Historical Ethnology

Findings of Historical Ethnology

These historical peoples include, for example, the Garamantes, Isabaten or the Wangara. Much of what we know about ancient peoples comes from the ethnographic descriptions of ancient Greek authors such as, among others, Herodotus or Hecataeus. In their descriptions, these ancient authors often aim to highlight the cultural differences between various peoples and the Greek world. In doing so, the ancient authors assume that it is the geographical environment in particular that influences the behaviour of peoples and makes them different from the Greeks. Well-known is the term used for all those who speak a language other than Greek as barbarians – the stammerers.

What do the ancient authors describe?

Ancient authors such as Herodotus or Hecataeus frequently describe the appearance, language, living habits and conditions of peoples living outside their own territory. Many of these descriptions are not based solely on hearsay, i.e. interviews with soldiers or sailors who came into contact with various peoples, but also often on the authors' own observations resulting from their travels. However, the written observations are of course very subjectively coloured and do not meet scientific criteria. Nevertheless, the ancient authors' ethnographic descriptions significantly influenced the ancient worldview.