What happened
Marco Rubio delivered a speech in Athens, Greece, where he emphasized the importance of Western civilization and its foundation. He traced America's inheritance through Athens, Rome, Christendom, medieval Europe, and England, calling for the West to recover its ambition, confidence, and national power.
However, his speech was noted to have omitted the significant contribution of the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as Byzantium, which survived for over a thousand years after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. This omission was seen as surprising, given the Eastern Empire's rich history and its relevance to the West's current geopolitical challenges.
The Eastern Roman Empire's experience in fighting for survival against great powers on its frontiers, including the Sasanian Persia and Arab Muslim armies, was cited as an important warning for the West. The empire's history also highlights the importance of spiritual sobriety and the need for strong, healthy, independent churches to serve as a counterweight to political rulers.
The article suggests that the West would benefit from reordering its sociopolitical habits to prioritize spiritual authority and holiness, rather than relying on political might and technology. It concludes that Rubio's speech, while a step in the right direction, would have been stronger if it had included the significant contribution of the Eastern Roman Empire to Western civilization.
