Did 300 Spartans Really Hold Thermopylae

One of the all-time great stories of ancient history involved the defense of Thermopylae, when a narrow pass was held for three days against a vast Persian army by just 300 Spartans, 299 of whom perished. The lone survivor took the story back to his people. This legend flourished in the twenty-first century when a film spread the iconic image of six-pack-bearing men in red cloaks fighting a fantastical force. There is just one small problem—this is wrong. There werent just three hundred men, and they werent all Spartans. The Truth Although there were 300 Spartans present at the defense of Thermopylae, there were at least 4,000 allies involved on the first two days and 1,500 men involved in the fatal last stand. Still a tiny figure compared to the forces against them—there is evidence that the vast Persian army has been vastly exaggerated—but more than the legend, which forgets some contributors. Modern militaries have fetishized the slave-murdering Spartans, and used the myth of the 300 as a central prop. Background Having raised a vast army operating on the limits of supply and command—perhaps 100,000 strong, although likely smaller—the Persian King Xerxes invaded Greece in 480 BCE, intent on adding the city-states to an empire which already spanned three continents. The Greeks responded by putting aside traditionally enmity, allying, and identifying a place to check the Persian advance: the land pass of Thermopylae, already fortified, was just forty miles away from a narrow sea strait between Euboea and the mainland. Here, smaller Greek forces could block the armies and fleet of the Persians at the same time and hopefully protect Greece itself. The Spartans, a brutal people with arguably the most militaristic culture in history (Spartans could only reach manhood once they’d killed a slave), agreed to defend Thermopylae. However, this agreement was given in the first half of 480 and, as the Persian advance proceeded inexorably but leisurely, months passed. By the time Xerxes had reached Mount Olympus, it was August. August was a bad time for the Spartans to go into battle, for they were to obligated to hold both their Olympics and Carneia that month. To miss either was to offend the Gods, something the Spartans cared passionately about. A compromise was needed between sending a full army and keeping their divine favor: an advance guard of 300 Spartans, led by King Leonidas (ca. 560–480 BCE) would go. Instead of taking the Hippeis (his 300 strong bodyguard of the best young men), Leonidas departed with 300 veterans. The (4)300 There was a little more to the compromise. The Spartan 300 weren’t supposed to be holding the pass by themselves; instead, their absent army would be replaced by troops from other states. 700 came from Thespiae, 400 from Thebes. The Spartans themselves brought 300 Helots, basically slaves, to assist. At least 4,300 men occupied the pass of Thermopylae to fight. Thermopylae The Persian army did indeed arrive at Thermopylae and, after their offer of free passage to the Greek defenders was refused, they attacked on the fifth day. For forty-eight hours, the defenders of Thermopylae held out, defeating not just the poorly trained levies sent to dull them, but the Immortals, the Persian elite. Unfortunately for the Greeks, Thermopylae held a secret: a small pass by which the main defenses could be outflanked. On the sixth night, the second of the battle, the Immortals followed this path, brushed aside the small guard and prepared to catch the Greeks in a pincer. The 1,500 King Leonidas, undisputed head of the Greek defenders, was made aware of this pincer by a runner. Unwilling to sacrifice the entire army, but determined to keep the Spartan promise to defend Thermopylae, or perhaps just act as a rearguard, he ordered everyone but his Spartans and their Helots to retreat. Many did, but the Thebans and Thespians stayed (the former possibly because Leonidas insisted they stay as hostages). When battle commenced the next day, there were 1500 Greeks left, including 298 Spartans (two having been sent on missions). Caught between the main Persian army and 10,000 men to their rear, all were involved in fighting and wiped out. Only Thebans who surrendered remained. Legends It is entirely possible the above account contains other myths. Historians have suggested the full force of Greeks may have been as high as 8,000 to begin with or that the 1,500 only stayed put on the third day after being trapped by the Immortals. The Spartans may have only sent 300, not because of the Olympics or Carneia, but because they didn’t wish to defend so far north, although it does seem unusual they would have sent a King if so. The truth of the defense of Thermopylae is no less fascinating than the myth  and should undercut the transformation of the Spartans into idealized supermen. Resources and Further Reading Bradford, Ernle. Thermopylae: The Battle for the West. New York: Open Road Media, 2014Green, Peter. The Greco-Persian Wars. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1998.Lazenby, J. F.  The Defense of Greece. Aris Phillips, 1993.Matthews, Robert Oliver. The Battle of Thermopylae: A Campaign in Context. Spellmount, 2006.​ Holland, Tom. Persian Fire. New York: Little Brown, 2005.

Overview Of Schumpeter Denoted Entrepreneur As An...

