Why is Stephen Fry so passionate about the ancient Greeks?

Is Stephen Fry the most eloquent man in the world? Very possibly. Because if you ask him, after his book Mythos and his latest, Heroes, why he is so passionate about the Greeks, he can riff for a few minutes in a way that will convince you that these legendary stories are safe in his hands.
Find Heroes here: bit.ly/2OtIgPE
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[@JinnDante]

Greek here .This man's speech intelligence and wit is out of this world. I admire him so much. He has studied a lot of greek philosophy and has read so many books. It seems like he has the outmost respect for the Hellenic culture and history and his in depth "dive" in the Hellenic literature has elevated this man's spirit (and sorry for my poetic hyperbole) to the levels of the ancient Hellenes. If one person should be called Hellenas it is him. The whole world concept that Hellenes had and their level of intelligence lives through this man. It feels weird because this man is more "Greek" than many that are actually native Greeks. Mr Fry you are a magnificent human being i would be lucky to meet you one day and talk about Greek philosophy.

[@craven5328]

This is such a lovely comment. I've always admired him, but in listening to him narrate his book Mythos, it has inspired me to go back an revisit my Plato, Aristotle, and Homer, and make a reading list of Aristophanes, Sappho, and Euripides.

[@warlockpaladin2261]

You need to see a film called "V is for Vendetta", in which the Wachowskis directed a tale written by Alan Moore... there you will find this man playing himself in a story about the downward spiral that Britain has slowly sunken into.

[@alexandergr7995]

Many self-proclaim Greeks or proclaim other as Greek.Few are true like lord Byron.We are all Greek for the Olympics and the classics , millions are aware of Greek philosophy and classic education, but most are absent where it matters, the everyday life. Defining rich foreigners (and these have been countless since antiquity) who do not speak Greek, have not paid taxes in Greece, have not lived and served in Greece as better Greeks, just because they make money for themselves with our ancestors books and because they can afford the time to read them might be hasty, unless followed up by real actions....People have been playing Greeks, adoring us from afar through the books but othewise ignoring us where it matters since Roman times.....

[@JinnDante]

@Good Morning oh here comes the classic non proof claim of a dude that lacks any form of self respect. Greeks where never ONE race mate. But if you wanna play this game there have been numerous studies that prove that today's greeks have almost identical dna to the people that lived in the area 3000 years ago and longer. Greeks didn't like mixing with foreigners since antiquity. There are some similarities with North Epirus people now Albania (naturallly) as well as Italians (naturally as well). Most Western Turks look like greeks as well. Nobody asked for your geneticsl nonsense in this comment but if you wanna take that idiotic route. Sure. Just from my genealogical tree I can trace it back to the 1700s easily. Can you say the same ?

[@rayt2548]

@Good Morning sources?

[@Liz86000]

I could listen to him talk for hours... I did in fact, with his audiobooks !

[@ash7324]

Same, I've downloaded so many of his books and even bought books just because Stephen was reading them, he's a fantastic speaker and unparalleled storyteller.

[@peopleddiagram2920]

Ditto

[@poppycalliope6793]

Me too!

[@poppycalliope6793]

@@ash7324 Agree 100%

[@tanzanos]

Fun fact: Fighter pilots in training are called Ikarus in Greece

[@shingosshojiopoulos6608]

@Joe Costner No greek aircraft have been shot down by turkey

[@Strawberry-12.]

Yiannis Mantheakis i don’t know how I would feel about that if I was a trainee

[@yadhua334]

Thats after icarus the man who tried to fly towards the sun but fell.

[@chrisucl]

@Joe Costner what a nasty, racist comment.

[@MythopoeicNavid]

WH Auden's poem about Icarus makes it seem even more resonant now 0_0 thank u for sharing this!

[@thewayofaxiom]

Bring back the Hellenistic glory.. even the Romans was enamored by the Greeks. Even thought I am Asian and came from multicultural incredibly ancient culture such as china and japan and the Philippines.. I am fascinated and deeply respected Greek culture.. ended up marrying a Greek wonderful woman.. Our twins are named.. Herodotus and Persephone.

[@LucianaVIP1]

Such beautiful names😊💕

[@DeadlyAlienInvader]

That is wonderful! And I’m a hispanic Colombian-American man who, for some reason, I more interested in the Greek culture, even though I’m more aware of their flaws, and I’m studying other mythologies and cultures from different civilizations. In fact, I’m planning on creating a fantasy world that contains a continent that is inspired by Western civilization and another inspired by Eastern cultures and try to explore the differences and similarities between their philosophies.

[@benwood4416]

"I won't bore you too much" he could talk about the history of toilets and I'd be mesmerised

[@wjcvanes]

Like in the BBC tv show QI, which he presented for years. That really suited him well.

[@danner253]

I adore the ancient Greeks, you can clearly see for the first time in history a culture of thinking and progress emerge. For the fact our language, thinking, and many ways of life are directly inspired by them show how they laid so many foundations for us.

[@abhishekmhatre1554]

It wasn't the first time. The Mesopotamians understood the concept of intellectual and cultural progress more than a thousand years before the Greeks, or anyone else did.

[@warlockpaladin2261]

"Let's try to be better than our parents." This is such a low bar that it depresses to me to realize just how few people can hurdle it.

[@alexandergr7995]

Nonsense...Everyone was better than their parents even before the Greeks, by human nature....Sons overthrew their parents, Gods the Titans because they were "Better"....We ought to respect our parents because we will be "better" by default and the parents will grow old and need care....

[@warlockpaladin2261]

@@alexandergr7995 True, but the Greeks get credit for being the first to put it in writing.

