I know, it’s not the latest movie but for me it is since I couldn’t manage to see it before. I bought the DVD almost 1 year ago but no time to see it since my movie collection at home is really big. And by the way this is an informational blog not a news blog so I am excused. Like many of you who saw the movie I started to put myself questions about the real story. And I found many, many more than interesting historical things to share. In case you don’t know already let’s see what is all about. I really start to think history is cool, not boring at all. I hope you enjoyed the history of condiments I shared with you a while ago. If not visit the detailed archive when you have the time. In this article it’s about some more heavy action type of history.
Who were the amazing 300 ? The most well-known hoplites of the Greek Empire, who were trained from childhood in combat and warfare to become an exceptionally disciplined and superior fighting force. So the movie subject is true. The “Hoplite” term goes back in the Ancient Greek history. First this was related to a more simple type of army related to normal citizens who were train with easy methods to become in a very short time soldiers. But of course this never meant they were also good, just manageable. Almost all the famous men of Ancient Greece, including philosophers and playwrights, fought as hoplites. In time the methods become more and more developed and than Spartans were really specials since they started early in life to breath like warriors. Their method was the most efficient and amazing through all Greece. So the exceptional performance of their skills in the movie it’s not so far from the truth.
Let’s dig more !
All this army culture started when the Spartans could really afford to focus just on the art of war. They managed that by conquering the nearby lands and ussing the people called Helots like farmers on their lands, so they could sustain whole Sparta with food. The helots were used as unskilled serfs, tilling Spartan land. Helot women were often used as wet nurses. Helots also travelled with the Spartan army as non-combatant serfs. This happened in the 8th-7th centuries BC. So Sparta became millitarized.
Like in the movie the hard training started from the age of seven for every spartan boy. Their biggest power was fueled by their unfearness of death. Their big threat was just humiliation from a potential victory of the enemy. In the movie the wife of Leonidas tells him before he went to war “ to return with his shield or upon it”. This quite I admired but didn’t understand it. Now I do, because seems like this was their saying every time they went to war. Because throwing away a soldier's aspis was not acceptable.
“The Spartans did, unusually, have a standard-issue equipment, including a shield called the aspis, featuring the Greek letter lambda (Λ), in reference to their homeland Lacedaemonia and the bronzed cuirass that was bestowed upon all of the Spartans with their helmet. Every Spartan wore a scarlet robe to represent them as Spartans, though the cape was never worn in combat. The Helots would usually accompany the Spartans in battles and provide ranged support, for the Spartans thought of archery as a job unfit for a true warrior. The Helots also set camps and performed labour for the Spartans whilst on campaign.”
The big battle from the movie in reality is called Battle of Thermopylae. Here indeed the legendary 300 were present but along with Thespian, Theban troops and a lot of Helots.
