|
|
Post by khali on May 30, 2009 22:02:25 GMT -5
What about history? Or because of possible political and religious connotations, would that be not-allowed as well?
|
|
|
|
Post by Deadpool is Insane on May 30, 2009 22:04:25 GMT -5
History is fine.
|
|
|
|
Post by khali on May 30, 2009 22:05:41 GMT -5
Alright, that sounds awesome to me. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
Post by rorschach on May 31, 2009 3:07:57 GMT -5
Alright, that sounds awesome to me. Thanks. You and I have had some bitchin history discussions, Kahli. |
|
|
|
Post by khali on May 31, 2009 11:59:12 GMT -5
I do love history to death. Once I become extremely financially comfortable or leave my job somehow, I'm going to go get my degree so I can start teaching it.
Though my favorite region/time period for history isn't the most popular...Dark Ages to Early Modern based mainly around Eastern/Southeastern Europe to Central Asia. Basically any of the Greek, Persianate and/or Turkic civilizations (Byzantines, Sassanids and Ottomans are good examples of each) are my favorites.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Emoticon Man on May 31, 2009 12:08:30 GMT -5
I actually just took a class on Classical Greece. Fun stuff. Awesome time period.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deadpool is Insane on May 31, 2009 12:10:18 GMT -5
Khali, I just turned this thread into a History thread for you. The original conversation was over and done with anyways.
|
|
|
|
Post by khali on May 31, 2009 12:17:02 GMT -5
Khali, I just turned this thread into a History thread for you. The original conversation was over and done with anyways. Sounds fantastic to me. I always wanted to talk history with some of the people who post at the Crap, but over at their off-topic, threads like that can kinda get lost in the shuffle pretty quickly if it's not a constant topic of discussion. I actually just took a class on Classical Greece. Fun stuff. Awesome time period. Indeed it is. I'm not a huge fan of antiquity, but I love some of the Greek civilizations. I'm glad that Ancient Greece has managed to enter into mainstream pop culture to some extent, but unfortunately I don't think the same can be said for the Persians, who were like their best rivals, period.  |
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Emoticon Man on May 31, 2009 12:24:45 GMT -5
Yeah, the Persians were definitely a big part of Greek history, and were pretty bad-ass in their own right. That entire class was full of win because of the Greeks, the Persians, and the Macedonians.
One thing about that Classical Greece class did disappoint me, though. 20% of our grade was supposed to be a Role-Play of the Peloponnesian War, so I was really hoping we'd get some spears and such to whack each other with. Alas, it ended up being a boring panel based on the Mytilene Revolt instead.
|
|
|
|
Post by Phil Ken Sandman on May 31, 2009 12:28:09 GMT -5
What about The Hitler Channel?
|
|
|
|
Post by khali on May 31, 2009 12:37:17 GMT -5
Yeah, the Persians were definitely a big part of Greek history, and were pretty bad-ass in their own right. That entire class was full of win because of the Greeks, the Persians, and the Macedonians. One thing about that Classical Greece class did disappoint me, though. 20% of our grade was supposed to be a Role-Play of the Peloponnesian War, so I was really hoping we'd get some spears and such to whack each other with. Alas, it ended up being a boring panel based on the Mytilene Revolt instead. The roleplay focused entirely on the Mytilene Revolt? Might just be me, but I think that's kind of obscure to be using to as a way to summarize the Peloponnesian Wars. There's plenty of bigger things they could be using to examine the conflict too--but it's still a part of history, and I guess since it was isolated on Lesbos it kind of makes a good subject to study without it getting too convoluted. |
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Emoticon Man on May 31, 2009 13:21:22 GMT -5
We studied more than just that, but apparently the professor thought it'd be a good spot for a debate. Basically, the class was split into groups: the Mytileneans (or however you'd spell it), the Spartans, the Athenian Assembly, an Athenian Senator who wanted to destroy the Mytileneans completely (I think it was Cleon), and an Athenian Senator who wanted to take a less harsh approach (I'm fairly certain it was Diodotus). The debate involved each group giving it's two cents on the matter and discussing Athenian policy at the time, and whether or not Mytilene had the right to do what it did. I was lucky; I was put into the Athenian Assembly. So, all I had to do was nod my head and say"yes, yes, that's right!" as the two Senator groups argued.  |
|
|
|
Post by khali on May 31, 2009 13:33:35 GMT -5
Ah yes, good 'ol Greek politics. Both one of their strongest points and one of their weaknesses.
