Your favourite ancient civilisation?

[Dimentio]

What is your favourite ancient civilisation? With "favourite" I mean, what civilisation did you think have brought most positive things to humanity?

With "ancient", I refer to civilisations which existed before 1500 AD.

[Dr Mindbender]

I'm stretched.

Greek mythology is made of win, however the ancient Egyptians made massive leap forwards in mathematics, astronomy and engineering.

Taking into consideration all the naughtiness that the Egyptians and Romans got up to, like slavery, imperialism, crucifixtion and feeding people to lions I'd probably have to go for the Greeks, since they invented democracy and produced really good mathematicians and philosophers.

[Robespierre2.0]

Well I don't know if it counts, but the Islamic golden age was pretty neat. While European medicine was still based upon the silly 'four humours' pseudoscience, the Arab world developed surgery, numerous surgical instruments, and medical peer review processes.

[Os Cangaceiros]

My all-time favorite civilization is the Mongols, especially the Mongols as led by Genghis Khan and Ogedei Khan. I've been fascinated by them (and also Tamerlane) since I was a young kid.

I don't really think they progressed civilization a huge amount...I'm more impressed by their ferocity and their skills on the horse, especially their horse archers. That wasn't the only military ability they had, though...they're also responsible for one of histories first cases of biological warfare, when they fired plague victims into a walled city via catapult.

[Dimentio]

My all-time favorite civilization is the Mongols, especially the Mongols as led by Genghis Khan and Ogedei Khan. I've been fascinated by them (and also Tamerlane) since I was a young kid.

I don't really think they progressed civilization a huge amount...I'm more impressed by their ferocity and their skills on the horse, especially their horse archers. That wasn't the only military ability they had, though...they're also responsible for one of histories first cases of biological warfare, when they fired plague victims into a walled city via catapult.

I would say that the most impressing thing with the Mongol Empire was the proto-globalisation it brought to Eurasia. The Mongols were so adaptable that they assimilated the most efficient and progressive tendencies from all the older civilisations within their empire.

[Stranger Than Paradise]

I'm torn between Aztecs and Egyptians.

[Dimentio]

One of the few ancient civilisations I dislike is the Aztec civilisation. It was completely unsustainable, did not really bring anything positive in terms of understanding society or nature, as the Mayas and Olmecs had brought. Rather, they built on those civilisations. They were also borderline-racist, and secluded conquered city-states in bantustans which had to deliver human sacrifices to Tenochtitlan.

Most other cities sided with the Spaniards against the Aztecs, whom were completely hated.

[Lynx]

Whoever it was that founded and maintained the city of Alexandria, in Egypt.

[brigadista]

Well I don't know if it counts, but the Islamic golden age was pretty neat. While European medicine was still based upon the silly 'four humours' pseudoscience, the Arab world developed surgery, numerous surgical instruments, and medical peer review processes.

agreed - if you go to cordoba you cans see some of those surgical instruments - they are still used today- cordoba is an amazing place

[Dóchas]

id have to say the ancient greeks, but then again i studied classics for three years so im kinda biased ;)

[piet11111]

the Romans they really where amazingly good at architecture and pioneered surgery (their tools when compared to modern ones are almost similar in design)
especially everything about their waterworks amazes me how they could provide drinking water for such a large city and have warm water baths and even sewers.

i am especially impressed seeing what nonsense followed after their empire fell and how long it took to regain their standards of living.

[pastradamus]

The Celtic civilisation. Undiscovered and largely ignored by historians. This civilisation had the most advanced legal system in history (when compared to modern times) such as the brehon laws - which in some regards is better than common law.

[Andropov]

Im fascinated by Spartan society.
How Spartans had such discipline and sense of purpose.
Its amazing.

[Bright Banana Beard]

I would say Roman for me.

[Rosa Provokateur]

The Vikings; theres something about sweaty norse men pillaging:drool:

[Dean]

One of the few ancient civilisations I dislike is the Aztec civilisation. It was completely unsustainable, did not really bring anything positive in terms of understanding society or nature, as the Mayas and Olmecs had brought. Rather, they built on those civilisations. They were also borderline-racist, and secluded conquered city-states in bantustans which had to deliver human sacrifices to Tenochtitlan.

Most other cities sided with the Spaniards against the Aztecs, whom were completely hated.

Other than their architecture, language arts, poetry contests, and vast system of education, they offered nothing at all...

[Communist Theory]

Native Americans. :lol:
Totally biased considering I'm Native American.

[Killfacer]

Ancient Greece i guess, then the Romans. For all the bad both did, they also contributed a hell of a lot.

[Holden Caulfield]

Ive been to Moorish palace in Seville and it is by far and away a more beautiful place than any stuffy old 'European' palace of any era.

I dont have a favourite tho, they were all bastards

[Pirate Utopian]

Ancient Greece i guess, then the Romans. For all the bad both did, they also contributed a hell of a lot.
Like the aquaduct.

[Os Cangaceiros]

And the orgy.

[Killfacer]

Like the aquaduct.

