap selamanya aku nggak usah disembuhkan supaya aku bisa selalu menulis.

keluargaku punya toko buku turun temurun yang sekarang sudah tutup total karena bangkrut. makanya, sejak brojol aku sudah terbiasa dengan eksistensi buku. mungkin setelah diazani, aku dibisikkan ayahku, "hei, baca anwar di umurmu yang keempat tahun."

dan aku sudah bisa membaca sejak umur tiga tahun. jangan-jangan betulan karena anwar.

buku-buku yang aku baca juga nggak terbatas buku fiksi aja. aku membaca koran, membaca kumpulan esai, membaca novel sains, membaca roman, membaca hikayat, dan membaca cerita stensil (meskipun aku tidak menyarankan yang ini karena aku benci deskripsi soal selangkangan pria; bikin mual).

sejak dulu, aku selalu dapat nasihat dari ayahku. bacalah buku bukan agar kamu pintar, melainkan agar kamu bijaksana. dan aku mengamini itu seperti seorang beragama yang tekun. tiap kali membaca, ada sistem di kepalaku yang secara otomatis memproses komponennya. seperti memeras jeruk, aku mengambil sarinya, mengonsuminya, mengolahnya dengan organ-organku. sebelum akhirnya, aku mengeluarkannya lagi. tidak dalam bentuk jeruk utuh. melainkan dalam bentuk deskripsi mengenai perasaanku setelah mengonsumsi jeruk, apel, kiwi, mengkudu, dan buah-buahan lainnya.

aku membaca dee lestari dan menyembah supernova seriesnya. aku juga membaca catatan pinggir goenawan muhammad secara religius, hampir-hampir menganggapnya kitab suci. aku membaca puisi-puisi dari indonesia yang jumlahnya banyak sekali. membaca anton chekov, sekali-kali, dan cerpen-cerpen kompas juga. tapi, aku merasa gaya penulisanku justru dipengaruhi oleh dee dan goenawan muhammad.

2. menulis adalah berbicara

oke, kali ini kita bicara diksi. meskipun dari sub-judul nggak ada diksi-diksinya, tapi inti dari pembahasan ini adalah soal pemilihan kata.

kamu tahu soekarno? proklamator kita itu terkenal dengan kemampuan orasi dan komunikasinya. nggak cuma kepada perempuan, tapi juga kepada nyaris seluruh lapisan masyarakat. meskipun ia pernah tersandung masalah ideologi, kemampuannya untuk mengurai suatu ilmu menjadi sesuatu yang mudah dipahami oleh semua orang bukan hal yang sederhana. nah, cara ini lah yang aku lakukan dalam pemilihan kata-kataku.

sekalipun aku tahu apa itu jentera, aku akan tetap menggunakan roda karena orang-orang lebih tahu yang kedua. menulis adalah tentang mengomunikasikan isi kepala kita agar pembaca mengerti. jadi, kunci yang paling penting dalam memilih diksi bukanlah 'apa kata ini cukup indah?', melainkan 'apa kata ini cukup dipahami?'

i have nothing against diksi indah tesaurus, tapi penggunaan diksi langka yang tidak pada tempatnya, menurutku, akan membuat kunci dari tulisan itu akan kabur. alih-alih mengerti, orang-orang justru akan pusing. bingung. dan pada akhirnya, dibaca hanya akan dibaca saja. tidak dimengerti.

aku selalu menempatkan pembacaku sebagai lawan bicaraku. aku sedang menatap matanya, aku sedang berbicara padanya, aku ingin dia mendengarkan dan memahamiku. makanya, aku akan mengatakan apa mauku dengan terus terang. sekalipun aku menggunakan metafora, aku akan memastikan apa yang aku katakan dipahami.

dan diksiku tetap indah. aku percaya diri mengatakan itu sekalipun tulisanku praktis tidak banyak menggunakan sinonim, tidak banyak menyamakan rima, tidak banyak menggunakan kata-kata asing.

sebagai contoh:

dua tulisan itu, tidak banyak pakai metafora macam-macam. kamu akan langsung paham apa maksudku tanpa harus membuka tesaurus atau bahkan kamus. kata-kata yang dipakai umum. dikenali. dipahami. tapi, sekali baca, orang juga tahu itu bukan tulisan berita. kukira, ini adalah kunci dari keindahan itu sendiri: sederhana dan tahu diri.

jadi, harus kuakui, sebetulnya aku ini payah soal kekayaan diksi. yang aku lakukan adalah mengolahnya. menjadikan bahan itu-itu saja menjadi makanan enak yang bisa dikonsumsi siapapun.

saranku, hal yang paling efektif untuk memperkaya diksi adalah membaca buku-buku filsafat atau membaca esai goenawan muhammad. banyak penggunaan istilah dan penempatan kata yang berbeda daripada yang digunakan dalam buku fiksi populer. cara ini sangat membantu.

