@MithraisAugustus In Britain, an archaeologist is either an archivist (dull), a digger (terrible pay and conditions), or an academic (sharp elbows required).
Could be good, though. Why am I not an archaeologist?
I'm reading a book called Empires of the Word, and something in it reminded me of what you said about cuneiform. It mentions that Aramaic, a language of nomads, became the lingua franca of the Assyrian empires (and later Persian). The common explanation is that Aramaic used an alphabetical script rather than the difficult cuneiform of Assyrian, Akkadian, Sumerian, and others languages of the more civilized societies of the region. (The author disagrees with this view, though).
A(n interesting) triviality: The word "Trojan" derives from the Latin "Troianus", the English 'j' having replaced the Latin 'i' - therefore the pronunciation in English of the word (with the g-like sound) is an accident of spelling. The word would be more properly pronounced (if English had any regard for that kind of thing, ha ha) as though it were spelled "Troyan", which really makes quite a lot of sense, doesn't it?
Every time I watch one of your videos I ask myself,"Why isn't he an archaeologist." This time I'll ask you. Why aren't you an archaeologist?
MithraisAugustus 6 months ago
@MithraisAugustus In Britain, an archaeologist is either an archivist (dull), a digger (terrible pay and conditions), or an academic (sharp elbows required).
Could be good, though. Why am I not an archaeologist?
lindybeige 6 months ago
yes
MrBsct 6 months ago
I'm reading a book called Empires of the Word, and something in it reminded me of what you said about cuneiform. It mentions that Aramaic, a language of nomads, became the lingua franca of the Assyrian empires (and later Persian). The common explanation is that Aramaic used an alphabetical script rather than the difficult cuneiform of Assyrian, Akkadian, Sumerian, and others languages of the more civilized societies of the region. (The author disagrees with this view, though).
Crossbowman 7 months ago
Lost language was lost forever?
I hope those scribes had dictionary hidden somewhere waiting to be dug up.
Keasri 8 months ago
Yes cuneiform had to be hard to read and write: that was all the point about having a chaste of scribes
mordechaimordechai 8 months ago
And they called my handwriting chicken scratch!?
Torome86 8 months ago
Christ failed to teach the arrogant scribes humility....it was Gutenberg who managed to do that.
youmaus 8 months ago
job security for scribes
bretlynn 8 months ago
Im just glad the romans and greeks came along with more useful alpahbets xD
IVscythia 8 months ago
A(n interesting) triviality: The word "Trojan" derives from the Latin "Troianus", the English 'j' having replaced the Latin 'i' - therefore the pronunciation in English of the word (with the g-like sound) is an accident of spelling. The word would be more properly pronounced (if English had any regard for that kind of thing, ha ha) as though it were spelled "Troyan", which really makes quite a lot of sense, doesn't it?
TheWoodenKnight 8 months ago
@TheWoodenKnight Yes, and Ajax is really Aias. But then Achilles is really Achilleos (various spellings). Homer calls the city Ilium.
lindybeige 8 months ago
@lindybeige That, ah, that would explain the title of the Illiad, then, wouldn't it? Ha ha.
TheWoodenKnight 8 months ago
@lindybeige Incindentally Indonesians spell and pronounce both Troy and Trojan as Troya.
JohnTraviss 6 months ago
Meh, they just didn't want to waste space on their tablets.
HBOrrgg 8 months ago
The glories of copyright free music.
14GloryofRome14 8 months ago
Now I think I know why most people in the ancient world where illiterate.
gurkfisk89 8 months ago 29
@gurkfisk89 They went to a public school in the US?
NoisemakerArrow 8 months ago 20