Hellenistic vs Roman 2
Hellenistic vs Roman 2
Around 20% of people in USA are from Latin America where culture-civilization is substantially influenced by Western European, mainly Iberian, Spanish and Portuguese. Also the first colonists were from Western Europe and probably had a larger impact on culture-civilization. If we take these into account, culture and civilization in USA becomes more than half Western European. But the rest is not Western European.
For instance, in USA, music has notable influence from African music that African-Americans brought. Also culture and civilization was shaped by the conditions that settlers found in their new land. They were very different than those in the countries they came from. Even if all people in USA were from Western Europe, culture and civilization would have been different than Western European. So it is hard to determine the Western European percentage in USA's culture-civilization but it is large.
There are similarities but also differences between North American and Western European culture and civilization. More people in USA came from the northern part of Western Europe and fewer from the southern. In Central and South America, more people came from southern Western Europe, mainly Iberia. Also, in Central and South America, the percentages of indigenous people are much higher, compared to North America.
So we have four distinct areas with different cultures-civilizations; North America, Central-South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe. Although they do have similarities, they also have substantial differences. In AntiNWO's superb plan, these four areas are separate Groups. These four Groups could develop very close, distant or non-existent relations in the future. This is their concern.
We should explain very clearly even what seems evident regarding "Hellenistic vs Roman" culture-civilization. We want to make sure that everyone understands how the differences in culure-civilization between Eastern and Western Europe developed. It is a very important reason for the SEPARATION of WESTERN and EASTERN EUROPE. Of course there are many other important reasons as well that have been explained in previous articles.
Macedonian culture-civilization was ancient Hellenic since Macedonians were ancient Hellenes. Alexander's DIRECTION in his conquests was EASTERN. He started from Macedonia and went into ASIA. After Alexander's death, Macedonian Empire was divided by his successors (Diadochi), mainly four generals; Cassander, Lysimachus, Ptolemy, Seleukus.
Cassander got Macedonia and the rest of Hellas (Greece), except Epirus. Lysimachus took Thrace, western and northern Asia Minor. Ptolemy got southeastern Asia Minor, Cyprus, Palestine, northern Egypt. Seleukus took eastern central Asia Minor, northern Middle East and the eastern part of the Empire, all the way to India. Southern Italy, Corsica, Sardinia, Marseille, Carthage were also part of Macedonian Empire after Alexander's death.
MOST PART of HELLENISTIC KINGDOMS (also mentioned as empires) spread EASTERN of HELLAS. Hellenistic culture-civilization was predominantly Hellenic but incorporated elements of cultures-civilizations that were in the vast Macedonian Empire. Since ALMOST ALL the territory was EASTERN of HELLAS, the INFLUENCE in cuture-civilization was mainly from EAST.
Through out the eleven centuries of Byzantine Empire's existence, the area it ruled changed considerably. Its greater extent was during Justinian in 555 AD. It included Balkans, Turkiye, Cyprus, Middle East, North Africa, southern Spain, Italy. The area that always remained in Byzantine Empire was Balkans and Turkiye. Hellenistic fusion in culture-civilization continued in Byzantine Empire which was a continuation of Hellenistic kingdoms.
New elements were incorporated in Byzantine culture-civilization from newcomers that settled in the territory. Slavs migrated in large numbers for many centuries. Towards the end of Byzantine Empire, Slavic culture-civilization had blended in the fusion. Byzantine culture-civilization had significant influence on Kievan Russes. Russia, Ukraine, Belarus originate from them.
We will use an example to make all these better understood. We will call Roman the original culture-civilization of Rome and Greco-Roman the Roman culture-civilziation after the influence of Hellenic. Suppose that Greco-Roman was 45% Greek (Hellenic) and 55% original Roman. This is almost 50-50 with original Roman slightly more than Hellenic. This is a very strong influence on Roman cultrure-civilization.
Suppose that eastern influence on Hellenic culture-civilization during Hellenistic period was 25%. Hellenistic culture-civilization in the end of Hellenistic period was 75% Hellenic and 25% Eastern. Fusion continued during Byzantine era. Let's say that the influence of Slavic culture-civilization on Hellenistic was 20%. Towards the end of Byzantine Empire, culture-civilization was 60% Hellenic, 20% Eastern, 20% Slavic.
So we had two DISTINCT CULTURES-CIVILIZATIONS that had roughly 50% ancient Hellenic influence but the rest was different. Western Roman had 45% ancient Hellenic but the other 55% was Roman. Byzantine had 60% ancient Hellenic but the rest 40% was Eastern and Slavic. If we mix 50% white with 50% red we get pink. If we mix 50% white with 50% black we get grey. These two are different even though they both have 50% white.
Obviously, the percentages given are not the result of any scientific research. Historians may be able to determine better the influences as percentages but even if they do so, the numbers will have some subjectivity. The purpose of the example was to make the development of two different cultures-civilizations better understood. Someone can change the percentages, according to his/her opinion.
We should add that all Eastern Europe has some Western Siberian ancestry. Ural-Altaic tribes had an influence on culture-civilization. Eastern European culture-civilization has considerable influence from the East. Eastern Europe should look towards the West but also towards the East. Not only geographically but also in terms of culture-civilization, it is in between Western Europe and Asia.
Pure ancient Hellenic culture-civilization, gradually ceased to exist, even in Hellas (Greece). Even though it became non-existent, it has considerable influence on Western and Eastern Europe. Both Western and Eastern European cultures-civilizations are based on cultures-civilizations that were to a large percentage ancient Hellenic. But they were also very different because the other part was very different.