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An updated version of my Sisyphus model, mostly to get rid of the ugly black support rod, but I made many other subtle improvements as well.

 

Updated instructions and more info on my website: jkbrickworks.com/sisyphus-kinetic-sculpture

 

Or watch the video on the You Tubes: youtu.be/urVOe2vg-3E

 

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Agfa Optima 1a

Expired Ilford 1960s HP3

100asa Rodinal 1:30 for 12 mins

Epson F3200

 

Nikon D800 Photos Beautiful Swimsuit Bikini Lingerie Model Goddess! Modeling the Gold 45 Revolver Gold'N'Virtue swimsuits and lingerie which is inspired by classic, epic mythology--Homer, Odysseus, Achilles, Aeneas, et al.--Hero's Journey Mythology! :)

 

Shooting stills & video @ the same time:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEPimA5_fJs

youtu.be/QNLkIYNilB8

 

Join Johnny's Hero's Journey Mythology Goddesses facebook! www.facebook.com/45surfHerosJourneyMythology

 

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Modeling Gold 45 Revolver Gold'N'Virtue Lingerie with the famous golden gun! The Colt 45 Revolver comes directly form Clint Eastwood's/Sergio Leone's Fistful of Dollars--my favorite Western--heck my favorite all-time film, exalting the classical, archetypal themes I seek in all my photography!

 

She was tall, athletic, thin, pretty, and fit with gorgeous blue eyes and long legs! Shot with the D800 and my favorite workhorse lens the very sharp Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens. A slight change of pace for all my flickr fans!

 

Here's some HD video shot during the swimsuit/lingerie shoot that day:

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEPimA5_fJs

youtu.be/QNLkIYNilB8

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDRyjOsK93s

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL3eoYHBxw0

www.youtube.com/watch?v=L91IFFvbyDI

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq-4rZme9aA

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Uqo_z51YNc

 

The tall, golden-haired, blue-eyed goddess was modeling the black & gold "Gold 45 Revolver" Gold'N'Virtue swimsuits with the main equation to Moving Dimensions Theory on the swimsuits: dx4/dt=ic. Yes I have a Ph.D. in physics! :) You can read more about my research and Hero's Journey Physics here:

herosjourneyphysics.wordpress.com/ MDT PROOF#2: Einstein (1912 Man. on Rel.) and Minkowski wrote x4=ict. Ergo dx4/dt=ic--the foundational equation of all time and motion which is on all the shirts and swimsuits. Every photon that hits my Nikon D800e's sensor does it by surfing the fourth expanding dimension, which is moving at c relative to the three spatial dimensions, or dx4/dt=ic!

 

May the Hero's Journey Mythology Goddess inspire you (as they have inspired me!) along your own artistic journey! Love, love, love the 70-200mm F/2.8 Lens! Holding it up all day, alongside the Sony NEX 6 with the 50mm F/1.8 lens for cool video bokeh which I have mounted under the Nikon D800E camera, is quite the workout! My shoulders have gotten bigger after so many days with six hour shoots in the AM and 3 hour shoots in the PM holding that rig up :). Plus I have to carry all the gear, books, and clothes a few hundred yards up and down the steep cliffs. I count my photography days as two workout days. :) But I love it! Every day presents a puzzle--how to figure out the light, and every model presents a mystery to be unlocked--what are her best angles/poses/actions? Nothing beats the challenge of capturing the natural beauty of a day out there, when the light's dynamic range can change by a factor of ten in a few minutes as the mist burns away to reveal the sun, and then the wind whips up and a fog rolls on in, making it seem like a windy December dusk in July. One must always be mindful of tide, times, and temperatures and work quickly before the cameras get too hot in the sun, or the model gets too cold in the wind, as the tide and rogue waves reach out to grab your equipment/props/clothes and claim them for Poseidon, the god of the sea . Beach photography/video is just like surfing, with the conditions always changing and every wave a bit different. Studio photography is like riding an exercise bike set at level 1 in a gym in front of a TV. And shooting stills and video @ the same time is like Jimmy Page or Slash improvising on his double-necked guitar.

 

I'm working on a book called "Lone Cowboy Photography: A Humble Hero's Journey into the Art of Photography" about how to shoot it all on your own--stills and video for sports, portraits, and landscapes--with no assistants nor teams. Just you and the goddesses, the heroic athletes, the majestic, epic landscapes, and a copy of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey to teach you of the poetry of epic, heroic beauty. You gotta be ready, son--you gotta be ready for quick-draw showdowns at sunrise and sunset, during the magic hours and in the harsh light at high noon. Every shoot is over the second you finish packing your bags for the day with all your batteries, backup cameras, freshly-cleaned lenses, washed and folded clothes and hoodies, and props and polarizer filters. Every shoot ends the second the prep is over, and the fun, and art, and life of the live performance begins. :) "Every fighter has a plan," said boxing great Mike Tyson, "Until they get hit."

 

All the Best on Your Epic Hero's Journey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!

Mercury fastening his heel-wings, preparing to fly back to Mount Olympus after cutting off Argus' head : bronze statue by François Rude in the Louvre museum in Paris, France.

 

My museum collection : www.flickr.com/photos/9619972@N08/collections/72157702215...

 

Happy New Year from all the 45SURF Hero's Odyssey Mythology Goddesses! They send their best!! :)

 

Thanks to all my wonderful flickr flans!!! Without you out there, I would never be here! :)

 

Beautiful Bikini Swimsuit Model Goddess!!

 

More on instagram!

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Would you like to see the full set in 2016? Comment below and let me know! :)

 

And please do leave me a testimonial on my profile!

 

www.flickr.com/people/herosjourneymythology45surf/

 

I will need to follow you before you can leave one, so let me know!

   

I found this Nordic Giant in Tasmania

Jotuns, also called giants lived in Jotunheim.

Backlit Japanese Maple Tree Red Orange Yellow Autumn Leaves Colors Fall Foliage Portland Japanese Garden Oregon Fuji GFX100s & Fujifilm GF 20-35mm f/4 R WR Lens Fine Art Landscape Nature Photography! Oregon State Autumn Nature Fine Art! Elliot McGucken 45EPIC Master Medium Format Fujifilm GFX 100

 

Cool Fujifilm GF 20-35mm f/4 R WR Lens starburst when shooting into the sun!

 

Epic Fine Art Photography Prints & Luxury Wall Art:

geni.us/elliotmcguckenprints

 

Support epic, stoic fine art: Hero's Odyssey Gear!

geni.us/45surf45epicclothing

 

Follow me on Instagram!

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All my photography celebrates the physics of light! The McGucken Principle of the fourth expanding dimension: The fourth dimension is expanding at the rate of c relative to the three spatial dimensions: dx4/dt=ic .

 

Lao Tzu--The Tao: Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

 

Light Time Dimension Theory: The Foundational Physics Unifying Einstein's Relativity and Quantum Mechanics: A Simple, Illustrated Introduction to the Unifying Physical Reality of the Fourth Expanding Dimensionsion dx4/dt=ic !: geni.us/Fa1Q

 

"Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life." --John Muir

 

Epic Stoicism guides my fine art odyssey and photography: geni.us/epicstoicism

 

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” --John Muir

 

Epic Poetry inspires all my photography: geni.us/9K0Ki Epic Poetry for Epic Landscape Photography: Exalt Fine Art Nature Photography with the Poetic Wisdom of John Muir, Emerson, Thoreau, Homer's Iliad, Milton's Paradise Lost & Dante's Inferno Odyssey

 

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” --John Muir

 

Epic Art & 45EPIC Gear exalting golden ratio designs for your Hero's Odyssey:

geni.us/9fnvAMw

 

Support epic fine art! 45surf ! Bitcoin: 1FMBZJeeHVMu35uegrYUfEkHfPj5pe9WNz

 

Exalt the goddess archetype in the fine art of photography! My Epic Book: Photographing Women Models!

geni.us/m90Ms

Portrait, Swimsuit, Lingerie, Boudoir, Fine Art, & Fashion Photography Exalting the Venus Goddess Archetype: How to Shoot Epic ... Epic! Beautiful Surf Fine Art Portrait Swimsuit Bikini Models!