[@A861967]

Aas a Greek Australian , im always thrilled to see intellectuals like Mr Fry support The Greek Culture and way of thinking. We need more people like him. Love his books .. interesting way to try to explain some Greek concepts in the English language. 😊 looking forward to hearing and reading more of his lovely books.

[@epimetheus9053]

Moros , be conscious of your heritage, you need no outside misconceptions to define what your dna knows. if you understand the mothertongue visit εδω στο γιουτιούμπ το καναλι Φρυκτωριες

[@Sofipont]

I am Greek and l must say that he understands us more than everyone.

[@user-sj2hi5fn4m]

YOu should read Henry Miuller: Collossus of Maroussi, not this fraudulrent poser.

[@eoanmo6259]

As a Greek i think is a great privilege for the Greek history , a person like Stephen Fry with so much education and so big platform to be philhellene. Thank you phile mou ( my friend).

[@thespartan8476]

No other small country can compare with Greece in terms of impact on human benefit. And that is a textbook example of Greek exceptionalism, indeed. Plus: Robin Williams Was A Philhellene. His Words On Greece. Back in 2011, Williams gave an interview with a Greek TV host Katsidis promoted the animated feature “Happy Feet 2,” to which he lent his voice. During the interview, Williams expressed his appreciation for Greece and touched us all.- I know you’ve visited Greece. What do you think? I have come for a holiday on a boat and we went to all the islands. Facing them you say: “I can not believe that there is recounted everything we read in Greek mythology.” Greek History is something all mankind must bow to. Maybe your economy goes to hell, but that does not mean you’re helpless. Economic data is constantly changing in Europe and America for all. What is not changing is the legacy, your identity. The Parthenon does not leave Athens. It’s there to remind you that progress and prosperity may return. I am now in England, for example, I went nowhere. I’m here to promote the movie and I will leave. What to see, Buckingham Palace? I do not care. As when I go to Germany, I’m not interested in the Berlin Wall, which is not a symbol of prosperity, but the opposite. But you can not ignore Delos, the Parthenon, and Mycenae! Thank you, Robin Williams. You will be missed, indeed.💙💙💙💙

[@thevis5465]

No other small country? Scotland created the modern world, the entire idea of modern economics, the entire industrial revolution owes it's happening to us. Penicillin, most of modern medicine (hypodermic needles, x-rays, etc.) was Scottish, the TV, the telephone, the fridge, the flush toilet, pneumatic tyres, I could go on and on. I'd argue that Scotland was the Ancient Greece of the modern era, Edinburgh is often referred to as the Athens of the north after all.

[@thespartan8476]

@@thevis5465 Why don't you British solve your national identity crisis first and start believing you are something important later? Britain days of empire is over and it's high time for reckoning with the past. In the British Empire, the bad outweighs the good, indeed. The British brutally plundered and murdered nearly a quarter of the world for their own profit...Yes, the British committed genocides, real ones. A dream that not even Hitler could make possible. And Churchill was fighting a racist who killed millions while being one himself. Britain must pay for their military bases, and then be forced to give them back to the Greeks Cypriots? (as its an utter disgrace that Britain managed to still have land on Cyprus) And Greece is among the few nations - and the only EU member state - not to have been officially visited by the Queen. And It gives me immense pleasure to announce that, indeed. The British Museum have become the world’s largest receivers of stolen property, and the great majority of their loot is not even on public display. The British must return our Greek Looted PARTHENON sculptures, our Greek identity, our Greek heritage . [ As its an utter disgrace that Britain managed to still have colonial loot from Greece ]. The guy who looted our Greek PARTHENON sculptures, our Greek identity, our Greek heritage was Scottish and from Scotland. I'm not here to offend any one. I'm just being honest. Scotland also owe a huge blood debt to Australia and Ireland [ etc ]. The British sent they're convict problems to Australia mate. And it's not Australia's problems. It's the Scottish, English, and Irish problems.

[@sgourkon8742]

​@@thevis5465What are you talking about?? Modern economy exists because of Scottland. Sure has a lot of great mean a d scientists but i find that state too much.

[@jonwizard3989]

Just finished his book: "Heroes" ...Brilliant! Get it...

[@Godstud]

Mythos. Also great! Get it!

[@tommonk7651]

I so admire people who are literate and thoughtful. Thank you, Mr. Fry.

[@vlad-ut1sz]

Fun fact: more than 52.000 English words are Greek for example (alphabet, astronomy, history, harmony, music, galaxy, mathematics, philosophy and others.

[@Neat_profile]

Virtually all vocabulary art and science-wise.

[@matinatheartofrolling4606]

Im not sure about the word alphabet though..I think it comes from the word aleph which is not greek

[@vlad-ut1sz]

@@matinatheartofrolling4606 it comes from the word alphabeto(αλφάβητο) which means alphabet.

[@geoshortgeorge6909]

@Propaganda Slayer Astronomy isn't Babylonian name but greek. It comes from two Greek words, 'Aστρο (Astro) which means Star and Νόμος (Nomos ) which means Law. So literally astronomy means the Law of the Stars.

[@miltospep21]

@@matinatheartofrolling4606 It comes from Alpha and Beta the first two letters of the Greek ALphabet. About Alef, being a Phoenician letter looking like a a Greek A (Alpha) placed sideways, please take a look at my post about Greek and Phoenician writing.

[@mencken8]

People had brains before the ancient Greeks, and some used them, but the most important invention of the Greeks was the mind.

[@poppycalliope6793]

Love this guy!!! What an interesting man. Could listen to him endlessly.

