Knowing the Unknown

This chapter looks at the various existence of exotica in the Classical, Byzantine, and Islamic periods. Through Egyptian intermediaries, monkeys from elsewhere in Africa reached Minoan Crete and the Cyclades during the first half of the second millennium B.C.E. Dozens of them appear thereafter in wall paintings, seals, and jewelry, engaging in animal and human activities in formal and informal settings. From the seventh century on, gradually expanding colonial and commercial contacts—especially in the eastern Mediterranean—brought exotic experiences back to the Greeks. This gave rise to Greek writing on natural history. Meanwhile, the rise of imperial Rome meant that exotic fauna found themselves inextricably linked with the self-image of the state; any exceptional creatures were reserved as gifts for the emperors. Menageries also existed throughout the Arab/Islamic world from an early date.