 

Some of my epic books, prints, & more!

geni.us/aEG4

 

Exalt your photography with Golden Ratio Compositions!

geni.us/eeA1

Golden Ratio Compositions & Secret Sacred Geometry for Photography, Fine Art, & Landscape Photographers: How to Exalt Art with Leonardo da Vinci's, Michelangelo's!

 

Epic Landscape Photography:

geni.us/TV4oEAz

A Simple Guide to the Principles of Fine Art Nature Photography: Master Composition, Lenses, Camera Settings, Aperture, ISO, ... Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography)

 

All art is but imitation of nature.-- Seneca (Letters from a Stoic - Letter LXV: On the First Cause)

 

The universe itself is God and the universal outpouring of its soul. --Chrysippus (Quoted by Cicero in De Natura Deorum)

 

Best wishes on your Epic Odyssey!

 

Homer: Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who traveled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home. . . --Homer's Odyssey, Book I

 

Photographs available as epic fine art luxury prints. For prints and licensing information, please send me a flickr mail or contact drelliot@gmail.com with your queries! All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey!

Unity between land and sky incarnate

 

Built for round 2 of BioCup2020

Theme: Regional Mythology and Folklore

Subtheme: Central and Western Asia

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www.facebook.com/45surfAchillesOdysseyMythology

45surf.wordpress.com

 

Nikon D810 Photos Antelope Canyon Red Sandstone Slot Canyons Page Arizona! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photographer. Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons!

 

Some (almost) final edits for my Los Angeles Gallery Show! Here's how I do it:

 

Print: Fuji Crystal Lightjet Metallic front-mounted to 1/4" Acrylic.

Acrylic: 1/4" with regular polished edge

Backing: White aluminum 3mm

Hanging Mechanism: Silver aluminum float box

 

I'll be using the top-of-the-line, museum-quality gallery format consists of the highest-quality prints on Fujicolor Crystal Archival Paper, front-mounted to UV-resistant protective acrylic, backed by a solid aluminum sheet, and fastened to an aluminum silver frame "float box" for mounting on the wall.

 

Wish you all could come (and hang out with the goddesses)!

 

Let me know your favs.!

  

45SURF Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography

Homer's Odyssey: Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide. . . Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; --Homer's Odyssey translated by Samuel Butler

 

36 megapixel Nikon D810 with the awesome Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens.

 

All the Best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy! The reflections of the reeds are titled "The Rage of Achilles!" :) Enjoy!

 

Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photographer, Fine Art Landscapes, Fine Art Photos, and More!

 

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From the golden spiral in the whirlpool galaxy and our very own milkway galaxy, to the golden mean of an athletic models' proportions, to the divine proportions found in a beautiful models' face, to the optimum curves and compositions of my fine art photography, I have found the Fibonacci sequence and golden number Phi to be omni-present. And so it makes sense that I found the golden spiral to naturally emerge in my physics theory--Dynamic Dimensions Theory--which postulates that the fourth dimension is expanding at the rate of c relative to the three spatial dimensions, giving rise to relativity, the quantum, and time and all its arrows and asymmetries. Yes! I have a pPh.D. in physics! Photons of ligth are but matter which surfs the fourth expanding dimension en route to creating a beautiful photograph.

 

And yes I am working on a book combining my philosophies on Phi, fine art photography, physics, the golden mean and number, the divine proportion, and the natgural emergence of the Fibonacci numbers in life and beauty. The book, filled with my photography aongside classic poetry, epic physics, and philosophy, will be called The Golden Hero's Odyssey. :)

Leica MP

Leica Elmarit 28mm f/2.8 III

Fomapan 100

Fomadon LQN (1+10)

7 min 20°C

Scan from negative film

In Greek mythology, Cassandra was a Trojan priestess dedicated to the god Apollo and fated by him to utter true propheciesbut never to be believed

In Greek mythology, Atlas is the primordial Titan who holds up the celestial sphere. He is also the titan of astronomy and navigation.

 

The fountain was designed by William Andrews Nesfield in 1850 and the sculpted figures were carved in Portland stone by John Thomas who was paid £1183 10s 3d (£101,405 as of 2014) for his work. The figures were transported by rail from London to Castle Howard railway station.

 

The tazza, pedestals, shells and basin were made by local craftsmen. The water engineering was completed by James Easton, taking water from a stream in nearby Coneysthorpe and using a steam engine to pump it uphill to the Ray Wood reservoir.

 

The fountain was turned on for the first time in October 1853.

 

Taken with a Lee Big Stopper and tonemapped using Photomatix Pro 5.

 

Picture by Steven Iceton of www.steveniceton.co.uk

Flavian Amphitheatre, Rome, Italy

 

The Colosseum or Coliseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium; Italian: Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo) is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete and stone,[1] it was the largest amphitheatre of the Roman Empire, and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. It is the largest amphitheatre in the world.[2]

 

The Colosseum is situated just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in 70 AD,[3] and was completed in 80 AD under his successor and heir Titus.[4] Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian (81–96).[5] These three emperors are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre was named in Latin for its association with their family name (Flavius).

 

The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators,[6][7] and was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.

 

Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.[8]

 

In 2007 the complex was included among the New7Wonders of the World, following a competition organized by New Open World Corporation (NOWC).

 

The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum

Nikon D800E photography of Pretty Brunette Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess @ the 45SURF Summer Beach House! Gorgeous Brown Eyes! I'm thiking about adding a deck and a pool to the beach house / surf shack! You'll have to visit!

 

Join/like my facebook page! www.facebook.com/45surfHerosJourneyMythology

 

Follow me on facebook! facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken

 

Classic California--an athletic model goddess in Red, White, & Blue American Flag Gold 45 Revolver bikini with the Moving Dimensions Theory Equation on it: dx4/dt=ic! Tall, thin, fit and very, very pretty!

 

Here's some new epic video of the epicly pretty brunette goddess--shooting stills & video @ the same time!:

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_7feV3T1Rs (Sony NEX 6 Video with 50mm F/1.8 Prime (nice bokeh!))

www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7pH5VBiO6g

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqAoJZgqSs4 (Sony NEX 6 Video with 50mm F/1.8 Prime (nice bokeh!))

 

Be sure to enjoy the epic videos in full screen HD! :)

 

Photos shot with the AMAZING Nikon D800 E and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens and the B W 77mm XS-Pro Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Nano Coating. Classic California Brunette Beach Babe! Beautiful Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess with Pretty Blue Eyes and wavy sandy-brownhair!

 

Shot in both RAW & JPEG, but all these photos are RAWs finished in Lightroom 5 ! :)

 

Modeling the classic 45surf t-shirts and the Gold 45 Revolver Gold'N'Virtue Bikini on a sunny Malibu summer afternoon--my favorite for shooting on the beautiful socal beach!

 

Shot with the new Nikon D800E and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens.

 

Captured in both RAW and JPEG.

 

Modeling the black & gold "Gold 45 Revolver" Gold'N'Virtue swimsuits with the main equation to Moving Dimensions Theory on the swimsuits: dx4/dt=ic. Yes I have a Ph.D. in physics! :) You can read more about my research and Hero's Journey Physics here:

herosjourneyphysics.wordpress.com/ MDT PROOF#2: Einstein (1912 Man. on Rel.) and Minkowski wrote x4=ict. Ergo dx4/dt=ic--the foundational equation of all time and motion which is on all the shirts and swimsuits. Every photon that hits my Nikon D800e's sensor does it by surfing the fourth expanding dimension, which is moving at c relative to the three spatial dimensions, or dx4/dt=ic!

 

May the Hero's Journey Mythology Goddess inspire you (as they have inspired me!) along your own artistic journey! Love, love, love the 70-200mm F/2.8 Lens! :)

 

All the Best on Your Epic Hero's Journey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!

 

May the classic California HJM Goddesses guide, inspire, and exalt ye along yer heroic artistic journey!

 

All the Best on Your Epic Hero's Journey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!

Artwork by EBAO displayed during a modern twist of Chinese Mythology organised by Singapore Chinese Culture Centre display at the atrium of Chinatown Point.

Jason with the golden fleece : marble statue by Bertel Thorvaldsen in the Thorvaldsen museum in Copenhagen, Denmark.

 

My museum collection : www.flickr.com/photos/9619972@N08/collections/72157702215...

