Metal Jewelry Stamps Marks

Metal Jewelry Stamps Marks Jewelry made from precious metals often is stamped with a mark to indicate the chemical composition of the metal. A quality mark contains  information about metal content that appears on an article. It is usually stamped or inscribed on the piece. There is considerable confusion about the meaning of quality marks that are seen on jewelry and other items. Here is some information that will de-mystify terms such as plated, filled, sterling, and others.​ Gold Quality Marks karat, carat, Karat, Carat, Kt., Ct., K, C Gold is measured in karats, with 24 karats being 24/24ths gold or pure gold. A 10 karat gold item contains 10/24ths gold, a 12K item is 12/24ths gold, etc. Karats may be expressed using a decimal figure, such as .416 fine gold (10K). The minimum allowable quality for karat gold is 9 karats. Karats are not to be confused with carats (ct.), which are a unit of gemstone mass. One carat weighs 0.2 gram (1/5 of a gram or 0.0007 ounce). A hundredth of a carat is called a point. Gold Filled and Rolled Gold Plate gold filled, G.F., doublà © dor, rolled gold plate, R.G.P., plaquà © dor laminà © The quality mark for gold filled is used for an article (except optical frames, watch cases, hollowware, or flatware) consisting of a base metal to which a sheet of at least 10 karat gold has been bonded. Additionally, the weight of the gold sheet must be at least 1/20th the total weight of the item. The quality mark may specify the ratio of the weight of the gold in the article to the total weight of the article as well as a statement of the quality of the gold expressed in karats or decimals. For example, a mark of 1/20 10K G.F. refers to a gold filled article that consists of 10 karat gold for 1/20th of its total weight. Rolled gold plate and gold filled may utilize the same manufacturing process, but the gold sheet used in rolled gold usually is less than 1/20th the total weight of the article. The sheet must still be at least 10 karat gold. Like gold filled articles, the quality mark used for rolled gold plate articles may include a weight ratio and a statement of quality (for example, 1/40 10K R.G.P.). Gold and Silver Plate gold electroplate, gold plated, G.E.P., electroplaquà © dor or or plaquà ©, silver electroplate, silver plate, silver plated, electroplaquà © dargent, plaquà © dargent, or the abbreviations of these terms The quality marks for gold-plated indicate that an article has been electroplated with gold of at least 10 karats. The quality marks for silver plated indicate that an article has been electroplated with silver of at least 92.5% purity. There is no minimum thickness required for silver plated or gold plated articles. Silver Quality Marks silver, sterling, sterling silver, argent, argent sterling, abbreviations of these terms, 925, 92.5, .925 The quality marks or a decimal figure may be used on articles containing a minimum of 92.5% pure silver. Some metals may be called silver when, in fact, they are not (except in coloration). For example, nickel silver (also known as German silver) is an alloy consisting of about 60% copper, about 20% nickel, about 20% zinc, and sometimes about 5% tin (in which case the alloy is called alpaca). There is no silver at all in German/nickel/alpaca silver or in Tibetan silver. Vermeil vermeil or vermil The quality marks for vermeil are used on articles made of silver of at least 92.5 percent purity and plated with gold of at least 10 karats. No minimum thickness is required for the gold plated portion. Platinum and Palladium Quality Marks platinum, plat., platine, palladium, pall. The quality marks for platinum are applied to articles composed of at least 95 percent platinum, 95 percent platinum and iridium, or 95 percent platinum and ruthenium. The quality marks for palladium are applied to articles composed of at least 95 percent palladium, or 90 percent palladium and 5 percent platinum, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium, osmium or gold.

