Common errors about Antiquity

[D B Campbell]

Thanks for the input; some of them were not on the list yet. Anyone else?

I'm afraid that, by the time I noticed your thread, all the good ones had been taken, Jona!

If you need some trivial ones, too ... one of my bugbears is the notion that, once a Roman battering ram touched a town wall, the siege could not be called off. Quite apart from being ridiculous from a logical viewpoint, it is demonstrably incorrect.

[sonic]

Are you including 'Latin' quotes, such as 'nil illegitimum carborundum' (or any of its numerous spellings)?

[Robert Vermaat]

(apologies if I mention things that were already on other lists, I have a heavy cold)

* Christ was born in the year Zero.
* Nero watched Rome burn whilst playing a lute/harp/violin
* Every Roman general or rich man drove a quadriga from home to work
* Romans did not use chairs but ate lying down on benches
* every Roman wore a toga
* Romans invented orgies
* Roman warships were rowed by slaves WITH DRUMS giving the rhythm
* every Roman spoke Latin as Latin was obligatory
* every Roman child went to school
* every Roman road leads to Rome
* the eastern Roman empire was known as the Byzantine empire during the Middle Ages
* Carthage discovered America but kept it a secret
* Cleopatra was dressed as an Egyptian pharaoh
* Masada was defended by Jewish freedom fighters (touchy subject, I know).

[D B Campbell]

* every Roman road leads to Rome

... eventually, Robert!

[Conal]

# all Roman soldiers wore red cloaks.

# the pilum / spears were held in a couched position on the march.

# bashing chest as a salute

# racing chariots were big old heavy things with scythes on the axels

# the Colosseum could be filled with water for naval battles (not been proved)

# that the Colosseum was called the Colosseum and not the Flavian Amphitheatre

# that Gladiators were all slaves

# Hadrians wall was built to keep the Picts out (and not the Brits in :wink: )

[Gluteus Maximus]

Here's a few. Forgive me if I duplicate!

The Romans invented the Gladius

Celts occupied the whole of Britain.

'The Romans' persecuted 'The Christians'

Barbarians wanted to crush Rome

La Tene and Celtic were synonymous

And - a bit controversial - 'The Romans adopted Christianity'. No, They re-invented a form of it which would best unify the Empire.

[Conal]

Celts occupied the whole of Britain.

What's a Celt?

La Tene and Celtic were synonymous

What is La Tene?

[Gluteus Maximus]

Celts occupied the whole of Britain.

What's a Celt?

La Tene and Celtic were synonymous

What is La Tene?

If these questions are rhetorical, I would answer by saying 'Exactly!' If not, I fear to answer fully for fear of repeating many things you probably already know :wink:

[Eleatic Guest]

One common error are actors running around the migration period movies in the lorica segmentata. I guess directors fear that the audience won't recognize Romans troops unless they wear that type of armour.

[Gluteus Maximus]

One common error are actors running around the migration period movies in the lorica segmentata. I guess directors fear that the audience won't recognize Romans troops unless they wear that type of armour.

Indeed. I suppose if there had been a 'Constantine's Column', or if Shakespeare had written about Aurelian or Julian, things might have been different, but equally wrong. Imagine Olivier's Crassus in the film Spartacus, heading an army of clibanarii, and long-sleeved mail - clad legionaries with round shields wearing spangenhelms?

[Theodosius the Great]

And how about...

*Rome was founded as a Republic ([size=85:3e3y2q3k]ahh!!! never heard of Romulus ?![/size])

Yep, that's my favorite as well. I even saw a movie (Esther), in which at some point you here the people shouting "Jalla jalla". And when they are counting, they use Arabic numerals... Not the worst movie, BTW.

I've seen the cover of this film many times but never saw it. OK, I'll check it out.

BTW, I don't think Hollywood is entirely to blame for this ethnic mismatching of garb. I've seen post-Renaissance paintings of Josephus, Ptolemy, and other Greek thinkers dressed in turbans :| But Hollywood is to blame in perpetuating the myth.

Indeed. I suppose if there had been a 'Constantine's Column', or if Shakespeare had written about Aurelian or Julian, things might have been different, but equally wrong.

There is the ruined Column of Theodosius in Constan....er....Istanbul. :wink: Point taken though.

One common error are actors running around the migration period movies in the lorica segmentata. I guess directors fear that the audience won't recognize Romans troops unless they wear that type of armour.

That's the most generous, positive interpretation I've ever heard. But anachronism seems to be the rule regardless of the period being portrayed by Hollywood. One just has to watch the movie "Excalibur", migration era with (very late) medieval armor hock: :roll:

~Theo

[M. Demetrius]

But you have to love the leather bikini on Gwyn, right? We know they must have worn those in Scotland in the nice, balmy weather, eh?

[Gorgon]

And how about...

That's the most generous, positive interpretation I've ever heard. But anachronism seems to be the rule regardless of the period being portrayed by Hollywood. One just has to watch the movie "Excalibur", migration era with (very late) medieval armor hock: :roll:

~Theo

I have to disagree regarding Excalibur. The original corpus of literature is highly anachronistic also, extending from medieval to renaisance period. Late medieval Knightly codes, equipment, tournaments, etc. "Excalibur" is just continuing that tradition, it was never meant as an historical study. If it was they would have to scratch everything that makes the King Arthur corpus what it is.

[Gorgon]

* "Falcata" is a Latin word

* "Falcata" was used to describe a weapon in ancient period writtings

* The Spanish were the ones to start what is comonly known as the "European Age of Discovery"

* "Hoplite" derives from the use of the shield "hoplon"

* Ancient Romans and Greeks were generaly blue-eyed, with fair skin and fair hair, like in english and american movies

* Cleopatra was of Egyptian "stock"

* Alexander only founded one Alexandria, which was also the only city he founded

[Jona Lendering]

Thanks all; again, many of them are now on my longlist, and I expect to make a shortlist pretty soon.