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Summary of 67 pages for the course Imagining Europe at UM (.)
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Imagining Europe notesPien van der Leeden
Assignment 1B Europe in Antiquity
Assignment 2A A Christian Europe
Assignment 2B Religious Europe
Assignment 3A Republic of letters
Assignment 3B European modernity
Assignment 4A Nationalist Europe
Assignment 4B Unity in Diversity
Assignment 5A Europe rules the waves
Assignment 5B Orientalism
Assignment 6A Pathways to modernity
Assignment 6B Never again
Assignment 7A EU-ROPE
Assignment 7B Imagining Europe
,Assignment 1B - Europe in Antiquity
Problem statement: Can the roots of European identity be found in antiquity?
Historical context:
Ancient Greece 2000-280BC
Rome: republic and empire 753BC-565AD
Learning Goals
a. Did ancient Greeks and Romans regard themselves as Europeans, as we would
identify ourselves ?
For the Greeks:They didn’t feel europeans, the majority of the population wasn’t aware of
the geographical context of the world.
They saw themselves as “people from the Mediterranean Sea”
Their identity was based on Greek culture, which they consider superior to other cultures
(barbarians, non greek-speaking)
- Feeling of belonging to own state
- Rivalry, but respect to other city-states
For the Romans: Similar pov - The geographical context of Europe was better understood.
For both Greeks and Romans: Europe was seen as a geographical landmark (more or less
defined through borders). There was no cultural, political or identity substance in it.
City states/polis
It was from these settlements that city-states or 'polis', developed, small self-contained
communities, areas for common security, per- haps around a fortress on a hill and controlling
the local countryside in order to be as self-sufficient as possible in food.
What was important about these city states was that the ways they governed
themselves provided the foundation of European political thought and experience.
● At various times some were ruled by one person, a king or a tyrant, (Sparta even had
two kings), some by an aristocratic or wealthy elite, and others by the citizenry as a
whole.
● Sparta military very developed
,Aim to improve the lot of the individual citizen; that the purpose of the government should be
to help the citizens in the search for a harmonious happy life.
1. Rule of law → all citizens all equal for the law
2. Individual liberty of the citizen
3. Freedom of thought and speech
4. National consciousness → superiority over other societies
Note: Women rights are not there !
The start of the 'Golden Age' of Greek civilisation, in tragedy and comedy, history and
philosophy, architecture and sculpture. = result of the war with Persia.
- Political and intellectual independence of the Greeks in Europe was secured.
- Tremendous rise in Greek morale at what was seen as the triumph of the Greek way
of life, of freedom over despotism.
- The rise of Athens. Its central position, excellent harbor and powerful fleet enabled
the city to take over the commercial and cultural leadership of the Greeks.
b. Could we consider them as Europeans?
Geographically, yes ( with other territories under their influence ).
But from a cultural pov, we can’t make such a statement even though their impact on our
society could make us consider them as the “precursors” of European society.
Additionally, we have to consider the broad expansion of both empires through other
continents (North Africa and Asia) with Hellenism ( Greeks ), for example.
Not only Europe has a heritage from them.
c. What influence did the Greek and Roman empires have on our European
institutions?
For the Greeks : Democracy as we know it today was born in Ancient Greece with The
“Agoras” (with some obvious evolutions since then), as well as the freedom of thought and
speech and philosophy.
Democracy VS efficiency
For the Romans : Modern law systems are similar to Roman ones, with concepts like
common law and rule of law. Also in the republic and christian aspect of the state.
d. How were the Greeks and Roman empires growing compared to the rest of the
world?
For the Greeks and the Romans : expansion mindset ( Alexander the Great for Greeks,
Augustus for the Romans ), mediterranean superiority.
Romans expanded themselves by conquering territories outside of their own, Roman unity.
Whereas the Greeks would fight between city-states within Greek territories.
, Greeks didn’t conquer much other lands but had many colonies which they used for trade
and where they expanded their culture.
Romans had a cosmopolitan society, diverse cultures.
e. How does today’s democracy differ from antique democracy?
They were less inclusive in the past and applied to a certain part of the population. Today it
emphasizes liberties and human rights.
Their nationalism and concentrated aspect contrasts with the purpose of Europe’s
democracies nowadays.
f. What did eastern/western Europe mean for the Greeks and romans?
-For the Greeks : they didn’t consider eastern and western europe as we do now. They just
saw it as foreign land and didn’t make a clear distinction.
-For the Romans : west Latin / east Greek, Cultural divide. “other” distinction.
g. When did the context of “Europe” start?
There isn’t a linear history of European values and identity.
h. Why is it linked to antiquity?
Its name is inspired by the myth of “Europa”, a Greek mythology goddess.
During antiquity people referred to Europe as a landmark such as Libya or Asia.
i. Is Europe the same for them as it is for us?
Geographically, Europe’s borders have changed.
As a concept, we now have a sense of European identity that neither the Greeks or Romans
had.
Conflicts between greeks and Persuans
Alexander the great
- Open economy
- Expansion Greek civilization throughout the middle-east
- Internationalism
- Greek philosophy was opened up to the religiosity of the East. 13
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