Most Influential Cultures Ever

[Ouistreham]

Rather than conducting childish discussions about which were the most capable cultures and nations in history (anyway Northern and Western Europe are clearly leading, end of discussion :) ), I propose you to draw a listing of the established standards that define advanced civilization.

I do not mean inventions or technological breakthroughs, I mean conventional, arbitrary standards, that could have been otherwise (they tend to become universal but many of them are still not accepted worldwide).

From the top of my head:

. Julian / Gregorian calendar - Italy
. Latin alphabet - Italy
. Positional base-10 system of numeration - Arabs, Indians
. Metric system - France
. 0-100 degrees temperature scale - Celsius, Sweden
. Linnean taxonomy - Carl von Linné, Sweden
. Standard railway gauge (1,435 mm) - UK
. Traffic lights (red = "stop") - UK
. Right-hand traffic - (France? USA?)
. Ternary separation of powers - UK, France
. Definition of political right- and letf-wing - France
. ASCII encoding - USA
. Christmas tree (and related rituals) - Germany
. Polyphonic tonal music - France
. Modern musical notation - Guido of Arezzo, Italy
. Equal temperament and tuning fork pitch (A = 440 Hz) - Germany

Any other ideas?

[Smeagol]

The most influential has probably been ancient Greece.

[Ouistreham]

Ancient Greece has been influential, but there no much left of that influence.

Except that the Greek still dictate the standards for drama and performing arts: tragedy, comedy, epos etc.

[Ouistreham]

Two other important international standards:
• The English language — UK, ovbiously
• Mains electricity 230 V voltage / 50 Hz frequency — Germany, I presume
• E+F power plugs — Germany.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/CEE_7-7.jpg

[Wolf]

First of all, it's rather difficult to assign all these "standards" to a certain country or a certain person because all these contributions had a long development with several people contributing to it.



Latin alphabet - Italy

That's a good example:

The Latin alphabet is derived from the Greek alphabet, which is in fact derived from the Phoenician alphabet. The Phoenician alphabet, however, is probably derived from the Egyptian hieroglyphs.



Any other ideas?


Capitalism
Democracy
Human/Civil rights
Secularism




Ancient Greece has been influential, but there no much left of that influence.

The Ancient Greek influence is still there but mostly indirectly.

[Ianus]

Juridical system: ancient Rome

[Tchek]

I don't agree that Ancient Greece isn't influential anymore.

Ancient Greece is the base of western civilizaton. It's like water to a fish, it's so all around us that we don't notice it.

Plato and Aristotle are the roots of Western philosophy to this day.

[B01AB20]

'classic' style in architecture and perfection in sculpture - ancient greece.

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/54/40/7c/eglise-de-la-madeleine.jpg

http://www.arteespana.com/imagenes/artegrecia-3.jpg

[Aunt Hilda]

. Christmas tree (and related rituals) - Germany

the Christmas tree came out of Riga(Latvia)

[Peikko]

Modern day American culture wins, no questions about it. During antiquity different cultures had limited impact on a global scale. Modern day American culture has spread all over the world.

[morski]

Bodybuilding - Ancient Greece.

http://bobandnellasworld.com/Italy%202009/Naples/NatArchMuseum/r10_0063f.jpg
:swl

[Wolf]

'classic' style in architecture and perfection in sculpture - ancient greece.

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/54/40/7c/eglise-de-la-madeleine.jpg

That's "La Madeleine" in Paris. :rolleyes:



the Christmas tree came out of Riga (Latvia)

... which had a German majority until the late 19th century.

[Aunt Hilda]

... which a German majority until the late 19th century.I know, but it's still not germany.

[Wolf]

I know, but it's still not germany.

Technically speaking, yes.

But take into consideration that Germany as a state didn't exist before 1871. Are all Germans who had lived before that date no real Germans?

[Aunt Hilda]

Technically speaking, yes.

But take into consideration that Germany as a state didn't exist before 1871. Are all Germans who had lived before that date no real Germans?
are are austrians - germans?

[Wolf]

are are austrians - germans?

Yes.

In fact, Austria is the German part of Austria-Hungary.

[Aunt Hilda]

Yes.

In fact, Austria is the German part of Austria-Hungary.
:rolleyes: riiiight.

[Wolf]

:rolleyes: riiiight.

That's the truth.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsch%C3%B6sterreich

[Aunt Hilda]

That's the truth.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsch%C3%B6sterreich
ask any austrian if he thinks he's german.

