What Was Life Like in an Ancient Roman Apartment

Have you ever shouted, â€Å"The rent is too damn high†? Watched your monthly rent payments skyrocket with no end in sight? Dodged disgusting vermin? You’re not alone. The ancient Romans had the same problems with their apartments. From slumlords to sanitation problems, pests to putrid odors, Roman urban living was no walk in the park., especially with tiles and waste falling down on you from windows above. Shoved Together in Uncomfortable Quarters Even in the very early days of Rome, people were shoved together in uncomfortable quarters. Wrote Tacitus, â€Å"This collection of animals of every kind mixed together, distressed both the citizens by the unusual stench, and the peasants crowded together into their close apartments, with heat, want of sleep, and their attendance on each other, and contact itself propagated the disease.†Ã‚  That continued on into the Republic and empire. Roman Tenements Roman tenements were called insulae, or islands, because they occupied whole blocks, with the roads flowing around them like water around an island.  The insulae, often consisting of six to eight apartment blocks built around a staircase and central courtyard, housed poor workers who couldn’t afford a traditional domus or house. Landlords would rent out the very bottom spots to shops, much like modern apartment buildings. Scholars have estimated that 90 to 95 percent of the population of the port town of Ostia resided in insulae. To be fair, there are dangers in applying data from other cities, especially Ostia, where insulae were often well-built, to Rome itself.  By the fourth century A.D.,  though, there were around 45,000 insulae in Rome, as opposed to fewer than 2,000  private homes. Lower Floors Had Wealthiest Tenants Many people would have been crammed into their quarters, and, if you were fortunate enough to own your apartment, you could sublet it, leading to lots of legal complications. Not much has changed, let’s be honest. Apartments—a.k.a. cenacula—on the lower floor  would be the easiest to access and, therefore, contain the wealthiest tenants; while poorer individuals were precariously perched on higher floors in tiny rooms called cellae. If you lived on the top floor, life was a trip.  In Book 7 of his Epigrams, Martial told the story of a gluttonous social hanger-on named Santra, who, once he finagled an invitation to a dinner party, pocketed as much food as he could. â€Å"These things he carries home with him, up some two hundred steps,† Martial noted, and Santra sold the food the next day for a profit. All Falls Down Often made of concrete-covered brick, insulae usually contained five or more stories. They were sometimes so flimsily built, thanks to poor craftsmanship, foundations, and building materials, that they collapsed and killed passersby. As a result, emperors restricted how high landlords could construct insulae. Augustus limited the height to 70 feet. But later, after the Great Fire in 64 A.D.—during which he supposedly fiddled—Emperor Nero â€Å"devised a new form for the buildings of the city and in front of the houses and apartments he erected porches, from the flat roofs of which fires could be fought, and these he put up at his own cost.† Trajan later lowered the maximum building height to 60 feet. Building Codes and Slumlords Builders were supposed to make walls at least an inch and a half thick, so as to give people a lot of room. That didn’t work so well, especially since building codes probably weren’t followed, and most tenants were too poor to prosecute slumlords. If insulae didn’t fall down, they could be washed away in a flood. Thats about the only time their inhabitants would get natural water since there was rarely in-home plumbing in an apartment. They were so unsafe that the poet Juvenal quipped in his Satires,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Who fears, or ever feared, that their house might collapse† in the countryside? No one, obviously.  Things were very different in the city, however, he said: â€Å"We inhabit a  Rome  held up for the most part by slender props since that’s the way management stop the buildings falling down.† The insulae caught fire frequently, Juvenal noted, and those on the upper floors would be the last to hear warnings, he said: â€Å"The last to burn will be the one a bare tile protects from the rain.†Ã‚   Strabo, in his Geography, commented that there was a vicious cycle of houses burning down and collapsing, sales, then subsequent reconstruction on the same site. He observed, â€Å"The building of houses †¦ goes on unceasingly in consequence of the collapses and fires and repeated sales (these last, too, going on unceasingly); and indeed the sales are intentional collapses, as it were since the purchasers keep on tearing down the houses and build new ones, one after another, to suit their wishes.†Ã‚   Some of the most famous Romans were slumlords. The illustrious orator and politician Cicero derived a lot of his income from rents from insulae he owned.  In a letter to his best friend Atticus, Cicero discussed turning an old bath into tiny apartments and urged his pal to outbid everyone for the property he wanted. The uber-wealthy Marcus Licinius Crassus supposedly waited for buildings to burn down—or perhaps set the blazes himself—to snap them up at a bargain price. One can only wonder if he then hiked the rent...

