Monday, March 23, 2009

Cleopatra is NOT a ‘Sista’: a response to Keith Josef Adkins of TheRoot.com

If you believe in Revisionist Propaganda, the recent buzz circulating on the Internet of new scientific findings about the mixed racial origins of the Famous Cleopatra, are properly making you feel like its Christmas. I myself came across a recent blog entry on TheRoot.com by famous playwright and screenwriter Keith Josef Adkins. Like any Hellenic Patriot, I was outraged to see such Anti-Hellenic propaganda being written so freely. This newest attack on the cultural legacy and identity of Hellenism led me to write my own entry here on Enotitan Revolution. To much my surprise this short entry of mine actually made its way back to Mr. Adkins and led him to leave his own comments on my blog. The following is a response I’ve written to Mr. Adkins, I hope it finds him in good health.

Dear Mr. Keith Josef Adkins,

I am honored to see that you took the time to check out the Enotitan Revolution Blog and felt the need to even leave me a comment. From what I can tell from your own words, I do not believe that you are an Afrocentrist or an Anti-Hellenist, and I will refrain from labeling you as such from now on, unless proven otherwise. Your words seem genuine and since I am a good natured person, I will take you on your word that your post was not done intentionally, as part of a continued Afrocentrist campaign to steal a piece of Hellenism. I feel however it is my duty to inform you that your perception of the truth maybe flawed. And although you maybe trying to merely promote free discuss of a historical discovery, you are unknowingly doing a disservice to your many readers. Although I could chalk this up to simple ignorance on your part, as a person in your standing, you should know better. Therefore I would like to take a moment and enlighten you a little on Cleopatra and her Hellenic Ancestry so that you do not repeat such a mistake in the future.

The very thought that Cleopatra might have some type of African ancestrally is historical inaccurate and in my opinion laughable. Ancient sources clearly identify her as Makedonian, Hellenic by blood and culture. Her primary language was that of her ancestors, Greek. The last in a long line of rulers from the Ptolemies, a family known for inbreeding amongst themselves as to keep apart from the native blood pool. In other words, if she had been of mixed racial origins, it would have been well documented.

Now when it comes to the recent discovery at Ephesus that is causing this whole stir, I’d like you to re-read a few of those news sources.


Cleopatra's mother 'was African'


Cleopatra, the last Egyptian Pharaoh, renowned for her beauty, was part African, says a BBC team which believes it has found her sister's tomb.

Read Full Article Here

Study says Cleopatra was part-African

A team of Austrian archaeologists and forensic experts has found that the last Egyptian Pharaoh, Cleopatra had a part-African heritage.

Read Full Article Here

Notice anything Keith? The recent fuel to the theory that Cleopatra is Black is all based around the finding of the grave of her little sister Arisnoe. Now to the ignorant eye or in some cases the clever Anti-Hellenists eye, this would lead one to the conclusion that if Arisnoe was racially mixed then her sister Cleopatra must have been too, I mean come on they are sisters. The problem with this is that although they are sisters, they are only partially biologically related. You see they are HALF-sisters. What those promoting this new finding fail to report is that they do not share the same mother. Their father Ptolemy XII had two wives, the first of which was Cleopatra’s mother. The second was Arsinoe’s mother. I’m sorry, Cleopatra is still a full blooded Hellenic Queen.