Overview
What is classical about Classical civilization? In one of the most audacious works of scholarship ever written, Martin Bernal challenges the foundation of our thinking about this question. Classical civilization, he argues, has deep roots in Afroasiatic cultures. But these Afroasiatic influences have been systematically ignored, denied or suppressed since the eighteenth century-chiefly for racist reasons. The popular view is that Greek civilization was the result of the conquest of a sophisticated but weak native population by vigorous Indo-European speakers-Aryans-from the North. But the Classical Greeks, Bernal argues, knew nothing of this 'Aryan model.' They did not see their institutions as original, but as derived from the East and from Egypt in particular. This long-awaited third and final volume of the series is concerned with the linguistic evidence that contradicts the Aryan Model of ancient Greece. Bernal shows how nearly 40 percent of the Greek vocabulary has been plausibly derived from two Afroasiatic languages - Ancient Egyptian and West Semitic. He also reveals how these derivations are not limited to matters of trade, but extended to the sophisticated language of politics, religion, and philosophy. This evidence, according to Bernal, greatly strengthens the hypothesis that in Greece an Indo-European-speaking population was culturally dominated by Ancient Egyptian and West Semitic speakers. Provocative, passionate, and colossal in scope, this volume caps a thoughtful rewriting of history that has been stirring academic and political controversy since the publication of the first volume.
Full Product Details
Author: Martin Bernal
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Imprint: Rutgers University Press Classics
Edition: First Edition, First Edition, First Paperback Edition
Dimensions:
Width: 13.20cm
, Height: 6.10cm
, Length: 20.30cm
Weight: 1.021kg
ISBN: 9781978804296
ISBN 10: 1978804296
Pages: 1012
Publication Date: 14 February 2020
Recommended Age: From 16 to 99 years
Audience:
General/trade
,
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
General
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Tertiary & Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
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Reviews
In a spectacular undertaking, Martin Bernal sets out to... restore the credibility of what he calls the Ancient Model of the beginnings of Greek civilizations... Bernal makes an exotic interloper in Classical studies. He comes to them with two outstanding gifts: a remarkable flair for the sociology - perhaps one should say politics - of knowledge, and a formidable linguistic proficiency... The story told by Bernal, with many fascinating twists and turns and quite a few entertaining digressions, is... a critical inquiry into a large part of the European imagination... a retrospect of ingenious and often sardonic erudition. --Perry Anderson The Guardian An astonishing work, breathtakingly bold in conception and passionately written... salutary, exciting, and, in its historiographical aspects, convincing. --G. W. Bowersock Journal of Interdisciplinary History A work which has much to offer the lay reader, and its multi-disciplinary sweep is refreshing: it is an important contribution to historiography and the sociology of knowledge, written with elegance, wit, and self-awareness... a thrilling journey... his account is as gripping a tale of scholarly detection and discovery as one could hope to find. --Margaret Drabble The Observer Bernal's material is fascinating, his mind is sharp, and his analyses convince. --Richard Jenkyns Times Higher Educational Supplement Bernal's work and the stir it has occasioned have caused ancient historians and archaeologists to undertake a major reexamination of methods and motives. --Robert L. Pounder American Historical Review A serious work that deals in a serious way with many of the principal issues of Aegean history in the second millennium B.C., and one can ask little more of any historical work. --Stanley M. Burstein, California State University Classic Philology A breathtaking panoply of archaeological artifacts, texts, and myths. --Toronto Star Challenges the racism implicit in the recent 'cultural literacy' movement. --Socialist Review A monumental and path-breaking work. --Edward Said A formidable work of intellectual history, one that demonstrates that the politics of knowledge is never far from national politics. --Christian Science Monitor His book should be welcome to both classicists and ancient historians, most of whom will, now at least, be inclined to agree with him. --R. A. McNeal Franklin and Marshall College Colossal.... Bernal aims to revise current understanding of Ancient Middle Eastern history by taking seriously the ancient Greeks' legends that portrayed much in their civilization as originating in the Middle East, especially Egypt. --New York Times Book Review Demands to