EB and the West

[geala]

After reading the thread and the related threads it still remains a mystery to me what should be changed in EB. I would be with you if you would want to change some Greek units but in the whole I am stumped. Because this feeling of helplessness I allow myself a not so systematic approach in the following thoughts.

It also remains a mystery why you are insulted when the feats of other cultures are mentioned. The Romans themselves were always able and willing to take from other cultures. They took a lot from the Greeks who took a lot from the east. For example the Roman law is influenced by the Rhodian law. They took from the western "barbarians" also, f.e. agrarian machines or iron working etc..

I question myself what western culture you want to defend? The current one? If you name the Germanic culture anti-western, what western culture is in your mind? Of course the Germanic culture is anti-western if the modern western system is your focus. But the Roman culture in this sense is also anti-western in many aspects. Think of the human rights for example. Is it allowed to the EB team to mention gladiatorical games? Should they mention that the broad introduction of Roman law in the 13th c. AD was the starting point for inquisitional inquiries and torture also? Together of course with the ability to judge more complicated cases and to serve the growing power of the state.

In my opinion the most important Roman heritage to the western world is the idea of a state ruled by a law made by specialists. That is a rather boring fact, but with many surprising aftereffects. Many other aspects came from a Greek, Christian and Jewish (so eastern) tradition. Wether they were (late) Roman or not is debatable. And after the fall of the empire a lot of new "barbarian" influences were added to the western culture. Otherwise try to explain the quite different evolution of the areas once in the Roman empire.