# “We are conquering places I haven’t even heard of.” **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2015, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-conquering-places-i-haven-t-even-heard-of/737966 "2015-11-19T07:57:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-conquering-places-i-haven-t-even-heard-of/737966/1 "2015-11-19T07:57:03Z")
From [this article on Queen Tamar:](http://www.badassoftheweek.com/index.cgi?id=754345014062) > [@](#): > > Let’s just say this – for ten years, the Georgian army is undefeated in battle. They annex huge chunks of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Armenia, destroy the Emirate of Kars, the Shirvans, the Alans, incorporate parts of Byzantium into their fold, and obliterate so many other civilizations that one Georgian writer famously remarked, “We are conquering places I haven’t even heard of.” Funny quote, but I can’t find it anywhere else. This isn’t exactly a scholarly site by any stretch, but by chance did a 12th century Georgian writer ever say anything remotely like that? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-conquering-places-i-haven-t-even-heard-of/737966/2 "2015-11-19T11:11:34Z")
No idea. Whoever said it needs a bit of a reality check, though, or at least the quote needs some context. The list of conquests sounds impressive when they’re rattled off like that, but a quick look at a [map](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamar_of_Georgia#/media/File:Georgian_empire_with_tributaries.png) shows that it’s all Armenia, the Caucasus and some areas around the Black Sea (what used to be Pontus, for you ancient history fans). I mean, not to take anything away from a place that basically used to be the two-bit joint of Colchis, but it’s more clearing the neighborhood than world conquest. Some major power often dominates that region, and it doesn’t seem \*that \*weird for it to be Georgia at some point. ([Ancient Armenia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Maps_of_the_Armenian_Empire_of_Tigranes.gif) for comparison.) If the US decides to take over the Caribbean, I’m sure that would also involve places a lot people haven’t heard of. But it’s more “where the heck is St. Kitts and Nevis?” than “'we’re taking over the world”. Also, about five minutes later the Mongols will come down from those steppes to the north, and royally fuck Georgia’s shit up. Yeah, I know, sorry for being a downer. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-conquering-places-i-haven-t-even-heard-of/737966/3 "2015-11-19T12:18:53Z")
So after we do take the Caribbean we ought to be on the lookout for vicious Hordes from the North? We’re already suffering our annual invasion of Quebeckers here and now. Beastly drivers they are. I can’t imagine how much worse it will get when the Albertans join the fray. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-conquering-places-i-haven-t-even-heard-of/737966/4 "2015-11-19T14:49:49Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > So after we do take the Caribbean we ought to be on the lookout for vicious Hordes from the North? Sure. If you get enough of those Florida retirees worked up, they’d be a vicious ravaging flood of rapine, pillage, and overall bad temper. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-conquering-places-i-haven-t-even-heard-of/737966/5 "2015-11-19T15:46:12Z")
Until nap time. Then comes Early Bird dinner time, then Happy Hour. The days are just packed!! Now what was it I was supposed to get worked up over?!??! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-conquering-places-i-haven-t-even-heard-of/737966/6 "2015-11-19T15:59:12Z")
It’s quite normal for a nation to conquer places that ordinary citizens have never heard of, because conquering them is how the ordinary citizen hears of them in the first place. Be honest-- In July 1990, how many Americans had ever heard of Kuwait? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-conquering-places-i-haven-t-even-heard-of/737966/7 "2015-11-19T19:35:53Z")
All those who had a subscription to “Strategy & Tactics” and got a copy of “Oil Wars.” ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-conquering-places-i-haven-t-even-heard-of/737966/8 "2015-11-20T02:07:04Z")
“Conquering” might be confused with "discovering?? ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2015, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-are-conquering-places-i-haven-t-even-heard-of/737966/9 "2015-11-20T08:02:43Z")
Did a 12th century person say that? Almost certainly not. I actually read through the article to see if there were any clues in it to help. No. Just a lot of attitude. I think your quote was part of the general ambiance, and not intended to be taken seriously. Writers of the day would have talked more like this, “Queen of Kings and Queens, Glory of the World, Kingdom and Faith, Champion of the Messiah, may God Increase her victories.” - Inscription on 13th-century Georgian coins. This was also from the article, but it’s a good exemplar. Note that the attitude is a lot more religious for one, because Europe was in the throes of the Dark Ages, and writers were likely to be of the Church or Church educated. Also, the tone is more stodgy, for lack of a better word. See point one.