Quando nasce davvero l’Occidente? | Giovanni Brizzi

What really is the West? A geographical location, a political construct, a civilization, or a way of thinking? In this lecture at the Umbria Antica Festival 2026, Giovanni Brizzi reflects on the profound origins of the idea of ​​the West, going beyond modern simplifications. The West, Brizzi explains, was born not with colonial expansion, with ocean routes, or with a line drawn on maps, but much earlier: in the Greek world, between Ionia and Attica, when rational thought took shape and humanity was placed at the center of knowledge. From the birth of Greek humanism to the myth of Heracles, from the confrontation with the Phoenician Melqart to the formation of the Roman civitas, Brizzi explores some decisive moments in ancient history to show how myths, law, religion, and power contributed to building one of Europe's great cultural legacies. The lesson also addresses the role of Rome, the concept of fides, the war against Hannibal, the figure of Scipio Africanus, the Augustan turning point, and the influence of Saint Paul in the transformation of the ancient world.