Cultural Construction of Barbarian Identity through History
Words: 804 Pages: 3 2237"Barbarian" - a word wielded like a sword to separate "us" from "them" across the centuries. This essay delves into the varying perspectives of historians such as Sima Qian, Herodotus, and Tacitus to explore how different cultures have portrayed outsiders, or "barbarians," and how these portrayals reflect the values and self-perceptions of the societies describing them. The essay argues that the depiction of "barbarians" is less a factual recounting of another culture's way of life and more a mirror reflecting […]