Plus Mathematics, democracy, a lot of philosophy, proper roads, lots of medicine, some great egineering. They did all sorts of crap.

Then again they killed thousands and destroyed entire nations.

[Dr Mindbender]

Plus Mathematics, democracy, a lot of philosophy, proper roads, lots of medicine, some great egineering. They did all sorts of crap.

Then again they killed thousands and destroyed entire nations.

:D its starting to sound like the john cleese scene from life of brian.

[Killfacer]

:D its starting to sound like the john cleese scene from life of brian.

:lol: that's exactly what i was thinking.

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

Definitely the Romans.

[Raúl Duke]

I don't know... guess I'm stuck with Ancient Greece (specifically Athens) and Moorish Spain (or the Islamic world in general at its height)...

Egypt too, at least in the realm of Architecture/Culture.

[Pirate Utopian]

:D its starting to sound like the john cleese scene from life of brian.
It's where I got the aquaduct like from. :lol:

[frozencompass]

I'll say ancient Greece as well in terms of having the most positive impact (duh, I'm also Greek).

However, I'm strongly fascinated by civilizations with cultures we know less about (as opposed to the Greek civilization which isn't surrounded by too much mystery anymore).

[Angry Young Man]

Taking into consideration all the naughtiness that the Egyptians and Romans got up to, like slavery, imperialism, crucifixtion and feeding people to lions I'd probably have to go for the Greeks, since they invented democracy and produced really good mathematicians and philosophers.
The Greeks had slaves too. Maybe China. I don't know a great amount about any, but I've always wanted to go to China. Though, I've also always wanted to go to Mexico. And Alexandria. And Cuzco.

But given how conjunctive it was to Shelley's poetry, I'll say Greece.

[Weezer]

All civilizations (or civilisations, for my Euro and Aussie friends) have up and downs I like and dislike, but a few stand out to me that I really like.

I like Athens, democratic, even though slaves and oppression were everywhere, Athens gave birth to Socrates, Plato, among other philosophers, Socrates being one of most influencing people in my life. The Islamic Golden Age, I also really like. Medience, philosophy, everything Europe didn't. But Europe had one thing: VIKINGS. WIN.

I also like the Native American civilization for being one of the only societies with jails.

[Angry Young Man]

Civilisation means settled society. Therefore, native Americans weren't really a civilisation.

And Athens really wasn't that democratic. The voters were free men over the age of 30. Plus, there was the theocratic edge to it (remember that Socrates was executed for blasphemy.)

One of the best things to come out of Athens was theatre. Like Philosophy, it has been massively improved in the last 3000 years. Unlike Athenian philosophers, Athenian plays are still boss! I did Oedipus Rex at the beginning of the year. Pity I couldn't have done Medea.

[manic expression]

Carthage...Minoan Crete, Rome (circa Trajan/Hadrian), the Inca, the Crusader States, Persia (circa Xerxes or the AD 300), Old/New Kingdom Egypt, the Gupta Empire, the Han Dynasty, Byzantium, Umayyad Spain...the list goes on and on. I could talk about that stuff all day honestly, something about the past just sparks the imagination like nothing else.


Civilisation means settled society. Therefore, native Americans weren't really a civilisation.

The Indians of the great plains (modern midwest US) were nomadic, but tribes on the east coast (Iroquois, Algonquin, Cherokee, etc.), west coast (Chinook), south (Pueblo) and more south (Aztec, Maya, etc.) were sedentary. Plus, if the nomadic American Indians weren't a civilization, then neither were the Mongols or Magyars or Franks until later on.

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

I think Athens gets a pass because of democracy. Sure, they invented democracy, but they are also considered to be among the most brutal of the Greek city-states and in every case where they conquered another city they killed all the men and sold the women and children into slavery. The Spartans, who have the reputation of bloodthirsty killers, were revered by all the people of Greece when they finally defeated Athens, and resisted calls from pretty much every other city to lay waste to the city and instead showed mercy.

Though I agree with RR that Athenian theater is great. I especially like Aristophanes.

[Angry Young Man]

He was the comedian wasn't he? Lysistrata?

Nah, mate. It's all about the tragedy! The Athenians thought the same: only tragedians were allowed to enter the Dionysia, at least originally.

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

Yeah, he was the comedian, arguably the founder of all comedy :cool: Though he really shows in Lysistrata, as well as in other plays (my personal favorite being The Frogs) how comedy can actually question social mores in a more effectual way than tragedies can in many cases.

I'm too unemotional for the tragedies I think. All I thought throughout all of Antigone was that what they were all arguing about was no big fucking deal. Same goes for the Iliad, good luck getting my ass on a boat for another dudes wife :lol: Though that may be true of even contemporary Greek culture, where a suicide from lost love, usually followed by a second suicide, still seems to be a common practice.

I do have a lot of respect for both Sophocles and Homer, however, don't get me wrong.

[LOLseph Stalin]

I would have to say Egypt. I have been fastinated with this civilization since like forever. Their artwork and architecture is just so amazing! When I was younger I used to say I wanted to be mummified the traditional Egyptian way when I die.

