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kcixcy

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I get a bit confused about the influences and relationship between these two civilizations. How did they impact eachother?
 
I don't know much, but I do know that there is evidence on Crete from the Minoan excavations that the Minoans had trade contact with Ancient Egypt. Some goods of Egyptian origin have been found at dig sites.
 
I don't know much, but I do know that there is evidence on Crete from the Minoan excavations that the Minoans had trade contact with Ancient Egypt. Some goods of Egyptian origin have been found at dig sites.
This is from a blog post that I found "Egyptians and Greeks are known to have been in contact already in the 2nd millennium BC, though we don’t know much about it. The picture becomes clearer from about 600BC, when the sea-faring Greeks were frequent visitors to Egypt. Some of it was for trade (there was a Greek trading-base at Naucratis in Egypt from about this time), some of it was about military services, and some of it was probably just sightseeing. By the 5th– 4th centuries BC Greek intellectuals had a pretty good idea of Egyptian culture." https://blog.oup.com/2016/04/greek-egyptian-interactions-literature/
 
This is from a blog post that I found "Egyptians and Greeks are known to have been in contact already in the 2nd millennium BC, though we don’t know much about it. The picture becomes clearer from about 600BC, when the sea-faring Greeks were frequent visitors to Egypt. Some of it was for trade (there was a Greek trading-base at Naucratis in Egypt from about this time), some of it was about military services, and some of it was probably just sightseeing. By the 5th– 4th centuries BC Greek intellectuals had a pretty good idea of Egyptian culture." https://blog.oup.com/2016/04/greek-egyptian-interactions-literature/
This is interesting, thank you for sharing this!
 
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There might be some information in this article?

 
I don't know much, but I do know that there is evidence on Crete from the Minoan excavations that the Minoans had trade contact with Ancient Egypt. Some goods of Egyptian origin have been found at dig sites.
Good! At the same time, look closely at the Egyptian art-works in chamber-tombs. Many statuettes that protect royal sarcophagi are clearly of Caucasian females or spirits. Many wall-painted females are Caucasian and are attired in Minoan style. Painted male dignitaries are skin-bronzed but not negroid. The painted negroid people are either soldiers or house-maids. All this abolishes the myth that an African is a negroid person. The very face of the Sphynx is Caucasian. We need to rewrite the history of Egypt. Herodotus recorded what some people used to believe, not an empirical ethnology/
 

Learning about Greek Independence Day

March 25th marks a significant celebration in Greece, but I realize my knowledge on its historical context is quite limited.

From what I understand, this day commemorates the start of the War of Greek Independence in 1821, where Greece sought to end several centuries of Ottoman rule. However, I'm eager to learn more about the intricacies of this period, the key figures involved, and how the struggle for independence unfolded over time.

Additionally, I'd be interested in understanding how this day is celebrated across Greece today and whether any particular traditions are tied to it. For example, are there specific ceremonies, parades, or family traditions that uniquely mark this day in Greek culture?


Greek-flag.jpg

Athens and the creation of democracy

I've been thinking about Athens and how it's the birth of democracy. I wondered if other societies had experimented with the concepts or if Athens was unique? Does anyone know? I know that there's been some evidence that other societies experimented with community leadership, but none had a true democracy like what Athens developed.

It was unique in developing a system where a significant portion of its inhabitants could participate directly in decision-making processes. This early form of democracy was largely initiated under the leadership of Cleisthenes in 508/507 BC. His reforms reorganized the population into ten tribes based on their residence rather than lineage, promoting a broader and more inclusive political engagement.

In this Athenian democracy, citizens had the right to attend the Assembly (Ekklesia), where they could speak and vote on legislation and executive decisions. The Council of Five Hundred (Boule), selected by lot for each of the ten tribes, proposed legislation and handled daily affairs. This lottery system for public office sought to prevent power monopolies and encourage civic participation.

I know that this work truly influenced other democratic governments through the world!

Feel free to chime in with your thoughts- I find this stuff interesting.

Story of the Birth of Democracy

I just watched a nice documentary about the birth of democracy in Athens. This is so fascinating! I didn't realize the nuances, only the basics about how it began in Athens. This documentary goes into a lot more detail.

My Top Favorite Greek Philosophers

There are too many philosophers to count, but these are the ones I am studying at the moment. It's fascinating to me how influential the Greek philosophers are. Here's some things I am learning:

#1 Socrates

If philosophy had a poster boy, Socrates might very well be it. The father of Western philosophy, Socrates was a gadfly to Athenian society, questioning everything and Master to Plato. Known for the Socratic Method and his unflinching commitment to truth, Socrates' influence is immeasurable despite never having written a word.

#2 Plato

Rightly succeeding his mentor on this list, Plato's Academy saw him birth the first "university" of its kind. His unabashed idealism, immortal Forms, allegories like the Cave, and the pursuit of 'The Good' in moral philosophy set the stage for much intellectual discourse.

#3 Aristotle

Aristotle, another of Plato's students, had a more grounded approach to philosophy than his predecessor. With establishing principles of logic and reason, and contributions to virtually every field of academia, from poetry to physics, Aristotle's body of work remains foundational.

#4 Heraclitus

Heraclitus, famed for the idea that "change is the only constant," viewed the cosmos through a lens of process, flux, and an everlasting Logos that governs the world. Although little of his work survives, his influence on ancient and modern thinkers is profound.

#5 Epicurus

Known for his eponymous philosophy, Epicurus taught that the greatest good is to seek modest pleasures in order to attain a state of tranquility, freedom from fear (ataraxia), and absence of bodily pain (aponia). Often misunderstood, Epicureanism is starkly different from the modern use of 'epicurean' - it's much less about a luxury lifestyle and more about ethical considerations regarding personal fulfillment.

What did the Ancient Greeks eat?

I am fascinated by the Ancient Greeks. I have a feeling that some of our modern Greek recipes are similar to the ancient ones. Like spoon sweets. It think that seems like something that was developed a long time ago as a way to preserve the fruit harvest.

So, I have been researching this. What did the Ancient Greeks eat? I wanted to share this video because I thought it was interesting.

Share and discuss Greek history!

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