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Interesting article. The Ancient Greeks, were from what I understand, very open about how (most of) their culture was essentially handed to them by the Egyptian

Interesting article. The Ancient Greeks, were from what I understand, very open about how (most of) their culture was essentially handed to them by the Egyptians via the trading colonies the Greeks, who were a seafaring people, kept at the Egyptian shores.

elliptic 11y ago
Do you have a reference for this? While Greece was strongly influenced by the cultures of the Near East and Egypt, it entirely misstates the situation to say that "most of their culture was handed to them." Edit - Walter Burkert has an excellent, short book on this - The Orientalizing Revolution
- Herodotus38 11y ago
  At least in the specific case of Herodotus, in his Histories, he has several theories about Greek customs borrowed from other cultures. He also has a relatively open mind about different cultures having customs that are better. For example, he talks at one point how he thinks the Persians (who were often enemies with different city states) have a good custom of raising young children (males) separate from the parents until a certain age so if they should die it is less of a hardship.
  - civilian 11y ago
    Herodotus was fantastic because he was the first historian, but he is seriously lacking as a historian if you judge him by modern standards. That doesn't detract from him as a great man and an intellectual pioneer, but it does mean we should be skeptical of his theories. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herodotus#Egypt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herodotus#Egypt
    - Herodotus38 11y ago
      For sure, everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt. I was just giving an example of a specific Greek who had some of the ideas the OP was requesting.
duaneb 11y ago
I disagree with this. While the Greeks speculated that Egypt might be the origin of some of their culture, they were a) distinct and b) tended to be a pseudo-mystical predecessor to the greeks. Kind of how we look at the greeks with western culture, but centered around egyptian religion.

elliptic 11y ago

Do you have a reference for this? While Greece was strongly influenced by the cultures of the Near East and Egypt, it entirely misstates the situation to say that "most of their culture was handed to them." Edit - Walter Burkert has an excellent, short book on this - The Orientalizing Revolution

Herodotus38 11y ago
At least in the specific case of Herodotus, in his Histories, he has several theories about Greek customs borrowed from other cultures. He also has a relatively open mind about different cultures having customs that are better. For example, he talks at one point how he thinks the Persians (who were often enemies with different city states) have a good custom of raising young children (males) separate from the parents until a certain age so if they should die it is less of a hardship.
- civilian 11y ago
  Herodotus was fantastic because he was the first historian, but he is seriously lacking as a historian if you judge him by modern standards. That doesn't detract from him as a great man and an intellectual pioneer, but it does mean we should be skeptical of his theories. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herodotus#Egypt https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herodotus#Egypt
  - Herodotus38 11y ago
    For sure, everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt. I was just giving an example of a specific Greek who had some of the ideas the OP was requesting.

duaneb 11y ago

I disagree with this. While the Greeks speculated that Egypt might be the origin of some of their culture, they were a) distinct and b) tended to be a pseudo-mystical predecessor to the greeks. Kind of how we look at the greeks with western culture, but centered around egyptian religion.