Nubia in Greek Literary Sources

• Authors: Dufková Marie
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Ancient texts refer to Nubia as Aethiopia and keep returning to it from as early as the 8th–7th centuries BC. The Iliad, the Odyssey, and a Cyclic epic, the Aithiopis, give the earliest testimony. This period marks the rise of the Napatan Kingdom in Nubia and Nubian rule in Egypt. The Greeks thereby gained awareness of the country, which was rich in gold, ivory, ebony, and iron. With the development of science and trade in the 6th century BC, interest in this area grew. After Hecataeus of Miletus, Herodotus in the 5th century BC described Aethiopia in the context of events in Egypt down to the Persian conquest. He was the first to name and describe the Aethiopian city of Meroe. The writings of Ephoros of Cyme and Hecataeus of Abdera from the 4th century BC were preserved in the texts of later authors. Pliny the Elder relays testimony from authors of the 3rd century BC, which marked the beginning of prosperous times in the Meroitic Kingdom. The heart of Nubia was visited at this time because of learning and trade, probably on the initiative of the Ptolemaic court. The itineraries of Bion of Soloi are valuable for numerous topographic details. Eratosthenes’ treatise on Aethiopia, which was used by Strabo, represents a true scientifi c work from the 3rd century BC. In the 2nd century BC, interest in the subject of Aithiopia subsides somewhat. Comprehensive texts on Aethiopia by Diodorus and Strabo round off the Hellenistic sources for this subject.Ancient texts refer to Nubia as Aethiopia and keep returning to it from as early as the 8th–7th centuries BC. The Iliad, the Odyssey, and a Cyclic epic, the Aithiopis, give the earliest testimony. This period marks the rise of the Napatan Kingdom in Nubia and Nubian rule in Egypt. The Greeks thereby gained awareness of the country, which was rich in gold, ivory, ebony, and iron. With the development of science and trade in the 6th century BC, interest in this area grew. After Hecataeus of Miletus, Herodotus in the 5th century BC described Aethiopia in the context of events in Egypt down to the Persian conquest. He was the first to name and describe the Aethiopian city of Meroe. The writings of Ephoros of Cyme and Hecataeus of Abdera from the 4th century BC were preserved in the texts of later authors. Pliny the Elder relays testimony from authors of the 3rd century BC, which marked the beginning of prosperous times in the Meroitic Kingdom. The heart of Nubia was visited at this time because of learning and trade, probably on the initiative of the Ptolemaic court. The itineraries of Bion of Soloi are valuable for numerous topographic details. Eratosthenes’ treatise on Aethiopia, which was used by Strabo, represents a true scientifi c work from the 3rd century BC. In the 2nd century BC, interest in the subject of Aithiopia subsides somewhat. Comprehensive texts on Aethiopia by Diodorus and Strabo round off the Hellenistic sources for this subject.

Keywords

EN

Nubia; Aethiopia; Greek authors; history; geography

• Publisher: Institute of Philosophy, Czech Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Eirene. Studia Graeca et Latina
• Year: 2013
• Volume: 49
• Issue: 1-2
• Pages: 23-32

Contributors

author

Dufková Marie