Interesting but also not so flatering thing about Spartans was how they treated the helots, so a bit different like we would think from the movie. Ok they were trained indeed to be perfect warriors and this made them less sensitive to others, but still. Anyway history shows that defending freedom and fighting against slavery like in the movie it’s not exactly true. They treated the poor helots like their slaves and did everything to remind them their status. Let’s see how:
"According to Myron of Priene[39] of the middle 3rd century BC,
"They assign to the Helots every shameful task leading to disgrace. For they ordained that each one of them must wear a dogskin cap (κυνῆ / kunễ) and wrap himself in skins (διφθέρα / diphthéra) and receive a stipulated number of beatings every year regardless of any wrongdoing, so that they would never forget they were slaves. Moreover, if any exceeded the vigour proper to a slave's condition, they made death the penalty; and they allotted a punishment to those controlling them if they failed to rebuke those who were growing fat".[40]
Plutarch also states that Spartans treated the Helots "harshly and cruelly": they compelled them to drink pure wine (which was considered dangerous - wine usually being cut with water) "…and to lead them in that condition into their public halls, that the children might see what a sight a drunken man is; they made them to dance low dances, and sing ridiculous songs…" during syssitia (obligatory banquets)[41]
Helots did not have voting rights, although compared to non-Greek chattel slaves in other parts of Greece they were relatively privileged. The Spartan poet Tyrtaios refers to Helots being allowed to marry.[42] They also seem to have been allowed to practice religious rites and, according to Thucydides, own a limited amount of personal property.[43]
Relations between the helots and their Spartan masters were hostile. Thucydides remarked that "Spartan policy is always mainly governed by the necessity of taking precautions against the helots."[44][45]
Each year when the Ephors took office they routinely declared war on the helots, thereby allowing Spartans to kill them without the risk of ritual pollution.[46] This seems to have been done by kryptes (sing. κρύπτης), graduates of the Agoge who took part in the mysterious institution known as the Krypteia.[47]
Around 424 BC, the Spartans murdered two thousand helots in a carefully staged event. Thucydides states:
"The helots were invited by a proclamation to pick out those of their number who claimed to have most distinguished themselves against the enemy, in order that they might receive their freedom; the object being to test them, as it was thought that the first to claim their freedom would be the most high spirited and the most apt to rebel. As many as two thousand were selected accordingly, who crowned themselves and went round the temples, rejoicing in their new freedom. The Spartans, however, soon afterwards did away with them, and no one ever knew how each of them perished."[48][49]" Wikipedia
Another interesting moment which catched my eye was the start of the movie when every child was tested if it’s really healthy and looking in order. In reality I found that was true. First test was made after birth by the mother who bathed the child in wine to see if survives. If this test was a succes and baby still alive than was brought before the Gerousia by his father. Here another checking was made to see if the child is fitt enough and good looking. If the child looked weird, was deformed or skinny he was thrown into a chasm in a place called “the place of rejection”. So Spartans really made a harsh selection to maintain their “fitt” reputation. They were a Military City-State in Greece and many of the greek laws were aplied, but we could say Spartans took everything literally and in the harsh sence. This kind of treatments were everywhere in Greek empire even in Athen but not so obviously like in Sparta. About boy’s right of passage the movie version with the wolf is not true. Indeed they had a test but another one, murder. And here again enter in the scene the already known helots, yes a boy needed to kill one without being caught, if he was than he couldn’t escape from punishement, but if he wasn’t caught than was considered initiated in the art of evasion.
Then when the child grow had to pass some other steps to can be called a citizen. Just the agoge were eligible, or translated those who finished their typical Spartan education process, no exceptions but 2. Foreign students invited to study in Sparta called Trophimoi and the Syntropoi, those helots who were adopted legitimally by their masters and payed their scholarhip. So life was not so easy to many.
Even in death you needed to have some special status to have headtsones - just the glorious soldiers and in case of women those who served for a divine cause or died in childbirth. This characteristics for me are indicators that very few had this headstones compared to the whole spartan nation.
If you think the hard things are over oh you are really wrong.
What do you think was the custom for the wedding night ?
“The custom was to capture women for marriage(...)The so-called 'bridesmaid' took charge of the captured girl. She first shaved her head to the scalp, then dressed her in a man's cloak and sandals, and laid her down alone on a mattress in the dark. The bridegroom—who was not drunk and thus not impotent, but was sober as always—first had dinner in the messes, then would slip in, undo her belt, lift her and carry her to the bed.[72] The husband continued to visit his wife in secret for some time after the marriage.”Nice.
