The Mexican Revolution

This is the last of the videos: the Mexican Revolution.  This is the least well-known topic of the three, which is truly a shame because it is one of the most prominent stories of true heroism, imperfection, struggle, and the strive equality.  You have probably heard of Pancho Villa, the revolutionary bandit born in Chihuahua and fought for agrarian reform for the poor.  I compare him with another famous revolutionary, Emiliano Zapata. who fought in the South.  I also talk about the Constitution of 1917, how radical it was, and how its promises weren't fulfilled.  I hope you enjoy this!

World War I & World War II

Hi!  Here is the next video: WWI and WWII!  This was honestly quite a challenge as it was quite a lot of information to present, but nevertheless, here it is.  I gave a brief account of both wars, a description of the homefront for all countries involved, and how we could compare these two wars.  By examining the two biggest wars in all of History, we can get a lot out of how global politics work and how yesterday's mistakes will not be tomorrow's.

Hitler vs. Vargas

Hello, everyone!  These next few posts will be videos posted on my YouTube Channel that I created for my class to study with for the History Final Exam.  This video is about Hitler (Fuhrer of Germany), Vargas (Dictator of Brazil), and how they can be compared (especially through their methods of control).  I talk about their rise to power and their consolidation of power.  It is interesting to compare historical figures and their methods of securing power without having it being taken away from them.  Enjoy!

Mythology class

Last year, my school created the Classics Club for Upper School students who have an interest for studying and learning more about Latin, mythology, and history.  Last month, I was invited as a guest to teach the members, who were primarily 9th Graders, a bit about mythology.  I gave a basic lecture about the main 12 Olympians, who they were, what they ruled over, and a few animals/objects that represent them (i.e. Zeus and this thunderbolts, Poseidon and horses, etc.).  I also talked about the 9 Muses, the 3 Fates, and other primordial beings.  I truly enjoyed teaching them and they were a good audience.  Its like I could physically feel their attention and I was stunned by their previous knowledge of mythology (mainly due to the Percy Jackson series).  I have been invited to come back again and next time I will give them a mini-quiz to see how much they remember :) 

The fall of the Roman Republic

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The Roman Republic was founded in 509 BCE (coincidentally the same year the Cleisthenes implemented Democracy in Athens) and was an era of prosperity and conquest.  New strength in their military, political advancement, and other great achievements let the Roman culture thrive in new lands.  So why did it end?  How could something so prosperous be thrown away?  Well, it certainty took time to dismantle it, but it still is quite quick when reading about it as it is a very fascinating topic to look into.  Here, I attempt to answer why the Roman Republic fell.  Enjoy!



The Fall of the Roman Republic was from 131 to 31 BC.  Tiberius Gracchus, a tribune, wanted to create a land reform to give more land to the Plebeians, and to limit the size of the land of the Patricians.  The plebeians loved this decision, however, the Senate, which was made up of Patricians weren’t.  So, they convinced a tribune named Marcus Octavius to veto Tiberius’ plan.  This was not illegal, however, it was sketchy.  Then, Tiberius used his influence to kick Octavius out of the Tribune.  This was illegal.  He later ran for tribune again for a second consecutive year, which was also illegal.    To stop his plan, a patrician riot killed Tiberius and his supporters.  This was also illegal.  Ten years later, his brother, Gaius, tried to complete the land reform and was also killed.  Violence and personal influence break political tradition.  From 80 to 70 BC, Marius came into power. He became a consul six times in eight years, which is illegal.  Sulla was famous for marching onto Rome with an army, killing many of Marius’ supporters, and creating proscriptions, which were political murders and robberies. He also was the first to call himself Dictator, even though there was not any emergency in Rome at the time.  The First Triumvirate allowed Crassus, Pompey, and Caesar (the three most powerful people in Rome at the time) to get rid of any political enemies, and allow them to rule Rome.  When the deaths pf Crassus and Pompey’s wife Julia, Pompey and Caesar fought each other at the Battle at Pharsalus, where Pompey ran away to Egypt and was killed.  Caesar came to Egypt and helped Cleopatra take other the Egyptian throne, where he lived.  He eventually made himself Dictator for life, giving him unlimited power.  This led to some senators led by Marcus Junius Brutus, to kill Caesar in 44 BC.  Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus, formed the Second Triumvirate, defeating Brutus at Philippi.  Lepidus was exiled, and Antony went to Egypt, where had children with Cleopatra.  Octavian illegally looked into Antony’s will, where it said that he would give a lot of land to his children with Cleopatra.  Rome declared war and Antony and Cleopatra lost at the Battle at Actium in 31 BC.  Antony killed himself along did Cleopatra.  Octavian became the sole ruler of Rome, changed his name to Augustus, and became the first Roman emperor.  The republic was dead.  In the end, violence and personal influence, allowed selfish rulers to break the rules of the Republic and turning it into an empire.  New traditions were made, allowing many personal and illegal goals to be accomplished

