Roman opinions of Greeks
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 6:46 am
Salvete omnes! S.V.B.E.V.
I just finished Pliny's Natural History. What a wealth of information. Some of the most interesting parts I thought were Pliny's opinion of the Greeks:
"...we are swept along by the empty words of Greek intellectuals."
"They are a worthless and intractable lot."
"...when the Greeks give us their literature it will undermine our whole way of live..."
"The Greeks, progenitors of all vices..."
"It is astonishing how far Greek gullibility will go."
"Amber provides an opportunity for exposing the false accounts of the Greeks..."
..."not everything handed down by the Greeks merits admiration."
My question is, was Pliny's opinion of the Greeks common to Roman citizens? If not, what was the general Roman opinion of the Greeks? Or vice versa?
Vale
I just finished Pliny's Natural History. What a wealth of information. Some of the most interesting parts I thought were Pliny's opinion of the Greeks:
"...we are swept along by the empty words of Greek intellectuals."
"They are a worthless and intractable lot."
"...when the Greeks give us their literature it will undermine our whole way of live..."
"The Greeks, progenitors of all vices..."
"It is astonishing how far Greek gullibility will go."
"Amber provides an opportunity for exposing the false accounts of the Greeks..."
..."not everything handed down by the Greeks merits admiration."
My question is, was Pliny's opinion of the Greeks common to Roman citizens? If not, what was the general Roman opinion of the Greeks? Or vice versa?
Vale