Bestow Is a Transitive Verb

Bestow Is a Transitive Verb Bestow Is a Transitive Verb Bestow Is a Transitive Verb By Maeve Maddox The following use of the verb bestow in an article about Harper Lee in The Washington Post caught my attention: But for Christmas 1956, a wealthy couple who doted on the struggling young writer bestowed her with enough money to take a year off and write. The verb bestow has been in the language since Chaucer’s day. It derives from an Old English verb meaning â€Å"to place† or â€Å"to put.† The meaning that survives in modern speech is â€Å"to confer as a gift or as an honor.† The thing being conferred will be the direct object of bestow. Here is the Harper Lee quotation rewritten: But for Christmas 1956, a wealthy couple who doted on the struggling young writer bestowed enough money on her to take a year off and write. Here are two more examples that demonstrate the correct use of bestow: In 1938, Harvard  bestowed an honorary degree  on Walt Disney.   The object of bestowed is â€Å"an honorary degree.† The prior year, the Belgian  government bestowed a  set of six medals on the pair for their work with undernourished children. The object of bestowed is â€Å"a set of six medals.† One source of error is in the use of bestow is to treat it as if it were an exact synonym for give: The village has also  bestowed her a  new clinic The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce  bestowed her a  star on the Walk of Fame. Each of these sentences uses her as if it were the indirect object of bestow, but bestow does not take an indirect object. Note: An indirect object stands between a transitive verb and its direct object. Either the preposition to or for is â€Å"understood† when an indirect object follows a transitive verb: She sent me a letter. She sent [to] me a letter. He built the child a tree house. He built [for] the child a tree house. The preposition that goes with bestow is on. The previous sentences may be rewritten in one of two ways: The village has given her a new clinic. or The village has bestowed a new clinic on her. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce gave her a star on the Walk of Fame. or The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce bestowed a Hollywood Walk of Fame star on her. Another error with bestow may result from confusing it with endow: Incorrect: Johnny Carson  bestowed him with  the nickname â€Å"Excitement.† Correct : Johnny Carson endowed him with the nickname â€Å"Excitement.† Incorrect: And this genetic trait  bestowed him with  a gorgeous, spicy-colored ginger coat and big, bright sapphire eyes. Correct : And this genetic trait  endowed him with  a gorgeous, spicy-colored ginger coat and big, bright sapphire eyes. I can’t think of any explanation for this example I found on LinkedIn: Her experience has  bestowed her a  notable leader as a seasoned Real Estate Professional. The intended meaning seems to be â€Å"Her experience has  transformed her into a notable leader as a seasoned Real Estate Professional.†Ã‚   Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a SentenceThe Four Sounds of the Spelling OUGlimpse and Glance: Same or Different?

Critical Paper of Was the CIA's fake vaccination program in Essay

Critical Paper of Was the CIA's fake vaccination program in Abottbad,Pakistan a justifiable method in the effort to capture Osama bin L - Essay Example In April, nurses gained access to the unusually-security-conscious compound, using the ploy of giving free hepatitis B vaccine (Shah). This news upset numerous healthcare and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), because it can create a major setback in their campaign against polio in Pakistan and other countries (Rauhala, 2011). Supporters of the program claim the CIA confirmed that the vaccination program was not fake at all. For them, it served a greater end of capturing a very influential terrorist group and it gave justice to all victims of the September 11 attacks. However, despite whatever good this program might have done, the CIAs vaccination strategy was not justified, because it produced hard-to-reverse effects on an already-ailing integrity of public health programs in Pakistan and other developing countries, on the security and credibility of NGO personnel operating in conflict-ridden areas, and on expanding conspiracy theories. The CIA cleared that the vaccination program was not fake at all, and this clarifies the underlying credibility of the vaccination program. This statement supports the justification of the program, because it stresses the responsibility of the Pakistan government in ensuring that the vaccination program continued, not the CIA. A senior U.S. official pointed out that the vaccinations were real: â€Å"Dr. Afridi was asked only to continue his program. The vaccinations were real, and he never harmed a soul in the course of this campaign† (Ignatius, 2011). Though it is claimed that the vaccination doses were not completed in some target areas of the program, this shows that the CIA did not derail or concoct any health public campaign. The CIA is not responsible for Pakistan’s success or failure in its healthcare programs. The CIA is only accountable for the success of its vaccination strategy, so that it can attain its primary objective of eliminating Osama bin Laden. Henc e, the CIA did not malign all