Also the movie shows sort of sexual eguality – was this true ? Pretty much. This was pretty known about Spartans, that compared to other greek societes here women enjoyed a fair status. They could enjoye the power of property sameway if it was their own or their husband who were away with the army; had the same rights when came about divorcing; they could wear any kind of dresses and many times short ones without problems; were free to have children of other men for good of the city; could interfere in historical decission and we have a good example of that like in the movie. The wife of Leonidas who was in reality Queen Gorgo - heiress to the throne after his dead. She is unique for being the daughter of a king of Sparta, the wife of another king of Sparta, and the mother of a third king of Sparta. Her birth date is uncertain, but is almost certain to have been between 510 and 506 BC, based on Herodotus dating (Histories, 5:51). According to Plutarch, before the Battle of Thermopylae, knowing that her husband's death in battle was inevitable, she asked him what to do. Leonidas replied "marry a good man who will treat you well, bear him children, and live a good life."
Plutarch's Moralia contains a collection of "Sayings of Spartan Women", including a laconic quip attributed to Gorgo: when asked by a woman from Attica why Spartan women were the only women in the world who could rule men, she replied "Because we are the only women who are mothers of men".
So Sparta was a very proud nation.
Girls as well as boys exercised nude, and young women as well as young men may have participated in the Gymnopaedia ("Festival of Nude Youths").
And at last let’s see more historical facts about the big battle. The battle really deserves his historical place and indeed was led against Persian Empire of Xerxes I of Persia alias Xerxes The Great. We find that many things from the battle are true. By the way, the battle took place in 480 B.C. We find the outnumbered spartans, the well known 300 + 1000 other Greeks. For 7 days Leonidas and his army resisted until the Persians broke Leonidas phalanx. The traitor story behind is also true, the real name of that grotesc character was Ephialtes and he really showed the secret pass around the mountains which led Persians to victory. We know from the movie that spartans were prepared to come and win against Persians. In reality the Persians succeded to capture Athens because of that delay and all the Athenians and Spartans were driven to their last line of defense in the Saronic Gold and Isthmus of Corinth. After this events many stories started about what really happened but we will rely on Herodotus. Seems like Xerxes distroyed Athens by setting it on fire which made the whole greek nation very furious since Athens was one of the most important centre of trade and commerce at that time. Even Xerxes found his own idea stupid and next day he ordered to rebuild Athens. After that persians tried to kept their victory but in the final they retreated when all their suplies were distroyed. Their withdrawal roused the Greek city-states of Asia.
About their uniform, I will quote Frank Miller himself who was questioned if was real that spartans were fighting without body armor: "I took those chest plates and leather skirts off of them for a reason. I wanted these guys to move and I wanted 'em to look good. ... Spartans, in full regalia, were almost indistinguishable except at a very close angle."
Like we see now Spartans can provide a big variety of good subjects to any clever film producer. But now we are even double winners since we know the history version too.
Cheers
Top 10 genius strategies
There are many ways to develop our thinking strategies and you know what, it’s accessible to anyone, you just need to train yourself same way like with everything else. If you would use just a very small part of your time compared to how much you spend into your office, shopping, driving your car you would be more in front. Dedicate more quality time for yourself to grow your inner potentials. And use any relatively empty moments. Use the shower for example, it’s a good place for creative thinking (just don’t waste too much water).But let’s see top 10 strategies adopted by geniuses of the history. What did they do different, what was their way to do it ? If any of the followings fits your style than give it a try and see what happens. But before you start make a special commitment with yourself to keep a determined time for the same strategy , and don’t just give up in a couple of days. The real deal don’t just appear over night and if you think that you have some unhealthy illusions which can stress you really hard. Always reasonable target limits are the best to not push ourselves too hard. So set up your reasonable limit and push it up a little – that’s it. Keeping a journal, or even a blog this days with your daily experiences and improvements would be a good option. And not just to keep your track for now but also for the future. How many times you found yourself reading something you wrote in the past and you were amazed about how many things happened since, or you just didn’t recognize yourself in there. But listen, this was part of you back then , same real and important like what you think is now. Analyzing our past and realizing where are we now it’s part of the process of self discovery. This is maybe the most important thing we forgot in this rushing era where we don’t live anymore our lives but others. How to achieve great goals and be happy if you don’t even know who you are anymore because you’ve forgotten yourself somewhere on the way. Maybe what you think you want it’s not even yours, maybe it’s just a copy of someone else something borrowed from the society you are living in.
