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Andrea Selesky

HIST 134
Portfolio Reflection
Theme: Religion/Morals & Traditions
Theme
Every moment that passes becomes a small puzzle piece in this big picture that we
call history. Sometimes we do not even realize how the most mundane moments can
actually play a much larger role in the grand scheme of our lives. This concept is the
same for the study of ancient history. People that lived thousands of years before us
paved the way through moments, choices, conflicts, and impulses that we cannot even
begin to understand. However through our study of ancient history this semester it
became a little easier to break down the motives and desires of a wide variety of different
civilizations. Reading about all the different people and cultures throughout history really
made me step back to examine the similarities; the most common similarity being
everyone is just doing the best that they can. Some leaders resorted to cruelty and
destruction while others searched for peace, but all of them were just trying to leave their
mark on the world and to their people in the best way they thought possible. The second
similarity I noticed branching off, was that these leaders were driven by their belief
system. Almost every leader had some sort of belief or religious following that lead them
to rule over their people the way they did. Through a brief recap of this course we will be
able to examine the religious history of leaders that have left their piece of the puzzle in
our lives today.
Module four is where we learned about whole civilizations that were known for
their religious beliefs. For the Minoan Civilization, religion played just as an important
role in the lives of the people as trade and politics. Their religious background was

portrayed through their art and architecture. What was important about what we studied
in module four, was that it was the introduction to large spreads of territory and power
over Greece and surrounding areas. These areas gained a lot of traffic because they were
places of large amounts of trade, political power, and religious structure; which heavily
influenced future civilizations and leaders. Due to the downfall of the Aegean
Civilizations, it became harder to see where exactly the influences of these people came
into play; however, as time passes, remembered personal experiences take on a new
meaning (McNeill). Which is why the influences of these incredible civilizations has not
been lost by their destruction. Sir Arthur Evans and Heinrich Schlienmann were two
archeologists that took their personal motives and beliefs, putting them to work so that
they may undercover the ruins of these civilizations. They both worked to confirm
religious beliefs of the ancient Greeks, through the confirmation of their literary and
mythological records. So here we can see the beginnings of religious influences
throughout every aspect of the creation and spread of civilizations, while also being able
to see those same influences at work in those who study these people later on.
Module six discussed the influences of one of the greatest and most publicized
leaders even today, Alexander the Great. Now we may not associate Alexander the Great
with any real religious group or set of beliefs, but he was a good general that knew how
to conquer areas of great religious establishments. He made a name for himself for more
than just not ever losing a battle. His goal was destroy empires and replace them with
Greek culture and influence. His belief in the importance of Greek culture lead him to be
one of the most influential and powerful leaders to ever live. He was a man of tradition,
and his choices were a reflection of that. He brought the Greek language to the areas he

conquered while also providing improvement in trade and communication. Alexanders


military tactics and processes are still influencing practices within the military today. This
is yet another example of the importance of small aspects of history being utilized today.
History is a lesson: a lesson of intentions, movements, experiments, and human
production (Postma) Alexander has got to be one of the greatest examples within this
course of how applicable lessons of history still are today. From intentions, to
movements, and outcomes, Alexander knew how to find success while also maintaining a
following that is still referenced regularly.
Module eleven was one of the heaviest religion based sections we studied. It tied
together the ideas and concepts of religion within many civilizations, but in a whole new
way. It focused on how Muhammad rose to political influence and power through his
strong religious beliefs. The Islamic faith created a new pathway for a new way of
leading people. It was excepting to all kinds of different people, and was not always
accepted by everyone but gained popularity as people began to realize some of the
benefits. This positive outlook on life and purpose as well as the reverence set in place
due to the Islamic faith, political power began to shift much to mirror that of the positive
values of Muhammad and the Islamic faith. Muhammad was a vessel, a new way to
publicize leadership that was uncommon for those that came before him. Pope Benedict
XVI depicted the modern world as follows, subject to so many rapid changes and
shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith. (Perry) This quote parallels
how I picture Muhammad to have seen the world and people he was working with. Just
like Benedict, Muhammad saw that in this developing world, faith was needed. People

needed something to believe in when everything around them changes so frequently, and
Muhammad was such a powerful leader because of that.
As a historian of the ancient world, I feel like learning about the religious beliefs
and traditions related to rulers and leaders helps to identify and better understand some of
the motives behind the construction of history. After studied ancient history this summer,
I feel that it gives us a better perspective on other cultures and how their values differ and
relate to ours. We all have something that we believe in, or a reason that we act the way
we do; the same goes for important people within our history lessons. The trick is finding
ways to interpret that and mold it into something we can understand and use today.

Bibliography
McNeill, William H. "Why Study History? (1985)." Why Study History? (1985).
American Historical Association, Web. 09 Aug. 2016.
Perry, David M. "How History Can Help Us Predict the Next Pope." The Atlantic.
Atlantic Media Company, Web. 15 Aug. 2016.
Postma, Michael. "What Can History Teach Us Today?" ASCD Express 6.22 -.Web. 15
Aug. 2016.

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