[@janelloyd4332]

Stephen Fry at his best...I could listen to him for hours

[@Uppernorwood976]

I wasn't aware of the point about the sea levels, that's really interesting if it's true. Ironically Egypt is famous for it's incredibly predictable Nile seasonal flooding.

[@MBM1117727]

That predictable seasonal flooding was basically the basis for the Ancient Egyptian civilisation too, it was the main reason they were able to function!

[@asedition8847]

I love Stephen Fry I wish he would do ‘The Fry Lectures’ that would be something worth listening to…..he should have been a professor

[@Giskard1000]

That’s a great shout, yes! He would have made a superb lecturer.

[@tomp9080]

Yes, maybe if he worked just a bit harder he could have become a lecturer; alas he's only a national treasure

[@121evans]

Thank you for your input to the world. You are a decent man which makes you a treasure to the nation.

[@richardedwards2269]

A very clever and funny man. Love listening to him.

[@thelaureatefore-moneymmapi1194]

Love it! These books are great. His narration on audiobook is brilliant. Love it!

[@johnnyjohnny2650]

I've read all 3 of his books on Greek myth. Very entertaining intro to the stories that kick-started the world

[@thanasispapadimopoulos3498]

The claim that Greeks invented the alphabet is true. Please let me explain: It is true that the Phoenician 'alphabet' pre-existed the Greek alphabet, but the Phoenician was an abjad. Abjad is is a type of writing system where each symbol or glyph stands for a consonant, leaving the reader to supply the appropriate vowel. On the other hand, an alphabet is defined as a set of graphemes that represent both vowels and consonants. So, the Greek alphabet was developed on the basis of the earlier Phoenician alphabet, but the concept of alphabet and the first 'true' alphabet, in its narrow sense of word, was Greek.

[@MBM1117727]

Also to add to your point, the word "Alphabet" is literally named after the first two letters in Greek alphabet, Alpha and Beta

[@MBM1117727]

@Ghost Ghost I know that. I didnt dispute that.

[@MBM1117727]

@Ghost Ghost What I said is that the words alpha and beta are Greek, which is correct.

[@MBM1117727]

@Ghost Ghost I know they had those connections. I happen to be very interested in all ancient civilisations. Still Greeks added vowels to the alphabet. Something which most civs, be it Mesopotamian, egytian or phonecian, had not dpne before.

[@MBM1117727]

@Ghost Ghost I know they had vowels. My point was they didnt write them down

[@maniacgr2617]

Greeks are the forefathers and bearers of any future civilization(Freindrich Nietsche)

[@julioreija8052]

The simile he establishes between stories and public dreams is quite interesting…

[@sineaddejager5980]

Please write more 😂💕 I have read all your books

[@rotagbhd]

Fun fact: I could listen to this man speak all day.

[@haveagoodday2405]

so nice !!!

[@qwinegp2000]

so wise.thank you

[@Deanriley]

Absolutely loved his Mythos book

[@KhanivoreQniba]

I want to be Stephens’ friend, forever.

[@hermetic_wizard777]

Perhaps when you die you will both find yourselves in Elysian fields or perhaps Olympus if Zeus has been overthrown by that time and you can then be his good friend, forever. :)

[@Ninoluna1111]

LOVE AND LIGHT TO MR FRY!!!❤😊

[@samharris3612]

Stephans ability to articulate his thoughts makes him one of the best humans of our time.

[@theogeorgiou8331]

Love you Mr S, always have from your earlier tv endeavours. And more so now. As a British born Greek I am extremely proud of England and love the English and the country rather a cup of tea than a ouzo .. Anyway you are a legend , question! Why have you not taken up a character in the marvel world!!

[@HitchcockBrunette]

I have all of his Greek trilogy of books… he’s a brilliant man… if this has been my history teacher as a child things would have been very difeeent in my life!

[@user-my8hx8wu8e]

you are the best.....

[@inessamaria2428]

Awesome

[@mikedoll456]

I love this man

[@freelancer9955]

) Thank You. Sincerely.

[@mixosmcp]

What a LEGEND RESPECT

[@AlexanderJWei]

The Greeks deserve a lot of credit. But more particularly, the Athenians deserve it. Athens liked new ideas; it even said so in Acts 17. In the context of the Pelopponesian War, the Spartans, for all their virtues, were much more conservative and disliked innovation. This is quite natural, as they were enslaving a much larger population of helots; innovation might lead to a change that could overthrow their system.

[@krispi1481]

Greece is also it's northern parts. Read about Thessalians,epirots and Macedonians

[@onezero4905]

@@krispi1481 thalassa owo

[@alexandergr7995]

@@krispi1481 And it was also Asia Minor...

[@Izixster]

Thebes also had a large amount of importance.

[@ChrisSaddlerSam]

Thank u, Stephen! (here's a Greek writing)

[@marksemo1244]

I wish we could restore greece back to its former glory.. I miss my homeland.

[@epimetheus9053]

there are many on that path here dear friend

[@spartanwanderer8049]

Wishing is nothing. We must act by starting with ourselves. That's the essence of philosophy. There is a gradual awakening. The oracle of Delphi's last prophecy will come true. Apollo the sun-god will return. The darkness will flee and be replaced with the light once again. Αθάνατο Ελληνικό Πνεύμα.

[@alexandergr7995]

Greece has been restored...In US, in UK, Germany, Italy.... Do not expect it to be restored in the land of Greece....

[@DeadlyAlienInvader]

@Set Kin what do you mean by that?

[@SylviaGra1]

As a daughter of an ancient Greek family I feel really delighted to listen to Stephen Fry talk like that!

[@krispi1481]

How it that possible?

