The Friendship Story of Damon and Pythias

Turn of  the 20th-century storyteller James Baldwin included the story of Damon and Pythias (Phintias) in his collection of 50 famous stories children should know [See Learning Lessons From the Past]. These days, the story is more likely to appear in a collection showing the contributions of ancient gay men or on the stage, and not so much in childrens storybooks. The story of Damon and Pythias shows true friendship and self-sacrifice, as well as concern for family, even in the face of death. Perhaps its time to try to revive it. Damon and Pythias endured either the father or the same despotic ruler as Damocles of the sword hanging on a slender thread-fame, which is also in Baldwins collection. This tyrant was Dionysius I of Syracuse, an important city in Sicily, which was part of the Greek area of Italy (Magna Graecia). As is true of the story of the Sword of Damocles, we can look to Cicero for an ancient version. Cicero describes the friendship between Damon and Pythias in his De Officiis III. Dionysius was a cruel ruler, easy to run afoul of. Either Pythias or Damon, young philosophers in the school of Pythagoras (the man who gave his name to a theorem used in geometry), ran into trouble with the tyrant and wound up in prison. This was in the 5th century. Two centuries earlier there had been a Greek named Draco, an important law-giver in Athens, who had prescribed death as the penalty for theft. When asked about his seemingly extreme punishments for relatively minor crimes, Draco said he regretted there was no punishment more serious for more heinous crimes. Dionysius must have agreed with Draco since execution appears to have been the intended fate of the philosopher. It is, of course, remotely possible that the philosopher had engaged in a serious crime, but it hasnt been reported, and the reputation of the tyrant is such that it is easy to believe the worst. Before the one young philosopher was scheduled to lose his life, he wanted to put his familys affairs in order  and asked leave to do so. Dionysius assumed he would run away and initially said no, but then the other young philosopher said he would take his friends place in the prison, and, should the condemned man not return, he would forfeit his own life. Dionysius agreed  and was then greatly surprised when the condemned man returned in time to face his own execution. Cicero doesnt indicate that Dionysius released the two men, but he was duly impressed with the friendship exhibited between the two men and wished he could join them as a third friend. Valerius Maximus, in the 1st century A.D. does say that Dionysius released them and kept them near him ever after. [See Valerius Maximus: The History of Damon and Pythias, from De Amicitiae Vinculo or read the Latin 4.7.ext.1.] Below you may read the story of Damon and Pythias in the Latin of Cicero, followed by an English translation that is in the public domain. [45] Loquor autem de communibus amicitiis; nam in sapientibus viris perfectisque nihil potest esse tale. Damonem et Phintiam Pythagoreos ferunt hoc animo inter se fuisse, ut, cum eorum alteri Dionysius tyrannus diem necis destinavisset et is, qui morti addictus esset, paucos sibi dies commendandorum suorum causa postulavisset, vas factus est alter eius sistendi, ut si ille non revertisset, moriendum esset ipsi. Qui cum ad diem se recepisset, admiratus eorum fidem tyrannus petivit, ut se ad amicitiam tertium adscriberent.[45] But I am speaking here of ordinary friendships; for among men who are ideally wise and perfect such situations cannot arise. They say that Damon and Phintias, of the Pythagorean school, enjoyed such ideally perfect friendship, that when the tyrant Dionysius had appointed a day for the execution of one of them, and the one who had been condemned to death requested a few days respite for the purpose of putting his loved ones in the care of friends, the other became surety for his appearance, with the understanding that if his friend did not return, he himself should be put to death. And when the friend returned on the day appointed, the tyrant in admiration for their faithfulness begged that they would enrol him as a third partner in their friendship. M. Tullius Cicero. De Officiis. With An English Translation. Walter Miller. Cambridge. Harvard University Press; Cambridge, Mass., London, England. 1913.

