Referring to at least three of the case study countries,'Liberal Essay

Referring to at least three of the case study countries,'Liberal Democracy is an ideal which many countries believe in but seldo - Essay Example Liberal democratic execution and performance incorporates the practices of the existing liberal governments. Moreover, there are some international standards that any government must fulfill to qualify as a liberal democratic government. However, differences experienced in liberal democracies globally are brought about by variations in the implementation of liberal democratic principles. The comparison between liberal democracies in the world governments is exceedingly complicated by the existing differences in the definition of the term in diverse political, social, and economical settings. However, liberal democracy principles are universally based on the three main principles, the regime longevity or endurance, liberal democratic value delivery and government efficacy (Skinner 1998, p. 89). Various countries have a strong acuity on the liberal democracy principles, its standards and importance in political, social and economic development. However, a good number of countries that value liberal democracy ideas have a setback in achieving its intended objectives. The essay will entail a case study expounding on the manner in which different countries implement the liberal democracy ideologies and principles. ... To begin with, the United States of America has federal political institutions comprising of 50 states and the District of Columbia. In a federal government structure like that of the United States, the power of the executive is separated from the judicial functions in line with liberal democracy principles. The constituents have executive self-government powers, which lead to economic inequality among different states in the United States of America (Graham, Farkas and Grady 2007, p. 345). The United States of America president is elected after every four years with a two term limit. Although millions of people participate in the election, the president is not elected directly by the country’s citizens but by 538 highly regarded members of an Electoral College. This is slightly in contrast to the basic tenets of a liberal democracy whereby the general public should have the mandate of electing their leaders including the president as it is the case in Russia and France. In th e United States, the Congress which is the country’s legislature is made up of 435 house of representative members and 100 hundred senate members. Each state is represented by two senators for a term of six years. Members in the House of Representatives serve for a period of two years and are elected from single member constituencies. Members of the Congress who are the representatives of the general public have the power to approve the government’s financial outlays as well as legislations. In developing countries, the president has the absolute power of appointing all government officials. In the United States, the president can veto legislations but with the support of two third majority vote

Financial analysis case report Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial analysis report - Case Study Example Table 1 Dupont Dupont Result 2011 2010 2009 Lowe 0.11 0.09 0.12 Home Depot 0.18 0.14 0.13 John Guerard (37) emphasized the Dupont formula is a useful tool for making financial decisions. making. Based on the Dupont data above, it is highly recommended that the company should increase the number of stores selling the company’s products and services. The company should focus on selling more quality products and offering more quality services to the clients. The company should also engage in research and development to discover new products. The company should also improve the quality of the company’s current home improvement products and services. The company should sell the products at affordable prices. The company should advertise the many benefits of buying the company’s products and services. The company’s advertisement expense should represent 10 percent of the company’s total expenses shown in the balance sheet. The company must target a ten pe rcent increase in its current month’s sales. An Based on the financial statements of Lowe Company and Home Depot Company, the Dupont results strong state that the Lowe’s company the companies’ discrete operational and marketing activities significantly influence the overall return on assets for both companies. The Dupont financial statement calculation indicates that Lowe’s generated a 0.12 Dupont during 2009. ... n is .11 Based on the Home Depot calculation, the Dupont results strong state that the company the companies’ discrete operational and marketing activities significantly influence the overall return on assets for both companies. The Dupont financial statement calculation indicates that Home Depot’s generated a .13 Dupont during 2009. The 2010 Dupont computation shows the company generated an increase in the Dupont results. The 2010 Dupont financial statement calculation is .14. The 2011 Dupont computation shows the company generated an increase in the Dupont results. The 2011 Dupont financial statement calculation is .18 Change over time analysis of what's going on using additional financial and performance data. Home Depot’s setting up more stores compared to Lowe’s is the main reason for Home Depot’s taking the lone spot as the world’s no. 1 home improvement retail store. Setting more branches precipitates to more revenues. Table 2 Net Prof it Margin 2011 2010 2009 Lowe 0.04 0.04 0.05 Home Depot 0.05 0.04 0.03 Based on the financial statements of Lowe Company and Home Depot Company, the Net profit margin results strong state that the company the companies’ discrete operational and marketing activities significantly influence the corresponding net profit margin for both companies. The net profit margin indicates that Lowe’s generated a 0.05 result. The 2010 net profit margin computation shows the company generated a decrease in the net profit margin result. The 2010 net profit margin is .04. The 2011 net profit margin computation shows the company generated an increase in the net profit margin results. The 2011 Dupont financial statement calculation is .04 The Net profit margin results strong state that the company the companies’ discrete operational