[Weezer]

Civilisation means settled society. Therefore, native Americans weren't really a civilisation.

And Athens really wasn't that democratic. The voters were free men over the age of 30. Plus, there was the theocratic edge to it (remember that Socrates was executed for blasphemy.)

One of the best things to come out of Athens was theatre. Like Philosophy, it has been massively improved in the last 3000 years. Unlike Athenian philosophers, Athenian plays are still boss! I did Oedipus Rex at the beginning of the year. Pity I couldn't have done Medea.

Not to mention you also had to own slaves to vote, if I believe.

Also, one of the reasons I nearly worship Socrates is because stood up to authority in his seek of knowledge and truth, and died for. If Jesus died like a god, Socrates died like a philosopher.

[Tower of Bebel]

The "Arabians" (Muslims) did well between 700 and 1300. But I think the Chinese, before they were outgunned near 1600, deserve the most credit.

[Comrade Kaile]

Japan...

For one the oldest recorded book was Japanese, they had "ahead of the time" agriculture and pottery, and a very early use of metals. Although I respect the Samurai and the Bushido code I can only see their system with contempt. With only exception for the Ronin, who were forced into "freedom," all Samurai served a Daimyo, who in turn served a Shogun. The whole design of their society was a hierarchy of wealth, whoever owned the most land was the master.

For wealth of knowledge I'd say either Rome or Greece, they figured stuff out 4000 years before the rest of Europe even came out of their religious stupor.

But to go with my nihilism I'd have to say Troy, simply because they got their collective ass handed to them, and it was for no reason but destruction... oh and that woman supposedly.

[NecroCommie]

Persia is often way underappreciated in the western world. I like the civilizations of middle east in general, like Hittites (how can one not love a civilization with leaders named Suppiluliuma or Mutawalli), Assyrians or Babylonians. They are the basis on which the golden age of Islam was built.

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

Athens.

[Angry Young Man]

Yeah, he was the comedian, arguably the founder of all comedy :cool: Though he really shows in Lysistrata, as well as in other plays (my personal favorite being The Frogs) how comedy can actually question social mores in a more effectual way than tragedies can in many cases.

I'm too unemotional for the tragedies I think. All I thought throughout all of Antigone was that what they were all arguing about was no big fucking deal. Same goes for the Iliad, good luck getting my ass on a boat for another dudes wife :lol: Though that may be true of even contemporary Greek culture, where a suicide from lost love, usually followed by a second suicide, still seems to be a common practice.

I do have a lot of respect for both Sophocles and Homer, however, don't get me wrong.

Homer was the epic poet, not a dramatist. And I think Oedipus' suffering is quite a big deal. Just imagine: "Sir, last 12 years, you've been fucking your mum."

[Pirate Utopian]

:confused: Homer is a safety controller at a nuclear powerplant!

[fabilius]

Like many I have to name Athens as the most progressive ancient civilisation.

Athens had a bourgeoisie. They had slavery (although not as bad as the European 17th century version of it, nor as bad as the 21st century sweatshop version of it). They had colonies, petty wars, occasionally tyrants etc.

But they laid foundations to many of the most positive things in western thought. Rationality has probably always existed. (I´m sure independent rational minds have always existed in all societies). But they took it to the next level one could say. Greek philosophy is still today worth studying, not just to understand history but it´s actually valuable in the sense you could learn something from it.

They did not invent all their mathematics but we have to give them credit for a lot we know today still. Their mythology is fascinating, their architecture is the foundation of western architecture, their art as well. I´m not aristotelean in aesthetics and I don´t agree with him, but still to most of what he had to say I´d have to reply: Good point.

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The romans brought us lots of progressive things as well, in terms of architecture mostly I´d say. The celts had a very interesting legal system well worth looking into and so did the norse to a certain extent as well.

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However the ancient civilizations I find most fascinating are of a different sort:

The Mayans and Olmecs, the Egypts, Babylonians, I don´t think of the Norse as an ancient civilization but they´re still high on my list.

[#FF0000]

I've been big on Linguistics lately, and I particularly like the Sumerians and the Minoan and Mycenaean greeks, what with the cuneiform and linear A and linear B and all that. Ancient languages are neat.

[Dóchas]

:confused: Homer is a safety controller at a nuclear powerplant!

tut tut :rolleyes:

he was also probably the greatest story teller of all time and wrote the iliad and the odyssey

[Pirate Utopian]

Yeah, yeah, yeah and Bart was a rocket scientist. :rolleyes:


Yeah, I was being sarcastic about Homer.

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

Homer was the epic poet, not a dramatist. And I think Oedipus' suffering is quite a big deal. Just imagine: "Sir, last 12 years, you've been fucking your mum."

Well, you know what I mean, long drawn out story of blood and gore being fought over a silly subject (a woman). Though yeah you got me on Oedipus that would be a pretty rude awakening, to say the least.

Kind of reminds me of the Romulus and Remus myth with the oracle prophesying the kids to kill the father and whatnot, minus the growing up to do your mom.