--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We make two mistakes about the ancient…" description: "\"We make two mistakes about the ancient world. One is to assume they were better than us - that, for instance, the ancient Olympics didn't involve money..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9f/mary-beard-3016_better_we-make-two-mistakes-about-the-ancient-w_1284068.png" --- # We make two mistakes about the ancient world. One is to… ![“We make two mistakes about the ancient world. One is to assume they were better than us - that, for instance, the ancient Olympics didn't involve money-making. The opposite mistake, and just as common, is to think our Olympics are much more civilised than ancient sporting competitions. Neither is…” quote by Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9f/mary-beard-3016_better_we-make-two-mistakes-about-the-ancient-w_1284068.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9f/mary-beard-3016_better_we-make-two-mistakes-about-the-ancient-w_1284068.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9f/mary-beard-3016_better_we-make-two-mistakes-about-the-ancient-w_1284068.png) > “We make two mistakes about the ancient world. One is to assume they were better than us - that, for instance, the ancient Olympics didn't involve money-making. The opposite mistake, and just as common, is to think our Olympics are much more civilised than ancient sporting competitions. Neither is true.” [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We misjudge both ancient and modern societies by assuming one is superior in morality or civility. **In simple terms:** Both past and present have flaws and virtues. Key Takeaway Avoid simplistic comparisons. Themes history culture sports ethics Mood critical reflective Type analytical historical When to use this quote - academic research - sports journalism - public policy debates Key Concepts civilization comparative analysis mythmaking Questions to Reflect On - How do we fairly assess cultural progress? - What biases shape our view of history? A Different Perspective Modern sports have commercial pressures; ancient events had different values. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistakes/) [Olympics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/olympics/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I trained my whole life for the Olympics. 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