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Human Values Comparison Over Centuries

• MichaelCrawford 12y ago
  We've come a long ways. Consider that the Coliseum in Rome was originally designed to be flooded, so that mock naval battles could be staged. The losers would die of drowning. Later they staged gladiator battles, where the loser would be run through with a sword instead. The populace of Rome regarded that as great entertainment. Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra, the author of "Don Quijote", was drafted by the king of Spain to fight in a war. When the war was over, Cervantes was left to find his own way home - the king didn't provide any return transportation. He was kidnapped, then held for ransom for five years. The United States Marine Corps was formed specifically to put an end to that sort of hostage ransoming. The Barbary Pirates would capture merchant ships that were trying to enter or exit the Mediterranean, then send word to the crew's friends and families that they must pay a ransom if they wanted to ever see them alive again. I'm not saying humanity is free of evil, but surely it is far better than it once was.