before that, the great majority of college graduates with a red herodotus in great. i said not long ago, i mean a 100 years. less than the blink of an egyptians i. herodotus these days has not vanished from the curriculum committee tool called open syllabus explore allows us to check over 1 million college syllabi and one simple search. herodotus' great book appears in 1347 college syllabi today. .com is manifestly appears about three times that many been so does plato's republic. so all is not lost though greatly diminished. we clearly no longer live in a civilization were educated men and women are generally familiar with herodotus. the question that naturally occurs, does that matter? the fate of our civilization doesn't depend on familiarity with an ancient book that has no claim to divine inspiration. on the other hand, if president obama had read the history and paid regional attention to it's hard to imagine he would've edited to the iran nuclear deal in july 2015. herodotus would've wanted that culture outlasts regime and the persian culture built on deep --

the king according to herodotus sought a message for her before attacking the persons in the oracle told him if he attacked the mighty empire would fall. he didn't quite understand that it was his own. now it just seems like harsh criticism of president obama, let me soften it up it. we can hardly blame anyone for not earning what has not been taught and by the time barack obama enrolled in occidental college as a freshman in 1979 teaching western civilization was our day receding from american undergraduate curriculum. the national association of scholars a few years ago treats the recession from 1964 to 2010 and a 1964 to two semester required course in western civilization was a nearly universal requirement and american colleges. by 1989 more than half the colleges we have studied have eliminated that requirement altogether and the other half have watered it down to a minor option. a 2010 we can find only one elite college in the country, william and mary that required western civilization and william and mary required it only for history majors. as soon as our report came out they ab

in the mid fifth century bc, the greek historian herodotus detailed the process of embalming.st with a crooked iron tool they draw out the brain through the nostrils... after this they make a cut along the side and take out the whole contents of the belly... then they fill the belly with myrrh, and sew it together again... they keep it covered up in urade adalts for seventy days. one each for the liver, lungs stomach and intestines. the jars were then placed in a chest. ornamental plaques made of precious metal might be placed over the incision where the vital organs were removed. after embalming, mummies of kings and the upper echelons of egyptian society were elaborately dressed with mummy nets and the upper echelons of anattian society epicted laboborately dressed thdsboardmummy nets as symbols of kingly power. the mummies were often adorned and protected with precious metals-- their fingers and toes sheathed in gold, their faces covered with luminous masks. (narrator) color carried special significance in ancient egyptian funeral rituals-- the red granite used in this sarc

our minds have been opened by the histories of herodotus and thucydides. our understanding of the world and our place in it has been expanded by socrates and aristotle. in the united states, were especially grateful for the friendship of so many proud greek americans. n my hometown of chicago you can find them in greektown, with their foustanellas. and if anyone seeks an example of our shared spirit, our resilience, they need look no further than new york city, near ground zero, where the greek orthodox church of st. nicholas, once in ruins, is now rising again. most of all, were indebted to greece for the most precious of gifts -- the truth, the understanding that as individuals of free will, we have the right and the capacity to govern ourselves. applause] for it was here, 25 centuries ago, in the rocky hills of this ity, that a new idea emerged. demokratia. applause] kratos -- the power, the right to rule -- comes from demos -- the people. the notion that we are citizens -- not servants, but stewards of our society. the concept of citizenship -- that we

all greece -- "this small, great world" -- has given to humanity -- our minds of been opened by of herodotus and thucydides. our understanding of the world and our place in it has been expanded by socrates and aristotle. in the united states, we're especially grateful for the friendship of so many proud greek americans. in my hometown of chicago you can find them in greektown, with their foustanellas. and together, we've celebrated greek independence day at the white house. we've had some spanakopita and some ouzo. greek americans have worn the uniform to keep our country free. greek americans have marched with dr. martin luther king jr. to make us more just. greek or american, we're all cheering for giannis antetokounmpo who seems to be getting better each year. and if anyone seeks an example of our shared spirit, our resilience, they need look no further than new york city, near ground zero, where the greek orthodox church of st. nicholas, once in ruins, is now rising again. most of all, we're indebted to greece for the most precious of gifts -- the truth, the understanding that as individ

our minds of been opened by the -- has been opened by the histories of herodotus and thucydides.ur understanding of the world and our place in it has been expanded by socrates and aristotle. in the united states, we're especially grateful for the friendship of so many proud greek americans. in my hometown of chicago you -- [applause] president obama: -- you can find them in greektown, with their foustanellas. [laughter] and together,a: we have celebrated greek independence day at the white house. we've had some spanakopita and some ouzo. greek americans have worn the uniform to keep our country free. greek americans have marched with dr. martin luther king jr. to make us more just. greek or american, we're all cheering for giannis antetokounmpo who seems to be getting better each year. [applause] and if anyonea: seeks an example of our shared spirit, our resilience, they need look no further than new york city, near ground zero, where the greek orthodox church of st. nicholas, once in ruins, is now rising again. most of all, we're indebted to greece for the most precious of gifts