The author of
The Odyssey is the legendary poet
Homer. [
1]
He was of
Ancient Greek nationality, likely born in the region of Ionia (an ancient Greek colony in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey). [
1]
The epic poem was most likely written down between
\(750\) and \(650\) BCE.
Prior to being written, the story existed for centuries as an oral tradition passed down by traveling bards. [
1,
2,
3]
- The Odyssey is not just a story — it is a foundational text of Western civilization, deeply tied to Greek identity, history, language, and lived heritage.
- Ancient Greeks were real people with real history. Their epics are not "open source material" for Hollywood to treat as color-blind fantasy.
- When a Greek person objects to their ancestral heroes being depicted in ways that erase their ethnic and cultural identity, that objection deserves the same gravity as any other community defending its historical figures.
Treating "Greek" culture as that which can be abstracted and reinterpreted, while treating "Black" as a culture that must be protected is a double standard and is itself a form of disrespect — toward Greeks and toward the idea that all peoples have equal claim to their own heritage.
- As it would be equally disrespectful for a white actor to play Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela.
- " What's good for the goose is good for the gander ❗ "
Additional considerations
- Cleopatra VII was of Macedonian Greek (Hellenistic) descent. She belonged to the Ptolemaic dynasty, founded by Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander the Great's generals, who ruled Egypt from 305 BC until the Roman conquest.
- The Ptolemies practiced extensive dynastic inbreeding, including brother-sister marriages. This was done primarily to preserve the royal bloodline, reinforce claims to legitimacy, and prevent rival families from acquiring power through marriage. While sibling marriage was also known among earlier Egyptian pharaohs, the Ptolemies adopted and continued the practice.
- Whether Cleopatra had any non-Greek ancestry remains unknown. Her father's identity is well established (Ptolemy XII Auletes), but the identity of her mother—and one grandmother—is not known with certainty. Most historians consider Cleopatra overwhelmingly likely to have been primarily of Macedonian Greek ancestry. There is no contemporary evidence that she was sub-Saharan African ("black" in the modern sense).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cleopatra VII was a highly skilled linguist who is widely believed to have spoken at least
eight to nine languages. As a polyglot, she could fluently converse with many of Egypt's neighbors, diplomats, and trading partners without ever needing an interpreter. [
1,
2,
3]
Ancient historians, like the Greek writer Plutarch, documented her impressive language abilities. The languages she was known to speak include: [
1]
- Koine Greek: Her native tongue and the official language of the royal court.
- Ancient Egyptian: She was the very first ruler in her family's dynasty to learn and master the native Egyptian language.
- Other regional tongues: She could speak the languages of the Ethiopians, Hebrews (Aramaic), Arabians, Syrians, Medes, Parthians, and Troglodytes. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Learning these languages was a smart political move. It helped her communicate directly with foreign leaders and understand the diverse people living in her kingdom. [
1,
2,
3,
4,
5]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Egyptian art and sculpture was symbolic in expression
- Roman art and sculpture was realistic in expression
Roman sculpture of Cleopatra when she was in Rome
If alive today