This collection of sources about classical Libya by ancient Greek and Roman authors is very welcome since a sourcebook about ancient Libya has been lacking. The work forms a selection rather than a full collection of ancient writings that are predominantly related to travels and travellers in ancient Libya. The book, nevertheless, provides a very wide, well-translated range of material. It is the second in a series dealing with travellers in Libya. The first was J. Wright's Travellers in Turkish Libya 1550–1911 (2005). W.'s contribution takes us further back in time, introducing ancient Libya through the voices of 45 classical authors, down to the sixth century a.d.
The book is primarily targeted at the interested, non-specialist reader, and general visitors to Libya. It aims to present a broad selection of ancient sources about the region, illustrating how Libya was perceived by various authors in antiquity. W. achieves this by selecting a broad range of genres, such as poetry, philosophy, history and geography, as well as epigraphy from predominantly Roman and Greek, but also some native North African authors, ranging from Homer and Herodotus, to Pliny the Elder, Apuleius and Synesius. Topics include geography, flora, fauna, climate, funerary rites, localised native groupings and their traditions and customs, romantic poetry, the use of Silphium, religion, riots and war. Due to the intended audience, W.'s translations are not strictly literal in order to improve the flow of the text. Nevertheless, care has been taken not to change the meaning of the original and he succeeds in finding a balance between a literal and idiomatic approach. The result is an informative collection of passages about the classical period in Libya. Despite its target audience, the book will also be useful for students of North African studies and interested academics. It is a good starting point for anyone interested in the history and archaeology of Libya.
The introduction provides a short but concise historical overview and a brief statement about research problems. Instead of a thematic division, W. has chosen to divide the excerpts chronologically into sections. Section 1 covers the eighth to the third centuries b.c. with passages from Homer, Pindar, Herodotus of Halicarnassus, Thucydides, Aristotle and Callimachus. The following section deals with the first century b.c., the next with the first century a.d., and so forth up to the sixth century in the seventh section.
The discussion of a few select passages will give an impression of the variety of genres and topics but also highlight the ambiguity of some of the sources. Aristotle, in Historia animalium, described animals one might or might not have encountered in Libya. He commented on the absence of croaking frogs, wild boar, stag and wild goat, while describing snakes that were apparently big enough to eat men, and sheep that were born with horns. W. also refers to Homer (Od. 4.85), who tells a similar story. Aristotle noted the variety of animals in the region: ‘those of Europe were the boldest and those of Libya were the most varied in form; in fact, there is a proverb that Libya is always producing something new’ (p. 64). Strabo, the first-century geographer, described the geography of Libya, mentioning the name of tribes and where they lived, as well as the climate and the flora. Mela, another geographer of the first century a.d., commented in more detail in Chorographia on the strange people that inhabit the deep interior of Libya, though he never saw them himself. He described peoples who lived in random groups, had several wives and that individual people remained nameless. The Troglodytes did not speak but shrieked, lived off reptiles in caves and possessed no wealth. The Garamantes had herds of animals which had to graze walking backwards since their horns were too long. He noted the strong ancestral customs of the Augilae and the shy Gamphasantes who wore no clothes and bore no weapons. The Blemmyae apparently had no heads but had their faces on the chest. Apicius provides recipes containing Silphium, in De re coquinaria. The fifth-century historian Procopius told of the vandal oppression, and Pudentius from Tripolis who raised a revolt against the oppressors with the help of the Emperor Justinian in De bellis. W. also includes some inscriptions, such as that of Avidius, a centurion who dedicated a poem in stone to Salus at the fort Gohlaia (Bu Njem) in the early third century a.d.
W. does mention the need for caution over the reliability of some of the passages, but this could have been explained in more detail. Only one short section in the introduction deals with this matter: ‘any reader seeking facts should not take any statement made by our authors at face value’ (p. 29). This is especially significant considering that many of the ancient authors never set foot into the region (p. 28). For example, much of Mela's and Pliny's work seems to be taken from Herodotus. Thus, these passages are unlikely to reflect reality. Instead we can observe certain stereotypes and prejudices that persisted over time and witness how they were ingrained in cultural expectations. For instance, the practice of agriculture was one of the main criteria for ‘civilisation’ and the pastoral people in the interior were therefore frequently described as inferior and barbaric, with Saharan farming practices seldom being discussed (D. Mattingly [ed.], The Archaeology of Fezzan Vol.1, Synthesis [2003], pp. 76–81). W.'s book covers a long time period, and the persistence of certain stereotypes can be observed well. Nevertheless, it is also possible critically to observe aspects that might reflect some reality, especially in writings by African authors such as Apuleius or Synesius. The passages selected are primarily taken from much larger works, and it is therefore important to follow these up in more detail. Consequently, it would have been beneficial to have the full reference to the ancient source within the text, particularly since W. hopes that this book may ‘whet the readers’ appetite for more of the works of the authors presented here' (p. 23). Instead, all references are in the ‘Index of Extracts’, which makes it more difficult to find the relevant reference, especially for the inexperienced reader. The section ‘Other References to Libya in Classical Authors’ lists further original sources.
W. prefaces each translation with a useful summary that outlines the biography of the author, his status and role within society, as well as a short commentary about the historical and social context of the passage. This is particularly helpful for those who might not be familiar with the authors. The book does not engage in current scholarly methodological or theoretical discussions about ancient sources or research in Libya, other than noting some of the research problems in the introduction. These include the scarcity of sources other than from Greece or Rome, or the lack of ancient writers that actually travelled to Libya. For instance, a short section outlining the current debate about the social make-up and hierarchical structures of Libyan society and their responses to Greek and Roman colonialism would have been beneficial. However, the ‘Suggestions for Further Reading’ will lead the interested reader to some of the key publications of past and current research.
Nine maps and plenty of specially commissioned illustrations and photographs make the book very accessible and engaging. It is a welcome contribution to the study of the Libyan past and will contribute to teaching material and discussions about the views of ancient authors on mysterious Libya.
