The History of the Olympic Victory Laurel

The History of the Olympic Victory Laurel Imprinted on Olympic medals is a sprig of laurel because, since antiquity, laurel has been associated with victory. The victory laurel began, though, not with the Olympics, but with another Panhellenic festival, the Pythian Games. Sacred to Apollo, the Pythian Games were almost as important to the Greeks as the Olympics. As is appropriate for a religious festival in honor of Apollo, the laurel symbolizes an important mythological event for the god. The British poet Lord Byron describes this major Olympian god as: ...The lord of the unerring bow,The god of life, and poetry, and light,The Sun, in human limbs arrayed, and browAll radiant from his triumph in the fight.The shaft has just been shot; the arrow brightWith an immortals vengeance; in his eyeAnd nostril, beautiful disdain, and mightAnd majesty flash their full lightnings by,Developing in that one glance the Deity.- Byron, Childe Harold, iv. 161 Panhellenic Games The games were called panhellenic because they were open to all free adult male Hellenes or Greeks. We call them games, but they could also be called competitions. There was a 4-year Panhellenic Athletic Game cycle: Olympic GamesIsthmian Games (April)Nemean Games (late July)Pythian Games:  Originally held every eight years, the Pythian Games were held every fourth year by c. 582 B.C.Isthmian Games and Nemean Games Mythological Origins of the Games The mythological origins of the Olympics include the story that Pelops defeated and killed his would-be father-in-law in a chariot race or that Hercules put on the games to honor his father after he defeated the perfidious King Augeas. Like the Olympics, the Pythian Games also have mythological origins. During the Great Flood (aka the Deluge), Deucalion and Pyrrha  were spared, but when they arrived on dry land without an ark at Mt. Parnassus there were no other people around. Saddened by this, they prayed to the oracle at the temple there and were given this advice: Depart from me and veil your brows; ungirdyour robes, and cast behind you as you go,the bones of your great mother. Skilled in the ways of oracles, Deucalion understood the bones of the great mother (Gaia) were rocks, so he and his wife walked away throwing stones behind them. The stones Deucalion threw became men; those Pyrrha threw, women. Gaia continued to produce even after Deucalion and Pyrrha had finished throwing stones. She formed animals, but Gaia also took the mud and slime to fashion a giant python. The Pythian Games Namesake - The Python This period just after the Deluge was a simpler time when not even gods- let alone men- had powerful weapons. All Apollo had was the bow he used to kill tame, game animals, like deer, and goats, but nothing he could count on to use against a creature of great size. Still, he resolved to rid mankind of the frightening monstrosity, so he shot his entire quiver into the beast. Eventually, Apollo killed the Python. Lest anyone forget or fail to honor him for his service to mankind, he instituted the Pythian Games to commemorate the event. Music at an Athletic Event Apollo is associated with the art of music. Unlike the other Pahellenic games (Olympics, Nemean, and Isthmian), music was a major part of the competition. Originally, the Pythian Game was all music, but athletic events were added over time. The first three days were devoted to musical competition; the next three to athletic and equestrian competitions, and the final day to worship of Apollo. This unique and competitive emphasis on music was a fitting tribute to Apollo, who was not only a gifted, but also a competitive musician. When Pan claimed he could make better music on his syrinx than Apollo could on his lyre, and asked the human Midas to judge, Midas awarded Pan the victory. Apollo appealed to a higher judge, a fellow god, won, and rewarded Midas for his honest opinion with a pair of donkey ears. Apollo didnt just compete with the goat god Pan. He also competed with the love god- a foolish move. Love and the Victory Laurel Filled with bravado from slaying the mighty python with his arrows, Apollo looked at the god of loves delicate little golden arrows and his equally unthreatening dull, heavy, iron ones. He might even have laughed at Eros and told him his arrows were puny and worthless. Then they might have had a competition, but instead Apollo grew needlessly angry and demeaning. He told Eros to content himself with flames and leave arrows to the strong and brave. While Eros bow and arrows might have seemed puny, they were not. Annoyed by the condescension, Eros resolved to prove whose bow was truly the more powerful, so he shot Apollo with a golden arrow that made him fall hopelessly in love with the woman whom Eros shot with the iron. With the iron arrow Eros pierced the heart of Daphne, forever turning her against love. Thus Apollo was doomed to pursue Daphne and Daphne was doomed to flee from Apollos advances. But Daphne wasnt a goddess and had little chance against Apollo. In the end, when it looked as though Apollo would have his hateful way with her, she begged to be saved and was- by being turned into a laurel tree. From that day forth Apollo wore a wreath made from the leaves of his beloved. In honor of Apollo and his love of Daphne, a laurel wreath crowned the victor at Apollos Pythian games.

