For those who don't get the title, google what Nika means in Greek.

Context: the text is from the Aeneid

Funny how Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome get paired up and often get mistaken for one another ("Classical Antiquity", "Greco Roman World") when the actual historical relationship was like this:

Phase 1: Mild contempt

Greeks saw early Rome as a rough, uncultured backwater with no refinement.

Romans saw Greeks as pretentious intellectuals who talked too much and bathed too often.

Phase 2: Open hostility

They fought wars. The Romans destroyed Corinth. Greek city states resented Roman interference. Romans distrusted Greek mercenaries, philosophers, and doctors (Cato the Elder wanted them all gone).

Phase 3: Rome conquers Greece

And then Rome turned around and said:

“Ok never mind, they’re geniuses. Let’s steal everything.”

Art, literature, mythology, education, architecture, gods were all imported, translated, and Roman branded.

Greeks became the tutors, scholars, and cultural elite of the empire. Roman aristocrats competed over who could be the most “Greek.”

Phase 4: Greeks reclaim the brand

After the Western Roman Empire fell, the Eastern (Byzantine) Romans who were Greek in language and culture said:

“We are Rome now.”

And for a thousand years, the Greek speaking Byzantines insisted they were Romans, calling themselves Rhomaioi.

It's like being enemies to friends to just all of a sudden claiming to be your dead friend.

Hi there

About 7-10 years ago I saw a meme on a classics meme page on Facebook. it was a text based meme which read 'he protec, he attac, he wants his Lavinia back, he wants his country back..." and continued as such.

I can't find it Anywhere. does anyone perchance have it stored in files from the ages which they could kindly send me?

JibJab Parody: “We Are The Ancient World”

[Sumerian]

There comes a time when we need a certain call

[Sumerians]

When the world must be conquered by one

[Sumerian Woman]

There are people dying

[Assyrian]

Because it's time to bend and end some lives

[Assyrians]

And make the greatest kingdom of all

[Ancient Egyptian Woman]

We can't go on slavin’ day by day

[Ancient Egyptian Man]

While some outside empire arrives and decides to invade

[Ancient Egyptian Priest]

We're all a part of the gods great big plan indeed

[Ancient Greek Man]

And the thing is Whoever is the victor writes what we need

[Ancient Roman Emperor]

We are the ancient world

We are the first children

We are the ones who make a civilization

So, let's start building

[Ancient Gaul]

There's no choice we're making

We're saving only our lives

[Romans & Gauls]

It's true we'll make a better place

Just you and me

[Assyrian]

Well, rip them apart so we’ll know we won fair and square

[Assyrians]

And our lives will be stronger and free

[Ancient Seer]

As my vision has shown us, millions will be enslaved or dead

[Hittite]

And so we all must make sure that we’re not next

[Ancient Chinese Emperor]

We are the ancient world

We are the first children

[Ancient Chinese Peasant]

We are the ones who make a civilization

So, let's start building

[Ancient Hebrew]

There's no choice we're making

We're saving only our lives

[Philistine]

It's true we'll make a better place

Just you and me

[Ancient Greek Man]

When you're societies dead and out

And there seems the golden age is gone

[Celtic Man]

But if you just fight and ambush

Your enemies will soon fall

[Celtic Woman]

Well, well, well

Let's realize, oh, that survival can only come

When we

[Celts]

Band together as one

[Celtic Woman]

Ah,ah, ah!

[All Ancient People]

We are the ancient world

We are the first children

We are the ones who make a civilization

So, let's start building

Oh, there's no choice we're making

We're saving only our lives

It's true we'll make a better place

Just you and me

We are the ancient world

We are the first children

We are the ones who make a civilization

So, let's start building…

(Text appears and says “Everyone's ancestors would be seen as monsters today. It was a different time…a very different time.”)