{"id":2018,"date":"2021-06-04T14:43:20","date_gmt":"2021-06-04T13:43:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/curiosi\/?page_id=2018"},"modified":"2021-06-09T18:06:30","modified_gmt":"2021-06-09T17:06:30","slug":"black-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/curiosi\/black-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Black African Authors in the Roman Empire"},"content":{"rendered":"

Throughout history black and African voices have been silenced systematically, in order to forge a narrative of white supremacy. By casting Western-minority groups as savage or uneducated natives, collective memory now recalls groups of people subdued and modernized by the \u2018more developed\u2019 West. Traditional practices regarding research and interpretation in the Classics discipline tend to reaffirm and strengthen the misconceptions associated with this flawed and dangerous narrative. The field of Classics has been dominated by white, male voices. Through telling stories relatable to them they created an echo chamber of information on the classical world. Perpetuating the idea of a white-washed ancient past is harmful, however, to all. In ignoring data and evidence for a society that was far more influenced by the East and South than was sometimes thought, Westerners have lost or hidden a wealth of knowledge, understanding and answers.<\/p>\n

Reading University\u2019s Classics Department is committed to decolonising the curriculum and challenging our preconceptions of the non-white world. Originally, this digital exhibition was intended to accompany a physical display for Black History month, in October 2020. Due to COVID-19 restrictions this wasn\u2019t possible, but in the wake of the University’s launch of its Race Equality Review<\/a> on 24 May 2021 we re-animated the project. The three authors featured here are ancient African writers: Tertullian<\/a>, a Berber; Terence<\/a>, a Libyan; and Apuleius<\/a>, a Numidian. These authors wrote broadly and across different genres, but each touched on the experiences of their people, even if in a satirical manner. The planned exhibit included an illustrated collection of Terence\u2019s Comedies<\/em>, a Penguin Classics edition of Apuleius\u2019 The Golden Ass<\/em> and a 1931 edition of Tertullian\u2019s Apologeticus<\/em> and De Spectaculis<\/em>. Visitors to this digital exhibit are encouraged to find these and other relevant resources, as suggested with out bibliography provided below. Meanwhile, to read about each of these authors please follow these links:<\/p>\n

\u21d4 Terence<\/a><\/p>\n

\u21d4<\/a> Tertullian<\/a><\/p>\n

\u21d4 <\/a>Apuleius<\/a><\/p>\n

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Further Reading:<\/h3>\n

If you enjoyed learning more about these authors and their texts, we suggest you follow up with these resources:<\/p>\n