Links
- Aging Disgracefully
- Devas Folk
- Majid Zohari
- Nima Rashedan
- Becker-Posner Blog
- The Econ Review
- EconPhD
- Blank
Archives
My personal reflections on current issues, culture, and of course economics!
Friday, February 04, 2005
Double Standards II:
Double Standards II:
Well, I have to say that in my spare time, I am a history buff. That said, here goes the second instance of double standards:
If you are interested in Roman history, you have definitely heard about the Teutoburg Forest. You have definitely read about the Battle of Adrianople. But how many people have ever heard of Battle of Carrhae? The point is, this battle was the first major defeat of Roman legions (seven of them, no less) by a force less then one third of their number composed entirely of cavalry.
It had many lasting effects on the history of Roman republic and later empire. This battle essentially checked Roman eastward expansion. Euphrates became the eastern border of Rome for seven centuries.
Also, two important technological advances were introduced to warfare: heavy cavalry (think about European Knights, only more effective!) and composite bow (the absolute king of battlefields from Carrhae to introduction of firearms!).
Yet how many history buffs know that a successful Roman general, who had single handedly defeated Spartacus, commanded armies under Sula, and spurred for power along Julius Caesar and Pompey, got literally annihilated by Parthians? And who knows that Romans had to come to terms with the fact that they do have equals, if not masters, from 50 BC to 650 AD? This is not just based on military prowess, but also based on cultural influence (Romans were Mithraists before they were Christian, and St. Augustine was Manichean before becoming a Church father), and general level of civilization.
Is there a whiff of selective memory?
Well, I have to say that in my spare time, I am a history buff. That said, here goes the second instance of double standards:
If you are interested in Roman history, you have definitely heard about the Teutoburg Forest. You have definitely read about the Battle of Adrianople. But how many people have ever heard of Battle of Carrhae? The point is, this battle was the first major defeat of Roman legions (seven of them, no less) by a force less then one third of their number composed entirely of cavalry.
It had many lasting effects on the history of Roman republic and later empire. This battle essentially checked Roman eastward expansion. Euphrates became the eastern border of Rome for seven centuries.
Also, two important technological advances were introduced to warfare: heavy cavalry (think about European Knights, only more effective!) and composite bow (the absolute king of battlefields from Carrhae to introduction of firearms!).
Yet how many history buffs know that a successful Roman general, who had single handedly defeated Spartacus, commanded armies under Sula, and spurred for power along Julius Caesar and Pompey, got literally annihilated by Parthians? And who knows that Romans had to come to terms with the fact that they do have equals, if not masters, from 50 BC to 650 AD? This is not just based on military prowess, but also based on cultural influence (Romans were Mithraists before they were Christian, and St. Augustine was Manichean before becoming a Church father), and general level of civilization.
Is there a whiff of selective memory?
Comments:
<< Home
Dear Mohammad!
Thanks for answering my question about outsourcing. I confirm your analysis that we need more innovation and development of new technologies in the good old USA. The problem is that most of the top university graduate students today are not Americans, but they are Chinese and India. Of course several years back I was talking to this other Professor and before the 79 revolution, Iranians constituted most of the foreign graduate students. About the Parthians and Sassanids, it should be known that they defeated the Romans more than the Romans defeated them. Yes there is definitely a selective memory and bias somewhere :)
Khoda Negahdar
Post a Comment
Thanks for answering my question about outsourcing. I confirm your analysis that we need more innovation and development of new technologies in the good old USA. The problem is that most of the top university graduate students today are not Americans, but they are Chinese and India. Of course several years back I was talking to this other Professor and before the 79 revolution, Iranians constituted most of the foreign graduate students. About the Parthians and Sassanids, it should be known that they defeated the Romans more than the Romans defeated them. Yes there is definitely a selective memory and bias somewhere :)
Khoda Negahdar
<< Home
