Historians Admit To Inventing Ancient Greeks

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses a satirical article claiming that historians have fabricated the existence of ancient Greece, prompting various humorous and skeptical responses from participants. The scope includes commentary on historical perception, satire, and cultural references, with a focus on the implications of such a claim.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion
  • Humor/Satire

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express disbelief at the satirical claim, questioning the validity of historical figures like Socrates and Aristophanes.
  • Others engage in humor, suggesting absurd scenarios related to the claim, such as the Greek Theater being French or the existence of "Ancient Geeks."
  • A few participants reflect on the nature of satire and the potential for misunderstanding, citing instances where satire has been taken seriously in other contexts.
  • There are references to the effort involved in creating such a "hoax," with some participants making playful analogies to legal repercussions and cultural impacts.
  • One participant notes the absurdity of the claim in relation to modern technology, humorously suggesting that the Greeks could not have recorded events with advanced video technology.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally engage with the satirical nature of the original claim, but there is no consensus on the seriousness of the topic or the implications of the satire. Some find it humorous, while others express concern over the misunderstanding of historical narratives.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects a mix of humor and skepticism, with participants drawing on cultural references and personal experiences to engage with the satire. There is an underlying uncertainty regarding the reception of satire in different cultural contexts.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in satire, cultural commentary, and the intersection of history and humor may find this discussion engaging.

Math Is Hard
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Aha! I knew it!

http://www.theonion.com/articles/historians-admit-to-inventing-ancient-greeks,18209/

WASHINGTON—A group of leading historians held a press conference Monday at the National Geographic Society to announce they had "entirely fabricated" ancient Greece, a culture long thought to be the intellectual basis of Western civilization.

The group acknowledged that the idea of a sophisticated, flourishing society existing in Greece more than two millennia ago was a complete fiction created by a team of some two dozen historians, anthropologists, and classicists who worked nonstop between 1971 and 1974 to forge "Greek" documents and artifacts.

"Honestly, we never meant for things to go this far," said Professor Gene Haddlebury, who has offered to resign his position as chair of Hellenic Studies at Georgetown University. "We were young and trying to advance our careers, so we just started making things up: Homer, Aristotle, Socrates, Hippocrates, the lever and fulcrum, rhetoric, ethics, all the different kinds of columns—everything."
 
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At least MIH new it was a joke. :-p
 
What's next, the Greek Theater is really French?
 
Evo said:
At least MIH new it was a joke. :-p

And a gnu joke, at that!

Does that mean Jimmy the Greek doesn't exist?
 
Ivan Seeking said:
What's next, the Greek Theater is really French?
Nooo! Not Aristophanes! He was real! Nobody could make up those plays.
 
Evo said:
At least MIH new it was a joke. :-p
I didn't no that. :-p
 
stupid thing to joke about, especially when almost no one knows the history of the people that they rely on to be as comfortable as they are today

:/
 
turbo-1 said:
Nooo! Not Aristophanes! He was real! Nobody could make up those plays.

I meant THE Greek Theatre, but that too.
 
  • #10
So when Bill and Ted went to visit Socrates, was that all faked? :bugeye:
 
  • #11
Math Is Hard said:
So when Bill and Ted went to visit Socrates, was that all faked? :bugeye:
I was pretty skeptical. The Greeks were very advanced, but might not have had 24-bit color video cameras to record the event. 16-bit, maybe...
 
  • #12
turbo-1 said:
I was pretty skeptical. The Greeks were very advanced, but might not have had 24-bit color video cameras to record the event. 16-bit, maybe...

Judging from the way they depicted everything on their vases, it was 1 bit at most.
 
  • #13
Borek said:
Judging from the way they depicted everything on their vases, it was 1 bit at most.
1-bit printing, maybe. Not all technologies proceed at the same rate.
 
  • #14
There is still that batch of so-called historians&intellectuals busily at work inventing something they call The Religion of Peace and the multicultural paradise Andalucia...
 
  • #15
I was discussing this with my old frat brothers from Iota Nu Beta. We agreed that this hoax was a herculean effort. But now that it has been exposed, there will be repercussions of olympic proportions as lawyers who have lived a spartan existence will open a pandora's box of law suits, leading to a cornucopia of settlements.
 
  • #16
arildno said:
There is still that batch of so-called historians&intellectuals busily at work inventing something they call The Religion of Peace and the multicultural paradise Andalucia...

lol.
 
  • #17
Jimmy Snyder said:
I was discussing this with my old frat brothers from Iota Nu Beta. We agreed that this hoax was a herculean effort. But now that it has been exposed, there will be repercussions of olympic proportions as lawyers who have lived a spartan existence will open a pandora's box of law suits, leading to a cornucopia of settlements.
<wipes off monitor>
 
  • #18
AH NUTS I thought that it said Ancient Geeks
 
  • #19
Math Is Hard said:
So when Bill and Ted went to visit Socrates, was that all faked? :bugeye:

Obviously! Everyone knows that all real space-time phone booths are blue police boxes.

Fake
Bill-And-Teds_l.jpg


Real
[PLAIN]http://www.coated.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/tardis-ice-bucket.jpg
 
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  • #20
edward said:
AH NUTS I thought that it said Ancient Geeks

No, those were the guys who would get all worked up waiting for the next version of abacus.
 
  • #21
In defense of anyone not realizing the satire, once a legit newspaper in China republished an article from The Onion, not getting the humor.

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2002/06/53048"

Here's the original The Onion article. It's hilarious.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/congress-threatens-to-leave-dc-unless-new-capitol,98/"
 
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  • #22
collinsmark said:
In defense of anyone not realizing the satire, once a legit newspaper in China republished an article from The Onion, not getting the humor.

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2002/06/53048"

Here's the original The Onion article. It's hilarious.

http://www.theonion.com/articles/congress-threatens-to-leave-dc-unless-new-capitol,98/"
Understandable, coming from a country where you might go straight to jail for doing what the Onion does.
 
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