Event

Speaker: Sarah Derbew, Assistant Professor of Classics, Stanford University

Title: A Language for Blackness

Abstract: This talk examines the current state of affairs regarding blackness and race in Greco-Roman antiquity. It proposes a set of terms that helps readers parse the specific valences of blackness in the ancient Greek world. An ancient literary example puts this proposed vocabulary to use. Namely, Herodotus weaves black skin color in and out of his description of Aithiopians, thus reinforcing the shaky staying power of race as it applies to black skin color in ancient Greek historiography. Altogether, Herodotus' portrayal of Aithiopians demands broader methods of defining people that incorporates visual and non-visual clues.

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