Sunday, December 29, 2019

Biography of Tiberius, 1st Century Roman Emperor

The Roman emperor Tiberius (November 16, 42 BCE–March 16, 37 CE) was a very capable military leader and a sensible civic leader who tried to restrain Romes out-of-control budget. But he was also dour and unpopular. He is known primarily for his trial for treason, sexual perversion, and eventually shirking his responsibility by going into seclusion. Fast Facts: Tiberius Known For: Roman Emperor in the first century CEBorn: November 16, 42 BCE on the Palatine Hill, RomeParents: Tiberius Claudius Nero (85–33 BC) and Livia DrusillaDied: March 16, 37 CE in RomeEducation: Studied with Theodous of Gadara and Nestor the AcademicSpouse(s): Vipsania Agrippina (m. 19 BCE), Livia Julia the Elder, (m. 11 BCE)Children: Drusus Julius Caesar (with Vipsania), Julia, Ti Gemellus, Germanicus (all with Julia) Early Life Tiberius was born on November 16, 42 BCE on the Palatine Hill or at Fundi; he was the son of the Roman quaestor Tiberius Claudius Nero (85–33 BC) and  his wife Livia Drusilla. In 38 BCE, Livia was forced to divorce Tiberius Nero to become the wife of the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius Nero died when Tiberius was 9 years old. Tiberius studied rhetoric with Theodorus of Gadara, with Nestor the Academic and perhaps with Athaneaus the Peripatetic. He became fluent in Greek and meticulous in Latin. In his early civic career, Tiberius defended and prosecuted at court and before the Senate. His successes at court included the securing of a charge of high treason against Fannius Caepio and Varro Murena. He reorganized the grain supply and investigated irregularities in slave barracks where free people were detained improperly and where draft dodgers pretended to be slaves. Tiberius political career soared: he became quaestor, praetor, and consul at a young age, and  received the power of a tribune for five years. Marriage and Family In 19 BCE, he married Vipsania Agrippina, the daughter of the renowned general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (Agrippa); and they had a son, Drusus Julius Caesar. In 11 BCE, Augustus forced Tiberius to divorce Vipsania and marry his daughter Livia Julia the Elder, who was also the widow of Agrippa. Julia had three children with Tiberius: Julia, Ti Gemellus, and Germanicus. Early Military Accomplishments Tiberiuss first military campaign was against the Cantabrians. He then went to Armenia where he restored Tigranes to the throne. He collected missing Roman standards from the Parthian court. Tiberius was sent to govern the long-haired Gauls and fought in the Alps, Pannonia, and Germany. He subjugated various Germanic peoples and took 40,000 of them  as prisoners. He then settled them in homes in Gaul. Tiberius received an ovation and a triumph in 9 and 7 BCE. In 6 BCE, he was ready to accept command of the eastern Roman forces, but instead, at what would seem to be a height of power, he abruptly retired to the island of Rhodes. Julia and Exile By 6 BCE, Tiberius marriage to Julia had gone sour: by all accounts, he regretted leaving Vipsania. When he retired from public life, Julia was banished by her father for her immoral behavior. His stay on Rhodes lasted at least eight years, between 6 BCE and 2 CE, during which time he wore a Greek cloak and slippers, spoke Greek to the townspeople, and attended philosophical lectures. Tiberius tried earlier to return to Rome when his tribunician power ended, but his petition was denied: thenceforth he was referred to as The Exile. After Lucius Caesar died in 2 CE, Tiberius mother Livia arranged for his recall, but to do that, Tiberius had to renounce all political aspirations. However, in 4 CE after all other likely successors had died, Augustus adopted his step-son Tiberius, who in turn had to adopt his nephew Germanicus. For this, Tiberius received tribunician power and a share of Augustuss power and then came home to Rome. Later Military Accomplishments and Ascension to Emperor Tiberius was given tribunician power for three years, during which time his responsibilities would be to pacify Germany and suppress the Illyrian revolt. The German pacification ended in disaster in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (9 CE), when an alliance of Germanic tribes destroyed three Roman legions and their auxiliaries, led by Publius Quinctilius Varus. Tiberius did achieve complete submission of the Illyrians, for which he was voted a triumph. He postponed the triumph celebration out of deference to Varus disaster in Germany: but after two years more in Germany, he settled things and put on a triumphal banquet with 1,000 tables. With the sale of his spoils, he restored the temples of Concord and Castor and Pollux. As a result, in 12 CE, the consuls awarded Tiberius joint control of the provinces (co-princeps) with Augustus. When Augustus died, Tiberius, as tribune, convened the Senate