Schumpeter denoted entrepreneur as a key in the economic growth and entrepreneurial process as a prime element in the progress and advancement of economy. Again he stated that entrepreneurship is an essential element for the development of any economy and economic and political framework condition would not affect the growth. The benefits due to entrepreneurship to community will be greater in those economies where entrepreneurs have flexibility to operate, to expand their ideas, and to obliterate the rewards. To attract more and more productive entrepreneurs, governments need to take corrective measures to streamline the policies and regulations. Government should prepare a different framework for the negative effects of layoffs in†¦show more content†¦This will lead to introduction of new technology, innovation of new product line, transformation of their production systems, existing power structures. The crescent interest, in the field of entrepreneurship has enhanced more with the interest of dynamic role of small businesses. In developing country like India small business has a remarkable potential. After analyzing statistical data of various countries it has been shown that small firm developed faster than big industries. Large industries first lost jobs while small industries created new workplaces. Thus the focus is more on small scale industries, which tend to the origin of employment in the developing country India with respect to rural areas. Apart from the employment many other factors denotes the economic progress of country. These factors include investment in fixed assets, climate, infrastructures, inflation, education and institutional quality. Young people are an integral part of the rural community they are able to encourage the long-term economic and social development of the country. According to ‘Food and Agricultural Organization’ (FAO) there is no universally accepted definition of youth. For statistical purposes, the United Nations General Assembly in 1985 for the International Youth Year first defined youth â€Å"as people between the ages of 15 and 24† . Moreover youth can be described in more alternative ways; as on different stage of

Principles of Conditioning Free Essays

Needs and drives, what exactly are they and what do they have to do with dogs/dog training? A need or drive is a type of motivation that describes the behaviors dogs show during training. Needs can be something as obvious as water or food, all the way to behaviors that serve no clear physical need at all (ex play behavior). Dog training is all about arranging matters so the dog’s yearnings are met when they perform the desired action. We will write a custom essay sample on Principles of Conditioning or any similar topic only for you Order Now Before any of this can take place you must ensure all of the dog’s primary needs are met. The dog needs to be in a healthy state, be happy, and have a good emotional connection to the trainer, also known as rapport. There are two types of drives, primary and secondary. Primary drives are the drives that are a necessity for ensuring your dog stays alive and healthy (i. e. thirst and hunger). If these drives are not met it can lead to injury or death. Secondary drives include all of the motivations that make a dog behave the way it does. They are not as necessary for the life and health of a dog, but are still very important. 1) Primary drives: ) Oxygen: i) Quite simply, the dog needs oxygen to survive. Many things your dog does increase the oxygen that they consume, which results in panting. Panting is also a way that your dog expels excess heat. Heavy panting can interfere with the sense of smell (olfactory). b) Thirst: ii) The need for water. It’s important to maintain your dog’s hydration level so it does not interfere with training. Also water cannot be u sed as a reward for the dog. c) Hunger: iii) Just like oxygen and water, food is also a very important part in keeping your dog happy and healthy. Though, unlike water food can be used as a reward, normally in the form of a treat. The dog should not eat if it has recently been doing intense physical activity, particularly in hot conditions. d) Drive to avoid pain and discomfort: iv) Dogs are a very intelligent species and learn very quickly, especially when there is a pain factor involved. They will avoid performing actions that they have learned cause them pain. Thus why handlers will inflict a type of discomfort when the dog disobeys or performs an action incorrectly. I. e. f you command the dog to sit but they ignore, or perform an incorrect action the handler will give a physical correction (command avoidance) that inflict pain upon the dog. In this process the dog is learning that if it does not sit like it has been taught it will be corrected (punished). Before you can use this type of training you must ensure that the dog knows the desired response. 2) Secondary drives: e) Socialization: v) This is basically the same as the dogs pack drive. One of the dog’s strongest drives is to have a social relationship with other dogs or humans. It needs to be a stable relationship in which the dog trusts or has affection for it’s companion. Though this is not an instantly created bond, it is extremely important for the handler to build rapport with the dog. Walking, feeding, grooming, or just playing with the dog for a period of time can build this relationship. Building rapport is very important to the successfulness of the team. Socialization is made up of two sub-types, alpha and beta. (1) Alpha is what the dog initially wants to be. It’s instinct for dogs to want to have supremacy or dominance in a relationship. 2) Beta is when the dog is submissive, and allows others to be in control and dominant. This is what you want your dog to be as a handler. This is because the dog will show willingness or motivation to please the handler by completing actions that the handler commands. f) Play socialization: vi) Play socialization does not clearly serve any important needs, but it is important to incorporate fun pl ay into the relationship between handler and dog. g) Prey drive: vii) This is the dog’s natural instinct to attack, bite, and carry anything the dog sees as prey. This can be another animal or object. What a dog would do to a rabbit, can be initiated by throwing a ball in most circumstances. This predatory instinct is very important in dog training, especially in controlled aggression. h) Aggression: viii) This includes any behaviors such as biting, growling, and fighting when used to compete with others for resources (food/water) or to protect them selves when felt threatened. Dominant, defensive, and pain-elicited aggression are all a vital role in motivating dogs in patrol training or rewarding them with a bite. How to cite Principles of Conditioning, Papers