be taken seriously... Every page that Bernal writes is educating and enthralling. To agree with all his thesis may be a sign of naivety, but not to have spent time in his company is a sign of nothing at all. --Times Literary Supplement [Bernal's] multifaceted assault on academic complacency is an important contribution to the development of a more open, historical, and culturally oriented post-processual archaeology. --Current Anthropology Bernal's enterprise - his attack on the Aryan model and his promotion of a new paradigm - will profoundly mark the next century's perception of the origins of Greek civilization and the role of Ancient Egypt. --Transition Martin Bernal has managed to make the subject of Ancient Greece both popular and controversial. --Baltimore Sun Bernal has ample justification for calling into question many widely accepted hypotheses.... He shows that Egypt and its culture were misrepresented or simply ignored by European writers. --Mary Lefkowitz New Republic [Martin Bernal] has forced scholars to reexamine the roots of Western civilization. --Newsweek Black Athena is a powerfully written and brilliantly researched book that relentlessly unveils the historical and cultural African origins of Western civilization. Still a must read for all those in search of truth. --Ama Mazama Professor of Africology and African American Studies, Temple University Martin Bernal's Black Athena is nothing short of a monumental achievement in scholarship that re-oriented and transformed serious study of ancient civilizations. It remains a soaring accomplishment of classical erudition of the Afroasiatic foundation of Greek history.--Molefi Kete Asante author of The History of Africa, Professor, Department of Africology, Temple University
In a spectacular undertaking, Martin Bernal sets out to... restore the credibility of what he calls the Ancient Model of the beginnings of Greek civilizations... Bernal makes an exotic interloper in Classical studies. He comes to them with two outstanding gifts: a remarkable flair for the sociology - perhaps one should say politics - of knowledge, and a formidable linguistic proficiency... The story told by Bernal, with many fascinating twists and turns and quite a few entertaining digressions, is... a critical inquiry into a large part of the European imagination... a retrospect of ingenious and often sardonic erudition. --Perry Anderson The Guardian An astonishing work, breathtakingly bold in conception and passionately written... salutary, exciting, and, in its historiographical aspects, convincing. --G. W. Bowersock Journal of Interdisciplinary History A work which has much to offer the lay reader, and its multi-disciplinary sweep is refreshing: it is an important contribution to historiography and the sociology of knowledge, written with elegance, wit, and self-awareness... a thrilling journey... his account is as gripping a tale of scholarly detection and discovery as one could hope to find. --Margaret Drabble The Observer Bernal's material is fascinating, his mind is sharp, and his analyses convince. --Richard Jenkyns Times Higher Educational Supplement A formidable work of intellectual history, one that demonstrates that the politics of knowledge is never far from national politics. --Christian Science Monitor His book should be welcome to both classicists and ancient historians, most of whom will, now at least, be inclined to agree with him. --R. A. McNeal Franklin and Marshall College Bernal's work and the stir it has occasioned have caused ancient historians and archaeologists to undertake a major reexamination of methods and motives. --Robert L. Pounder American Historical Review Colossal.... Bernal aims to revise current understanding of Ancient Middle Eastern history by taking seriously the ancient Greeks' legends that portrayed much in their civilization as originating in the Middle East, especially Egypt. --New York Times Book Review Demands to be taken seriously... Every page that Bernal writes is educating and enthralling. To agree with all his thesis may be a sign of naivety, but not to have spent time in his company is a sign of nothing at all. --Times Literary Supplement A serious work that deals in a serious way with many of the principal issues of Aegean history in the second millennium B.C., and one can ask little more of any historical work. --Stanley M. Burstein, California State University Classic Philology [Bernal's] multifaceted assault on academic complacency is an important contribution to the development of a more open, historical, and culturally oriented post-processual archaeology. --Current Anthropology A breathtaking panoply of archaeological artifacts, texts, and myths. --Toronto Star Bernal's enterprise - his attack on the Aryan model and his promotion of a new paradigm - will profoundly mark the next century's perception of the origins of Greek civilization and the role of Ancient Egypt. --Transition Challenges the