[Wolf]

ask any austrian if he thinks he's german.

That's actually irrelevant, you can't change your ethnicity as you please.

A question for you: which language do Austrians speak?


BTW, this discussion is totally off-topic.

[RussiaPrussia]

another retarded western/nordic masturbation thread, people really need past achievements to feel better

[Neanderthal]

Phoenicians.

[RussiaPrussia]

Two other important international standards:
• The English language — UK, ovbiously
• Mains electricity 230 V voltage / 50 Hz frequency — Germany, I presume
• E+F power plugs — Germany.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/CEE_7-7.jpg

youre just saying its important international standard without doing any research. The shuko plug is completely missing in the US and japan and china seems to have not decided

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Weltkarte_verwendeter_Netzsteckertypen.svg

hertz german frequency is only europe. Japan, America, China, Russia almost the entire world has different type
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Weltkarte_der_Netzspannungen_und_Netzfrequenzen.sv g

[Queen B]

If we are talking about ''Ever'', then Greek, Latin, Egyptian should be included.

[YeshAtid]

The levant

[Ouistreham]

'classic' style in architecture and perfection in sculpture - ancient greece.

The classical orders (Ionian, Corinthian, Dorian) had still some relevance in Britain's Victorian architecture and in Italian neo-classical style around year 1900 but after World War One that was history.


the Christmas tree came out of Riga (Latvia)
... which had a German majority until the late 19th century.

The Alsatians swear that Xmas trees started in Strasbourg around 1600…

At any rate it originated in the German Kulturraum.


another retarded western/nordic masturbation thread, people really need past achievements to feel better

Maybe I was not specific enough: I mean arbitrary, conventional standards (that could as well have been otherwise) that are dominant in the world of today. Not past achievements.


youre just saying its important international standard without doing any research. The shuko plug is completely missing in the US and japan and china seems to have not decided

As much as the USA are absolutely dominant as for computer software (Microsoft, Apple) and related E-technologies, Europe (especially Germany) is leading as far as electrical equipment is concerned. European standards are clearly on the winning side. Like they've been for mobile communication standards (GSM and derivates).

Two other standards that are just coming to my mind:

• On airliners, passengers doors on the left hand side, refuelling points and service doors on starboard! — (USA certainly)
• Paper sheet sizes, formely known as DIN sizes (DIN-A3, DIN-A4 etc.) — Germany.

And another one:
• The Seven Day Week (Mesopotamia)

[B01AB20]

That's "La Madeleine" in Paris. :rolleyes:


I know, that's why I posted it, as a showing of the scope of 'classic architecture'.

In fact it's hard to find a parliament building or others kind of buildings that is not 'classical' style, at least in the european world.



this's not athens or sparta, I tell you :rolleyes:
http://desenchufados.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/parlamento-aleman.jpg

[Ouistreham]

• Guitar scale length = 653 mm (25.5 inches) - Spain

Most modern electric guitars (e.g. Fenders) still apply that standard.
Except Gibson with their 24.5" string length (which makes their guitars substantially different instruments).

[RussiaPrussia]

The classical orders (Ionian, Corinthian, Dorian) had still some relevance in Britain's Victorian architecture and in Italian neo-classical style around year 1900 but after World War One that was history.



The Alsatians swear that Xmas trees started in Strasbourg around 1600…

At any rate it originated in the German Kulturraum.



Maybe I was not specific enough: I mean arbitrary, conventional standards (that could as well have been otherwise) that are dominant in the world of today. Not past achievements.



As much as the USA are absolutely dominant as for computer software (Microsoft, Apple) and related E-technologies, Europe (especially Germany) is leading as far as electrical equipment is concerned. European standards are clearly on the winning side. Like they've been for mobile communication standards (GSM and derivates).

Two other standards that are just coming to my mind:

• On airliners, passengers doors on the left hand side, refuelling points and service doors on starboard! — (USA certainly)
• Paper sheet sizes, formely known as DIN sizes (DIN-A3, DIN-A4 etc.) — Germany.

And another one:
• The Seven Day Week (Mesopotamia)

whats with gps? Europe has nothing except, Russians have glonass

[B01AB20]

29 february, a leap year every four years, Italy or/and the papacy I guess.

[Stears]

ignorant barbarians.

[Taiga Lake]

Greek, Roman, British, American, Japanese, Jewish, German, French.

[Imam]

Medieval Muslim scholars and Islamic Golden Age.

[blogen]

The western.

