On 10 Nov 2016 12:48, "Timothy Collinson" <xxxxxx@port.ac.uk> wrote:

>
> Another difficulty is along the lines of one that I think Jeff Z and I have discussed although I can't recall if was privately or publically (i.e. on TML).  Would the The Third Imperium of 1100 have any record of Solomani literature from three or four thousand years previously?  And even if they did, would there be any chance of it being culturally significant knowledge?  (My quick answer would be yes, possibly, to the first; very unlikely to the second.)

Sorry, Timothy, but I have to disagree with you there. I would say quite likely to the first and very probably to the second. After all, here on dear old Terra, our culture is still fairly heavily influenced by the likes of Homer, Virgil,  Ovid, Aristophenes and their ilk. OK, they're not quite 4000 years old, and they may not be exactly mainstream, but their cultural significance is undeniable.

And, of course, sanskrit writings from 3000 to 4000 years ago still form the basis of Hindu and Sikh teachings as well as being a rich source of literature and poetry - sanskrit is even still an official language in Uttarakhand (as I have just found out).

David Shaw