The sense that Classics somehow offers a gold standard of culture and civilisation is still part of our cultural consciousness . The opening sentences of President Trump ’ s Executive Order on Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture read : ‘ Societies have long recognized the importance of beautiful public architecture . Ancient Greek and Roman public buildings were designed to be sturdy and useful , and also to beautify public spaces and inspire civic pride .’ A subject with so much complex baggage must be studied with a critical eye . It has been used as a method of exclusion , a way to express power ; so moves towards inclusion become even more significant .
The ancient world is also often appropriated by those wishing to legitimise beliefs such as white supremacy , misogyny or anti LGBTQ sentiments . As I am writing this answer , Twitter is ablaze with people complaining that Netflix has ‘ made Alexander the Great gay ’. A few years ago , a BBC cartoon which depicted a Black Roman soldier stationed in Britain caused outrage . The image of Sparta conjured up by many activist groups bears little relation to historical reality . It is only by being clear and unambiguous about the diverse nature of the ancient world that we can counter misconceptions and abuses .