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| ====The Acropolis of Cyrene==== | | ====The Acropolis of Cyrene==== |
| | <tabber> |
| | |-|The Acropolis Ward= |
| | Located on the western edge of city, Cyrene's |
| | acropolis was smaller than the one in Athens, |
| | though its high vantage point provided protection |
| | for the city. |
| | |
| | At its entrance was a single door, flanked by two |
| | towers. An inscription, Legible to this day, states |
| | that the walls and the citadel were restored in the |
| | time of Augustus. |
| | |-|Statuette of Berenice= |
| | A number of statuettes have been excavated from |
| | the site, including one of Berenice, the daughter |
| | of Magus the king of Cyrene, and half-brother of |
| | Ptolemy ll. |
| | |
| | At the northeast tower, there is a sanctuary |
| | consisting of two small temples with a vestibule, |
| | and an altar believed to be that of Serapis and |
| | Iset. |
| | |
| | When the temples were excavated, |
| | archaeologists found traces of fire damage; |
| | however there are no indications as to when this |
| | fire occured. |
| | |-|20th Century Fortification*= |
| | In the 20th century, a fortification was built above |
| | the ward, to defend against an invading army. |
| | |
| | It covered the ancient remains of nearby Roman |
| | houses entirely, and archaeologists have yet to |
| | fully excavate them. |
| | </tabber> |
|
| |
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| ====The Gladiator Arena==== | | ====The Gladiator Arena==== |
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| ====Pyramids of the Middle Kingdom==== | | ====Pyramids of the Middle Kingdom==== |
| | <tabber> |
| | |-|Revival of Pyramids= |
| | During the Middle Kingdom era, the powerful |
| | rulers of the 12th dynasty resumed the tradition |
| | of elaborate pyramidal tombs. |
| | |
| | For example, Amenemhbat | built a funerary |
| | complex in Lisht, and Senwosret |l selected the |
| | Illahoun site in the Faiyum. Amenemhat |! and |
| | Sesostris Ill however, cast their favor towards |
| | Dahshur. Amenembhat III built a pyramid there as |
| | well before moving to Hawara in the Faiyum. |
| | |-|Smaller & Elaborate= |
| | The plundering of tombs in troubled times |
| | prompted the architects of the Middle Kingdom to |
| | devise increasingly complicated means of |
| | security during construction. |
| | |
| | Às such, while the architectural plans of the |
| | Hawara pyramid were simpler than the one at |
| | Dahshur, the means used to protect it from |
| | looters were much more elaborate. |
| | |
| | Beyond the use of blind passages and concealed |
| | trapdoors, the architects relied on a system of |
| | stone slabs which were slid into place at the end |
| | of construction. These massive stone stabs were |
| | meant to permanently block the passageways |
| | leading to the funerary chambers. |
| | |-|The Decline of Pyramids= |
| | The kings of the 13th Dynasty began building their |
| | pyramids at Mazghouna, south of Dahshur, then |
| | moved on to Faiyum and Abydos. |
| | |
| | The kings of the 17th dynasty, however, satisfied |
| | themselves with crowning their cave tombs with |
| | small pyramids of raw brick. |
| | |
| | The kings of the 18th dynasty gave up the shape |
| | of the pyramid as a royal tomb entirely. They |
| | chose a mountain with a pyramidal shape in the |
| | Valley of Kings, and dug their graves there. |
| | |-|A Legacy= |
| | Itwas not until the Nubian pharaohs of the 25th |
| | dynasty that kings were once again buried under |
| | pyramidal tombs. In fact today, the area of |
| | ancient Nubia, modern Sudan, contains a record |
| | number of 220 known pyramids, to Egypt's 138. |
| | Despite their slow decline in use and quality, |
| | pyramids continued to fascinate all and sundry, |
| | up to the Roman era. |
| | |
| | They remain to this day a symbol of the religious |
| | dedication of the Pharaohs, and the grandeur of |
| | ancient Egypt. |
| | </tabber> |
|
| |
|
| ====An Overview of The Giza Necropolis==== | | ====An Overview of The Giza Necropolis==== |
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| ====The Paneion==== | | ====The Paneion==== |
| | <tabber> |
| | |-|In Honor of Pan= |
| | The Paneion was a temple built in honor of the |
| | god Pan, divinity of nature. |
| | |
