An article in the Economist sheds light on the Goat museum in Vergina, which was inaugurated and opened to the public in December, and explains how the region and Alexander’s empire that was born there changed the modern world.
A new museum in Greece raises questions about the arc of ancient history and the legacy of an empire.
An article in the Economist sheds light on Goat museum in Verginawhich was inaugurated and opened to the public in December, and explains how the region and the empire Alexander was born there changed the modern world.
As part of the investigation, the Economist approached and spoke with the archaeologist Angeliki Kottaridiswho has dedicated her life to the excavations in the village of Vergina.
A place that was particularly “dark” until the moment its treasures began to emerge half a century ago.
While a student, Ms. Kottarides had the pleasure of witnessing the historic moment of the discovery of the royal tombs of Vergina in 1977.
Gold objects and beautiful frescoes adorned the tombs. Continuing his work Manolis Andronikouher team has since discovered the entire royal palace that is three times the size of the Parthenon.
He also discovered dozens of other royal tombs and over 1000 regular tombs, as well as the theater believed to be where Philip was assassinated in 336 BC.
Philip was succeeded by his son Alexander and, as the Economist points out, the rest is history.
By the time of his death, Alexander had created an empire that stretched from Egypt to the Hindu Kush.
A new museum that opened on December 19 explores his family’s achievements – which, Ms Kottaridis insists, are not limited to conquests. For Ms. Kottarides, the capital of ancient Macedonia was the prototype of a type of urban civilization that later extended from the Maghreb to Central Asia.
Her work and the museum challenge conventional views of ancient history—and raise pertinent questions about the legacy of this empire.
Ms. Kottarides argues that the Hellenistic cities played a decisive role in the formation of the modern religious world and influenced Christianity as well as the culture of Buddhism.
Asked whether Ms. Kottarides exaggerates the role of Hellenistic cities as a melting pot of the modern world, the Economist reminds us that indeed Hellenistic civilization was a catalyst for the development of many religions, which partly developed in large cities such as Alexandria in Egypt.
Contrary to what Ms. Kottarides, Indian scholars abhor the idea of ​​Alexander as the leader of a civilizing mission. In fact, Meenakshi Lekhi, a minister of the Indian government, recently emphasized at a conference that the exchanges between Greek and Indian civilizations preceded Alexander the Great.
Be that as it may – according to the Economist – it is precisely this debate that the Museum aspires and envisages to ignite. And rural Greece may seem a strange choice for a starting point for such a discussion, but it did not prevent it from becoming the base and reference point for the conquest of the world.
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I am Frederick Tuttle, who works in 247 News Agency as an author and mostly cover entertainment news. I have worked in this industry for 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I am a very hard worker and always strive to get the best out of my work. I am also very passionate about my work and always try to keep up with the latest news and trends.