Critically evaluate how the recession has affected Natwest's Essay

Critically evaluate how the recession has affected Natwest's motivational methods - Essay Example Motivation theories such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Herzberg’s dichotomy of hygiene factors and motivating factors, McGregor’s theory ‘X’ and theory ‘Y’ people, Edgar Schein’s assumptions based approach, Tailor’s scientific management approach, Elton Mayo’s theory, Adams equity theory and Vroom’s expectancy theory have been in used for long time. These models propose circumstances under which employees will be internally motivated to do their tasks effectively according to Hackman and Oldham (1976). However practical situations in the organizational setting can be an admixture of some or all of these theories. There was a time when employees were assumed as only another input into the process of manufacturing of goods and services. According to Lindner (1998) what probably changed this notion was research, known as the Hawthorne Studies, performed by Elton Mayo in between 1924 to 1932. Maslow (1998) used a pyramidal hierarchical structure to depict the needs of employees at the work place. According to him self-actualization occupies the top-most rung in the hierarchy of needs. Secondly self-esteem needs come as of importance. Thirdly needs of love and affection come and fourthly safety related needs are of importance to the employee. Finally at the base of the pyramid there are those physiological needs. Individual employees who are more likely to need self-actualization benefits would display some individual characteristics. For example acceptance and realism are associated with such employees. This is due to the fact that such employees regard themselves as more realistic and accordingly adjust themselves to the work environment with a degree of ease. Secondly their problem solving behavior endears them to many higher officials outside their own work environment. Their motivation basically comes from a

