why do we refer to early civilizations?

Question

as civilizations,lets face it the romans,greeks,chinese,and all others weren't exactly civil were they,massacre of people,slavery,etc,in reality they should be called uncivilized,

Answer 1

Cause the bosses got the slaves to build durable and elegant architecture to their own designs.

Answer 2

The word "Civil" comes from the Latin word "Civitas" which means "City." The reason the aforementioned civilizations are called thus is because they all created advanced urban cultures with all that implies (Sculpture, Literature, Poetry, Architecture, etc, etc, etc). The idea of of civilization assumes an urban existence as it takes the surplus found in cities to enable artists and artisans (who are the creators of civilization) to exist and produce. Civilization is therefore "of cities."

Using the word "Civil" to describe appropriate behavior comes from the notion that people who lived in the countrysides were rude and uncouth. They didn't have the refined manners and customs of those who grew up in the priviledged cities. Thus in it's original context, to say that someone was "uncivilized" simply meant that they weren't fit for city life. There was no moral implication to the word. The word simply described aesthetic sophistication.

Hope this answer helps.

Answer 3

The words "CIVIL" and "CIVILIZATIONS" have two completely different meanings. You are using them way out of context.

For example:

Although by today's standards the Roman Empire was very barbaric or uncivilized, it was in fact a very civilized society for it's time.

Civilization is merely a word to describe the advancement of an urban society that incorporates it's own form of government, religion, culture, art, architecture, etc. into it's own community. It has nothing to do with it's behavior.

Answer 4

What is your point exactly? Using modern definitions & standards to lable the past is an exercise in frustration. How Civilized are we in the modern World. How Civilized are 'we' when millions are incarcerated in jail for use of Drugs and Armies topple foreign Goverments and plunge nations into civil violence? Civilization rers to the ability of people to form some type of government to utilize a bureacracy to provide for basic services, to create 'art', to build - - -- you are mistaking the word Civilization with the word Civil as in Civil behavior and rarely is Civil behavior is required to weld together a Civilization or to keep it humming along. Peace...

Answer 5

I believe that in order for a society to be classified as "civilized" they generally had to have a written and spoken language, set of laws, some form of government or leadership, live in cities or communites, etc. If we only included societies that did not massacre people and have slavery, the U.S. would certainly not be in the club of civilized nations. We would be the greatest barbarian of them all.

Answer 6

They were the first people to invent important things that you probably take for granted, the Mesopotamians ( Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians) invented the wheel , irrigation system (toilets), number zero, glass, lens, sun-dial, the 1st written language, and many many other innovations. They should be granted the recognition they deserve, go read a history book :)

Answer 7

You forgot to mention the people of Bedrock. Those barbarians used live animals as household appliances and furniture. Evertime I think about those poor baby elephants being used as a vacuum cleaner, sucking up dirt and dust through it's trunk, I die a little inside. It's too bad this was before they invented PETA.

Answer 8

What does the word "refer" in your question signify? No times of the early era, was only bad times. There had been contribution to the civilisation and hence we want to know and because we want to follow certain things from the earlier ones, we refer to them. There definitely were times which were bad in the civilisation with barbaric acts then life in this world is with both sorrow and happiness, good and bad, cowardness and valour,
love and hatred. What is wrong in referring to times which were good and bad in the early civilisation?
VR

Answer 9

that's what history is all about... learning from the past

Answer 10

so we can learn from there mistakes....