Français – عربي – ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖⵜ – English
The ancient history of Benghazi is often neglected, overshadowed by its prestigious neighbor Cyrene. Despite this, the city, named Euhesperides by the Greeks, and then Berenice in the Roman era, has a rich ancient history and beautiful archaeological remains. This heritage is now in peril, after years of civil war. In this article, we will discover the ancient history of Benghazi.
Euhesperides: a Greek city
The city of Euhesperides was founded around 525 BCE, probably by Greek colonists from Cyrene and/or Barca. The ancient city was located to the East of the modern-day city of Benghazi, on a high piece of land facing the Sidi Abeid cemetery, in the Sebkha Es-Selmani neighborhood.
Euhesperides was built on the edge of a lagoon that opens on the sea. At the time, the lagoon was probably deep enough to be navigated by small ships.
The name of Euhesperides refers to the region’s fertility, as well as to Greek mythology: the city was believed to be the site of the legendary Garden of the Hesperides, where the famous golden apples were found. Other myths claim Benghazi was the site of Lake Tritonis, where the Libyan Amazons lived (although it is more likely to be the Chott el-Djerid, in Tunisia).
In Antiquity, Euhesperides was part of the Pentapolis, an alliance of five Greek cities in the area, together with Cyrene, the main city, Barca (El-Marj), Taucheira (Tocra) and Balagrae (El-Bayda) (or Apollonia (Marsa Susa), depending on sources).
The city of Euhesperides is mentioned for the first time in 515: the Greek historian Herodotus, in his narrative of the Persian conquest of Cyrenaica, mentions that the Persian army moved “as far West as Euhesperides”.
The first coins that were minted in Euhesperides date back to around 480. They show the oracle of Delphi on one side, and, on the other side, a silphium stem (silphium was a plant from the region, which was very popular in the ancient world for its medicinal virtues). Those coins are distinct from those of Cyrene, which suggests that Euhesperides probably enjoyed vast autonomy.
Another important event that happened in Euhesperides was the death of the last King of Cyrene Arcesilaus IV. After winning the chariot race at the Pythian Games in Delphi, in 462, with a team of Libyan horses, Arcesilaus IV tried to use his victory to attract new Greek colonists to Euhesperides. He was hoping to build himself a place of refuge, where the population would be indebted to him, as his popularity in Cyrene was declining. This initiative proved itself to be completely inefficient: after the 440 revolution that overthrew Arcesilaus IV, he fled to Euhesperides, but he was assassinated as soon as he arrived into the city.
Euhesperides, the westernmost of the major cities of Cyrenaica, was located in hostile territory, surrounded by Amazigh tribes who regularly attacked it. The Greek historian Thucydides mentions that the city was besieged by Libyan tribes, probably Nasamones, around 414. The city was delivered by the Spartan general Gylippus, who, while on his way to Sicily, had been pushed back to the Libyan coasts by adverse winds.
An inscription from the middle of the 4th Century shows that Euhesperides had a Constitution that was close to that of Cyrene, with an assembly of magistrates (ephors) and a council of elders (gerontes).
In 399, when the Messenians were expelled from their capital, Naupaktos, by the Spartans, they took refuge in Euhesperides.
In 332, Alexander the Great conquered Egypt. The Greeks of Cyrenaica, happy to see a Greek king who aspired to unite all Greeks, submitted to him. Euhesperides, together with the rest of Cyrenaica, became part of Alexander the Great’s Empire.
During the civil war that followed Alexander the Great’s death, Euhesperides, together with the neighboring city of Barca, supported the revolt of the Spartan mercenary Thibron, who was seeking to conquer an Empire in Libya. Thibron was defeated by Cyrene, with the support of the Ptolemy of Egypt. Cyrenaica then became part of the Ptolemaic Empire.
Berenice in the Ptolemaic era
In 276, Magas of Cyrene proclaimed himself King of Cyrenaica. He reigned until his death, around 250. After his death, his daughter Berenice married Ptolemy III Euergetes. Cyrenaica was again part of Ptolemaic Egypt, but with strong autonomy. Euhesperides was renamed Berenice, in honor of the new queen. The city was also moved to a new location: the new city of Berenice was located at the city-center of modern-day Benghazi.
The city’s most famous Greek work of art goes back to this time: the Benghazi Venus, a marble statue of the Greek goddess Venus.
The Roman city
In 105, Cyrenaica became independent again, under King Ptolemy Apion, son of Ptolemy VIII. When he died without a heir in 96, his kingdom was bequeathed to Rome.
Berenice continued to prosper during the Roman era. In the 3rd Century, Berenice even became the biggest city in Cyrenaica, before Cyrene. The Romans built new infrastructures, public baths and several buildings with beautiful mosaics.
Cyrenaica was the first region in North Africa to be reached by Christianity, and now has some of the best-preserved ruins of ancient Christian churches in North Africa. Berenice became an important Christian center. The first known bishop of Berenice was Ammon, who received a letter from the bishop of Alexandria around 260. The city also had a Jewish community. Unlike the Jews of Cyrene, those of Benghazi were governed by their own archon, who was himself Jewish.
After the Vandal conquest of Libya, Berenice was mostly destroyed by the Vandals. The city was rebuilt by Emperor Justinian after the Byzantine reconquest. Cyrenaica was then attached to Byzantine Egypt.
During the last few decades before the coming of the Arabs, the cities were mostly left to themselves to face the recurring Amazigh revolts. At the time of the 642 Arab conquest, Berenice was only an insignificant village surrounded by magnificent ruins. The Arabs called it Berniq (برنيق).
From Berniq to Benghazi
What is the origin of the name Benghazi ? Wikipedia says, “In 16th century maps, the name of Marsa ibn Ghazi (مرسى ابن غازي, port of Ibn Ghazi) appears”. However, the first to mention this name is actually Ibn Abd al-Zahir, a 13th-Century Egyptian historian, who writes Marsa Bani Ghazi (مرسى بني غازي, port of the sons of Ghazi, plural). In Arabic, غازي (Ghazi) means “warrior” or “conqueror”. It is a title given mostly to Muslim warriors who fight non-Muslims.
A research conducted by the Libyan researcher Ghalb Elfituri shows that a family from Fes, Morocco, settled in Berniq starting in 1125, to protect the Libyan coast against potential attacks by Byzantine ships. The Bani Ghazi were probably the men of this family, and the city was likely named after them. Learn more (link in Arabic)
Conclusion
Today, the ancient heritage of Benghazi, just like its more recent historical heritage, is threatened: many historical remains were destroyed and pillaged during the years of civil war. The loss of this heritage would be an invaluable loss for Libya. Luckily, the Department for the Monitoring of Antiquities in Benghazi works to preserve it.
1 thought on “The other cities of Cyrenaica: Euhesperides/Berenice, the ancient Benghazi”