Originally posted by Gaigoon Title kinda explains all.
In my opinion it has to be Ancient Rome
no question about that, Rome stands as unique in the history of the world before the 13th century, but they borrowed heavily from the Greeks and other cultures, so perhaps we shouldn't be too quick to judge.
Perhaps we should change the question to "... what we know about". Because if the civilisation didn't have a written language, then we know nothing about them.
Do we mean only technological civilisations? Because we know nothing about philosofies in non-writing civilisation.
We sholdn't underestimate the early civilisations, that didn't have written language.
Originally posted by FabianFnas What about The Vikings, Inca, or Maya?
Perhaps we should change the question to "... what we know about". Because if the civilisation didn't have a written language, then we know nothing about them.
Do we mean only technological civilisations? Because we know nothing about philosofies in non-writing civilisation.
We sholdn't underestimate the early civilisations, that didn't have written language.
Originally posted by AThousandYoung Vikings weren't a civilization.
It's gotta be Rome or China.
Ancient Greece was more civilised than Ancient Rome - and Rome owed most of its virtues to Greece. Who was it that talked about "the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome"?
China is a good contender.
Ancient Persia is in with a running as the first state (apparently) to advance a concept of human rights and religious freedoms. But I don't know enough about Persian culture to measure it against the others.
Originally posted by Gaigoon The Mayas were quite civilised except for human sacrifice and other barbarous practises...
The civilisation of today uses sharia laws, circumcision (male *and* female), death sentances, dictatorships, discrimination of women and gays and ethnics, some with the aid of laws... do I need to continue? The future will judge us as we judge our past.
I think a lot of Rome's fame is for military conquest, and I am not sure I would necessarily call that the main sign of greatness, though conquering and maintaining colonies does take some skill.
What is 'a civilization' anyway? Must it all be under a single ruler? A single country? Is Europe today lots of civilizations or only one?
Egypt's civilization did last for nearly 4.000 years. Rome's only for 1.000 years (not taking the Holy Roman Empire or Byzantium into consideration).
The Greeks gave us philosophy and the Romans gave us syphilis (that's what I heard a wiser man than myself once shout, before he was hauled arse over tit out of Fiumicino's lounge).
Personally, I think European civilization, if you can call it that, is the greatest. The whole middle-ages to the industrial revolution. Even today, Europe is still the best place to live in the world (bar petrol prices).
EDIT: coming to think of it though, that doesn't really count as "on topic".
So, F-it. I'll stick with Rome.
What is the greatest civilisation before the 13th Century?
30 Jan '11 18:35
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