The Odyssey

Arguably one of the most important books ever written is The Odyssey by Homer.  It give us so much information about Greek culture, society, and religion.  Heck, it even gives us a glance of how to treat guests who randomly come to your home.  However, one of the most important aspects is the narrative itself.  It tells the story of a lost king trying to come home, a young boy entering manhood and finding his identity, and a lonely wife and mother who wants her family back and nothing else.  It is a story about fate, destiny, and faults.  All of these aspects drove me to ask myself some questions and tackle interesting topics found in this almost three thousand year old epic poem.  Take a look!





          The suitors are all the young men of Ithaca who think Odysseus is dead and are now asking for Penelope’s hand in marriage.  They constantly ask for her, and she always resists. Even though she resists, they decide to stay and eat all of the family’s food.  Penelope and her servants (some of whom are lovers with the suitors) are forced to serve them due to the ancient practice of Xenia, where the host of the house must serve the guests under any circumstances.  Hundreds of cattle and bulls are slaughtered to be served to the suitors.  They are led by Antinous and Eurymachus.  The suitors also plan to kill Telemachus, in order to get rid of any opposition to their plans of marrying Penelope.

          Odysseus has escaped from the Cyclopes, whose name is Polyphemus.  He tells the giant that his name is “nobody”.  This leads Odysseus and his crew to success.  However, when they are about to leave, Odysseus cannot bear to think that he will not be recognized by the other cyclopes as the man who blinded Polyphemus.  So, he announces his name as Odysseus, with pride and arrogance.  Unfortunately for him, Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon.  The Cyclopes wails in fury, asking Poseidon to take revenge on Odysseus for blinding him.  Because he knows his assailant’s name, he can tell his father exactly who is responsible for hurting the son of a deity.  This reflects Odysseus’ hubris, and therefore, he must pay the price by wandering for ten more years.

          When Odysseus come home, and disguises himself as a beggar.  There, he secretly reveals his identity to his son, the swineherd, the cowherd, and (accidentally) his nurse.  They reveal to him who has been loyal and who has not.  They devise a plan to kill all of the suitors and the unfaithful servants.  Then, the servants lock the doors from the outside, so that no one can escape.  When Odysseus reveals his identity to the suitors, he instantly kills all of them with the help of Telemachus, the servants, and Athena.  This explains a lot about Odysseus’s character.  He is very careful about who to trust.  He cunningly sneaks his way into the same room with the suitors without them noticing anything unusual.  He is more prone to wait and make a plan, and when the moment is right, release that plan to its highest degree, and achieve success.  He values time, where it allows him to create the most effective of plans.

          The story of Odysseus has been passed down for thousands of years.  The reason why his stories are legendary is because the readers can relate to Odysseus.  Even though they do not live in a world where cyclopes eat them, or sirens lure men to death, but they problems that are just as scary.  However, it is his solution to every problem that makes him a hero among many.  After seeing his own men get eaten alive, Odysseus immediately begins to think about how he will get himself out of his life-threatening issue.  He plans with his comrades to create a clever trick that will work in their favor.  It is this immediate reaction to make a plan that shows all of the readers, that Odysseus will never give up, until he has reached his goal.  In the graphic novel, there are only two frames that separate the Cyclopes’ trap and Odysseus thinking.