(dan bonus ilmu, kalau kamu sedang iseng mempelajari soal keberadaanmu sebagai manusia serta kehidupannya.)

3. menulis adalah memaafkan kenyataan

kamu bisa jadi siapa saja. kamu bisa punya sayap dan tiga belas penis kalau mau, di dalam tulisanmu. tapi, menuliskan kenyataan, yang terjangkau oleh seluruh panca indra kamu, adalah hal yang sudah harus bisa kamu lakukan sebelum kamu menghancurkan seluruh aspek di dalamnya.

bagiku, cara paling rendah hati untuk menjadi seorang penulis adalah dengan membuka mata lebar-lebar. kejujuranmu mendeskripsikan susu akan menyelamatkan seorang bayi yang alergi. makanya, proses spiritual yang menurutku perlu dilalui seorang penulis, adalah dengan peka terhadap hal-hal di sekeliling kita.

gunakan empati ketika bercerita. pakai panca indramu. pakai hatimu. pakai kepalamu. pakai semua yang ada pada dirimu, dan kamu telah menuliskan kenyataan, sekaligus memaafkannya.

aku melakukannya dengan mengajak bicara tukang bengkel yang membetulkan motorku. menggunakan transportasi umum sambil menebak-nebak isi kepala mereka. aku juga sesekali melancong, kalau sedang punya duit dan waktu. bertemu orang asing dalam perjalananku, mendengarkan cerita-cerita mereka, lalu menuliskan kembali. versi mentahnya (yang tidak diedit dan diromantisir), bahkan bisa dibaca di akun tumblrku. bagiku, melihat kenyataan akan membuat kita paham kalau cerita itu tidak lahir begitu saja. ia lahir dari kehidupan yang terdistorsi, sebagaimana yang dilakukan saintis maupun filsuf, penulis juga mengabadikan rahasia-rahasia yang ada di alam semesta, dengan menggunakan kata-kata.

4. menulis itu harus interdisipliner

aku mempelajari banyak hal. agama, filsafat, sains, sastra, dan semua yang terjangkau untuk menghasilkan sebuah tulisan. di hadapan ilmu, aku selalu menempatkan diri dalam posisi begitu kecil. aku tidak tau apa-apa dan aku harus mencari tau.

dan sejujurnya, tidak ada yang lebih seksi daripada menuliskan backgroundmu sendiri. jadi, kalau kamu malas belajar ilmu lain, pelajarilah hal-hal yang sudah kamu pelajari. mungkin kalau dulu kamu cuma tahu kalau bernapas itu menggunakan oksigen, sekarang kamu cari tau bagaimana proses hingga oksigen itu terhirup. versi mendetail dan mendalam. biasanya, makin kita mencari, makin kita sadar kalau banyak sekali hal yang tidak kita tahu. dan aku suka perasaan itu. perasaan lapar ketika mencari, perasaan tidak sabar untuk menuliskannya kembali.

sekian.

iya, betulan sudah selesai. aku hanya punya empat tips dan aku ragu apakah bisa diterapkan. meskipun demikian, semoga apa yang aku pelajari selama beberapa tahun ini bisa jadi hal yang bermanfaat untuk kamu-kamu semua yang membaca ini.

pada akhirnya, yang paling penting dari menulis, sebetulnya adalah konsistensi. sebab keempat hal tadi tidak mungkin dilaksanakan dalam waktu satu bulan saja. aku bahkan butuh satu dekade untuk memahami empat. yang harus stagnan itu keinginan kita untuk selalu menulis. makanya, aku yakin, dalam tahun-tahun berikutnya, akan ada banyak hal yang berubah dan berbeda dalam aspek-aspek pendukungnya. karena kita manusia harus selalu belajar.

seperti, ketika kita tidak menemukan sesuatu di kolom pencarian twitter; kadangkala itu cuma kesalahan teknis yang bukan kesalahan kamu. dan yang bisa kita lakukan cuma satu, 'kan?

coba lagi.

