A close examination of the ancient contacts between Greece and Egypt with special reference to Greek and Egyptian foreign relations from the 7th to 5th centuries BCE

Abstract

Greece and Egypt can be studied as two ancient civilizations that developed in Europe and Africa respectively. Even though they were in two different geographical regions facing the Mediterranean Sea, remaining historical texts and archaeological evidence attest to close connections that existed between Greece and Egypt which can be dated back to 3000 BCE. Greece and Egypt were in constant struggles with foreign threats from the 7th century onwards, but according to the above-quoted evidence, they have managed to maintain friendly cooperative relations with each other. Egypt faced the threats of the Assyrian army in the 7th century while the Greco-Persian war lasted for over half a century from 492-449 BCE. According to the accounts of the Greek Historians Herodotus and Diodorus, there were Ionian and Carian soldiers in the Egyptian army under the Egyptian King Psammatichus I. On the other hand, Egypt sent a large quantity of grain to Athens when there was a grain shortage for the Athenian population during the time of war. These crucial instances reflect how Greece and Egypt reached out to each other seeking resources and help. They can be recognized as mutually beneficial relations. The remaining evidence on Greco-Egyptian contact narrows Egyptian connections specifically to Athens. Accordingly, it is worth recognizing the nature of this commitment between Egypt and Athens. Further, the significance lies in the fact that both Greece and Egypt continued foreign relations with each other as evident in their Maritime agreement signed in 2020. Accordingly, this paper intends to examine and analyze the nature of the ancient relations that existed between Athens and Egypt from the 7th to 5th Centuries BCE. The results of this study will set an example for modern-day foreign relations. The historical method under qualitative methodology will be followed as the paper will rely on historical evidence and scholarly ideas on these ancient literary and archaeological recordings.