Category Archives: (02) Greek and Roman perspectives and stereotypes on other peoples

Pontic peoples: Phlyarchos on traits and customs of Thibians and Scythians (early second century BCE)

Romans: Ammianus Marcellinus on the danger of decline into uncivilized lifestyles (late fourth century CE)

Romans: Diodoros on Herakles’ journey to Rome before Rome (mid-first century BCE)

Romans: Dionysios on Roman origins, Italic peoples, and legends of Greek and Pelasgian migrations to Italy (late first century BCE)

Romans: Dionysios on the supposed Roman refusal of barbarian and Phrygian customs (late first century BCE)

Romans: Livy, Pliny, Plutarch, and Dio on Roman human sacrifice of Gauls and Greeks (late first century BCE on)

Romans: Strabo concludes on their dominance and superiority (early first century CE)

Romans: Strabo on Roman superiority and conquest of peoples (early first century CE)

Samaritans: Josephos on Cuthean origins and relations with Judeans over centuries (late first century CE)

Sarmatians and others: Pliny the Elder on peoples of northwestern Asia (first century CE)

Sarmatians, Huns, and Goths: Olympiodoros of Thebes on statues as protection against invasions (early fifth century CE)

Sarmatians: Tacitus on ferocity and laziness in military situations (early second century CE)

Scythian and Thracian diasporas: Inscriptional evidence

Scythians and Getians: Dio of Prusa on inter-ethnic encounters at Olbia and on Getian Matters (late first century CE)

Scythians and other northern peoples: Ephoros (mid-fourth century BCE)

Scythians and other Pontic peoples: Herodotos on the “most ignorant peoples of all” (fifth century BCE)

Scythians and Thracians: Hekataios of Miletos on European peoples (sixth century BCE)

Scythians, Amazons, and Hyperboreans: Diodoros on some northerners (mid-first century BCE)

Scythians, Amazons, and Persians: Isocrates on the superiority of the Athenian people (early fourth century BCE)

Scythians, Germans, and others: Pliny the Elder on peoples on the western and northern coasts of the Black Sea (first century CE)

Scythians, Thracians, Celts, and Persians: Plato on heavy-drinking and war-like peoples (early fourth century BCE)

Scythians: Aischines’ ethnic invective against Demosthenes (mid-fourth century BCE)

Scythians: Alexander Polyhistor on Iamians and just Abians (mid-first century BCE)

Scythians: Klearchos of Soloi (fourth century BCE)

Scythians: Lucian on Anacharsis and Solon’s dialogue about the superiority of Greek customs (mid-second century CE)

Scythians: Lucian on Toxaris’ and Anacharsis’ differing encounters with Greeks (late second century CE)

Scythians: Theopompos on a dish made from horses’ milk (mid-fourth century BCE)

Scythians: Trogus on Scythian superiority (first century BCE)

Serians (Chinese), Ottorokorians and others: Pliny the Elder on the savage silk people (first century CE)

Sicilians and other Greeks: Cicero’s praise for Sicilians in the prosecution of Verres (mid-first century BCE)

Sikelians, Sikanians, Sardinians and Iolaeians: Diodoros on ancient migrations and local customs on Sicily (mid-first century BCE)

Syrian and Phoenician diasporas: Inscriptional and archeological evidence

Syrian diasporas: Diodoros and Florus on Eunous of Apameia’s leadership of the slave rebellion on Sicily (mid-first century BCE / second century CE)

Syrians, Persians, Indians, Libyans, and others: Hekataios of Miletos on peoples of Asia (sixth century BCE)

Syrians: Apuleius on “effeminate” priests of Atargatis (late second century CE)

Taurians and Kolchians: Diodoros on the origins of human sacrifice in the Black Sea area (mid-first century BCE)

Thracians and Odrysians: Thucydides on Thracians, power, and violence (late fifth century BCE)

Thracians and other Black Sea peoples: Ammianus Marcellinus on their “savage” character and on Roman control (late fourth century CE)

Thracians, Galatians, Daans, and others: Polybios on the mixed composition of the armies of Ptolemy IV and Antiochos III (second century BCE)

Thracians, Getians, Paionians, and others: Herodotos (mid-fifth century BCE)

Thracians, Scythians, and others: Anonymous author on opposing views and the relativity of what is shameful or good (mid-fourth century BCE [?])

Thracians: Charon of Lampsakos on relations between Bisaltians and Greek Kardians (mid-fifth century BCE)

Thracians: Diodoros on Dromichaites and Kotys as wise Thracian kings (mid-first century BCE)

Thracians: Diodoros on the cruelty and lawlessness of the kings Diegylis and Zibelmios (mid-first century BCE)

Thracians: Greeks and Thracians honouring the Thracian goddess Bendis (fifth-third centuries BCE)

Thracians: Tacitus on their uncivilized and wild nature (early second century CE)

Thracians: Theopompos on king Kotys I’s obsession with banquets (mid-fourth century BCE)

Troglodytes: Graffiti and inscriptions from the Red Sea area thanking Pan / Min for rescue from Cave-dwellers (second century BCE)

Trojans, Lelegians, and Kilikians: Homer and Strabo on legendary peoples and migrations of historical peoples in Anatolia (early first century CE)

Trojans, Teukrians, and Dardanians: Diodoros on their origins (mid-first century BCE)

Tyrrhenians: Diodoros on Etruscan inventions, lifestyle, and decline (mid-first century BCE)

Tyrrhenians: Strabo on Etruscans as a powerful “bandit” people (early first century CE)

Tyrrhenians: Theopompos on the Etruscans’ supposed sexual deviance and freedom (mid-fourth century BCE)

Western peoples beyond the pillars of Herakles (and up): Lucian’s “A True Story” and ethnographic fiction (late second century CE)