The History of the Olympic Victory Laurel

The History of the Olympic Victory Laurel Imprinted on Olympic medals is a sprig of laurel because, since antiquity, laurel has been associated with victory. The victory laurel began, though, not with the Olympics, but with another Panhellenic festival, the Pythian Games. Sacred to Apollo, the Pythian Games were almost as important to the Greeks as the Olympics. As is appropriate for a religious festival in honor of Apollo, the laurel symbolizes an important mythological event for the god. The British poet Lord Byron describes this major Olympian god as: ...The lord of the unerring bow,The god of life, and poetry, and light,The Sun, in human limbs arrayed, and browAll radiant from his triumph in the fight.The shaft has just been shot; the arrow brightWith an immortals vengeance; in his eyeAnd nostril, beautiful disdain, and mightAnd majesty flash their full lightnings by,Developing in that one glance the Deity.- Byron, Childe Harold, iv. 161 Panhellenic Games The games were called panhellenic because they were open to all free adult male Hellenes or Greeks. We call them games, but they could also be called competitions. There was a 4-year Panhellenic Athletic Game cycle: Olympic GamesIsthmian Games (April)Nemean Games (late July)Pythian Games:  Originally held every eight years, the Pythian Games were held every fourth year by c. 582 B.C.Isthmian Games and Nemean Games Mythological Origins of the Games The mythological origins of the Olympics include the story that Pelops defeated and killed his would-be father-in-law in a chariot race or that Hercules put on the games to honor his father after he defeated the perfidious King Augeas. Like the Olympics, the Pythian Games also have mythological origins. During the Great Flood (aka the Deluge), Deucalion and Pyrrha  were spared, but when they arrived on dry land without an ark at Mt. Parnassus there were no other people around. Saddened by this, they prayed to the oracle at the temple there and were given this advice: Depart from me and veil your brows; ungirdyour robes, and cast behind you as you go,the bones of your great mother. Skilled in the ways of oracles, Deucalion understood the bones of the great mother (Gaia) were rocks, so he and his wife walked away throwing stones behind them. The stones Deucalion threw became men; those Pyrrha threw, women. Gaia continued to produce even after Deucalion and Pyrrha had finished throwing stones. She formed animals, but Gaia also took the mud and slime to fashion a giant python. The Pythian Games Namesake - The Python This period just after the Deluge was a simpler time when not even gods- let alone men- had powerful weapons. All Apollo had was the bow he used to kill tame, game animals, like deer, and goats, but nothing he could count on to use against a creature of great size. Still, he resolved to rid mankind of the frightening monstrosity, so he shot his entire quiver into the beast. Eventually, Apollo killed the Python. Lest anyone forget or fail to honor him for his service to mankind, he instituted the Pythian Games to commemorate the event. Music at an Athletic Event Apollo is associated with the art of music. Unlike the other Pahellenic games (Olympics, Nemean, and Isthmian), music was a major part of the competition. Originally, the Pythian Game was all music, but athletic events were added over time. The first three days were devoted to musical competition; the next three to athletic and equestrian competitions, and the final day to worship of Apollo. This unique and competitive emphasis on music was a fitting tribute to Apollo, who was not only a gifted, but also a competitive musician. When Pan claimed he could make better music on his syrinx than Apollo could on his lyre, and asked the human Midas to judge, Midas awarded Pan the victory. Apollo appealed to a higher judge, a fellow god, won, and rewarded Midas for his honest opinion with a pair of donkey ears. Apollo didnt just compete with the goat god Pan. He also competed with the love god- a foolish move. Love and the Victory Laurel Filled with bravado from slaying the mighty python with his arrows, Apollo looked at the god of loves delicate little golden arrows and his equally unthreatening dull, heavy, iron ones. He might even have laughed at Eros and told him his arrows were puny and worthless. Then they might have had a competition, but instead Apollo grew needlessly angry and demeaning. He told Eros to content himself with flames and leave arrows to the strong and brave. While Eros bow and arrows might have seemed puny, they were not. Annoyed by the condescension, Eros resolved to prove whose bow was truly the more powerful, so he shot Apollo with a golden arrow that made him fall hopelessly in love with the woman whom Eros shot with the iron. With the iron arrow Eros pierced the heart of Daphne, forever turning her against love. Thus Apollo was doomed to pursue Daphne and Daphne was doomed to flee from Apollos advances. But Daphne wasnt a goddess and had little chance against Apollo. In the end, when it looked as though Apollo would have his hateful way with her, she begged to be saved and was- by being turned into a laurel tree. From that day forth Apollo wore a wreath made from the leaves of his beloved. In honor of Apollo and his love of Daphne, a laurel wreath crowned the victor at Apollos Pythian games.

