Black Greeks
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Transcript of Black Greeks
Black Greeks
African Heritage in Greece
Origin/ Expansion of Civilization
• Mande Speaking People (8000-4800BC)– Maa or fish Confederation– Ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, Niger Congo– Garamantes, Pelasgians, and Myceneans– Founders of modern day Ghana
Origin/ Expansion Contd.• Garamante
– Originated form Mande – Made expansions to West
Africa– Sailed to Crete (<3000BC)– Described as “dark skinned”
by Greeks and Romans– Spread much of their
culture through early Hellenic Greece
• Pelasgian– Mixture of diverse black
groups– Thought to be first
inhabitants of Greece
• Egyptians– Controlled vast empire– Inhabitants of Greece
• Myceneans– Black groups from
Western Sahara– Founded Troy, Athens,
and Mycenae
Origin/ Expansion Ctd.
Early boat used by the ancient Pelasgians in Greece
Ring made of gold depicting a Stag hunt (c. 1500BC)(Note the Afro hairstyle worn by the Mycenaeans)
Blacks of the Aegean
A Pelasgian boat from Thera
This is one of the Thera Frescos. Note the busy atmosphere associated with the Pelasgian cities during the 16th Century BC
Aryan vs. Ancient Model
• Aryan Model– Civilization came from the North (Indo-
European)
• Ancient Model– Civilization came from the South (Africa)
Racism/Romanticism
• Racism- European race is superior
• Romanticsm- 19th century emotional connection to Classical Greece (Homer)
• Aristotle uses geographic position to justify racial superiority
• John Locke and 18th century thinkers liken dark skin to inferiority
Semitic/ Phoenician Influence on Greece
• Danaos- King of Thebes from Egypt after Hykso Invasion
• Kadmos- King from Phoenicia• Classicalists
– Phoenicia was sole influence on Greece
– Semites are just Jewish/Isrealite• Progressivits/Afrocentricists
– Semite is a mixture of many groups particularly African
– Herodotus (Greek Philosopher) uses reason to explain civilization
– Egyptians occupy vast empire which contained many Afro-Asiatic languages during Middle Kingdom (11th Dynasty)
Greek and African Culture Connection
• Pottery– Earliest form in Athens depicts Blacks in geometric Style
• Greek Epics– The Suppliants
• Connection to the story of Hagar in the bible • Relation of Greek gods to Egyptian ones• Apollo- Horus• Zeus- Hikesios (main god in play)• Inachos- King of Argos, Father of Io
– Contrasted with the Egyptian Nile– Inachos= anaaq in Eyptian
• Achinoe(Daughter of the Nile)- Mother of Danaos and Aigyptos• Io- ienai (to wander)
– Etymology of Hagar» Story of Hagar in the Bible
– Illiad and Odyssey based off African Stories (Clyde Winters, PhD)
On this Athenean funeral vase (c. 750 BC) the dead andthose who weep for him in this Geometric Style
pottery have Negroid features
This is fine Geometric Style piece dating to the "Dark Age" period of Greece notethe broad shoulders depicted on
this piece of art.
The “Greek Alphabet”
• Pelagians – Blacks of the Aegean– Created earliest Greek Alphabet
• Egyptians– Used Pro-Saharan (Mande) script to contribute to Greek
Alphabet– (Black Athena) Danaos introduces alphabet to Greece
• Dr. Anna Morpurgo Davies– Only 40% of Greek letters is “Phoenician-Sanskrit”– Over 52% of Greek letters origin is “unknown”
• Robert K. G. Temple– Proves the Dogon people of the Sahara had script
Was the first man Black?
• Cheik Anta Diop– Father of Afrocentrism along with Dubois– Radio-Carbon Dating
• Proves Egyptians were dark skinned• Youtube video 1• Youtube video2!• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IufD0A4GnP0