Emi Berea

Must pet everyone equally

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Though it looks like something from a fantasy film, this is a real place. It is a sculpture of King Decebalus, carved into the cliffs of the Danube River in Romania. At 45 metres tall and 25 metres wide, it is Europe's largest rock-cut sculpture. And it was only made in 2004... So, this sculpture depicts Decebalus, the last ruler of the ancient kingdom of Dacia, equivalent to modern-day Romania. Though he fiercely defended Dacian independence against the Romans he was eventually defeated by the Emperor Trajan in 106 AD. But this statue of Decebalus is not as old as it might seem. It was created over ten years between 1994 and 2004, carved into a cliff overlooking the Danube River on the border between Serbia and Romania, in a gorge known as the Iron Gates. Beneath it are inscribed these words: DECEBALUS REX DRAGAN FECIT Which translate to: King Decebalus Made by Drăgan This "Drăgan" was Iosif Constantin Drăgan, the Romanian businessman who bought the cliff and paid twelve sculptors to create the sculpture of Decebalus. But this monument has been criticised for several reasons. First of all because it was seen as too nationalistic; Iosif Constantin Drăgan defended a controversial view of history according to which Romania was the birthplace of European civilisation and culture. Similarly, by having paid for the whole thing and inscribing his name on it, the sculpture has been labelled an egoistic monument to Iosif Constantin Drăgan himself. And, thirdly, it has been called inappropriate, ugly, and tacky. Why ruin a beautiful natural landscape with an artificial, out-of-place, modern imposition? Well, are these criticisms fair? As for the point about nationalism, Decebalus has long been a Romanian hero regardless of Iosif Constantin Drăgan's take on history, and nothing about the sculpture itself speaks to his particular views. It is, to all who look upon it, a monument to none other than Decebalus himself, the defender of Romanian independence. Regarding the egoism of Iosif Constantin Drăgan, to pay for such a colossal sculpture and inscribe his name upon it? Well, millions of people all around the world admire the Great Pyramid of Ancient Egypt even though it was, quite literally, a man-made mountain built for the benefit of one person alone: the Pharaoh Khufu. But the Great Pyramid has long since become a symbol of Egypt itself rather than a personal monument to Khufu; this is true of many now-beloved historical buildings and monuments. And, besides, it has been normal throughout history for buildings and monuments to be named after the people who paid for them, never mind simply having their names recorded. Where did New York's Rockefeller Center get its name? It was commissioned by the Rockefeller Family. Why does the Pantheon in Rome have "M. AGRIPPA" inscribed on its facade? It was the replacement for an earlier Roman temple which had been commissioned by Marcus Agrippa. And the Eiffel Tower? It's named after Gustave Eiffel, who owned the company which designed and built it. Centuries from now most people will look at the sculpture of Decebalus without knowing who "Drăgan" was, if they even read the inscription. As for the third criticism, about the sculpture of Decebalus being an artificial, even kitsch, modern imposition? The simple truth is that everything which is old was also once brand new. If we think the sculpture of Decebalus is tacky... well, that's exactly how people in the past felt about everything from the Eiffel Tower to the Coliseum. Few buildings (or works of art) are properly admired when they are brand new. Indeed, the Eiffel Tower was originally considered an unspeakable tragedy and a national disgrace — now it has become a symbol of France. Michelangelo's frescos in the Sistine Chapel were deeply controversial for decades; later artists even painted over his work! But now, five hundred years on, the Sistine Chapel is universally acclaimed as a masterpiece and all those controversies and criticisms have faded. The power of time is that it gives a building or artwork Age; and Age transforms even the most ordinary object into something fascinating, worthy, or even beautiful. If we look at the sculpture of Decebalus and remember that it is barely 20 years old, perhaps it does seem like a rather tasteless modern monument. But, if we imagine the huge rock-cut face of Decebalus as one hundred, five hundred, or a thousand years old, it suddenly seems much more evocative, curious, and compelling — and, one day, it will be that old, and Age will have worked its magic. Generations of the future will only have monuments if we build them in the present. Regardless of how we currently feel about the sculpture of Decebalus, centuries from now people will surely be glad that it was built.

Perfect dismount Both unharmed 💙

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Pădurile românești strigă după ajutorul nostru. Alegerile #prezidențiale ne oferă momentul oportun pentru a determina autoritățile să acționeze. Semnează și RT secure.avaaz.org/ro/community_p…

Why aren’t more people talking about this!?

Dragă @RobertIger, în #RegeleLeu, Simba ia poziție pentru a proteja Cercul Vieții. Fani @Disney din toată lumea fac apel să vă alăturați fondului @LionsShare Veți intra în acțiune pt a proteja speciile periclitate? fb.avaaz.org/campaign/ro/li…

I just donated to @Wikipedia. Support free knowledge! #iloveWikipedia donate.wikimedia.org/?utm_medium=So…

Corupția din Brazilia va distruge Pădurea Amazoniană. Semnează pentru a o salva! #TodosPelaAmazônia secure.avaaz.org/campaign/ro/al…

#FraudNewsCNN #FNN

România: Nu dați mână liberă politicienilor corupți! Semnează acum și trimite petiția tuturor #rezist secure.avaaz.org/ro/petition/Ro…

cool :) twitter.com/AlexSavageOMFG…

@github github.com/blog/2233-publ…

#symfony supports for #php #psr7 has just started! @Stof70 is leading the initiative. github.com/symfony/psr-ht…

Refactoring someone else’s code thecodinglove.com/post/118431299… #thecodinglove

When I have no choice but to work directly on the production server thecodinglove.com/post/117523921… #thecodinglove

Take advantage of the mouse & Alt key for multiple selections in the editor! Already available in PhpStorm 9 EAP. pic.twitter.com/MjrqgMmp5K

“The things that make me different are the things that make me.” -A.A. Milne #trelloyourway bit.ly/1E6OtT1