[Minesweeper]

Most influential culture in history is undoubtedly contemporary American culture.

[micika]

through history Vinča culture, first letter.


Today it is American


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntYrAQVQZKs

[Imam]

But currently Americans dominated everything. Their music, films, other cultural elements, technology, American English, and many more stuffs...

[katniss]

Ancient Greece.

[Stears]

Count only the scientific Nobel awards/ population ratio.


Hungary:

Chemistry: 5

Physics: 3

Physiology or medicine: 4

GRAND TOTAL: 12

IMMIGRANTS: 0



United Kingdom:

chemistry 28 (5 was immigrant)

Physics 23 (3 immigrant)

Physiology or medicine 34 (6 immigrant)



GRAND TOTAL: 85

ABORIGINAL BRITISH (Without immigrants): 71



GERMANY

CHEMISTRY: 29 (2 IMMIGRANT)

PHYSICS: 31 (6 IMMIGRANT)

Physiology or Medicine: 24 (7 IMMIGRANT)

GRAND TOTAL: 84

IMMIGRANTS: 15

ABORIGINAL GERMAN: 69



France:

PHYSICS: 13 (IMMIGRANT: 2)

CHEMISTRY: 11 (IMMIGRANT : 2)

Physiology or Medicine: 13 (IMMIGRANT: 1)

GRAND TOTAL: 37

IMMIGRANTS: 5




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_Hungary

Hungarian inventions: noiseless match, first flyable rigid (aluminium) airship, first electric motors(1827), first Transformer, electricity meter, cascade connection, paralell connection, first tungsten light bulbs, krypton electric bulbs, Telephone Exchange,cyclotron, nuclear chain reaction and nuclear reactor, first atomic bomb, first H-bomb, Quantum Theory, Game theory Flow- theory, "charge-storage" physical phenomena, a pioneer in developing Electronic Television and camera-tube (1926) and invented the Plasma TV (1936) and Infrared camera (1929).


The "Berg-Schola", the world's first institute of technology, was founded in Selmecbánya, Kingdom of Hungary[1] , in 1735. Its legal successor is the University of Miskolc in Hungary.

BME University is considered the world's oldest institute of technology which has university rank and structure. It was the first institute in Europe to train engineers at university level.[2] The legal predecessor of the university was founded in 1782 by Emperor Joseph II, and was named Latin: Institutum Geometrico-Hydrotechnicum ("Institute of Geometry and Hydrotechnics").


The first steam engine of continental Europe was built in Újbánya in 1722. It served on pumping water from mines.[19][20][21][22]

[Stears]

Olympic Gold medal per nation.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-time_Olympic_Games_medal_table

Hungary: 167 Olimpics Gold Medal for 9.8 M population (RATIO: 17 gold medals for a million people)

USA nly 967 Gold Medals for 319 Million population (RATIO: 3 gold medals for a million people)

Britain: only 236 Gold Medals for 64 Million population (RATIO: 3,68 gold medals for a million people)

France: only 202 Gold Medals for 66 Million population (RATIO: 3 gold medal for a million people)

Russia: only 133 Gold Medals for 144 Million population (RATIO: 0,923 gold medal for a million people)

Italy: Only 198 Golden Medals for 60 Million (RATIO: 3,3 gold medal for a million people)

AND FINALLY GERMANY (good results, but even very far from Hungarian ratio) 547 GErman gold Medals for 80 Million population (RATIO: 6,83 gold medal for a million people)

[Dr. Robotnik the Subbotnik]

ignorant barbarians.

Says the Hun.

[Stears]

Says the Hun.

Can you prove (with the books of academic historians) that Magyar people have any relation with Huns? Of course no. Deal with the worst scientific technological contribution results of your country.

[Arcadefire]

Domestication of Cows :Iran
Trigonometry: India
Gunpowder: China

MODERN democracy : USA

[Dr. Robotnik the Subbotnik]

Can you prove (with the books of academic historians) that Magyar people have any relation with Huns? Of course no. Deal with the worst scientific technological contribution results of your country.

Look at the map in my sig Hungarians get more ancient North Eurasian than surrounding countries, it does not mean they are Huns but, Hungarians definitely are more Mongoloid than their neighbors. Nothing to be ashamed of, I just called you a hun because it is a bit hypocritical to call people barbarians. Barbarians are actually cool. Who wants to be a stupid liberal cuckold liberal or a fierce barbarian that looks after his people? What would you rather be? Think about it.