 

Paramount Ranch Malibu Canyons Pretty Classical Ballet Ballerina Goddess Pointe Shoes Leotard Tutu! Outdoors Nature Ballet Ballerina Woodlands Photography! Pretty Blonde Hair & Blue Eyes Ballerina Ballet Dancer! Nikon D810 & AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II !

 

My Epic Gear Guide for Epic Landscapes & Portraits!

geni.us/hcTs

Everyone is always asking me for this! Here ya go! :)

 

Epic books, prints, & more!

geni.us/aEG4

 

The Tao of Epic Landscape Photography:

geni.us/taophotography

 

Exalt your photography with Golden Ratio Compositions!

geni.us/eeA1

Golden Ratio Compositions & Secret Sacred Geometry for Photography, Fine Art, & Landscape Photographers: How to Exalt Art with Leonardo da Vinci's, Michelangelo's . . . !

 

Epic Landscape Photography:

geni.us/TV4oEAz

A Simple Guide to the Principles of Fine Art Nature Photography: Master Composition, Lenses, Camera Settings, Aperture, ISO, ... Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography)

 

Epic Art & Gear for your Epic Hero's Odyssey:

geni.us/9fnvAMw

 

Follow me my good friends!

Facebook: geni.us/A0Na3

Instagram: geni.us/QD2J

Golden Ratio: geni.us/9EbGK

45SURF: geni.us/Mby4P

Fine Art Ballet: geni.us/C1Adc

 

Photographing Women Models! geni.us/m90Ms

Portrait, Swimsuit, Lingerie, Boudoir, Fine Art, & Fashion Photography Exalting the Venus Goddess Archetype: How to Shoot Epic...

 

Epic Poetry inspires all my photography: geni.us/9K0Ki Epic Poetry for Epic Landscape Photography: Exalt Fine Art Nature Photography with the Poetic Wisdom of John Muir, Emerson, Thoreau, Homer's Iliad, Milton's Paradise Lost & Dante's Inferno Odyssey

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson. The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship.

 

The fourth dimension is expanding at the rate of c relative to the three spatial dimensions or dx4/dt=ic :)

 

Outdoors Nature Ballet Ballerina Woodlands Landscape Model Photography!

Nikon D800E Photos of a Gorgeous Blond Bikini Model Goddess in Gold 45 Revolver Swimsuit with wavy-blond hair and pretty blue eyes! Pretty, pretty smile! A tall, thin, fit, classic California beach babe! Please share the exalted goddess with your friends.

 

Here is some epic video I shot at the same time as the stills with the Sony Alpha NEX 6 camera with the 50 mm F/1.8 prime lens for nex6 e mount cameras bracketed to my Nikon D800E (cool bokeh!):

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqVXRPAN0MQ (Sony NEX-6 with F/1.8 50mm Prime Nice Bokeh!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrAZEcBZxUQ (Nikon D800E with 70-200mm F/2.8 Nikkor LEns)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9phCXhm-bg (Sony NEX-6 with F/1.8 50mm Prime Nice Bokeh!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsQcSnPd2Uk (Sony NEX-6 with F/1.8 50mm Prime Nice Bokeh!)

 

With the black 45surf surfboard! It gets hot in the sand in the sun! Wearing a leather Buffalo Nickel Cowboy Hat! :)

 

Combine the shallow-depth-of-field with Sony NEX-6's latest face-tracking auto focus, and you can see how the moving video keeps the model's pretty blue eyes in focus, while blurring the background! The Sony Alpha NEX 6 has much better bokeh than the cameras I have been using! :)

 

She was tall, thin, fit, toned, defined, and beautiful!

 

Modeling the Gold 45 Revolver(TM) Gold'N'Virtue(TM) Bikini! Stars & Stripes Forever! :)

 

Nikon D800E Photographs of a Beautiful Sandy-Blonde/Brunette Swimsuit Bikini Model shot with the new Nikon D800 and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens with the B W 77mm XS-Pro Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Nano Coating filter. I always, always shoot with a CP filter--even on cloudy days!

 

Shot in both RAW & JPEG, but all these photos are RAWs finished in Lightroom 4 ! :)

 

May the HJM Goddesses guide, inspire, and exalt ye along yer heroic artistic journey!

 

Modeling the black & gold "Gold 45 Revolver" Gold'N'Virtue swimsuits with the main equation to Moving Dimensions Theory on the swimsuits: dx4/dt=ic. Yes I have a Ph.D. in physics! :) You can read more about my research and Hero's Journey Physics here:

herosjourneyphysics.wordpress.com/ MDT PROOF#2: Einstein (1912 Man. on Rel.) and Minkowski wrote x4=ict. Ergo dx4/dt=ic--the foundational equation of all time and motion which is on all the shirts and swimsuits. Every photon that hits my Nikon D800e's sensor does it by surfing the fourth expanding dimension, which is moving at c relative to the three spatial dimensions, or dx4/dt=ic!

 

Reading some of the Great Books of Hero's Journey Mythology! Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Melville's Moby Dick, and Shakespeare's Hamlet!

 

All the Best on Your Epic Hero's Journey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!

Colosseum

Following, a text, in english, from the Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia:

The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD[1] under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus,[2] with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81–96).[3] The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).

Capable of seating 50,000 spectators,[1][4][5] the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.

Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.[6]

The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.

The Colosseum's original Latin name was Amphitheatrum Flavium, often anglicized as Flavian Amphitheater. The building was constructed by emperors of the Flavian dynasty, hence its original name, after the reign of Emperor Nero.[7] This name is still used in modern English, but generally the structure is better known as the Colosseum. In antiquity, Romans may have referred to the Colosseum by the unofficial name Amphitheatrum Caesareum; this name could have been strictly poetic.[8][9] This name was not exclusive to the Colosseum; Vespasian and Titus, builders of the Colosseum, also constructed an amphitheater of the same name in Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli).[10]

The name Colosseum has long been believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby.[3] (the statue of Nero itself being named after one of the original ancient wonders, the Colossus of Rhodes[citation needed]. This statue was later remodeled by Nero's successors into the likeness of Helios (Sol) or Apollo, the sun god, by adding the appropriate solar crown. Nero's head was also replaced several times with the heads of succeeding emperors. Despite its pagan links, the statue remained standing well into the medieval era and was credited with magical powers. It came to be seen as an iconic symbol of the permanence of Rome.

In the 8th century, a famous epigram attributed to the Venerable Bede celebrated the symbolic significance of the statue in a prophecy that is variously quoted: Quamdiu stat Colisæus, stat et Roma; quando cadet colisæus, cadet et Roma; quando cadet Roma, cadet et mundus ("as long as the Colossus stands, so shall Rome; when the Colossus falls, Rome shall fall; when Rome falls, so falls the world").[11] This is often mistranslated to refer to the Colosseum rather than the Colossus (as in, for instance, Byron's poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage). However, at the time that the Pseudo-Bede wrote, the masculine noun coliseus was applied to the statue rather than to what was still known as the Flavian amphitheatre.

The Colossus did eventually fall, possibly being pulled down to reuse its bronze. By the year 1000 the name "Colosseum" had been coined to refer to the amphitheatre. The statue itself was largely forgotten and only its base survives, situated between the Colosseum and the nearby Temple of Venus and Roma.[12]

The name further evolved to Coliseum during the Middle Ages. In Italy, the amphitheatre is still known as il Colosseo, and other Romance languages have come to use similar forms such as le Colisée (French), el Coliseo (Spanish) and o Coliseu (Portuguese).

Construction of the Colosseum began under the rule of the Emperor Vespasian[3] in around 70–72AD. The site chosen was a flat area on the floor of a low valley between the Caelian, Esquiline and Palatine Hills, through which a canalised stream ran. By the 2nd century BC the area was densely inhabited. It was devastated by the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64, following which Nero seized much of the area to add to his personal domain. He built the grandiose Domus Aurea on the site, in front of which he created an artificial lake surrounded by pavilions, gardens and porticoes. The existing Aqua Claudia aqueduct was extended to supply water to the area and the gigantic bronze Colossus of Nero was set up nearby at the entrance to the Domus Aurea.[12]

Although the Colossus was preserved, much of the Domus Aurea was torn down. The lake was filled in and the land reused as the location for the new Flavian Amphitheatre. Gladiatorial schools and other support buildings were constructed nearby within the former grounds of the Domus Aurea. According to a reconstructed inscription found on the site, "the emperor Vespasian ordered this new amphitheatre to be erected from his general's share of the booty." This is thought to refer to the vast quantity of treasure seized by the Romans following their victory in the Great Jewish Revolt in 70AD. The Colosseum can be thus interpreted as a great triumphal monument built in the Roman tradition of celebrating great victories[12], placating the Roman people instead of returning soldiers. Vespasian's decision to build the Colosseum on the site of Nero's lake can also be seen as a populist gesture of returning to the people an area of the city which Nero had appropriated for his own use. In contrast to many other amphitheatres, which were located on the outskirts of a city, the Colosseum was constructed in the city centre; in effect, placing it both literally and symbolically at the heart of Rome.

