• NickwithaC@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      That and the fact that the whole concept of flags was born out of a desire to mark territory as “mine” and therefore not to be shared with outsiders.

      • HumanPenguin@feddit.uk
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        5 days ago

        Not entirely true. Yes flags have always been used when tribes etc go to war.

        But historically those same tribes often considered the result of winning a war. To include absorbing the population of the other. Tribe. Or the outsiders.

        Many different attitudes towards those outside members have existed with different nations and tribes over time.

        Vikings for example were nothing like the image we see in movies etc. those images were created by a single British priest as open properganda,

        He is documented as having declared them as stealing UK woman by being over clean and inclusive of their wants and desires. (Paraphrased)

        Rome was I little more questionable, but very much encouraged outsiders to join their culture. Not just as slaves. That generally only applied to opposition fighters. And those who refused to see Rome as the authority. But their Class system very much placed Rome born above others. But much like modern western nations. Immigration into Rome for employment as free citizens was very encouraged for those with any usable skills.

        • JohnSmith@feddit.uk
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          5 days ago

          Thanks for an interesting answer. It baffles me that you are being downvoted.

          • DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social
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            5 days ago

            It includes disgusting fucking revisionist lies, that’s why. The Vikings had a prolific chattel slavery economy, current estimates place it at around 30% of the population, which is about the maximum you can get away with before the slave revolts start winning.

            The rights of slaves under it (basically none) are relatively well documented.

            The argument is also a nonsensical nonsequitor that has nothing to do with the aftershocks of tribal conquest and absorbtion.

            Yes, ancient cultures viewed things differently that we do, but the examples chosen are awful.

            What they’re trying to get around to is that ancient conquests were rarely outright genocidal in nature, which is true, but it has very, very little to do with the claim about flags which weren’t even fucking national symbols in the cultures they chose.

            Flags as a national symbol and territorial claim only became truly prominent in the Age of Sail and widespread European colonialism. The Romans and Vikings have fuck all to do with it.