| | This Greek god, often represented as a half-man, |
| | half-goat with a beard, horns and goat's hooves, |
| | was considered the protector of shepherds and |
| | herds. |
| | |-|The God With Cloven Hooves= |
| | Pan's attribute was his namesake musical |
| | instrument: the pan flute. His temples were |
| | usually located in caves and on high mountains, |
| | and were frequented by shepherds. |
| | |
| | Itis likely that Mediterranean cults adopted the |
| | imagery of Pan to symbolize the Christian devil. |
| | |-|An Artificial Hill= |
| | To give proper honor to the god, Alexandrians |
| | built an artificial hill upon which they housed his |
| | temple, to compensate for the flat relief of the |
| | city. |
| | |
| | The artificial mound had the shape of a spinning |
| | top or a pine cone, which was accessed by a |
| | spiral staircase. The top had a panoramic view of |
| | the entire city. |
|
| |
|
| | Only such heights would be fitting for a mountain |
| | god. |
| | </tabber> |
| ====The Hippodrome of Alexandria==== | | ====The Hippodrome of Alexandria==== |
| | <tabber> |
| | |-|The Lageion= |
| | The main hippodrome of the city was called the |
| | Lageion, in honor of Lagos, the ancestor of the |
| | Ptolemies. |
| | |
| | Alexandrians were great lovers of horse racing. |
| | They were fascinated by the rivalry of these races, |
| | the agôn as it was said at that time, that every |
| | competition brought. |
| | |
| | It was a struggle for glory. |
| | |-|The Tethrippon= |
| | The most important chariot race was the |
| | tethrippon. Using four horses, with the quickest |
| | harnessed to the front right, the charioteer would |
| | race for twelve laps, with sharp turns at either |
| | end of the hippodrome. |
|
| |
|
| | The victors were crowned with garlands of olive |
| | and received prize money, but the most sought- |
| | after reward was to be acelaimed by the works of |
| | poets such as Kallimachos and Pindar. |
| | |-|Drama & Glory= |
| | “Ye hymns that rule the lyre! What god, what |
| | hero, aye, and what man shall we loudly praise? |
| | Verily Zeus is the lord of Pisa; and Heracles |
| | established the Olympic festival, [...) while Thêrôn |
| | must be proclaimed by reason of his victorious |
| | chariot with its four horses, Thêrôn who is justin |
| | his regard for guests, and who is the bulwark of |
| | Acragas, the choicest flower of an auspicious line |
| | of sires, whose city towers on high, (...) bringing |
| | wealth and glory to crown their native merits.” |
| | </tabber> |
| ===Daily Life=== | | ===Daily Life=== |
| ====Osiris, The First Mummy==== | | ====Osiris, The First Mummy==== |
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| ====Leather & Linen in Ancient Egypt==== | | ====Leather & Linen in Ancient Egypt==== |
| | <tabber> |
| | |-|Tanning Leather= |
| | Tanning, a process which dates from prehistoric |
| | times, was present although not highly valued in |
| | Egypt due to the heat. |
| | |
| | Leather was reserved mainly for things such as |
| | sandals, leather bags, dagger sheaths, quivers, |
| | and other similar items. |
| | |
| | Leopard hides, unlike regular leather, were |
| | highly valued and usually worn by priests. |
| | |-|Linen Fabric= |
| | Valued for its coolness and freshness in hot |
| | weather, linen was the fiber most commontly used |
| | for fabrics and textiles. It was produced from flax, |
| | which was plentiful in Egypt. |
| | |
| | Fibers were usually dyed before weaving. While |
| | color was used in the production of textiles, dyes |
| | weren't commonly used for clothing and most |
| | Egyptians wore white. The color represented |
| | spiritual purity, a goal to reach for every day of |
| | one's mortal life. |
| | |-|Dyeing= |
| | Various shades were achieved using woad, a dye |
| | produced from the leaves of Isatis Tinctoria. |
| | |
| | The plant was cultivated for this purpose within |
| | the Nile Delta, and allowed for the creation of |
| | various colors. For example, different maceration |
| | times of the leaves would result in colors ranging |
| | from red to green, while adding in limestone |
| | shifted it to blue. |
| | |
| | During the Greco-Roman period other ingredients |
| | were found, resulting in a wider range of colors. |
| | |-|The Tanneries of Fez, Morocco*= |
| | This area's style is strongly influenced by the dye |
