ARCHITECTURE - TEMPLES - ERECHTHEION

Architecture - Temples

Erechtheion

Characteristics :

Architectural Style : Ionic

Location : Athens - Greece
Owner : Greek Government

Construction Started : 421 BC
Construction Completed : 406 BC

Architect : (may have been)Mnesikles
Sculptor and Mason : Phidias
Ordained by : Pericles

Dedicated to : Athena and Poseidon

Description:

The Erechtheionor Erechtheum, is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece which was dedicated to both Athenaand Poseidon.

Etymology :

The temple as seen today was built between 421 and 406 BCE. Its architect may have been Mnesicles, and it derived its name from a shrine dedicated to the legendary Greek hero Erichthonius. The sculptor and mason of the structure was Phidias, who was employed by Periclesto build both the Erechtheum and the Parthenon. Some have suggested that it may have been built in honor of the legendary king Erechtheus, who is said to have been buried nearby. Erechtheus was mentioned in Homer's Iliad as a great king and ruler of Athens during the Archaic Period, and Erechtheus and the hero Erichthonius were often syncretized. It is believed to have been a replacement for the Peisistratid temple of Athena Polias destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC.

The need to preserve multiple adjacent sacred precincts likely explains the complex design. The main structure consists of up to four compartments, the largest being the east cella, with an Ionic portico on its east end. Other current thinking would have the entire interior at the lower level and the East porch used for access to the great altar of Athena Polias via a balcony and stair and also as a public viewing platform.

The entire temple is on a slope, so the west and north sides are about 3 m (9 ft) lower than the south and east sides. It was built entirely of marble from Mount Pentelikon, with friezes of black limestone from Eleusis which bore sculptures executed in relief in white marble. It had elaborately carved doorways and windows, and its columns were ornately decorated (far more so than is visible today); they were painted, gilded and highlighted with gilt bronze and multi-colored inset glass beads. The building is known for early examples of egg-and-dart, and guilloche ornamental moldings. The Theory of Mouldings, p22, J.H. Janson 1926, has detailed drawings of some of the decorations.

On the north side, there is another large porch with six Ionic columns, and on the south, the famous "Porch of the Maidens", with six draped female figures (caryatids) as supporting columns. The porch was built to conceal the giant 15-ft beam needed to support the southwest corner over the Kekropion, after the building was drastically reduced in size and budget following the onset of the Peloponnesian war.

Philatelic Issues

2016 – Uruguay – Unique Stamp, from Hellenic Community Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: March 16th, 2016
Printed: 15.000 Copies
Type: Unique Stamp from Series
Value:UYP 20

Stamp: Rectangular
Size: 39 mm. x 27 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated

JOBS - POLICEMEN

Jobs

Policemen

Characteristics :

Creator : King Louis XIV
Date of Creation : March 15th, 1667
Place of Creation : Paris - France

Description:

A Police forceis a constituted body of persons empowered by the state to enforce the law, protect property, and limit civil disorder. Their powers include the legitimized use of force. The term is most commonly associated with police services of a sovereign state that are authorized to exercise the police power of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of responsibility. Police forces are often defined as being separate from military or other organizations involved in the defense of the state against foreign aggressors; however, gendarmerie are military units charged with civil policing.

Law enforcement, however, constitutes only part of policing activity. Policing has included an array of activities in different situations, but the predominant ones are concerned with the preservation of order. In some societies, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, these developed within the context of maintaining the class system and the protection of private property. Many police forces suffer from police corruption to a greater or lesser degree. The police force is usually a public sector service, meaning they are paid through taxes.

Alternative names for police force include constabulary, gendarmerie, police department, police service, crime prevention, protective services, law enforcement agency, civil guard or civic guard. Members may be referred to as police officers, troopers, sheriffs, constables, rangers, peace officers or civic/civil guards.

Etymology :

First attested in English in the early 15th century, initially in a range of senses encompassing '(public) policy; state; public order', the word police comes from Middle French police ('public order, administration, government'), in turn from Latin politia, which is the Latinisation of the Greek πολιτεία (politeia), "citizenship, administration, civil polity". This is derived from πόλις (polis), "city".