The Colosseum had been completed up to the third story by the time of Vespasian's death in 79. The top level was finished and the building inaugurated by his son, Titus, in 80.[3] Dio Cassius recounts that over 9,000 wild animals were killed during the inaugural games of the amphitheatre. The building was remodelled further under Vespasian's younger son, the newly designated Emperor Domitian, who constructed the hypogeum, a series of underground tunnels used to house animals and slaves. He also added a gallery to the top of the Colosseum to increase its seating capacity.

In 217, the Colosseum was badly damaged by a major fire (caused by lightning, according to Dio Cassius[13]) which destroyed the wooden upper levels of the amphitheatre's interior. It was not fully repaired until about 240 and underwent further repairs in 250 or 252 and again in 320. An inscription records the restoration of various parts of the Colosseum under Theodosius II and Valentinian III (reigned 425–455), possibly to repair damage caused by a major earthquake in 443; more work followed in 484[14] and 508. The arena continued to be used for contests well into the 6th century, with gladiatorial fights last mentioned around 435. Animal hunts continued until at least 523, when Anicius Maximus celebrated his consulship with some venationes, criticised by King Theodoric the Great for their high cost.

The Colosseum underwent several radical changes of use during the medieval period. By the late 6th century a small church had been built into the structure of the amphitheatre, though this apparently did not confer any particular religious significance on the building as a whole. The arena was converted into a cemetery. The numerous vaulted spaces in the arcades under the seating were converted into housing and workshops, and are recorded as still being rented out as late as the 12th century. Around 1200 the Frangipani family took over the Colosseum and fortified it, apparently using it as a castle.

Severe damage was inflicted on the Colosseum by the great earthquake in 1349, causing the outer south side, lying on a less stable alluvional terrain, to collapse. Much of the tumbled stone was reused to build palaces, churches, hospitals and other buildings elsewhere in Rome. A religious order moved into the northern third of the Colosseum in the mid-14th century and continued to inhabit it until as late as the early 19th century. The interior of the amphitheatre was extensively stripped of stone, which was reused elsewhere, or (in the case of the marble façade) was burned to make quicklime.[12] The bronze clamps which held the stonework together were pried or hacked out of the walls, leaving numerous pockmarks which still scar the building today.

During the 16th and 17th century, Church officials sought a productive role for the vast derelict hulk of the Colosseum. Pope Sixtus V (1585–1590) planned to turn the building into a wool factory to provide employment for Rome's prostitutes, though this proposal fell through with his premature death.[15] In 1671 Cardinal Altieri authorized its use for bullfights; a public outcry caused the idea to be hastily abandoned.

In 1749, Pope Benedict XIV endorsed as official Church policy the view that the Colosseum was a sacred site where early Christians had been martyred. He forbade the use of the Colosseum as a quarry and consecrated the building to the Passion of Christ and installed Stations of the Cross, declaring it sanctified by the blood of the Christian martyrs who perished there (see Christians and the Colosseum). However there is no historical evidence to support Benedict's claim, nor is there even any evidence that anyone prior to the 16th century suggested this might be the case; the Catholic Encyclopedia concludes that there are no historical grounds for the supposition. Later popes initiated various stabilization and restoration projects, removing the extensive vegetation which had overgrown the structure and threatened to damage it further. The façade was reinforced with triangular brick wedges in 1807 and 1827, and the interior was repaired in 1831, 1846 and in the 1930s. The arena substructure was partly excavated in 1810–1814 and 1874 and was fully exposed under Benito Mussolini in the 1930s.

The Colosseum is today one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions, receiving millions of visitors annually. The effects of pollution and general deterioration over time prompted a major restoration programme carried out between 1993 and 2000, at a cost of 40 billion Italian lire ($19.3m / €20.6m at 2000 prices). In recent years it has become a symbol of the international campaign against capital punishment, which was abolished in Italy in 1948. Several anti–death penalty demonstrations took place in front of the Colosseum in 2000. Since that time, as a gesture against the death penalty, the local authorities of Rome change the color of the Colosseum's night time illumination from white to gold whenever a person condemned to the death penalty anywhere in the world gets their sentence commuted or is released,[16] or if a jurisdiction abolishes the death penalty. Most recently, the Colosseum was illuminated in gold when capital punishment was abolished in the American state of New Mexico in April 2009.

Because of the ruined state of the interior, it is impractical to use the Colosseum to host large events; only a few hundred spectators can be accommodated in temporary seating. However, much larger concerts have been held just outside, using the Colosseum as a backdrop. Performers who have played at the Colosseum in recent years have included Ray Charles (May 2002),[18] Paul McCartney (May 2003),[19] Elton John (September 2005),[20] and Billy Joel (July 2006).

Exterior

Unlike earlier Greek theatres that were built into hillsides, the Colosseum is an entirely free-standing structure. It derives its basic exterior and interior architecture from that of two Roman theatres back to back. It is elliptical in plan and is 189 meters (615 ft / 640 Roman feet) long, and 156 meters (510 ft / 528 Roman feet) wide, with a base area of 6 acres (24,000 m2). The height of the outer wall is 48 meters (157 ft / 165 Roman feet). The perimeter originally measured 545 meters (1,788 ft / 1,835 Roman feet). The central arena is an oval 87 m (287 ft) long and 55 m (180 ft) wide, surrounded by a wall 5 m (15 ft) high, above which rose tiers of seating.

The outer wall is estimated to have required over 100,000 cubic meters (131,000 cu yd) of travertine stone which were set without mortar held together by 300 tons of iron clamps.[12] However, it has suffered extensive damage over the centuries, with large segments having collapsed following earthquakes. The north side of the perimeter wall is still standing; the distinctive triangular brick wedges at each end are modern additions, having been constructed in the early 19th century to shore up the wall. The remainder of the present-day exterior of the Colosseum is in fact the original interior wall.

The surviving part of the outer wall's monumental façade comprises three stories of superimposed arcades surmounted by a podium on which stands a tall attic, both of which are pierced by windows interspersed at regular intervals. The arcades are framed by half-columns of the Tuscan, Ionic, and Corinthian orders, while the attic is decorated with Corinthian pilasters.[21] Each of the arches in the second- and third-floor arcades framed statues, probably honoring divinities and other figures from Classical mythology.

Two hundred and forty mast corbels were positioned around the top of the attic. They originally supported a retractable awning, known as the velarium, that kept the sun and rain off spectators. This consisted of a canvas-covered, net-like structure made of ropes, with a hole in the center.[3] It covered two-thirds of the arena, and sloped down towards the center to catch the wind and provide a breeze for the audience. Sailors, specially enlisted from the Roman naval headquarters at Misenum and housed in the nearby Castra Misenatium, were used to work the velarium.[22]

The Colosseum's huge crowd capacity made it essential that the venue could be filled or evacuated quickly. Its architects adopted solutions very similar to those used in modern stadiums to deal with the same problem. The amphitheatre was ringed by eighty entrances at ground level, 76 of which were used by ordinary spectators.[3] Each entrance and exit was numbered, as was each staircase. The northern main entrance was reserved for the Roman Emperor and his aides, whilst the other three axial entrances were most likely used by the elite. All four axial entrances were richly decorated with painted stucco reliefs, of which fragments survive. Many of the original outer entrances have disappeared with the collapse of the perimeter wall, but entrances XXIII (23) to LIV (54) still survive.[12]

Spectators were given tickets in the form of numbered pottery shards, which directed them to the appropriate section and row. They accessed their seats via vomitoria (singular vomitorium), passageways that opened into a tier of seats from below or behind. These quickly dispersed people into their seats and, upon conclusion of the event or in an emergency evacuation, could permit their exit within only a few minutes. The name vomitoria derived from the Latin word for a rapid discharge, from which English derives the word vomit.