The History of the Olympic Victory Laurel

The History of the Olympic Victory Laurel Imprinted on Olympic medals is a sprig of laurel because, since antiquity, laurel has been associated with victory. The victory laurel began, though, not with the Olympics, but with another Panhellenic festival, the Pythian Games. Sacred to Apollo, the Pythian Games were almost as important to the Greeks as the Olympics. As is appropriate for a religious festival in honor of Apollo, the laurel symbolizes an important mythological event for the god. The British poet Lord Byron describes this major Olympian god as: ...The lord of the unerring bow,The god of life, and poetry, and light,The Sun, in human limbs arrayed, and browAll radiant from his triumph in the fight.The shaft has just been shot; the arrow brightWith an immortals vengeance; in his eyeAnd nostril, beautiful disdain, and mightAnd majesty flash their full lightnings by,Developing in that one glance the Deity.- Byron, Childe Harold, iv. 161 Panhellenic Games The games were called panhellenic because they were open to all free adult male Hellenes or Greeks. We call them games, but they could also be called competitions. There was a 4-year Panhellenic Athletic Game cycle: Olympic GamesIsthmian Games (April)Nemean Games (late July)Pythian Games:  Originally held every eight years, the Pythian Games were held every fourth year by c. 582 B.C.Isthmian Games and Nemean Games Mythological Origins of the Games The mythological origins of the Olympics include the story that Pelops defeated and killed his would-be father-in-law in a chariot race or that Hercules put on the games to honor his father after he defeated the perfidious King Augeas. Like the Olympics, the Pythian Games also have mythological origins. During the Great Flood (aka the Deluge), Deucalion and Pyrrha  were spared, but when they arrived on dry land without an ark at Mt. Parnassus there were no other people around. Saddened by this, they prayed to the oracle at the temple there and were given this advice: Depart from me and veil your brows; ungirdyour robes, and cast behind you as you go,the bones of your great mother. Skilled in the ways of oracles, Deucalion understood the bones of the great mother (Gaia) were rocks, so he and his wife walked away throwing stones behind them. The stones Deucalion threw became men; those Pyrrha threw, women. Gaia continued to produce even after Deucalion and Pyrrha had finished throwing stones. She formed animals, but Gaia also took the mud and slime to fashion a giant python. The Pythian Games Namesake - The Python This period just after the Deluge was a simpler time when not even gods- let alone men- had powerful weapons. All Apollo had was the bow he used to kill tame, game animals, like deer, and goats, but nothing he could count on to use against a creature of great size. Still, he resolved to rid mankind of the frightening monstrosity, so he shot his entire quiver into the beast. Eventually, Apollo killed the Python. Lest anyone forget or fail to honor him for his service to mankind, he instituted the Pythian Games to commemorate the event. Music at an Athletic Event Apollo is associated with the art of music. Unlike the other Pahellenic games (Olympics, Nemean, and Isthmian), music was a major part of the competition. Originally, the Pythian Game was all music, but athletic events were added over time. The first three days were devoted to musical competition; the next three to athletic and equestrian competitions, and the final day to worship of Apollo. This unique and competitive emphasis on music was a fitting tribute to Apollo, who was not only a gifted, but also a competitive musician. When Pan claimed he could make better music on his syrinx than Apollo could on his lyre, and asked the human Midas to judge, Midas awarded Pan the victory. Apollo appealed to a higher judge, a fellow god, won, and rewarded Midas for his honest opinion with a pair of donkey ears. Apollo didnt just compete with the goat god Pan. He also competed with the love god- a foolish move. Love and the Victory Laurel Filled with bravado from slaying the mighty python with his arrows, Apollo looked at the god of loves delicate little golden arrows and his equally unthreatening dull, heavy, iron ones. He might even have laughed at Eros and told him his arrows were puny and worthless. Then they might have had a competition, but instead Apollo grew needlessly angry and demeaning. He told Eros to content himself with flames and leave arrows to the strong and brave. While Eros bow and arrows might have seemed puny, they were not. Annoyed by the condescension, Eros resolved to prove whose bow was truly the more powerful, so he shot Apollo with a golden arrow that made him fall hopelessly in love with the woman whom Eros shot with the iron. With the iron arrow Eros pierced the heart of Daphne, forever turning her against love. Thus Apollo was doomed to pursue Daphne and Daphne was doomed to flee from Apollos advances. But Daphne wasnt a goddess and had little chance against Apollo. In the end, when it looked as though Apollo would have his hateful way with her, she begged to be saved and was- by being turned into a laurel tree. From that day forth Apollo wore a wreath made from the leaves of his beloved. In honor of Apollo and his love of Daphne, a laurel wreath crowned the victor at Apollos Pythian games.