History :

The first centrally organised police force was created by the government of King Louis XIV in 1667 to police the city of Paris, then the largest city in Europe. The royal edict, registered by the Parlement of Paris on March 15, 1667 created the office of lieutenant général de police ("lieutenant general of police"), who was to be the head of the new Paris police force, and defined the task of the police as "ensuring the peace and quiet of the public and of private individuals, purging the city of what may cause disturbances, procuring abundance, and having each and everyone live according to their station and their duties".

This office was first held by Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie, who had 44 commissaires de police (police commissioners) under his authority. In 1709, these commissioners were assisted by inspecteurs de police (police inspectors). The city of Paris was divided into 16 districts policed by the commissaires, each assigned to a particular district and assisted by a growing bureaucracy. The scheme of the Paris police force was extended to the rest of France by a royal edict of October 1699, resulting in the creation of lieutenants general of police in all large French cities and towns.

Philatelic Issues

2016 – Uruguay – Unique Stamp, from Police Women Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: March 11th, 2016
Printed: 15.000 Copies
Type: Unique Stamp from Series
Value:UYP 20

Stamp: Rectangular
Size: 27 mm. x 39 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated

ANIMALS – MAMMALS – EQUIDS – WILD HORSE (EQUUS FERUS) #2

Animals - Mammals - Equids

Wild Horse (Equus ferus)

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Perissodactyla
Family : Equidae
Genus : Equus
Species : E. Ferus

Description:

The Wild horse(Equus ferus) is a species of the genus Equus, which includes as subspecies the modern domesticated horse (Equus ferus caballus) as well as the undomesticated tarpan (Equus ferus ferus), now extinct, and the endangered Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii). Przewalski's horse was saved from the brink of extinction and reintroduced successfully to the wild. The tarpan became extinct in the 19th century, though it was a possible ancestor of the domestic horse, and roamed the steppes of Eurasia at the time of domestication. However, other subspecies of Equus ferus may have existed and could have been the stock from which domesticated horses are descended.

The horse family Equidaeand the genus Equusevolved in North America, before the species moved into the Eastern Hemisphere. Studies using ancient DNA, as well as DNA of recent individuals, shows the presence of two closely related horse species in North America, the wild horse and the "New World stilt-legged horse”. Currently, three subspecies that lived during recorded human history are recognized. The widespread domestic horse (Equus ferus caballus), the recently extinct tarpan (E. f. ferus) and the endangered Przewalski's horse (E. f. przewalskii). Genetically, the predomestication horse, E. f. ferus, and domesticated horse, E. f. caballus, form a single homogeneous group (clade) and are genetically indistinguishable from each other. Przewalski's horse has several unique genetic differences that distinguish it from the other subspecies, including 66 instead of 64 chromosomes, unique Y-chromosome gene haplotypes, and unique mtDNA haplotypes. Besides genetic differences, osteological evidence from across the Eurasian wild horse range, based on cranial and metacarpal differences, indicates the presence of only two subspecies in postglacial times, the tarpan and Przewalski's horse.

Binomial Name:

Name : Equus ferus
Taxonomist : Pieter Boddaert (Middelburg - Netherlands)
Year : 1785
Subspecies : 3 (Caballus, Przewalskii, Ferus)
Synonyms : None, or not data available

Conservation Status by IUCN:

Status : Endangered

An Endangered (EN)species is a species which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as likely to become extinct."Endangered" is the second most severe conservation status for wild populations in the IUCN's schema after Critically Endangered (CR).

Many nations have laws that protect conservation-reliant species: for example, forbidding hunting, restricting land development or creating preserves. Population numbers, trends and species' conservation status can be found in the lists of organisms by population.

Philatelic Issues

2016 – Uruguay – Stamp 2 of 3, from Remarkable Women Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: March 8th, 2016
Printed: 15.000 Copies
Type: Stamps Series
Value:UYP 20

Stamp: Rectangular
Size: 27 mm. x 39 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated

PERSONALITIES - EDUCATORS - ENRIQUETA COMPTE Y RIQUÉ

Personalities - Educators

Enriqueta Compte y Riqué

Characteristics :

Birth Date : December 31st, 1866
Birth Place : Barcelona - Spain

Decease Date : October 31st, 1949
Decease Place : Montevideo - Uruguay

Occupation : Teacher

Description:

Enriqueta Compte y Riqué(Barcelona, December 31st, 1866 - Montevideo, October 18th, 1949), Uruguayan teacher born in Spain, founder of the first kindergarten of South America in 1892 and famous for having contributed decisively to teaching preschool in Uruguay and Latin America.

