Free Essays on Barbarian

, â€Å"an intermediate generation between gods and mortals.† (Herodotus, pg. xxx) Herodotus The Histories is an amazing work. This work is titled a history, but it is important to remember that a history is not just a telling of past events. Even the most objective histories contain the biases and personal prejudices of the author. Herodotus is no exception. Within his many detailed stories and events, the reader can clearly sense his thoughts of Greek supremacy. The ancient Greek people were very proud of their culture for many different reasons. A main source of pride, however, was the Greek style of art and architecture. The Greek culture was very rich around the time of the fifth and sixth centuries BC, influencing many other cultures that came in contact with it. One such culture was that of the Persians. The Greek force defeated the Persian force, lead by Xerxes, in 479 BC. After this battle, there is evidence of Persian art having som... Free Essays on Barbarian Free Essays on Barbarian Barbarian. Within the text of Herodotus, this term meant â€Å"a non-Greek.† Originally, this term was not meant to be offensive or negative, but over time the Greeks began to think of themselves as culturally superior to the barbarians. The Greeks believed in a concept called â€Å"guest-friendship.† Guest friendship was when one man (or community) would extend his protection to an outsider visiting his community. Guest friendship involved reciprocal gift giving and was a very formal procedure. This process was eternally under the protection of the great Greek deity Zeus. Though the ancient Greeks entertained guests from various locations and cultures, they held to the fact that their own Greek culture was entirely pure and of their invention. Ancient Greeks did not cite the influences of others on their fine art. Within the ancient Greek culture, the term â€Å"hero† referred to a mortal made divine after death. In other words, â€Å"an intermediate generation between gods and mortals.† (Herodotus, pg. xxx) Herodotus The Histories is an amazing work. This work is titled a history, but it is important to remember that a history is not just a telling of past events. Even the most objective histories contain the biases and personal prejudices of the author. Herodotus is no exception. Within his many detailed stories and events, the reader can clearly sense his thoughts of Greek supremacy. The ancient Greek people were very proud of their culture for many different reasons. A main source of pride, however, was the Greek style of art and architecture. The Greek culture was very rich around the time of the fifth and sixth centuries BC, influencing many other cultures that came in contact with it. One such culture was that of the Persians. The Greek force defeated the Persian force, lead by Xerxes, in 479 BC. After this battle, there is evidence of Persian art having som...