[@Aretheria]

Really old family name i guess

[@epimetheus9053]

αν καταλαβαινεις Ελληνικα , μπες στο καναλι Φρυκτωρίες, εκεί θα βρείς πολύ υλικό να σε βοηθήσει να καταλάβεις την παράδοση μας. Έχει και μερικά βίντεο που μεταφέρουν χαζομάρες όπως ο Fry, αλλά με λίγη προσπάθεια θα καταφέρεις να τα διακρίνεις

[@SylviaGra1]

Sorry... I cannot read Greek texts!

[@mig7290]

@@krispi1481 I think she means a Greek ancestor or grand parent etc who settled in Argentina.

[@alexanderguesthistorical7842]

We now know that the Hittites were conversing with the Mycenaean Greeks (Acheaeans), and were using terms like "brother" to refer to the Mycenaean Kings and regarded them as having a status on par with themselves. The Hittites were one of the most powerful Empires of the Near/Middle East in the LBA. So it stands to reason that in the time of, and of the generations immediately prior to the Trojan War, The Mycenaean Greeks enjoyed immense POWER. Both militarily and economically. So much so they were as powerful as the Hittite Empire. To my mind, this is what all the Greek myths were about; preserving the memory of a time, before the Bronze Age Collapse, when Mycenaean Greek power was at it's peak. And the "Greek Heroes" and their attached myths were the eulogised records of the KINGS of Mycenaean society. And they operated, not as single individuals, but as the chiefs of itinerant WARBANDS, but were recorded for posterity as just single individuals.

[@firstaidsack]

In Mesopotamia during the Bronze Age, it was common practice for independent Kings to adress each other as brothers to reflect their status. It doesn't mean they considered each other equal or even similar in power. The Hittites adopted this practice due to their close proximity.

[@Irene-iu9sj]

Im Greek. Mr.Fry thank you, from the bottom of my heart......

[@CaptainHarlock-kv4zt]

As a Greek i say this. You Brits, you can keep the Parthenon marbles but you'll have to give us Stephen Fry!

[@williamtoner8674]

haha

[@Xagelas]

Είσαι λίγο μαλακακος 😂

[@alexandergr7995]

@@Xagelas Μάλλον πολύ....Οι άλλοι βγάζουν χρήματα με τα γραπτά και τα γλυπτά των προγόνων μας, έχτισαν αυτοκρατορίες, και μεις τους ζητιανεύουμε για δουλειές και δανεικά...Και ο άλλος, μην πω, θεοποιούμε τηλεπερσόνες που απλά διαβάζουν και μιλάνε ωραία στο youtube λες και δεν υπάρχουν αμέτρητοι διδακτορικοί και μη, σε πανεπιστήμια και εκτός που σπουδάζουν ελληνική φιλοσοφία και κλασσικές σπουδές και δεν βρίσκουν δουλειά στο αντικείμενο τους.......Δεν έχετε πάρει χαμπάρι ότι διάφοροι ξένοι πλέον θα βγαίνουν και θα μιλάνε για πάρτυ μας ως Έλληνες , θα νομοθετούν εις βάρους μας (που το κάνουν ήδη) ενώ τους ντόπιους θα μας αγνοούν, σαν να μην υπάρχουμε όπως έκαναν 2000 χρόνια τώρα...

[@Xagelas]

@@alexandergr7995 αυτοκρατορίες όπως το είπες... Εδώ χώρες και ομάδες ανθρώπων προσπαθούνε να κλέψουν την ιστορία μας τις επιτεύξεις μας ακόμα και την γη μας την ίδια ισχυρίζοντας τις ρίζες μας και εμείς τον ύπνο του δίκαιου...κατήφορος φίλε μου

[@alexandergr7995]

@@Xagelas Έχουν στήσει ολόκληρη προπαγανδιστική μηχανή εις βάρος μας και με τα χρήματα μας σε όλο το ίντερνετ και αυτοθεοποιούνται...Τι να πούμε...Ξεφτίλα....Και δεν μπορείς να κάνεις και τίποτα...Απλά μας ταίζουν κουτόχορτο,κοιμόμαστε, και μαλώνουμε για τα κόμματα και τις ομάδες....

[@bushcraftandastronomer.3775]

Greek mythology I love hearing about it and the night sky is full of Greek mythology Cassiopia the famous M or W constellation is queen Cassiopia who has a beautiful daughter named Andromeda you can see Andromeda in autumn night skies and she was chained to rock and perseus saved her and perseus fought medusa as medusa eyes could turn any living creature into stone. Perseus is in the sky and Hercules the son of Zues the supreme God of the world gave Hercules that legendary strength. So interesting on Greek mythology and I know there are so many Greek people believe in Greek mythology and Zues Hera and the other Greek Gods like Aries God of war and hydes God of the underworld. He is fantastic to listen to and people have the right to what they believe. Very interesting video!

[@SouthSide1312.]