Now back to our subject.
1. Visualization
Einstein used this powerful method of visualization. He had a very creative thinking in opposite with what you could think about a mathematician. But for him numbers and words were not so important. The final solutions were important. So he visualized what he wanted to achieve from many different perspectives which created the right surrounding for solutions to come. It’s like an attraction of what you are really focused on. So he formulated and reformulated the issue as many ways he could imagine. He just let his mind fly and think about amazing things without restrictions. Following his imagination like a through believer that anything can happen he really succeeded. He analised all the possibilities from many perspective views, putting himself many questions as he could about the issue, simple questions, complex questions, completely crazy questions. It’s like you imagine yourself in a room with many different people and all of you have 1 subject to ask about, but you will put this time not just your own questions but the questions the other would put. It’s an amazing process, you can’t imagine what kind of revelations can just come to you and what discovery you will find. Give yourself credit and start doing it now. Don’t question yourself about what can’t you do – just start.
We all have much more knowledge inside then our conscious level let’s us know. But exercises help to dig and find our deep located resources. Allow things to come and find you.
“Einstein's classic thought experiment that helped him develop the Theory of Relativity was when he imagined what it would be like to ride on a beam of light. This was something that he could never do in reality but by imagining it his creative thinking was stimulated to the insights and understandings of how light and time functioned. From those imaginings came his world-famous theories in quantum physics.” Source
Notice !!! You will se in the followings that all the 10 strategies have something in common which shows you things are not so difficult if you start to give them more time. There are just some very slightly differences which makes them unique. But sometimes just a very small thing determines the success of some and the failure of others. So it’s good they are not so different will make things easier for you and everyone else.
2. Ask for second opinion
Same method to see through others eyes used Leonardo Da Vinci. He considered that our first opinions about something are more likely subjective and won’t provide the best solutions in many cases. That’s why he thought through others perspectives to find something new what no one did before. Seeing new viewpoints this is the main issue, and entering in a different characters mind is not that hard, it’s like acting – for a good performance you need to think like that character. So just do it.
3. Produce something
Thomas Edison had 1093 patents, imagine this kind of productivity – totally crazy. But he didn’t work alone, he shared his interests and successes with his assistants. And like him other inventors and scientists did the same but what is not to known that they produce almost the same amount of failures. So what is the point of it ? To not be afraid of failure, this happens and most of the successful people during history and independently of which area ( science, business, whatever) they have their own bad episodes with failure, bankruptcies unsuccessful ideas and more. Mozart, Einstein, Bach, Shakespeare they all were prolific producers. For the best results need to reach the worst too in many cases. Being afraid of failure is one of the most obstructing power in our achievements. You just can’t commit yourself fully to have any success what so ever if you have the failure in front of your nose. Maybe you put so much in visualization, hearing, feeling in how your future failure could look like that your all energy goes exactly to the opposite direction. You even attract failure to yourself, so how cool for you. This phrase gives a good space for the 4th way.
4. Prepare yourself for successful “accidents” (opportunities, chance)
Turn your bad habits of thinking in opportunities. If you failed or something came out not like you expected reframe the whole image or feeling you have about it. Do you think this was a failure ? That you are not good enough maybe ? Again you use your energy for unproductive things. So what can you do ? Think the opposite. Be amazed and ask yourself: “so this came up from what I intended ?”; “Hmmm, let’s see why this happened ?; What did I do to achieve this result ?; So what could happen if I change this particular step in this process ?. Do it again in a new formula. Because in fact you created something but not what you intended, so it’s not bad at all. Many inventions resulted from accidents, doing something different than usual. Prepare yourself for “successful” accidents ! Penicillin was created this way.