Business Report On Airtasker Free Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Business Report On Airtasker. Answer: Introduction With its headquarters in Sydney, Airtasker was founded in 2012 by the collaborative idea of Australian entrepreneurs Tim Fung and Jonathan Lui. As a matter of specification, the company enables the users to outsource tasks related to mobile and marketing (Airtasker.com, 2018). After the users describe the task, a budget is set, allowing the community members to complete the task. Following the footsteps of the Tim Fung and Jonathan Lui has assisted 120 employees to take the sales revenue of the company to $3.5 million AUD. Seeking innovation in the business has acted as an agent for the company to reach 1,700,000 users. Thirst for success proved effective in terms of raising the revenue to AUD $1.5 million immediately after the launch (Airtasker.com, 2018). Business model canvas for Airtasker Key relationship between the building blocks of business model canvas Partnership with the TaskBox and CareerOne helps Airtasker to reach to large number of customers. Surfing the website makes the personnel aware of the users and the tasks, which they wish to complete. Promise of high rated insurance is an indication towards the achievement of loyalty, trust and dependence from the customers (Besteiro, Pinto Novaski, 2015). Offers, schemes and discounts on the tasks enable the personnel to increase the trafficking of the audience towards the brand image. From this lot, the personnel pick out the unemployed youth for enhancing their employment. Bidding is the main activity carried out by the personnel in terms of valuing the purchasing power of the users (Airtasker.com, 2018). Although premium-pricing method is used, however, the users are provided with the opportunity to review the tasks prior to finalizing the task to be completed. Offers, schemes and discounts are awarded on certain tasks for luring the users as well as the workers (Chang, 2016). P ositive response escalates the sales revenue of the company along with the profit margin. Making effective and judicious use of the latest design IT systems enhances the stability in the relationship with the customers (Airtasker.com, 2018). Critical success factors, which helped Airtasker to achieve sustainable growth Free posting of the tasks added to the stock of customers for Airtasker. This reflects the consciousness of the personnel towards the specific needs, demands and requirements of the stakeholders and shareholders (Doppelt, 2017). Along with this, allowing the users to review the offers on the tasks is valuation towards the purchasing power of the customers (Airtasker.com, 2018). Allotment of the right person for getting the work done has enabled the staffs to execute the business activities in an efficient and effective manner (Gamble Thompson, 2014). Top rated insurance is one of the other aspects relating to the achievement of growth. Prevention of the third party interference ensures the safety and security of the users. Following the guidelines of CGU Insurance proved effective in terms of averting the instances of personal injury or property damage during execution of the tasks. Making the payment process secure has eased the burden of the users in terms of outsourcing more tasks (Goetsch Davis, 2014). Taking into consideration Airtasker Pay has stabilized the financial parameter of the company. The decision of the users matters the most as compared to the payment (Airtasker.com, 2018). Creation of jobs has enhanced the employment of the youths. Usage of social media has resulted in the creation of over $215 million jobs. Availability of $15.40 jobs per month has enhanced the trafficking of the audience towards the brand image. Getting employed in Airtasker has provided job satisfaction to the staffs. This is due to a stable income, which helps them in their survival strategies (Gollenia, 2016). Evaluation of the factors, which can cause downside risk Risks are an inseperable part of the business in companies and organizations. Risks vary in their intensity, possessing flexibility to add vulnerability to the market position. Financial risks deprive the personnel from fulfilling the specific needs and preferences of the customers (Maylor, Blackmon Huemann, 2016). This segment sheds light on the factors, which can cause downside risk for Airtasker in terms of their business (Airtasker.com, 2018). The nature of business operations in Airtasker is online. Therefore, the biggest risk is cyber crime. Non-compliance to the CGU guidelines can result in utter loss. Negligence in monitoring the performance of the staffs is also a risk in terms of ensuring the security and safety of the users. Along with this, delay in repayment of the loans can strain the relationship between the company and the stakeholders (Parris et al., 2016). If the users do not get access to the websites, it is a loss for the company in terms of achieving high revenue and profit margin. Negligence of the personnel towards this issue is a risk, as it would add vulnerability in the market position of the company. If the personnel are not conscious towards the installation of the security software in the profile of the users is also a risk (Airtasker.com, 2018). This is in terms of shredding off the responsibilities towards ensuring the wellbeing of the customers. This attitude puts the employment of the personnel at risk. Defective systems stall the productivity of the company. This is an issue in times of completing the projects. The defective systems disrupt the process of transmission of orders from the customers to the personnel (Rosemann Brocke, 2015). This disruption results in the improper completion