Importance of Recycling

Importance of Recycling Dont Throw Your Future Away In the UK, on average, a person throws away almost his own bodyweight equivalent of waste material every 7 weeks. That is equivalent to filling up the Rutland Lake in just six months or pervading the London Palladium every hour. Up to 60% of this waste is recyclable. What is meant by the word recycle? A simple way to describe it is; recycle means to convert and remanufacture waste products into new materials. This means, rather than throwing these objects away, they can be used to manufacture new products. The materials that are widely recycled include, grocery bags, cloth, newspaper, cardboard, brochures and flyers, cardboard boxes, paper, aluminium cans, glass, tin, chipboard and scrap metal. Though every waste disposal place varies, these are the items which are widely accepted as recyclable items. Failing to use them to manufacture further items results in these products being thrown away in significant quantities into landfills. Some goods which are not usually recycled because of being not as cost-effective include light bulbs, petroleum products, chemicals and aerosols. A landfill is not the most ethical way of managing waste as it poses substantial threats to humans and animals, as well as plants. It is immensely important to recycle our waste in order to lower the amount of waste material in landfills, to save and create energy and to conserve raw materials. For instance to produce new paper from a plant source, it requires seventeen full grown trees to make one tonne of pure non-recycled paper. This leads to deforestation as it requires cutting down trees, leading to deforestation which is a tremendous environmental hazard. Instead of this, used and old paper can be used to manufacture new paper which can help protect both trees and 65 % of electricity. Likewise, thermoplastics can also be recycled as they can be softened and melted to reshape again and again thus decreasing the environmental hazards triggered by plastics. Furthermore, up to seventy per cent of energy can be saved by avoiding extraction, refining, transportation and processing of raw materials required for the industry. As labour is needed for collection, sorting, processing and logistics, job opportunities can also be generated through recycling. Recycling also plays a sizeable role in decreasing air, noise and water pollution by reducing incineration of waste thus protecting the atmosphere. How? By lowering the emission of greenhouse gases like methane, sulphur dioxide carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide, recycling can also help in reducing the effect of climate change which is a long-standing and prominent issue influencing the atmosphere and living species alike. All of this malefic matter contaminates many habitats and ecosystems. This in turn ruins the natural living conditions of different organisms including both plants and animals. Deforestation that occurs due to the use of wood as a raw material for several products also plays an integral role in the destruction of many habitats.   Biodiversity is being lost. The loss of a few plants and animals is not the concern here. Rather, by thrashing all forms of nature on such a grand scale we are risking our lives, threatening wildlife, gambling with the stability of nature and weather and throwing our own future away. Not only is the destruction of nature a colossal problem, Global Warming, another disastrous outcome of all that contamination, is also a topic which needs discussion as it is the most detrimental. Evidence proves that the past decade was the hottest in the past 1300 years. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has multiplied from 280 parts per million to 400 parts per million. Moreover, it is expected that an estimated increase of 8 degrees Fahrenheit in global temperature and 1 to 4 feet of upsurge in sea levels can be expected by the year 2100. This could be a monumental problem for many low lying areas and cities of the world. Not only this, numerous other climate changes such as change in precipitation patterns, increment in acidity of oceans, reduction in ice cover, permafrost, unexpected droughts and floods, intense tsunamis and hurricanes and much more can be expected. Ultimately, the havoc caused from all of this can be very well assumed. How to make world a bit better? The above mentioned can be slowed and minimised if not entirely terminated. Recycling of metals can help cut down the need for extraction of ores, reducing environmental hazards caused by mining, refining, processing and packing. Recycling of plastic can help in minimizing the deposit of landfills. As it is a polymer, it can be melted and reused several times over. Recycling paper reduces the need of chopping down of trees and ultimately could help conserve forests. It also helps to reduce the use of incineration, process involved in destruction of paper. Amongst some notable benefits of recycling, one of them is the conservation of energy. By reducing the need of new products, we can dexterously reduce the use of energy and the burning of fossil fuels used to harness energy. This could lower the emission of harmful gases drastically. Recycling plays an integral role in forefending this planet from further devastation. It is crucial for us to implement the idea of recycling into our everyday lives and play our own part in order to protect the Earth and make it a better place.