Interior

According to the Codex-Calendar of 354, the Colosseum could accommodate 87,000 people, although modern estimates put the figure at around 50,000. They were seated in a tiered arrangement that reflected the rigidly stratified nature of Roman society. Special boxes were provided at the north and south ends respectively for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins, providing the best views of the arena. Flanking them at the same level was a broad platform or podium for the senatorial class, who were allowed to bring their own chairs. The names of some 5th century senators can still be seen carved into the stonework, presumably reserving areas for their use.

The tier above the senators, known as the maenianum primum, was occupied by the non-senatorial noble class or knights (equites). The next level up, the maenianum secundum, was originally reserved for ordinary Roman citizens (plebians) and was divided into two sections. The lower part (the immum) was for wealthy citizens, while the upper part (the summum) was for poor citizens. Specific sectors were provided for other social groups: for instance, boys with their tutors, soldiers on leave, foreign dignitaries, scribes, heralds, priests and so on. Stone (and later marble) seating was provided for the citizens and nobles, who presumably would have brought their own cushions with them. Inscriptions identified the areas reserved for specific groups.

Another level, the maenianum secundum in legneis, was added at the very top of the building during the reign of Domitian. This comprised a gallery for the common poor, slaves and women. It would have been either standing room only, or would have had very steep wooden benches. Some groups were banned altogether from the Colosseum, notably gravediggers, actors and former gladiators.

Each tier was divided into sections (maeniana) by curved passages and low walls (praecinctiones or baltei), and were subdivided into cunei, or wedges, by the steps and aisles from the vomitoria. Each row (gradus) of seats was numbered, permitting each individual seat to be exactly designated by its gradus, cuneus, and number.

The arena itself was 83 meters by 48 meters (272 ft by 157 ft / 280 by 163 Roman feet).[12] It comprised a wooden floor covered by sand (the Latin word for sand is harena or arena), covering an elaborate underground structure called the hypogeum (literally meaning "underground"). Little now remains of the original arena floor, but the hypogeum is still clearly visible. It consisted of a two-level subterranean network of tunnels and cages beneath the arena where gladiators and animals were held before contests began. Eighty vertical shafts provided instant access to the arena for caged animals and scenery pieces concealed underneath; larger hinged platforms, called hegmata, provided access for elephants and the like. It was restructured on numerous occasions; at least twelve different phases of construction can be seen.[12]

The hypogeum was connected by underground tunnels to a number of points outside the Colosseum. Animals and performers were brought through the tunnel from nearby stables, with the gladiators' barracks at the Ludus Magnus to the east also being connected by tunnels. Separate tunnels were provided for the Emperor and the Vestal Virgins to permit them to enter and exit the Colosseum without needing to pass through the crowds.[12]

Substantial quantities of machinery also existed in the hypogeum. Elevators and pulleys raised and lowered scenery and props, as well as lifting caged animals to the surface for release. There is evidence for the existence of major hydraulic mechanisms[12] and according to ancient accounts, it was possible to flood the arena rapidly, presumably via a connection to a nearby aqueduct.

The Colosseum and its activities supported a substantial industry in the area. In addition to the amphitheatre itself, many other buildings nearby were linked to the games. Immediately to the east is the remains of the Ludus Magnus, a training school for gladiators. This was connected to the Colosseum by an underground passage, to allow easy access for the gladiators. The Ludus Magnus had its own miniature training arena, which was itself a popular attraction for Roman spectators. Other training schools were in the same area, including the Ludus Matutinus (Morning School), where fighters of animals were trained, plus the Dacian and Gallic Schools.

Also nearby were the Armamentarium, comprising an armory to store weapons; the Summum Choragium, where machinery was stored; the Sanitarium, which had facilities to treat wounded gladiators; and the Spoliarium, where bodies of dead gladiators were stripped of their armor and disposed of.

Around the perimeter of the Colosseum, at a distance of 18 m (59 ft) from the perimeter, was a series of tall stone posts, with five remaining on the eastern side. Various explanations have been advanced for their presence; they may have been a religious boundary, or an outer boundary for ticket checks, or an anchor for the velarium or awning.

Right next to the Colosseum is also the Arch of Constantine.

he Colosseum was used to host gladiatorial shows as well as a variety of other events. The shows, called munera, were always given by private individuals rather than the state. They had a strong religious element but were also demonstrations of power and family prestige, and were immensely popular with the population. Another popular type of show was the animal hunt, or venatio. This utilized a great variety of wild beasts, mainly imported from Africa and the Middle East, and included creatures such as rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, elephants, giraffes, aurochs, wisents, barbary lions, panthers, leopards, bears, caspian tigers, crocodiles and ostriches. Battles and hunts were often staged amid elaborate sets with movable trees and buildings. Such events were occasionally on a huge scale; Trajan is said to have celebrated his victories in Dacia in 107 with contests involving 11,000 animals and 10,000 gladiators over the course of 123 days.

During the early days of the Colosseum, ancient writers recorded that the building was used for naumachiae (more properly known as navalia proelia) or simulated sea battles. Accounts of the inaugural games held by Titus in AD 80 describe it being filled with water for a display of specially trained swimming horses and bulls. There is also an account of a re-enactment of a famous sea battle between the Corcyrean (Corfiot) Greeks and the Corinthians. This has been the subject of some debate among historians; although providing the water would not have been a problem, it is unclear how the arena could have been waterproofed, nor would there have been enough space in the arena for the warships to move around. It has been suggested that the reports either have the location wrong, or that the Colosseum originally featured a wide floodable channel down its central axis (which would later have been replaced by the hypogeum).[12]

Sylvae or recreations of natural scenes were also held in the arena. Painters, technicians and architects would construct a simulation of a forest with real trees and bushes planted in the arena's floor. Animals would be introduced to populate the scene for the delight of the crowd. Such scenes might be used simply to display a natural environment for the urban population, or could otherwise be used as the backdrop for hunts or dramas depicting episodes from mythology. They were also occasionally used for executions in which the hero of the story — played by a condemned person — was killed in one of various gruesome but mythologically authentic ways, such as being mauled by beasts or burned to death.

The Colosseum today is now a major tourist attraction in Rome with thousands of tourists each year paying to view the interior arena, though entrance for EU citizens is partially subsidised, and under-18 and over-65 EU citizens' entrances are free.[24] There is now a museum dedicated to Eros located in the upper floor of the outer wall of the building. Part of the arena floor has been re-floored. Beneath the Colosseum, a network of subterranean passageways once used to transport wild animals and gladiators to the arena opened to the public in summer 2010.[25]

The Colosseum is also the site of Roman Catholic ceremonies in the 20th and 21st centuries. For instance, Pope Benedict XVI leads the Stations of the Cross called the Scriptural Way of the Cross (which calls for more meditation) at the Colosseum[26][27] on Good Fridays.

In the Middle Ages, the Colosseum was clearly not regarded as a sacred site. Its use as a fortress and then a quarry demonstrates how little spiritual importance was attached to it, at a time when sites associated with martyrs were highly venerated. It was not included in the itineraries compiled for the use of pilgrims nor in works such as the 12th century Mirabilia Urbis Romae ("Marvels of the City of Rome"), which claims the Circus Flaminius — but not the Colosseum — as the site of martyrdoms. Part of the structure was inhabited by a Christian order, but apparently not for any particular religious reason.

It appears to have been only in the 16th and 17th centuries that the Colosseum came to be regarded as a Christian site. Pope Pius V (1566–1572) is said to have recommended that pilgrims gather sand from the arena of the Colosseum to serve as a relic, on the grounds that it was impregnated with the blood of martyrs. This seems to have been a minority view until it was popularised nearly a century later by Fioravante Martinelli, who listed the Colosseum at the head of a list of places sacred to the martyrs in his 1653 book Roma ex ethnica sacra.

Martinelli's book evidently had an effect on public opinion; in response to Cardinal Altieri's proposal some years later to turn the Colosseum into a bullring, Carlo Tomassi published a pamphlet in protest against what he regarded as an act of desecration. The ensuing controversy persuaded Pope Clement X to close the Colosseum's external arcades and declare it a sanctuary, though quarrying continued for some time.