The Death Penalty Essay Example for Free

The Death Penalty Essay The death penalty is a capital punishment that is put into effect for major crimes. The death penalty is a very controversial topic in the United States and throughout the world. There was a time period were the death penalty was banned for about four years in 1972-1976. Many feel that the death penalty is justice because it is retribution toward criminals who have committed heinous crimes. However the death penalty is inhumane and should be abolished in the United States. The death penalty has been around since the beginning of civilization. â€Å"Capital Punishment has been practiced in most known societies over the course of humans history† (Garland 30). The website Introduction to the Death Penalty states that the death was first established for 25 different crimes, however, over the years the laws have changed. Fortunately, only one-third of the world still uses this type of punishment. There are only a few developed countries that have the death penalty, such as Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. The most recent countries that have abolished the death penalty because they deamed it inhumane are Burundi, and Togo in 2009, and Gabon in 2010. Unfortunately the U. S. is one of the few developed countries that still have the death penalty. Writer Scott Christianson says, â€Å"In the United States, however, serious consideration of abolition was slower in the coming, for political reasons. On the one hand, capital punishment had been used since the earliest days of exploration and Colonization; it was still legal in all but a few states† (176). In the U. S. nly fourteen states have abolished the death penalty, the most recent states to abolish the death penalty are New York in 2007, New Mexico in 2009, and Illinois in 2011. Writer Michael Meranze says, â€Å"Europe redefined itself as a death penalty- free zone and seventy countries around the globe abolished the death since 1976, where us the United States not only reinstated capital punishment but thirty-six states and the federal government expanded its use and provenance† (Garland et. all 73). â€Å"Since 1977, 611 people have been executed in the United States †¦. xecutions in the U. S. have been carried out at an increasing rate, with more than half of the executions since 1976 having occurred in the last five years† (Barry). The United States has used many different methods to execute prisoners over the years. Two of the first methods were hanging and firing squad. Although these methods are considered archaic now, there are still some states that allow the use of hanging and firing squads. These states that can still use hanging are Delaware, New Hampshire, and Washington. States that can still use firing squads are Idaho, Oklahoma, and Utah. Another method of execution that was used for years in the U. S. is the electric chair. There is currently only one state that still uses the electric chair as its main method of execution, which is Nebraska. Another method that is rarely used but is still on the books for some states is the gas chamber. Writer Scott Christianson says, â€Å"The earliest gas chamber for execution purposes was constructed in the Nevada state penitentiary at Carson city and first employed on February 8, 1924 †¦(1). States that still have the gas chamber are Arizona, California, Missouri, and Wyoming. The main source of execution for all states with the death penalty [with the exception of Nebraska is lethal injection. Lethal injection is puts poisonous drugs into a person’s bloodstream to kill them. However because the poisonous drug is so expensive some states are starting to use the same drug to put down animals for human beings. Advocates claim that having the death penalty for crimes deters crime because they think people are scared of punishment; however, the death penalty does not deter crime. The death penalty is useless because the criminals committing the crime are not thinking about the death penalty but rather how to stay alive. â€Å"The attempt to reduce murders in the drug trade by threat of severe punishment ignores the fact that anyone trafficking in illegal drugs is already risking his life in violent competition with other dealers. It is irrational to think that the death penalty – a remote threat at best – will avert murders committed in drug turf wars or by street-level dealers† (Bedau). This shows that the death penalty is not stopping murders from occurring. The introduction to the death penalty conducted a survey were top criminologists stated that the death penalty does not deter homicide rates (Introduction). â€Å"For 2009, the average Murder Rate of Death Penalty States was 4. 9 [Murder rates by the 100,000], while the average Murder Rate of States without the Death Penalty was 2. 8† (Introduction). Not only does the death penalty not deter crime but it is also very expensive. The death penalty costs so much because of the appeal process. The appeal process is a very long and expensive process that can go on forever and costs the government millions. Many assume that abolishing the death penalty is wrong because it becomes unfair to the taxpayers because they think the cost is less than that of life in prison without parole. However life in prison is less expensive than the death penalty (Bedau). The death penalty is actually three times more than keeping a prisoner in prison for life without parole (Messerli). Death penalty trials are costly as well. â€Å"[S]tudies estimate that death penalty trials cost $1 million more than trials in which the prosecutors seek life without parole† (Introduction). Therefore the government needs to stop executing people because it is unfair to the taxpayers. The death penalty costs one-hundred thirty-seven million dollars annually. Writer John Van De Kamp says, â€Å"With California facing its most severe financial crisis in recent memory—with draconian cuts about to be imposed from Sacramento that will affect every resident of the state—it would be crazy not to consider the fact that it [The Death Penalty] will add as much as $1 billion over the next five years simply to keep the death penalty on the books. Therefore the government needs to rid of the death penalty in order to put taxpayer’s money to better use. One of the biggest problems with the death penalty is that it is racially imbalanced. Juries assign the death penalty more often to minorities than to Whites. â€Å"Capital punishment opponents argue that racial bias on the behalf of prosecutors, judges, and juries results in disproportionately high numbers of convicts and death penalties for African-American defendants† (â€Å"Issues†). The defendant who is a person of color is much more likely to get the death penalty if the victim is white. [A]s of 2002, 12 people have been executed where the defendant was white and the murder victim was black, compared with a 178 black defendants executed for murders with white victims† (Bedau). There are still these uneven numbers in death row to this day. There has been evidence in murder cases that juries have been racist and have sentenced some people to prison while others, mostly black, have been given the death penalty (Bedau). Minorities are disproportionately given the death penalty with a 43% of executions since 1976 and a 55% awaiting the death penalty (Bedau). These facts are shameful to the country. Another big reason why the U. S. shouldn’t have the death penalty is the financial imbalance among defendants. People who have money have a better chance of being proved innocent because they can afford better attorneys than poor people. Professor Scott Philip from the University of Denver says, â€Å"Defendants who hired counsel for the entire case were never sentenced to death. Even defendants who hired counsel for a portion of the case were substantially less likely to be sentenced to death than defendants with appointed counsel† (American). These who can’t afford attorneys have to rely on public defenders, who are incredibly overburdened in their jobs and are sometimes in competent. â€Å"Poor people accused of capital crimes are often defended by lawyers who lack the skills, resources, and commitment to handle such serious matters. This fact is confirmed in case after case† (Bright). This unfortunate act committed in this country leads to people being wrongfully sentenced. Because of the racial and financial imbalances, even proponents of capital punishment should recognize that the system is broken. A part of the death penalty that people tend to avoid is the fact that woman and men are executed (Messerli). Wrongly sentenced people are one of the biggest problems with the death penalty. â€Å"How many innocent people will the United States execute before we stop this barbaric punishment? † (Dicks 31). The number of people that have been executed, that were later found innocent is not the ideal numbers that people want to hear. â€Å"Total of 69 people have been released from death row since 1973 after evidence of their innocence emerged† (Dieter). In the Bedau-Radelet report on ‘Miscarriages of Justice in Potentially Capital Cases,’ it was reported that 350 people have been wrongfully sentenced, twenty-three of which were actually killed by the state before they were found to have been innocent† (Dicks 79). There is no way to ensure that this won’t sometimes happen, so the U. S. can’t ethically use the death penalty. The biggest reason that there should not be a death penalty is that it is morally wrong. â€Å"It violates the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights† (Abolish). It also can’t undo what’s already been done. It is useless in that it doesn’t bring the victim back to life† (Messerli). The death penalty doesn’t help anybody and doesn’t show that killing is ok. Therefore, â€Å"It sends the wrong message: why kill people who kill people to show killing is wrong† (Messerli). The United States is one of the most elite nations in the world; however, people in the U. S. don’t have the sense to get rid of the death penalty. The penalty is inhumane and should be abolished in the United States. This punishment goes against everything the U. S. stands for and it is a denial a humans rights to live. Throughout our history, critics have tried to brand the death penalty as the vestige of a mad primitive age, a practice that an enlightened society would reject. And each time they have advanced their case—but only so far† (Kay). People need a government that is fair to all and does not deny people their rights to live. People need a government that will not just settle with just, but will fight for what is right for the people of the United States of America. â€Å"Why should a nation that casts itself as a leader in the battle for human rights resist so tenaciously the elimination of a practice so self-evidently a holdover from darker times? †