[Grenzland]

MODERN democracy : USA

Not much left... :lol:

Also the invention of the right/left classification for political ideologies is obsolete now. They changed and mixed too much, even if they were accurate then.

[Stears]

Look at the map in my sig Hungarians get more ancient North Eurasian than surrounding countries, it does not mean they are Huns but, Hungarians definitely are more Mongoloid than their neighbors. Nothing to be ashamed of, I just called you a hun because it is a bit hypocritical to call people barbarians. Barbarians are actually cool. Who wants to be a stupid liberal cuckold liberal or a fierce barbarian that looks after his people? What would you rather be? Think about it.

Hungarians are genetically more european than most slavic speaking people (who contain more Asian mongoloid Y and mt.DNA haplogroup markers), but all Northern Germanic nations (incl. Northern Germany too) have higher ratio of Mongolid haplogroup markers . See the ratio of Central Asian haplogroup „Q” and the other mongoloid haplogroup marker „N” (aka. N1C1) markers in the largest genetic database and CHART of European nations:


http://www.eupedia.com/europe/european_y-dna_haplogroups.shtml

And see the high ratio of middle-eastern haplogroup markers (various „J”) and african negroid (E1b1) in all balkan populations (inc. Romania). De facto, these nations populations genetically are less European than Hungarians.


Map about the genetic distance of European nations
http://spittoon.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/novembreblogpostfig.jpg

The autosomal DNA TEST of European nations (genetic distance between European populations):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_history_of_Europe#Autosomal_genetic_distan ces_.28Fst.29_based_on_SNPs_.282009.29

Do not forget that vast majority of balkan population is not only genetically but anthropogically less white (average darker eye and hair color, skin tone) so-called „WOG” people.

Just type in google image searcher: „eye color map” , „hair color map”.



Skin tone map:
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/Map_of_skin_hue_equi.png



Hair color map
http://uclahealthservices.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/hair_color_map_europe.png

Eye color map:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ilng4Lm9CI0/UKoaYrEoD_I/AAAAAAAAATw/8NebRqUEAOk/s1600/eyecolour.png

[Era]

”) and african negroid (E1b1) in all balkan populations url]

I see you keep repeating this and I thought you were trolling actually. E1B is a caucasoid haplogroup, those in the Balkans who have it are EV13 usually and 100% european.

[Stears]

I see you keep repeating this and I thought you were trolling actually. E1B is a caucasoid haplogroup, those in the Balkans who have it are EV13 usually and 100% european.

E1B1 has negroid origin, it arrived from Somalia East Africa.

http://i42.tinypic.com/2cz7zi1.jpg

[Era]

E1B1 has negroid origin, it arrived from Somalia East Africa.

[IMG]http]

Nope it's caucasoid, it mixed with ssa in Africa later

All haplogroups are found both in Europe and Africa. Look at R1b

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Haplogroup_R1b_(Y-DNA).PNG

http://www.eupedia.com/europe/Haplogroup_R1b_Y-DNA.shtml

[Stears]

Nope it's caucasoid, it mixed with ssa in Africa later

All haplogroups are found both in Europe and Africa. Look at R1b



http://www.eupedia.com/europe/Haplogroup_R1b_Y-DNA.shtml

Wrong, E1B1 is especially negroid specific. J markers are semitic specific marker, that makes balkanite people swarthy .

[Minesweeper]

Count only the scientific Nobel awards/ population ratio.


Hungary:

Chemistry: 5

Physics: 3

Physiology or medicine: 4

GRAND TOTAL: 12


7 Jews, 1 German, 4 Hungarians.

[Breedingvariety]

Haplogroups have little meaning. Their frequency is a matter of chance. They point to one ancestor among hundreds or even thousands of ancestors.

[Era]

Wrong, E1B1 is especially negroid specific. J markers are semitic specific marker, that makes balkanite people swarthy .

This Ev13, it's european!

http://cdn.eupedia.com/images/content/Haplogroup-E-V13.gif

[Balmung]

I don't understand why nobel prize winners are always used for measuring. The nobel prize appeared rather late in history at 1895. Not a proper measurement of a country's worth throughout history. My nation has a lot of prize winners as well, but I don't consider us equal to nations that have been around longer than us.

[Stears]

I don't understand why nobel prize winners are always used for measuring. The nobel prize appeared rather late in history at 1895. Not a proper measurement of a country's worth throughout history. My nation has a lot of prize winners as well, but I don't consider us equal to nations that have been around longer than us.

