Academy bonuses?

[Ludens]

Good points u raise. I would argue that the greeks and romans did have profesionals like doctors, tax surveryurs, engineers. etc. galen as an example for a doctor a bit of nutcase though. and professionals were recognised and hired like the cabaal of engineers hired to develop the gasrtophetes.

Yes, you are right about that, but these aren't necessarily academy-trained. My impression is that they learned their skills by working as an assistant for another doctor or engineer.

A vast infrastructure existed to raise educated governors tax collectors, judges, architects, botansists, accountants. etc. This would be found across the whole mediteranean. ranging from egyt mesopotamia, and classical greece and rome.

Could you provide evidence for this vast infrastructure? So far you've only mentioned Egypt and the Middle-East, which were known for their vast bureaucracies. How did these fare after the Macedonians took over?

Academies/schools etc were places for intelectuals to debate and spend liesure time as u say yes. however, and educational infrastucture would be nesecary to teach someone how to read and write. Also, libraries/academies etc were places for serious scientists to research and invent new ideas. The best documented learning institution would be the library of alexandria with many scientists contributing in fields like philosophy history etc. but also more practical things like navigation, medicine, mathematics , astonomy. and these sciencves in turn will create benefits and bonuses across healthcare economy farming etc. For example work on an improved solar calender like the egyptian one. would better improve farming and predicting sowing and harvesting time thus improving the harvest thus improving the economy (a hellinised egyptian astonomer figured out leap years i read ages ago and he did it in the library in alexandria). More wealthier meddiel class famillies will buy and education for their children. the kids end up as a historian mathematician. are aprenticed with another doctor etc. make a name for themselves then head to a research institution later in life.

That's how science works today, but not how it worked back then. The improved astronomical calender did not improve farm yields because the farmers paid attention to the weather and the sky, not what the philosophers in Alexandria said. And why would they, when the astronomical calender was clearly of. Nor where libraries research institutions in the modern sense.

We also know the greeks adopted local admintistration and beuracratic practices as well as adding some of their own. So i would argue Evenn if they didnt have professionals as u argued in the begining. They would definetely have them now after integration. not to mention the examples of the library of alexandria (ill get a few referneces about scientists from there)

True, but you need to present direct proof that this occurred. Many eastern practices were not absorbed by Greek and Roman culture. The same thing goes for the nomads.

[USERMAATKA]

[QUOTE=Ludens;2316775]

Yes, you are right about that, but these aren't necessarily academy-trained. My impression is that they learned their skills by working as an assistant for another doctor or engineer.

Could you provide evidence for this vast infrastructure? So far you've only mentioned Egypt and the Middle-East, which were known for their vast bureaucracies. How did these fare after the Macedonians took over?

with the sakas and sauromatae i wouldnt know what happened as they intermixed with hellenes and their subject peoples. though the strabo quotes in eb when u conquer the crimean pininsula tells us they setteled and learned form the greeks in cherosenoses. while their northern cousins were more wild. it would be well to argue the sakas andsauo would learn the concept of administration and an education.
As for the middle east I do know that alexander basically kept the persian satrapies and administrations intact. he was in a rush to knock out darius. after the partition of babylon each general got a satrapy but as far as administrative work changes were superficial the upper eshelons obviously greek. but the resk intact. including priests scientists(with its broad meaning back then) and landed nobility.

As for egypt after ptolmaious took over as known u did have a susbstantial influx of greeks. but the old beurocracy and its people largely intact. specialy the old temples and their cults and theres is no shortage of evidence how the ptolemies lavished on teh temples. which doubled as educational facilities. each temple had a per-ankh(house of life 'library' somewhere nearby) though otheres existed outside the temples. but under tehit sponsorship. or the sponsorship of the pharoas.

though from what ive learned form my history is that the majority of the country remained untouched and things went on as they did. not u had a different ruling cast of greeks.

That's how science works today, but not how it worked back then. The improved astronomical calender did not improve farm yields because the farmers paid attention to the weather and the sky, not what the philosophers in Alexandria said. And why would they, when the astronomical calender was clearly of. Nor where libraries research institutions in the modern sense.

ill give u an example of the top of my head. the rise of sirius usually precedes the flood of the nile within a week or so, and an astronomer tyelling u ud better finish up the harvest and get out of the way would save money and prevent damage. this was predicted every year and anounced country wide a rather big event which we idiots in egypt still celebrate till now.
another example
engineer or idiot with some education would read the nilometer at the island of philae and predict how hight the flood will be, will it burst its banks and cause damage? will it be low and well have a bad harvest the next year? if its a low harvest the it would be better to hold on to grain stores and not export them to avoid next years possible fammine, again saving money. and greatly helping the state keep the people fed and avoid social unrest. I definetely know these remained in place after ptolmey.

Other organisations like tax revenue in the different nomes remained intact. the greeks were flabergasted by egypt (also scorned us) but they did learn alot. and the country was superbly run. the achemnids kept things as they were with the educated priesthood and nobility(which included magistrates, doctors, dentists,architect etc) intact and functioning. though largely disarmed.

i hope ive ansered all ur points please point out where i made a mess.

True, but you need to present direct proof that this occurred. Many eastern practices were not absorbed by Greek and Roman culture. The same thing goes for the nomads.