[victusinveritas]

Paul Delaroche [French. 1797 - 1856]

Central portion of “L'Hémicycle des Beaux-arts.” Detail. c.1841-42

The center figure with the laurel wreaths is an allegory of the arts, the woman in green is an allegory of medieval art, the woman in red sitting next to her is an allegory of ancient Greek art, directly across from her is a male figure that is an allegory of ancient Roman art, and next to him is a woman in red who is an allegory of the Renaissance. The other figures from left to right are: Germain Pilon, Pierre Puget, Giambologna, Ictinos, Apelle, Phidias, Philibert Delorme, Baldassarre Peruzzi and Erwin von Steinbach.

[sciscito]

Panel and wall painting

The most common and respected form of art, according to authors like Pliny or Pausanias, were panel paintings, individual, portable paintings on wood boards. The techniques used were encaustic (wax) painting and tempera. Such paintings normally depicted figural scenes, including portraits and still-lifes; we have descriptions of many compositions. They were collected and often displayed in public spaces. Pausanias describes such exhibitions at Athens and Delphi. We know the names of many famous painters, mainly of the Classical and Hellenistic periods, from literature (see expandable list to the right). The most famous of all ancient Greek painters was Apelles of Kos, whom Pliny the Elder lauded as having "surpassed all the other painters who either preceded or succeeded him."

Due to the perishable nature of the materials used and the major upheavals at the end of antiquity, not one of the famous works of Greek panel painting has survived. We have slightly more significant survivals of mural compositions. The most important surviving Greek examples from before the Roman period are the fairly low-quality Pitsa panels from c. 530 BC, the Tomb of the Diver from Paestum, and various paintings from the royal tombs at Vergina. More numerous paintings in Etruscan and Campanian tombs are based on Greek styles. In the Roman period, there are a number of wall paintings in Pompeii and the surrounding area, as well as in Rome itself, some of which are thought to be copies of specific earlier masterpieces.

[isaiah4031kjv]

Not a Hall-of-Famer (Romans 16:10)

This slideshow requires JavaScript. Have you ever heard of Apelles? Or the unnamed Christians in the house of Aristobulus? I doubt it. Yet these people were important enough to the growth of the church at Rome to be mentioned by Paul. This tells us that in the service of Christ, the efforts of the “little guys” are as important as the “all-stars.” In a 1984 article for the Detroit News, Ernie…

[dfroza]

A string of “hellos”

and a warning to stay on guard:

“I am pleading with all of you, brothers and sisters, to keep up your guard against anyone who is causing conflicts and enticing others with teachings contrary to what you have already learned.”

And then a secret being revealed (unveiled):

“… with the revelation of the ancient mystery that has been kept secret since the earliest days, this mystery is revealed through the prophetic voices passed down in the Scriptures, as they have been commanded by the Eternal God. In this time, this mystery is being made known to the nations so that all may be led to faith-filled obedience.”

Today’s reading of the Scriptures from the New Testament is the 16th and closing chapter of the letter of Romans:

I commend to you our beloved sister Phoebe; she serves the church in Cenchrea as a faithful deacon. It is important that you welcome her in the Lord in a manner befitting your saintly status. Join in her work, and assist her in any way she needs you. She has spent her energy and resources helping others, and I am blessed to have her as my benefactor as well.

Give my best to Prisca and Aquila; they are not only my colleagues in my profession of tent making, but more importantly they are my fellow servants of Jesus the Anointed. They put their lives on the line to keep me safe. Not only do I owe them my thanks, so do all the churches of the non-Jews. Send my regards to the church that meets in their house.

Send greetings to Epaenetus. I love him dearly and celebrate his journey to faith because he was the first to believe in the Anointed One in all of Asia.

Salute Mary for me; she has worked hard for all of you.

Give my regards to Andronicus and Junias, who are part of my own family and served time in prison with me. They are well known among the emissaries and have been in the Anointed longer than I.

Give my best to Ampliatus whom I love in the Lord, and greet Urbanus (our fellow worker in service to the Anointed One) and my beloved Stachys.

Send greetings to Apelles, a tried and true believer in the Anointed, and to the entire family of Aristobulus.

Do not forget to greet Herodion, another of my relatives, and everyone in the family of Narcissus who belong to the Lord.

Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, faithful laborers in the Lord, and our beloved Persis, who also has accomplished a great deal in the Lord.

Give my best to Rufus, clearly one of the Lord’s chosen, and also his mother. She’s like a mother to me.

My regards also go to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and all the brothers and sisters who are along with them.

Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and let me not forget Olympas and all the saints who journey with them.

Greet each other with a holy kiss. All of the churches of the Anointed under my care send their greetings to all of you.

I am pleading with all of you, brothers and sisters, to keep up your guard against anyone who is causing conflicts and enticing others with teachings contrary to what you have already learned. If there are people like that in your churches, stay away from them. These kinds of people are not truly serving our Lord Jesus the Anointed; they have devoted their lives to satisfying their own appetites. With smooth talking and a well-rehearsed blessing, they lead a lot of unsuspecting people down the wrong path. The stories about the way you are living in obedience to God have traveled to all the churches. So celebrate your faithfulness to God that is being displayed in your lives—seek wisdom about the good life, and remain innocent when it comes to evil. If you do this, the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet soon. May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, the Liberating King, be ever present with you.

Timothy, my coworker in the spreading of the gospel, also sends his greeting to all of you, as do my kinsmen, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater.

I, Tertius, the one who wrote this letter for Paul, greet you in the name of the Lord. Gaius, my host here as well as patron for the whole church, sends his best to all of you. Erastus, the city administrator, sends his greetings along with brother Quartus. [May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, touch you all. Amen.]

So to the One who is able to strengthen you to live consistently with my good news and the preaching of Jesus, the Anointed, with the revelation of the ancient mystery that has been kept secret since the earliest days, this mystery is revealed through the prophetic voices passed down in the Scriptures, as they have been commanded by the Eternal God. In this time, this mystery is being made known to the nations so that all may be led to faith-filled obedience.

To the one true and wise God, we offer glory for all times through Jesus, the Anointed One. Amen.

The Letter of Romans, Chapter 16 (The Voice)

Today’s paired reading from the First Testament is the 27th chapter of the book of Exodus:

Eternal One: Make the altar of burnt offering from acacia wood. It should be square and measure seven and a half feet by seven and a half feet. Make it four and a half feet high. Construct it with horns on each of the four corners so that the top forms one whole piece, and overlay it with bronze. Fashion buckets and shovels for the ashes, basins, forks, and fire pans out of bronze. Make a grate out of bronze, and attach four bronze rings at each of its four corners. Place the grate beneath the ledge of the altar, halfway up from the base. Make poles out of acacia wood for the altar, and overlay them with bronze. Slide the poles through the rings on both sides of the altar so that it can be moved. Make the altar out of wooden planks, and make it hollow—exactly like the pattern you were shown on the mountain.

Then enclose the courtyard in front of the congregation tent with large fabric panels made of finely woven linen on the south side that run 150 feet on silver hooks and rings supported by 20 bronze posts set securely into 20 bronze bases. The north side is to be made the same way: hang a series of panels for 150 feet on silver hooks and rings supported by 20 bronze posts set securely into 20 bronze bases. The fabric panels on the west end of the court are to run 75 feet (10 posts set into 10 bases). The east end of the court facing the sunrise is to be 75 feet wide. Fabric panels, measuring 22½ feet wide, are to be hung on each end of the east entrance, held up by three posts set into three bases. The entrance to the court is to be a 30-foot fabric screen, made out of finely woven linen richly embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. It is to be held up by four posts set into four bases.

All the posts that define the courtyard are to have silver bands and silver hooks, and be set into bronze bases. The courtyard itself is to be 150 feet long and 75 feet wide. The finely woven linen panels should be seven and a half feet high including the height of the bronze bases. As for the items used in the ceremonies held in the congregation tent and the tent pegs used both inside and outside the tent, they are to be made of bronze.

Direct the Israelites to bring you oil from olives whipped until it is clear in order to keep the lamps burning continually and producing the best light possible. From dusk till dawn—inside the tent but outside the veil shrouding the most holy place—Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning in My presence. This directive stands forever and must be carried out by the priests and people of Israel throughout all generations.