5. Think in metaphors
Metaphors act like triggers inside our brain, they trigger solutions for unusual things. This because metaphors include the surprise factor, they are something you always need to think about in a different way and this is something awsome for our brain. Some people do it because it’s fun, some because express their way of being, some do it in purpose - because they know what they can gain doing it.
Aristotel considered metaphors being a sign of a genius because according to him anyone who could put together 2 different perspectives which share a subtle connection is a genius.
With metaphors you can even catch the liars, because surprising someone when it’s not prepared, like in the middle of a conversation about something completely different - you can trigger the reaction of confusion and this confusion can destroy the guard prepared by the liar.
6. Create connections between totally different things
Become a matcher, take 2-3 or more things and just put them together, try to find connection even between impossible things, eventually you will find something and you will laugh. This method trains your spirit and allows totally new perspectives and solutions to come. Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Samuel Morse all used this.
7. Think in opposition
Niels Bohr, the physicist, use this method. He believed if you cancel logic the really amazing things appear. He selected for this 2 completely different things attached them in his mind and just “killed” the logic. Doing this he saw beyond. The method is paradoxically is a logical one because suspending an obvious answer which includes your way of thinking you let place for new things, new interpretations otherwise you already have your mind set on an obvious answer for you and this stops any further digging. Isn’t this logical to you ? For me it is.
Picasso stated: “Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction".
8. Create your fantasy movie
Related to the rest but in a more entertaining way. Sit back and start your creations. Close your eyes if it’s easier and start your scenario. Create your future this way: imagine like a movie the whole process until your reach your goal, be observer and don’t stop the flow – run the whole movie from start to end. First time start easy scenarios. When your mind starts to become less and less limited the scenarios will become more complex, the goal higher and the flow easier.
This is what Nicola Tesla did. He saw everything so clearly even in numbers that his experiments actually were already done and tried in his “movies”. So when he noted all the facts and numbers and applied them many of his experiments worked without any future changing. This is truly amazing, but is what we have inside if developed well.
9. Practice what you’ve learn
To maintain what you’ve gained need to implement that something. Same as with school, same with career, without practice you will simply forget . Have you heard that phrase: accept success into your life ? That’s because it was found that most people are not prepared in front of the success or they don’t really believe they can or deserve any.
10. Be patient
We don’t know the perfect recipe for success, because it’s unique to everyone. Same technique used by x people will give x solutions (not in mathematics but in life). How many people were recognized for their merits just until late in their lives, or even after death. Ok, this is not a perspective I want to promote and what could be tempting for you, but you need to take in consideration the time issue. Success is a combination of many factors like chance, opportunity (meeting the right people in the right moment), determination, clear goal, moods after weather, signs and other stuff which works for us. If I would talk from astrology perspective some of us are more inclined to reach success just late in their life when some on the contrary. But we all have the potential to reach our own success and even accelerate the process. We all have a piece of the big pie, all. But you can just miss it, or realize it later or whatever. It is a lot about being open and observing everything around you. Like many things in life, you could meet your future wife or husband in the subway, but just if it’s the right day when you are opened and reachable for him/her. We have millions of small signs and opportunities around us (I will write a special article about that) but the difference between us is just if we can see them. And what you get it’s what you attract.
Ok about the time issue I don’t tell you to wait until you die or you are old, but take the time perspective as an option, like don’t expect your success tomorrow after you just discovered you can have it all. Can this happen tomorrow ? Yes. But it’s more likely not to happen the next day ? Yes. Having too unrealistic expectances according to our inner believes it’s a contradiction and brings deception. And also take care of deceptions because it’s a ruining power, that’s why I advice you to put realistic goals for you for the first steps, keep in mind you can do it all but allow yourself first to explore inside possibilities you believe in and learn to believe in more every day. If the result doesn’t come when expected just don’t give up, keep a broad time spectrum to can live relaxed, forcing things are just not natural.
I would love to develop all this strategies together with you. So give me your feedbacks and let’s discuss about them.
