Africans in the Ancient Mediterranean World

Forthcoming - September 2026

Offering a range of accounts from the ancient Mediterranean world by Africans, Greeks, and Romans, this source book brings together a rich collection of myths, literary works, histories, poems, and scientific treatises by Africans or about Africans. From ancient Egyptian medical texts and stories about figures such as the Carthaginian general Hannibal, to the formative Christian writings of St. Augustine and commentary on the contributions of the Alexandrian mathematician Hypatia, this volume surveys the incredible diversity of peoples and perspectives of the African continent in antiquity. 

Short introductions contextualize each ancient source. A Thematic Guide to Readings helps readers follow advancements in science, technology, and literature; consider geographical and human diversity; trace the rise and fall of political figures; identify generalizations or stereotypes; and better understand developments in religion and spirituality as part of the ancient Mediterranean world.

Reviews:

“Muich and Ali make a strong case for the interconnectivity of Europe and Africa in the pre-modern era, providing an important corrective to the traditional Eurocentrism ingrained in the discipline of ‘Classics’. By introducing a variety of texts ranging geographically from Egypt and Nubia up to Carthage, Numidia, and Mauretania, and chronologically from the second millennium BCE up to the fifth century CE and the rise of Christianity, this reader will be an excellent starter for teachers and students wishing to reclaim the central role that Africa and Africans played in Greco-Roman history and culture.” 
—Elena Giusti, University of Cambridge

“Africans in the Ancient Mediterranean World will be a valuable guide for those approaching this area of study for the first time. Its selection and organization of primary sources encourages a multitude of strands of further exploration, ensuring that the volume lays the foundations for exciting future research.”
—Justine McConnell, King’s College London

About the Authors:

Rebecca M. Muich is Director of the Honors Program at Saint Louis University in Missouri and served as lecturer in the Department of Ancient Mediterranean Studies and Archaeology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. 

Omar H. Ali is Elizabeth Rosenthal Excellence Professor of African and Global African Diaspora History at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the author or editor of nine books on the African diaspora and world history, including Malik Ambar: Power and Slavery across the Indian Ocean (Oxford University Press).