          In my opinion, Odysseus and Telemachus had every right to kill the suitors.  First, they have been rude, disrespectful, and dishonorable to Penelope and the rest of the royal family of Ithaca.  For around ten years, they have ate Odysseus’ cattle, slept with his servants, and ruined the palace.  They have misused their role as a guest, and therefore must be killed in order to repay for their horrible crimes.  Also, there is no other alternative.  If they remain alive, it is quite possible that they would have revolted against Odysseus, outnumbering them and having the upper hand.  The same result would occur with banishment, imprisonment (they cannot fit in the same prison), or torture.  Therefore, they must be killed or they will still serve as a threat to Odysseus and his family.

          The idea of hospitality plays an important role in the Odyssey.  The Greek term for hospitality, Xenia, where a host must take care if any wandering stranger (or else suffer the wrath of Zeus).  In return, the guest must not exceed his rights, and be grateful of the host with respect and honor.  First, the suitors are the guests in the house of Odysseus.  Even though Penelope has to take them in, they are disruptive, rude, and hostile.  Due to this, they break the law of Xenia, and therefore are punished by Odysseus.  Also, when Odysseus enters the cave of the Cyclopes, he immediately eats the cheese and milk belonging to Polyphemus, while the Giant was away.  When he returned, because the crew did not ask for permission, but immediately ate his food, he raged against them and even cursing Odysseus later.  This leads Odysseus to endure many sufferings, and is the only one to survive the trip back home (therefore, paying for being a disrespectful guest).

          “Achilles- But since you are among the living, tell me of my son.  Did he prove himself in the war, uphold the line of Peleus?
Odysseus - Never fear, prince.  Young Neptolemus joined us at Troy and proved himself both in counsel and in battle.  When we waited in the wooden horse, he alone moved not a muscle, never grew pale or showed the whites of his eyes, but gripped his spear and silently implored me to open the door and command the attack.”       (pg. 133)
          Odysseus has gone to the underworld, as instructed by Circe, to find the wise seer Tiresias.  While he is there, he sees many people that he knew, including Anticleia (his mother), Elpenor (one of the members of his crew), Agamemnon (the leader of the Greek armies at Troy), and Achilles (the greatest warrior of the Greek army).  Achilles asks Odysseus about his son, Neptolemus, and Odysseus replies.  I chose this except because it talks about the issue of genetic honor.
When Achilles asks if Neptolemus upheld “the line of Peleus”, Achilles is concerned about his son’s reputation as the son of Achilles and the grandson of Peleus (both were great warriors).  He wants his son to revered as a great warrior, as his father and grandfather were.  Odysseus replies that Neptolemus was ready for the siege without showing any sign of fear (just as Achilles was in the Trojan War).
          This excerpt describes the importance of family honor, and how the son must carry the reputation of the father.  Many Greek men are called as the son of [their father], in order to add grace to their appearance as a warrior or hero.  All put together, the reputation of someone must be carried down the generations in order to maintain honor and glory for the family for the years to come.

Was Greece That Great?

 I made this video for my school's 6th grade History class.  Enjoy!

Marcus Aurelius

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Marcus Aurelius is one of the greatest Roman emperors whose reign marked the end of the Pax Romana, which was a period of roughly 200 years of peace and prosperity.  He is well known for his Meditations, a book he wrote about how to live one's life as a stoic.  Here, I analyzed one of his quotes:

