Common errors about Antiquity

[Sean Manning]

Some more:
* Only Greek armies had hoplites (even writers like Arrian and Xenophon with ferocious prejudices about barbaroi disagreed)
* Rome was founded in 753 BCE (a guess by scholars centuries later)
* The Greeks were a poor people (there certainly were poor parts of Greece, but by preindustrial standards much of the Greek world was rich)
* Money was invented by Greeks or Lydians in the 6th century BCE (coins were, money wasn't)
* Maybe something about Greek sexuality? Or ancient slavery?

Two more I can't vouch for, but seem to be agreed on by scholars:
* Most ancient statues and temples were bare white marble
* A historical Jesus would have spoken Latin (definitely not!) or Hebrew (apparently replaced by Aramaic among the masses)

And don't forget:
* Cyrus the Great promulgated an innovative declaration of human rights

The book sounds fun, Jona! And I'm sure you'll be able to make it entertaining and polite but firm.