"Greek philosophy is somewhat of a drama, whose chief actors were Alexander the Great, Aristotle and his successors in the peripatetic school, and the Emperor Justinian. Alexander invaded Egypt and captured the Royal Library at Alexandria and plundered it. Aristotle made a library at Alexandria and plundered books, while his school occupied the building and used it as a research centre. Finally, Justinian, the Roman Emperor, abolished the Temples and schools of philosophy, i.e., another name for the Egyptian Mysteries, which the Greeks claimed as their product, and on account of which, they have been falsely praised and honored for centuries by the world, as its greatest philosophers and thinkers. This contribution to civilization was really and truly made by the Egyptians and the African continent, but not by the Greeks and the European continent."
George G.M. James, Black Historian

This powerful and often controversial excerpt was taken from the late George GM James' now historic work "Stolen Legacy," a recommended reading tool of the National office of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. In it James proposed that the origins of Greek philosophy lay within Egyptian theology, what the Greeks called the Mysteries. His objectives, as he clearly stated, were as follows: 1.) To prove that Greek philosophy was a misnomer; 2.) To demonstrate the African origin of the Mysteries Schools; and 3.) To create a social reformation through the new philosophy of African redemption. Whether Greece truly "stole" Egyptian knowledge is debatable. It is probably better stated that what we know as Greek or Hellenist culture was influenced by African and Western Asian culture to the point at which the latter two deserve more recognition than that which they have been given. But regardless of how historically correct on certain points James may or may not have been at the time of this work, the far reaching implications of his general thesis has strong implications. For if the origins of Greek/Classical/Hellenic thought can be traced, in whatever parts, to Egypt (as well as Western Asia) then the late-ancient foundations of Western Civilization (from Greece to Rome to Europe to America) lays in Africa. Further still do the implications go when one journeys to the heart of Africa to find the origins of Egyptian cultural thought. In other words, there may be more contributors to the "Greek miracle" (as it is often called) than generally acknowledged. Pictured above is the Greek conqueror Alexander the Great. A student of the famed Aristotle, he was so impressed with Egypt that he renounced his own father and claimed descent from the African Egyptian god, Amen/Amun. In this coin he goes as far as to wear the ram horns, symbolic of Amen.

Key to this discussion of Africa and Greece are the so-called Mysteries. The Mysteries as they are often called, were secret religious societies (often called Mystery Cults), which permeated much of the ancient world. The Mysteries taught that the greatest good was in the salvation of the soul. Learning and understanding what was seen as divine knowledge, which the Mysteries focused upon heavily, did this. When one speaks of the Mysteries it is usually of the Greek and Near Eastern Mysteries such as the Orphic or Mithraic traditions. But for the purpose of this discussion, it is best to focus upon that part of Africa, which probably held the some of the oldest known Mysteries. Diffusionists might say that it is from this part of Africa that the very African idea of divine knowledge and secret society may have spread to such areas as Greece and the Near East. Others may take a more moderate stance and claim that at the least, these ideas would diffuse and influence certain aspects of western thought. This region is the Nilotic region, home to some of the most ancient cultural complexes on Earth: Nubia and Egypt.

The Egyptian Mysteries ,as they were called by Greeks and other witnesses of the time, was simply put Egyptian culture---including religion, cosmology and philosophical outlooks. Pharaonic Egypt has been designated for much of modern history, by the likes of Henry Breasted, as a nation of "whites." African scholars, such as Cheikh Anta Diop, took exception with this and have asserted a black pharaonic Egypt. Still others have taken a middle road position and, like Egyptologist Barbara Mertz, and claimed a mixed pharaonic Egypt with more African types to the south (Upper Egypt), white types to the North (Lower Egypt) and mixtures and variants scattered in between. The physical make-up of Egypt, which can lead to exhaustive discussions in race, anthropometry and more, will not be discussed here. What will be asserted is that much of what we know of Egyptian culture is also African culture (recognizing that while by no means homogenous in nature, African culture finds similarities while at the same time being heterogenous). Thus we can look to these Egyptian "Mysteries" to find ancient African ideologies. Egypt dedicated immense temples to its deities whom the mysteries were all integrally connected to. One need only to look to entire cities dedicated to the Egyptian Architect of the Universe, Ptah. Or to figures such as the Great Imhotep who would be remembered for millennium as the great architect in his own right. Or perhaps to the great temples dedicated to gods such as Amen or the great scribe who held the secret words, Tehuti. But probably the most well known of the mysteries, which would permeate, the world was that of the deities Ausar (Osiris), Auset (Isis) and Horus (Heru). Pictured above is the Temple of Abu Simbel, an Egyptian temple in Nubia. Many temples in ancient Egypt were built to recall divine occurrences such as the Creation. Only the duly initiated could enter into its sacred halls into the Holiest of Holies.