USa had a lot of Nobel awards and olympic medals in absolute numbers, however when we examine it in closer range, the Nobel award per capita ratio doesn't look so good. And I did not count that nearly half of the American Nobel prize winners were not born and grew up in the USA....

[Stears]

This Ev13, it's european!



Deal with it, they were the original E1B1 carriers:

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/mahadalihassan.jpg

[Era]

Deal with it, they were the original E1B1 carriers:

http://www.debbieschlussel.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/mahadalihassan.jpg

ok then so are R1b, the most euro haplogorup ;)

http://www.abroadintheyard.com/wp-content/uploads/Haplogroup-R1b.jpg

[Minesweeper]

Stears, why are most of Hungarian Nobel prize winners Jews?

[Harkonnen]

Haplogroups have little meaning. Their frequency is a matter of chance. They point to one ancestor among hundreds or even thousands of ancestors.

May be true, but haplogroups are still interesting and definitely have their symbolic importance.

By the way what comes to Hungarian history I think the most important, influencial and definitely most powerful haplo was N1c1

We know that the migration period Magyar warrior graves were N1c1 heavy, so there is good reason to pressume the Arpad Dynasty was N1c1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81rp%C3%A1d_dynasty

Now what is interesting, after the Arpad dynasty Hungary fell under the Jagellonian dynasty

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagiellonian_dynasty

Jagiellonians decending from Gedimids

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gediminids

were themselves also of course N1c1.

When you remember that also Rurikids were N1c1, it is interesting to note that pretty much all Central and Eastern Euro nobility was at a point under firm but fair N1c1 rule.

I think there is a case to be made that N1c1 is the most influential and powerful haplo in European history.

[Cleitus]

Albanian Polyphonic music is older then French polyphonic music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bafqzsmzrog

[Harkonnen]

Albanian Polyphonic music is older then French polyphonic music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bafqzsmzrog

Cute.

[Turkminator]

Vaccination by the Turks.



The Anatolian Ottoman Turks knew about methods of inoculation. This kind of inoculation and other forms of variolation were introduced into England by Lady Montagu, a famous English letter-writer and wife of the English ambassador at Istanbul between 1716 and 1718, who almost died from smallpox as a young adult and was physically scarred from it. Inoculation was adopted both in England and in America nearly half a century before Jenner's famous smallpox vaccine of 1796[27] but the death rate of about 2% from this method meant that it was mainly used during dangerous outbreaks of the disease and remained controversial.[28]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccination

[Stears]

7 Jews, 1 German, 4 Hungarians.

5 Jews and semi jews , all others were Hungarians.

Serbia a balkanic country, where the industrialization started only in the 1930s, so it couldn't provide any important inventors and scientists. Do not came with your Tesla myth, first: because he did not invent the 90% what his fans like to claim to him, second: he did not grew up in Serbian balkan culture, third: because he had no high intellectual capacity (he was not good in math, thus he was unable participate in high physics like nuclear and particle phisics. Debunking the Tesla myth: http://www.edisontechcenter.org/tesladebunked.html

Deal with it , you are just a backward balkan gypsy look country with semi-asian very primitive 0 culture. Were your culture habits lifestyle closer to Asia (as most balkanites) or Europe?

[Minesweeper]

5 Jews and semi jews , all others were Hungarians.

Serbia a balkanic country, where the industrialization started only in the 1930s, so it couldn't provide any important inventors and scientists. Do not came with your Tesla myth, first: because he did not invent the 90% what his fans like to claim to him, second: he did not grew up in Serbian balkan culture, third: because he had no high intellectual capacity (he was not good in math, thus he was unable participate in high physics like nuclear and particle phisics. Debunking the Tesla myth: http://www.edisontechcenter.org/tesladebunked.html

Deal with it , you are just a backward balkan gypsy look country with semi-asian very primitive 0 culture. Were your culture habits lifestyle closer to Asia (as most balkanites) or Europe?

7 Jews, 1 German and 4 Hungarians.

And you look more Gypsy than I do so back off subhuman. :D

[Stears]

7 Jews, 1 German and 4 Hungarians.

And you look more Gypsy than I do so back off subhuman. :D

Your fantasy is endless.

Semi-asian orthodox Serbia had no important contribution in science technology and arts. It had simply no infrastructure (education and industry for researches) for that.

