Continued from
Part 1
Now it was made in the following manner. A long spear, overlaid with gold, formed the figure of the cross by means of a transverse bar laid over it. On the top of the whole was fixed a wreath of gold and precious stones; and within this, the symbol of the Saviour's name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by means of its initial characters, the letter P being intersected by X in its centre:* and these letters the emperor was in the habit of wearing on his helmet at a later period. From the cross-bar of the spear was suspended a cloth, a royal piece, covered with a profuse embroidery of most brilliant precious stones; and which, being also richly interlaced with gold, presented a indescribable degree of beauty to the beholder. This banner was of a square form, and the upright staff, whose lower section was of great length, bore a golden half-length portrait of the pious emperor and his children on its upper part, beneath the trophy of the cross, and immediately above the embroidered banner.
The emperor constantly made use of this sign of salvation as a safeguard against every adverse and hostile power, and commanded that others similar to it should be carried at the head of all his armies.
By
Eusebius of Caesarea
?260s-?340
From the ‘Ecclesiastical History: A History of the Church in Nine Books, from AD 324 to AD 440’ (AD ?443) of Sozomen (Salamanes Hermias Sozomenos, AD 400-450), translated (1846) by Edward Walford (1823-1897).
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author
aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that
strike you. How do they help the author communicate his
ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you?
How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939)
by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at
Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn,
Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University,
USA.
Précis
Eusebius, who had seen it, described the banner in detail. Atop a cruciform standard, overlaid with gold, was a golden wreath encrusted with gems bearing the Chi-Rho symbol. Beneath that was fixed a depiction of Constantine and his family, and a richly-embroidered square pennant hung from the horizontal bar. Constantine carried this standard into many battles as protection.
(58 / 60 words)
Eusebius, who had seen it, described the banner in detail. Atop a cruciform standard, overlaid with gold, was a golden wreath encrusted with gems bearing the Chi-Rho symbol. Beneath that was fixed a depiction of Constantine and his family, and a richly-embroidered square pennant hung from the horizontal bar. Constantine carried this standard into many battles as protection.
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Variations:
1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words.
2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words.
3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, because, just, must, not, otherwise, since, whereas.
Archive
Word Games
Suggest answers to this question. See
if you can limit one answer to exactly
seven words.
Variations:
1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words.
2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words.
3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Express the ideas below in a single
sentence, using different words as much as possible.
Do not be satisfied with the first answer you
think of; think of several, and choose the best.
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1
Great.
Habit.
Wear.
2
Being.
Come.
Profuse.
3
Figure.
Say.
Upper.
Variations:
1.
include direct and indirect speech
2.
include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who
3.
use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
nns
(6+3)
See Words
inns.
nines.
nouns.
nuns.
onions.
unions.
naans.
nans.
unionise.
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