About Countries
What is Greece? What makes up Greece? What is Italy? Why do I consider myself of German heritage when my family came from the Alsace region before Germany even existed?
Countries are a thing that has a long history and a very shallow one. What we consider countries that seem so indelible in our minds are fictions. The US is older than Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and many other countries in mainland Europe. But we are considered the babies of the world. And why? Because of the aftermath of the World Wars I and II, plus the introduction of public education and creation of history.
Why did the Romans make up a fiction that tied them to Troy? Because they needed to be tied to Greece, or rather the Greek identity. Because in the ancient world where Athens warred with Sparta and everyone was exhausted by Syracuse, they did see themselves as the civilized people who warred against the Barbarians of the “East” - specifically Persia. And when Syracuse and Syracusan historians wanted to encourage war against Carthage, they labeled Carthage the “Persia of the West.” But why? Because they didn’t speak Greek? Because their gods and goddesses (Melkart and Astarte) were different and had different traditions? Melkart became closely associated with Heracles in Sicily (which was a weird place of synchronization between Greek and Phoenician/Carthaginian traditions.) They spoke and wrote a different language. And they had different gods but were they that different? The Greeks (and later Romans) accused the Carthaginians and Phoenicians of heinous crimes, like sacrificing children. But then again, the Greeks and Romans put undesired children to death by exposing them out in fields. So… there’s that.
But sitting here in Cyprus, which is split between a Greek-speaking part and Turkish-speaking part, I think about how ephemeral countries are. They are created by our intentions. And people have always and will always travel. And they will move. And they will bring what makes them uniquely them to this new land. Maybe we should not consider countries as geographical regions (except when we are placing our travels on maps) but instead lean in to the new and unique experiences we have in these distant places. Does being the Greek-speaking part of Cyprus change my experience? Everyone here is so nice and friendly, and the food and wine are amazing. And everyone here should be free to be happy with themselves, whether they visit a mosque or a synagogue or a church or nothing, and whatever language they speak. The world is huge and people are small and we can be whatever we want in any land boundary that is a country.