where a freedman read Augustus will naming Tiberius as successor. Tiberius called on the praetorians to provide him a bodyguard  but didnt take the title of emperor immediately nor even his inherited title of Augustus. Tiberius as Emperor At first, Tiberius despised sycophants, intervened in matters of state to check abuses and excesses, abolished Egyptian and Jewish cults in Rome, and banished astrologers. He consolidated the Praetorians for efficiency, crushed city riots, and abolished the right of sanctuary. However, his reign turned sour when informers accused Roman men and women of many, even silly crimes that led to capital punishment and confiscation of their estates. In 26 CE, Tiberius exiled himself to Capri, leaving the empire in control of his Socius Laborum (partner of my labors), Lucius Aelius Sejanus. In Capri, Tiberius stopped fulfilling his civic obligations  but instead engaged in licentious acts. Most notorious is his training of little boys to act as nipping minnows or tiddlers, to chase him when he went swimming in the imperial pool, nibbling between his legs. Tiberius mean and vengeful streak caught his erstwhile confidant, Sejanus, accused of conspiracy against the emperor. Sejanus was executed for treason in 31 CE. Until Sejanus was destroyed, people had blamed him for the excesses of the emperor, but with his death, the blame rested solely on Tiberius. The empire continued to run on without the direct input of the emperor, who remained in Capri. During Tiberius exile in Capri, Gaius (Caligula) came to live with Tiberius, who was his adopted grandfather. Tiberius included Caligula as joint heir in his will. The other heir was Tiberius brother Drusus child, still a teenager. Death Tiberius died on March 16, 37 CE, at age 77. He had ruled for nearly 23 years. According to Tacitus, when it looked as though Tiberius would die naturally, Caligula tried to take sole control of the empire. Tiberius, however, recovered. At the request of Caligula, the head of the Praetorian Guard, Macro, stepped in and had the old emperor smothered. Caligula was named emperor. Sources Balmaceda, Catalina. The Virtues of Tiberius in Velleius Histories. Historia: Zeitschrift fà ¼r Alte Geschichte 63.3 (2014): 340–63.Rutledge, Steven H. Tiberius Philhellenism. The Classical World 101.4 (2008): 453–67.Seager, Robin. Tiberius. 2nd edition. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell, 1972, 2005.  Syme, Ronald. History or Biography. The Case of Tiberius Caesar. Historia: Zeitschrift fà ¼r Alte Geschichte 23.4 (1974): 481–96.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Frank Millers 300 Movie Review - 827 Words

Other than Stan Lee, there may not be a more respected and beloved comic book storyteller than Frank Miller. He has been responsible for some of the greatest plots even conceived, creating Batman: Year One, The Watchmen, and V for Vendetta – just to name a small, select few from his brilliant library of ideas. Miller is also responsible for bringing the legend of the 300 to comic book form in 1998, which was so remarkable and breathtaking that it was adapted to film in the popular 2007 action flick, 300 – starring Gerard Butler. And, after seven long years, the battle with King Xerxes continues in the epic war continuation, 300: Rise of an Empire. Directed by Noam Murro and based on Frank Miller’s yet to be published story, Xerxes – 300: Rise of an Empire picks up right where its predecessor left off. The 300 Spartans have fallen at the hands of the King Xerxes’ mighty army, and with Leonidas now beheaded, the news of his defeat hits both Sparta and neighboring Athens – led by General Themistocles (Sullivan Stapleton). Several years prior, Themistocles helped lead his democratic nation to a successful defense against the aggressive Persians – even killing the Persian king, Darius (Yigal Naor) in the process. With his son, Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), devastated after witnessing the death of his father, he eventually becomes a cold, sadistic king – only surrounding himself with one trusted general, Artemisia (Eva Green). When Themistocles approaches Leonidas’ widow,Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of George Miller s Mad Max 1957 Words   |  8 PagesSucceeding to composers Brian May and Maurice Jarre to score George Miller’s fourth ‘Mad Max’ film ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’. Tom Holkenborg (aka Junkie XL) delivered a score that mix new technologies and techniques with vintage scores cliches. Tom Holkenborg is a composer from the Netherland who has had a number of hits as a solo artist in the music electronic scene back in the late 90s and more this last decade for his work on film scores with his mentor Hans Zimmer. The pair have provided the scoresRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pagessupermarket chain Asda was distributing the Ministry’s albums to shoppers