[Nurzat]

Jet propulsion (for aerial flight, a boost in that direction) - Romania (south romanian Henri Coandă)

modern art, sculpture - Romania (south romanian Constantin Brâncuși)

modern writing - ball pen Hungary (László Bíró) and fountain pen Romania (south romanian Petrache Poenari)

aging studies, geriatrics - Romania (Ana Aslan)

[Stears]

Jet propulsion (for aerial flight, a boost in that direction) - Romania (south romanian Henri Coandă)

modern art, sculpture - Romania (south romanian Constantin Brâncuși)

modern writing - ball pen Hungary (László Bíró) and fountain pen Romania (south romanian Petrache Poenari)

aging studies, geriatrics - Romania (Ana Aslan)

Jet propulsion is not romanian invention. Coanda did not invent anything, he tried to realize other people's earlier invention in France, so he was just a pioneer.

[Minesweeper]

Your fantasy is endless.

Semi-asian orthodox Serbia had no important contribution in science technology and arts. It had simply no infrastructure (education and industry for researches) for that.

Who cares for Serbia, why are almost all famous Hungarian Jews?

[Stears]

May be true, but haplogroups are still interesting and definitely have their symbolic importance.

By the way what comes to Hungarian history I think the most important, influencial and definitely most powerful haplo was N1c1

We know that the migration period Magyar warrior graves were N1c1 heavy, so there is good reason to pressume the Arpad Dynasty was N1c1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81rp%C3%A1d_dynasty

Now what is interesting, after the Arpad dynasty Hungary fell under the Jagellonian dynasty

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagiellonian_dynasty

Jagiellonians decending from Gedimids

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gediminids

were themselves also of course N1c1.

When you remember that also Rurikids were N1c1, it is interesting to note that pretty much all Central and Eastern Euro nobility was at a point under firm but fair N1c1 rule.

I think there is a case to be made that N1c1 is the most influential and powerful haplo in European history.

There were no DNA Test for Árpád dynasty members.

[Stears]

Who cares for Serbia, why are almost all famous Hungarian Jews?

Only in your dreams.

Serbia had no high culture, inventors, and great artits. This is not a surprising from a primitive balkan wog country.

[Minesweeper]

Only in your dreams.

Serbia had no high culture, inventors, and great artits. This is not a surprising from a primitive balkan wog country.

And you are representative of that great culture? Everyone on the forum laughs at you. :D

[Stears]

And you are representative of that great culture? Everyone on the forum laughs at you. :D

Read it, eery sentence one by one.


Culturally, both islam and the semi-asian orthodox countries were traditionally west-hater civilizations. Hungary is a Central European country, and part of the Catholic-
Protestant western civilization. Hungary is not Eastern European (Orthodox = semi-asian culture) country.

MAP OF THE WESTERN WORLD:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Clash_of_Civilizations_map.png


What is Western Civilization?
The earliest mention of Western civilization “Occidental civilis”
After the Great Schism (The East-West Schism /formally in 1054/, between Western Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity.) Hungary determined itself as the easternmost bastion of Western civilisation (This statement was affirmed later by Pope Pius II who wrote that to Emperor Friedrich III, “Hungary is the shield of Christianity and the protector of Western civilization”)

It is not a secret in history, that countries civilizations are/were not in the same level of development.
It is well-known that Western and Central Europe, ( the so-called Western civilization) was always more developed than Orthodox Slavic or Eastern European civilization.
The cultural the societal-system and the economical civilizational (and technological) differences between Orthodox countries and Western Christian (Catholic-Protestant) countries were similar great, as the differences between Northern America (USA Canada) and Southern- (Latino) America.


MEMENTO:
Western things which were not existed in orthodox world:


1. POLITICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL development: Medieval appearance of parliaments (a legislative body(!), DO NOT CONFUSE with the “councils of monarchs” which existed since the beginning of human history), the estates of the realm, the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners,


2. SELF GOVERNMENT status of big royal/imperial cities, (local government systems of cities), which are the direct ancestors of modern self/local governmental systems.


3. ECONOMY: The medieval appearance of banking systems and social effects and status of urban bourgeoisie, the absolute dominance of money-economy (when the vast majority of trade based on money and the taxes customs duties were collected in money) from the 12th -13th century, instead of the former primitive bartel-based commerce (barter dominated the economies orthodox world until the 17-18th centuries.)


