Article discusses controversies within the field of classics, a field “trying to shed its self-imposed reputation as an elitist subject overwhelmingly taught and studied by white men.”
“Explaining that an almighty, lily-white Roman Empire never existed will not stop white nationalists from pining for its return”
And herein lies the problem. The problem isn’t his view. It’s his politics.
I read this a few days ago and shared it with a friend who teaches the History of Western Music, a field with a similar share of Great White Males. I agree with the opinion expressed that the best way to address exclusions is not deleting everything in the conventional narrative but adding to it, and not in a side bar kind of way but truly integrated. Of course that greatly expands what needs to be covered, so some winnowing of the traditional canon and history will have to be done.
I doubt that white nationalists spend much time studying classical history and philosophy, and thus don’t pine for its return.
According to National Geographic’s world history the human experience, the Roman Empire was bigger than the Han dynasty.