Literature and History Episode 5: Beneath the Obelisks (Ancient Egyptian Fiction)
21 snips
Feb 12, 2016 AI Snips
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Episode notes
Beware 'Back Then' Generalizations
- David recounts grading student essays and seeing simplistic 'back then' cultural generalizations frequently.
- He used these anecdotes to warn against crude historical determinism when studying ancient Egypt.
Daily Life Beyond Monuments
- David paints a lively picture of Thebes in 1363 BCE to show daily life beneath royal monuments.
- He argues Egyptians were busy, cosmopolitan people not defined solely by pharaonic spectacle.
The Shipwrecked Sailor Tale
- The Shipwrecked Sailor tells of a marooned sailor meeting a giant, generous serpent on a fertile island.
- The sailor returns with exotic goods and gains the king's favor despite losing his crew.