The Book of Exodus, Chapter 27 (The Voice)

A link to my personal reading of the Scriptures for Saturday, may 18 of 2024 with a paired chapter from each Testament (the First & the New) of the Bible along with Today’s Proverbs and Psalms

A post by John Parsons about honoring God’s Name:

From our Torah this week (Emor) we read: "You shall not profane my holy Name, that I may be made sacred among the people of Israel" (Lev. 22:32), which the early sages said provides the basis for "kiddush HaShem" (קידוש השם), or the duty to always honor God, even if that might mean enduring martyrdom for your faith.

Jewish halakhah (law) furthermore says we are to think of kiddush hashem whenever we recite the Shema, that our inmost intent should be self-sacrifice (mesirat nefesh), or the willingness to give up our lives to God in complete surrender. After all, if we are not willing to give up our lives for God, how can we be willing to genuinely live for him? The purpose or goal of our very existence is to know and love God, to be sanctified in truth, but if we value our carnal lives on earth as more important, we exist in a state of contradiction. Therefore people obsessed with their own physical safety, health, pleasure, happiness, well-being, etc., do not know the true meaning of life...

Our lives on this earth were not meant to be an end in themselves, but rather a means to the greater end of knowing and loving the Eternal God. Indeed, God's love is better than any sort of life this present world can afford. As Jim Elliot once said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Sanctifying God's Name means that we regard our relationship to God to be an end in itself - our ultimate concern - and there is nothing higher that may challenge our duty before heaven. "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness" (Matt. 6:33). Our mortal life in this fleeting world is a means to the end of reaching our eternal destiny (Psalm 16:11), and esteeming the means above the end is therefore idolatry (Rom. 1:25). This is called chillul HaShem (חילול השם), or profaning the Name of God...

Our faith in the LORD may lead us into collision with the world and its spurious power structures, however "we ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). Taking a stand for Torah truth will make you an outsider to the "crowd" and its endless idols and vanities. Indeed a person of genuine moral conviction may be labeled an “enemy of the state,” may be persecuted as a “terrorist,” and may even suffer martyrdom.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego rightfully defied the king's decree to bow down before the "golden image," and they confessed that they were willing to die rather than betray the truth of the LORD of Israel (see Dan 3). This is a prime example of kiddush HaShem, honoring the truth of God even at the risk of losing our lives. For many Jews, reciting the Shema is a solemn declaration that we esteem the truth of God above all things, that God alone is our ultimate good, and that we must be willing to surrender our lives rather than to deny the greatness and glory of His Name. Many tzaddikim have died with the Shema on their lips...

Kiddush HaShem may be understand both literally and metaphorically. Literally understood, kiddush HaShem (i.e., martyrdom) is a possibility, one of the severest tests that may be given to the soul, and the temptation is to shrink back from the threat of death by denying the faith... Metaphorically understood, kiddush HaShem is a necessity, an essential act of the will that decides to “take up the cross” and follow Yeshua, and the temptation is to minimize the truth, to compromise the faith, and thereby to slowly fade away...

In this connection Yeshua asks, "What will it profit a person if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" (Mark 8:36). Indeed, finding your life, value, and "place" here is to exile yourself from the promise of heaven. As Yeshua said, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matt. 10:39). What is required, in other words, is categorically everything, with nothing left over. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us: "Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life."

We see an example of both chillul HaShem and kiddush HaShem in the life of the Apostle Peter. On the one hand, though he had boldly professed that he would be willing to die for Yeshua, he later denied that he even knew his Savior and friend (Luke 22:33-34). After doing teshuvah (i.e., repentance) however, Peter became wholehearted and fearless, and Christian tradition says he eventually died as a martyr under the tyranny of wicked Emperor Nero...

Likewise, in our effort to relate to people of different faith, we may be tempted to soften the demands of the gospel or to minimize the deity of Messiah. Sadly I've seen this happen a lot among Gentiles who get so enamored with the Jewish roots of the Christian faith that they begin to question, then outright deny the central Torah of our Messiah (the deeper law of mercy). Indeed we must not confuse the covenants of God, for this leads to double-mindedness and is regarded as “spiritual adultery” (see Rom. 7:1-4). It is chillul HaShem - the desecration of the Name of God - to turn away from the meaning and message of the cross of Messiah (Gal. 6:14; 1 Cor. 2:2). The price of being loyal to Messiah is "mesirut nefesh" (מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ) -- surrendering your life by “taking up the cross.” The cross is a scandal to religion and all other attempts to whitewash the truth about the human condition (Gal. 5:11).