Biography :

Daughter of Catalan parents, Enriqueta Compte and Riqué emigrate to Uruguay with his family while still a child.

Despite his myopia, Compte manages to overcome his problem and is dedicated to studying teaching, graduating with only 19 years as a first grade teacher and in 1886 as Senior Master.

In 1887 he was appointed sub-director of the Normal Institute for Women, and during that same year he traveled to Europe on official mission, sent by the government Máximo Tajes to specialize in preschool education. He had entrusted internalize the teachings of Friedrich Froebel, that is why she visit Belgium, Germany, Holland, France and Suiza. She returns from this trip in September 1890. As a result of this trip produced a report which stated: "the hope of realizing in the Republic, the creation of these establishments, as close as possible to the ideal of Froebel, and incorporating public organization of Primary Education."

He published in magazines and books in children between 3 and 6 years old. With psychological and pedagogical methods, their work will be inclined to study children respecting their individuality and personal learning ability.

It was the forerunner of secular education based on social inequalities and overcoming prejudices and obstacles that, in its opinion, were detrimental to the student, but especially for the child as a human being who does not deserve to be marked by a world disparities full of goals and possibilities.

Philatelic Issues

2016 – Uruguay – Stamp 1 of 3, from Remarkable Women Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: March 8th, 2016
Printed: 15.000 Copies
Type: Stamps Series
Value:UYP 20

Stamp: Rectangular
Size: 27 mm. x 39 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated

COUNTRIES - GREECE

Countries

Greece

Characteristics :

Capital : Athens
Language : Greek
Religion : Eastern Orthodoxy

Independence day : March 25th, 1821
Independence from : Ottoman Empire

Area : 131.957 km2
Population : 10.815.197 (census 2012)
Density : 82 / km2

Currency : Euro (EUR)
Time Zone : UTC +2 (+3 in summer)

Description:

Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic and known since ancient times as Hellas, is a country located in southeastern Europe. According to the 2011 census, Greece's population is around 10.8 million. Athens is the nation's capital and largest city, followed by Thessaloniki, which is commonly referred to as the co-capital.

Greece is strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Situated on the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north and Turkey to the northeast. Greece consists of nine geographic regions: Macedonia, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, Thessaly, Epirus, the Aegean Islands (including the Dodecanese and Cyclades), Thrace, Crete, and the Ionian Islands. The Aegean Sea lies to the east of the mainland, the Ionian Sea to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Greece has the longest coastline on the Mediterranean Basin and the 11th longest coastline in the world at 13,676 km (8,498 mi) in length, featuring a vast number of islands, of which 227 are inhabited. Eighty percent of Greece is mountainous, with Mount Olympus being the highest peak at 2,918 meters (9,573 ft).

Greece has one of the longest histories of any country, and is considered the cradle of Western civilization, and as such, is the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature, historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, and Western drama, including both tragedy and comedy. Greece was first unified under Philip of Macedon in the fourth century BC. His son Alexander the Great rapidly conquered much of the ancient world, spreading Greek culture and science from the eastern Mediterranean to the Indus River. Annexed by Rome in the second century BC, Greece became an integral part of the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine Empire. The first century AD saw the establishment of the Greek Orthodox Church, which shaped the modern Greek identity and transmitted Greek traditions to the wider Orthodox World. Falling under Ottoman dominion in the mid-15th century, the modern nation state of Greece emerged in 1830 following the war of independence. Greece's rich historical legacy is reflected in large part by its 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, among the most in Europe and the world.

Greece is a democratic and developed country with an advanced high-income economy, a high quality of life and a very high standard of living. A founding member of the United Nations, Greece was the tenth member to join the European Communities (precursor to the European Union) and has been part of the Eurozone since 2001. It is also a member of numerous other international institutions, including the Council of Europe, NATO,[a] OECD, OIF, OSCE and the WTO. Greece, which is one of the world's largest shipping powers, middle powers and top tourist destinations, has the largest economy in the Balkans, where it is an important regional investor.

