Barbarian

A copy of the Dying Gaul, a statue from the 3rd or 2nd century BC.

In Ancient Greece, the name βάρβαρος, bárbaros, was given to all those who did not speak the Greek language. Later, the term Barbarian came to mean 'Anyone who is not Greek'. Later again, it meant 'anyone who is outside the Roman Empire'.

In modern use, the word is used to refer to an uncivilized or uncultured person, nation or ethnic group which is seen as having a lower level of civilization. It can also refer to an individual person who is seen as brutal, cruel, and insensitive or whose behavior is unacceptable in the civilized society of the speaker. When used for a person the word is always pejorative, when used for a nation not always.

Other websites

• "Official Website of Barbaric Barbarians" Archived 2009-06-26 at the Wayback Machine, A humorous view of Barbarians
• Andrew Lang, Savage Supreme Beings Archived 2008-12-27 at the Wayback Machine, The Making of Religion, Chapter XII (1900).