Martin Bernal's 'Black Athena' and scholarly reaction

This thesis examines the arguments presented in historian Martin Bernal's Black Athena and the implications of these arguments for evolutionary models of Ancient Greek culture. I argue that Greek culture did not develop independently of the rest of the Mediterranean world because in my view it was largely a product of neighboring cultures. I also dispute Bernal's well-known but controversial argument that nineteenth century Western racism determined the ways that scholars viewed the development of Greek culture. The thesis analyzes Bernal's arguments as well as those of his detractors, especially Mary R. Lefkowitz of Wellesley College.