History (Arts & Humanities) - March 2007

In 498 BCE, Athens carried out a terrorist attack on Sardis, a major Persian city, which made 9/11 seem like child's play. Aristagoras, an Athenian, set fire to the "outlying parts" of Sardis trapping most of its population "in a ring of fire." (Herodotus 5:101)

More innocent civilians died at the hands of Aristagoras than Osama bin Laden could ever hope to kill. And just as most of the world supported America's retaliation against Al Qaeda, so did it rally in support of Persia's attack on Athens.

The Spartans were not even targets of Persia's attack, until they violated a universal protocol by killing a Persian messenger who Herodotus claims was asking for Sparta's submission but in reality was probably sent by Persia's king, Xerxes to convey the same message America sent to the entire world after 9/11: "you're either with us, or against us."

The Spartans were Greek Jihadists who lived only to die. They were by all accounts ruthless savages who murdered Greek slaves known as "Helots" just for sport, cultivated a culture of thievery and rape, and practiced infanticide, as the movie '300' rightly points out in its opening scenes. Sparta was not even democratic. It was an oligarchy at best. Despite knowing all this, the West continues to hail the Spartans as the saviors of Western democracy.

Yes, the Spartans died fighting a foreign invader. But so do countless terrorists, yet few would consider them "good guys." Those who do are then not much different from Westerners who cheer for the Spartans.

Persia was drawn into a protracted war against terror, much the same way the U.S. was. Cheering for the Spartans merely because they were underdogs, is like cheering for Osama bin Laden today.

2007-03-18 05:37:16 · 7 answers · asked by afshin 1

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What would have happened if America lost the war of Independence?

2007-03-18 05:24:53 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous

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wisconsin vol.pvt . david davis +black hawk div+lumberman?

was a welsh imigrant settled in La Cross, wis,before the war

2007-03-18 05:19:35 · 1 answers · asked by robertcaroldavis 1

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what would have happened if America was not discovered? which country will be taking its place ?now?

and how would the world be today?

2007-03-18 05:09:20 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous

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Concerning the Declaration of Independence,?

If you were the King of England, what would be your response to the Declaration of Independence?

2007-03-18 04:53:13 · 5 answers · asked by Bryan S 1

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christopher columbus(new world) U must be good in history?

over the next 400 years, 12 million african slaves arrived to work on new owrld plantations. It is estimated that 48 million young and able bodied people were captured and the rest died on the way. What effect might this have on africas development?

2007-03-18 04:44:59 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous

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List of marriages in Leeds under name of bride, approx date 1955/1960?

2007-03-18 04:04:59 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous

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do you consider the outbreak of World War1 was inevitable after the assassination of archduke franz ferdinand?

contest for colonies, naval race. Analyse the link between the localized Balkan crisis and the reasons for the wider involvement of the major powers in a European conflict and how one led to the other.

2007-03-18 03:53:34 · 8 answers · asked by drkmatter 1

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Question about Civil War Oddities?

Can someone provide links to a webpage related to the following Civil War anomalies?

1. Musketballs fired by the opposing sides that apparently collided in midflight and fused together.

2. Muskets recovered from the battlefield with more than one load of powder and ball?

2007-03-18 03:42:19 · 1 answers · asked by Aaron W 3

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