Why Greece Matters- Victor Davis Hanson

[vafgod]

I would even pair down Mr Hanson's thesis to the three idea's and one person from Greece that had the greatest impact on us. Reason, Freedom, private property, and finally Aristotle.

[beverlybradley210]

Your video is popular on Lithuania

[kyriacos40]

We in the west are all Hellenes.

[kyriacos40]

Good video ,makes alot of sense.

[nixter888]

Solon was 40 years older than Cyrus,and he is the one who's laws were inscribed on large wooden slabs or cylinders attached to a series of axles that stood upright in the Prytaneum.[These axones appear to have operated on the same principle as a Lazy Susan, allowing both convenient storage and ease of access. Originally the axones recorded laws enacted by Draco in the late 7th Century BC..The western Law is based in the Greek original laws!

[nixter888]

By giving common people the power not only to elect officials but also to call them to account, Solon appears to have established the foundations of a true democracy...After completing his work of reform, Solon surrendered his extraordinary authority and left the country.The country was bound by Solon to maintain his reforms for 10 years, whereas according to Plutarch and the author of Athenaion Politeia ..The Persians ADOPTED HIS LAWS TOO!

[nixter888]

@nixter888 Solon's words define a 'moral high ground' where differences between rich and poor can be reconciled or maybe just ignored............ἔστην δ' ἀμφιβαλὼν κρατερὸν σάκος ἀμφοτέροισι:

νικᾶν δ' οὐκ εἴασ' οὐδετέρους ἀδίκως.

Before them both I held my shield of might

And let not either touch the other's right

[nixter888]

@nixter888 Solon's travels brought him to Sardis, capital of Lydia. According to Herodotus and Plutarch, he met with Croesus and gave the Lydian king advice, which however Croesus failed to appreciate until it was too late........

[nixter888]

Croesus had considered himself to be the happiest man alive and Solon had advised him, "Count no man happy until he be dead", because at any minute, fortune might turn on even the happiest man and make his life miserable. It was only after he had lost his kingdom to the Persian king Cyrus, while awaiting execution, that Croesus acknowledged the wisdom of Solon's advice....THE PERSIANS ADOPTED HIS IDEAS,IN LAWS,AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS!..THE TRUTH HAS TO BE SAID!

[corrigasm]

I respect the ever-loving shit out of this man (fyi). If Christians start a war w/Islam, then they will be painted hateful by everyone in between, mostly, i feel, because the media favors Islam ("religion of peace" we're told weekly). I would much rather be part of a religion of tolerance and understanding and reason and mercy, than a religion of "peace" (with 1400 yrs history of aggression). I know which side I will choose, if forced to.

[tresalko]

ALL GREECE IS MACEDONIAN BASTARDs

[rempetisa]

@tresalko - no some are Athenian some from Epirus some Thessalian, some Pontian and so on....

[kostasdania]

@tresalko AND MAKEDONIA WAS IS AND ALLWAYS BE HELLENIC!!!!

[HybridD91]

Can't have multiculturalism w/ a culture that wants to kill you. Why are we bending over for Muslims? They aren't like the Buddhists or Native American pagans.

[Halo4Lyf]

@HybridD91 Hell, even a certain variety of Native American pagans will carve your heart out of your chest. Fortunately the Conquistadors had the right idea and reduced that particular sect by about 99.5%.

We'll probably have to do the same to the Muslims at some point. New Crusade, anyone?

[HybridD91]

@Halo4Lyf The Aztecs? Know about them. War w/ Islam will be unavoidable, give at least a decade before something big happens....I just hope it doesn't become Christians vs Muslims. A lot of allies will be lost.

[Halo4Lyf]

@HybridD91 I think we'll have to lose a city before the American people understand just how serious the threat that Islam poses is. I suggest you read "Caliphate" by Tom Kratman. It may be fiction, but I honestly think it is what the world will look like in about a hundred years.

[HybridD91]

@Halo4Lyf We will see...if something like that was to happen during my life time, I would have to choose allies wisely, seems like a lot of people who are against Islam take it further than religion.

[SPARTANsenator7]

Excellent!

[Jubilo1]

 Outstanding!

[Athenaikos]

Dr Hanson is superb. His book on the Peloponnesian War is my favorite.

[Aegialeus]

@16:16

"YOU CAN'T HAVE COMEDY WHERE THERE IS NO FREEDOM"

THAT SAY'S IT ALL.

[RevDevilin]

Cherry picking history, to scaffold one's own personal beliefs, tut tut

There is nothing to be learned here, quite the opposite

[kingbryananthony]

@RevDevilin So brief, so easy to mock. You will have to give a counter argument to be taken seriously. Tell me what falsehood Dr Hanson uttered and what 'special' insight you have. I'm all ears!

[RevDevilin]

@kingbryananthony transpired "2500 years ago, there was an autocratic government, part theocratic, in Persia, and it threatened the West, and it represented an entirely antithetical world view"

2500 years ago King of Persia Cyrus the Great, 600 BC / 576 BC

Wiki

"It is said that in universal history, the role of the Achaemenid empire founded by Cyrus lies in its very successful model for centralized administration and establishing a government working to the advantage and profit of its subjects"

[RevDevilin]

@RevDevilin Wiki

"Cyrus the Great respected the customs and religions of the lands he conquered"

It's so easy to mock, somebody Cherry picking history, to scaffold their own personal beliefs

The 500 character limit, prevents me, from going into much detail, but you could research that fascinating part of history for yourself, and learn something, or you could listen to Dr Hanson, and learn how to scaffold your own personal beliefs by cherry picking history ;-)

[kingbryananthony]

@RevDevilin The kings would have been Darius and his son Xerxes not Cyrus. Life under an monarch was not better than being a Greek citizen in a polis. Historian Donald Kagan does mention that the Persian's treated their vassals with little expectation, except to fight, give earth and land and surrender property on demand.

Sorry i cant make out your position....Do you disagree that Athenian democracy was unique and significantly influenced the west for the better?

[RevDevilin]

@kingbryananthony Achaemenes/ Ariaramnes/Arsames/ Teispes/ Cyrus /Cambyses I /Cyrus II the Great/Cambyses II/Smerdis/Darius the Great /Xerxes ;-)

"Do you disagree that Athenian democracy was unique and significantly influenced the west for the better?"

nope

but it wasn't the only significant event, it was just one of many, out of last 2500 year's how long have we had democracy ?

And the meaning and practice of democracy have significantly changed

[kingbryananthony]

@RevDevilin Agreed, the influence of Greece is one of 'many things' that helped shape the west. Rome and Christendom were too, however they were in turn greatly influenced by Greek thinking. I cant tell what we are arguing about.

[RevDevilin]

@kingbryananthony Christianity is Middle Eastern

The greatest threat to democracy/Greece was itself, and the Spartans Greek

The menace from Persia was negligible, in demonstrated comparison, and wasn't quite the, "entirely antithetical world view" as painted by Dr Hanson

My point is and was

Cherry picking history, to scaffold one's own personal belief

[greekvvedge]

@kingbryananthony

For starters, his remark that the Greeks enjoyed absolute religious freedom, and that the Persians had none is somewhat absurd, and possibly quite the opposite. What was Socrates' crime, by the way?

[bdinger74]

@kingbryananthony just a troll with Wikipedia access.

[Rexanglorum]

@RevDevilin Unfortunately, youtube only allows 500 characters. I like Dr. Hanson's core message bu tI am surious to see your critique and would not mind reading three of four comments and thus a more fully expressed disagreement to this speech.

[RevDevilin]

@Rexanglorum I.ll think about making a vid if you'd like, but that won't be until next year :D