I love this guy

[@stephaniedaphne7464]

As a Classicist; Stephen Fry is a breath of fresh air. If anyone has ever done some kind of degree in Classics you know how dry some authors can make it, Stephen is the exact opposite. He is my god and my king

[@ZenBenefiel]

After some considerations and exploring the history of our planetary civilization, I've learned that an experience system, the collection of sensory perceptions gathered over an array of intentional and occasionally unintentional events, develops through feeling things out. Perhaps the Greeks were the first to honor these internal feelings and question them. Everything is vibration, right? That includes everything in nature, which means it is, by default, a part of consciousness. It's not separate. So we feel first, obviously, our bodies are the receptors of the signals (actually transceivers) and illustrate that nature, according to the indigenous ways, the gut feeling is our first connection with our environment or outer reality. We send from there, too. It's downright reciprocal, but we usually aren't conscious enough to realize it, let alone observe and learn. I agree also with our innate ability, often unrecognized, of naturally reaching out to perceive 'what is.' Structurally I think it is a synergy of chakras, meridians and 'clair-alls' (clairsentience, et al - send/receive circuits) that is at work always. Again, we aren't aware enough to deepen and/or expand our moments of coherence it seems. Sometimes we are. It has occurred to me, and I wonder if, the way in which we create reality is the interaction between the positive thought, neutral object and the electromagnetism attracting loose and/or shared electrons of people, places and things that resonate. It's the spook and spooky action at a distance thing applied locally. I love how Stephen illustrates the 'tell you where to look, but not what to see' adage.

[@cyan1294]

spooky action refers to quantum entanglement and is very unstable, and doesn't occur naturally that much, electromagnetism is the magnetic fields generated by moving charges, quantum entanglement doesnt have too much to do with that, since its merely just sending information seemingly instantaneously rather than interacting with any field force.

[@ZenBenefiel]

@@cyan1294 oh, contrar... at least not in my world. electromagnetism has everything to do with entanglement. It's just not understood how deep it goes, yet. Our physics aren't even close to the natural laws and order creation is built upon, imho.

[@opium42069]

Jeremy Clarkson's smart uncle

[@jesusmtz29]

Stephen fry is out of control. Pure genius

[@richardrickford3028]

The ancient Greek myths are just marvellous and have a load of meanings like an infinite multi storey car park. The history of Ancient Greece too is utterly fascinating. I would urge people who have found this also to look at the East Roman Empire - what is academically called the Byzantine Empire as this in many many ways was very Greek (that was the language of the Empire) only it was Greek Orthodox rather than pagan of course. This Eastern Roman Empire really lasted all the way from the Foundation of Constantinople as a major city in 330AC until it was taken over by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453. So in many ways the issue is not why the Empire declined and fell but why it lasted as long as it did. But the history and personalities of the Emperors and Empresses are all deeply fascinating. Also when Greece starts becoming independent again from 1830 onwards that more modern story is also deeply worth reading about - especially the way knowing their civilization has achieved so much has molded the psychology and self perception of the Greeks themselves. So there is so much to get into. But I take my hat off to you Stephen Fry you are a clever guy but even more importantly a very compassionate one and not afraid speak your mind on issues that really really matter.

[@nikoszikos8025]

the cause is the light

[@KiraPlaysGuitar]

5:05 This sounds perhaps like modern day sci-fi and alien theory (which I'm not on board with) for the last 100 years or so. Societies trying to explain the yet unexplained with their version of mythology. I wonder what future civilisations will extrapolate from today's myths and legends.

[@theITGuy-no3nt]

I am unsure at this point just how many times Stephen Fry's very existence has taken the gun from my mouth, but it is a LOT.

[@miltospep21]

Right on the spot, apart from one thing. The Greek Alphabet coming from the Phoenician was based on the lack of evidence more than 100 ago that Greeks could write before 800 B.C. So the hypothesis that they adopted the Phoenician alphabet came handy. After all there were many similarities. Phoenicians along with their writing appear in history at about 1300 B.C. Minoan Greece had an exceptional civilization far earlier. OK that doesn't prove much you might say. Not quite: at early 1900 in Crete there was a discovery. A Greek writing dated before 1500 B.C.! Later found in Mycenes, Pylos, Thivai, Megara and many Greek cities up to Dunabe all timed before 1500 B.C.. This writing came into to brother types the ΓΡΑΜΜΙΚΗ Α and the ΓΡΑΜΜΙΚΗ Β. At least 17 of the 24 letters of the Greek Alphabet (actually 27 in the very early Ancient Greek) are the same to ΓΡΑΜΜΙΚΗ Α and Β. Adding the two facts, that a Greek alphabet preexisted and that Phoenician writing had 22 letters but no vowels while Greeks have 7 vowels included in their alphabet, we can only conclude that the route of the Alphabet was the opposite, with Phoenicians making a lesser non-alphabet, a kind of short syllabic writing with the same letters being spelled differently at occasions when vowels were added. Evans first wrote about this in his work Scripta Minoa. An American scientist of Prohistoric Archaelogy called Paul Fort (not sure about the writing of his surname) managed to read a writing found in the island of Ithaca. The stone was found inside a wall of an ancient fortress and it was written at 2700 B.C. It was written in ΓΡΑΜΜΙΚΗ Α, the alphabet of course was a phonetic one, not like the Phoenician and said something simple: "Ιδού τι εγώ η Αρεδάτις δίδω εις την άνασσαν, την θεάν Ρέαν:100 αίγας, 10 πρόβατα, 3 χοίρους", meaning " This is what I, Aredatis, give to the Queen, Godess Rea: 100 goats, 10 sheep, 3 pigs" Quite a gift at the time! These were published at the American Archaelogy Chronicle of the Indiana University, Nestor(year 16,1989,page 2288)

[@chairsmissing]

Krima pou den eisai pinned comment

[@BF-bb5us]

Minoans were not Greek

[@christinealdret1209]

The architecture and sculptures are a mystery in Greece . How did they do? It is like in front of the Pyramids. I do not know. How they did all this.

[@M60T]

i had a Greek friend who said Greeks copied structures of egypt

[@AntPDC]

Not sure that changes in sea levels, which occurred over long periods, would have been readily noticeable over the course of a human lifetime in Ancient Greece, or anywhere else.

