From November 4, 2021: Mnesarete of Thespis, Phryne Fisher, core curricula, cultural appropriation, & letting your intellect by hornswoggled by and so falling victim to Victorian-era grifters...
My first reaction (before seeing that this was your point) was that it was a bit late in the day for him to be taking this point of view. My second was: "Ada Palmer to the white courtesy phone." To which I append: what Arora says.
"The classical Greeks and Romans were not us, and were not like us as well."
The Romans were enough like us for us to identify with them - and different enough from us to shock us, is the usual trope. We do need to emphasize that the majority of Roman emperors would not code as "white" in American society, and several would definitely code as "black". Well, that and the communal toilets.
Nor was he the only African emperor. Macrinus was born in Algeria to a Berber family, for instance. And there are others I can't immediately bring to mind
I expect this will have to be hoisted from the archives over and again, just like we tackle zombie economics over and again.
My first reaction (before seeing that this was your point) was that it was a bit late in the day for him to be taking this point of view. My second was: "Ada Palmer to the white courtesy phone." To which I append: what Arora says.
In a completely unrelated vein, I have lost track of your comments on Capital One somehow. I see Matt Stoller has something to say. https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/the-fed-is-behind-the-capital-onediscover
"The classical Greeks and Romans were not us, and were not like us as well."
The Romans were enough like us for us to identify with them - and different enough from us to shock us, is the usual trope. We do need to emphasize that the majority of Roman emperors would not code as "white" in American society, and several would definitely code as "black". Well, that and the communal toilets.
Severan Tondo: <<https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tempera_painting_on_wood_panel_-_Septimius_Severus_and_his_family_-_Egypt_-_Berlin_AS_31329_-_01.jpg>>
Nor was he the only African emperor. Macrinus was born in Algeria to a Berber family, for instance. And there are others I can't immediately bring to mind