By Konstantinos Konstantinidis – Amphiktyon
The presence of the Greeks in Egypt is as ancient as their own prehistory. In antiquity, they were so numerous that they even outnumbered the dark-skinned native Egyptians. The floods of the Nile buried all settlements along the riverbanks, and only stone structures located far from the river remained. The pottery that was found was crude, and the houses were made of mud bricks and reeds. The inhabitants were engaged in agriculture, fishing, and hunting. The Greeks taught the Egyptians to cultivate the land methodically near the Nile Delta.
The Greeks of early times first settled in Ethiopia. There is even a reference in Homer’s Iliad to a journey of Zeus to Ethiopia, although the means he used is not mentioned. Ethiopia had rich vegetation, and many city-states engaged in transit trade via the Nile were organized there. Ethiopians also came with them, forming the core of the Egyptian race. Later, trading posts were established near the Nile Delta, and goods were transported by ship to Greece and other parts of the Mediterranean.
The Egyptians were receptive to learning and lived harmoniously with the Greeks throughout all periods. They identified with the Greek way of life during both the traditional and historical eras. They did not regard the Greeks as conquerors, nor did the Greeks consider the Egyptians as slaves. There, they built many cities that became commercial, industrial, and cultural centers of Hellenism. They established oracles, built temples, and brought the gods of Olympus to the land of the Nile.
According to ancient writers, the Egyptians were a practical people: skilled craftsmen, builders, farmers, and artists—especially in music and dance. They accepted the world as it was, with kindness, without delving into issues that might divide peoples. They were not particularly engaged in letters and sciences, but they became skilled anatomist-physicians because of their practice of mummifying the dead. In contrast, Greek physicians lagged behind in anatomy, since the mistreatment of the dead was forbidden in ancient Greece. However, the Egyptians did not show particular ability in other medical specialties (such as pathology or pharmacology) and often attempted to heal the sick at crossroads with magical formulas and prayers.
Throughout their long history in Egypt, Greeks exercised authority as priests, seers, state officials, generals, sailors, merchants, and more.
The first Pharaoh was Greek, a son of Minos of Crete, named Min or Menes, and in Greek, Minas. Moreover, many subsequent pharaohs were Greek Cretans.
The great works of Egypt were built by Greeks, with Greek engineers and architects.
According to Strabo and Diodorus Siculus, Boutis was the high priest of the temples of Athena and Poseidon. He went to Egypt and discovered the books of Hermes Trismegistus in the crypts of the pyramids, transferring all the sacred texts that survived the Flood from hieroglyphic into hieratic script. The great engineer and architect Daedalus was the creator of the great Temple of Hephaestus in Memphis and of the Great Pyramid. He also constructed the labyrinth beneath the palaces with underground passages.
The persecution of the Greeks in Egypt was not an isolated event but a series of gradual political, social, and economic developments—mainly in the 20th century—that led to the mass departure of the Greek community.
Beginning of Pressure (1952–1956)
• 1952: Revolution of the Free Officers
• 1954–1956: Rise of Gamal Abdel Nasser
- Gradual abolition of capitulations
- Restriction of foreign businesses
- Increase of taxes on foreigners
There was no mass persecution, but there was intense insecurity, and most Greeks fled to Greece and elsewhere.
The geopolitical situation in the Eastern Mediterranean has created the strategic complex Greece–Cyprus–Israel, in which Egypt also participates loosely. However, as a Muslim country, Egypt is not stable and is not bound by firm commitments.
(19/2/26)
Amphiktyon – Major General (ret.) Konstantinos Konstantinidis
Writer, Member of the Hellenic Literary Society
http://www.amphiktyon.blogspot.com
amphiktyon.org