Herodotus and the Black Body

Abstract

Herodotus’ view of Blackness is discussed only in relation to his 2.104 passage where he describes the Egyptian physical appearance. This is a consequence of the modern debate on ancient Egyptian racial identity. Inevitably, commentators on 2.104 have been heavily concerned with defending their predispositions about ancient Egyptian racial identity. As a result, there has been no critical engagement with Herodotus’ conceptualization of Blackness. This analysis uses critical race theory to address this methodological problem. Contrary to the consensus in Greco-Roman studies, Blackness was a factor in ancient Greek racial thought. It is evident that Herodotus’ own understanding of Blackness did not differ from the general Greek worldview. Ultimately, this analysis shows that Blackness was a significant aspect of Herodotus’ ethnography for particular racial groups.