The Debate Over Abortion Essay example -- Informative Essay

With the ongoing debate and the advancement of technology in determining the viability of a fetus, abortion, the ending of a pregnancy by removing a fertilized egg, has become increasingly controversial. The morality of abortion has caused many to separate into opposite sides of the spectrum, pro-life and pro-choice. The arguments over abortion has stirred a continuous debate between a pro-choice stance such as that presented by the analogical reasoning of Thomson or Glover’s examination of social context and a pro-life position argued by a moral view of personhood by Noonan. The ethical arguments presented by the conflicting views in the abortion debate has caused others to taken into consideration a sociological account visible in Luker’s examinations of world views in order to discover underlying motivations. The debate has caused many to argue either in support of or against abortion. In the article â€Å"A Defense of Abortion,† Judith Jarvis Thomson uses analogical reasoning (such as the case of the sick violinist) to support and convince a right to abortion. Thomson presents the argument that all people are entitled a right to life and that a person’s right to life outweighs any person’s right to decide what happens to their body (1, Thomson, CC p.188).Thomson proposes a hypothetical situation in which the reader is kidnapped and their circulatory system is linked with that of a sick violinist in order to prevent his kidneys from failing. If the person agrees to offer his or her kidneys, they would have to remain plugged for nine months or even more. However if the person refuses, the violinist would die. By using the sick violinist example, Thomson seeks to undermine the argument that an abortion cannot be performed because ... ... pro-choice activists leads to a re-evaluation of the moral arguments such as those given by Thomson, Noonan, and Glover. Luker’s explanations enlarge our capacity of reasoning by appealing to social beliefs and values that help us to understand the social behavior and the motivations behind pro-choice and pro-life activists. Luker’s account ultimately expands the level of ethical reasoning to generate moral insights concerning the ethics of abortion because it helps us to look beyond the surface of the arguments about abortion and search into the roots and causes of the debate. Once these motivations are exposed, one can assess the complex relationship between differing social values and the arguments of conflicting views on abortion. Works Cited â€Å"A Defense of Abortion,† Judith Jarvis Thomson â€Å"Abortion & the Politics of Motherhood,† Kristen Luker

