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re: Which historical figure is the most misunderstood today?
Posted on 5/28/17 at 12:25 am to Antonio Moss
Posted on 5/28/17 at 12:25 am to Antonio Moss
quote:
Mao Zedong was way worse than what is taught in schools across the country.
Genghis Khan, albeit ruthless, is one of the most important geniuses in world history.
The Persian Empire, and Cyrus the Great, should be revered instead of villianized in terms of efficiency of government in early civilization.
In terms of early American history, we underestimate the importance of Thomas Jefferson and overestimate the importance of George Washington.
That's a good list, though I'd quibble with Jefferson. I think Hamilton/Madison probably got underplayed as much as anyone until Miranda's recent play.
Charlemagne (Karl der Grosse) probably gets underplayed in the U.S. - a hugely important figure that shapes how we live to this day. Add in a lot of Eastern Roman/Byzantine figures - especially Justinian - to that list. The latter Roman empire in general is misunderstood outside of Diocletian and Constantine: Aurelian and Theodosius and all the rest are really important and often misunderstood.
A lot of the initial colonial figures are misunderstood: especially guys like Magellan and Cartier.
1
Posted on 5/28/17 at 12:30 am to OMLandshark
quote:
To be honest, most world conquerers. We think of Alexander, Genghis Khan, and Julius Caesar as iconic and great men, when really there's not much difference between them and men like Adolf Hitler. Hardcore History did a video on how Hitler will be remembered 2000 years from now, and he thinks they'll have a similar disposition to Hitler as we do to Alexander the Great. For frick's sake, Genghis has a restaurant chain named after him.
We've talked about this before, and the biggest long-lasting difference will be that the aforementioned three actually won and died as winners. Hitler did not. It was proven within his tenure that he was an inferior conqueror, and he had two powers at his doorstep when he died that could have been (probably were) even greater conquerors than he ever was.
Besides the deliberate extermination of an entire race of people - which only Genghis can really be accused of in the group - that is the biggest difference.
Posted on 5/28/17 at 12:31 am to AbuTheMonkey
quote:
Karl der Grosse
Never seen it spelled like that before.
Posted on 5/28/17 at 12:43 am to biglego
quote:
quote:
Karl der Grosse
Never seen it spelled like that before.
It's still contentious to this day, actually. Charlemagne/Karl der Grosse is a huge figure in German history as well as French. I've studied the German language and culture for most of my life and know quite a bit about the country and so forth, and it's still a point of contention especially in some West German cities. The German POV just isn't as unified because of the fractured history of the place for a thousand years post-Charlemagne and WWII.
Posted on 5/28/17 at 12:58 am to NeverRains
OWLFAN86
Posted on 5/28/17 at 7:10 am to SamuelClemens
Love your neighbors like you love the guy in your mirror.
You and the divine person are One and the same. God is all there is.
You and the divine person are One and the same. God is all there is.
This post was edited on 5/28/17 at 8:22 am
Posted on 5/28/17 at 7:13 am to NeverRains
The Prophet Muhammed
Posted on 5/28/17 at 7:14 am to NeverRains
Thomas Paine
The real author of the Declaration of Independence.
None of Jeffersons writings even come close.
The real author of the Declaration of Independence.
None of Jeffersons writings even come close.
Posted on 5/28/17 at 7:14 am to Placebeaux
quote:
Cortez
What a killer.
Posted on 5/28/17 at 7:28 am to Antonio Moss
quote:
The Persian Empire, and Cyrus the Great, should be revered instead of villianized in terms of efficiency of government in early civilization.
Yep.
The Persians are villains in pop culture and the Greeks represent freedom. Actual history is less clear cut. The Persians allowed the Jewish return from exile and Greek attacks on religious freedom are what led to the Maccabean rebellion.
Posted on 5/28/17 at 1:57 pm to Breesus
quote:
The Prophet Muhammed
Some guy the other day told me he was just like Jesus. He seems to have missed the fact that Jesus wasn't a mass murdering, serial raping, sex trafficking, child molesting warlord.
This post was edited on 5/28/17 at 1:59 pm
Posted on 5/28/17 at 2:06 pm to OMLandshark
quote:
mass murdering, serial raping, sex trafficking, child molesting warlord
Well besides these things, he's just like Jesus
Posted on 5/28/17 at 2:19 pm to NeverRains
King John of England:
Despite being cast as the terrible villain in the Robin Hood tales, John did have positives:
Advanced English common law
Took positive steps in the constitutional development of England
Did a lot of good for the townspeople and regular folk - his biggest negative issues were with the barons of the time. Many records show of John's offerings to the poor.
Winston Churchill quote on John: "When the long tally is added, it will be seen that the British nation and the English-speaking world owe far more to the vices of John than to the labours of virtuous sovereigns".
Despite being cast as the terrible villain in the Robin Hood tales, John did have positives:
Advanced English common law
Took positive steps in the constitutional development of England
Did a lot of good for the townspeople and regular folk - his biggest negative issues were with the barons of the time. Many records show of John's offerings to the poor.
Winston Churchill quote on John: "When the long tally is added, it will be seen that the British nation and the English-speaking world owe far more to the vices of John than to the labours of virtuous sovereigns".
Posted on 5/28/17 at 2:53 pm to SamuelClemens
quote:
I'd call it a world war.
The actual war was only fought on US soil between US citizens. Civil War is accurate
Posted on 5/28/17 at 2:55 pm to biglego
quote:
Well besides these things, he's just like Jesus
I know Muhammad is dead in his tomb.
Posted on 5/28/17 at 3:04 pm to theGarnetWay
Bush 1 is misunderstood because the cia director chewed the death pill.
Selling missiles to the ayatollah.
Failed to defeat the nicauraguan rebels.
Ignored serbian atrocities.
Tied for worst ever.
Selling missiles to the ayatollah.
Failed to defeat the nicauraguan rebels.
Ignored serbian atrocities.
Tied for worst ever.
Posted on 5/28/17 at 3:46 pm to NeverRains
Thomas Edison.
fricking hack.
fricking hack.
Posted on 5/28/17 at 3:52 pm to 19
quote:
Thomas Edison.
Yeah, great pick there. Edison was an a-hole who more likely hindered humanity than advanced it. He just had a dream team of lawyers that destroyed all competition, bought out patents, stifled creativity from outsiders, and took all of his subordinates inventions for himself. He's one of the most overrated ever.
#TeamTesla
Posted on 5/28/17 at 4:30 pm to upgrayedd
quote:
FDR
Yeah, he's the closest we ever came to Communism
If it hadn't been for him, we might have had communism. The depression was so bad that it could have led to major upheaval in our entire system, possibly even revolution. By introducing a few basic elements of socialism, he prevented that possibility.
Posted on 5/28/17 at 4:42 pm to Nuts4LSU
People nowadays can't conceive how miserable the Great Depression was, I believe. It's easy to criticize in 90 years' hindsight.
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