Etymology :

The names for the nation of Greece and the Greek people differ from the names used in other languages, locations and cultures. Although the Greeks call the country Hellas or Ellada (Greek: Ἑλλάς or Ελλάδα) and its official name is the Hellenic Republic, in English it is referred to as Greece, which comes from the Latin term Graecia as used by the Romans, which literally means 'the land of the Greeks', and derives from the Greek name Γραικός. However, the name Hellas is sometimes used in English as well.

Philatelic Issues

2016 – Uruguay – Unique Stamp, from Hellenic Community Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: March 16th, 2016
Printed: 15.000 Copies
Type: Unique Stamp from Series
Value:UYP 20

Stamp: Rectangular
Size: 39 mm. x 27 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated

WOMEN - UNCLASSIFIED #2

Women

Unclassified

Characteristics :

Scope : All items related with women or womanhood.

Description:

A woman is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent. The term woman is also sometimes used to identify a female human, regardless of age, as in phrases such as "women's rights". "Woman" may also refer to a person's gender identity. Women with typical genetic development are usually capable of giving birth from puberty until menopause. In the context of gender identity, transgender people who are biologically determined to be male and identify as women cannot give birth. Some intersex people who identify as women cannot give birth because of either sterility or inheriting one or more Y chromosomes. In extremely rare cases, people who have Swyer syndrome can give birth with medical assistance. Throughout history women have assumed or been assigned various social roles.

Etymology :

The spelling of woman in English has progressed over the past millennium from wīfmann to wīmmann to wumman, and finally, the modern spelling woman. In Old English, wīfmann meant "female human", whereas wēr meant "male human". Mann or monn had a gender-neutral meaning of "human", corresponding to Modern English "person" or "someone"; however, subsequent to the Norman Conquest, man began to be used more in reference to "male human", and by the late 13th century had begun to eclipse usage of the older term wēr. The medial labial consonants f and m in wīfmann coalesced into the modern form "woman", while the initial element, which meant "female", underwent semantic narrowing to the sense of a married woman ("wife"). It is a popular misconception that the term "woman" is etymologically connected with "womb", which is from a separate Old English word, wambe meaning "stomach" (of male or female; modern German retains the colloquial term "Wampe" from Middle High German for "potbelly"). Nevertheless, such a false derivation of "woman" has appeared in print.

Biological symbol :

The symbol for the planet Venus is the sign also used in biology for the female sex. It is a stylized representation of the goddess Venus's hand-mirror or an abstract symbol for the goddess: a circle with a small equilateral cross underneath. The Venus symbol also represented femininity, and in ancient alchemy stood for copper. Alchemists constructed the symbol from a circle (representing spirit) above an equilateral cross (representing matter).

Philatelic Issues

2016 – Uruguay – Unique Stamp, from Police Women Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: March 11th, 2016
Printed: 15.000 Copies
Type: Unique Stamp from Series
Value:UYP 20

Stamp: Rectangular
Size: 27 mm. x 39 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated

ANIMALS – INSECTS – BUTTERFLIES – BUNICHUS PARIDES (PARIDES BUNICHUS)

Animals - Insects - Butterflies

Bunichus Parides (Parides bunichus)

Scientific Classification:

Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Insecta
Order : Lepidoptera
Family :Paplionidae
Genus : Parides
Species : P. Bunichus

Description:

The Bunichus Parides(Parides bunichus) is a butterflyof the family Papilionidae. It is found in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay.

The larva is brownish black, with an oblique white band, extending laterally from the 6th segment to the tubercle on the 7th. The pupal stage lasts three weeks.

The butterfly is very common and is one of the earliest spring species (August). From August to April there are at least three generations.

Binomial Name:

Name : Parides bunichus
Taxonomist : Jacob Hübner (Augsburg - Germany)
Year : 1821
Subspecies : 5 (Bunichus, Chamissonia, Damocrates, Diodorus, Perrhebus)
Synonyms : Many

Conservation Status by IUCN:

Status : Not Evaluated, or not data available

Philatelic Issues

2003 – Uruguay – Stamp 4 of 4, from Butterflies Series

Issue information:

Country: Uruguay
Date: March 18th, 2003
Printed: 10.000 Copies
Type: Stamp from Series of 4 Stamps
Value:UYP 12

Stamp: Rectangular
Size: 23 mm. x 35 mm.
Perforation: Circular
Gum: Water Activated