Athens in the Time of Pericles †Religion Death and Burial Essay

Pericles lived from 495-429 BC. During this time, religion was inextricably linked with Athenian society. It contributed to a lot of Athenian culture and the many aspects of religion were depicted through buildings, artworks, festivals and every day rituals. Gods and Goddesses In Greek mythology there were 12 main gods, that were prayed to and worshipped by the Athenians. It was said they lived on top of Mount Olympus. They resembled human form and through their stories of love, war and passion they were also viewed to have human feelings. The Greeks believed that the gods were immortal. The gods were associated with three main domains, Heaven, sea and earth. The 12 gods were: God/Goddess name Aphrodite Apollo Ares Artemis Demeter Hephaestus Hera (Queen of heaven and wife of Zeus) Hermes (Messenger of the Gods) Hestia Poseidon Zeus (Lord of the Gods, Spiritual father of the Gods and the people) Heaven Heaven Heaven Heaven Earth Heaven Heaven Heaven Heaven Sea Heaven Domain Specialty Love, romance and beauty Sun, light, medicine, poetry and music War Hunting, the forest, wildlife, childbirth and the moon Agriculture Fire Marriage and magic Business Home and Homelife The sea, horses and earthquakes The sky. Dio Crysostomos (97 A.D) declared the image of Zeus so powerful that, â€Å"If a man, with a heavy heart from grief and sorrow in life, will stand in front of the statue, he will forget all these.† Athena (Patron goddess of Athens and daughter of Zeus) Heaven War, wisdom and crafts. Evidence of Athena being the patron goddess is the Athenian silver tetradrachm from 454-404 BC. Like on the coin, she’s generally depicted wearing a helmet and shown with an owl or olive tree as they were sacred to her. According to mythology, she gifted the olive tree to the city of Athens. Tara Heaslip Wednesday, 19 June 2013 6:12:56 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time Attica. Athens, c. 454-404 BC. Silver â€Å"old-style† tetradrachm. Head of Athena right, wearing crested helmet ornamented with olive leaves / Owl standing right, olive sprig and crescent moon behind. Apart from the main 12 gods and goddesses there were many others that were just as popular and worshipped just as much, for example, Dionysus. There is much evidence of the belief in these gods such as paintings, artworks and inscriptions, for example, a vase that has been dated back to 470-460 BC which depicts Zeus. Amphora, 470-460 B.C. This vase depicts Zeus aiming a lightening bolt at a giant with an eagle perched on his hand. Beliefs, practices and organisations Religion was a fundamental aspect of Greek life and the Athenian people incorporated it into their everyday lives as they believed their lives were dependent on the gods. It was believed that gods could interfere in the lives of men, so prayer was used by the people, so the gods would take favour and act kindly towards them. Xenophon said â€Å"The gods know everything and they give forewarnings to anyone they choose through sacriï ¬ ces, omens, voices and dreams.† The Athenians used sacriï ¬ ces, temples and prayers to honor particular gods and goddesses. They believed in the three ‘Fates,’ Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Clotho was the youngest, she spun the thread of destiny with a distaff and determined the time of birth of an individual. Lachesis measured the thread length to determine the length of life and Atropos cut the thread of life, determining the time of death. Worship of the gods consisted of rituals and ceremonies. The relationship between human beings and deities was based on the concept of exchange; Gods and goddesses were expected to answer prayers and humans were expected to give gifts and sacriï ¬ ces. Tara Heaslip Wednesday, 19 June 2013 6:12:56 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time Evidence of the sacriï ¬ ces made by the Athenians came from Lysias (around 400 BC) who stated, â€Å"By performing the proper sacriï ¬ ces, our ancestors left our city the most powerful and prosperous in Greece. It is therefore right that we offer the same sacriï ¬ ces as they did, if only for the sake of the good fortune which has resulted.† Sacriï ¬ ces were the central ritual act performed by Athenians. Animals sacriï ¬ ced had to be willing, therefore they would sprinkle water on it so it’ll lift it’s head and ‘nod’. The richer families gave a blood sacriï ¬ ce almost everyday, however the poor couldn’t afford it. Treasuries were built at Olympia and Delphi to store generous offerings. Evidence of this is part of a female face with inlaid eyes which has been dated back to 4th cent. BC. Ancient Greek Votive offering, 4th cent. BC, set in a niche of a pillar in the sanctuary of Asclepios in Athens Athenian religion was characterised by a diversity of cults. People joined cults because they wanted a closer connection with one particular god. Although everyone believed and worshipped all 12 Olympian gods there were cults to speciï ¬ c gods, especially those not apart of the Pantheon. Evidence of the cults was the Votive plaque which dates back to the mid-4th Century BC and depicts elements of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which was a cult which celebrated Demeter and Persephone. Tara Heaslip