Introduction
The African Origin of the Modern Greeks is an open and complex debate in modern society. The argument is developed on the theorists’ suggestion that the contribution of Africans to Greek and Egyptian history is undeniable, as evidenced by some linguistic approaches. Thus, the beginning of the modern Greek civilization starts in the 3rd century BC and is closely connected with the interaction of speakers of the Indo-European language and pre-Hellenes. Cultural interaction of civilizations took place, which may indicate the African origin of the Greek civilization. However, for many scientists, the Afrocentric approach is not relevant and is in the format of a review. Thus, at present, no clear position would refute or prove the conclusions of Afrocentrists regarding the origin of the Greeks and their culture. Since there is no single confirmation and evidence base for this theory, it appears to be irrelevant.
The African Origin of the Modern Greeks
The cultural basis and behavior is due to extensive trade relations and exchange. Greek merchants sold and traded goods with African tribes. Trade unions were created, which can indirectly confirm the mixing of cultures and the subsequent origin of modern Greek civilization from black tribes. Moreover, this may explain the linguistic foundations that Afrocentrists operate with. With such a level of exchange taking place between two civilizations, the words of another language are inevitably fixed in the language of one nation.
Moreover, the point remains controversial regarding the appearance of images of dark-skinned people on the artifacts of Greek culture. On the one hand, it can be argued that the Greek image of the Ethiopians is directly related to the perpetuation of their own civilization (Bernal, 2020). On the other hand, such art, which can be seen on the utensils of the Greeks, is due to the active relationship between these two peoples (Regal, 2022). Ethiopians were known to Greek civilization and may have been present among the royal troops during periods of war with the Persian king Xerxes (Huylebrouck, 2019). Thus, scientists and historians cannot come to an unambiguous opinion even in this matter.
Some researchers also speak in favor of the relevance of the theory of the black origin of Greek civilization. Scholar Bernal, an adherent of the African theory of origin, argues that the Hellenic theory’s followers miss many facts worthy of attention (Bernal, 2020). First of all, he operates with the fact that when studying Greek culture, scientists do not attach sufficient importance to the influence of Egypt and the Middle East on it. However, this assumption is difficult to consider truly justified from a historical perspective.
This is due to the fact that Bernal sharply dismisses the theory of multiculturalism and is based solely on the fact that ancient Egypt had the main influence on the culture of the Greeks. The historian argues that the African origin of the Greeks arises due to the dominance of Egyptian power on the state’s territory and the people’s subsequent colonization. On the one hand, until the 19th century, the dominant theory of Greek culture’s origin was Ancient Egypt’s influence (Bernal, 2020). However, in the 1820s, historians and archaeologists put forward a Hellenistic approach, explaining this with a cultural aspect when comparing Indo-European and Greek artifacts.
Many scholars speak in favor of the failure of the theory of black origin. They say that many of the arguments have no real historical support and remain speculation. Basically, this is due to the fact that before the Hellenistic period, the Greek people were fragmented (Regal, 2022). Accordingly, one can speak of high tension and instability, which escalated into wars (Huylebrouck, 2019). As a consequence, it is impossible to speak of a common cultural origin and broad influence of black people. Additionally, historians judge some of the Afrocentric theories as biased. In particular, Egyptologists argue that the etymological arguments of the adherents of this theory are based on personal ideas and individual interpretations (Huylebrouck, 2019). This is due to the fact that in the historical community ,there are not enough confirmed facts about the colonial activities of the ancient Egyptians. Moreover, some see this theory as an open belittling of the European race. Thus, the theory has fewer and fewer followers and argumentative positions.
Archaeological excavations also speak in favor of the Hellenistic theory as the dominant and main one. Finding images related to and considered by scientists as dark-skinned people are strikingly different from artifacts depicting alleged Greeks (Regal, 2022). This is primarily due to the difference in facial features, skin color and physical development (Huylebrouck, 2019). This only confirms the fact that the theory has no evidence base and remains untenable.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be said that despite the many facts and evidence provided by the proponents of the theory, it does not have a sufficiently convincing basis. First of all, this is due to the fact that scientists who confirm the Hellenistic theory question their opinion about the colonization of the inhabitants of Greece. Moreover, the people of the country were not united for a long time, which leads to the opinion that they did not have close cultural ties. In addition, from a linguistic point of view, the presence in the language of the words of the African peoples and Ancient Egypt is explained not by the origin as such but by the presence of frequent and active trade relations.
References
Bernal, M. (2020). Black Athena: The Afroasiatic roots of classical civilation volume III: The linguistic evidence. Rutgers University Press.
Huylebrouck, D. (2019). Africa and mathematics. Springer, Cham.
Regal, B. (2022). The battle over America’s origin story. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.