In the Kaddish we read: “yitgadal ve’yitkadash shemei rabba,” meaning “may God’s great Name be magnified and sanctified.” Amen, and may we honor and sanctify the presence of the LORD by turning to Him with all our heart, soul, and strength, knowing Him in all our ways. He is faithful and will help us sanctify His Name...

[ Hebrew for Christians ]

========

Deut. 6:4 (Shema) reading (with vital comments):

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/deut6-4-shema1.mp3

Hebrew page:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/deut6-4-lesson.pdf

5.15.24 • Facebook

from yesterday’s email by Israel365

Today’s message (Days of Praise) from the Institute for Creation Research

[macedonian-sun]

The Battle of Issus - Alexander Mosaic

Artist: Philoxenus of Eretria or Apelles

"The Alexander Mosaic, also known as the Battle of Issus Mosaic, is a Roman floor mosaic originally from the House of the Faun in Pompeii, Italy.

It is typically dated between c. 120 and 100 B.C. and depicts a battle between the armies of Alexander the Great and Darius III of Persia. This work of art is a combination of different artistic traditions such as Italic, Hellenistic, and Roman. The mosaic is considered "Roman" based on the broader context of its time and location in relation to the later Roman Republic. The original is preserved in the National Archaeological Museum, Naples. The mosaic is believed to be a copy of a late 4th or early 3rd-century BC Hellenistic painting, perhaps by Philoxenus of Eretria or Apelles."

Source: Wikipedia

Location: National Archaeological Museum, Naples, Italy

[jeannereames]

Hello Dr.Reames,

In your novels and lots of other popular works, Philip is usually depicted with dark hair and dark eyes. I wonder if it is a modern creation or it has been recorded in historical source? By the way, do you know the usual hair color of ancient Macedonians? Is it different from some of the southern Greek states, like Athens? Because Alexander is always depicted as blond. I wonder if this is common in Macedonia. Thank You!

As I noted at the bottom of my prior post about Philippos’s thoughts on Alexandros in Dancing with the Lion (which may have generated this question?), we don’t actually know what Philippos’ coloring WAS. No ancient evidence says. We’re told he was apparently very good-looking in his youth, but that’s about it, other than his wounds/scars.

This brings me to your larger question, the usual hair color of Macedonians…we don’t know that either.

And that raises the most interesting fact of all:

Interest in hair- and eye-color was just not that important in antiquity. What I call “driver’s license descriptions” are mostly absent. There might be some reasons for that:

First, most people from ___ area all had the same eye- and hair-color. Remember, lighter shades are mostly a feature of select populations and great divergence a factor of colonial and immigrant activity. If everybody you know has brown hair and eyes…why would you bother saying as much when describing them? Descriptions focus on points of difference.

In Greece, there was some variation, maybe. I’ve mentioned before that red-blond was considered especially beautiful, so Aphrodite was a strawberry blonde, as was Helen of Sparta/Troy. Because it was unusual. Some populations were considered fairer (maybe not fairly…pun intended). Whether Spartans really were fairer or it’s a generalization from Helen is a good question. Athenians were supposedly darker due to Pelasgian (indigenous people) ties…why Hephaistion is dark-haired and quite olive-skinned in the novel. But from pottery—which is largely Athenian, later—it would appear that most people had dark hair. I do remember seeing a teen boy depicted on red-figure pottery with obviously light (probably blond) hair, but it stood out to me, and was almost certainly meant to.

There is some implication the Macedonians were fairer, and the images in mosaics from Pella might bear that out. We see a lot of blondies/redheads. But is that reflecting real people or ideals? Wall paintings show brunettes, too. Supposedly Thracians were known for having more redheads, but is that true or a stereotype?

The plain fact is…the ancient Greeks don’t tend to highlight hair color (or eye color). Maybe that’s because most people had brown hair and eyes, so why mention it? Or maybe hair- and eye-color just wasn’t that important to them.

Descriptions of Alexander himself are exemplar: he’s described as “ruddy-fair”…of COMPLEXION. He walked fast, spoke fast, had a bent neck, a rough voice, and wavy hair and anastole, but no mention of his eye- or hair-COLOR. Apelles is faulted by Plutarch for making him “too dark”…of COMPLEXION. That’s led to a popular perception of Alexander as a blondie, which isn’t unrealistic. And, again, the few probable depictions of him that show coloring show him as a strawberry blond/redhead…except for the Pompei Mosaic, which is supposed to be based on an Apelles painting (maybe). But there are some other Romanizing aspects to it, so his coloring may have been tampered with too (Apelles or no Apelles).