Social Media Survey
I’ve just collected the new on "The Blog Herald" and promised to share it with you. Mike Stelzner, recognized author, speaker and bloger is running a Social Media Marketing Industry Survey. In my opinion this can be usefull for all of us who runs a blog, business or both. And it’s a fair deal - you take part in this survey and you get the results. I am curios to see what is the general tendency, are you ?
Take the survey here. .
Take the survey here. .
A world without water
This could be the most sensitive issue of our time. It’s one of those subjects which will never be too old. We are not very conscious about it, especially who lives in well-drained cities around the world, but the fact is - water is not a never ending treasure. Like many of the treasures, they tend to disappear over time.
I don’t want to talk apocalyptically here, but we should be aware and appreciate what still nature and our earth provides us. We managed very well to destroy our planet and take anything for granted like a superior amazing creatures we think we are. We thought everything is ours because we are the most evolved species on earth. We could start to think about how water was wasted for many unjustifiable purposes, how the water supply and especially the drinking water was contaminated in the last 2-3 decades, because you should know that the big water problems started than. Yes drinking water in our time is just around 2 % (a debated per cent - some says 1, some 3). If the quality of water which returns in the earth is highly contaminated and big quantities of water just disappears taking the climate changes (which we created also) than how we can expect a never ending water supply for our future and the future of our kids ? This is not a prediction but a logical presumption. Environment is not what it used to be. Especially that in the same rhythm the globe population is growing constantly. There are wars and deadly diseases which take place like a higher something wanting to equilibrate the balance, but still we are more and more every day.
We are a resistant and well accommodated species but we just can’t live without water; without food we could make it for 3 weeks but without water just a couple of days (approximately 3, maximum 7). Our body contains mainly water: a baby between 75-80 % and a grown up around 65 % (men>women). Our brain is the biggest water consumer, since contains 85 % water – which indicated why without water our thinking is the first affected. Anyone who experienced a water interruption in their homes for a couple of hours or even days knows how this can affect the quality of our lives even just for a very short time, and if the water supply company keep the water away more than usual than we start to become really angry and disoriented about how to solve our normally “luxury” needs. This is really a disturbing experience. Who never tried this should go somewhere where is not water and feel how it is on their own skin (at least for 1 day). Reading, watching, listening about this is not enough you need to feel it on your own skin.
I’ve searched for a relevant video for you to show and also long enough to have time to think more about it. I think the following one reflects how life could be without water. Yes poverty and some regions on the glob could be much more disadvantaged when comes to water and you could think why they don’t just move or do something about it. I would ask “if you won’t have anywhere to move anymore ?”, “when water will become so expensive that just some of us could afford it ?” It is a real probability. When ? This depends on us, on how we can manage our assets, but for sure it’s time to start take measures. Not just the government or the responsible ones, but all of us. Decide yourself how you can make your contribution. Because we are responsible of what is really happening and what will happen, no one else is. Not our planet, not the animals, not the climate – we transformed everything to fit our commodities so we should fix it before it’s too late.
Just watch and reflect:
Want more water facts ? Go here…
I don’t want to talk apocalyptically here, but we should be aware and appreciate what still nature and our earth provides us. We managed very well to destroy our planet and take anything for granted like a superior amazing creatures we think we are. We thought everything is ours because we are the most evolved species on earth. We could start to think about how water was wasted for many unjustifiable purposes, how the water supply and especially the drinking water was contaminated in the last 2-3 decades, because you should know that the big water problems started than. Yes drinking water in our time is just around 2 % (a debated per cent - some says 1, some 3). If the quality of water which returns in the earth is highly contaminated and big quantities of water just disappears taking the climate changes (which we created also) than how we can expect a never ending water supply for our future and the future of our kids ? This is not a prediction but a logical presumption. Environment is not what it used to be. Especially that in the same rhythm the globe population is growing constantly. There are wars and deadly diseases which take place like a higher something wanting to equilibrate the balance, but still we are more and more every day.