racism implicit in the recent 'cultural literacy' movement. --Socialist Review A monumental and path-breaking work. --Edward Said Martin Bernal has managed to make the subject of Ancient Greece both popular and controversial. --Baltimore Sun [Martin Bernal] has forced scholars to reexamine the roots of Western civilization. --Newsweek Bernal has ample justification for calling into question many widely accepted hypotheses.... He shows that Egypt and its culture were misrepresented or simply ignored by European writers. --Mary Lefkowitz New Republic Black Athena is a powerfully written and brilliantly researched book that relentlessly unveils the historical and cultural African origins of Western civilization. Still a must read for all those in search of truth. --Ama Mazama Professor of Africology and African American Studies, Temple University Martin Bernal's Black Athena is nothing short of a monumental achievement in scholarship that re-oriented and transformed serious study of ancient civilizations. It remains a soaring accomplishment of classical erudition of the Afroasiatic foundation of Greek history.--Molefi Kete Asante author of The History of Africa, Professor, Department of Africology, Temple University
Bernal's material is fascinating, his mind is sharp, and his analyses convince. --Richard Jenkyns Times Higher Educational Supplement A formidable work of intellectual history, one that demonstrates that the politics of knowledge is never far from national politics. --Christian Science Monitor His book should be welcome to both classicists and ancient historians, most of whom will, now at least, be inclined to agree with him. --R. A. McNeal Franklin and Marshall College Bernal's work and the stir it has occasioned have caused ancient historians and archaeologists to undertake a major reexamination of methods and motives. --Robert L. Pounder American Historical Review A serious work that deals in a serious way with many of the principal issues of Aegean history in the second millennium B.C., and one can ask little more of any historical work. --Stanley M. Burstein, California State University Classic Philology A breathtaking panoply of archaeological artifacts, texts, and myths. --Toronto Star Martin Bernal has managed to make the subject of Ancient Greece both popular and controversial. --Baltimore Sun In a spectacular undertaking, Martin Bernal sets out to... restore the credibility of what he calls the Ancient Model of the beginnings of Greek civilizations... Bernal makes an exotic interloper in Classical studies. He comes to them with two outstanding gifts: a remarkable flair for the sociology - perhaps one should say politics - of knowledge, and a formidable linguistic proficiency... The story told by Bernal, with many fascinating twists and turns and quite a few entertaining digressions, is... a critical inquiry into a large part of the European imagination... a retrospect of ingenious and often sardonic erudition. --Perry Anderson The Guardian An astonishing work, breathtakingly bold in conception and passionately written... salutary, exciting, and, in its historiographical aspects, convincing. --G. W. Bowersock Journal of Interdisciplinary History A work which has much to offer the lay reader, and its multi-disciplinary sweep is refreshing: it is an important contribution to historiography and the sociology of knowledge, written with elegance, wit, and self-awareness... a thrilling journey... his account is as gripping a tale of scholarly detection and discovery as one could hope to find. --Margaret Drabble The Observer Colossal.... Bernal aims to revise current understanding of Ancient Middle Eastern history by taking seriously the ancient Greeks' legends that portrayed much in their civilization as originating in the Middle East, especially Egypt. --New York Times Book Review Demands to be taken seriously... Every page that Bernal writes is educating and enthralling. To agree with all his thesis may be a sign of naivety, but not to have spent time in his company is a sign of nothing at all. --Times Literary Supplement [Bernal's] multifaceted assault on academic complacency is an important contribution to the development of a more open, historical, and culturally oriented post-processual archaeology. --Current Anthropology Bernal's enterprise - his attack on the Aryan model and his promotion of a new paradigm - will profoundly mark the next century's perception of the origins of Greek civilization and the role of Ancient Egypt. --Transition Challenges the racism implicit in the recent 'cultural literacy' movement. --Socialist Review A monumental and path-breaking work. --Edward Said [Martin Bernal] has forced scholars to reexamine the roots of Western civilization. --Newsweek Bernal has ample justification for calling into question many widely accepted hypotheses.... He shows that Egypt and its culture were misrepresented or simply ignored by European writers. --Mary Lefkowitz New Republic Martin Bernal's Black Athena is nothing short of a monumental achievement in scholarship that re-oriented and transformed serious study of ancient civilizations. It remains a soaring accomplishment of classical erudition of the Afroasiatic foundation of Greek history.--Molefi Kete Asante author of The History of Africa, Professor, Department of Africology, Temple University Black Athena is a powerfully written and brilliantly researched book that relentlessly unveils the historical and cultural African origins of Western civilization. Still a must read for all those in search of truth. --Ama Mazama Professor of Africology and African American Studies, Temple University
