Selective Amnesia

Two sides of History

Somebody famous once said “There’s only one version of History – the winner’s”.

But History is not always a winner’s point of view. The loser has his own version of the story to say, and no matter what the victor does, the loser’s perspective will stay on and grow. First underground, then above, but in the shadows. Till the whole edifice that the victor build around him and his invincibility is challenged.

As an illustration – take the example of Attila the Hun.
He was the winner in the battle, and the war. He was probably the most effective of the conquerors of old Europe. He was by all accounts a “winner”. A brilliant tactician, he established the largest empire in Eastern and Central Europe. But do we have his version of the story?

The Romans and the Christians called him the Scourge of God. He was hated and disliked. If we only have the winner’s point of view of history, would Atilla call himself the Scourge of god? He would have been called the God’ General. Or Messiah.

But we are now stuck with Scourge of God. One event/topic. Two versions. Two books of History.