09-03-2006, 12:28 PM
I am looking into the case for the newspaper being a Roman invention. Has anybody ever asked himself why a certain Julius Caesar is not credited to be the inventor of the newspaper? Yes, you read right.
According to Wikipedia and also Microsoft Encarta, he introduced in 59 BC the so-called Acta Diurna. Their publishment fulfills in my understanding all four common criterias for being a newpaper:
Periodicity: According to French Wiki the Acta Diurna were continued to be published until Augustus' time, according to German Wiki until 235 AD and at English Wiki even until "the seat of the emperor was moved to Constantinople". So, in all cases by far long enough to fulfill the criteria.
Actuality: All four sources (Wiki=Encarta) agree unanimously on the news character of the Acta.
Universality: The Acta also comprised all kinds of news. Legal announcements, Senatorial acts, military notices, outcome of trials, marriages, deaths, announcements of public games, in short a wide array of information of public interest.
Publicity: All sources agree that the Acta Diurna were presented "in message boards in public places like the Forum of Rome."
Voila, that makes fulfillment of four out of four criterias and I do not think that it needed some bending and twisting to make the evidence fit.
One problem, though, arises: Caesar may not have been the first to publish the Acta Diurna, but only expanded on an already long standing institution.
Is anybody having by chance some literary references, primary or secondary, on the subject? What do you think, can old Jule be claimed to be the inventor of the newspaper?
I am serious about it. If you look in which dubious ways in the history of technology other individuals or cultures have been generally credited with certain inventions, then I think we should give Julius Caesar's textbook fulfillement of established criterias a serious consideration. In other words, why not give Caesar what is due to Caesar?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acta_diurna
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acta_diurna
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acta_Diurna
According to Wikipedia and also Microsoft Encarta, he introduced in 59 BC the so-called Acta Diurna. Their publishment fulfills in my understanding all four common criterias for being a newpaper:
Periodicity: According to French Wiki the Acta Diurna were continued to be published until Augustus' time, according to German Wiki until 235 AD and at English Wiki even until "the seat of the emperor was moved to Constantinople". So, in all cases by far long enough to fulfill the criteria.
Actuality: All four sources (Wiki=Encarta) agree unanimously on the news character of the Acta.
Universality: The Acta also comprised all kinds of news. Legal announcements, Senatorial acts, military notices, outcome of trials, marriages, deaths, announcements of public games, in short a wide array of information of public interest.
Publicity: All sources agree that the Acta Diurna were presented "in message boards in public places like the Forum of Rome."
Voila, that makes fulfillment of four out of four criterias and I do not think that it needed some bending and twisting to make the evidence fit.
One problem, though, arises: Caesar may not have been the first to publish the Acta Diurna, but only expanded on an already long standing institution.
Is anybody having by chance some literary references, primary or secondary, on the subject? What do you think, can old Jule be claimed to be the inventor of the newspaper?
I am serious about it. If you look in which dubious ways in the history of technology other individuals or cultures have been generally credited with certain inventions, then I think we should give Julius Caesar's textbook fulfillement of established criterias a serious consideration. In other words, why not give Caesar what is due to Caesar?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acta_diurna
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acta_diurna
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acta_Diurna
Stefan (Literary references to the discussed topics are always appreciated.)