Ausar, commonly known by his Greek name Osiris, was one of the most famous neteru (manifestation of God) in Egypt. Heralded as the first king of Egypt it is believed Ausar is a composite of long dead kings who lived in ancient times. He is credited with bringing "civilization" to his people and establishing a code of spiritual laws and moral standards. The story of Ausar is a long and complex one. It is said that he ruled Egypt with his wife Auset, who is better known by her Greek name Isis. According to legend, Ausar was slain by his jealous half-brother Set, who cut his body into fourteen pieces. He was eventually resurrected and ruled in the underworld. This documents the oldest belief of resurrection and immortality in human history. More importantly however it demonstrates the Egyptian belief in the immortality of the soul. So it is no surprise that the greatest level of spirituality one could achieve was to become, though divine knowledge and understanding, the god Ausar upon transition to the next level of life (death). The idea of the Mysteries of rebirth after death may be derived from Ausar. Thus initiates in secret societies are said to die (mentally) and be born again. Pictured here is the god Ausar.

Typical of African deities, Ausar had a known consort, Auset. Auset (Isis) was the wife and sister of Ausar. Like her husband, she was thought to be an ancestral spirit. Heralded as the Queen of Egypt, Auset was said to be responsible for bringing writing and agriculture to the people. She also symbolized the fertility of the land. One of the original 9 neteru of Creation, it is said that she gained her power by learning the secret name of her father Ra. Following her husband's death, Auset searched the land for him. She found his body only to have Set dismember it into fourteen pieces. Once more she searched for her husband and located all of the pieces of his body save his phallus. Auset created the tekhen (obelisk) to symbolize her husband's missing member. With the help of the neteru Tehuti and Anpu, Ausar was resurrected. Legend further goes to say that while her husband was dead, his spirit entered and impregnated her. Shortly thereafter she conceived a child who would be named Heru. This act represents the first virgin-birth mythos known to mankind. Auset's worship would remain for several thousand years up to Rome where her temples, "The Cult of Isis," became numerous. In fact the story surrounding Auset and her virgin-born son Heru become one of the most famous in the ancient world. Pictured here is Auset with her son Heru.

Heru is the virgin-born son of Auset and Ausar. At his birth it is said wise kings or Magi came to honor him while he was adored by all manner of neteru and men. As an adult, Heru avenged his father by triumphing over his wicked uncle Set. Heru then journeyed to the underworld where he sits with his father in judgment of the dead. Heru's triumph over Set may be the origin of the word "hero" and his association with the zodiac makes him the source of the word "hour." Thus the minor deities of the zodiac are the "Watchers of the Hours (Horus)" or horoscope. He is depicted as a falcon or a man with a falcon head. Heru became known also as the "child of the light" representing the sun (knowledge) driving away darkness (Set; the setting sun; ignorance). From the earliest times in Egypt he came to represent the living king or divine kingship. This idea of the king as nearly a living god typifies African ideology and is thought to have come up the Nile from the south to Egypt. In fact it is said in Egyptian texts that Heru invaded Egypt from the south (Nubia). The ideas of the Mysteries of light banishing darkness or knowledge dispelling ignorance is derived from Heru. It is not surprising that many secret societies speak of receiving or searching for light (Heru). Some even call themselves "Children of Light" (Heru). Pictured here is the falcon headed Heru.

These Mysteries would make their way out of Africa by way of Egypt, and become an important facet of the Greco-Roman and Near Eastern worlds. The many Mysteries that existed are too many to recount, but certain similar aspects in many of them may trace back to Egypt and thus Africa. But the Mysteries eventually fell out of favor. Supplanted by other religious philosophies, they disappeared from the ancient world. Or at least, so it would seem. The importance of the great Mysteries would not be brought to world recognition again for several centuries. And it would occur in the most unlikely of places.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Written by Bro. Griot. Copyright 1998. All rights reserved. Except as provided under U.S. copyright law, all written information may not be reproduced, resold, distributed or modified without the express permission the author.

Pictures & Information Courtesy of
Stolen Legacy by George GM James
Nile Valley Contributions to Civilization by Anthony T. Browder
Civilization or Barbarism by Cheikh Anta Diop
Man, God and Civilization by John G. Jackson and the
Africana Studies Research Page