I think it's ironic that the Romans ultimately defeated the Greeks, but the Greeks retained some of their cultural identity and actually outlasted the legitimately-Roman western half of the Empire, before calling themselves the Roman Empire (in Greek, no less), reviving their Greek culture and becoming the preeminent civilization in their time.
But I also think the Byzantine Greeks were tougher than the Romans considering who they regularly had to deal with. Personally I think the Normans, Persians, Magyars, Bulgarians, Rus', Seljuqs and Pechenegs were a lot more dangerous than the Goths, Franks, Celts, Lombards and Huns.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Emoticon Man on May 31, 2009 17:00:54 GMT -5
I'm actually hoping to write my Thesis on a Greek-related subject. I wrote a research paper on Greek views of women for that Classical Greece class and loved it. Plus, there are plenty of primary materials available for such a subject, which would make the work I had to do a bit easier.
|
|
|
|
Post by khali on May 31, 2009 17:09:29 GMT -5
Yeah, Greek history is comparitively easy to study compared to other ancient subjects, because most civilizations (except for say, the Romans and the Chinese) didn't really have historians to record their ancient events--but the Greeks did, and did extensively. Even if the sources are inaccurate, they're primary sources, and when there's no other evidence, one is going to have to go with them and their accounts.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Emoticon Man on May 31, 2009 17:13:38 GMT -5
I just hate researching. Once I have the materials, I can put together a paper and enjoy it, but I'm just not very good at going into a library or a website and finding whatever it is that I need.
Plus, Greek primary sources are fun to read, though Homer tends to use so many names that my head starts to spin after a while.
|
|
|
|
Post by khali on May 31, 2009 18:59:13 GMT -5
Yeah, if you're not a big fan of researching then the Greeks are a pretty safe bet since their stuff is pretty easy to access.
I can say they're easy...because I've tried to look up stuff about the Kypchak Khanate (the nomadic, raiding Turkic tribes that occupied the territory that would become the Golden Horde's land), and the information is kinda sparse, aside from the stuff gathered from a few Byzantine historians (even that much further in time, the Greeks STILL knew how awesome history was) here and there.
|
|
|
|
Post by rorschach on May 31, 2009 21:08:52 GMT -5
Not going to turn this political, but just finished reading a book about the importance of White House physicians throughout the years....never knew how much was really riding on that job, historically speaking. In fact, one of them outright DID change history by his actions.
Damn good book, but it stops at 1987, unfortunately. I'd love to hear more from these authors.
|
|
|
|
Post by khali on Jun 2, 2009 18:18:58 GMT -5
So who was the big history-changer?
INQUIRING MINDS WISH TO KNOW!
|
|
|
|
Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 2, 2009 20:17:01 GMT -5
Yeah, the Persians were definitely a big part of Greek history, and were pretty bad-ass in their own right. That entire class was full of win because of the Greeks, the Persians, and the Macedonians. One thing about that Classical Greece class did disappoint me, though. 20% of our grade was supposed to be a Role-Play of the Peloponnesian War, so I was really hoping we'd get some spears and such to whack each other with. Alas, it ended up being a boring panel based on the Mytilene Revolt instead. The roleplay focused entirely on the Mytilene Revolt? Might just be me, but I think that's kind of obscure to be using to as a way to summarize the Peloponnesian Wars. There's plenty of bigger things they could be using to examine the conflict too--but it's still a part of history, and I guess since it was isolated on Lesbos it kind of makes a good subject to study without it getting too convoluted. Wait a minute!!!! I would like focus more on this Lesbos place. Sounds like by kind of place. ;D |
|
