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Heads up: This subboard may get a little more active in the upcoming weeks. Starting an Ancient Greek class Jan 3. ;D (Now it's getting serious – first real course in my major)Test me. Challenge me. Teach me.Rock on people!
Sounds good. You should solicit people from class to come here and post as well. I'll be taking a class dealing with Rome, so between the two of us we should have the ancient heavyweights covered.
If you have any questions about Greek Mythology, I'm your huckleberry. The main theme of Greek history is balance of power between Corinth, Sparta (Lacedaemon), Athens, Corcyra, Megira, Thessaly, and the other polis. Fun fun fun.
If you have any questions about Greek Mythology, I'm your huckleberry. The main theme of Greek history is balance of power between Corinth, Sparta (Lacedaemon), Athens, Corcyra, Megira, Thessaly, and the other polis. Fun fun fun.
You sound like a Marxist historian (“Marxism” here not used in the ideological sense).
What's a Marxist historian.With that “I'm your huckleberry” statement he sounds more like a Kentuckian historian. 😀
I can answermost of your questions about greek military methods and some mythology. I am not up so much on thier politics though except where it feeds into warfare.I want to know what a non-ideological Marxist historian is too?
A Marxist historian – as in one who explains change or causes in history as a result of political/economic forces. Donnie's comment connecting Greek mythology to polis power balance made me think that. I personally think the name “Marxist” is a bad one because of the ideological weight it carries, but that is the name that is used. I personally think that this approach to history can be a good one, even if it has its weaknesses.
It's more Morganthau Deterrence Theory, but I'm not going there. Basically the Greeks feared an imbalance in the status quo. When Sparta felt the status quo was tipping against them toward Athens, they started the Peloponnesian War to return things to the balance they prescribed.
Ski, FYI the new Acropolis museum is scheduled to open in Athens in September, so if you go after that time you can see it. It will present a thorny political situation because they say that it will add pressure on the British Museum to give the Elgin Marbles back to Athens since it will have a place in the museum set up for them. The Elgin Marbles are the sculptural part of the frieze on the Parthenon which was removed by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century and later sold to the British Museum. There's been a big controversy in more recent times regarding whether Britain or Greece should have the marbles.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7381738.stm
That's an interesting video, thanks for this. I'll be campaigning to sue Britain to bring them back where they belong. BTW, that glass floor over ancient Athens is cool. And it's funny how the British guy mentioned earthquakes. Right now that's biggest fear…that the Parthenon will be levelled by an earthquake. (and it will probably be my luck that it will happen after I purchase non-refundable tickets)
