Thoroughly enjoying this lecture series. And thank you very much for the time you spent putting this together. I look forward to the remaining episodes of this series and hopefully future content. Take care and have a great day.
These are the best courses out there about ancient Greece.. not just enumerating names and dates, which is what makes History boring, but your discussions and insights on issues. Such as the question whether Solon was successful... In my opinion, he was a great innovator, but he was born in the wrong time, he would have more success if he had lived during the Enlightenment for example, when people were more politically mature. What he did was extremely radical for his time and it's amazing it even came into effect. It is not the system that is to blame if it fails, but the implementation, which requires responsible, educated and moral citizens. We have 'perfect' political systems in theory, but in the real world and with time they have all mutated into different forms. Communism was one. But we cannot blame Marx for Stalin's brutality. Capitalism has as many different implementations as there are nations, and we cannot blame the institutions of Parliaments, Senates, etc, for the corruption and lobbying of various interest groups. The real problem has always been human nature and self-interest, but this is natural and it's part of being a human animal, even if it is a political one. Thank you again for all your hard work !!
Solon tried to make the Athenians to plant olive trees, and it is true we still produce olive oil in Greece. It makes me wonder if today there is a western leader that can initiate a practice that can last for more than 2000 years........ The other historical lesson I take from Solon is if you are trying to do something right for your community everybody will hate you. Even today, the vast majority of people often oppose a reform in the right direction and that drives "evolution" back. You say in your lecture that Solon was not successful in his reform since it brought anarchy (αναρχία) after a couple of years but I think even if he was not successful, he probably planted some ideas for his contemporaries to think about -for instance his legislation ideas. Anyway very nice lecture it made me think a things or two, even if my thoughts may be naive, it made me think and this is the important thing about this lecture. When I hear native English speakers mention Greek words and letters I often I wish could help them. I studied statistics and neuroscience when I was young and when I speak with English speaking colleagues I often interrupt them to correct their pronunciation, like a fan a contrario. Anyway, thank you for the lecture, I will try to share it with people I know.
@@mjonhouston ideals are difficult to define, partly because you need to know the results of their implementation. in that you also need to take into account the residuals between the model and its implementation. these are empirical exercises which are not for the fainthearted. even then, with the benefit of hindsight you need to apply the correct criteria and correctly perceive the facts to understand to which the criteria may be applied in order to understand the situation. I believe that the majority of people lack both the data and the criteria and even then you need to understand that the world is partially stochastic. In any case, I believe that the suggestion of Solon regarding olive trees was in the right direction because we know that this was beneficial for the athenian economy.
Very true about the olive trees, and of course, it takes long term planning and central control to achieve such results. China did it, USSR did it.. complete transformation of economies. This is impossible to achieve in modern Greece and most other countries due to instability of governments changing policies every 4 years. Which is a disadvantage of the multi party system with great ideological differences. The US is the prime example of continuity in policy, having only 2 parties with (relatively speaking) minor differences.
(7:00) The delicate balancing act of democracy. Even today, most people that live in one can't comprehend why their political party of choice can't have it all.
In my opinion and from learned experience .MAN only has what he has wether it be riches wealth good health luck etc only has those things or doesn't have acording to an unexplainable force that man tries to comprehend as god or is god or someother kind of hand s unseen operating throughout all man's life.
Just go ahead and read the entirety of dang Plutarch in one big file, Love your vvox. Good mic. Cures my insomnia Now sleeping 9 hours a night/ I was dang PFC August 2, 1990. Of course. THose are my boys/. I weas editor Hofstra U and a Bob Grant intern. @@matthewadamkeil
@@ginaibisi777 Interesting, but that sounds like some kind of genetic affinity. You mentioned language. What ancient sources suggest the Greeks spoke Albanian?
These are really quite good lectures.
yes. high quality lectures.. thank you
Thoroughly enjoying this lecture series. And thank you very much for the time you spent putting this together. I look forward to the remaining episodes of this series and hopefully future content. Take care and have a great day.
Thank you so much for your kind words. I really appreciate your support. Hopefully, I will get lectures seven and eight for this course done today.
These are the best courses out there about ancient Greece.. not just enumerating names and dates, which is what makes History boring, but your discussions and insights on issues. Such as the question whether Solon was successful...