Food Division In Grass Soup :: essays research papers

Food Division in Grass Soup Zhang's attitude towards splitting up food rations at the reform camp suggests he has not been completely broken down and reformed by The Party. The significance of the dividing of foods illustrates his remaining integrity and emotions that the hunger has affected, but not removed. "Unfortunately, no matter what group I was assigned to, the others always trusted me" (164). Being trusted usually is a positive sign of your character, but Zhang feels it is an unfair burden and responsibility that he would rather not have dealt with. The fact that the other convicts trusted him indicates the fact that he was a cerebral convict who had some integrity left. In this way Zhang is not as reformed as his fellow intellectuals because the other small workers are quick to criticize others, especially other intellectuals - a form of betrayal. Their betrayal displays the self centered attitude that makes others doubt that particular convict would be fair in the partition. Zhang is more unwilling to turn people in and overanalyze what others say so that he can seem better in the authorities' eyes. Only when he is asked specifically about Babylon does Zhang reveal something negative about him, yet even then he withholds comments that would have surely been used a gainst Mr. "I like to eat watery things". Convicts cannot trust criminal convicts either because it is obvious they are not worthy of anyone's trust and would partition the food completely unequally without fear of retribution. These convicts have no rectitude and are already accustomed to no one trusting them. "When it came to the question of how to divide up food, criminal convicts were not given a say" (166). Criminal convicts cannot participate in the partitioning of food, because they would undoubtedly cheat others out of their food. The division of food is much too important a responsibility to be placed on a criminal. The fact that they can underhandedly attain more food (i.e. - by stealing) also leads the intellectuals to believe that the people who rely merely on the partitioned food would divide it honestly and equally. The fact that Zhang steals food and still is trusted enough to divide the food is indicative of his worthiness. The convicts in the camp do not seem completely void of emotions. "Seeing it, one could believe that these men, scraped clean of everything including freedom, could have made an aeroplane with their own bare hands" (165).

Perform a close reading of any passage or short chapter

The Grapes of Wrath, examining its use of theme, setting, tone, figurative language, allusions, etc. By Angela-Stanton The Grapes of Wrath not only criticizes the socio-economic problems provoked by capitalism, but advocates (moral courage) as the answer to conflicts and hostilities. In Chapter 29, Steinbeck emphasizes that although nature's omnipotent power of destruction Is beyond human control, moral courage can sustain hope and faith In life.This theme is successfully achieved in this short but significant intercalary heaper through the effective use of figurative language and diction, leading to the memorable ending in Chapter 30 where Rose of Sharon selflessly suckles the dying man. The narration paints a Blvd setting of the destitute land. The clouds, wind and rain are personified as the destructive forces of nature. The gray clouds are march[long] In from the ocean'.The aggressive verb ‘march' presents the military nature of the clouds, foreshadowing how this strong arm y overpowers humans and land. Contradicting auditory images describe the wind that ‘swished in the bush' and ‘roared in the forests'. The auditory verb ‘swished' depicts the swift, stealthy action of the wind as It passes the bush; whereas the contrasting auditory verb ‘roared' reminds us the wind has a violent Impact on the land. The adverbs ‘fiercely and silently' are oxymoron describing how the wind overwhelms humans brutally without announcing its arrival.Rain is also personified as it Whipped the shining water and Whipped up the surfaces [of the fields]'. The repetitive use of the relentless verb Whipped' illustrates the rain's physical force and portrays it as a powerful tormentor of land and humans. The action of the rain and Its Impact on the land are emphasized by the parallel structure the streams and the little rivers edged up to the bank sides', worked at willows and tree roots', ‘bent the willows deep in the current' ‘cut out th e roots of cottonwood' and ‘brought down the trees. This parallel structure consists of phrases starting with a powerful verb that inflicts misery on a ‘victim', emphasizing the pervasive Impact of the unceasing rain. Personification is extended to the description of the land. Initially, the earth is ‘drink[inning] the rain' when the rain only consists of ‘small drops and a steady beat'. This personification depicts the rain's essential role as a nourishing provider for life. Then, the rain intensifies and the earth ‘[whisper] under the beat of the rain' and the streams ‘[thunder] under the churning freshets'.This parallel