Did the Romans Know How Old the Pyramids Were?

Summary by Krater

This video explores how ancient Greeks and Romans viewed Egyptian history and monuments, examining their misconceptions about obelisks, the age of the pyramids, and hieroglyphs. It concludes that classical civilizations perceived Egypt through the lens of their own culture, failing to accurately determine the true age or history of Egyptian sites.

From the video

Answers: How did ancient Greeks and Romans understand Egyptian history and monuments?

• Greek and Roman views of Egypt
• Egyptian obelisks in Rome
• Dating of the Great Pyramid of Giza
• Deciphering hieroglyphs in antiquity
• Greco-Roman historical inaccuracies

What it concludes

• Greeks and Romans had an inexact sense of history's depth, knowing Egypt had been founded millennia prior but relying on Greek myths for earlier eras.
• Greek and Roman ignorance about the age of the pyramids reflected a broader breakdown of cultural transmission and linguistic knowledge.
• Classical authors tended to miscalculate the dates of Egyptian monuments, often placing them centuries or millennia off.
• Greeks and Romans preferred to perceive Egypt through the lenses of their own culture and classics rather than seeking objective historical reality.