Greco-Roman Peoples React To Modern World

Thanks, man.

Yes, basic historical illiteracy certainly abounds and is annoying to see from upwards of 90 percent of people you interact with on a daily basis. No one’s asking them to become aficionados who might as well be historians lite, but come on! (Although, I imagine that if the Greco-Romans were sent to the AANW universe, there’d be far more reason to know what went down in World War II and how it led to the A4 taking a “Do what we say, or you die!” approach to world-policing. World War II, as fought in that universe, would probably be too insane even for them, so there’s that.)

In which case, I suppose the natural question many Romans would ask is, “If Rome didn’t rule forever, then what followed and who took its place?” The simplest answer to the latter can be given by pointing to the superpower across the Atlantic, and I assume many would be curious about how a bunch of colonial states once removed from Britannia built the most powerful nation in history. (Even if they don’t have the skills or attention span to devote to historical didacticism, and may thus content themselves with the quickest answer in the short run.)

However, that does make me wonder which post-Antiquity events and historical figures would stick out most to them? I recall working on a longer, more comprehensive list of them with explanations for the former that I haven’t completed. (Which, since I’m typing this on my phone, includes the Mongol Conquests, the Black Death, the Colombian Exchange, the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution, the World Wars, and some others I’m currently forgetting.) Accordingly, my guess is that the figures central to these various turning points and paradigm shifts would be the ones that are most interesting to them: Genghis Khan, Christopher Columbus, Napoleon Bonaparte, and probably also a certain Austria-born dictator whose inherent notoriety and present-day recency bias assigns him “special” regard in the history books. 

There’d be far fewer of them than Greeks and Romans, but I can imagine inquisitive Carthaginians who’ve been sent along for the ride becoming big fans of the British Empire. Sure, only a minority of them would delve into the history of Anglo-Saxon empire-building and commerce on a supreme scale, but those that do might wistfully wonder if that’s what Carthage could’ve become, had it survived. Ditto with how it’d be an “In your face!” moment for those “arrogant Romans”, which more than a few disgruntled Carthaginians would pick up on. Perhaps Hannibal might even be one of them, depending on when he’s plucked from and where he winds up.

How did The British Empire rule the World?

Something else I've been wondering about is what they'd think of modern fencing and other melee sports? I don't know a whole lot about Greco-Roman swordplay, though I imagine it'd be a much more common skill then than it is for most people now.

Perhaps they'd find it rather linear and clearly designed for one-on-one matches, at least assuming my own experiences count for anything. (I did fencing for a couple of years.)

How To Fence: The Basics of Fencing, Taught by Olympians



Fencing Basics - Types of Swords

Expanding on this point, I wonder what the information market for more curious (and literate) Greco-Romans would look like? Since it's more their speed and they're nice distillations of years' worth of references and research, as is, I'm interested in what they think of book recommendations on historical (as well as non-historical) topics?

World War I - Ten Essential Books



World War II - Ten Essential Books

It's enough that they go to Rome and see people in trousers. They gonna get what happened.

IMO social differences will strike them much more than technology.

Cars are just wagons without a horse. Planes are manmade birds. Rifles are like a stronger crossbow.

But lack of slavery? Equality of men and women? Duh.