Sunday, November 28, 2010 9:54:15 PM
Angilion: Only those that owned land could be considered 'citizens` in ancient Rome. I swear you seem to have a need to be a contrarian.
And I swear you seem to have a need to be wrong.
Land ownership was required for entry to be an eques or a senator (roughly like a knight and higher nobility in later times), but it was not required for citizenship.
Besides, my point about Rome was the assumption of equality between citizens, which was at least as true as it is in the USA today, probably more so. Anyone who claims that everyone in the USA is considered to be created equal is deluded or lying.
My main point, though, was that by your ad hoc redefinition of `democracy`, democracy does not exist and never has.
Sunday, November 28, 2010 6:40:21 PM
Angilion: Only those that owned land could be considered 'citizens` in ancient Rome. I swear you seem to have a need to be a contrarian.
Sunday, November 28, 2010 5:14:10 PM
Also, I clearly mentioned Democracy as we know it as in 'All men are created equal`, And that certainly did NOT ever exist in Greece or Rome.
By that definition, democracy as we know it does not exist anywhere and has never existed anywhere...and ancient republican Rome could still make a fair claim at it as they regarded all Roman citizens as equals. In that respect, they could be considered closer to it than the USA today.
Sunday, November 28, 2010 5:11:21 PM
Eh? It doesn't mean anything as strong as that where I come from, the closest equivalent would be "bimbo".
As I`m English, I thought I`d throw my ha`porth in.
Davymid is right. `bint` is quite mildly insulting. It`s also very uncommon. The only time I`ve heard it used is in Monty Python`s Quest for the Holy Grail.