4. HIGHER EDUCATION: The medieval appearance of universities and the medieval appearance of secular intellectuals,


5. CULTURE: Knights, the knight-culture, chivalric code, (and the technological effects of crusades from the Holy Land,)
Music and literature: courtly love, troubadours, Gregorian chant, Ars nova, Organum, Motet, Madrigal, Canon and Ballata, Liturgical drama, Novellas,
medieval western THEATER: Mystery or cycle plays, morality and passion plays, which developed into the renaissance theater, the direct ancestor of modern theaters.
Philosophy: Scholasticism and humanist philosophy,

6. The medieval usage of Latin alphabet and medieval spread of movable type printing,

7. TECHNOLOGY: The guild system is an association of artisans or merchants, which organized the training education, and directed master's exam system for artisians. Due to the compulsory foreign studies of the artisian master's candidates, the guilds played key role in the fast spread of technologies and industrial knowledge in the medieval Western World.

8. The defence systems & fortifications: The spread of stone/brick castle defense -systems, the town-walls of western cities from the 11th century. (In the orthodox world, only the capital cities had such a walls . The countries of the Balkan region and the territory of Russian states fell under Ottoman/Mongolian rule very rapidly - with a
single decesive open-field battle - due to the lack of the networks of stone/brick castles and fortresses in these countries. The only exception was the greek inhabited Byzantine territories which were well fortified.)

9. FINEARTS and ARCHITECTURE: western architecture, sculpture paintings and fine-arts: the Romanesque style, the Gothic style and the Renaissance style.
The orthodox church buildings and „palaces(?)” were very little, they had primitive structure and poor decorations, their style were influenced by non-European arabic and persian influenced Byzantine ornamentics.


10.The renaissance & humanism , the reformation and the enlightenment did not influenced/affected the Orthodox (Eastern European) countries.
Before 1870, the industrialization that had developed in Western and Central Europe and the United States did not extend in any significant way to the rest of the world. In
Eastern Europe, industrialization lagged far behind, and started only in the 20th century. Their infrastructural and economic development was also very very slow, and many determinant factors of modern civilization - as we called them as civilized way of life - (railways, the electrification of cities, drain & sewer systems, water pipe systems, spread of tap water and bathrooms, telecommuncations etc... spreaded many many decades (60-80 years) later. It is no wonder that their contribution in science technology and innovations are completely negligible in Human history by the WESTERN standards.

[Minesweeper]

Read it, eery sentence one by one.


Culturally, both islam and the semi-asian orthodox countries were traditionally west-hater civilizations. Hungary is a Central European country, and part of the Catholic-
Protestant western civilization. Hungary is not Eastern European (Orthodox = semi-asian culture) country.

MAP OF THE WESTERN WORLD:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Clash_of_Civilizations_map.png


What is Western Civilization?
The earliest mention of Western civilization “Occidental civilis”
After the Great Schism (The East-West Schism /formally in 1054/, between Western Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity.) Hungary determined itself as the easternmost bastion of Western civilisation (This statement was affirmed later by Pope Pius II who wrote that to Emperor Friedrich III, “Hungary is the shield of Christianity and the protector of Western civilization”)

It is not a secret in history, that countries civilizations are/were not in the same level of development.
It is well-known that Western and Central Europe, ( the so-called Western civilization) was always more developed than Orthodox Slavic or Eastern European civilization.
The cultural the societal-system and the economical civilizational (and technological) differences between Orthodox countries and Western Christian (Catholic-Protestant) countries were similar great, as the differences between Northern America (USA Canada) and Southern- (Latino) America.


MEMENTO:
Western things which were not existed in orthodox world:


1. POLITICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL development: Medieval appearance of parliaments (a legislative body(!), DO NOT CONFUSE with the “councils of monarchs” which existed since the beginning of human history), the estates of the realm, the clergy, the nobility, and the commoners,


2. SELF GOVERNMENT status of big royal/imperial cities, (local government systems of cities), which are the direct ancestors of modern self/local governmental systems.


3. ECONOMY: The medieval appearance of banking systems and social effects and status of urban bourgeoisie, the absolute dominance of money-economy (when the vast majority of trade based on money and the taxes customs duties were collected in money) from the 12th -13th century, instead of the former primitive bartel-based commerce (barter dominated the economies orthodox world until the 17-18th centuries.)