How Far Do The Media Influence Your Own Sense Of Personal...

How far do the media influence our opinions and contribute to our own sense of personal identity and self-definition? Introduction Everyday our minds get filled with new information, images and sounds. Enormous amounts of information streams give us certain idea of the world we live in. Of course media consumption is personal and sometimes very selective for each individual. Even though we cannot build a wall between us and information that is spreading all over the world. What is really interesting about the media is that people in audiences do not necessarily always personally choose their media or the specific content to which they find themselves exposed to (McQuail, 2010). It is very interesting, however, that the general public tend to take all provided information as an inescapable truth. The influence of the media on the people can be that intense that we would not have a need to discuss statements, which were read, heard or seen on a screen. The role of the media is to tell what is happening around us, but public tend to give this information a blind trust. Never the less, the influence of the media nec essarily leads to development of personal awareness and curiosity on the world news and developments. The media extend the natural limits of human communication, it substitutes social activities and institutions, the media amalgamate with various non-media activities and organisations of all sectors of society accommodate to the media logic (Schulz, 2004). AudiencesShow MoreRelatedInfluence of Media and Culture on Self Image1724 Words   |  7 Pagesculture today experiencing information overload leading to self confusion? Having access to information twenty-four hours a day does not necessarily have a positive impact on society and self image. Media content despite its public charge does not exactly mirror real self image. 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In my opinionRead MorePersonal Leadership Philosophy2884 Words   |  12 Pages My Personal Leadership Philosophy My definition of leadership My father once told me that, â€Å"everything we do— be it in academia, at work, social or family life—we are guided by principles, beliefs and values that collectively form our ideology of life.† I believe that every leader, to a certain extent, is shaped through her individual personal experience. Although in some cases, we may not realize to what extent our personal assumptions and beliefs shape our ability to lead or be led. In my opinionRead MoreSocial Medi Perception And Identity3357 Words   |  14 Pages SOCIAL MEDIA: PERCEPTION AND IDENTITY; LEAVING REALITY Jeremiah Morse December 3, 2014 Research, Process and Methodology Introduction Social media is a large part of everyday life in today’s society. Almost everyone has some sort of social media account, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 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Business Research Method And knowledge †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Business Research Method And knowledge. Answer: Individuals tend to believe and accept knowledge about a subject if there is evidence to back the information. This leads to people researching and learning about that particular subject till they are satisfied with the resulting evidence. Research is the increase of ones knowledge and understanding, confirming and reaffirming of a particular subject and also finding new ideas to solutions (Bernard, (2012)). The objective of a research is to come up with new or modifying existing ideas that help an individual in solving problems. Importance of research is to be applied in businesses, help in solving various problems and in the provision of basic knowledge and skills that enable businesses to meet its challenges and also help in decision making (Abilock, (2010)). Undergraduate Students should be encouraged to learn and participate in business research methods and research proposals. This strengthens their future foundation when they write their thesis during their masters which is a requirement to pass that stage. They should be guided by their respective lecturers while conducting these researchers and should not shy away from understanding the research processes and methods used during this process. The learning experience has helped me as a student to understand more the need to conduct researches and how to apply the ideas in real life experiences. As an undergraduate student, I am required to come up with a business project and by learning research methodology, I will be able to conduct research and complete the project. It will help while searching for a proposal during my project writing. This will not only help in the understanding of the unit but also my course as a whole. I will be able to complete the program in the required time as required. Learning research methodology will help me in applying my ability to conduct a written form of scientific study, evaluate the finding and utilize them