around the UK. The Ministry’s distinctive logo had become the basis for a large merchandising business, mostly for clothing. By 2001, the Ministry’s touring division was hosting 300 events worldwide, including China and India, and had regular summer 2 3 The Ministry of Sound was aiming for a stock market listing within a couple of years. Then things started to go wrong. The dance music on which the Ministry was based was goingRead MoreAccounting Information System Chapter 1137115 Words   |  549 Pagessuch as a description of the companys pension plan and the employee stock incentive plan. This gives employees a base from which to compare their benefits program to those of other companies. Annual reports also provide employees with a year-end review of the results to which they have contributed during the year. In this sense, the annual report provides reinforcement and rewards. The annual report also informs or reminds employees of the organizations values and objectives and sensitizes themRead MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesManagement Course: MBA−10 General Management California College for Health Sciences MBA Program McGraw-Hill/Irwin abc McGraw−Hill Primis ISBN: 0−390−58539−4 Text: Effective Behavior in Organizations, Seventh Edition Cohen Harvard Business Review Finance Articles The Power of Management Capital Feigenbaum−Feigenbaum International Management, Sixth Edition Hodgetts−Luthans−Doh Contemporary Management, Fourth Edition Jones−George Driving Shareholder Value Morin−Jarrell Leadership, Fifth

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Prescription of Opioid Analgesics †Free Samples to Students

Question: Discuss about the Prescription of Opioid Analgesics. Answer: Introduction Prescription drug abuse is in the increase and it is now a global health concern. It has been reported that more Australians are dying from prescriptions than illegal heroin (Larney, et al, 2017). Prescribe opioids are drugs that are prescribed by doctors or health physicians in order to treat a health condition. Most of them are prescription medications meant to relieve pain. Use of these drugs have been on tremendous increase over last couple of decades worldwide (Martins, et al, 2015). It was reported that there were 180,000 deaths resulting from prescription opioid overdose between 1999 and 2015, in America. Traditionally, use of powerful pain killers was exclusively on cancer patients but has now become a mainstream for all to use (Blanch, Pearson, Haber, 2014). In Australia the use of opioids have been in the increase as well. The number of Australians using prescribed opioids have quadrupled in the last decade. Research data has shown that prescription opioid use has been on the rise in Australia. According to national Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), 4.8 % of Australian adults were found to have used pharmaceuticals for non-medical reasons in last 12 months which was an increase from 3.8% in 2004. Analysis of data from ABS figures and National Drug and Alcohol Research Center show that 68% of 668 overdose deaths were related to pharmaceutical prescribed opioids use. This was a robust increase in comparison to the situation in 1990s where opioids deaths mostly emanated from illicit drug use. Death rates among addicts have been on increase since 2007. It was found to be highest in age brackets between 35 and 44 year which represents 40%, followed by age brackets 25-34 and 45-54, both of which represent 27%. Death rate was found to be least in age bracket between 14 -15 which represented 6%. Possible causes for increased use of prescribe opioids Longer cancer survival periods is closely related with increased use of prescribe opioids. Because of the nature of cancer treatment methods, most of chronic pain type of cancer patient always find themselves in constant use of opioids (Jones, Mogali Comer, 2012). This has significantly boosted the increase of use of these drugs. Like any other developing nation, Australia has an aging population which suffer chronic pains resulting from conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia (Campbell, et al, 2010). Such Pains makes them to look for quicker and easier ways to deal with such conditions. Strong pains associated with arthritis and related conditions make patients to overdose with the intention to completely reducing pains so that they can go back to work and carry on with their normal lives. Changing expectations of young generation to achieve complete relieve of discomfort resulting from pain have caused them to constantly use opioids. Increased availability of opioid as pain relievers has contributed to increased usage. Mild pains such as headaches and slight muscle pains that were traditionally not taken to require medical attention, are now reasons for people to take opioids. Australians affection for mood-altering substances and opioid analgesia can be pointed