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” Marcus Aurelius
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Marcus Aurelius argues that the mind or mindset can determine the happiness of one’s life.  I agree with this statement because it follows my doctrine that the mind can control almost anything.  For example, if one believes that he will fail a test, his mind will subconsciously make him want to fail.  This sort of pattern is similar to when one repeatedly says something in order to remember it.  I used that same tactic when I was studying for the midterms.  The mind can also control pain tolerance.  Doctors always say that in an emergency, it is important to remain calm or else the situation can get worse.  If one thinks that the injury is dramatically severe, then his mind will make him more panicked, get his adrenaline up, and you will feel worse in the process.  Also, the mind can also trick the body when it is in pain.  When there is pain, the mind can spread out the pain in the body.  For example, last week I hurt my arm when I fell down from exercising.  My arm hurt a lot, so what I did is I pretended through my mind that the great concentration of pain in my arm was slowly flowing from my arm to my chest to my head to my abdomen.  This way, my mind could imagine that instead of one major area of pain, the pain diffused into the other parts of my body in order to make everything less painful for my arm.  If the mind can imagine it, it is very possible that the body will respond to it.  It also works with emotions, which is what Marcus Aurelius was getting to.  It is already proven that the mind can control the body physically.   The mind should have the same power over emotions.  If one feels sad, then the mind will automatically look for ways to prove why he is sad.  This sort of way to prove why he is sad can be long-lasting, possibly a lifetime.  People can commit suicide because they stay in a state where they cannot find any reason to be happy due to their mind continually finding reasons why they are sad.  Contrastingly, one can lead a happy life by simply thinking positively, so that the mind can find many reasons to be happy.  Those people are usually more grateful, more appreciative, and more happy.  Aurelius is right about the way the idea of thinking can play a huge role in our lives.  We live in a world where good things and bad things happen to us.  It is up to us about how we are going to view the world, and our minds are responsible for those thoughts.  In this course, this proved to be especially true. If I did not have the right mindset about how to approach the work load, I would probably be failing this class.  In order to keep my motivation up, I kept thinking about how the workload was not so bad, and how I can definitely accomplish  the task.  My mindset kept me pushing forward.  This quote applies to my time at MEI because I really had to keep my thoughts in a positive form, to push myself to do what I thought I could not do, and persevere through tough times.

The Colosseum

Over the summer I went to Rome and of course I wanted to visit the most iconic site in the entire seven-hilled city: the Colosseum.  Fun fact: the Colosseum was only a nickname for the giant gladiator arena.  It was originally titled "the Flavian Amphitheatre" after the name of the dynasty of Roman emperors ruling at the time, the Flavian Dynasty.  It was started by Vespasian and financed by his many plunders and conquests of new territories, most notably of the Levant and modern-day Israel.  It gained its nickname due to the nearby giant of Nero nearby, known as the Colossus of Nero (or Colossus for short).  It is said that whenever someone wanted to know where the Flavian Amphitheatre was located, people said that it was located near the Colossus, and the name stuck.

Octavian’s war with Marcus Antonius

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Octavian’s war against Marcus Antonius is an example where a power struggle had a tremendous impact on the Classical Civilizations.  After Julius Caesar’s assassination in 44 BCE, his step-son, Octavian called for his inheritance.  He formed an alliance with Marcus Antonius, who was Caesar’s good friend and a popular politician.  They also allied themselves with Marcus Lepidus, who was another politician.  Together, they formed the Second Triumvirate, and decided to avenge Caesar’s death by leading an army against Caesar’s murders, who were Brutus and the other conspirators.  The two armies fought at the Battle at Phillippi, resulting in the Triumvirate’s victory, and Brutus’ suicide.  After that, the members of the Triumvirate began to turn against each other.  Lepidus was eventually exiled, and only Octavian and Marcus Antonius remained.

Marcus went to Egypt where he began to share power with its queen, Cleopatra.  He even left his own wife, who was Octavian’s sister, for Cleopatra who had three children with him.  It was Antonius’ goal to give some of Rome’s territory to his children and possibly lead a revolution with his Egyptian power against Octavian.  As Octavian is gaining more and more power, he does not want to share his power with Antonius and therefore wants to find a way to legitimately declare war upon him.  Through illegal means, Octavian finds and opens Antonius’ will to find that he was planning on giving some of Rome’s territory to his children.  The senate approved of Octavian’s declaration of war against Egypt.

A conflict was inevitable and the two armies met in a naval battle called the Battle at Actium.  Octavian won the battle and destroyed both Cleopatra’s fleet and Antonius’ fleet.  The couple escaped, where both killed themselves.  This power struggle changed the course of history because Octavian became the unchallenged ruler of Rome.  He changed his name to Augustus, and founded the Roman Empire, making him the very first Roman Emperor.  The Empire would last for hundreds of years, as it grew to conquer parts of the Middle East, Britain, and the many other areas.  Roman culture would eventually seep into the other cultures, and unite all of the regions under one ruler.  Without Octavian’s victory over Antonius, none of these Roman accomplishments would have ever existed.