The Sibylline Oracle mentions the Greek gods known as the Titans as a way to gain the attention of Greek gentiles and to suggests the inferiority of a false story as compared to that of the God of the Israelites. In this case, the remembrance of the Titans is used within propaganda for the Israelites faith. However, remembrance is used by people for many different purposes, and is spurred by varying situations and events.
Today our class visited the First Cemetery of Athens. Being in a place wholly dedicated to the remembrance of loved ones who are no longer with us caused me to think about the people in my own life who are no longer here. To me, contemplating memories of the deceased is the best way in which we can honor their lives.
I was truly moved by my experience in visiting the cemetery here in Athens because it was unlike any cemetery I have visited before. Granted, I have not visited many cemeteries back home, but I did have the opportunity to visit Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C. several years ago. The cemetery I visited today stood in stark contrast to Arlington. While Arlington appears very uniform and somewhat impersonal, the cemetery today was filled with mosalleums that are extremely personal. This difference in cemetery tradition suggests that there may also be cultural differences in the way that the two cultures think about death, and therefore recall memories of the dead.
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