Warring Greeks Find Peace in Ancient Egypt

American Friends of Tel Aviv University ^ | December 6, 2010 | Unknown

[decimon]

TAU researcher uncovers origins of Greek trade city in Egypt's Nile delta region

Naukrtis, a Greek trade emporium on Egyptian soil, has long captured the imagination of archaeologists and historians. Not only is the presence of a Greek trading settlement in Egypt during the 7th and 6th century B.C.E. surprising, but the Greeks that lived there in harmony hailed from several Greek states which traditionally warred amongst themselves.

Dr. Alexander Fantalkin of Tel Aviv University's Department of Archaeology is delving deeper into this unique piece of ancient history to come up with a new explanation for how Naukrtis developed, and how its inhabitants managed to operate on foreign soil and create a new sense of common identity.

The Greeks that inhabited Naukrtis, explains Dr. Fantalkin, may have come from warring city states at home, but they formed a trade settlement in Egypt under the protection of powerful Eastern empires. This link not only brought them together as a culture, but explains how they were allowed to operate in the midst of Egyptian territory. Dr. Fantalkin's theory was recently presented at the Cultural Contexts in Antiquity conference in Innsbruck, Austria, and will soon be published in the proceedings of the conference.

[decimon]

East treats west ping.

[katana]

Sounds a bit like the space station in “Babylon 5”. Neutral ground for trade amongst erstwhile enemies.

[george76]

Then the Muslim Arabs pounced in 641 C.E.

After their conquest of the Byzantine provinces of Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine (today’s Israel), they invaded Egypt in December 641 C.E.

[SunkenCiv]

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[Little Bill]

Having known and worked for many Greeks, there are no Neutrals, Them, Us, no surrender.

[eleni121]

there are no Neutrals, Them, Us, no surrender.

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Yes we are rather proud of that 4000 year history. As many (not all) who have invaded Greece have come to find out.

I would wish it for the US...but somehow I don’t think we’ll manage to do it.