Shopping is a complex and contradictory activity which cannot be Essay

Shopping is a complex and contradictory activity which cannot be reduced simply to the act of buying goods or services - Essay Example Shopping on the other hand is a term which is often used in a recreational context , as in : "it's a pleasant afternoon, why don't we go shopping". Shopping necessarily does not mean purchasing objects of requirements; rather, it pertains to purchasing objects of desire and interest. Shopping is an integral part of every vacation, celebration and for most people, even part of their free time. Shopping in these contexts is classified under leisure activities. In most cases shopping is a harmless and sometimes a relaxing activity but on the other hand it is not uncommon to see "pathological shoppers" who tend to go over the top with their buying spree irrespective of requirement, available finances and affordability. Shopping has a dark side too, just like all other leisure activities when done in excess. In some cases, uncontrolled habits may transform into mental disorders and even dependency which eventually require psychological intervention. Compulsive shoppers may feel a false and temporary phase of happiness just by attaining ownership of a particular object but most often than not, this phase is followed by regret and remorse over monetary wastage. For the typical shopper, that Tracy Reese dress or Prada bag may just be a piece of merchandise but for a shopaholic it is medication. Women often joke about "retail therapy." But that laughter may actually be a disguise to veil depression, loneliness or boredom. Shopping is an easy way to numb ourselves or boost our self-esteem, even if relief only lasts until buyer's remorse sets in. Shopaholics try to fill in their emptiness with "stuff" they might not even need. That void, in reality, may be from years of emotional or spiritual deprivation: fear that there's never enough, whether its money, material objects, recognition or love. Retail therapy is shopping with the primary purpose of uplifting the buyers' mood or disposition (Oxford Dictionary). It is a short lived habit and is often seen in people during periods of depression or transition. Items purchased during periods of retail therapy are called "comfort buys". Retail therapy was first used as a term in the 1980's: "we have become a nation measuring out our lives in shopping bags and nursing our psychic ills through retail therapy" (Chicago Tribune, 1986). In a study by European Union revealed that 33 percent of shoppers surveyed had "high level of addiction to rash or unnecessary consumption" (Observer, 2001) which eventually ran them into debts. Melbourne University researchers have coined a term "oniomania" to this psychological disorder, also known as compulsive shopping disorder. For a generation, 'retail therapy' has been the ultimate source of salvation from the stresses of modern living. But a major new study now suggests that for millions of people, binge shopping is no longer an emotional cure, rather it may make an individual feel worse. Retail therapy is actually an expensive way of distracting oneself from life's problems which one would eventually have to face and solve anyway! In short, it is a method of escapism. The pleasure is short lived and shallow in nature. Materialistic belongings can never bring peace and true happiness. Moreover, the sense of ownership imparts a false sense of pride which can be addictive as well as

Prescribed methods and tools can be developed for all consulting jobs Essay

Prescribed methods and tools can be developed for all consulting jobs because all Organisations eventually have the same type of problems - Essay Example he client organizations in a wide-range of sectors including finance and banking, telecoms and entertainment, government, health, utilities, energy, mining and infrastructure, retail and consumer business, not for profit/social and manufacturing (O’Mahoney, 2010). This essay aims to analyze the argument, whether prescribed methods and tools can be developed for all consulting jobs because all organisations eventually have the same type of problems, by evaluating published literature in scholarly journals and books. First, the types of management consultancies and the approaches, methods and tools they employ in relation to the various consulting jobs required by client organizations will be examined. Next, the essay will investigate consultancy-client interactions and issues, followed by conclusions The approaches, tools and methods employed by management consultancies to provide assistance to client are principally positioned in the context of organizational development and change, and fundamentally based on reactions to changing external environment (Biggs, 2010). A broader perspective on the change process which explains the overall beliefs concerning realization of a desired change is referred to as approach, whereas the term method provides operational guidance regarding effective management of the change process. The word tool describes a specific practice employed for solving a focused issue during the change process. However, since tools may be slackly connected to specific methods, same tools can be applicable in change processes under different methods. The methods and tools which prove to be effective when employed in a change process, i.e., aligned with client’s strategy and resources, determine their legitimacy. However, some consultants argue that value in the change process is created by unique knowledge and expertise of the consultant rather than the method itself (Werr et al., 1997). Due to the global transition of production-based economy to