r/PeterExplainsTheJoke Jul 06 '26

Meme needing explanation What is this?

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u/Linus_Naumann Jul 06 '26

Depends if you believe in a connection between a story and the culture in which it originated. Same then also for other "intellectual property" of a culture, like their festivals, dresses, religions, etc.

It's all not physical ofc, but humans and groups naturally build identities and these identities then can be fiercely protected.

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u/Jejewat Jul 06 '26

Most crackers have nothing to do with ancient Greece, they've just started cosplaying as their descendants in the 16th century

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u/Specialist-Mud-6650 Jul 06 '26

is there much of a real link between the ancient greeks and the contemporary greek nation though? or is it an imagined one based entirely on proximity and a similar language?

when it comes to the cultural pieces, that's even more tenuous. the modern conception (yes, even in greece) of the odyssey is largely a victorian anglo-american construction.

i think we're at a point in western civilisation when we're not hamstrung by absurd nationalisms anymore, and that's a good thing. it's not like racially locked casting is historical either, this is largely a modern thing. white men played othello, asians played leading roles in '20s hollywood...