We are a resistant and well accommodated species but we just can’t live without water; without food we could make it for 3 weeks but without water just a couple of days (approximately 3, maximum 7). Our body contains mainly water: a baby between 75-80 % and a grown up around 65 % (men>women). Our brain is the biggest water consumer, since contains 85 % water – which indicated why without water our thinking is the first affected. Anyone who experienced a water interruption in their homes for a couple of hours or even days knows how this can affect the quality of our lives even just for a very short time, and if the water supply company keep the water away more than usual than we start to become really angry and disoriented about how to solve our normally “luxury” needs. This is really a disturbing experience. Who never tried this should go somewhere where is not water and feel how it is on their own skin (at least for 1 day). Reading, watching, listening about this is not enough you need to feel it on your own skin.
I’ve searched for a relevant video for you to show and also long enough to have time to think more about it. I think the following one reflects how life could be without water. Yes poverty and some regions on the glob could be much more disadvantaged when comes to water and you could think why they don’t just move or do something about it. I would ask “if you won’t have anywhere to move anymore ?”, “when water will become so expensive that just some of us could afford it ?” It is a real probability. When ? This depends on us, on how we can manage our assets, but for sure it’s time to start take measures. Not just the government or the responsible ones, but all of us. Decide yourself how you can make your contribution. Because we are responsible of what is really happening and what will happen, no one else is. Not our planet, not the animals, not the climate – we transformed everything to fit our commodities so we should fix it before it’s too late.
Just watch and reflect:
Want more water facts ? Go here…
History of Condiments II
Back to finish our cool condiment history series. I’ve promised to talk about Portugal and Hungarian chili and I will keep my word. By the way if you missed the first part you can find it here .In the Middle Ages condiments became so notorious and powerful that counterfeit started. If we think about counterfeiting like something representative for our era than we should think again. So merchandisers started to cheat with imitated condiments because of their huge profit potential and also because of a fast growing marketplace. And it’s not that this was ignored by authorities, on the contrary – but who saw first the money and not the consequences didn’t care too much just when was too late. False marketers were even burnt alive with their counterfeited goods so the risk was high.
We talked about the rutes between Asia and Europe which was growing constantly and in this period Mongolia was a real power having control on China. But when this control was lost during Ming dynasty, the traditional connections between Europe and China were lost. In case of need the merchants changed their targets to Beirut, Tripoli and Alexandria. Europeans became more and more adventurous with their daily progress in navigation so they arrived through Gibraltar to Portugal, north of Spain and France. Later on also to London, Bruges and Antwerp. All this areas become over night big centers for condiments.
So what did Portugal in all this already competitive world ?
Took the challenge and navigated in different direction, like South going to Africa, where the portugals found the exotic African condiments which they imported for the first time to Europeans. And more after Vasco the Gama, the famous portuguese navigator, returned from India in 1499 full of goods (condiments of course) the Italian and especially Venice power was officially destroyed . Since that day all the prices of condiments in Europe were determined in Lisbon. The most popular imported condiments were: pepper, cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg. The cinnamon imported from Ceylon (today known Sri Lanka) could finance all their expeditions and Portugal set up a monopoly on the cinnamon.
Paprika and Hungary ?
Well, paprika was discovered by Spanish people. They couldn’t just sit back and see their neighbor success without actions. So they started to invest heavily in navigation for commerce purposes. Isabella I of Spain and King Ferdinand II gave to Christopher Columbus (known in South America like Cristobal Colon after being renamed by his Spanish fellows) 3 well equipped ships in order to find a maritime route to India through West. Columbus intended India but instead he discovered The New World – so even better for his later celebrity status. And of course America showed his generous reward by new cool condiments nowhere else discovered yet. Sure, after this Spain financed more developed expeditions to take advantage of this new treasure and bring it to Europeans. In the second expedition of Columbus a dutch company accompanied him, they came back with many new goods in 1494. Amazingly for them in the new world the red pepper had no fruits and vanilla was something completely new. Paprika and the chili plants just conquered Europeans. First paprika (the Spanish pepper) was considered more an exotic ornamental plant. Needed 100 years for things to change when Spain realized its other use and started to cultivate and export it. So paprika landed one day in Hungary where he found his roots and become "the national spice of Hungary".