structure Juxtaposes the earth and the streams using contrasting auditory verbs, displaying the earth as a thunder[inning]' streams. The earth's changing reaction to the intensifying rain from drinking to whispering alludes to the rain's volatility reigning over the vulnerability of the land. This insinuation extends to nature i n general, implying that nature is precious which controls the well-being of humans and land. The narration also explores the severity of the rain's impact on the migrant workers.The water ‘[fouls] the ignition wires' and ‘[fouls] the carburetors' of the cars. This parallel structure emphasizes the extensive destruction with the use of active voice placing Water' as the subject, suggesting that despite their level of technology and utility, the cars are inevitably destroyed. Although the migrants want to escape from this hostile environment, their cars Wouldn't start because the wires were shorted' ND ‘if the engines would run, deep mud engulfed the wheels'.The use of the ‘if' conditional structure indicates that there is no workable solution to combat the flood. All these details in the narration establish the people's dire situation since their last resort, that is migration, is destroyed by the rain. The narrative perspective shifts from one adverse predic ament to another, creating a prevailing sense of inevitability to escape from the disaster. The migrant workers ‘splashed out through the water' to towns, country stores and relief offices to seek help and shelter.The verb ‘splashed' portrays the workers' desperate attempt to survive which is further intensified Their suffering is further intensified by the parallel by the structure to point out how they ‘beg for bread', ‘beg for rotting vegetables' and ‘steal when they [can]'. The fact that they are begging for these basic provisions reveals their desperate attempts at survival shows the inevitability of their fate. Then, the narration focuses on the specific individuals' reaction towards the flood. In the Wet hay of leaking barns', babies are born to Women who [pant] with pneumonia'.This situation is a contrast to the hopeful expectations of new life. Instead, these babies are born to intense suffering, sickness and death. Meanwhile, old people Ã¢â‚¬Ë œ[curl] up in the corners and [die] that way. This symbolic act underscores their need for consolation and security, regressing to their fetal position before death. The fact that the disaster has affected both stages of life reflects the scope of misery, aggravating the despondent tone which prevails the narration. This tone is accentuated through the repetitive use of the conjunction ‘And'.This manipulation is intentional, conveying that difficulties are accumulating and both humans and land cannot escape from this disaster. The greatest fear amidst the catastrophe is the lack of work. This concern is accentuated by the two sudden, choppy paragraphs ‘No work till spring. No work // And if no work– no money, no food. ‘ These are hopeless complaints of the migrant workers. The abruptness, along with the repetition of ‘no work, highlights the workers' dire financial situation. Since their hope for work is shattered, they are too feeble to sustain their struggle for survival.This fear is intensified by the use of effects, ‘no money, no food'. The pause seems to imply the reluctance of the workers to acknowledge the consequences of unemployment. There is a change of tone when the migrants' fear turns into wrath. The turning point is introduced by the short sentence ‘Theme's horses— we're men. ‘ This bitter comment demonstrates the men's realization of their ill-treatment and worthlessness when compared to the horses. Realizing such an injustice, they ‘[gather] together' and ‘anger [takes] its place' instead of fear. The gathering empowers them to combat hostility actively instead of suffering helplessly.This unity reflects Steinbeck proletarian ideology that men can generate surprising power collectively in brotherhood. It tends to advocate that moral courage is the answer to conflicts and hostilities. The change of tone is most prominent at the end of the chapter when hope and relief is conveyed through the color of ‘pale green' in the ‘hills' and tiny points of grass' in the ‘beginning of the year'. This sudden change of color from gray to green creates a hopeful rebirth, suggesting that between the state of hopelessness and hopefulness, the only powers that can sustain humans through all adversities is moral courage.This turning point rekindles readers' faith in life and is vital to their understanding of the final message conveyed in Chapter 30 through Rose of Sharon. Overall, chapter 29 portrays the adversity of nature and underscores the conflict between nature and men. Together with the hopeful, symbolic ending, it brings out the theme that even though nature is omnipotent, it can be counteracted by moral courage. If humans remain individualistic, they become powerless. However, if humans are unified, they can benefit from the mutual support and bonding of brotherhood, which is the driving force that beautifies and prospers humanity.