| | baths and tanneries of modern day Fes, in |
| | Morocco. This helped Ubisoft envision what such |
| | locations might have been like in ancient Egypt. |
| | |
| | While this tannery is within the city walls, back |
| | then they were often found outside the city |
| | boundaries. The tanner's trade was considered |
| | off-putting by the Greeks, as all these operations |
| | resulted in noxious smells. |
| | </tabber> |
|
| |
|
| ====Ancient Egyptian Fashions==== | | ====Ancient Egyptian Fashions==== |
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| ====Wine in Ancient Egypt==== | | ====Wine in Ancient Egypt==== |
| | <tabber> |
| | |-|A Gift From Horus= |
| | When the god Horus lost his eye in a war with Set, |
| | the ancient Egyptians believe the eye turned into |
| | a vine, and the vine's tears became wine. |
| | |
| | Early texts dating back to 3150 BCE contain the |
| | hieroglyph for wine. |
| | |
| | Regarded as extremely valuable, wine was highly |
| | sought after by the elite. It was also an essential |
| | part of many religious ceremonies. |
| | |-|Wine Production= |
| | A millennia-old tradition, grape cultivation and |
| | wine production was regimented in the way |
| | typical of ancient Egyptian bureaucracy. |
| | |
| | Egyptians kept careful records of winemakers, |
| | which they clearly identified on labels. |
| | |
| | Every land owner with a modicum of self-respect |
| | usually kept a vineyard. This held particularly |
| | true in the regions of the Faiyum and the Nile |
| | Delta. |
| | |-|Protected Designation= |
| | Documentation shows that only certain craftsfolk |
| | were allowed to provide the containers required |
| | to store and transport wine. |
| | |
| | That and rigorous quality control checks |
| | established for every step of wine production |
| | shows that ancient Egypttians knew that the |
| | quality and longevity of wine could easily be |
| | affected by any number of variables, which they |
| | paid careful attention to. |
| | |-|A Taste for Quality= |
| | Egyptians had different kinds of wines, most of |
| | which ranged in quality from good to very good. |
| | The sweet shedeh, to which honey had been |
| | added. The soft nedjem, obtained by drying the |
| | grapes in the sun. The maa, reserved for |
| | religious cerimonies. |
| | |
| | And finally there was the paour, the mediocre-rated |
| | wine, resulting from the second pressing of |
| | grapes and reserved for a less discerning palate. |
| | </tabber> |
|
| |
|
| ====Oil in Ancient Egypt==== | | ====Oil in Ancient Egypt==== |
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| ===Romans=== | | ===Romans=== |
| ====Roman Military Equipment==== | | ====Roman Military Equipment==== |
| | <tabber> |
| | |-|The Strength of Rome= |
| | The strength of Rome was directly dependent on |
| | its military supremacy, and fundamentally |
| | militaristic society. |
| | |
| | Regular citizens, comprised mostly of farmers |
| | and herders, joined to protect their land and |
| | families. |
| | |
| | In return for their service, members of this civic |
| | army were allowed to vote. |
| | |
| | Trained to be highly disciplined and obedient to |
| | superior officers, citizen-soldiers developed a |
| | deep sense of loyalty to their city. |
| | |-|Foot Soldiers= |
| | The quality of the armor of a Roman foot soldier |
| | was intrinsically linked to his social status and |
| | wealth. Chainmail was the most commontly used |
| | type of armor. Scale armor, made famous in |
| | today's media, came into use after Caesar's time. |
| | |
| | Foot soldiers carried large and oblong shields, |
| | while the cavalry used smaller ones of Greek |
| | origin. |
| | |
| | Soldiers were expected to carry their own kit, |
| | including the tools required for the construction |
| | of forts and tents. |
| | |-|Legionary's Equipment= |
| | Roman soldiers used the same types of weapons. |
| | The stomach and face were the most targeted |
| | parts of the body. As such, a legionary was |
| | equipped with two close-combat weapons: a |
| | dagger and a short sword known as a gladius. |
| | |
| | One of the most ingenicus Roman weapons was |
| | the javelin. Its pyramid-shaped tip pierced the |
| | body, while its iron shank was designed to break |
| | upon impact, stopping the enemy from throwing it |