[Bernal's] multifaceted assault on academic complacency is an important contribution to the development of a more open, historical, and culturally oriented post-processual archaeology. -- Current Anthropology [Martin Bernal] has forced scholars to reexamine the roots of Western civilization. -- Newsweek A breathtaking panoply of archaeological artifacts, texts, and myths. -- Toronto Star A formidable work of intellectual history, one that demonstrates that the politics of knowledge is never far from national politics. -- Christian Science Monitor A monumental and path-breaking work. --Edward Said Bernal's enterprise - his attack on the Aryan model and his promotion of a new paradigm - will profoundly mark the next century's perception of the origins of Greek civilization and the role of Ancient Egypt. -- Transition Challenges the racism implicit in the recent 'cultural literacy' movement. -- Socialist Review Colossal.... Bernal aims to revise current understanding of Ancient Middle Eastern history by taking seriously the ancient Greeks' legends that portrayed much in their civilization as originating in the Middle East, especially Egypt. -- New York Times Book Review Demands to be taken seriously... Every page that Bernal writes is educating and enthralling. To agree with all his thesis may be a sign of naivety, but not to have spent time in his company is a sign of nothing at all. -- Times Literary Supplement Martin Bernal has managed to make the subject of Ancient Greece both popular and controversial. -- Baltimore Sun A serious work that deals in a serious way with many of the principal issues of Aegean history in the second millennium B.C., and one can ask little more of any historical work. --Stanley M. Burstein, California State University Classic Philology A work which has much to offer the lay reader, and its multi-disciplinary sweep is refreshing: it is an important contribution to historiography and the sociology of knowledge, written with elegance, wit, and self-awareness... a thrilling journey... his account is as gripping a tale of scholarly detection and discovery as one could hope to find. --Margaret Drabble The Observer An astonishing work, breathtakingly bold in conception and passionately written... salutary, exciting, and, in its historiographical aspects, convincing. --G. W. Bowersock Journal of Interdisciplinary History Bernal has ample justification for calling into question many widely accepted hypotheses.... He shows that Egypt and its culture were misrepresented or simply ignored by European writers. --Mary Lefkowitz New Republic Bernal's material is fascinating, his mind is sharp, and his analyses convince. --Richard Jenkyns Times Higher Educational Supplement Bernal's work and the stir it has occasioned have caused ancient historians and archaeologists to undertake a major reexamination of methods and motives. --Robert L. Pounder American Historical Review His book should be welcome to both classicists and ancient historians, most of whom will, now at least, be inclined to agree with him. --R. A. McNeal Franklin and Marshall College In a spectacular undertaking, Martin Bernal sets out to... restore the credibility of what he calls the Ancient Model of the beginnings of Greek civilizations... Bernal makes an exotic interloper in Classical studies. He comes to them with two outstanding gifts: a remarkable flair for the sociology - perhaps one should say politics - of knowledge, and a formidable linguistic proficiency... The story told by Bernal, with many fascinating twists and turns and quite a few entertaining digressions, is... a critical inquiry into a large part of the European imagination... a retrospect of ingenious and often sardonic erudition. --Perry Anderson The Guardian Black Athena is a powerfully written and brilliantly researched book that relentlessly unveils the historical and cultural African origins of Western civilization. Still a must read for all those in search of truth. --Ama Mazama Professor of Africology and African American Studies, Temple University Martin Bernal's Black Athena is nothing short of a monumental achievement in scholarship that re-oriented and transformed serious study of ancient civilizations. It remains a soaring accomplishment of classical erudition of the Afroasiatic foundation of Greek history.--Molefi Kete Asante author of The History of Africa, Professor, Department of Africology, Temple University
