A clip has resurfaced on the internet of Boris Johnson reciting the ancient Greek poem 'The Iliad' and has, in turn, caused a huge debate.
The clip which is from a 2013 event hosted in Melbourne, Australia and was filmed for the ABC show Big Ideas sees Johnson, who had just left his role as Mayor of London, break into an impromptu recital of the poem when asked what he does when he is in trouble.
Despite the clip being seven years old and Johnson mentioning his love of Greek philosophy and mythology whenever he gets a chance, it reemerged on Twitter on Tuesday, courtesy of the account 'Old Holborn' who was attempting to mock Labour supporters.
Regardless of whatever message this tweet is trying to convey, it has ended up backfiring with people pointing out that just because someone can speak Greek doesn't exactly make them a better politician (well, maybe if you are in Greece) as well as the problematic racial connotations of the tweet.
Yet when I read Ayat-ul-Kursi aloud on the train, I’m a threat to society 🙃 https://t.co/WzvTXAFRoL— Tez (@Tez) 1577199343
blows my mind that british right-wingers act like posh people being bilingual is some amazing intellectual feat, bu… https://t.co/zo0AuzKnN0— Gordon / rent controls fan account (@Gordon / rent controls fan account) 1577182101
90 seconds' worth of disconnected segments from a poem he learned in school. This is exactly as impressive as someo… https://t.co/jwZiFwUuSj— The author, Séamas O'Reilly (@The author, Séamas O'Reilly) 1577188202
What's more impressive is my dad who ate from rubbish bins as a kid & was a child labourer at 7 was able to recite… https://t.co/XJ9rtHW10v— John Smith (son of Harry Leslie Smith) (@John Smith (son of Harry Leslie Smith)) 1577212566
I'll be impressed if, for an encore, he recites the names of all his children. In English. https://t.co/h8Sooie8Xo— Chris Brookmyre (@Chris Brookmyre) 1577195111
You are in Britain. Speak BRITISH. https://t.co/itnHpP6y8T— Steve Hogarty (@Steve Hogarty) 1577188427
It has also been pointed out by people who can speak Greek that whatever Johnson is saying is complete nonsense.
As a native Greek speaker who studied ancient Greek, the Iliad and Odyssey (and other ancient Greek texts/plays) ov… https://t.co/67rnwwKT63— Yiokasti Mouratidi (@Yiokasti Mouratidi) 1577194283
Still, 'Old Holborn' seemed undisturbed by the backlash.