Commentators from classical antiquity to the present have often interpreted the relationship through the lens of their own cultures.
kˈɑːməntˌeɪɾɚz fɹʌm klˈæsɪkəl æntˈɪkwᵻɾi tə ðə pɹˈɛzənt hæv ˈɔfən ɪntˈɜːpɹɪɾᵻd ðə ɹᵻlˈeɪʃənʃˌɪp θɹuː ðə lˈɛnz ʌv ðɛɹ ˈoʊn kˈʌltʃɚz.