Back in research mode, working on Legends of the Roman Empire. Maybe just Legends of Rome, who can say.
Anyway, doing a little work on pre-Roman Italy right now and came across a bit about the influence of the Greek colonies in southern Italy on the emerging Iron Age civilizations of the Romans, Italians, Latins and Etruscans that occupied Italy.
Turns out the Greek culture, one of the greatest ever, had a great impact on all the cultures around it, but this was nothing new to the Greeks. It happened wherever they went, so much so that they had a word for it: Hellenization.
Seems like they were used to people seeing how they did things and then emulating them. And why not. Greek culture is still engrossing to us to this day.
Back to work...
3 comments:
Rome is my favorite era. I've not studied as much as I would like to. I can't wait to see the results. Btw... what resources are you using?
Did they call it Hellenization, or did later historians come up with that?
To Masada: Timelines in World History (which was so invaluable for Blood and Time), Wikipedia and two TTC Audio Courses, one with 48 1/2 hour lectures on Ancient Roman history and one with 24 1/2 hour lectures on ancient warfare are shaping up as my primary sources.
Teaching COmpany courses are great, for about 50 bucks you get a general lecture series, about the depth of a college introductory course, in half hour chunks you can listen to easily and conveniently.
To Larry: I don't think they did in the ancient world, sorry if I gave that impression.
I believe Helenization is a term historians in the 19th century came up with to explain how so many cultures in proximity to Greece became Greek.
And of course when you factor Alexander's Empire, from India to Greece, to Eastern Europe to the Middle East and North Africa, then take the Roman Empire, which reconquered Alexander's domains and added Western Europe and Britain to the mix, you see that there's a lot of influence out there from Greek culture.
Hell- how much of OUR culture comes from Greek and Rome?
Does anyone think people 1000 years from now will be venerating all the lovely things WE have invented like internet porn and cinnamon flavored dental floss?
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