Re: [tied] definition of barbarian

From the purely Greek point of view (as in Herodotus) <barbaros> = 'non-Greek'. From the Roman poin of view <barbarus> = 'neither Latin/Roman nor Greek', 'foreign(er)' (thus already ca. 200 BC, as in Plautus: <barbarum hospitem mi in aedis nil moror>, or 'cruel, hostile, savage'. Then the Latin word came to mean 'not of the Roman Empire' and subsequently 'not Christian, heathen', often implying rough manners as well.

Piotr

----- Original Message -----
From: alexmoeller@...
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2002 5:06 PM
Subject: Re: [tied] definition of barbarian

[Moeller]
very good point of view. I am not asking for the developement
of this word but I just wonder about the meaning of this word
untill III centuries AC int he greek and roman vision. How
you could see from the nest message I gaeve, even the romans
were considered barbarians by greek, the romans have had a
properly definition for what "barbarian" at that time meant..