In fiction, Olympias is almost always depicted as having black or red hair…usually as a factor of her “witchy” nature. That’s always annoyed the hell out of me. So as ATG was (likely) blond or red-haired, I chose to make her also a blondie in Dancing with the Lion. I have Alexandros look a lot like his mother on purpose, including coloring and height (or lack of it).

But truth is, we don’t know what color hair (or eyes) she had. Or that Philip had. I chose to make Philippos dark-haired (and eyed) mostly to underscore that Alexandros doesn’t (obviously) look like his father, although he does in less obvious ways. By contrast, my Kleopatra has the dark coloring, but otherwise, she and her brother resemble each other more than a bit. Genetics are fun.

[the-drokainian]

‭Romans‬ ‭16:1‭-‬16‬ ‭ESV‬

[1] I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, [2] that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. [3] Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, [4] who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. [5] Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. [6] Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. [7] Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. [8] Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. [9] Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. [10] Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. [11] Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. [12] Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. [13] Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. [14] Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. [15] Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. [16] Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

[calatoreste]

Descoperind Marsilia: Un City Break In Capitala Culturala a Frantei

Marsilia, situata pe coasta de sud a Frantei, este cel mai mare oras din regiunea Proventa-Alpi-Coasta de Azur si este cunoscuta drept "Poarta de Sud a Frantei". Acest oras vibrant si diversificat ofera o experienta captivanta pentru calatorii, imbinand o istorie bogata, o cultura efervescenta si un peisaj natural spectaculos. In acest articol, va vom prezenta ce puteti vizita in timpul unui city break in Marsilia, pentru a va bucura la maximum de aceasta destinatie incantatoare.

1. Vieux-Port (Portul Vechi)

Vieux-Port este inima istorica a Marsiliei si un loc perfect pentru a incepe explorarea orasului. Aici veti gasi numeroase restaurante, cafenele si taverne, unde puteti savura specialitati locale, precum bouillabaisse (un fel de mancare traditionala pe baza de peste) sau socca (o clatita de naut). Puteti admira si barcile de pescuit care aduc la mal zilnic captura proaspata.

2. Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde

Aceasta basilica impunatoare este situata pe o colina cu vedere la oras si ofera cea mai buna panorama asupra Marsiliei. Aici puteti admira arhitectura neo-bizantina a bisericii si puteti urca pe terasa de observatie pentru a va bucura de privelistea spectaculoasa a orasului si a marii.

3. Muzeul Marii (MuCEM)

Muzeul Marii este un loc fascinant pentru a intelege relatia dintre Marsilia si Marea Mediterana. Acest muzeu modern gazduieste expozitii interactive care exploreaza istoria marina, comertul, culturile mediteraneene si impactul global al Marii Mediterane. Exteriorul sau este, de asemenea, impresionant, cu o structura arhitecturala unica.

4. Cartierul Le Panier

Le Panier este un cartier istoric pitoresc din Marsilia, cunoscut pentru strazile sale inguste, cladirile vechi si arta stradala. Aici puteti descoperi ateliere de artisti, magazine locale si cafenele cochete. De asemenea, puteti vizita Muzeul Muzeon, care gazduieste expozitii legate de istoria cartierului.

5. Fort Saint-Jean si Fort Saint-Nicolas

Aceste doua forturi medievale sunt situate la intrarea in Vieux-Port si au o istorie fascinanta. Puteti face o plimbare in jurul lor pentru a admira arhitectura defensiva si pentru a afla mai multe despre rolul lor in istoria orasului.

6. Plaja Catalans

Marsilia are si plaje frumoase pentru cei care doresc sa se relaxeze la soare si sa se racoreasca in apa marii. Plaja Catalans este una dintre cele mai populare si se afla la doar o scurta plimbare de Vieux-Port. Aici puteti inchiria sezlonguri si umbrele sau puteti practica sporturi nautice, cum ar fi windsurfing-ul.

7. Catedrala La Major

Catedrala Sainte-Marie-Majeure, cunoscuta si sub numele de La Major, este o catedrala impresionanta construita in stil romanic-bizantin. Interiorul sau impresionant si designul arhitectural fac din aceasta catedrala un loc de vizitat in Marsilia.

