BBC changing history

[Thorgalaeg]

Here it is officially "oriente próximo" for Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Arabia, Iraq and Iran; "oriente medio" or "Asia del Sur" for Pakistan, Afghanistan and India and "lejano oriente" or "extremo oriente" for eastern Russia, China, Japan and all southeast Asia.

Lately "oriente medio" is gaining terrain to "oriente próximo", maybe due to murica pernicious influence, so "oriente próximo" is used mostly for Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey and Israel, in other words, the eastern Mediterranean coast, everything eastwards of that is included into "oriente medio".

 

[Hrothbern]

Here Near East was for Turkey and the former Ottoman empire part in Asia or Africa up to Egypt.
Meanwhile Middle East is used.

 

[FriendlyFire]

When Turkey was Asia Minor, where was Asia Major ?

 

[sophie]

When Turkey was Asia Minor, where was Asia Major ?

Yeah. The Rest of Asia. Keeping in mind that Asia comes possibly from an Akkadian root meaning "towards [where] the Sun rises". It is, in that sense, a synonym with Oriens, Orientis (specifically ad Orientem), which in Latin means "towards the rising [of the sun]".

e.g. Germania Minor = (essentially) the Low Countries. Germania Maior = The rest of Germania.

 

[Borachio]

Also, the Levant.

Why are people so obsessed with where the sun rises?

Is it something to do with light, do you think?

 

[Thorgalaeg]

I prefer Ponent anyday. Sunset is so much cooler than sunrise.

 

[Kyriakos]

Well, the greek term for east actually means rising (of the sun). Anatole. West is setting of the sun (Dyse). A rarer greek term for west is Hesperia, far more academic sounding.

 

[Akka]

Also, the Levant.

Why are people so obsessed with where the sun rises?

Is it something to do with light, do you think?

Or it's just that it's the best way to get a relative location ?
Setting sun, rising sun, the two most easily definable directions you can get ?

 

[Valka D'Ur]

I like it when Americans talk about ''The South'' because ''The South'' is thousands of km north of me

No "American" talked about "The South" in the post you quoted. People who are citizens of Canada are Canadians, not Americans.

You could say "North Americans," of course. But since that encompasses many countries, it's just more precise to use "Canadians" when talking about someone from Canada.

 

[W|M]

No, that was just another example of how directions are relative, presented in a mildly humorous manner

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Well, the greek term for east actually means rising (of the sun). Anatole. West is setting of the sun (Dyse). A rarer greek term for west is Hesperia, far more academic sounding.

One of the many theories about the etymology of Spain says it comes from the greek voice hesperia (hesperia>hispania>Spain) meaning western land. Logically, for greeks, Hesperia would probably be Italy and Spain would be something like Hesperia Ultima. A more ancient origin coming from phoenician or even basque is more accepted though.

 

[Kyriakos]

One of the many theories about the etymology of Spain says it comes from the greek voice hesperia (hesperia>hispania>Spain) meaning western land. Logically, for greeks, Hesperia would probably be Italy and Spain would be something like Hesperia Ultima. A more ancient origin coming from phoenician or even basque is more accepted though.

Hesperia was also used relatively as well, though. Eg IIRC the fabled "garden of the Hesperides" was in the Cyrenaica, a greek territory run by the important greek city of Cyrene. And that is a bit to the east of Italy, though still to the west of most of the greek world.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

I have read somewhere that the garden of the Hesperides was in Tartessos, in southern Spain. In fact, IIRC according to Strabo, one of the works of Heracles was to travel to the Hesperides, killing the triple-headed giant Tartessian king Geryon and steal some golden apples to make a super tasty apple pie or something like that.

 

[Kyriakos]

Geryon lived past the (up to then closed up) med, though He was a three-headed hoplite, living on some island west of Spain, in the Atlantic. Herakles opened up the med to the Atlantic as part of his quest to kill Geryon and take some of his stuff.
Iirc the garden of the Hesperides was guarded by a dragon, or similar (?)

 

[Thorgalaeg]

If it was in fact an Atlantic island it could very well be Cadiz, or some now submerged land in the gulf of Cadiz where there are lots of shallow sandbanks and reefs barely covered by the sea. I think back then sea level was lower than current one. (or was higher? )

Edit: it seems i am mixing the works of Heracles. The tenth work was to kill Geryon in Tartessos (Cadiz, Huelva and surroundings) and steal some bulls, the eleventh work was to travel to the Garden of the Hesperides wherever it was (at the very Tartessos according to Strabo) and steal some apples. Only clear thing is Heracles had some kleptomania issues.

 

[Kyriakos]

Sky ( not BBC, but obviously not worth its own thread ) new tv series about Rome conquering Britain. Very historically accurate, with four noble queens resisting the occupation, orc-uniforms for romans, some drop-out cockney gangster as roman general, a black legionary ( ), goblin-druids. Apparently already set to be a disaster. Dialogue seems really TERRIBLE

 

[Borachio]

Remind me to miss it, please.

 

[warpus]

Geryon lived past the (up to then closed up) med, though He was a three-headed hoplite, living on some island west of Spain, in the Atlantic. Herakles opened up the med to the Atlantic as part of his quest to kill Geryon and take some of his stuff.
Iirc the garden of the Hesperides was guarded by a dragon, or similar (?)

You know what, I only see black people in this image here

 

[Kyriakos]

You know what, I only see black people in this image here

It is why this type of painting on pottery is called melanography

 

[Arakhor]

That trailer did feature Zoe Wanamaker chewing the scenery, which was unexpected, but not unwelcome.