European cultures-civilizations
European cultures-civilizations
We want to make very well understood all the important reasons that require separation of Western and Eastern Europe. One important reason is different culture - civilization. So far we explained the differences in the foundations of cultures-civilizations. In Western Europe it is Roman while in Eastern Europe it is Hellenistic. We will take it a step further and explain the different culture-civilization mixes in Western and Eastern Europe.
Culture and civilization are closely related. There are no exact definitions of these two terms. Often they are used interchangeably which is probably not correct. Some consider culture to be part of civilization, culture entirely contained in civilization. Others believe that they are overlapping. Generally, the concept of civilization refers to the achievements of a society in various fields whereas culture to the way of life.
We use them both since in history there were many examples with significant influence in one and not so much in the other. Generally, when we had two societies interacting that were at different levels of advancement in civilization, the superior civilization had much more influence on the inferior. The inferior's influence on the superior was small. But the society with the inferior civilization could have considerable influence on the other society's culture.
Greco-Roman was the foundation of Western European culture-civilization. Greco-Roman was Roman with strong influence from Greek (Hellenic). The foundation of Eastern European culture-civilization was Hellenistic and its evolution Byzantine. Hellenistic was Hellenic with considerable influence from Eastern. Byzantine was Hellenistic with notable influence from Slavic. Greco-Roman and Hellenistic-Byzantine were only the foundations of Western and Eastern cultures-civilzations.
The term Greco-Roman can be misleading. It can be misunderstood that there was a common culture-civilization shared by Romans and Hellenes (Greeks) which is not correct. In order to not create confusion, we will name Roman-O the original culture-civilization of Rome and Roman-H after the storng influence from Hellenic. Roman-H and Hellenistic had Hellenic as common but were different because the other part was different.
We gave an example with percentages in previous article. Roman-H was 55% Roman-O and 45% Hellenic. Hellenistic was 80% Hellenic and 25% Eastern. Byzantine was 80% Hellenistic and 20% Slavic or 60% Hellenic, 20% Slavic, 20% Eastern. Of course, we do not know the percentages. All we know is that Hellenic culture-civilization had strong influence on Roman, Eastern had significant on Hellenic and Slavic had notable on Hellenistic.
The example makes the foundations of Western and Eastern European cultures-civilizations better understood. Obviously, these cultures-civilizations did not remian as they were but further developed. Today, EACH COUNTRY in WESTERN and EASTERN Europe has its OWN CULTURE-CIVILIZATION. But national cultures-civilizations that have common fouldation are similar although not the same.
Cultures-civilizations in Western European countries are similar because they all had as foundation Roman-H (Greco-Roman). Likewise, cultures civilizations in Eastern Europe are similar because they all had as foundation Hellenistic and its evolution Byzantine. When we talk about Western and Eastern European culture-civilization, we mean two groups of cultures-civilizations. In each group, there are many similarities.
Another factor affecting culture-civilization is further interaction, after the foundations were laid. After Roman Empire broke up in Western Roman and Byzantine, Western and Eastern Europe followed different routes. Western European countries had a lot more contact with other Western European countries and not so much with Eastern. Likewise, Eastern European countries had a lot more contact with Eastern and not so much with Western.
Western European Empire ended in 476 AD and Byzantine in 1453 AD. After those dates, Western European countries interacted more with each other and less with Eastern European. Also, the same happened in Eastern Europe. One important factor that effects the strength of influence on culture-civilization is the level of interaction between societies.
Western Roman Empire did not include all Western Europe. Most part of Northern Subgroup B was not in. Germany, Netherlands, Ireland and Nordic countries were not included. Nordic countries are Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland. To be precise, there were two small parts of Germany, in the West and in the South, that were in. Also northern UK was not in.
In Eastern Europe, Byzantine Empire included most of Balkans. Byzantine culture-civilization had very big influence on Kievan Russes. Russia, Ukraine, Belarus originate from Kievan Russes. There is a part of Eastern Europe not inlcuded in the territory of Byzantine Empire and Kievan Rus. That area is Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, Poland, Baltic countries.
The percentage of Western European population not in Western Roman Empire is roughly one third. In Eastern Europe, the percentage of the population not in Byzantine Empire or Kieven Rus is much smaller, roughly one fifth. Or to state in in a different way, roughly two thirds of Western European population were in Western Roman Empire and four fifths of Eastern European in Byzantine Empire and Kievan Rus.
In Eastern Europe, the percentage of population that had from the start as foundation Hellenistic-Byzantine culture-civilization is higher compared to the percentage in Western Europe that had from the start as foundation Roman-H culture-civilization. Byzantine Empire was a continuation of Hellenistic kingdoms and Byzantine culture-civilization an evolution of Hellenistic.
Hungary is on the fringes of Byzantine Empire's territory, right next to it. Byzantine Empire was mostly Greco-Thraco-Illyrian but it did not include all Greco-Thraco-Illyrian territory. Hungary and Slovakia are in Greco-Thraco-Illyrian territory eventhough not in Byzantine territory. So there was influence from Greco-Thraco-Illyrian culture-civilization. The rest of the countries are in Region A1 of Western Subgroup A.
Most importantly, in Western and Eastern Europe, culture-civilization spread through interaction. Areas of Western Europe that were not in Western Roman Empire, have as foundation Roman-H (Greco-Roman) culture-civilization. Likewise, areas in Eastern Europe that were not in Byzantine Empire or Kievan Rus, have to a lesser extent as foundation Hellenistic-Byzantine culture-civilization. It spread there from the countries that were in Byzantine Empire or in Kievan Rus.