Publius Virgilius Maro Essay

Aside from Christianity there is no other force that shaped Western civilization other than the Greco-Roman culture. And there is no better representation of that period in history other than Rome and Publius Viirgilius Maro, also known as Virgil. A closer examination of Virgil and his works made many to realize that Virgil was a byproduct of events and it is the twin forces of the Roman Empire and Greek history that prompted Virgil to write. This paper will look into the two factors that influenced the writing of Publius Virgilius Maro. This can be done by looking first at the events that transpired before Virgil began writing and this means tracing back Greek and Roman history. The second way of knowing the connection between history and Virgil’s writings is to dig into his works and of course this means analyzing the Aeneid. It will be shown later that it is Roman history and Homer that shaped Virgil to become the writer that he was destined to be. Rome After more than two thousand years the world is still mesmerized by Rome. It is because of its legacy, it military prowess, and form of government. Rome was without equal when it comes to how it help shape Western history. Yet in the early days of Roman history there is not much to see. There is nothing that could make an outsider ascertain its potential to be a dominant ruler of known world in antiquity. Ting Morris traced its early development in obscurity and he remarked, â€Å"Rome began around 2,800 years ago as a few small settlements on wooded hills overlooking the Tiber River† (4). But then Rome began to distance itself from the Latin communities from which it was supposed to be a part of. What happens next began a series of development that will catapult this small community into the world map, â€Å"†¦the roman Republic conquered first Latium, then all of Italy. The Romans annexed much foreign territory to their own state, but they also established a system of alliances with all other states. This gave the Romans a vast reserve of manpower that allowed them to overthrow every major power in the Mediterranean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Mackay, 40). A new age has come and a new military superpower was born. But when the Romans began to assimilate remnants of Alexander’s Empire, the new European power came face to face with an ancient civilization whose insight into religion, politics, and philosophy was far ahead of its time. In short the Romans, â€Å"†¦ recognized something in Greek culture that was more impressive than anything Rome itself achieved, in spite of Rome’s unprecedented military success† (Cox). At this point Rome was all brute force. Yes the soldiers led by the Caesars were brave, strong and are very eager to make their mark in the battlefield but when it comes to culture, the Romans were barbarians compared to the Greeks. The Romans discovered an effective methodology in fighting wars and they even had the distinct advantage of knowing how to build an empire out of disparate tribes and nations. They were experts in campaigns that require traveling far from home and yet they lack one more thing. They did not have a good system that can be put in place after victory. This is similar to the idea that it is easy to start a war but the more difficult thing to do is how to end it. So when Rome began to feel the success of empire building the more that they felt the need for a way of life that will enhance their reputation in Europe while at the same time offer them an opportunity to enjoy life more. They found the answer from the sophisticated Greeks. Virgil The Romans had to learn from the Greeks and their history can be characterized not only by empire building but also by the why they incorporated Greek thought and the Greek’s way of life into their own unique system. Now there is none better who understood the need for assimilating Greek culture than the Roman intellectuals of that time. In fact, â€Å"Among the adaptors of Greek culture, none was more brilliant †¦ than the poet Virgil. He faced a formidable challenge. Everyone who encountered Greek culture recognized how much it was shaped by Homer† (Cox). This means that there is a great need to surpass Homer and if this is not possible then at least equal Homer’s genius. If this can be achieved then the Romans had done something which other Greek imitators failed to do and that is to provide a great explanation for their existence. A myth has to be created, a legend has to be made and the purpose for such an endeavor is obvious. There is a need for something that will hold the empire together. At the time of writing the Aeneid, Rome was again in the cusp of revolution. Julius Caesar was defeated by Augustus Caesar and so steps must be made to consolidate his power and to strengthen the arm of the new emperor. For a brilliant man like Virgil, times like this one is an opportunity that must be grabbed by both hands. Virgil proceeded to hit two birds with one stone. First he would write an epic