If you're going to pick a fight with someone over ancient Roman facts, arguing with a historian is probably not the best course of action.
Infowars editor-at-large and right-wing YouTuber Paul Joseph Watson recently tweeted an insinuation that Roman Britain wasn’t ethnically diverse.
A bit of a bizarre claim to make out of the blue, but the reason for his outage stemmed from a five-and-a-half minute BBC educational YouTube video on what life was like in Roman Britain.
Infowars editor-at-large and right-wing YouTuber Paul Joseph Watson recently tweeted an insinuation that Roman Britain wasn’t ethnically diverse.
A bit of a bizarre claim to make out of the blue, but the reason for his outage stemmed from a five-and-a-half minute BBC educational YouTube video on what life was like in Roman Britain.
Thank God the BBC is portraying Roman Britain as ethnically diverse.— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) 25 July 2017
I mean, who cares about historical accuracy, right? pic.twitter.com/SqE83Pmf2h
The video, aimed at supporting teachers, is suitable for seven to 11 year-olds and details what life was like for a typical family during the Roman period.
The cartoon that accompanies the video features everything from gladiator battles, the purpose of Hadrian's Wall and the religious make-up of Roman society.
It also features a series of ethnically diverse characters, which is what appeared to anger the Infowars host, who implied that the BBC didn't care about 'historical accuracy'.
It was following these claims of historical inaccuracy that historian Mike Stuchbery stepped in.
In a series of hugely informative tweets, he described how Roman Britain was ethnically diverse “almost by design”.
He explains that Roman troops were drawn from other parts of the empire, and occupied Britain.
He goes on to explain that there are also accounts of Iraqi & Syrian soldiers on Hadrian's Wall, adding:
The cartoon that accompanies the video features everything from gladiator battles, the purpose of Hadrian's Wall and the religious make-up of Roman society.
It also features a series of ethnically diverse characters, which is what appeared to anger the Infowars host, who implied that the BBC didn't care about 'historical accuracy'.
It was following these claims of historical inaccuracy that historian Mike Stuchbery stepped in.
In a series of hugely informative tweets, he described how Roman Britain was ethnically diverse “almost by design”.
He explains that Roman troops were drawn from other parts of the empire, and occupied Britain.
Roman Britain was ethnically diverse, almost by design. To begin, occupying legions were drawn from other parts of the Empire.— Mike Stuchbery💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) 25 July 2017
The Romans learned a lesson earlier with the Germans. Don't give the locals an 'in' to occupying military forces.— Mike Stuchbery💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) 25 July 2017
Every camp in the province (apart from tiny outposts) would have a 'vicus', a settlement where wives, kids, slaves & tradespeople lived...— Mike Stuchbery💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) 25 July 2017
...many of the inhabitants of the 'vicus' would travel with the legion, especially if they were considered 'elite'.— Mike Stuchbery💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) 25 July 2017
Provincial governors posted to Britannia would take slaves with them (from anywhere in the Empire) & some would have been gifted freedom.— Mike Stuchbery💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) 25 July 2017
And just to hammer the point home, Stuchbery adds:London, as the capital of the province, was especially diverse. People lived, worked & died together from all over.— Mike Stuchbery💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) 25 July 2017
Every year we dig up new remains that suggest that Roman Britain, anywhere larger than a military outpost, was an ethnically diverse place.— Mike Stuchbery💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) 25 July 2017
You can talk proto-fascist edgelord Alt-Right bullshit as much as you want, but you want to talk history, be prepared to be schooled.— Mike Stuchbery💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) 25 July 2017
PS. Get fucked.— Mike Stuchbery💀🍷 (@MikeStuchbery_) 25 July 2017
Now that, is a Twitter thread and a half.
(Source: The Independent)
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