The brazen bull was an article of torture invented by Perilaus for the tyrant Phalaris. The device was a hollow, metal model of a bull with a trap door at the back. The idea being that the victim should be placed inside and a fire lit underneath. The victim's screams would then be conveyed by an ingenious collection of flutes in the head of the bull to sound like the bellowing of a real bull. Ironically, the tyrant Phalaris was appalled by the invention and tricked the inventor inside it where he locked him in and lit a fire underneath, before having the man dragged out still alive and hurled from a high rock. Research Brazen Bull
A globe is a sphere, a round solid body, which may be conceived to be generated by the revolution of a semicircle about its diameter. An artificial globe, in geography and astronomy, is a globe of metal, plaster, paper, pasteboard, plastic etc, on the surface of which is drawn a map, or representation of either the earth or the heavens, with the several circles which are conceived upon them, the former being called the terrestrial globe, and the latter the celestial globe. In the terrestrial globe the wire on which it turns represents the earth's axis, the extremities of it representing the poles. The brazenmeridian is a vertical circle in which the
artificial globe turns, divided into 360 degrees, each degree being divided into minutes and seconds. The brassmeridian receives the ends of the axis on which the globe revolves. At right angles to this, and consequently horizontal, is a broad ring of wood or brass representing the horizon; that is, the true horizon of the earth which lies in a plane containing the earth's centre. The horizon and brassmeridian are connected with the stand on which the whole is supported. On the surface of the globe, as on other maps, are marked parallels of latitude, meridians, etc. On a globe of some size the meridians are drawn through every 15" of the equator, each answering to an hour's difference of time between two places. Hence they are called the hour circles. A number of problems or questions, many of them more curious than useful, may be solved by means of a terrestrial globe. Among the most important are such as to find the latitude and longitude of a place, the difference of time between two places, the time of the sun's rising and setting for a given day at a given place, etc.
Cromeruach was the chief idol of the Irish before their conversion to Christianity by St Patrick. It was a gold or silver image surrounded by twelve small brazen ones. Research Cromeruach
In Greek and Roman mythology, Hercules (called by the Greeks Heracles) was the most celebrated hero or semi-divine personage, he was the son of Zeus (Jupiter) by Alcmena, the wife of Amphitryon and was brought up at Thebes, and before he was eight months old he had strangled two snakes sent by the jealous Hera (Juno) to devour him.
In his youth he had several distinguished instructors, among them the CentaurCheiron. Early in life he had, at the command of Zeus, to subject himself for twelve years to the will of Eurystheus, on the understanding that after he had acquitted himself of this duty he should be reckoned in the number of the gods. He, therefore, went to Mycenae, and performed at the bidding of Eurystheus the tasks known as the twelve labours of Hercules. These were
Bring from the infernal regions Cerberus the three headed dog of Hades.
Besides these labours, he also achieved of his own accord others equally celebrated. Thus, he assisted the gods in their wars against the giants, and it was through him alone that Zeus obtained the victory.
Having attempted to plunder the temple at Delphi, he became engaged in conflict with Apollo, and was punished by being sold to Omphale, queen of Lydia, as a slave, who restored him to liberty and married him. Having latterly returned to Greece, he became the husband of Dejanira, who unwittingly brought about his death by giving him a tunic poisoned with the blood of the Centaur Neasus, which she innocently believed would retain for her Hercules' love. The poison took effect whenever the garment was put on, and as the distemper was incurable, Hercules placed himself on a burning pile on the top of Mount OEta, was received up into heaven, and being there reconciled to Hera, received her daughter Hebe in marriage. At the death of Hercules Deianira killed her self also through grief.
In ancient works of art Hercules is generally represented naked, with strong and well-proportioned limbs; he is sometimes covered with the skin of the Nemaean lion, and holds a knotted club in his hand, on which he often leans. The principal ancient statue of him which remains is the Farnese Hercules at Naples, a work of the Athenian Griycon, The myth of Hercules is believed by many writers to represent the course of the sun through the twelve signs of the zodiac. His marriage with Hebe was explained even by the ancients as symbolic of the renewing of the sun's course after its completion. Research Hercules
In Greek mythology, Tartarus was the part of Hades where the wicked were punished. It was surrounded by a brazen wall and veiled in perpetual and impenetrable darkness. Research Tartarus
Poison Ivy is a thriller starring Drew Barrymore and Tom Skerritt in a story about a brooding teenager, neglected by her father, who strikes up a friendship with a brazenfellow student, only to find the new friend has sinister motives.
Poison Ivy was directed by Katt Shea Ruben in 1992. Research Poison Ivy
A helmet, an article of armour for the protection of the head, traditionally composed of leather or of metals, in modern times more usually made of synthetic compositie materials. Some of Homer's heroes are represented as wearing brazen helmets, with towering crests. Among the Romans the cassis was a metallic helmet; the galea, a leathern one. The earlier Greek and Roman helmets did not protect the face. During the middle ages helmets were made of steel, frequently inlaid with gold, and provided with bars and flaps to cover the face in battle and to allow of being opened at other times. The full-barred helmet entirely covered the head, face, and neck, having in front perforations for the admission of air, and slits through which the wearer might see the objects around him.
The open helmet covered only the head, ears, and neck, leaving the face unguarded. Some open helmets had a bar or bars from the forehead to the chin, to guard against the transverse cut of a broadsword. The standard modern military helmets afford no protection for the face, though later riot helmets are provided with a clear platic visor protecting the face while still affording visibility. Firemen used to wear an ornate, heavy headpiece of leather and brass, or other materials, to protect them as far as possible from falling ruins at conflagrations. Helmets of white felt, with folds of linen wrapped round them, were worn in India and other hot climates as a protection against the sun. The name helmet is also given to a kind of hat worn by some policemen. Research Helmet
HMS Brazen is a British Broadsword Class frigate of 3500 tons displacement launched in 1980. HMS Brazen is powered by two Rolls-RoyceOlympus TM3B gas turbines, two Rolls-RoyceTyne RM1C gas turbines and four diesel generators providing a top speed of 30 knots and a range of 4500 miles at 18 knots. She carries a crew of 222 including 17 officers and has accommodation for 249. Armaments consist of four Aerospatiale MM38 Exocet missiles; two British Aerospace 6-barrelled Seawolf GWS 25 surface-to-air missile launchers; four DES/Oerlikon 30 mm/75 guns in two twin arrangements; two Oerlikon/BMARC 20 mm GAM-BO1 guns and six 324 mm Plessey STWS Mk 2 torpedo tubes arranged as two triples. Research Brazen
Abbreviations
Research Brazen Bull