[@sihjul9384]

I knew he sounded familiar. Stephen Fry sounds kind of like Kevan Brighting

[@eyemoeba]

4:48 'i won't bore you..' how little he knows about how highly regarded he is.

[@henkbalje6874]

I'd pay good money to speak to him for a few hours, and learn.

[@chrisucl]

Pay to buy his audiobooks. You will learn and listen.

[@alexandergr7995]

@@chrisucl Would make more sense to learn Greek and buy the originals he copied from, where you can understand what names like Heracles (not Hercules), Pericles., etc correctly mean..In that case you could later have the opportunity to learn from the actual Greeks.

[@garyburkin]

As far as I'm aware sea levels haven't fluctuated much in the last few thousand years, certainly not enough to stop people building ports. This is an excerpt from Wikipedia: "The current sea level is about 130 metres higher than the historical minimum. Historically low levels were reached during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), about 20,000 years ago. The last time the sea level was higher than today was during the Eemian, about 130,000 years ago. Over a shorter timescale, the low level reached during the LGM rebounded in the early Holocene, between about 14,000 and 6,000 years ago, and sea levels have been comparatively stable over the past 6,000 years. "

[@johnbooth1110]

the clue you are looking for is the ionic Dionysus Artificers aka the brothers of Solomon

[@tinovanderzwanphonocave544]

Stephen Fry should interview Graham Hancock about the ancient Egyptians it would be an entertaining and interesting interview!

[@illhorse]

IS THERE A THIRD BOOK ABOUT TROY COMING???

[@vischetty7736]

illhorse oh yes 😊

[@43painter]

Let's Hope So.

[@vischetty7736]

Stephan Reisig don’t have to dude. It’s really coming out in November 2020. He’s announced it 😁😁😁 Also I work for the publisher here in SA.

[@pogolas]

Stephen Fry, admires Ancient Greeks. But Modern Greeks, admire people like Stephen Fry.

[@yannissotiriadis1267]

A mere glance at the Greeks of today is enough , oh the grief of losing the Hellenic spirit.

[@tanzanos]

Alas you are greatly mistaken. We Greeks have not changed at all. The reason we invented Democracy was because we are egotists and we all want our opinions heard just like today. We fight each other and unite only when a common threat appears. We take our time and at the last minute we take heroic actions to complete the task and always manage to be successful. We worship our heroes and we also denounce them if and when they err just like in ancient times. In order to truly understand what it is to be Greek you have to be a Greek or you have to be born and bred like a Greek. It really bothers me when foreigners try to disassociate our ancient ancestors with us modern Greeks.

[@epimetheus9053]

you are just looking at the wrong places my friend , but it is true that many of our species are totally superficial

[@yannissotiriadis1267]

@@tanzanos If you could read, you would know I am Greek. We have forgotten the most powerful word in the world. Filotimo.

[@iropeti1624]

That is the case for most Greeks but don't forget there are many other greeks who have not yet forgotten our heritage and have not lost our spirit. There are people fighting for this country to this day and it's showing, especially these last couple of weeks

[@alexandergr7995]

@@yannissotiriadis1267 Do you think the Anglosaxons or the Romans or the Europeans who looted Greece have filotimo, when the locals are forced to slave to foreign debts in their own country? We have greek authors who write greek books with the same stories and people prefer to read the stories in foreign languages...For centuries.....

[@user-yh8yp5lq3m]

It's just an opinion, but there are enough evidence for a possibility that Greek alphabet was not created from Phoenician, but from Grammick A and B, which were found in Greece many letters of that language and was a dead one, probably thousands of years earlier, from an older and lost civilization.

[@krispi1481]

No, the greek alphabet is based on the phinician

[@epimetheus9053]

ask your self a question : is it possible the Greeks took their writting system (Alef - Alpha) from a system that uses no A,E,I,Y,O in their writting?

[@iropeti1624]

I'm pretty sure they took the phoenician alphabet, which was full of consonants and they created vowels to fit into their own language

[@johnspiridis8624]

In the words of Viktor Hansen, “Hellenism is the first and last hope of mankind”!

[@calsavestheworld]

He longs for his childhood. 🥁

[@Xagelas]

We had a writing system when the Phoenicians didn't even exist. When the Mycenaean empire collapsed many Greeks fled to Anatolia. 200 years later the Phoenicians came up with the alphabet lol yeah right.

[@murrayelliott6828]

It is the history before the power of Athens which has the greatest crystallizing effect on the origins of Greek wisdom from the middle eastern and Turkish Sofia, hence; sofists.

[@richardirvine1997]

What? Ancient Athens existed a thousand years before the Turks appeared in the pages of history. Turkish Sofia!! This in fact means that the capital of Bulgaria (Sofia )is Turkish. The correct word is "Sophia" which is the Greek word for wisdom, and has been for a few thousand years. How on earth did you manage to muddle the Turks into this?. Generally speaking, all your comment is a chaos of meaningless expressions.

[@VasilisBasePAPAGEORGIOULGE]

A paradigm of A modern philosopher , my beloved and ever admired with respect even when -very rarely- disagree with Steven (Stephen -ΣΤΕΦΑΝΟ -Σ- μένος =CROWNED) Fry (was it Fryer ?) or The Fry. of our civilisation? The Lamb’s Fry in American culture ? that is following the Ancient Greek way of thinking ? Anyway as usual He is Correct. I guess he and the rest of free thinkers ,they Do admire the Enquirer,philosopher, never satisfied with patsy answers, individual ELLEN who might believe in this and that god but he still Deals with them instead of Cow-towing he asks What can u give me that the other god can’t This Rebelious nature of the Deep Thinker is the attraction for me to as an Ellen (preferred without H ) But is also the Prime reason of the displeasure caused and Economical Adventures of the modern Greeks Long conversation ... Thank u Τα Πλείστα Steven Fry For Existing !