that will explain the origins of Rome. He will do so by using stories that are already familiar among the people that he wants to see united under Augustus Caesar and during that time there was no other story quite like the one weaved by Homer centuries before. Virgil saw that epic struggle for good and evil; battles between heroes; and the self-sacrificial behavior of some heroes simply because they believe in something higher than themselves proved to be a formula hard to resist. Virgil was ready to accept the challenge. But it is clear from the beginning that it would not be an easy task. Aside from that Homer is a world unto itself. And as they say there is no way one can improve on perfection, the Iliad and the Odyssey are the blueprints for creating great epics and so what else can be done to make it better. Virgil was able to solve this problem by being inventive and by starting where Homer ended his story. When Troy fell, one of her sons went on to build another kingdom. But then again Virgil cannot escape the past. Virgil could not resist using a successful formula. As they say there is no need to fix what was broken. Judging from the power of the Iliad and the Odyssey to move people it is almost impossible not to use the same method and technique of telling a great story. And so Virgil copied many ideas from Homer. In the introduction to the Aeneid Levi Robert pointed out that: Virgil borrowed from Homer a great many items: his verse form, the division into twelve books, mythology, many episodes and similes. In the Aeneid Venus doubles for Nausicaa, Dido for Calypso and Circe, and Drances for Thersites. The funeral games the desecent into Hades, where Aeneas meets Dido as Odysseus met Ajax, the prophecy of Anchises, the catalogue of ships, Turnus attempt to burn them, a broken truce †¦ a quarrel of two Italian leaders †¦ and a final single combat (Robert, xiii). Aeneid The Aeneid is basically the story of Aeneas, the god-like leader of a band of Trojan refugees fleeing to Italy after the fall of Troy. In the beginning, Aeneas built a fleet with the goal in mind of settling in a foreign land and to finally establish a new nation of Trojans. In Virgil’s mind, he wanted the world to understand the basis for the establishment of the Roman Empire. And there is nothing as perfect as that. Hornstein, Percy and Brown’s book, The Reader’s Companion to World Literature, was very helpful in understanding the context from which Virgil’s Aeneid was written, and they said that it was written at a time of conflict. Italy was ravaged by more than fifty years of revolution and civil war. When the long-sought peace came, a new form of government was fashioned from a battle weary nation. And with the new set-up, ultimate power was in the hands of one man- Augustus Caesar. It was during this time that the Roman Virgil began working on the Aeneid. Hornstein, Brown and Percy wrote: Vergil began the poem in 29 B. C. , two years after the battle of Actium brought this period of civil war to an end. He had long been preparing for the task. His purpose was national: he desired to glorify the Roman people by his theme and exalt the Emperor in the person of his hero. (5) Homer Putnam acknowledge that Virgil is under the towering shadow of Homer when he made this judgment, â€Å"Homer himself, against whose essential insights into humanity, Virgil’s own achievement will always be measured. † Homer’s success allowed him to set the standard upon which others who will come after him will be forced to measure up. Allen Mandelbaum tells of how his previous study prevented him from fully appreciating Virgil’s works and he said, â€Å"One was a tag line of mark Van Doren that echoed through my youth with tenacious resonance: ‘Homer is a world; Virgil, a style’. † It also did not help that the critics saw Virgil as copying Homer, Gaskell said, â€Å"The overall plan of Virgil’s epic was plainly Homeric, with its main elements reversed: now the odyssey of the man comes first and the armed fighting follows it: but the Homeric parallels are many and obvious. † (161). The only major difference was that Homer was illiterate and therefore had to express the beauty of his poetry in oral reform. On the other hand Virgil was literate and he could study Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey in written form as well as compose his own epic and was able to write it down. This explains the difference in style but all the more strengthens the view that Virgil was strongly influenced by Homer. Conclusion Now the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall down into its proper places and one can now see the bigger picture. It was mentioned earlier that it was in 168 BC when the Romans began to conquer the remnants of Alexander’s Empire and it is through the conquest of former Greek states that the Romans saw first hand the beauty that was Greece. In short the highly militaristic Romans lacked the cultural refinements that one can find in abundance in Greek societies. It is through the process of incorporating Greek culture into the Roman’s way of life that they rediscovered the power of Homeric poetry. It took the genius of Virgil to use Homer’s works and use it as the foundation for his own epic. And so in 29 BC Virgil began writing the Aeneid with the purpose of emulating what Homer has achieved in Greece. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey provided a sense of identity for all Greeks and Virgil was hoping to achieve the same results. But the desire to incorporate Greek life into Roman life is easier said than done. But everyone who will try to copy from someone begins by copying almost everything that one can see and the eye can appreciate. For instance the Romans copied the design of their temples and they also described their gods using the same attributes found in Greek society. But there is no need to worry because the Roman changed the Greek sounding names of their gods into Roman names for their statues. Virgil attempted to accomplish two major things when he wrote the Aeneid. He wanted to impress the new emperor (Augustus Caesar) and secondly he wanted to have a unique Roman epic that will help unite the people. Virgil was successful in achieving both. The hero of the Aeneid was behaving in much the same way as Augustus Caesar especially with regards to his conquest and the subsequent creation of a new nation out of that sheer determination to succeed. Now for the second part, Virgil was also able to create an epic that can be comparable to Homer. It is true that he copied many things from Homer and yet at the same time his stories were never simply a rehash of what Homer did. Virgil simply needed an inspiration to get going and he found it in the character of Aeneas whom Homer briefly mentioned in his work. From this little known character, Aeneid began to build a story that made the peoples pulse to race. It was indeed an epic story of battles, of struggle between good and evil, of heroes who most of the time failed to achieve their potential and sometimes die a tragic death. The Aeneid is basically an explanation as to the existence of Rome. For many there is a need to have that kind of idea, that kind of emotional anchor in times of trouble. And there is no way to fully understand the impact of Aeneid towards the people of Rome. But one thing is sure Virgil’s work was able to unite the whole of the empire and is instrumental as to why the empire endured for so long. It is now very clear that that Virgil was influenced by historical events and the circumstances that surrounded his life. If there were two streams where these influences came from then Homer is a mighty source of inspiration while the politics and warfare in ancient Rome provided Virgil with more materials to use. In Rome’s struggle to carve out a nation in Europe was evident in Aeneid where the hero had to travel and faced with numerous risks just so he can establish a new nation. It was Homer who provided much influence for Virgil. If Homer did not produce the Iliad and Odyssey it is hard to imagine Virgil able to make his own. This is not to take away anything form the accomplishments of Virgil but it would be almost impossible for him to write beautifully without Homer as guide. Homer did not only provide the seed from which Virgil will grow a powerful story, Homer also provided the correct format. And so putting it all together it is now very clear that Virgil was a byproduct of the events that surrounded him. Yet even before he was born, Homer’s influence and genius was already felt in many parts of the Western world. When Virgil was still very young it is easy to imagine that he was already familiar with the Iliad and Odyssey and no doubt the stories found in those epics help to shape the way he thinks. Works Cited Appelbaum, Stanley. Ed. â€Å"The Aeneid by Vergil† Trans. Charles J. Billson. Canada: Dover Publications, 1995. Cox, John. Introduction to Virgil, The Aeneid. 2008. General Education at Hope College. 03 April 2008. < http://www. hope. edu/academic/ids/171/Aeneid. html Gaskell, Philip. Ed. â€Å"Landmarks in Classical Literature† Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1999. Hemminger, Bill. Exploring Ancient World Cultures: Rome. 1997. EAWC at University of Evansville. 02 April 2008. < http://eawc. evansville. edu/ropage. htm> Hornstein, L. H. , G. D. Percy, and Calvin S. Brown. Eds. â€Å"The Reader’s Companion to World Literature† New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc. , 1973. Knight, G. R. Wilson. Trans. â€Å"The Aeneid by Virgil† New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc. , 1956. Mackay, Christopher. â€Å"Ancient Rome: A Military and Political History. † New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. Mandelbaum, Allen. Trans. â€Å"The Aeneid by Virgil† California: University of California Press, 1971. Morford, Mark P. O. and Robert J. Lenardon. â€Å"Classical Mythology† 7th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Morris, Ting. â€Å"Ancient Rome. † MN: Smart Apple Media, 2007.