Misconceptions of Hellenes (Greece)

In part because of the bias of the Romans, the romanticism of the 19th Century, and modern Hollywood there is many misconceptions about the Hellenes. In particular about Athenian democracy, Sparta, and Hellenic homosexuality. In this article we will look at some of the more well known myths, and the truth behind them.MYTH ONE: The Hellenes were die-hard freedom lovers Probably the most well known of the modern myths about the Hellenes is the belief that they were die-hard freedom lovers. In truth one must realize two things: One: the Hellenic idea of freedom is not the same as the modern idea. Two: not all Hellenic states were democracies. Freedom to the Hellenes meant that a person was not a slave, and able to do what they desired, when they wished to do it. And democracy was not a very popular idea even in Athens, whose most distinguished son, Plato, openly criticized the system as weak and doomed to degrade into a tyranny ( a term that did not have the negative meaning it has today) MYTH TWO: The Athenian democracy is the mother of all modern democracies Almost as widespread as the above myth and one of the most annoying from a historian’s standpoint is the belief that Athens is the direct ancestor of all modern democracies, and hence just like them. This could not be any further from the truth. In Athens the right to vote was restricted to Athenian citizens. Citizenship in Athens was confined to free men that were born within the confines of Athens itself to Athenian parents. Women, non-citizen free men called metics and slaves were not citizens. Another feature of the Athenian democracy was that it was essentially a permanent plebiscite, without checks or balances. All power was focused into the Ekklesia or the Assembly, which controlled (if not at times indirectly) or overrode the other three primary organs of the Athenian democracy: the Boule (the Council), the Areios pagos (a senior court for the most serious crimes), and the Heliaea (the People’s Court). No other democratic government since then has ever been quite like the Athenian democracy. MYTH THREE: Athens was the birthplace of Western civilization Without a doubt one of the most exasperating misconceptions of all time is the belief that Athens was the birthplace of Western civilization. This is simply not true, no one civilization can be credited as the mother of Western thought. While it is true that many Western nations today borrow much from Athens it is not correct to label it as the birthplace of Western culture. In fact more inspiration was taken from the Roman Republic then Athens. MYTH FOUR: The Hellenes invented science, philosophy, and mathematics Another annoying myth, yet frighteningly common is that of the Hellenes inventing science, philosophy, and mathematics. While it is true that without the Hellenes, in particular the Ionians, we probably would not recognize any of those disciplines, they did not invent any of them. Mathematics for example was more the invention of Mesopotamia and Egypt then Hellas. MYTH FIVE: The name Hellene comes from Helen More a product of the Hellenes themselves then the modern world is the myth that the word Hellene comes from Helen of Troy. When it was discovered that Troy really existed historians began to give the old myth credence. In reality they had the right idea the first time, what the Greeks called themselves has no relation to Helen of Troy. MYTH SIX: The Hellenes were open homosexuals A particularly thorny issue today is whether or not the Hellenes were truly openly homosexual. It has long been held to be fact, especially by those who use history as means of pushing a political agenda, but modern scholarship has recently begun to call this belief into question. In truth we simply don’t know what the real answer to this issue is, but what has been commonly agreed upon is this: That Hellenic homosexuality more often then not took the form of pederasty, that is a relationship between a older man and a young boy (usually about 16). In turn this practice was for the most part confined to the wealthy upper classes of Hellenic society. The common people disdained the practice, and used it as ammunition to criticize the wealthy. To make things even more confusing this was not even true for all of the Hellenic states. For example in Thebes pederasty was openly encouraged by all, while in Sparta all forms of homosexuality were held in high contempt. MYTH SEVEN: The Sacred Band Leading on from the former misconception are those that are held in regards to the Sacred Band of Thebes. The confusion arises from the fact that Thebes had fielded several units known as the Sacred Band since the Bronze Age, and solidly since Plataea. However the only Sacred Band that was formed by pederastic couples was the unit formed by Pelopidas, which incidentally was also the last unit to bare that name. MYTH EIGHT: Hellenic Theater This misconception is a product of the Victorian