yesterday's class was great! The poem was much easier to read this time around. It was also an excellent poem and now I am very curious to visit the pyramid of Cestius. The author concentrates on the fact that he had no idea who Cestius was, or what he did. He only knew that his name was now representative of something good since it was directly related to the cementery were many people were buried.

We also listened to a song in Italian. I can easily tell the difference between Italian, German, and French, but I certainly understand Italian the most. It is so close to Spanish. I liked the song, and occasionally I was able to understand a word here and there. The problem is that it is too fast for me to comprehend, and I am sure if I could read the lyrics I would understand much more of it.

The lecture was particularly interesting for me because I love the Renaissance period. It is a period in history that is simply fascinating. The politics of the time were mysterious and complex, and the artistic value of the period is extremely significant. It is as though the most influential artists of all time were born during this period, and their purpose in life was to make Rome the eternally beautiful place that it is. 




We covered the topic of astrology and how it influenced the powerful decisions made by leaders of the time. There is so much mystery about the methods used during this time, such as astrology. In today's world we think of astrology as a science that has some valid points, but overall we do not base our most important decisions on the alignment of the planets or the cosmos. It is not that we are more rational, because Roman leaders of the time were certainly rational. We are simply different. Therefore, our decision making differs from theirs and is based on what is considered relevant in the 21st Century.