Thursday, November 13, 2008

Paris and London

Paris and London are two of the greatest cities in the world, and have been for centuries. Paris, the permanent capital of France, has a long history of movement and defeat but survived and is now one of the premier cities in Europe. London, the capital of England, also has a history of movement and is one of the most beautiful, inhabitated cities in Europe. These two magnificent cities hold great splendor and great history.
Paris was first given the name in 360. one of its first attacks was by Attila the Hun who tried to enter in 451 but was stopped by the Prayer of Genevieve. The first main conqueror of Paris was King Clovis 1 who succeeded in capturing the great city in 508, making it his capital. Clovis also built two glorious sculptures of the Apostles Peter, and Paul after his conversion to Christianity. He was the first great ruler of Paris.
The second astonishing ruler was Charlemagne, ruler of the Carolignian Empire. His conquest of Paris began in 768. He built many churches and monestaries making Paris a great religious city within his empire. Paris reached its high point of growth in the 8th century under Charlemagne. This short reign of Paris was still magnificent considering the growth in such a short time frame.
London also had two great eventful rulers in its history. The first, was Queen Boudicca of the Iceni Tribe. She sacked the city in an attempt to revolt against the Roman Empire. The Emperor Paulinus, tried desperately to save his beloved city but the size of Boudicca's army was simply too large to fight against. He retreated and the city was taken over by the Iceni Tribe.
The next powerful ling of Paris was the great Christian Emperor Diocletian. he again reorganized Britain to become a universal Christian capital of his Empire. London still was known as the financial center of Britain, but it was now a Christian city. He is also known for keeping a watchful eye on his troops and spreading his empire to create a massive rule.
These two astounding cities will be known for many years to come. They are both incredibly beautiful and attract thousands of tourists a year. Being one of the tourist capitals of Europe, these cities are often used but still retain their luster as they hopefully will forever.
Wilson, A.N. London. Modern Library. 2004. New York.
Druon, Maurice. The History of Paris From Caesar to St. Louis. Hart-Davis. 1969. Michigan