In my opinion, he was a great innovator, but he was born in the wrong time, he would have more success if he had lived during the Enlightenment for example, when people were more politically mature. What he did was extremely radical for his time and it's amazing it even came into effect.
It is not the system that is to blame if it fails, but the implementation, which requires responsible, educated and moral citizens. We have 'perfect' political systems in theory, but in the real world and with time they have all mutated into different forms. Communism was one. But we cannot blame Marx for Stalin's brutality. Capitalism has as many different implementations as there are nations, and we cannot blame the institutions of Parliaments, Senates, etc, for the corruption and lobbying of various interest groups. The real problem has always been human nature and self-interest, but this is natural and it's part of being a human animal, even if it is a political one.
Thank you again for all your hard work !!
Super lectures without peers
Thank you ... really
Solon tried to make the Athenians to plant olive trees, and it is true we still produce olive oil in Greece. It makes me wonder if today there is a western leader that can initiate a practice that can last for more than 2000 years........ The other historical lesson I take from Solon is if you are trying to do something right for your community everybody will hate you. Even today, the vast majority of people often oppose a reform in the right direction and that drives "evolution" back. You say in your lecture that Solon was not successful in his reform since it brought anarchy (αναρχία) after a couple of years but I think even if he was not successful, he probably planted some ideas for his contemporaries to think about -for instance his legislation ideas. Anyway very nice lecture it made me think a things or two, even if my thoughts may be naive, it made me think and this is the important thing about this lecture. When I hear native English speakers mention Greek words and letters I often I wish could help them. I studied statistics and neuroscience when I was young and when I speak with English speaking colleagues I often interrupt them to correct their pronunciation, like a fan a contrario. Anyway, thank you for the lecture, I will try to share it with people I know.
..."reform in the right direction",...which "reform" is that D.Z.?🤔
@@mjonhouston ideals are difficult to define, partly because you need to know the results of their implementation. in that you also need to take into account the residuals between the model and its implementation. these are empirical exercises which are not for the fainthearted. even then, with the benefit of hindsight you need to apply the correct criteria and correctly perceive the facts to understand to which the criteria may be applied in order to understand the situation. I believe that the majority of people lack both the data and the criteria and even then you need to understand that the world is partially stochastic. In any case, I believe that the suggestion of Solon regarding olive trees was in the right direction because we know that this was beneficial for the athenian economy.
Very true about the olive trees, and of course, it takes long term planning and central control to achieve such results. China did it, USSR did it.. complete transformation of economies. This is impossible to achieve in modern Greece and most other countries due to instability of governments changing policies every 4 years. Which is a disadvantage of the multi party system with great ideological differences. The US is the prime example of continuity in policy, having only 2 parties with (relatively speaking) minor differences.
Al Gore invented the internet.
I love your videos
(7:00) The delicate balancing act of democracy. Even today, most people that live in one can't comprehend why their political party of choice can't have it all.
Are you taking the piss trout of us.lol
In my opinion and from learned experience .MAN only has what he has wether it be riches wealth good health luck etc only has those things or doesn't have acording to an unexplainable force that man tries to comprehend as god or is god or someother kind of hand s unseen operating throughout all man's life.
This cat is cool.
😆 Who, Solon?🤣
Well, let's hear about Xenophon and the dang Pesh Merga..Also Alcibisdes. Enquiring minds went to know. Also Athens Black Plague. @@matthewadamkeil
Just go ahead and read the entirety of dang Plutarch in one big file, Love your vvox. Good mic. Cures my insomnia Now sleeping 9 hours a night/ I was dang PFC
August 2, 1990. Of course. THose are my boys/. I weas editor Hofstra U and a Bob Grant intern. @@matthewadamkeil
disabled Screaming Eagles scout vet
Can you imagine me as a student? Ask classics Prof Jon Rund from Northwestern U. My neigbhor. @@matthewadamkeil
How come ancient Greeks spoke Albanian. What do you have to say about that?!
Please tell me more about that. What sources say they spoke Albanian in ancient times. I would genuinely like to know. Thank you in advance.
Kosovo Albanian haplogroup shows that 47.40% E1b1b is the same as Ancient Greeks.
@@ginaibisi777
Interesting, but that sounds like some kind of genetic affinity. You mentioned language. What ancient sources suggest the Greeks spoke Albanian?