tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16646992.post2852568394279811387..comments2023-10-14T23:56:22.016-10:00Comments on Reflecting Light: Drachma queenRick Darbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02371910140619422820noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16646992.post-2323462994916231932011-09-17T15:36:11.384-10:002011-09-17T15:36:11.384-10:00"Greece" fought very few wars in ancient..."Greece" fought very few wars in ancient times. The myriad independent Greek cities, on the other hand, loved to fight each other so much that their best men were long dead by the time Macedon rose to prominence. Just as modern "Romans" have very little relationship to the Romans, modern "Greeks" have little relationship to the most magnificent people of the classical world.<br /><br /><i>I think sheila should see the difference between "Greek" and "Grecian" ; the latter does remind us that Athens was indeed the "cradle of democracy", a political régime that surely had nothing in common with our present-day so-called "democracies"....</i><br /><br />"Grecian" is pure post-Renaissance fiction. I'll stick with Greek. We should also remember that the Athenians showed us the innate limitations of their own democratic system. The voters fell under the sway of a swine named Alcibiades, and <i>voted</i>, bless their hearts, to invade an island that had done no harm to them. The end result was a rout so complete that it broke Athenian power and guaranteed a Spartan victory.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16646992.post-58298624912295421452011-09-15T10:12:08.965-10:002011-09-15T10:12:08.965-10:00Didn't Lord Byron go to Greece to fight the Tu...Didn't Lord Byron go to Greece to fight the Turks? Then was one of the last wars Greece had to fight ; and of course, when they talk of "nazi" Europeans, they know what the word means ; during and after WWII they had to fight first foreign, then home-made nazis....<br />I think sheila should see the difference between "Greek" and "Grecian" ; the latter does remind us that Athens was indeed the "cradle of democracy", a political régime that surely had nothing in common with our present-day so-called "democracies"....zaziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02639722488366613594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16646992.post-91379779632486881362011-09-15T04:15:55.129-10:002011-09-15T04:15:55.129-10:00Sheila,
I was just trying to wring a little comed...Sheila,<br /><br />I was just trying to wring a little comedy out of this mad situation. Not bashing Greece or Greeks.<br /><br />If anything, the worst actors in this drachma, er, drama were the EU imperialists who thought all Europeans were interchangeable and could be gathered into a currency and political union. Visionary aggression triumphed over common sense.Rick Darbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02371910140619422820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16646992.post-48501791044883209902011-09-14T04:39:47.610-10:002011-09-14T04:39:47.610-10:00I expect some internet-surfing Greek Americans (wi...I expect some internet-surfing Greek Americans (with a surfeit of pride in the former appellation and little but disdain for the latter) will find this post and indignantly protest against this slandering of the "cradle of democracy." Personally, I disliked Greece intently. The border guards were surly (even with my diplomatic passport), the prices were high, the toilets were Turkish, and I couldn't get lamb in a restaurant for love or money. For my purposes at the time, Turkey was far more hospitable. Of course, with Erdogan resurgent, I wouldn't set foot there today (and wouldn't be surprised if all the urbane Turkish diplomats I knew are searching for new homes).Sheilanoreply@blogger.com