8. Muzeul de Istorie din Marsilia

Acest muzeu ofera o privire cuprinzatoare asupra istoriei orasului, incepand cu perioada antica si continuand pana in prezent. Cu exponate care includ artefacte, picturi si documente istorice, muzeul va va ajuta sa intelegeti evolutia Marsiliei de-a lungul timpului.

9. Insula If

Insula If este situata in largul coastei Marsiliei si este cunoscuta pentru fortul sau, Chateau d'If, care a fost redat faimos de romanul lui Alexandre Dumas, "Contele de Monte-Cristo". Puteti lua o scurta croaziera pana la insula si puteti explora fortul si peisajele spectaculoase de pe insula.

10. Parcul National Calanques

La doar o scurta plimbare cu masina sau cu transportul in comun de la centrul orasului, Parcul National Calanques ofera o oportunitate de a experimenta frumusetea naturala a regiunii. Aici puteti face drumetii, puteti admira peisajele stancoase si puteti face scufundari in apele cristaline ale Calanques.

Incheiere

Marsilia este o destinatie de city break captivanta, oferind o combinatie perfecta intre istorie, cultura, arta si natura. Cu atat de multe locuri de vizitat si activitati de facut, veti avea cu siguranta o experienta memorabila in acest oras efervescent din sudul Frantei.

[jdgo51]

DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR AUGUST 21, 2023

Why Wait?

By Wayne Greenawalt (Illinois, USA)

READ ROMANS 16:1-15

"I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae."

ROMANS 16:1 (NIV)

"My good friend’s health is declining. He has experienced two episodes of heart failure, and another occurrence could end his life. He is a member of a church where I once served as pastor. Knowing I will be asked to pay tribute to him at his funeral, I began to ponder his many admirable qualities. As I was organizing my thoughts, I was struck by the incongruity in my thinking. Why was I waiting until my friend’s funeral to honor him? It would be far better to express my appreciation now so that he can be encouraged and blessed. So I wrote him a letter and received an appreciative response.

The apostle Paul was not hesitant to express appreciation for his co-laborers in Christ. In the final chapter of his letter to the Romans, he greets no fewer than 28 individuals. He mentions many by name, as well as the contribution they were making to his ministry and the cause of Christ. I’m sure they were heartened by Paul’s commendation.

To remain faithful, we need the support of other believers. We all need words of appreciation now, not just accolades after we die. May God’s Spirit guide us to someone who needs encouragement today." Be comforted by the Spirit. Others will be with you for support and will compliment or encourage your efforts. And the Holy Spirit will remain with you , always for continuous support. Catch hold of the Spirit!

TODAY'S PRAYER

"Lord God, help us to be encouragers for our friends by showing them your love in our words and actions." Amen.

Romans 16:1-15

"1 I’m introducing our sister Phoebe to you, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae. 2 Welcome her in the Lord in a way that is worthy of God’s people, and give her whatever she needs from you, because she herself has been a sponsor of many people, myself included. 3 Say hello to Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life. I’m not the only one who thanks God for them, but all the churches of the Gentiles do the same. 5 Also say hello to the church that meets in their house. Say hello to Epaenetus, my dear friend, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. 6 Say hello to Mary, who has worked very hard for you. 7 Say hello to Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners. They are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Say hello to Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. 9 Say hello to Urbanus, our coworker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. 10 Say hello to Apelles, who is tried and true in Christ. Say hello to the members of the household of Aristobulus. 11 Say hello to my relative Herodion. Say hello to the members of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. 12 Say hello to Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who are workers for the Lord. Say hello to my dear friend Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Say hello to Rufus, who is an outstanding believer, along with his mother and mine. 14 Say hello to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. 15 Say hello to Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. So many before us have proclaimed and lifted up the name of Jesus. Say hello to them as you work on your path of service to Him. We have a legacy to uphold in our ministry to others. Do your part! Be blessed in your service! Joe

[iateyouroreos]

Romans 16

(King James Version)

16 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.

3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:

4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

6 Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.

7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

8 Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.

9 Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.

10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household.

11 Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.

12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.

13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.

15 Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.

16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.

17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

21 Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.

22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.

23 Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.

24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen

[lidikcyber]

Kapolres Asahan Gelar Apel Penyerahan Piagam Penghargaan dan Parsel Natal Bagi yang Beragama Nasran

Kapolres Asahan Gelar Apel Penyerahan Piagam Penghargaan dan Parsel Natal Bagi yang Beragama Nasran

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