Romanese if you please

The multi stories structures in China served many of the same purposes as the domus houses did in Rome. They are both housing structures and had a distinct show of architecture that conveyed the occupants' standing or class in the culture. The domus was designed with an atrium in the center, which was used as an opening in the roof and a pool below on the ground to catch rainwater. They also incorporated a peristyle courtyard that was used for growing edible plants and trees such as lemon, cherry, and pear trees.  The Chinese structure used the 1st floor of 4 to house livestock such as pigs, chickens, and sometimes oxen and horses. This is a similarity showing that the two cultures used some of their housing for other purposes than just for living and dwelling. This multi-faceted usage demonstrated by both the Romans and the Chinese goes to show that they both were concerned with efficiency. They wanted to maximize the structures and architecture to the fullest utility possible, thus evidenced by their designing of multi-purpose living quarters. The Roman domus was owned by the wealthier class. It also can be determined by the size of the Chinese dwelling that it too was owned by people with financial stature in the culture's economy. The Great Wall, near Beijing, shows a defining characteristic of protection and honor towards family and nation. It also showed an impressive unification of an empire, which, in today's world, would be near impossible to amass such a unification in comparative terms. In a more diluted comparison, the Roman triumphal arches were more of a ceremonial or celebratory structure, and not so much for keeping people out (hard to do with a big open doorway). Yet they did in similar ways commemorate the honor of family, pertaining to leadership in the empire, just like the wall did in China. 

Epic though....

Odysseus and Antigone have many qualities, characteristics, and display emotion quite similarly in their own spheres. Antigone uses herself as a typification of honor in her own right as she goes back to bury her dead sibling. This, in turn, puts her at risk in giving her life for this honor and pure reverence to her brother, even to the point of her own death. She goes above and beyond, in my eyes, the normal human capacity of self preservation and uses self sacrifice to override it. On this very premise does Odysseus display courage in the same manner. He indeed risked his life to honor, respect, and save others' lives by going back for the people that were trapped. Comparatively, each displayed a kind of knowledge they possessed that allowed them to see above and beyond their own lives and personal needs/desires. These individuals portrayed a sense of honor and courage that directly reflect the virtues that the Greeks payed homage to. Also, viewing that loved ones, close friends, and relatives alike were worth fighting, and if necessary, dying for. The honor is spoken of by Pericles, which is evidence of such virtues being present in that very societal structure. Though Creon could be looked upon as an antagonist, he displays very similar courage in his own way. Yet, his goals and purposes along with his inner motives might be drastically different, how he arrives to those things is very similar(through courage) to the aforementioned two individuals. 

The belief arising from these epics and plays is, to me, that tyranny, betrayal, and wrongdoing do prevail more than they don't, but through all of it, these characters displayed and evidence of being true to self, no matter what that true might mean to them. Regardless of the chaos in the world surrounding them and within themselves, they held on to the attributes that were most important to them, and it showed a refining theme throughout.