I think people have this mentality about that stuff. They're interested in the romans because of the longevity of their rule and they want to formula for that. So they disregard anything outside of that. (This brings to mind the class where my Prof. explained a tactical move that Hannibal used 'Double Entrapment' and how generals throughout history have attempted to execute it for victory. Which strikes me as silly. why reuse a move that's already known when you could make up shiny new tactics to confuse your enemy with? Because Hannibal made it work and he made it famous and people can't get past that. They wanted to emulate that and maybe gain his level of fame in history.)
Now, the Celts, or Visigoths, or Mongols (who were actually pretty cool) could have, for example: developed a functional form of rule but there won't be any interest in that or in their literature, their myths, their beliefs, etc. because the mentality is that "those things didn't make them win" so by default everything about them and their culture has loser-status. Which is just wrong.
And most people have this idealized picture of "times long gone" which really needs to be beat out of them. If it was that good it wouldn't have changed. I mean, the BC is pretty much where I hang my hat but I sure as hell wouldn't want to live there! Barbarian woman? Pretty much equals slave at best.
I am in total agreement with the idiocy of clumping together pretty much unrelated groups of peoples just because they lost. If the Celts or the Visigoths had completely taken over and established their own Empire you can bet we wouldn't be so hung up on the Romans. Hell we might not even have the system of government we have today.
Most people disregard history and it drives me nuts. I'm not so crazy-obsessed that I'll shove it down someone's throat or bash their brains in. But I like learning these sorts of things. It's definitely not boring. In fact, a lot of the stuff makes today's politics tame and polite by comparison! And people ask what use History is when compared to say, Chemistry or Biology. And I can't explain it well. But if we don't study it and we don't try, at least, to give our own rendering of our own history then what's the use? If scientists and their discoveries and failures hundreds of years ago hadn't gone down on paper and survived for others to read how many advances would have been lost?
Now I'm off my podium.
Or not.
And the crazy stuff isn't just in schools but some people have a completely crazy, skewed view of history from even 50 years ago. It's a murky lake to slip into [history] because there aren't facts and certainties because we rely on people to tell the "truth" as they know it or as they want us to know it. Which is why I thank the teachers and professors that urged me to question everything and House who will always serve as a reminder that 'everybody lies'.
And...yeah. *iz still geek*
(The Batman icon seemed appropriate. So I join in your squee!) (The skinny line of text is getting ridiculous but it still makes me snicker)
Re: History is written by the winners, indeed.
Now, the Celts, or Visigoths, or Mongols (who were actually pretty cool) could have, for example: developed a functional form of rule but there won't be any interest in that or in their literature, their myths, their beliefs, etc. because the mentality is that "those things didn't make them win" so by default everything about them and their culture has loser-status. Which is just wrong.
And most people have this idealized picture of "times long gone" which really needs to be beat out of them. If it was that good it wouldn't have changed. I mean, the BC is pretty much where I hang my hat but I sure as hell wouldn't want to live there! Barbarian woman? Pretty much equals slave at best.
I am in total agreement with the idiocy of clumping together pretty much unrelated groups of peoples just because they lost. If the Celts or the Visigoths had completely taken over and established their own Empire you can bet we wouldn't be so hung up on the Romans. Hell we might not even have the system of government we have today.
Most people disregard history and it drives me nuts. I'm not so crazy-obsessed that I'll shove it down someone's throat or bash their brains in. But I like learning these sorts of things. It's definitely not boring. In fact, a lot of the stuff makes today's politics tame and polite by comparison! And people ask what use History is when compared to say, Chemistry or Biology. And I can't explain it well. But if we don't study it and we don't try, at least, to give our own rendering of our own history then what's the use? If scientists and their discoveries and failures hundreds of years ago hadn't gone down on paper and survived for others to read how many advances would have been lost?
Now I'm off my podium.
Or not.
And the crazy stuff isn't just in schools but some people have a completely crazy, skewed view of history from even 50 years ago. It's a murky lake to slip into [history] because there aren't facts and certainties because we rely on people to tell the "truth" as they know it or as they want us to know it. Which is why I thank the teachers and professors that urged me to question everything and House who will always serve as a reminder that 'everybody lies'.
And...yeah. *iz still geek*
(The Batman icon seemed appropriate. So I join in your squee!)
(The skinny line of text is getting ridiculous but it still makes me snicker)