Blake Rowley

History 134 6-25-20

My Military Themed Portfolio Reflection

My goal in this reflection is to show the importance Military/Police throughout the history of

humanity. Through this theme I aim to answer the question “What can I, as an historian of the

ancient world, learn and apply from the history of my ancient ancestors to my own role in

contributing to and acting responsibly for the betterment of society?” The three individuals I

have chosen to help answer this question are Cleomenes I from Module 5, Nero from Module 9,

and Qin Shi Huangdi from Module 14. The lessons I’ve learned from these great military leaders

will show the importance of Military/Police then and how these lessons can help us now starting

with Cleomenes I.

Cleomenes I was an Agiad King of Sparta with his reign being between the late 6th Century BC

and the Early 5th Century BC. What I learned from Cleomenes was integrity in the face of

adversity and standing up to tyranny through military force showed him acting responsibly and

contributed toward Spartan Society. This was shown in the Sparta article by Mark Cartwright in

Module 5 that he stood up for the Athenians in the face of unjust rulers. The paper “Why Study

History” by William McNeil, referenced that the ignorance of history deprives us of the best

available guide to public action and if we were ignorant of military leaders like Cleomenes I,

would we as a society still stand up against overwhelming odds in the face of tyranny like they

did?
The 2nd Person I chose was Nero from Module 9. Nero was in charge of one of the biggest

Armies in history at the time of his reign. Military might allowed for Nero to make sweeping

changes that influence or society such as public trials and an independent senate. Both of these

changes contributed to society and showed a responsible side to Nero as referenced in The

Roman Empire the 1st Century by PBS. The essay “On the Rhetorical Use of History to

Understand the Present” it was referenced that the foundations of modernity come from thinkers

and builders who came before and that applies here with some of our Judicial and Political

processes having been started by Nero. Nero also showed how absolute power can corrupt

absolutely which is another lesson we can learn and apply today given the ending of his reign.

The last person I chose to Highlight was the First Emperor of China Qin Shi Huangdi as

spoken about in module 14. His desire for unity in his nation was achieved through Military

force and given the proper context I believe was a very responsible act and contributed greatly to

the betterment of Chinese society. The quote “Historical narratives offer us stories of humility,

courage, wisdom, and most important hope” from the article What can History teach us today by

Michael Postma applies here to me like no other because in uniting and creating China Qin Shi

Huangdi showed all of this and it was shown in the video from the module 14 learning activity.

In conclusion, I have learned from all of the leader I chose is that the world can be changed for

the better or worse through Military/Police force and I think this lesson applies now more than

ever given the current social climate. These men have shown that one man or woman can change

the course of history and that is the primary lesson I believe can help me become a better citizen
of the world today. I have learned through these Military leaders the importance of acting

responsibly so that I can help improve the society around me. I have also learned the dangers of

not being responsible and how being selfish can lead to my downfall. These are lesson I will pass

on and never forget.

Non Annotated Bibliography

Sources:

1. Mod 13 “Why Study history?” By William H. McNeill

2. Mod 13 “What Can History Teach Us Today” By Michael Postma

3. Mod 13 “On The Rhetorical Use of History to Understand The Present” By Blair Hodges

4. Mod 5 “Sparta” By Mark Cartwright

5. Mod 9 “The Roman Empire: The 1st Century (Nero)” by PBS

6. Mod 14 “ The First Emperor Of China” by D.B.