in my career in future and also in daily life in general. During the research period, it is possible to come up with ideologies that may assist in future and may also benefit the society as a whole (Creswell, 2013). The aim of learning research methodology course is to gain basic knowledge in and research methods. First, the student is taken through the process of creation of knowledge and emphasizing on producing scientific knowledge. Most important elements are the ideology, problem formulations, approaches and method of collecting data and analyzing it. Research designs and strategies are discussed and method for data collection and sampling are also discussed, based on the availability of information needed by the student. This course focuses on developing students ability to gather information and use this data in appropriate ways, evaluating of that information according to the relevant criterias (Zikmund, (2012)). during the learning period, I was able to participate in the research process. Students were required to come up with business proposals that were to help in the research process. This was a process itself where students were required to brainstorm ideas and problems that may find solutions to in real life situations. We were grouped in fours and each group had to have a different idea from the rest. After the proposals, student research deeper on the topics to ensure they knew of the problem at hand in details. During this process, different methods like qualitative, quantitative and analytical research designs. Different methods of collection of data were used. Questionnaires were created in order to collect the public opinion from different people, interviews with business owners were conducted to collect information on the businesses and how it is relevant in solving of business proposals , students were also able to observe people and how they behave which influenced their decision making while conducting the research, case studies were utilized where more rigorous methods were used and where the problem affected the behavior of individuals in an environment. The business research was useful in the learning process since it challenged us as students to come up with new ideas that may be utilized to benefit the society as a whole and us as individuals. Many students were able to think critically and innovate new ideas that also helped to solve problems that are happening in the community. Students took this process as a challenge and most came up with simple life hacks that may be beneficial to everyone. This brought about new insight in the community and new business was created which also helped in reduction of unemployment. Benefits of a good research is that one fact may be supported by various sources which give the research or assignment the accuracy it requires, there are more viewpoints during topic research, more facts are used in the final project, student has a larger frame of understanding the topic and knowledge is gained after a short time. Research also helped me to work well and effectively with other team members, improve communication with others and be more organized while conducting and writing of the research topics (William, (2015)). Research methodology as a unit has helped me in researching other units which in turn helps me understand them more. This has improved the quality of work and it becomes easier to complete assignments on time. This, in turn, help me in my grades which have improved tremendously over the course of time. Learning of business research methodology will help me in future career and life since methods learned will be applied in solving problems in a business career and enable me to understand occurrences by researching more on them. It is therefore important for every student to learn this course which will help them in their future careers and in their day-to-day activities. Supervisors should encourage and implement personalized approaches with students to ensure that they fully understand the importance of research and how to conduct one. They should engage them practically and correct them where they go wrong. This will expose students to research activities and they will be able to adopt a researchers mindset. References Abilock, D., (2010). Inquiry evaluation. Knowledge quest, 3(38), pp. 34-45. Bernard, H. R. a. B. H. R., (2012). Social Research Methods: Qualitative, quantitative approaches. s.l.:Sage. Bryman, A. a. B. E., (2015). Business Research Methods. (4th edn) ed. UK: Orxford University Press. Creswell, J., 2013. Research design: Quaitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. s.l.:Sage Publications. Saunders, M. N., (2011). Research Methods for business students. (5th edn) ed. India: Pearson Education India. Sherri, L. J., (2015). Research Methods and Statistics: Critical Thinking Approach. (5th edn) ed. USA: Cengage. William, T. J. P. . A. K., (2015). Research Methods. (2nd edn) ed. USA: Cengage. Zikmund, W. G., (2012). Business Research Methods. (9th edn) ed. USA: Cengage.

