Posted on 12/27/2023 4:48:34 AM PST by Rummyfan
There was a book a few years ago entitled "How the Irish Saved Civilization," explaining how Irish monks preserved ancient manuscripts that became the basis for much of Western thought. To give credit where credit is due, however, it must also be acknowledged that when the classic works of ancient Greek thought that form the basis of Western philosophy, political thought, and even literature had vanished almost completely from Western Europe, they were brought there not just from Ireland, but from a place that many assume had vanished from the earth long before: the Roman Empire.
If schoolchildren today pause from their lessons in Critical Race Theory and gender fantasies to learn anything about history at all, they likely learn that the Roman Empire, which at its height comprised much of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, fell in the year 476 AD, when the Gothic chieftain Odoacer deposed the figurehead child emperor Romulus Augustulus. In fact, however, Odoacer immediately pledged his fealty to the Roman Emperor Zeno in Constantinople.
Two Roman emperors? Yes. Zeno was just as much emperor of the Romans as Romulus. The empire had in the third century been considered too large to be governed by one man, and so two capitals were established, Rome and Constantinople (“New Rome”), with two emperors. The empire centered in Constantinople considered itself, and was thought of by the world, as the Roman Empire just as much as the empire centered in Rome. It only came to be called the Eastern Roman or Byzantine Empire after it had fallen altogether; throughout its lifetime, its people thought of themselves solely as Romans
(Excerpt) Read more at pjmedia.com ...
There’s a very good interview on this. Frank Gaffney interviews Robert Spencer.
Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire were finally conquered by the Ottomans in 1453 ...
the same year Gutenberg started publishing his Bible ...
“one door closes, another opens”
And don’t forget that the Poles saved Western Civilization at least thrice: at the Gates of Vienna, on the banks of the Vistula, and in the shipyards of Gdansk.
Many classical Greek and Roman texts were preserved and studied by Muslim scholars during the golden age of Islam in Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain) between the 8th-15th centuries. Some of the key classics translated, commented on, and transmitted include:
Works of Aristotle - Muslim scholars extensively studied and translated Aristotle's writings on logic, metaphysics, ethics, politics, and natural sciences. Many original Greek texts survived only through the Arabic versions.
Works of Plato - Key Platonic dialogues like The Republic were translated and discussed. Al-Farabi in particular was influenced by Plato's theories on an ideal state.
Works of Hippocrates - Arab physicians contributed much to medicine by translating Hippocratic Greek medical writings on fields like anatomy, illnesses, diets, etc.
Works of Galen - The influential medical theories of the Roman physician Galen were studied, expanded on, and preserved in the Arabic language.
Ptolemy's Almagest - Considered the greatest work of antiquity on astronomy, the Almagest was translated and contributed to further astronomical advances.
Euclid's Elements - This seminal Greek text on geometry served as a basis for major developments in mathematics by Islamic scholars like Al-Khwarizmi and Ibn Sina.
Classical texts on philosophy, logic, mathematics and natural sciences authored by the likes of Thales, Pythagoras, Democritus, among many Greek thinkers. Their legacies remained alive through Arab translations and scholarship.
***Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire were finally conquered by the Ottomans in 1453****
Rome fell in 476AD.
After the fall of these two, MOSCOW claimed itself to be “THE THIRD ROME.”
The Byzantines were also known for the incredible complexity of their court schemes. Only today in Washington, D.C. has there arisen a force we call the Deep State, that not just rivals, but transcends Byzantium in its dealings, infighting and complexity.
Free Anatolia for the Greeks!
Send those Settler Colonialist Invader Turkmen back to Turkmenistan!
Thanks for the warning. From your link:
“A good antidote to this book is How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization by Tom Woods.”
I read it and can recommend it. Also:
What’s So Great about Christianity, by Dinesh D’Souza
https://www.amazon.com/Whats-So-Great-about-Christianity/dp/1414326017
By the way, I always like reading Robert Spencer.
Is this civilization worth saving?
They almost went down 250 years before that after the fourth crusade
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