At the instance of St. Leonard of Port Maurice, Pope Benedict XIV (1740–1758) forbade the quarrying of the Colosseum and erected Stations of the Cross around the arena, which remained until February 1874. St. Benedict Joseph Labre spent the later years of his life within the walls of the Colosseum, living on alms, prior to his death in 1783. Several 19th century popes funded repair and restoration work on the Colosseum, and it still retains a Christian connection today. Crosses stand in several points around the arena and every Good Friday the Pope leads a Via Crucis procession to the amphitheatre.

 

Coliseu (Colosseo)

A seguir, um texto, em português, da Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre:

 

O Coliseu, também conhecido como Anfiteatro Flaviano, deve seu nome à expressão latina Colosseum (ou Coliseus, no latim tardio), devido à estátua colossal de Nero, que ficava perto a edificação. Localizado no centro de Roma, é uma excepção de entre os anfiteatros pelo seu volume e relevo arquitectónico. Originalmente capaz de albergar perto de 50 000 pessoas, e com 48 metros de altura, era usado para variados espetáculos. Foi construído a leste do fórum romano e demorou entre 8 a 10 anos a ser construído.

O Coliseu foi utilizado durante aproximadamente 500 anos, tendo sido o último registro efetuado no século VI da nossa era, bastante depois da queda de Roma em 476. O edifício deixou de ser usado para entretenimento no começo da era medieval, mas foi mais tarde usado como habitação, oficina, forte, pedreira, sede de ordens religiosas e templo cristão.

Embora esteja agora em ruínas devido a terremotos e pilhagens, o Coliseu sempre foi visto como símbolo do Império Romano, sendo um dos melhores exemplos da sua arquitectura. Actualmente é uma das maiores atrações turísticas em Roma e em 7 de julho de 2007 foi eleita umas das "Sete maravilhas do mundo moderno". Além disso, o Coliseu ainda tem ligações à igreja, com o Papa a liderar a procissão da Via Sacra até ao Coliseu todas as Sextas-feiras Santas.

O coliseu era um local onde seriam exibidos toda uma série de espectáculos, inseridos nos vários tipos de jogos realizados na urbe. Os combates entre gladiadores, chamados muneras, eram sempre pagos por pessoas individuais em busca de prestígio e poder em vez do estado. A arena (87,5 m por 55 m) possuía um piso de madeira, normalmente coberto de areia para absorver o sangue dos combates (certa vez foi colocada água na representação de uma batalha naval), sob o qual existia um nível subterrâneo com celas e jaulas que tinham acessos diretos para a arena; Alguns detalhes dessa construção, como a cobertura removível que poupava os espectadores do sol, são bastante interessantes, e mostram o refinamento atingido pelos construtores romanos. Formado por cinco anéis concêntricos de arcos e abóbadas, o Coliseu representa bem o avanço introduzido pelos romanos à engenharia de estruturas. Esses arcos são de concreto (de cimento natural) revestidos por alvenaria. Na verdade, a alvenaria era construída simultaneamente e já servia de forma para a concretagem. Outro tipo de espetáculos era a caça de animais, ou venatio, onde eram utilizados animais selvagens importados de África. Os animais mais utilizados eram os grandes felinos como leões, leopardos e panteras, mas animais como rinocerontes, hipopótamos, elefantes, girafas, crocodilos e avestruzes eram também utilizados. As caçadas, tal como as representações de batalhas famosas, eram efetuadas em elaborados cenários onde constavam árvores e edifícios amovíveis.

Estas últimas eram por vezes representadas numa escala gigante; Trajano celebrou a sua vitória em Dácia no ano 107 com concursos envolvendo 11 000 animais e 10 000 gladiadores no decorrer de 123 dias.

Segundo o documentário produzido pelo canal televisivo fechado, History Channel, o Coliseu também era utilizado para a realização de naumaquias, ou batalhas navais. O coliseu era inundado por dutos subterrâneos alimentados pelos aquedutos que traziam água de longe. Passada esta fase, foi construída uma estrutura, que é a que podemos ver hoje nas ruínas do Coliseu, com altura de um prédio de dois andares, onde no passado se concentravam os gladiadores, feras e todo o pessoal que organizava os duelos que ocorreriam na arena. A arena era como um grande palco, feito de madeira, e se chama arena, que em italiano significa areia, porque era jogada areia sob a estrutura de madeira para esconder as imperfeições. Os animais podiam ser inseridos nos duelos a qualquer momento por um esquema de elevadores que surgiam em alguns pontos da arena; o filme "Gladiador" retrata muito bem esta questão dos elevadores. Os estudiosos, há pouco tempo, descobriram uma rede de dutos inundados por baixo da arena do Coliseu. Acredita-se que o Coliseu foi construído onde, outrora, foi o lago do Palácio Dourado de Nero; O imperador Vespasiano escolheu o local da construção para que o mal causado por Nero fosse esquecido por uma construção gloriosa.

Sylvae, ou recreações de cenas naturais eram também realizadas no Coliseu. Pintores, técnicos e arquitectos construiriam simulações de florestas com árvores e arbustos reais plantados no chão da arena. Animais seriam então introduzidos para dar vida à simulação. Esses cenários podiam servir só para agrado do público ou como pano de fundo para caçadas ou dramas representando episódios da mitologia romana, tão autênticos quanto possível, ao ponto de pessoas condenadas fazerem o papel de heróis onde eram mortos de maneiras horríveis mas mitologicamente autênticas, como mutilados por animais ou queimados vivos.

Embora o Coliseu tenha funcionado até ao século VI da nossa Era, foram proibidos os jogos com mortes humanas desde 404, sendo apenas massacrados animais como elefantes, panteras ou leões.

O Coliseu era sobretudo um enorme instrumento de propaganda e difusão da filosofia de toda uma civilização, e tal como era já profetizado pelo monge e historiador inglês Beda na sua obra do século VII "De temporibus liber": "Enquanto o Coliseu se mantiver de pé, Roma permanecerá; quando o Coliseu ruir, Roma ruirá e quando Roma cair, o mundo cairá".

A construção do Coliseu foi iniciada por Vespasiano, nos anos 70 da nossa era. O edifício foi inaugurado por Tito, em 80, embora apenas tivesse sido finalizado poucos anos depois. Empresa colossal, este edifício, inicialmente, poderia sustentar no seu interior cerca de 50 000 espectadores, constando de três andares. Aquando do reinado de Alexandre Severo e Gordiano III, é ampliado com um quarto andar, podendo suster agora cerca de 90 000 espectadores. A grandiosidade deste monumento testemunha verdadeiramente o poder e esplendor de Roma na época dos Flávios.

Os jogos inaugurais do Coliseu tiveram lugar ano 80, sob o mandato de Tito, para celebrar a finalização da construção. Depois do curto reinado de Tito começar com vários meses de desastres, incluindo a erupção do Monte Vesúvio, um incêndio em Roma, e um surto de peste, o mesmo imperador inaugurou o edifício com uns jogos pródigos que duraram mais de cem dias, talvez para tentar apaziguar o público romano e os deuses. Nesses jogos de cem dias terão ocorrido combates de gladiadores, venationes (lutas de animais), execuções, batalhas navais, caçadas e outros divertimentos numa escala sem precedentes.

O Coliseu, como não se encontrava inserido numa zona de encosta, enterrado, tal como normalmente sucede com a generalidade dos teatros e anfiteatros romanos, possuía um “anel” artificial de rocha à sua volta, para garantir sustentação e, ao mesmo tempo, esta substrutura serve como ornamento ao edifício e como condicionador da entrada dos espectadores. Tal como foi referido anteriormente, possuía três pisos, sendo mais tarde adicionado um outro. É construído em mármore, pedra travertina, ladrilho e tufo (pedra calcária com grandes poros). A sua planta elíptica mede dois eixos que se estendem aproximadamente de 190 m por 155 m. A fachada compõe-se de arcadas decoradas com colunas dóricas, jónicas e coríntias, de acordo com o pavimento em que se encontravam. Esta subdivisão deve-se ao facto de ser uma construção essencialmente vertical, criando assim uma diversificação do espaço.