Age in Britain. When the first excavations in Greece were made, and the first theaters began to be uncovered they based their entire understanding simply on the ruins. As a result the popular misconception arose that Hellenic theater was a very solemn affair, held in a white washed theater, watched by people in white washed clothes. What is the truth may be best described as loud, in both meanings of the word. Hellenic theater actually originated from religious festivals celebrating Dionysus, festivals that had a reputation for being wild. MYTH NINE: The Olympics The misconceptions surrounding the original Olympics are many, here we shall address a few of them. One is that the name of the games is derived from Mt. Olympus, but in reality is derived from Olympia, where the games took place. Two is that all Hellenes could participate in the games, actually only those who belonged to the city-states could compete (this was changed later on). A third myth is that the athletes competed for an olive wreath and nothing more. This is untrue, as many city-states honored their winners with lucrative jobs and monetary payments that would set them for life. MYTH TEN: The Marathon run One of the most storied events in Hellenic history is that of the runner Pheidippides. It is commonly believed that Pheidippides ran from Athens to Sparta to ask for Spartan assistance in the impending Persian attack. He then ran back from Sparta to Athens to relay the news that the Spartans couldn’t help because of a religious festival. Pheidippides then ran from Athens to Marathon, where the battle was taking place, fought in it and after the battle returned to Athens and died from exhaustion. Modern historians believe that only the initial run from Athens to Sparta and back took place, as told by Herodotos. The myth of the Marathon run has become the basis of the event in the modern Olympics. MYTH ELEVEN: Sparta There are many misconceptions about Sparta, a result of that state’s own closed nature. This gave rise to a series of what are at best educated guesses about Sparta and the Spartan way of life. Nevertheless we can dispel a few common myths regarding Sparta. One is that the Spartans tossed their unwanted babies off a cliff as a sacrifice. This is untrue, what the Spartans did do was take their unwanted to Mt. Taygetos and leave them there for the Helots to find and raise. Another Spartan myth is that the Spartans were the best soldiers of the ancient world before the rise of Makedon. This myth is ridiculous as there has never been any one group of soldiers better than any other. However their discipline and culture did make them quite formidable. A third myth is that Sparta did not prefer to become involved in greater Hellenic affairs, but only did so when forced. Actually Sparta was quite active diplomatically and there was several recorded incidents in which competing city-states would ask for Sparta to arbitrate their dispute, or intervene militarily (Spartan judgment was held in high regard across the Hellenic world). A fourth myth about the Spartans was that they were bloodthirsty and always waging war. Actually the Spartans were difficult to provoke into a conflict and very slow to mobilize even once at war. MYTH TWELVE: Thermopylae No battle in the history of the world has been more distorted, mangled, twisted, and used for the purpose of propaganda then the Battle of Thermopylae in 480. First and foremost is 300 Spartans did not hold that pass alone for three days against a million man Persian army. Actually it more like 300 Spartans, 700 Thespians, 400 Thebans, and 900 Helots holding the pass for three days against 60,000 Persians. Most of the myths regarding Thermopylae come from Herodotos, who while regarded as the first historian could not be objective when it came to the Greco-Persian Wars. A big myth of Herodotos’ is a conversation between the exiled Spartan king Demaratos and the Great King Xerxes. In this conversation Demaratos tells Xerxes that the Hellenes will never surrender to him, since it would mean slavery for them. Xerxes replied that no amount of free men could stand against a united army fighting at the whip. This myth both misrepresents the Hellenes and the Persians. In some ways the Persian idea of freedom is closer to the modern idea then the Hellenic idea was. As for the Spartans neither they nor their allies at Thermopylae fought for freedom, but simply for the glory of battle. Secondly what Demaratos did tell Xerxes was simply do not underestimate Spartan discipline. Another famous myth surrounding Thermopylae is that the reason the Spartans only sent 300 soldiers and their helots to Thermopylae was because of the Olympics, and they needed to send most of their men to the games. In fact the reason was the ephors did not see why Sparta should send her men so far north, but allowed Leonidas with his bodyguard and their servants to go anyway, so they could honor their commitment. MYTH THRITEEN: The Oracle of Delphi Many misconceptions have appeared in recent years in regards to the famous Pythia, or the Delphic Oracle. Most of these misconceptions can be traced back to 19th Century romanticism and in some cases the modern neo-pagan movement. The first of these myths is that Delphi was originally the sacred spot to a Mother-Earth religion that was overrun and destroyed by barbaric invaders worshipping a Father-Sky deity. This myth is quite simply ludicrous, as there is no proof for anything backing up this claim. A second myth is that Delphi was the only oracle, or alternatively the greatest oracle, in the Hellenic world. Actually there was several oracles in the Hellenic world, Delphi is simply the most famous. The greatest oracle was actually the Pythia of Dodona. The most famous myth regarding Delphi however is that regarding how the Pythia gave out her oracles. The traditional account is that the Pythia would sit on a tripod that stood over a chasm from which unknown gasses poured out. These gasses would put the Pythia into a incoherent state, and the oracles would come from the priests attempt to translate the mumbling into words. No chasm or strange gasses have ever been found in all of the excavations at Delphi, or any indication that there ever was a chasm. In addition more and more accounts from Hellenic and Roman times have surfaced that describe the Pythia as giving her oracles in a very calm, serene manner, speaking face to face with her supplicants. MYTH FOURTEEN: Hellenes and Barbarians Another myth about the Hellenes is their relationship with the so-called barbarians, that is non-Hellenes. Traditional wisdom has held that the Hellenes looked down their noses at the barbarians and had nothing to do with them what so ever. While there is some truth to that belief, in that the Hellenes always possessed a certain air of snobbery as a result of the pride they had in their heritage. However the Hellenes were not above using barbarian tactics and most commonly barbarian armament if it worked. The most common example from the classical period is the case of the Thracians. The Hellenes discovered early on that theirt hoplies could not fight effectively against the Thracian manner of warfare. So they copied their enemies and created the peltasts. This sparked a revolution in Hellenic warfare. MYTH FIFTEEN: Hellenic cavalry was awful A particularly longstanding myth is that the Hellenes were poor cavalrymen, and as a result the horse played a minor role in Hellenic warfare. For the most part this myth is like the one above, in that it is partly true, but still wrong. Most of Hellas was rough and rocky ground, especially the central regions. As a result in most of the city-states cavalry played little or no part in warfare. However this was not true for Northern Hellas, which was wide open plain country, perfect for cavalry. The Thessalian city-states, especially Larissa, fielded some of the best cavalry in the ancient world before the rise of Rome. Also of note was the superb cavalry of the Tarentines and other city-states in Megale Hellas, the Hellenic colonies in Italy. MYTH SIXTEEN: Helmet crests Another military myth surrounding the Hellenes involves their helmets. The popular image of the Hellenic hoplite is a heavily armored man wearing a Corinthian helmet with a tall crest. The truth is actually somewhat more complicated and still under debate. In truth we really don’t that much about the crests of Hellenic helmets, however we can construct a few facts: One is that before the Greco-Persian Wars crests were very rare, the province of the wealthy and of the strategoi (generals) who are described as having triple-crested helmets. The Karians, an Anatolian people that adopted Hellenic ways, were the ones that introduced the Hellenes to more regularized crested helmets. After that the crest becomes more common, although still very much the privilege of the wealthy. Note that this is not universally true. In Megale Hellas for example helmet crests were wide spread. This became popular fashion in the militaries of the neighboring Italics. A second fact we know for certain is that the transverse (that is side-to-side) crest was not the sole province of the Spartans and officers. Which brings another point: uniformity in the military was a unknown concept to the Hellenes, each hoplite’s panoply was unique. So no two helmets, and certainly no two crests, were alike. Beyond this little can be said for certain. In conclusion we have touched on only a few of the myriad misconceptions that surround the Hellenes. However it is the firm belief of the author that in the end these misconceptions will fall away. Because when you get down to it fact is always more fascinating then myth.

Tags: blog, war, 300, History, ancient history, battle, greek, ships, sparta, spartans, themistocles, thermopylae, roman empire, roman republic, rome, remembering, soldiers, archeology, blogging, egypt, Uncategorized