Ouch.

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Yeah,what a shame. The greek government is of the same mind...celebrations are all programed for 1010. This has prevented us to organise an event for the 2500 of the battle in the correct time,since we won't get support from the government nor the municipality of Marathon...
What to say!
Khairete
Giannis

[Kineas]

I'd niote that all the Classicists I know think that the 2500th is 2011--and publishers.

But I agree that given all the cloudiness of archonships and calendars, the point is somewhat moot!

[Matthew Amt]

I'm with Jona. Sure, you can't teach EVERYthing, and sometimes mistakes will happen no matter what you do. But this is really turning into the "Whatever" generation, and I think more effort should be made towards precision to fight the tide of apathy. After all, if academia doesn't care about truth, who will? We should not just fill the troughs of the masses with crap, and then have to re-teach the tiny few who are motivated to try to find out more--it's no harder to get it all right the first time. We don't have to teach calculus to 8-year-olds, but they really should know that 2 plus 2 equals 4, not "something between 3 and 6"!

Heck, and it's MATH! It isn't mostly gray area, like history! Should be simple!

Matthew

[ParthianBow]

Is it not too late, Matthew? It is so simple, yet...given that most/all people count from 1 to 100, not 0 to 99, the new millenium started at 1 second past midnight, on the 1st of January, 2001. Did that stop the entire world from celebrating when all four digits of the year date changed, one year previously?
A big fat nope.
So it's no surprise that Marathon is being commemorated one year too soon either. hock: :evil: :?:

[Doc]

Yes, it is important to get the dates correct. But in these economic times, one year makes no difference especially if an event brings much needed cash and YES Matt, this is the WHATEVER age and there is nothing we can do to stop it unless it makes money.

The majority of students that I ecounter consider the subjects that are required as useless crap and they ask me why they cannot take just what they need. Then they ask why is Organic chemistry so difficult and why I cannot make it easy so they can pass and get into medical school, dental school....etc.

Then they go and complain to the department chair that the class is difficult which results in my "altering" the course.

Students grade shop for their money and they expect to get a good product to make more money. That's it. The fact remains that outside the few on this forum who like history, the rest DO NOT GIVE A CRAP ABOUT HISTORY let alone if an event is one year earlier or later.

This is true for many adults as well who I have personally heard saying: I do not have enough time or energy thinking about today and tomorrow let alone what was done in the past by a past generation that no longer exists and my pondering on it does not put food on the table.

Gentlemen, this is the sad state that the planet is currently facing. Its all about profit NOT quality, innovation, long lastingness, loyalty, appreciation, individualism, tradition, values, culture...etc

At least here in NY for the most part of the people I have encountered think this way. So how much of a stretch is it to believe this is not universal given the current climate we live under.

[Kineas]

Agreed, Doc.

Mind you, just to be fair, you don't have to be a post-modernist or a deconstructionist to wonder whether there is a meaningful reenacting difference between a 2499th and a 2500th.

But... for the American School in Athens to do it (probably just some guy in marketing or admin) is surprising and annoying. Have any of us called them on it? I'm a Hesperia subscriber--perhaps I should send a letter to the editor. It is possible the academic part doesn't really even know...

My most recent run-in with the UoT Classics department gives me little hope, however...

[Doc]

I agree from the point of view that you have placed it. Maybe a call would not be so bad BUT if they have the thing rolling with everything ready to go, then I would agree a call is not going to help. Although, someone might want to leak this out to the media so that next time a little more care can be taken.

Who knows, maybe someone in the media covering this event may realize what everyone else has. We can dream-no?

[Vindex]

Perhaps they intend it to start from the time Darius mobilized his forces...

Yes?

No?

Just a thought in exoneration...