[Martin Bernal] has forced scholars to reexamine the roots of Western civilization. --Newsweek Bernal has ample justification for calling into question many widely accepted hypotheses.... He shows that Egypt and its culture were misrepresented or simply ignored by European writers. --Mary Lefkowitz New Republic [Bernal's] multifaceted assault on academic complacency is an important contribution to the development of a more open, historical, and culturally oriented post-processual archaeology. --Current Anthropology A breathtaking panoply of archaeological artifacts, texts, and myths. --Toronto Star A formidable work of intellectual history, one that demonstrates that the politics of knowledge is never far from national politics. --Christian Science Monitor A monumental and path-breaking work. --Edward Said A serious work that deals in a serious way with many of the principal issues of Aegean history in the second millennium B.C., and one can ask little more of any historical work. --Stanley M. Burstein, California State University Classic Philology A work which has much to offer the lay reader, and its multi-disciplinary sweep is refreshing: it is an important contribution to historiography and the sociology of knowledge, written with elegance, wit, and self-awareness... a thrilling journey... his account is as gripping a tale of scholarly detection and discovery as one could hope to find. --Margaret Drabble The Observer An astonishing work, breathtakingly bold in conception and passionately written... salutary, exciting, and, in its historiographical aspects, convincing. --G. W. Bowersock Journal of Interdisciplinary History Bernal's enterprise - his attack on the Aryan model and his promotion of a new paradigm - will profoundly mark the next century's perception of the origins of Greek civilization and the role of Ancient Egypt. --Transition Bernal's material is fascinating, his mind is sharp, and his analyses convince. --Richard Jenkyns Times Higher Educational Supplement Bernal's work and the stir it has occasioned have caused ancient historians and archaeologists to undertake a major reexamination of methods and motives. --Robert L. Pounder American Historical Review Challenges the racism implicit in the recent 'cultural literacy' movement. --Socialist Review Colossal.... Bernal aims to revise current understanding of Ancient Middle Eastern history by taking seriously the ancient Greeks' legends that portrayed much in their civilization as originating in the Middle East, especially Egypt. --New York Times Book Review Demands to be taken seriously... Every page that Bernal writes is educating and enthralling. To agree with all his thesis may be a sign of naivety, but not to have spent time in his company is a sign of nothing at all. --Times Literary Supplement His book should be welcome to both classicists and ancient historians, most of whom will, now at least, be inclined to agree with him. --R. A. McNeal Franklin and Marshall College In a spectacular undertaking, Martin Bernal sets out to... restore the credibility of what he calls the Ancient Model of the beginnings of Greek civilizations... Bernal makes an exotic interloper in Classical studies. He comes to them with two outstanding gifts: a remarkable flair for the sociology - perhaps one should say politics - of knowledge, and a formidable linguistic proficiency... The story told by Bernal, with many fascinating twists and turns and quite a few entertaining digressions, is... a critical inquiry into a large part of the European imagination... a retrospect of ingenious and often sardonic erudition. --Perry Anderson The Guardian Martin Bernal has managed to make the subject of Ancient Greece both popular and controversial. --Baltimore Sun Martin Bernal's Black Athena is nothing short of a monumental achievement in scholarship that re-oriented and transformed serious study of ancient civilizations. It remains a soaring accomplishment of classical erudition of the Afroasiatic foundation of Greek history.--Molefi Kete Asante author of The History of Africa, Professor, Department of Africology, Temple University Black Athena is a powerfully written and brilliantly researched book that relentlessly unveils the historical and cultural African origins of Western civilization. Still a must read for all those in search of truth. --Ama Mazama Professor of Africology and African American Studies, Temple University
Author Information
MARTIN BERNAL (1937-2013) was a British scholar of modern Chinese political history and a Professor of Government and Near Eastern Studies at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. His celebrated Black Athena trilogy is a controversial series which argues that Ancient Greek civilization and language are Eastern and Egyptian in origin.
