Ancient Libya
Ancient Libya refers to a historical region located in North Africa, encompassing areas that are part of modern-day Libya and northwest Egypt. In ancient texts, such as Homer's "Odyssey," the term "Libya" originally described a narrow land beyond Egypt's western border. The Greek designation later evolved to represent the entire continent of Africa beginning in the fifth century BC. During the Ptolemaic period, Libya was recognized as a nome along the Mediterranean coast, specifically the Mareote nome. The Roman Empire further divided the region into two provinces: Libya Superior, corresponding to northeastern modern Libya (known as Cyrenaica), and Libya Inferior, which included northwestern Egypt. The delineation of these provinces reflects the shifting political landscapes and administrative practices of ancient civilizations. The historical significance of Ancient Libya is underscored by its interactions with prominent cultures such as the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, making it a notable area of study for understanding the broader ancient world.
Subject Terms
Ancient Libya
(1) In Homer's Odyssey Libya was a narrow stretch of land in the north-western part (or beyond the western border) of Egypt. (2) It became the Greek name for the continent of Africa (regarded as a separate continent from the fifth century BC onward, with its frontier along the Nile or to the west—and then east—of Egypt). (3) In the Ptolemaic dominions Libya constituted a region (nome) on the Mediterranean coast, to the west of the Nile delta (subsequently known as the Mareote nome). (4) In the later Roman empire it provided the names of two provinces, Libya Superior (Cyrenaica, the northeastern portion of the modern state of Libya), and Libya Inferior (northwestern Egypt, corresponding with parts of the Homeric and Ptolemaic Libyas). The eastern emperor Valens (364–68) grouped these two provinces with Egypt in the administrative diocese of Aegyptus, which was detached from the diocese of Oriens.
