Common errors about Antiquity

[Dan D'Silva]

The story of Atlantis comes from Greek mythology.

The Trojan Horse is described in the Iliad. (Really... you can't have even read a synopsis of the book and still think that. And this was in one of my elementary school history textbooks!)

Except for the newly-invented Naue type II, swords at the time of the Trojan War were unsuitable for cutting because they lacked strong tangs.

Iron is harder than bronze.

[Jona Lendering]

I don't think Hollywood is entirely to blame for this ethnic mismatching of garb. I've seen post-Renaissance paintings of Josephus, Ptolemy, and other Greek thinkers dressed in turbans.

Right. In fact, it must be added that there was an age, not so long ago, when it was an improvement to show the Jews as Arabs. In the nineteenth century, Jesus was shown as a blue-eyed Caucasian (think of that Thorvaldsen statue). The use of Near Eastern imagery was an improvement. I still think it is very difficult to read an ancient text and abandon my western prejudices.

The Trojan Horse is described in the Iliad.

At the Arts Faculty of the Amsterdam Free University, this has been taught to first-year students. No joke; I was working there and still remember how two of my students came to my room, completely upset.

[Gorgon]

Right. In fact, it must be added that there was an age, not so long ago, when it was an improvement to show the Jews as Arabs. In the nineteenth century, Jesus was shown as a blue-eyed Caucasian

He still is, just look at The Last Temptation of Christ, or the more recent The Passion of the Christ, in film.

[Narukami]

Great Idea!

But you will need to publish an English version as well for all of us who do not read Dutch a tenth as well as you write English.

A couple more (though you probably already have these)

That there were only 300 Spartans at Thermopylae (I guess technically the Helots were not Spartans :? )
All the Spartan Shields were emblazoned with the lambda

The members of the Forum have already listed many worth considering and no doubt you had quite a list to begin with.

In the State of California 6th Grade History Standards they are still talking about Julius Caesar as Rome's first Emperor. :? ?

Jona, your book is needed.

Good Luck!

:wink:

Narukami

[Sean Manning]

Some more:
* Only Greek armies had hoplites (even writers like Arrian and Xenophon with ferocious prejudices about barbaroi disagreed)
* Rome was founded in 753 BCE (a guess by scholars centuries later)
* The Greeks were a poor people (there certainly were poor parts of Greece, but by preindustrial standards much of the Greek world was rich)
* Money was invented by Greeks or Lydians in the 6th century BCE (coins were, money wasn't)
* Maybe something about Greek sexuality? Or ancient slavery?

Two more I can't vouch for, but seem to be agreed on by scholars:
* Most ancient statues and temples were bare white marble
* A historical Jesus would have spoken Latin (definitely not!) or Hebrew (apparently replaced by Aramaic among the masses)

And don't forget:
* Cyrus the Great promulgated an innovative declaration of human rights

The book sounds fun, Jona! And I'm sure you'll be able to make it entertaining and polite but firm.

[john m roberts]

Brutus was Caesar's son.

Cleopatra was black, and so were the ancient Egyptians (Afrocentrism forms a whole category of historical misinformation.)

Triumphing generals rode fully armored in chariots at the head of their armed troops through the streets of Rome and past the emperor's reviewing stand.

[Gorgon]

Cleopatra was black, and so were the ancient Egyptians (Afrocentrism forms a whole category of historical misinformation.)

Don't forget Hannibal, who was obviously black too. After all, he came from Africa.

[Jona Lendering]

Don't forget Hannibal, who was obviously black too. After all, he came from Africa.

Good one, especially because Holywood is making a movie about the Carthaginian general. I expect a lot of nonsense talk when it turns out that Vin Diesel plays Hannibal.

[Eleatic Guest]

I have another very common misconception among laymen: that ancient temples were monochrome! You will find good scholarly material to the contrary, and there has been recently even an exposition in Germany which specifically dealt with the subject.

[Eleatic Guest]

Don't forget Hannibal, who was obviously black too. After all, he came from Africa.

Good one, especially because Holywood is making a movie about the Carthaginian general. I expect a lot of nonsense talk when it turns out that Vin Diesel plays Hannibal.

From the movie, we will learn that Hannibal was at Cannae on steroids and that he preferred to beat up poor Roman legionaries with his bare fists, provided that it didn't interfere negatively with his rayban sunglasses. :mrgreen:

[john m roberts]

I almost forgot:
Sacrifices were performed inside the temples on an altar in front of the statue.

[Jona Lendering]

I almost forgot:
Sacrifices were performed inside the temples on an altar in front of the statue.

Yes, of course. I even have pictures to on which reenactors show how it ought to be done.

you will need to publish an English version as well ... Jona, your book is needed.

I have something to write on my blog indeed...

[SOCL]

What about this attribution of "military reforms" to Marius? In researching for my undergraduate thesis last semester, I couldn't figure out just where it had started - I certainly couldn't find any ancient sources, and my read of the secondary source material seemed to point to a much later (early 20th Century) invention by historians...possibly even a misunderstanding of someone's theory repeated so much that it eventually "became" fact. :|

But don't do too much on this - I hope to make it the topic of my Master's thesis. :mrgreen:

[Narukami]

Reforms of Marius...?

Lucius,

You might find this of interest (That is if you do not know of it already, which you very well may.)

http://www.anistor.gr/english/enback/CJLyes_Marius.pdf


It is clear to me at least that the more research I do the less certain I am about what I know. This thread has already driven back to the bookshelves several times to look up topics I thought I hand a pretty good handle on.

For that I do thank everyone -- always good to be kept on one's toes.

:wink:

Narukami

[Robert Vermaat]

I have another very common misconception among laymen: that ancient temples were monochrome! You will find good scholarly material to the contrary, and there has been recently even an exposition in Germany which specifically dealt with the subject.

Good one Stefan, I forgot about that one. Of course not just the temples, every statue was pristine white or at best unpainted, as every artist from the Renaissance will be able to tell you.

I wonder what our inner cities would have looked like if our banks, town halls and libraries had followed the ancient example of red/blue/green- etc. coloured walls.....