of the tasks, compelling the personnel to receive complaints from the customers. The major drive behind this is the lack of planning, which results in the failure towards completion of the tasks within the stipulated time and the terms and conditions (Weiss, 2014). Elongated process of outsourcing the tasks makes the process complicated for the users. If the systems takes too long for providing appropriate workers to complete the tasks, then it can be the intervention of the hackers or malfunctioning due to virus attacks (Airtasker.com, 2018). This is because of the absence of privacy cookies and policies, resulting in the loss of users personal data and information (Wheelen et al., 2017). Self-reflection on the changes to the business If the Airtasker business were mine, first, I would have created plans. This planning would have helped me to organize the tasks according to their priority. In this, I would have involved the board of directors, stakeholders and the shareholders. This would have proved beneficial in terms of gaining an insight into their approach towards the developed plans. After this, I would have sent a draft to the higher authorities regarding the developed plans and strategies for gaining their approval towards the plans. After gaining the approval from the higher authorities, I would have constructed a team, which is strong and flexible for carrying out the assigned duties and responsibilities. For this, I would have considered Tuckmans stages of team development. This consideration would have assisted in estimating the progress. After the creation of the team, I would have adopted equal distribution of tasks to the team members. Prior to this, I would have appointed a team leader, who would be responsible for managing the performance of the team members. Before beginning the tasks, I would have provided training sessions to both the team leaders and the members, briefing the project and their roles towards making the project successful. These sessions would have enriched their preconceived skills, expertise and knowledge regarding management. I would have taken post-training tests for assessing the capability of the members towards making practical application of the learnt skills in executing the workplace operations. This assessment would also be crucial for me in terms of appraising the performance of the team leaders as well as the members. I would organize counseling sessions with the employees in order to see if they are facing any problems while carrying out the assigned duties and responsibilities. This activity would enhance the stability in our relationship. I think organizing discussion forums would provide the employees with a platform to voice out their opinion regarding the workplace issues. This type of attitude would reflect my concern towards providing a safe and comfortable workplace to the employees. In order to provide job security, I would have introduced security policies. Within this, if the employees face any kind of accident or injury in the workplace, the company will bear the charge of medicines, hospitals and treatment. In return, a small amount would be deducted from the employees salary. Along with this, I would take feedbacks from them regarding improving the standards and quality of the business. This would help in achieving infrastructural development, which is an agent in terms of attracting the customers. Evaluation would be an important part of my daily activities. This would help me to identify the drawbacks within the ways and means for carrying out the business activities. I would maintain consistency in evaluating the effectiveness of the exposed performance in terms of the identified goals and objectives for upgrading the standards and quality of business. Conclusion and recommendations This assignment proves successful in providing an insight into the current business practices adopted by Airtasker. The business model canvas acts as a summary for the business activities carried out by the company for enhancing the productivity. collaboration is the main aspect followed by Airtasker for achieving positive outcomes in the business. Herein lays the correlation with the heading relationship between the nine building blocks of the business model canvas. Risk mitigation helps the personnel in achieving trust, loyalty and dependence from the customers. Strategies and policies need to be developed by the managers for assuring the customers that their investments would be valued. Training would be crucial in terms of upgrading the preconceived skills, knowledge and expertise regarding management. Evaluation would bring to the forefront the major drawbacks in the business practices. Maintaining consistency in the execution of evaluation would be a cornerstone in penetrating into the international markets. References and bibliography Airtasker.com (2018), Get more done, Retrieved 25th March, 2018 from https://www.airtasker.com/ Besteiro, E. N. C., Pinto, J. D., Novaski, O. (2015). Success factors in project management.BusinessManagement Dynamics,4(9), 19-34. Chang, J. F. (2016).Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. CRC Press. Doppelt, B. (2017).Leading change toward sustainability: A change-management guide for business, government and civil society. Routledge. Gamble, J., Thompson, A. A. (2014).Essentials of strategic management. Irwin Mcgraw-Hill. Goetsch, D. L., Davis, S. B. (2014).Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson. Gollenia, L. A. (2016).Business transformation management methodology. Routledge. Maylor, H., Blackmon, K., Huemann, M. (2016).Researching business and management. Palgrave. Parris, D. L., Dapko, J. L., Arnold, R. W., Arnold, D. (2016). Exploring transparency: a new framework for responsible business management.Management Decision,54(1), 222-247. Rosemann, M., vom Brocke, J. (2015). The six core elements of business process management. InHandbook on business process management 1(pp. 105-122). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Weiss, J. W. (2014).Business ethics: A stakeholder and issues management approach. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Wheelen, T. L., Hunger, J. D., Hoffman, A. N., Bamford, C. E. (2017).Strategic management and business policy. pearson.