4. HIGHER EDUCATION: The medieval appearance of universities and the medieval appearance of secular intellectuals,


5. CULTURE: Knights, the knight-culture, chivalric code, (and the technological effects of crusades from the Holy Land,)
Music and literature: courtly love, troubadours, Gregorian chant, Ars nova, Organum, Motet, Madrigal, Canon and Ballata, Liturgical drama, Novellas,
medieval western THEATER: Mystery or cycle plays, morality and passion plays, which developed into the renaissance theater, the direct ancestor of modern theaters.
Philosophy: Scholasticism and humanist philosophy,

6. The medieval usage of Latin alphabet and medieval spread of movable type printing,

7. TECHNOLOGY: The guild system is an association of artisans or merchants, which organized the training education, and directed master's exam system for artisians. Due to the compulsory foreign studies of the artisian master's candidates, the guilds played key role in the fast spread of technologies and industrial knowledge in the medieval Western World.

8. The defence systems & fortifications: The spread of stone/brick castle defense -systems, the town-walls of western cities from the 11th century. (In the orthodox world, only the capital cities had such a walls . The countries of the Balkan region and the territory of Russian states fell under Ottoman/Mongolian rule very rapidly - with a
single decesive open-field battle - due to the lack of the networks of stone/brick castles and fortresses in these countries. The only exception was the greek inhabited Byzantine territories which were well fortified.)

9. FINEARTS and ARCHITECTURE: western architecture, sculpture paintings and fine-arts: the Romanesque style, the Gothic style and the Renaissance style.
The orthodox church buildings and „palaces(?)” were very little, they had primitive structure and poor decorations, their style were influenced by non-European arabic and persian influenced Byzantine ornamentics.


10.The renaissance & humanism , the reformation and the enlightenment did not influenced/affected the Orthodox (Eastern European) countries.
Before 1870, the industrialization that had developed in Western and Central Europe and the United States did not extend in any significant way to the rest of the world. In
Eastern Europe, industrialization lagged far behind, and started only in the 20th century. Their infrastructural and economic development was also very very slow, and many determinant factors of modern civilization - as we called them as civilized way of life - (railways, the electrification of cities, drain & sewer systems, water pipe systems, spread of tap water and bathrooms, telecommuncations etc... spreaded many many decades (60-80 years) later. It is no wonder that their contribution in science technology and innovations are completely negligible in Human history by the WESTERN standards.

Almost all of those characteristic of medieval ''Wetern civilization'' were present here, what's your point?

[Borna]

Greeks and Romans, others can place themselves behind as they please.

[Arjana]

1. Ancient Romans

2. Persians

3. Americans.

4. British

5. Byzantines ( Eastern Roman Empire)

It depends with what you mean '' influential'' culture, because being influential does not mean being innovative in science, literature and arts. It means expanding what you have.

[Balmung]

Don't need a thread to state the obvious.

Euro:
Greece
Italy
France
Britain
Spain


Asia:
Levant
China
India
Japan has also been influential I guess but in a similar way to the US it's mostly pop cultural.

Germany gets a nod for their great contributions but at the same time I don't feel German culture has impacted the world as much as the above. Their impact was felt in technology more. Technology and culture aren't really synonymous. Here in the US one of the few things we can trace culturally back to Germany would be the Christmas tree.

I disagree with Greek influence being absent now. From elementary all the way to college Greece and Rome's importance are emphasized more than any other. The fact that we still use their languages heavily in several sciences when establishing names is proof. We don't have a large Greek-American population here, but people know more about Greek mythology and it's stories than they do either Norse, Celtic, Slavic etc. Heavy influence from their mythology can be seen in literature from the US all the way to Japan.

[renaissance12]

Rather than conducting childish discussions about which were the most capable cultures and nations in history (anyway Northern and Western Europe are clearly leading, end of discussion :) ), I propose you to draw a listing of the established standards that define advanced civilization.

I do not mean inventions or technological breakthroughs, I mean conventional, arbitrary standards, that could have been otherwise (they tend to become universal but many of them are still not accepted worldwide).

From the top of my head:

. Julian / Gregorian calendar - Italy
. Latin alphabet - Italy
. Positional base-10 system of numeration - Arabs, Indians
. Metric system - France
. 0-100 degrees temperature scale - Celsius, Sweden
. Linnean taxonomy - Carl von Linné, Sweden
. Standard railway gauge (1,435 mm) - UK
. Traffic lights (red = "stop") - UK
. Right-hand traffic - (France? USA?)
. Ternary separation of powers - UK, France
. Definition of political right- and letf-wing - France
. ASCII encoding - USA
. Christmas tree (and related rituals) - Germany
. Polyphonic tonal music - France
. Modern musical notation - Guido of Arezzo, Italy
. Equal temperament and tuning fork pitch (A = 440 Hz) - Germany

Any other ideas?

Roman Law ( Italy )