Head of an "Ethiopian" depicted in Hellenistic period

Head of an "Ethiopian" depicted in Hellenistic period

Hellenistic Statue Art

"Medium: Black bronze, gold, carnelian, obsidian
Dimensions: h. 3.9 cm (1 9/16 in); w. 2.8 cm (1 1/8 in); d. 3.2 cm (1 1/4 in)"

In the Hellenistic Period, Ethiopians were considered exotic, coming from a far away or mythical place. However, people from Ethiopia were not the only ones "Ethiopians" represented. "Ethiopians" actually represented all Africans, or people with black skin. In the Hellenistic period, the minority they had previously held was growing. They were now athletes and entertainers, but they were also slaves. Slaves live in poverty, and there is no way to know if this was modeled after a slave or an athlete, but I can tell you that both Greeks and Non-Greeks were used as slaves and soldiers. This means that all of those people were living in poverty.

"From Egypt; Possibly from Delta"

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

"Ptolemaic Period
332-30 B.C."

Melissa Yahr

Copyright. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Used here for educational purposes only.