 

Os assentos eram em mármore e a cavea, escadaria ou arquibancada, dividia-se em três partes, correspondentes às diferentes classes sociais: o podium, para as classes altas; as maeniana, sector destinado à classe média; e os portici, ou pórticos, construídos em madeira, para a plebe e as mulheres. O pulvinar, a tribuna imperial, encontrava-se situada no podium e era balizada pelos assentos reservados aos senadores e magistrados. Rampas no interior do edifício facilitavam o acesso às várias zonas de onde podiam visualizar o espectáculo, sendo protegidos por uma barreira e por uma série de arqueiros posicionados numa passagem de madeira, para o caso de algum acidente. Por cima dos muros ainda são visíveis as mísulas, que sustentavam o velarium, enorme cobertura de lona destinada a proteger do sol os espectadores e, nos subterrâneos, ficavam as jaulas dos animais, bem como todas as celas e galerias necessárias aos serviços do anfiteatro.

O monumento permaneceu como sede principal dos espetáculos da urbe romana até ao período do imperador Honorius, no século V. Danificado por um terremoto no começo do mesmo século, foi alvo de uma extensiva restauração na época de Valentinianus III. Em meados do século XIII, a família Frangipani transformou-o em fortaleza e, ao longo dos séculos XV e XVI, foi por diversas vezes saqueado, perdendo grande parte dos materiais nobres com os quais tinha sido construído.

Os relatos romanos referem-se a cristãos sendo martirizados em locais de Roma descritos pouco pormenorizadamente (no anfiteatro, na arena...), quando Roma tinha numerosos anfiteatros e arenas. Apesar de muito provavelmente o Coliseu não ter sido utilizado para martírios, o Papa Bento XIV consagrou-o no século XVII à Paixão de Cristo e declarou-o lugar sagrado. Os trabalhos de consolidação e restauração parcial do monumento, já há muito em ruínas, foram feitos sobretudo pelos pontífices Gregório XVI e Pio IX, no século XIX.

The #rainbowbuildchallenge is in support of #everyoneisawesome and Pride month in the United States.

 

"To Valhalla"

Inspired by Norse mythology, this is meant to honor the brave warriors who have persisted in advancing LGBTQ+ rights across the world. The ship with the fallen is aloft between a rainbow bridge.

 

Built off an on through June.

~12 hours, probably less.

 

Both sides of the brick-bent rainbow are plated and it can be viewed from any angle. The clouds are inspired by the Monkie Kid sets and super scaled up using a wide variety of curved slopes.

Nikon D800 E Photos of Pretty Asian Swimsuit Bikini Model @ Sunset!

 

Epic slow motion goddess video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9nuacE7nFw

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iryi5y2tdI

 

A tall, thin, athletic, brunette Asian goddess! Dedicated to all my flickr fans! :)

 

It was a perfect socal September Sunset--warm out with a bit of wind and a mid-tide to allow us out on the rocks. We caught the magic hour which some clouds extended!

 

Shot with the new Nikon D800 E and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens.

 

Captured in both RAW and JPEG.

 

Check out the amazing detail in the full resolution photos! I was running out of CF & SD cards fast, as the files are huge!

 

A classic California Hero's Journey Mythology Goddess!

 

Enjoy the epic beauty of the mythological hero's journey, in great detail via the Nikon D800! :)

 

The full resolutions RAWs and JPEGs are amazing!

 

May the hero's journey mythology goddesses inspire and guide you along your hero's journey as Athena and Artemis once did!

 

With a black surfboard!

Lake Stymphalia (Greek: Λίμνη Στυμφαλία - pron. "Límnē Stymphalía") is located in the north-eastern part of the Peloponnese, in Corinthia, southern Greece.

The area is also mentioned in Greek Mythology, due to the Stymphalian birds, which infested the Arcadian woods near the lake. Heracles' sixth labour was to exterminate them.

    

Manikarnika is a Burning Ghat where people come here to burn dead bodies. As per Hindu Mythology Bodies should be burnt for the peace and free of the departed Soul.

Friendz, requesting you Please check my notes given in this Varanasi Set details.

www.flickr.com/photos/sandeep_santra/sets/721576300132019...

 

Join with me here and support: Facebook

Thanks for your Visit, Comments,Suggestions!!!

 

***********Click , & Push F11 - Full - screen***********

 

***********If you like it press F***********

 

Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission... © All rights reserved...

 

Variation of a text-prompt generation in AI Deep Dream. The text contained the words GIGER, MAX ERNST and SURREALISM.

The option of Text Prompt is a new feature on Deep Dream.

deepdreamgenerator.com/

 

Prints available here:

otto-rapp.pixels.com/featured/arty-farty-mythology-otto-r...

 

I was going for a spoof text prompt that already generated interesting results on Wombo (after initially getting it from a friend on Facebook that tried it on Midjourney with some startling results), the initial image was one of many which I used here as a seed image with 60% text strength, then recooked again at 40% strength and added modifier my artist friend Carrie Ann.

I think it turned out rather well!

 

PROMPT:

arty farty pretentious fine art tableaus of obscure mythological symbolism with abstract mysterious figures with subdued earthy colors, dark and moody, photorealistic, cinematic shot

ADDITIONAL MODIFIERS:

crisp quality, cinematic postprocessing, Carrie Ann Baade

  

The lord of the forest stands inside a big nature reserve in Saxony, other trees keeping respectful distance as if they're listening to the speech of their master.

 

--------

 

Der Herr des Waldes steht in einem großen Naturschutzgebiet in Sachsen, andere Bäume halten respektvollen Abstand, als lauschten sie der Rede ihres Herrn.

creating mythologies.

Happy Valentine's Day from all the Hero's Journey Mythology Goddesses!

 

A pink polka-dot hart-shaped Valentine for all my fans!

 

Here's some of the HD video from when I shot the above photo:

 

"Ómnia vincit amor; et nos cedamus amori." --Virgil

"Love conquers all, so let us too surrender to love." -- Virgil

 

"Beauty will save the world." -Dostoevsky

 

Yes! Beauty will save the world! :)

 

Variation of a text-prompt generation in AI Deep Dream. The text contained the words ARTY, MYTHOLOGY and PRETENTIOUS.

The option of Text Prompt is a new feature on Deep Dream.

deepdreamgenerator.com/

 

I finally got around to testing a nonsense spoof prompt supplied by a friend who had some startling good results from it on Midjourney. One try was enough for me (he made about a dozen like this) - I am not burning my credits to evolve or make more with this prompt. However, you can try it if you like.

  

PROMPT:

arty farty pretentious fine art tableaus of obscure mythological symbolism with abstract mysterious figures with subdued earthy colors, dark and moody, photorealistic, cinematic shot

 

Join/like my facebook page! www.facebook.com/45surfHerosJourneyMythology?ref=hl

 

Nikon D800E Photos of a Gorgeous Blond Bikini Model Goddess in Gold 45 Revolver Swimsuit with wavy-blond hair and pretty blue eyes! Pretty, pretty smile! A tall, thin, fit, classic California beach babe! Please share the exalted goddess with your friends.

 

Here is some epic video I shot at the same time as the stills with the Sony Alpha NEX 6 camera with the 50 mm F/1.8 prime lens for nex6 e mount cameras bracketed to my Nikon D800E (cool bokeh!):

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uUXm05lv_o (Sony NEX-6 with F/1.8 50mm Prime Nice Bokeh!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqVXRPAN0MQ (Sony NEX-6 with F/1.8 50mm Prime Nice Bokeh!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrAZEcBZxUQ (Nikon D800E with 70-200mm F/2.8 Nikkor LEns)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9phCXhm-bg (Sony NEX-6 with F/1.8 50mm Prime Nice Bokeh!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsQcSnPd2Uk (Sony NEX-6 with F/1.8 50mm Prime Nice Bokeh!)

 

With the black 45surf surfboard! It gets hot in the sand in the sun! Wearing a leather Buffalo Nickel Cowboy Hat! :)

 

Combine the shallow-depth-of-field with Sony NEX-6's latest face-tracking auto focus, and you can see how the moving video keeps the model's pretty blue eyes in focus, while blurring the background! The Sony Alpha NEX 6 has much better bokeh than the cameras I have been using! :)

 

She was tall, thin, fit, toned, defined, and beautiful!

