Why are modern Egyptians less impressive than their ancestors?

Question

Why did Greece and Egypt sank into the pits, while Rome continues to be an important and influential capital in the world.

Answer 1

really ..great question..i wonder

Answer 2

Your understanding of these "civilizations" as contiguous with their ancient forebears is flawed.  Rome's current prominence has little to do with its ancient glory.  The city, in fact, was declared uninhabitable by the papacy in the late middle ages.  Nor did Rome flourish under the Vandals.  For nearly a thousand years, places such as Alexandria, Cordoba, Baghdad, the island of Sicily, and Constantinople were vastly superior in infrastructure, technology, and cultural achievement.  One of the first universities in the world was founded in Italy, but in Bologna, not Rome.

Someone will surely tell you that Islam is to blame for Egypt, and even Greece (the Ottoman Turks ruled for several centuries), but such a claim is quite thin.  Cordoba, Sicily, and Alexandria were all great centers of cosmopolitanism and learning for many years of Muslim rule.  The West owes a tremendous debt to the medieval culture of these places, which preserved - among other things - almost all of the Aristotle known to us.

When Greeks came to Italy to escape the Ottoman invasion, they sparked a new wave of learning that was an important element in the Renaissance.  Rome was no more prominent in this cultural revivification than other, politically independent, cities, such as Venice, Florence, and Genoa.

If you want to know why Egypt "sank to the pits," you might look to Nassar's right wing nationalist reforms of the 50's and 60's.  Certainly Alexandria was made less vibrant, but then Nassar did lessen the influence of colonial power in Egypt.

This is a mere scratch of the surface.  Your question assumes  that "Rome continues to be an important and influential capital in the world," but that continuity is very difficult to establish historically.  

-Eric F

Answer 3

The world, including Egypt, is becoming westernized. Not necessarily a plus. Many cultures are beginning to blend with world wide interaction growing rapidly. The ancient eqyptians were rich with culture and ritual and art!

Answer 4

Because they were under Muslim governments?Rome is not,but called well,a Whorehouse since ever(Vatican,Mafias,political corruption,etc).

Casinos thrive,decency doesn't swell.

Depends under which values you measure self importance and influence$$.

Very clever and intelligent people still there,genetics don't fail.In the world we live today p****y will spill all wealth.

Answer 5

All civilizations rise and then decline.  Rome did, too.  Just because the Vatican uses it as their "home base," does not mean that Roman culture is alive and well.

Answer 6

The Romans, French and British kept Egypt in a near constant state of war.  It's pretty hard for civilization to grow under circumstances like that.

Answer 7

Simply put, there is far more competition.  We didn't compare those old civilizations to the billions of people we have now, we compared them to thousands of people who existed then.  As the world population grew, so did the comparative nature of civilizations.

Answer 8

after the event with Moses..the Children of Israel took the wealth of Egypt with them into the desert.  The Egyptians never attained the greatness that they had before the Jewish people left...bad leadership?

Answer 9

I doubt if ancient egyptians are the ancestors of present day Egyptions. Dont confuse the ancient world with present political boundaries.