The Troglodytae (Greek: Τρωγλοδῦται) or Troglodyti (literally "cave goers"), were a people mentioned in various locations by many ancient Greek and Roman geographers and historians including Agatharcides, Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, Pliny, Tacitus, Josephus, etc. The earlier references call them Trogodytes[citation needed], which was evidently altered later by folk-etymology from Greek trōglē, cave. They were usually placed in the desert along the African side of the Red Sea coast, from Berenice Troglodytica southward as far as Somalia. They have been connected with the modern Afar of Eritrea and neighboring peoples, as well as with the Tuareg.
Troglodytis in Flavius Josephus
Flavius Josephus alludes to a place he calls Troglodytis while discussing the account in Genesis, that after the death of Sarah, Abraham married Keturah and fathered six sons who in turn fathered many more. "Now, for all these sons and grandsons, Abraham contrived to settle them in colonies; and they took possession of Troglodytis, and the country of Arabia Felix..."[1]
The Troglodytis Josephus refers to here is generally taken to mean both coasts of the Red Sea.[2] However, Josephus goes on to state that the descendants of one of these grandsons, Epher, invaded Libya, and that the name of Africa was thus derived from that of Epher.
References
- ^ Josephus, Flavius, Antiquities, 1.15.1
- ^ Saint Jerome's Hebrew Questions on Genesis
See also
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