[@VasilisBasePAPAGEORGIOULGE]

Frier ?

[@alexandergr7995]

Yeah, ELLEN without the H.... Anglosaxons and Europeans since the Roman Empire intentionally turned Ελλάς into Hell, intentionally looted Parthenon and Greece and have a whole industry trying to convert Greece into Hell...People have been reselling our books since the Romans did it first, selling them as their own.....Many are also completely absent from the Greek scene, from all our real problems (from Asia Minor destruction, Cyprus, Skopia) and many do not bother assisting those who go to their countries....and many are very good in the art of hypocrisy....Do not hurry to trust videos, if there are no follow-up support actions....

[@jesperandersson889]

Greek religion must have been a fragile thing, this is key it was breaking slowly or changeing in some fluid state - breaking as it were into two parts eventually...

[@toohdvaetihom7088]

He's really showing his ignorance by saying no one thought of progress before the Greeks.

[@mrkanenas]

First of all: the Greek alphabet doesn't come from Phoenicians,there are older findings about Greek alphabet and even Phoenix is a Greek name and it was a historic figure who migrated with some people to the modern Syria

[@alexandergr7995]

There was also a Phoiniki region in West Greece I think....

[@halaldunya918]

why the denial ? The Phoenicians made the Greek alphabet, you just turned things around and added your own accents. Look at the caananite script, and compare it to the modern Latin Alphabet, still so many similarities.

[@mrkanenas]

@@halaldunya918 when was the the caananite script made?

[@EvaFariou]

He knows more about Greeks,than Greeks themeselves. Thank you,sir. Greetings from Greece.

[@epimetheus9053]

yeah , he knows all the misconceptions that there are out there hahahaahah

[@onezero4905]

@@epimetheus9053 it's good to know the misconceptions, that way you can tell others that they are misconceptions

[@alexandergr7995]

Από μαλακίες πρώτοι είμαστε, σε αυτό μας φτάνει.... He studied classics, he knows classic literature (and there are many more better in classics who do not make videos online, many are Greek and strive to find a job in their field)...To know Greeks (or anything/any other nationality) one has to be with them, or become one of them,speak like them, not just read about them...And worst we can do is allow others define us, and speak for us as if we do not exist.....Stephen Fry is fully British, and he is a professional actor, redefining Greek intellectual property, something done over centuries by half the planet. Based on the audience, he plays the Philelline, he also plays the atheist, he also plays the Jew (thus like the royalty of the UK supports genetic herditary lineage in 2020 when the Pandorra myth did away with such things in BC) .... Not sure why people cannot get that he has put up (or is paid to put up) a real-life play with many of these videos, while in the backstage he is rather anti-Greek or rather absent from Greek issues like Macedonia,Cyprus,Turkey... Fry is one of millions or billions who like the greek literature, culture, architecture, to the point of claiming it as their own and depriving it from modern Greeks, whom they ignore, as if we are nuisance to them, as it has happened for 2000 years now...They make videos about Greeks , sell books about Greeks and an actual Greek is not even in the panel, while these same people sold out the country once more like the last decade, by forcing it into bankruptsy, behaving as if we do not exist any more.

[@michaelgenias8491]

Well done Stephen you have truly understood the Greek psyche. You are as Greek as I am bravo.

[@user-eh1no3yc5v]

ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ ΠΟΥ ΓΡΑΦΟΥΝ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΓΓΛΙΚΗ.

[@alexandergr7995]

έλα ντε....στημένο εις βάρος μας είναι....απλά κοιμόμαστε με το παιχνίδι που μας παίζουν και μαλώνουμε για τα κόμματα και τις ομάδες....

[@danielboard9510]

Greece is the shift between, proto European Christianity and old school paganism. I Feel. And was the point at which, the old gods and the new met.

[@danielboard9510]

So, superstition and reason, started to make them selves know.

[@oldfartinthenight9201]

I would hazard a guess that he would not be interested in the slightest, but just imagine if dear, fluffy Stephen could be a tenured advisor of conscience to Parliament. Then we may once again have a Government of which to be proud.

[@Useraghjk14]

The phenicians gave to the greeks only the consonants as a historian

[@OneStepToday]

terrible low sound level. Learn mastering of soundlevel

[@klausbrinck2137]

Just a little note here: Greeks were surely not very religious, even if they were partly traditionalists, so, not neglecting their gods. But there´s some human characteristics, that a god can´t have, like pitty: Apollon had bad luck in love and often felt pitty for himself. In combination with the rest of his character (lover of civilisation and arts), he has learnt what pitty is, and could feel it himself. Hermes was the soul-chaperone (psychopompos), guiding the souls of the dead to the underworld. He´s watched thousands of times the pain and sorrow that a death brings to a family, and has learnt to feel compassion. The rest of the gods, were, unlike us, known for acting without pitty, cause pitty isn´t part of the nature of an immortal being. Otherwise, he´s spot-on with Ikaros. The youth has to make its own mistakes in order to learn, which sounds stupid at first, and a waste-of-life, but it´s exactly this sort of death-defiance that allows for bold progress, which older people totally lack. People misinterpret Ikaros a lot nowadays, saying that it´s about not overstretching your luck, or about not trying to reach things, that are above your class.

[@tarhunta2111]

Just because the Greek Gods showed no pity doesn't mean the Greeks were not religious.They were overly religious.Where are you getting your information from?

