In The Ancient Guide to Modern Life (#186) Natalie Haynes has put together a series of informative, entertaining and humorous essays comparing how the Greeks and Romans (and a few other assorted ancient civilizations) lived and viewed their own lives, and what we can still learn from them today.
Classical studies used to be the foundation of a well-educated person's knowledge. Today, not so much. But we still do have some common misconceptions about the Greeks and the Romans, things we all just know, or think we do. For instance, in every gladiator movie you've ever seen, the gladiators march out at the beginning of the scene and salute the emperor (or whoever else happens to be running those particular games) and say "Ave, Imperator! Morituri te salutant!" or "Hail, Emperor! We who are about to die salute you!" Ms. Haynes gently bursts the bubble by comparing Russell Crowe's Maximus the arena to a contemporary's anecdote about the Emperor Claudius, whose reaction to this line showed emphatically that this was an unexpected greeting. This is myth busting at its best, and something the everyday person can readily relate to.
Ms. Haynes tackles such diverse topics as the Greek philosphers, trial by jury, city versus rural life, the everyday life of women, particularly in Athens and Sparta, entertainment in Rome, and Greek tragedy and comedy. There's certainly enough food for thought in these essays to keep the inquiring mind busy for a long time to come, though it won't take much of your time to start the mental gears rolling. After reading her descriptions, I've aready decided it's high time I broaden my classical horizons by reading some of the many works the nuns would never let us see in school. Aristophanes, here I come!
No comments:
Post a Comment