Let’s see what more happened. Spain and Portugal realized that they can work well together and consolidate their super power so they’ve split the market: Spain managed the West and Portugal East. And Holland wanted also his part of the pie so extended hiw arms to the Extreme Orient, with good results.
Paprika and Hungary ?Well, paprika was discovered by Spanish people. They couldn’t just sit back and see their neighbor success without actions. So they started to invest heavily in navigation for commerce purposes. Isabella I of Spain and King Ferdinand II gave to Christopher Columbus (known in South America like Cristobal Colon after being renamed by his Spanish fellows) 3 well equipped ships in order to find a maritime route to India through West. Columbus intended India but instead he discovered The New World – so even better for his later celebrity status. And of course America showed his generous reward by new cool condiments nowhere else discovered yet. Sure, after this Spain financed more developed expeditions to take advantage of this new treasure and bring it to Europeans. In the second expedition of Columbus a dutch company accompanied him, they came back with many new goods in 1494. Amazingly for them in the new world the red pepper had no fruits and vanilla was something completely new. Paprika and the chili plants just conquered Europeans. First paprika (the Spanish pepper) was considered more an exotic ornamental plant. Needed 100 years for things to change when Spain realized its other use and started to cultivate and export it. So paprika landed one day in Hungary where he found his roots and become "the national spice of Hungary".
Let’s see what more happened. Spain and Portugal realized that they can work well together and consolidate their super power so they’ve split the market: Spain managed the West and Portugal East. And Holland wanted also his part of the pie so extended hiw arms to the Extreme Orient, with good results.
Sad memoriesThe colonization and exploitation concerning natives in the new world brings shadow on the history of condiments. All this finally ended just when World War II ended in 1945.
Same with the Holland new monopoly on Moluce island which was taken from Portugal.
Portugal had in this islands the full monopoly on nutmegs and clove. Holland saw the opportunity and used this monopoly on Europe with 200 % profit returns. But they could grow the 2 trees just in 2 of the islands (Ambon and Banda) so they took fully advantage of that cutting all the other trees. Same way they behaved with locals, executing them for cultivating illegal trees on their own or stealing them. Later they became more tolerant though. Anyway they couldn’t prevent stealing completely since the French succeeded to stole a couple of shrubs of both kind and plant them in Madagascar, Mauritius and Reunion. So monopoly on them just died. After 10 years since this happened the Holland company declared bankruptcy with some English help when London became the most important center for condiments coming from Sri Lanka and India, using like main condiment – the cinnamon.
Weird thing happened during the 19th century
Condiments and aromatic herbs just lost their popularity suddenly without any good reason in Europe. Some of them were even completely forgotten. One of the explanation could be that people reached another level of appetite for new things and new tastes, so maybe they just became bored. This could explain the popularity of any relatively new products like: cacao, coffee, sugar. Between the veggies was installed the potato era and also rice, tomato and Brussels sprouts.
Condiments and aromatic herbs just lost their popularity suddenly without any good reason in Europe. Some of them were even completely forgotten. One of the explanation could be that people reached another level of appetite for new things and new tastes, so maybe they just became bored. This could explain the popularity of any relatively new products like: cacao, coffee, sugar. Between the veggies was installed the potato era and also rice, tomato and Brussels sprouts.
When condiments popularity came back ?
After World War II, when they changed their appearance being delivered in boxes and preserving bottles. This attracted the modern ladies of the house. And since journeys became an attractive habit of those who could afford it, the fascination for different kitchens and tastes become again a trendy must.
Cheers …
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