[@klausbrinck2137]

@@tarhunta2111 B.S. ... Greeks in the 5th century b.c. would commit hybris/blasphemy with a nonchalance that makes me proud of ancient people, that weren´t barbarians. Today every atheist is afraid to hurt the feelings of some religious person or believer. Back then the cringe about the godly was so in-your-face, and it was great fun. I could begin with real-life-stories, but you can also look of how Aristophanes speaks to the gods in his theatrical parts, it´s very funny. 2 things: The Greeks promised to Artemis a great sacrifice of goats for an eventual victory at Marathon, but then considered, that those were too many goats (in their despair before the battle, they´ve promised her 1 million goats !!!), and so gave Artemis nothing (in the 1st grecopersian war). That was actually highest-degree-blasphemy, but none gave a fuck. Because of a religious thing, the Greeks weren´t allowed to attack one nearby persian camp for the next 2 days (in the 2nd grecopersian war), and a greek double-agent told the Persians, that cause of religious reasons, there is no fear of attack for the next 2 days. That´s when the Persians relaxed. The Greeks went on to slay all the Persians in their sleep in the same night. That was actually highest-degree-blasphemy, but again, fot the cheap seats, none was giving a fuck.

[@chrisimos588]

2:28 The alphabet and the leters are made by the Greeks, not the Phoenicians. Phoenecians had symbols like everyone else. (up down A= alef, means cow or bull, its not a leter its the symbol of a cow).

[@M60T]

that "alef" symbol was one of the letters itself so phonenicians had alphabet too, however that doesnt mean they invented the alphabet, they learned the alphabet from the Egyptians

[@M60T]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYOsiWmgZpWhgLc

[@chrisimos588]

@@M60T The "alef" was not a letter but a symbol that symbolized the COW and is the wrong theorem that has made the universities of the earth say nonsense. My friend, there is a reason that those who do not know Greek, speak barbarically. The leters and the alphabet is given by the Greeks, like it or not. Ιf you do not know Greek language, how to talk about these things? Egyptians? OMG

[@M60T]

@@chrisimos588 its not even that hard to type " who found the alphabet " its true that the word A looked like a cow BUT It DIDNT SYMBOLISE A COW!!! you are the one who is talking nonsense you jackass you call everyone barbaric when someone doesnt agree some bullshit about the Greeks

[@M60T]

@@chrisimos588 i sent you a video about the alphabet and you didnt even watch it

[@Alypiuscel]

the greeks would hate him and he would hate the greeks if he could understand them

[@alexandergr7995]

He does not understand us, you seem to.....

[@nilssonharrison]

Added vowels. True alphabet

[@BF-bb5us]

True alphabet is the most asinine Eurocentric garbage

[@fauconleger7067]

"Greeks invent their gods" No.

[@Nikolaj2702]

I love Stephen Fry and I adore has books about Greek mythology. He is an incredible author and story teller. However, I can't stand seeing this well dressed scholar wearing I bloody apple watch!

[@zip261]

Fry loves the sound of his own voice

[@MythopoeicNavid]

Now I wanna think about superheroes and think and think whether they're all somehow about sex and fertility rather than morality 0_0

[@jacobandrews2663]

Well of course one cannot help but consider Black Widow as both a Chthonic yet Seductive figure akin to Persephone

[@MythopoeicNavid]

@@jacobandrews2663 A kindered myth lover I see :') They presented her as a Kore/Persephone type in Endgame but we'll see how that pans out with BW Incidentally, the Eternals with Sersy and Thena alone serve as interesting archetypes to grapple with.

[@jacobandrews2663]

@@MythopoeicNavid Absolutely! Eternals are such a good series btw

[@MythopoeicNavid]

@@jacobandrews2663 Indeed, despite the reputation of comics constantly bringing in a Renaissance spirit to the classical myths, only few authors ever truly did. William Marston, Jack Kirby, George Perez, Karen Berger, Neil Gaiman, Gail Simone, these authors and editors do. I would love to have extensive discussions about all of them if we only had the time and space :') good day to you.

[@jacobandrews2663]

@@MythopoeicNavid And a Good day to you too!

[@mr.warlight9086]

Me thinks Stephen Fry has Greek ancestry.

[@ollielanders4587]

The Greeks were known as Boy Lovers by the Spartans maybe that has something to do with it. 🤣🤣🤣

[@stevedoggart2805]

C'mon Stephen. You love the Greeks, because quite frankly they were absolutely obsessed with buggering each other silly.

[@Thepourdeuxchanson]

I'm wondering. Is there anywhere or any culture that has been exposed to Stephen Fry that does not admire and like him?

[@alexandergr7995]

Like a polymath? Relax, there are billions of polymaths most are doing another profession, than being eloquent TV presenters, they do not bother to make such videos. There have been such polymaths since the Roman Empire, few spoke Greek , most contributed nothing to Greece....And noone bothers to ask the actual Greeks of Greece.

[@user-xx4im2mr7o]

British copied and paced the majority of Greek civilization items. However their barbaric origin did not let the rest of the world conquered by them benefit from that fact as much as let’s say Alexander’s the Great which was the brightest part of humanity’s recent history.

[@Woah595]

Wow, where's that hatred for the British come from? 😂 Most countries that were under British control benefited greatly from British technology and countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia, USA, South Africa etc are some of the most advanced nations in relation to their neighbours.

[@historygeek7779]

I think stephen fry who is a Semitic person telling indo european stories is cultural appreciation

[@krissygaming5818]

He’s English.... what do you mean Semitic lmfao.

[@stephenwright8824]

@@krissygaming5818 He had Eastern European Jewish grandparents.