Crime Mapping free essay sample

The spatial nature of crime and other police-related issues is central to understanding the nature of the problem. In this discussion contents of geographic data and descriptive segments of a Burglary To Motor Vehicle Map will be explained. The following map portrays criminal activity (burglary to vehicles) displayed through a geographic information system (GIS) which translates elements in the real world (roads, buildings, lakes, and mountains) into forms that can be displayed, manipulated, and analyzed. In addition to police data such as crime, drug houses, and parolees (Boba, 2009). The time period being analyzed in the following crime map for the incidents portrayed, range on a monthly time frame ( January 1, 2006 January 31, 2006). This method of identifying patterns and describing patterns which can be displayed in several series; time of day, day(s) of the week, weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly is known as time series analysis (Boba, 2009). Line features represent street segments a real-world element that can be represented on a map. Not standing alone, other types of line features represent power lines, bus routes, rivers, and streams. Similar to point features, every segment of street keep up a correspondence to a record in the feature shown in the data matrix located on the left side of the map (Boba, 2009). In addition, another type of vector data useful in crime mapping are point features. Point features are a distinct locality that is more or less portraying on a GIS-generated map in a way of a symbol or label. Different symbols are used in a geographic information system to depict the location of information applicable to the analysis. Such symbols can be classified as, crime, motor vehicle accidents, traffic signs, buildings, police beat stations, and cell phone towers. In this particular crime map burglary to motor vehicle, parolee, and drug house are the labels used which depict the location, known as point features (Boba, 2009). Moving on, a geographic area is a polygon feature illustrated on a map by means of multisided outline with a closed set of lines. Polygon features vary in size, it could represent areas as large as continents or as small as buildings. For the purpose of GIS-generated maps polygon features may be used to depict county boundaries, city boundaries, parks, school campuses, or police districts (Boba, 2009). Primary Data Data collected specifically for the purpose of the analysis at hand is referred to primary data. For the purpose of any particular crime map, primary data is collected through surveys, interviews, field research, and direct observation. This data may be coded and entered into a database or may be left in description form. Primary data can be collected from people through interviews, focus groups and surveys. Primary data can be collected from places attributed from environmental surveys and direct observation (Boba, 2009). Secondary Data In contrast, information that have been composed beforehand and usually on an continuing basis are secondary data. This information is contained in an electronic database. It is common practice to use secondary data in crime analysis, for the simple fact that police agencies, city departments, and government entities continuously collect and store data that are pertinent to the issues crime analysis scrutinize. To illustrate, law enforcement organizations retrieve information in crime reports, accident reports, and arrest reports, and city entities collect data on street networks, keep business registries, accumulate data on utility usage, and collect information on taxes and licenses (Boba, 2009). Personal analysis In reviewing the Burglary To Motor Vehicle crime map it appears that all information displayed on the map contributes to the purpose of the map. Except the mile maker scale which appear to be off, indicating from 0 to the first marking is 7501,500 miles. However, using calls-for-service data could be used to monitor police activity in relation to the burglary to motor vehicles. Analyzing both activities can generate data to establish a pro-active approach, having police presence in areas were vehicle burglary is more constant. In addition, raster data can provide detailed location of drug activity around the areas of the drug houses. Using this data, sting operations can be conformed around streets, buildings, parking lots, and environmental features. Users of non-law enforcement will have a better view of the drug areas in which they can avoid. Raster data is used to display features on the earths surface, using satellite images which can help to provide detailed data in analyzing drug activities. In analyzing the map further, one particular pattern arouse my suspicion. At the bottom of the map, right side, parolee displayed neighboring the river, appear to be surrounded with burglary to vehicles. To pursue some resolution to this particular area tactical crime analysis must be set in place. Obtaining information on the where, when, and how concerning, burglary to vehicles and the parolee will assist police officers in identifying and understanding the pattern within that particular area. Crime statistics could be another essential tool in identifying times certain burglaries occur (Temp Police Department, 2009). Conclusion Crime can be dated back to ancient history, today technology used by crime analyst assist law You go in the right direction when referencing the parolees but downplay its | |significance. Isnt there a correlation between the drug houses, parolees and the crimes. A good crime map will be self-explanatory on its | |face with little need for further clarification. Meanwhile you are also fairly on target in your assessment of what might need additional | |information or further inquiry using the reasoning you demonstrate. Overall it was a good effort.