Who has contributed more to civilizatoin, Latins or Germanics?

[Raskolnikov]

Romania vs Nglund.

[Unurautare]

Romania vs Nglund.

Dracula vs James Bond.

[Magister Eckhart]

Western Civilisation is Germanic. The Latins ceased to have influence with the death of their Civilisation in the fourth century AD.

[Comte Arnau]

I'd just like to pose a few questions...

• Was Germanic the language used for any important work on science or thought in Europe for more than 2,000 years?
• Are the official or prevailing religions of the European states "Germanic" or derived from the official one of the Roman Empire: Christianity?
• Is modern western Law more derived from Teutonic rules or Roman law?
• Has western architecture inspired more on Greco-Roman buildings or on Germanic ones through the centuries?
• Is Germanic the alphabet in which we are writing all these letters?

[Peyrol]

I'd just like to pose a few questions...

• Was Germanic the language used for any important work on science or thought in Europe for more than 2,000 years?
• Are the official or prevailing religions of the European states "Germanic" or derived from the official one of the Roman Empire: Christianity?
• Is modern western Law more derived from Teutonic rules or Roman law?
• Has western architecture inspired more on Greco-Roman buildings or on Germanic ones through the centuries?
• Is Germanic the alphabet in which we are writing all these letters?

And also: "why about 60% of modern english words are virtually identicals to the italian counterparts?"

[Stars Down To Earth]

Hmmm...good question. In modern times, Germanics have obviously contributed with more. The British are probably the single most successful "group" in world history. Although the Latins have many contributions of their own. I voted for Germanics, although it's a close contest. It's not an obvious win, like Latins vs. Balts or something.

Western Civilisation is Germanic. The Latins ceased to have influence with the death of their Civilisation in the fourth century AD.

Erm...the Renaissance took place in Italy, it wouldn't have happened without the Italian city-states. Also, France invented the secular republic and has always been a producer of European high culture.

IMO, what we call "Western civilisation" is really a synthesis of the Germanic value system and Greco-Roman law and philosophy.

[Albion]

Was a Germanic the language used for any important work on science or thought in Europe for more than 2,000 years?

No. A "Germanic" language will be important for scientific words for the next ,000 years though.
Latin is still used for internationally naming plants and animals, for example - "Rosa Canina" is very easily identified as the Dog (Canine) Rose in English.

Latin left quite a lot of scientific vocabulary in English especially, much isn't used by most people but other words such as "canine" as highlighted above are used when describing things.
It is said there are three levels in English - Common, everyday speech (mainly Germanic with some French), Academic (largely French with some Latin) and finally Scientific (Greek and Latin).
When people tell you that most Romanic words in English aren't used any more a lot of what they are describing is the scientific layer which isn't largely used by most people.

I personally find the hybrid Germano-Romanic nature of the language fascinating though.

Are the official or prevailing religions of the European states "Germanic" or derived from the official one of the Roman Empire: Christianity?

Arainism would have succeeded if you hadn't of killed it. Germanic paganism influenced it in some areas and the Germanics largely created the protestant denominations too.

Is modern western Law more derived from Teutonic rules or Roman law?

Funny you should ask that, England is one of the few countries in Europe with Germanic law (Common law). Even most Germanic countries follow Roman (Civil) law.
Most other countries which follow Common law are former British colonies.


Red: Common (Germanic) law based on that of England. Blue: Civil (Roman) law. Brown: Hybrid Common and Germanic law.

Has western architecture inspired more on Greco-Roman buildings or on Germanic ones through the centuries?

I'd say Greco-Roman but Germanic building practices had a large input too. Greco-Roman designs effectively killed roundhouses in Britain which dated back to the Bronze Age or even before, so thanks for that...

I'd say building styles made from brick or stone are more of a Roman input and thatch and timber frame I've always associated with Germanics. I know it isn't quite so clear cut, but it is a generalisation.

Is Germanic the alphabet in which we are writing all these letters?

No, the church killed it. But Latin script isn't alone in Europe, there's Cyrillic, Greek, Georgian and Armenian too.
Latin script itself was based on the Greek alphabet which was based on Middle Eastern alphabets which were based on Cuneiform. Then again Runic was itself based on Latin script.

I think I've presented a fair analysis.

And also: "why about 60% of modern english words are virtually identicals to the italian counterparts?"

Yes Tribuno, we all know why. I love it how the English are used as a weapon here.

Hmmm...good question. In modern times, Germanics have obviously contributed with more.

Agreed. It's only since the Middle Ages though, but we have time yet.

The British are probably the single most successful "group" in world history.

I voted for Germanics, although it's a close contest. It's not an obvious win, like Latins vs. Balts or something.

I voted Germanic because I'm biased and can't bring myself to support the Romans yet no matter how much I admired their civilisation.

France invented the secular republic and has always been a producer of European high culture.

France is as Romanic as England is Germanic. Neither fit neatly in a category.

Yeah,with what? Stealing French lands?

We didn't. We were dragged into a French civil war by our Norman French kings. Many Norman monarchs never even visited England let alone lived there. Richard the Lionheart is a good example.
We were seen as the bad guys because a lot of people from England were in the armies and because the Angevin Empire and its successor state in England were portrayed as English invaders by the French state.
Basically England was dragged into a war which had nothing to do with it by its foreign aristocracy.

The Normans in turn were French with minor Viking input - basically the descendants of Romans doing what Romans do best. Maybe they were trying to a new Gallic Empire?

On a side note the Normans actually reintroduced many things that had been lost after the Romans left - cavalry, castles, a Romanic language (England had its own version of French - Anglo-Norman which passed vocabulary onto English), Romanic architecture, vineyards, cider, etc. They even brought back rabbits.

IMO, what we call "Western civilisation" is really a synthesis of the Germanic value system and Greco-Roman law and philosophy.

Agreed.

[Old School G]

Latins

[Peyrol]

Vandalic faida rules

[Apollonaris]

I think this is a pretty fair comparison.

Not really. You can't really compare the contributions of both groups because one of them has obviously done so much more than the other.

I say Germanics.

Latins. Everything else is derivative.