Letters From The Hellenistic Period

It seems that in at least in a historical context, letters should be considered a genre of their own. Indeed, a substantial amount of our knowledge from the past comes from such correspondence. Such letters provide not just the perspective of the actual person who is writing, but also the perspective of the entire cultural which the author is from. For example, letters made during the Age of Exploration generally detail the European sentiment towards the native people they were conquering. Another example can be letters from the Hellenistic Period, which present the view of a contemporary of this era living in a time of immense cultural diffusion. However, the feelings expressed in these letters vary, specifically when one examines both the

One famous example of letters from this time period that express such a feeling are the ones Hernan Cortés wrote to Charles V on his escapades in Mexico. These letters not only allow the reader to experience the narcissism and self-importance that Cortės possessed, but also his crude and inhumane exploitation of the indigenous persons of the area. The letters also recount Cortés’ disapproval of the cultural norms of the Aztec people, which ultimately led to him usurping control of the land from them and slaughtering them. Obviously, the accounts of Cortés are laced with a deep resentment to a differing society and culture in which he could not bring himself to condone what in his mind were ridiculous and odious acts of sacrilege. There was little to no attempt by the Spanish conquistador to appreciate the culture of the Aztecs and see the beauty that they had to offer to the world. Granted, Cortés does mention that the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice which is inherently morally abominable, but nonetheless the eradication of a culture can be considered more a less just as

It is true that in the being of Aristeas account, he refers to the Hebrews as “primitive men”, demonstrating an insensitive and ignorance to the ways of the Jews. However, once he arrives at the land of the Jews, Aristeas’ perspective of these people does change. In reference to the many questions the translators were asked by the king, Aristeas writes, “I admired these men tremendously, the way in which they gave immediate answers which needed a long time (to ponder) …” The predominate reason why his perspective does change is because Aristeas does take the initiative to actually learn about the Jewish heritage and practices, questioning the ones he finds strange instead of viewing it as utterly ridiculous. Aristeas may not agree with the views of the Jews, but he does have a reverence for their practices because of his inquiry. Additionally, he immerses himself in the culture during his stay with the Jews in Egypt, fully immersing himself in the beauty of their traditions. Indeed, Aristeas frequently comments on the elegance of Jewish