| | back. |
| | |-|Adopting the Enemy's Technology= |
| | During their conquests the Romans regularly |
| | transformed enemy technologies to add to their |
| | own formidable arsenal. |
| | |
| | After capturing a Carthaginian vessel, the |
| | Romans adopted its better features and |
| | constructed a superior fleet of ships. |
| | |
| | Adapting heavy artillery designs from Greek |
| | modeis aided the Romans in building catapults |
| | and ballistae. The latter became an iconic symbol |
| | of Roman warfare. |
| | </tabber> |
|
| |
|
| ====Roman Forts==== | | ====Roman Forts==== |
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| ====The Forts of Cyrenaica==== | | ====The Forts of Cyrenaica==== |
| | <tabber> |
| | |-|Ancient Defenders= |
| | Cyrenaica was a Libyan region under Roman |
| | control, gifted to Rome by one of Cleopatra's |
| | ancestors. |
| | |
| | The remains and foundations of ancient |
| | fortifications were discovered in the 19th century |
| | in the south-west of Cyrenaica, as well as a |
| | Roman garrison dating back to the first century |
| | CE. |
| | |
| | Evidence shows that these forts were of Libyan |
| | origin, rebuilt and modified by Roman engineers |
| | when Cyrenaica was part of the Empire. |
| | |-|A Fortress of Stone*= |
| | Stone was the most commontly used material to |
| | build forts in Egypt and Cyrenaica. |
| | |
| | Though no real proof of a fortress similar to the |
| | one before you has been uncovered in that region, |
| | the team chose to add it as a worthy and awe- |
| | inspiring end of game challenge for the player. |
| | |-|Protecting the Main Route*= |
| | The forts of Cyrenaica were intended to prevent |
| | invaders from gaining access to the main route |
| | that lead to the country's five most important |
| | cities. These forts were built close to coastal |
| | plains and deserts for added defense. |
| | |
| | Three of these cities were recreated by the team: |
| | Balagrae, Apollonia and Cyrene. |
|
| |
|
| | Had it existed, the fort before you would have |
| | protected the road leading to Balagrae. |
| | |-|Roman Military Presence= |
| | Other than reference to an attack around 404 CE |
| | and a military reorganization by Emperor |
| | Justinian during the 6th century CE, we still know |
| | little of the Roman military presence in |
| | Cyrenaica. |
| | </tabber> |
| ====Roman Aqueducts==== | | ====Roman Aqueducts==== |
| | <tabber> |
| | |-|Water Management= |
| | Water management was taken seriously by the |
| | Romans. Cyrenaica benefited greatly from Roman |
| | administration, with the construction of |
| | aqueducts and canals. |
| | |
| | The source of water varied depending on the |
| | location. |
| | |
| | Many aqueducts were built at the foot of the |
| | mountains, offering greater flow from the |
| | melting snow. |
| | |-|Aqueducts= |
| | The ability to transport water over a greater |
| | distance increased agricultural production. |
| | |
| | Some aqueducts were reported to be over 7 |
| | kilometers in length. |
| | |
| | Where the Greeks of Libya originally focused |
| | mainly on olive trees and figs, which required |
| | less water, the advent of Roman aqueducts |
| | allowed for a far greater crop diversity. Every |
| | farm's water use was carefully scheduled. |
| | |-|Advanced Construction Techniques= |
| | The engineering methods used to create |
| | aqueducts were constantly reviewed, with a clear |
| | focus on exploiting the local environment. |
| | Materials, water usage, cleaning regulations and |
| | a deep understanding of how to exploit gravity |
| | itself were all important concerns. |
| | |
| | Several fortresses were built to protect the |
| | aqueducts, basins and cisterns. |
| | |-|Bringing Water to the City= |
| | Additional water was collected with wells and |
| | cisterns, but aqueducts were the main supply of |
| | fresh water. |
| | |
| | The water was distributed based on the collective |
| | needs of the city, before the private needs of an |
| | individual. |
| | |-|Cleaning the Streets= |
| | Almost all aqueducts ended in a fountain where |
| | the water circulated to clean the streets, and |
| | supply bathhouses and latrines, thus improving |
| | the cleanliness of Cyrenaica's cities. |
| | </tabber> |
|
| |
|
| ====Crucifixion==== | | ====Crucifixion==== |