out as a reason for the increase (Roxburgh, et al, 2011). Launching of aggressive promotion campaigns for analgesic drugs by producing and sales companies has been a big driving factor towards the increased use of prescribe opioids. Such campaigns are propelled by commercial gain interests. There has been some sort of moral amnesty and loose rules governing use of drugs that can be used as medicine. This has been interpreted to mean that opioid use is unrestricted, contributing to increase in usage. Lack of aw areness among members of the public about the effects of abuse of prescribed drugs has contributed to the vast increase in abuse and addiction. Doctors prescriptions are usually not strictly followed as required. Patients will take a few days within prescription only to shovel up to 90 tablets in their mouths some few months later. It has been reported that fear of withdrawal symptoms resulting to more pain has made users reluctant to stop overdosing. Effects of increased use of prescribe opioids. One of the effects of continuous use of prescribe opioids is addiction. Once people make use of painkillers a habit every time a mild pain strikes, the body usually gets used to it and it becomes hard to cope without the drug next time. Furthermore, with time the body will tend to demand continuous increase in dose resulting to addiction (Degenhardt, et al, 2008). Long term effect of using opioids have been related to effects such as breathing problems, confusion, constipation, drowsiness, itching and nausea. According to Dr. Chou, people using opioids will experience these effects more often depending on dosage and frequency of use. A study done in 2003, revealed that 25% of patients using opioids experienced nausea. Sexual functionality of body is affected by increased use of opioids as they appear to lower testosterone which may cause erectile dysfunction in men. Use of opioids have helped illegal drug users to find a runaway path (Compton, Jones, Baldwin, 2016). They tend to supplement their drug needs by use of opioids which they perceive as an option that may get them into less trouble. Consequently drug abuse is on the increase and efforts to prevent it are curtailed. Death is the worst scenario that effect of opioids have caused Australia. It was recorded that 465 oxycodone related deaths happened between 2001 and 2009 in Australia. Conclusion The problem of increased opioid use in Australia is of great interest that need to be addressed. Various reports show that use of these drugs has constantly been in the increase not only in Australia but also in the rest of developed world. Possible causes of the increase are increased number of people relying on opioids to deal with painful medical conditions they are living with. Majority of such users are not fully aware of possible fatal implications long term use of opioids is associated with. It is recommended that use of evidence based guidelines will be of great importance in managing problems associated with opioids. It will also be necessary to adopt real-time monitoring systems that will help doctors and physicians to make more accurate prescription decisions when dealing with opioids. Well laid strategies to reduce usage of opioids need to be put in place and resources to support made available. References Blanch, B., Pearson, S. A., Haber, P. S. (2014). An overview of the patterns of prescription opioid use, costs and related harms in Australia. British journal of clinical pharmacology, 78(5), 1159-1166. Campbell, C. I., Weisner, C., LeResche, L., Ray, G. T., Saunders, K., Sullivan, M. D., ... Von Korff, M. (2010). Age and Gender Trends in Long-Term Opioid Analgesic Use for Noncancer Pain. American Journal of Public Health, 100(12), 2541-2547. Compton, W. M., Jones, C. M., Baldwin, G. T. (2016). Relationship between nonmedical prescription-opioid use and heroin use. N Engl J Med, 2016(374), 154-163. Degenhardt, L., Roxburgh, A., Black, E., Bruno, R., Campbell, G., Kinner, S., Fetherston, J. (2008). The epidemiology of methamphetamine use and harm in Australia. Drug Alcohol Review, 27(3), 243-252. doi:10.1080/09595230801950572 Jones, J. D., Mogali, S., Comer, S. D. (2012). Polydrug abuse: a review of opioid and benzodiazepine combination use. Drug and alcohol dependence, 125(1), 8-18. Larney, S., Hickman, M., Guy, R., Grebely, J., Dore, G. J., Gray, R. T., ... Degenhardt, L. (2017). Estimating the number of people who inject drugs in Australia. BMC Public Health, 171-7. doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4785-7 Martins, S. S., Sampson, L., Cerd, M., Galea, S. (2015). Worldwide Prevalence and Trends in Unintentional Drug Overdose: A Systematic Review of the Literature. American Journal of Public Health, 105(11), e29-e49 Roxburgh, A., Bruno, R., Larance, B., Burns, L. (2011). Prescription of opioid analgesics and related harms in Australia. The Medical Journal of Australia, 195(5), 280-284.