Africa in Antiquity
CLAS/HIST240 Ancient Societies

Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois

Instructor: Thomas J. Sienkewicz (toms@monm.edu)

Here is the essay question for the FIRST UNIT QUIZ:

The names of nearly all the gods came to Greece from Egypt. I know from the inquiries I have made that they came from abroad, and it seems most likely that it was from Egypt, for the names of all the gods have been known in Egypt from the beginning of time. . . . I have the authority of the Egyptians for this.

Critique this statement by Herodotus and use it to discuss the relationship between Africa and the Greek world through the Hellenistic period. Your discussion should be filled with important names and events and with references to significant literary and archaeological documents.

Here is the essay question for the SECOND UNIT QUIZ:

A man may be born among the Hebrews, with whom he finds instruction in divine law, or among the Greeks, men of no small learning, or among the Ethiopians, who eat human flesh, or among the Scythians, who practice parricide sanctioned by law, or among the Taurians, who sacrifice strangers. Yet all whom God created He created equal and alike.

Critique this statement by Origen, the second-century A.D. Alexandrian Father of the Christian Church and use it to discuss attitudes towards culture and race in the ancient Mediterranean world. Focus, in particular, on the Roman empire and illustrate the interraction between Africa and the Greco-Roman world from the Hellenistic period through the rise of Christianity. Your discussion should be filled with important names and events and with references to significant literary and archaeological evidence.

This material has been published on the web by Prof. Tom Sienkewicz for his students at Monmouth College. If you have any questions, you can contact him at toms@monm.edu.

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