 

Modeling the Gold 45 Revolver(TM) Gold'N'Virtue(TM) American Flag Bikini! Stars & Stripes Forever! :)

 

Nikon D800E Photographs of a Beautiful Sandy-Blonde/Brunette Swimsuit Bikini Model shot with the new Nikon D800 and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II AF-S Nikkor Zoom Lens with the B W 77mm XS-Pro Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Nano Coating filter. I always, always shoot with a CP filter--even on cloudy days!

 

Shot in both RAW & JPEG, but all these photos are RAWs finished in Lightroom 4 ! :)

 

May the HJM Goddesses guide, inspire, and exalt ye along yer heroic artistic journey!

 

Modeling the black & gold "Gold 45 Revolver" Gold'N'Virtue swimsuits with the main equation to Moving Dimensions Theory on the swimsuits: dx4/dt=ic. Yes I have a Ph.D. in physics! :) You can read more about my research and Hero's Journey Physics here:

herosjourneyphysics.wordpress.com/ MDT PROOF#2: Einstein (1912 Man. on Rel.) and Minkowski wrote x4=ict. Ergo dx4/dt=ic--the foundational equation of all time and motion which is on all the shirts and swimsuits. Every photon that hits my Nikon D800e's sensor does it by surfing the fourth expanding dimension, which is moving at c relative to the three spatial dimensions, or dx4/dt=ic!

 

Reading some of the Great Books of Hero's Journey Mythology! Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Melville's Moby Dick, and Shakespeare's Hamlet!

 

All the Best on Your Epic Hero's Journey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!

"They traditionally symbolize potent and auspicious powers, particularly control over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. The dragon is also a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it in East Asian culture." (Wikipedia)

"Brother of Sleep / Thanatos" - Acrylic on Canvas - 120 x 85 cm - 2015

 

The solo exhibition "A Stranger in the Garden" is on view until April 25th.

 

Opening Hours:

Wednesday – Saturday, 1 - 6 pm

bcgallery.de/a-stranger-in-the-garden/

 

Thanatos - personification of death in Greek and Latin mythology, depicted as a winged boy or as a youth carrying a butterfly ( the ancient Greek word for butterfly means soul or life amongst other things) or a wreath of poppies ( associated with Hypnos and Thanatos because of their hypnogogic qualities, and because overexposure to them can bring death). The ibis head is inspired by the fact that these birds were associated with moon and magic in ancient Egypt, and they were also used for sacrificial purposes.

Beautiful Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess 45SURF Hero's Odyssey Mythology Venus! Helen from Homer's Iliad! Black 45SURF Surfboard Pretty Blue Eyes Tall Athletic Brunette Fitness Model! Malibu Beach El Matador State Beach Surf Girl Goddess!

 

Enjoy some epic drone footage and more on my newish Youtube channel, where I fly the DJI Mavic 2 Pro & DJI Mavic 2 Zoom!

geni.us/mcgucken_drone

 

Epic Fine Art Photography Prints & Luxury Wall Art:

geni.us/elliotmcguckenprints

 

Support epic, stoic fine art: Hero's Odyssey Gear!

geni.us/45surf45epicclothing

 

Follow me on Instagram!

geni.us/mcguckenfineart

Facebook:

geni.us/mcgucken-fine-art

 

All my photography celebrates the physics of light! The McGucken Principle of the fourth expanding dimension: The fourth dimension is expanding at the rate of c relative to the three spatial dimensions: dx4/dt=ic .

 

Lao Tzu--The Tao: Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

 

Light Time Dimension Theory: The Foundational Physics Unifying Einstein's Relativity and Quantum Mechanics: A Simple, Illustrated Introduction to the Unifying Physical Reality of the Fourth Expanding Dimensionsion dx4/dt=ic !: geni.us/Fa1Q

 

"Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life." --John Muir

 

Epic Stoicism guides my fine art odyssey and photography: geni.us/epicstoicism

 

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” --John Muir

 

Epic Poetry inspires all my photography: geni.us/9K0Ki Epic Poetry for Epic Landscape Photography: Exalt Fine Art Nature Photography with the Poetic Wisdom of John Muir, Emerson, Thoreau, Homer's Iliad, Milton's Paradise Lost & Dante's Inferno Odyssey

 

“The mountains are calling and I must go.” --John Muir

 

Epic Art & 45EPIC Gear exalting golden ratio designs for your Hero's Odyssey:

geni.us/9fnvAMw

 

Support epic fine art! 45surf ! Bitcoin: 1FMBZJeeHVMu35uegrYUfEkHfPj5pe9WNz

 

Exalt the goddess archetype in the fine art of photography! My Epic Book: Photographing Women Models!

geni.us/m90Ms

Portrait, Swimsuit, Lingerie, Boudoir, Fine Art, & Fashion Photography Exalting the Venus Goddess Archetype: How to Shoot Epic ... Epic! Beautiful Surf Fine Art Portrait Swimsuit Bikini Models!

 

Some of my epic books, prints, & more!

geni.us/aEG4

 

Exalt your photography with Golden Ratio Compositions!

geni.us/eeA1

Golden Ratio Compositions & Secret Sacred Geometry for Photography, Fine Art, & Landscape Photographers: How to Exalt Art with Leonardo da Vinci's, Michelangelo's!

 

Epic Landscape Photography:

geni.us/TV4oEAz

A Simple Guide to the Principles of Fine Art Nature Photography: Master Composition, Lenses, Camera Settings, Aperture, ISO, ... Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography)

 

All art is but imitation of nature.-- Seneca (Letters from a Stoic - Letter LXV: On the First Cause)

 

The universe itself is God and the universal outpouring of its soul. --Chrysippus (Quoted by Cicero in De Natura Deorum)

 

Best wishes on your Epic Odyssey!

 

Homer: Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who traveled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home. . . --Homer's Odyssey, Book I

Associated to fertility and ploughing practices, with references made to her as a virgin. A story of asking for land to a Swedish king (Gylfi) who said she could get whatever she could plough in a day. She was helped by her sons (the bulls) and ploughed what today is the island of Zealand (where Copenhagen is)… amazing... it is good to be a... queen, obviously. The impressive sculpture is in Copenhagen and a fountain runs from its top during the Summer.

Virtus, Honoris, et Actio proVeritas, Amor, et Bellus--XLVSURF

Strength, Honor, and Action, for Truth, Love, and Beauty--45SURF

 

"Beauty will save the world." --Dostoyevsky

 

Gorgeous goddess with beautiful green eyes modeling bikinis and hoodies! Pretty Brunette with long, wavy/curly brown hair on a partially cloudy day! Nikon D800 E 70-200mm VR2 F/2.8 Nikkor Lens Photos. She was tall, thin, fit and athletic with amazing abs! When the sun was out, we shot the swimsuits and bikinis. When the clouds blocked the sun, we shot the nice, warm hoody. :)

  

Shot with the Nikon D800 and AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Nikon Lens & B W 77mm Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Coating! The f/2.8 rocks! :) The polarizer even on overcast days adds my signature touch, as it cuts down on the SB-700 Speedlight Flash glare too.

 

Modeling some 45SURF shirts/hoodies and the favorite Gold'N'Virtue Gold 45 Revolver bikini swimsuits and lingerie too.

  

May the Hero's Journey Mythology Goddesses guide, inspire, and exalt ye along yer heroic artistic journey! Best wishes from Johnny Ranger McCoy!

 

'Tis true!

  

Modeling the black & gold "Gold 45 Revolver" Gold'N'Virtue swimsuits with the gold gun and main equation to Moving Dimensions Theory on the swimsuits: dx4/dt=ic. Yes I have a Ph.D. in physics! :) You can read more about my research and Hero's Journey Physics here:

herosjourneyphysics.wordpress.com/ MDT PROOF#2: Einstein (1912 Man. on Rel.) and Minkowski wrote x4=ict. Ergo dx4/dt=ic--the foundational equation of all time and motion which is on all the shirts and swimsuits. Every photon that hits my Nikon D800e's sensor does it by surfing the fourth expanding dimension, which is moving at c relative to the three spatial dimensions, or dx4/dt=ic!

 

May the Hero's Journey Mythology Goddess inspire you (as they have inspired me!) along your own artistic journey! Love, love, love the 70-200mm F/2.8 Lens! :)

from a project about the song of the siren

Please if you are to use this photo do request permission.

All Rights Reserved 2010 (c) Panayiotis Lambis

folded from 1 equilateral triangle

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