Wednesday, 19 June 2013 6:12:56 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time Votive plaque, discovered in the sanctuary at Eleusis (mid-4th century BC) Private worship included family prayers and wine offerings. In the home, there were household shrines and many people offered daily libations to different gods. Private rituals included prayers, meals and storytelling. This god would be chosen depending on the families needs and lifestyle. E.g. Demeter, if they were a agricultural/farming family. They would pay this god special honor but made sure they didn’t exclude any of the others. Worship of the gods also took place publicly. Public meetings opened with recognition of the gods, festivals were dedicated to the gods as were temples, statues and artworks and many sacriï ¬ ces made to the gods were a public event. Mockery of the gods wasn’t regarded as blasphemy and was accepted in athenian life. Evidence of this is Aristophanes play, The Frogs, which depicts Dionysus as cowardly, gluttonous and morally depraved, was acted at Athens at the Lenaean festival (B.C. 405). Temples and Sanctuaries The Acropolis is the oldest part of Athens, it’s the sacred hill and during the reign of Pericles it became the place of the most famous Athenian temples, shrines and statues dedicated to the Gods. Pericles’ building program further evidences the Athenian’s devotion to the gods in all aspects of daily life. Pericles built many temples in honour of the various gods and goddesses, particularly to Athena, to thank her for Athens’ success in the Persian wars. The Parthenon was a temple built on the Acropolis in 448-432 BC. It was built in dedication to Athena for the salvation of Athens and Greece in the Persian wars. It was also used as a treasury. A statue of Athena was built, by Phidias, inside which stood 10 meters tall, made of ivory and gold. A big part of the Parthenon is the Panathenaic Frieze, which was made to depict the Panathenaic festival. Metopes were sculpted into the Parthenon. On the east side the struggle between the gods and the giants was depicted, on the west side was an Amazonomachy, on the south side the battle between the lapiths and the centaurs was shown and depicted on the north side was the Trojan War. There were also many pedimental sculptures which depicted images such as the contest between Poseidon and Athena. Tara Heaslip Wednesday, 19 June 2013 6:12:56 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time South Metope 31, Lapith and Centaur, 447-432 B.C. The Erechtheum is a temple on the northern side of the Acropolis and was dedicated to Athena and Poseidon. It was built between 421 and 407 BC and was designed to accommodate the Plynteria and the Panathenaia. Within the temple lived the sacred snake, which represented a spirit who was thought to keep the city safe. The snake was fed honey-cakes by the priestesses of Athena Polias. The snake’s occasional refusal to eat the cakes was seen as a bad omen. Festivals The Panathenaia is a festival held annually and is the most important as it was dedicated to Athena. It’s held on the 28th day of Hekatombaion which is believed to be Athena’s birthday. Every four years the festival would be extended with many games and a contests being held, this was known as the Greater Panathenaia, whilst the festival held every other year was known as the lesser Panathenaia. The festival holds great religious signiï ¬ cance however it was used to implement the power and political supremacy of Athens. A large part was the Panathenaic games included solo and group contests. The games began with individual activities such as wrestling, horse drawn chariot races and the pentathlon. The individual contests were open for all greek citizens however the group contests were reserved for Athenian citizens. The group contests consisted of a beauty contest between athletes, military dances and a mock combat. Participants from all over Greece were also invited to participate in musical and poetry competitions. A torch race took place in the evening and was then followed by a night of dancing and singing. Evidence of these competitions was the Panathenaic amphoras, which were given to the winners of competitions as a prize. Panathenaic Amphora, depicting foot races at the games, 530 B.C. Tara Heaslip Wednesday, 19 June 2013 6:12:56 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time Amphora, depicting a musician performing with a music instrument used in festivals, 490 B.C. The next day held one of the most important aspects of the festival which was the Panathenaic procession. During this procession a peplos was given as a gift to Athena. A new one was woven and decorated for her every year. It was an honor to be chosen as one of the Ergastinai to make the peplos. Many offerings were brought on to the life size statue of Athena at the end of the procession. Only citizens were allowed to the Acropolis, everyone else remained at the gateway. The Hecatomb was made at the Acropolis. Upon the altar of Athena meat from sacriï ¬ ced animals such as cows and sheep was used in a ritual meal to end the festival, however only certain people were invited to this. Evidence of the Panathenaia and the procession is the Parthenon frieze depicts many aspects of the festival such as the procession and the games.