What is the difference between ancient Greeks and Westerners? According to my opinion, ancient Greece and ultramodern West as the notion of West that we know moment don’t have a lot in common.
Of great significance is clarifying the apparent, that ancient Greece wasn’t a unified identity nor lasted for a decade or so. Ancient Greece was a patchwork of Greek megacity countries and conglomerates which differed a lot from each other. Of course they had numerous in common too as they all were Greeks, but they had numerous social and political differences. Indeed during the vanquishing of Alexander the Great, not all the Greeks were unified.
Sparta, at least on the paper since Lacedemonians had gone into obscurity, or other Greek megacity countries like those of Magna Grecia in South Italy were still independent. So by pertaining ancient Greece we’re talking about a period that spans for several centuries and these ages that the idea of Ancient Greece includes, have major differences with each other.
Different Greek sates, with different testaments, cultures and political systems
When the Westerns say that the Western culture is grounded on the ancient Greek culture, utmost of the times they’re just pertaining to Athens during the Golden Age of Pericles. The cradle of civilization, authors of republic and gospel and numerous other fancy fanfares. In reality to this applies to only a small bit of the ancient Hellenic world and is a result of numerous conceptions. Generally ancient Greeks, especially the common non Athenian and not during the golden age of Athens ancient Greeks, and ultramodern Westerners view life with fully different perspectives.
First of all, although there’s the misconception that ancient Greeks were tolerant to different testaments and persuasions, ancient Greeks were NOT really tolerant. Religion was hardly questioned by anyone and if someone did, the person brazened serious charges. One of Socrates ’ contended crimes was disrespecting the Gods and an other illustration are he charges against Thiramenis( Peloponnesian War, Corfu insurrection against the Corinthians) who was indicted of stealing a golden rod from the sanctuary of Apollo which was supposed as hugely discourteous.
Also, homosexuality, although there’s the notion that it was completely accepted, similar claim is untrue. Homosexuality, although it was more common in ancient Greek countries than the other ancient societies, was followed by review and it involved substantially youthful boys and them getting adulated by the elders. Actually, when two men of analogous age participated a analogous relationship, it was supposed impermissible and, in fact, perverse.
Women were seen as inferior and more as objects rather than mortal beings. Especially in Athens, women exited their houses always with the company of a man and it was more common to see women out of their homes only during religious events like Panathinaia or Eleusinian mystifications. Indeed in Sparta women had more rights than the average Athenian woman.
Generally speaking, there are numerous differences between ultramodern West and ancient Greece. The differences apply to every aspect of life and the way in which societies were formed. What inspired the West to start thinking ancient Greece as its artistic ancestor were the ideas that some ancient Greek intellectualists expressed and the political testaments and social structures of some megacity countries( aka Athens).
The popular West of course dissociates herself from the Seleucid conglomerate which was part of the ancient Greek world but did not meet the Western criteria for what ancient Greece was. Quite picky, is not it?
