Bettany Hughes. and lane Fox

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jasonxx

Bettany Hughes. and lane Fox

Post by jasonxx »

I have just lately watched afew Ancient Greek Documantaries by the Female Historian Bettany Hughes.

Im interested as to the views of British Porthonians to the Credabitilty of Bettany Hughes in Relation to say Robin Lane Fox.

kenny
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Re: Bettany Hughes. and lane Fox

Post by marcus »

jasonxx wrote:I have just lately watched afew Ancient Greek Documantaries by the Female Historian Bettany Hughes.

Im interested as to the views of British Porthonians to the Credabitilty of Bettany Hughes in Relation to say Robin Lane Fox.

kenny
I've updated this response since my initial answer.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with Bettany Hughes' credentials. She's much more watchable than Robin Lane Fox, anyway! I'd watch a 25-part series on ancient toilets if she were presenting it ... :twisted:

Ms Hughes read Ancient and Modern History at Oxford. She is a broadcaster rather than an academic, and her writing is generally at the more "populist" end (although, to be fair, Lane Fox's publications are hardly for dry academics only, especially his Alexander the Great). She makes TV programmes, which are of course directed towards a general audience; so, while those who 'know' might occasionally say "that's a bit shallow", we have to remember that programmes are made for viewing figures, and that necessarily means pitching it at a level for the highest common factor.

Robin Lane Fox has not, to my knowledge, made a TV programme ... ever ... although he has been involved in the media as we know.

Credentials-wise, there's nowt wrong with Bettany Hughes.

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jasonxx

Post by jasonxx »

Marcus

Im pleased you say positives about Bettany and her credentials. I say this with Reference to watching 300 and in particullaly the extras where historians and also Bettany give good narartive for 300 and the actual histories. Relating Herodotus.

All these people were very complimantary in 300 and its depictions and inparticullay the reasoning why the Persians would be seen as oppresive beasts. Also to appease the History buffs it gives good narrative about Spartan Culture as a whole. As its bemoaned the missing Serfs etc the narratives of the Historians give good description about the Spartan City state and indeed its relevence to the thousands of Surfs.

It was pointed out because of the Surfdom it gave the Sparatns the ecge where all they really had to do was become Soldiers. The Surfs did the hard work.

It was pretty pleasing to me that more Historical writers gave credence and support to 300 than did Stones version of Alexander. I wonder if in the end Lane Fox was happy to be assosiated with Stones Alexander.

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Post by marcus »

jasonxx wrote:Marcus

Im pleased you say positives about Bettany and her credentials. I say this with Reference to watching 300 and in particullaly the extras where historians and also Bettany give good narartive for 300 and the actual histories. Relating Herodotus.

All these people were very complimantary in 300 and its depictions and inparticullay the reasoning why the Persians would be seen as oppresive beasts. Also to appease the History buffs it gives good narrative about Spartan Culture as a whole. As its bemoaned the missing Serfs etc the narratives of the Historians give good description about the Spartan City state and indeed its relevence to the thousands of Surfs.

It was pointed out because of the Surfdom it gave the Sparatns the ecge where all they really had to do was become Soldiers. The Surfs did the hard work.

It was pretty pleasing to me that more Historical writers gave credence and support to 300 than did Stones version of Alexander. I wonder if in the end Lane Fox was happy to be assosiated with Stones Alexander.

Kenny
I'm sure that Robin Lane Fox is still happy to have been associated with Alexander. And I'm sure that all the historians and other commentators who appear on the 300 DVD were happy to be paid handsomely for their opinions. Bear in mind also that any negative stuff might have been edited out.

I haven't watched all the extras on 300 yet - my copy arrived yesterday.
jasonxx wrote:It was pretty pleasing to me that more Historical writers gave credence and support to 300 than did Stones version of Alexander
That's unfair, Kenny. As there are no interviews on the Alexander DVD, and we do not know the reason, to make that sort of comment only shows that you are trying to find more reasons to diss the Stone film. That is unbecoming of you.

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Post by Paralus »

My opinion of 300 is welll known. I at least own - an ex rental - Alexander DVD.

Bettany Hughes?

I watched The Spartans. Then I watched it again.

I became a fully committed homoioi that day. Paid my Agoge dues and all.

Stealing out from the mess is dangerous but catching sight of Bettany leading those Spartan women in the naked dancing.......
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Post by Paralus »

I wonder if Pelopidas, in 379, resembled Bettany?

Those polemarchs were well and truly into the unmixed wine one suspects. Either that or Theban women…

Interestingly reading the “Laconophile’s” (Xenophon) Hellenica, one would hardly know that the leader of the Sacred Band, breaker of the Spartan phalanx at Leuktra and great general, Pelopidas, existed let alone was a part of this. One thanks their lucky starts for the survival of other evidence and sources. Xenophon does not miss the chance though, in 367, to discredit Pelopidas when he enters the Hellenica as the chief Theban “mediser” at the court of the Great King. Funnily enough, there are Spartans there too.

One also, without other epigraphic and source material, might have little idea that the settlement Thebes was involving itself in was originally engineered by Sparta and was a direct result of the Lacaedemonian’s alliance with Persia.

Xenophon expresses quiet moral contempt for Thebes being recognised as prostatai of the “peace”. As he well knew, that was Sparta’s position and had been for more than twenty years.
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Ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας, ὦ κακαὶ κεφαλαί, τοὺς μετὰ Φιλίππου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου τὰ ὅλα κατειργασμένους;
Wicked men, you sin against your fathers, who conquered the whole world under Philip and Alexander.

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jasonxx

Post by jasonxx »

Marcus

I am somewhat suprised you got the 300 at all considering the universal smacking its had from some Chlerics.

I really am interested in your opinion as a history teacher. I for one think the movie has got the bones off the Hot Gates siege with a little what they call theatrical Licence.

One thing with theextras even covered the idea of the Spartans wearing minimal Armour as Ive said tomeits a representation of blood and bare guts the Spartan warrior was all about. Even the Leonidas Statue at Thermopalai is cladly dresses as are most classical greek Sculpure representing what they percieved the ideal greek form. In Contect the whole concept is taken From a Greco Western point of view.

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Post by marcus »

jasonxx wrote:I am somewhat suprised you got the 300 at all considering the universal smacking its had from some Chlerics.

I really am interested in your opinion as a history teacher. I for one think the movie has got the bones off the Hot Gates siege with a little what they call theatrical Licence.
Basically, Kenny, I couldn't care less about whether it's historically accurate - I really enjoyed it as a piece of entertainment. :lol:

And Lena Headley as Gorgo was worth the time I spent on Amazon doing my one-click ordering ... :twisted:

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Post by marcus »

Paralus wrote:Stealing out from the mess is dangerous but catching sight of Bettany leading those Spartan women in the naked dancing.......
Stop! :shock:
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