The Zodiac Killer - 1732 Words

Lucas Kelleher/ Street Law 10/3/08 The Zodiac Killer The Zodiac Killer is a serial killer who operated in Northern California in the late 1960s. His identity to this day still remains unknown. The Zodiac coined his name in a series of taunting letters he sent to the press. His letters included four cryptograms (or ciphers), three of which have yet to be solved. The Zodiac murdered five known victims in Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa, and San Francisco between December 1968 and October 1969. Four men and three women between the ages of 16 and 29 were targeted. Others have also been suspected to be Zodiac victims, but they have been ruled inconclusive. The lack of consensus about the number of victims, the inability of law enforcement†¦show more content†¦At 2 a.m. on October 22, 1969, someone claiming to be the Zodiac called Oakland PD demanding that one of two prominent lawyers, F. Lee Bailey or Melvin Belli, appear on Jim Dunbars television talk show in the morning. Ba iley was not available, but Belli appeared on the show. Dunbar appealed to the viewers to keep the lines open, and eventually, someone claiming to be the Zodiac called several times and said his name was Sam. Belli agreed to meet with him in Daly City, but the suspect never showed up. Police officers who had heard the Zodiac, listened to Sams voice and agreed that he was not the Zodiac. Subsequent calls the suspect made to Belli were traced to the Napa State Hospital, where it was learned that Sam was a mental patient. On November 8, 1969, the Zodiac mailed a card with another cryptogram consisting of 340 characters. On November 9, 1969, he mailed a seven-page letter in which he claimed that two policemen stopped and actually spoke with him three minutes after he shot Stine. Excerpts from the letter were published in the Chronicle on November 12, including the Zodiacs claim; that same day, Don Fouke wrote a memo explaining what had happened that night. The 340 character cipher has never been decoded. Many possible solutions have been suggested, but cannot be accepted since they do away with code making conventions. On December 20, 1969,Show MoreRelatedEssay on The Zodiac Killer2341 Words   |  10 PagesThe Zodiac Killer Works Cited Not Included In the late sixties and early seventies, California was haunted by dozens of unsolved murders. The offender remains unknown to this day. The murderer, who referred to himself as the Zodiac, made contact with the police and area newspapers throughout his reign of terror through a series of menacing notes. Although the police were never able to apprehend Zodiac, they were able to gather information about him via the letters. Zodiac boasted of killingRead More The Zodiac Killer Essay2809 Words   |  12 Pagesear. The shot made a deafening blast, as the bullet entered David’s head at a horizontal angle, blowing it apart (Tina 3). With David out of his way, the killer turned his attention back to Betty. He pursued her through the woods, his gun drawn, and shot her five times in the back from less than ten feet away. (Tina 3). The killer then got back into his car, and drove away as quickly as he had appeared. David, amazingly, was still alive, and bleeding profusely from his wounds, but Betty wasRead MoreThe Zodiac Killer Project2069 Words   |  9 PagesThe Zodiac Killer Project The crime spree murders of the Zodiac killer is one of the greatest unsolved murdered cases of all time. The Zodiac’s murders took place from later 1960s, through to about 1972. Most of The Zodiac’s murders took place in Northern California. Some main areas where murders took place are Benicia, Vallejo, Lake Berryessa, and San Francisco, California. Two out of the four men that were attacked lived and three women out of the three were killed. The ages of the victims goesRead MoreEssay On The Zodiac Killer1734 Words   |  7 PagesThis is the Zodiac Speaking â€Å"I like killing people, because it is fun. It is more fun than killing wild game in the forest, because man is the most dangerous animal of all.† These are the words spoken by a man who terrorized the area of San Francisco, California for two years, lurking in the shadows killing five people, but taking credit for 37 different murders. This man taunted police, seeing his murders as one giant game, sending cryptic messages to the newspapers, forcing them to publish themRead More The Elusive Zodiac Killer Essays2062 Words   |  9 PagesThe Elusive Zodiac Killer Serial killers almost without exception enjoy playing games. Whether played with their victims’, or the police forces trying to track them down, the game of the kill is almost as essential as the murder itself. In most instances this need to draw out the experience leads to the downfall of the culprit. This was not the case with the elusive Zodiac Killer of the San Francisco Bay Area. Zodiac’s career, which would become the most cerebral murder case ofRead MoreEssay On The Zodiac Killer3047 Words   |  13 PagesLaw enforcement officers meet in San Francisco in 1969 to compare notes on the Zodiac Killer, who is believed to have killed five people in 1968 and 1969. The killer gained notoriety by writing several letters to police boasting of the slayings. He claimed to have killed as many as 37 people and has never been caught..Zodiac kill up to 45 people and more that they dont know about because he kill people in a different way in the different town that he was in but he word the same thing every timeRead MoreEssay on The Zodiac Killer2094 Words   |  9 PagesThe Zodiac Killer The late 1960’s and early 1970’s were a time of great change in America. The Vietnam War, the civil rights movement and the sexual revolution were just some of the issues on the evening news in American households. For citizens of the San Francisco Bay area, as well as the rest of California, the late 60’s early 70’represented terror, fear and death. â€Å"The bizarre and theatrical and still unresolved serial murders by real-life ghoul who called himself Zodiac, who claimed inRead MoreTaking a Look at the Zodiac Killer1610 Words   |  6 Pages The Zodiac Killer is one of the greatest unsolved serial killer mysteries, after Jack the Ripper. There were 2,500 suspects, but the case was never solved. The Zodiac’s first known victim is Cheri Jo Bates. His first letter, Confession, mentioned Cheri and said, â€Å" she is not the first and she will not be the last†. Six months after Cheri’s death, the killer sent copies of the letters to the Riverside Press, the police, and her dad. 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Also, that age estimate works with witness statements and its supported by Zodiacs references to his victims in younger terms in his letters of 1969. Zodiac wasnt an attractive character from what we kn ow. He may have had to wear glasses

Study Objective free essay sample

How would getting this scholarship help you when you return with community development or benefiting Indonesian society? What are your future plans after receiving this degree? Be specific with your career goals. Explain how your degree and knowledge in the field will benefit the community or society at large. Mention any social/community activities that you might be involved in upon your return Do not show self-interest and self- achievement in career DOS Give yourself plenty of time to write and edit. Read the question carefully. Write the length of essay they ask for.As much research on the university as you can. Accentuate your positive qualities. Mention your positive achievements as they apply to your graduate admission. Dos Mention your work experience, or volunteer work that you may have done or extra-curricular activities if they relate to your field. Be definite in your application. Make sure your essay is well-organized and everything is linked with continuity and focus. We will write a custom essay sample on Study Objective or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Check your grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization carefully. Ask as many others as possible to proofread your work for writing style?grammar, spelling, etc.Do multiple drafts and edits Dont Flatter the university. Be phony or dishonest about yourself. Use empty, vague, overly-used words like meaningful, beautiful, challenging rewarding etc. Use overly common phrases and nonspecific information. Repeat information from the application unless you use it to illustrate a point. Try to be funny?humor can backfire. Dont use statements like Ive always wanted to be a or other overly common phrases. Make excuses, but you can talk about the mistakes youve made as a learning experience. Use slang, technical jargon, or long quotations.