I guess he forgot the greeks and hellenization. Oh but the greeks were barbarians too.
The tone also angered me.
Greece became pretty much part of Rome.
I Read the article and I understand that it's flawed in some parts. However, that's exactly how the non-western major world civilisations are called. Barbarians, mysticals and unscientific etc are the words used to describe them. I would urge you to look past the eurocenticism as I did and you'll discover that there's truth in the facts.
If we leave out the mislabeling of images, the fact remains that the eastern world was in fact more connected, advanced and globalised compared to Rome.
"Barbarian" though is a Greek word, used by Greeks to describe anyone speaking a language that wasn't the Greek language. I'm guessing the article either ignores this or uses "barbarian" as a translation of a similar term used in the Far Eastern world, and which I don't know. I'm pretty sure there must have been one.
Of course, those two things don't have to go together. It's perfectly reasonable to understand something and deem it inferior. And deeming it inferior isn't necessarily an indication that something isn't understood.
The "Barbarians" we learn in school are exactly from Europe, not from Asia and the term is directed towards the German tribes and the Nordic ones.
Everyone called everyone else 'Barbarian' - that does not mean they were.
The Germanic tribes at the time were objectively, probably 'Barbarians' ... that's roughly objective.
But not the rest.
Medium is a 'cultural marxism' type website, they are 'non self aware social prog' type people there.
Some good stuff that goes of the hinges sometime.