Cultural Exchanges: Ancient Greece & Ancient North Africa

By: Caterina Newman 

For this Neatline, I explored the historical relationship between Ancient Greece and Ancient North Africa. Through my Neatline, one will learn of the origins of papyrus, the evidence of foreign trade, the reciprocal influence of ancient mythologies, and other ideas exchanged between the two societies.

By creating this neatline, I gained a wider lens of Antigone through learning about the exchanges ancient North Africa had with Greece. This is a preview of some exchanges: The medium in which the original “Antigone” takes form is a resource from Egypt and one of the main subjects “Antigone” is concerned with, surprisingly has North African influence. These North African elements in Antigone, (which are detailed in my project) opened my eyes to its global context and allowed me to conclude that not one thing is purely from one mind. Antigone is not based purely on Greek democracy, mythology, and life. The foreign influences are indelible, as with many things in life. This perspective is important and it is dangerous to assume progression in society can be attributed to one single group. In history, we see this a lot, where one ethnic group usually progresses on the backs of other ethnic groups. Today, in America, people often forget that the country’s economy is so powerful because of years of effort by immigrants. The human race and society should be constantly reminded of this dynamic so that efforts can be made to balance out the workload and distribute the rewards.

References: 

Gottesman, Rachel. “Periplous Thinking: Herodotus’ Libyan Logos and the Greek Mediterranean.” Mediterranean Historical Review, vol. 30, no. 2, Dec. 2015, pp. 81–105. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/09518967.2015.1117205.

Jones, Prudence J. Africa: Greek and Roman Perspectives from Homer to Apuleius, Center for Hellenic Studies, January 2017 https://chs.harvard.edu/CHS/article/display/6535.prudence-j-jones-africa-greek-and-roman-perspectives-from-homer-to-apuleius

Koerper, Henry C., and Daniel E. Moerman. “Coinage of Greek Cyrenaica, the Silphium Economy, and Exaggerated Advertising.” HerbalGram, no. 48, Spring 2000, p. 46. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

Patricia W. Rovik. “A Libyan Athena with Ancient Greek Inscriptions.” Mediterranean Archaeology, vol. 15, 2002, p. 81. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.24668111&site=eds-live.

Stanley M. Burstein. “When Greek Was an African Language: The Role of Greek Culture in Ancient and Medieval Nubia.” Journal of World History, vol. 19, no. 1, 2008, p. 41. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.20079460&site=eds-live.