Rachel and I were out having lunch today when we overheard a few businessmen talking about the HBO series Rome. One of them asked when it took place, and one of the three responded that it took place around 1,200 A.D. Another commented that that was too recent, so it must have been something like 200 A.D. Now, for those that don't have any context here, Rome is about the rise and death of Julius Caesar and the series ends with the defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra by Octavian. Ergo, it takes place in the middle of the first century B.C., about 250 years before these guys assumed.
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March 2010
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Just a sad commentary on the quality of the education most people are getting these days. Seriously, it would take about 20 or 30 seconds to look it up on the internet, wouldn't it? Even so, you'd assume they'd know the rough starting and ending dates of the Roman empire...
Perhaps as Christians we have a better idea as to the timeframe? We look at things of that time and say this was before Jesus, this was after and this was long after. In that we do have a better understanding of what was happening in Rome than the average person (especially in America)
That being said, Pablo is right. A couple of minutes reading on Wikipedia would give them a much better understanding of the time, culture, politics and pressures. As well as the incredible feats of Rome. Their buildings roads and aqueducts are something to behold.
This reminds me of a conversation my dad and I had with a girl once. She asked him if he was in the war, by which she meant World War II. My dad was born in 1948.
My dad was a bit taken aback, but I put on my best straight face and told her dad was not only in the war, but helped capture the Kaiser. While he was over there, he also participated in the Battle of Waterloo.
She remained clueless. Nice girl, though.
I take it these guys weren't members of the Society for Creative Anachronism.
After I read this I asked a few of my friends if they knew who Germany's allies were in WW2. Most of them said Russia-- just Russia-- and one of them asked, "Wasn't Germany in it alone?" I didn't have the heart to ask if they knew who Douglas MacArthur was.
Is it just me, or shouldn't people have at least a vague awareness on the the most recent World War ?
I once had lunch with a HS senior girl at a nice retaraunt overlooking Monterey bay (california). The girl looked out the window and asked "what lake is that"?
She was serious.
She had lived in California all her life.
I haven't seen the Rome series so I did not know it was about ceasar. Given that, I wouldn't have rejected the 200AD guess.
Is it just me, or shouldn't people have at least a vague awareness on the the most recent World War ?
When I was in High school, the school year usually ended before we got to WW2. But then, at that time, history ended with the Vietnam war.
Everything I know about history I have learned since then.
Another memory I have like this was of one time I got into an argument with a Brit about the time of the American Civil War. Apparently he was convinced that it happened in 1812, and told me that I was a stupid yank for saying it was 1861-1864.
told me that I was a stupid yank for saying it was 1861-1864.
Actually, the war ended in 1865. ;)
Touche...
Bottom line is that the guy was fifty years off the mark!