Television: Who Were The Greeks?

Dr Michael Scott presents a fascinating pair of documentaries about the Ancient Greeks that might not be exactly what is expected but which casts a somewhat revisionist eye on some of the common beliefs of the general public. Below the cut: a review of the episode.



I have seen a few people commenting -- mainly on the BBC History Magazine website -- that Dr Michael Scott sets out in this pair of documentaries with a bias against the Ancient Greeks and seems not to like them in general. However, I would argue that he is simply setting out to present to the general viewer the idea that the Greeks were not the origin of all that is good about civilization, as we are often told.

The examples he uses to demonstrate the idea that the Greeks were not as civilised as they are cracked up to be range from their use of slave labour to the trial and execution of Socrates for disrupting the morals of the youth.

As always I was pleased to be learning new things about the Greeks. Perhaps the most surprising revelation in the whole of these two episodes is that it was common place for adolescent boys to be courted by older men. This was, Dr Scott explains, largely because young girls were not allowed to move freely in society and there was a certain taboo put on women's bodies -- even statues did not depict them completely naked -- whilst a lot of emphasis was placed on the physical male form. The older men had to be in his 20s but not married and the boy's father had to consent to the arrangement, with the man having to formally court the younger boy beforehand. This had a dual purpose: firstly for sexual and relationship purposes but also for education, as the older man would become something of a tutor for the younger boy. This kind of relationship was known as a pederastic relationship. I find it fascinating that whilst ideals about women and men marrying have existed right through the ages, this particular social convention has completely died out and is viewed quite differently today.

I also liked the segment in which the Parthenon is recreated digitally with colour. I already knew that it is a misconception that Greek work is all white marble and that it was mostly painted, but it was interesting to see such an iconic ancient building in all its original glory, even if it was just a recreation.

To conclude I think this show was really interesting for me -- somebody who isn't entirely initiated into the study of ancient history -- and was certainly full of surprising and thought-provoking revelations. Unlike many other series about the ancient world, I did not find this mini-series too complex or difficult to follow which makes it a good watch for people with only a surface interest in this period.

Watch on BBC iPlayer