Socotra - Dioskouridou Island, Exemplary Multicultural Society of Past Times - Prof. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
2016-03-09
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Prof. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis analyzed an excerpt of the text Periplus of the Erythraean (Red) Sea on Socotra.
In a series of four videos, we will present an edited and enlarged version of Prof. Megalommatis' article, which was first published here:
http://www.afroarticles.com/article-d...
Prof. Megalommatis' article was commented and discussed by Russian specialists as republished here:
https://profmegalommatistextsinrussia...
The excerpt of the 'Periplus of the Red Sea’ on Dioscouridou Nesos – Socotra:
"And beyond that (cape Syagros, i.e. Ras Fartak), in the open sea, in the middle of the distance between that (cape Syagros) and the opposite cape, the Cape of the Perfumes, but however rather closer to Syagros lies an island that is called Dioskouridou, a very big island with humid climate and desert environment. There are several rivers in the island, crocodiles, many big snakes and huge lizards. The inhabitants eat the flesh of these lizards, and use the fat, after melting it, for oil. There is no agricultural production, neither vineyards, nor wheat fields. The inhabitants are not numerous, and they dwell in the northern side of the island only, that is the part that looks towards the Arabian Peninsula. They are emigrant Yemenites, Indians, and some Greek-speaking Egyptians, and they have all intermingled with one another. They keep themselves busy with trade trips to all the coasts around. The island offers the best type of turtle shells, as well as the usual type of land turtle shell, and white turtle shells, everything in big quantity and in big size. There are also available shells of the huge mountain turtle that are very hard. This turtle’s ribs that are the most useful part of its body cannot be easily cut, and in addition they are of dark yellowish color. Contrarily to that, any part of its shell can be used; out of it, craftsmen make small boxes, small plaques, small dishes and plates, and all sorts of similar objects, since it can be easily cut. One finds here the Indian cinnabar (in Greek: kinnabari) that is collected from specific trees on the trunk of which it flows".
As music accompaniment we selected what reflects the diversity of the multicultural community of Ancient Socotra - Disokouridou Island. For the present video:
00:00 - Aramaean Music - Gudo d' Nuhomo (Bethnahrin/Mesopotamia) ܒܝܬ ܢܗܪܝܢ
5:51 - Aramaean Syriac hymn in the eastern (Madenkhaya) dialect
9:49 - The Coptic Hymn of the Intercession of the Saints: Hiten Ni-Epresvia (in Greek: Ο Ύμνος της πρεσβείας των Αγίων) - from the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil
Yemenites, Dravidian Indians, and Egyptian and Greek Alexandrians lived in Socotra as per the information provided by the Periplus of the Erythraean (Red) Sea.
Aramaeans, who were omnipresent alongside the trade routes between East and West, settled also there and Cosmas Indicopleustes (6th c. CE) mentioned their presence. At the time, Socotrans were Nestorian Christians.
In a series of four videos, we will present an edited and enlarged version of Prof. Megalommatis' article, which was first published here:
http://www.afroarticles.com/article-d...
Prof. Megalommatis' article was commented and discussed by Russian specialists as republished here:
https://profmegalommatistextsinrussia...
The excerpt of the 'Periplus of the Red Sea’ on Dioscouridou Nesos – Socotra:
"And beyond that (cape Syagros, i.e. Ras Fartak), in the open sea, in the middle of the distance between that (cape Syagros) and the opposite cape, the Cape of the Perfumes, but however rather closer to Syagros lies an island that is called Dioskouridou, a very big island with humid climate and desert environment. There are several rivers in the island, crocodiles, many big snakes and huge lizards. The inhabitants eat the flesh of these lizards, and use the fat, after melting it, for oil. There is no agricultural production, neither vineyards, nor wheat fields. The inhabitants are not numerous, and they dwell in the northern side of the island only, that is the part that looks towards the Arabian Peninsula. They are emigrant Yemenites, Indians, and some Greek-speaking Egyptians, and they have all intermingled with one another. They keep themselves busy with trade trips to all the coasts around. The island offers the best type of turtle shells, as well as the usual type of land turtle shell, and white turtle shells, everything in big quantity and in big size. There are also available shells of the huge mountain turtle that are very hard. This turtle’s ribs that are the most useful part of its body cannot be easily cut, and in addition they are of dark yellowish color. Contrarily to that, any part of its shell can be used; out of it, craftsmen make small boxes, small plaques, small dishes and plates, and all sorts of similar objects, since it can be easily cut. One finds here the Indian cinnabar (in Greek: kinnabari) that is collected from specific trees on the trunk of which it flows".
As music accompaniment we selected what reflects the diversity of the multicultural community of Ancient Socotra - Disokouridou Island. For the present video:
00:00 - Aramaean Music - Gudo d' Nuhomo (Bethnahrin/Mesopotamia) ܒܝܬ ܢܗܪܝܢ
5:51 - Aramaean Syriac hymn in the eastern (Madenkhaya) dialect
9:49 - The Coptic Hymn of the Intercession of the Saints: Hiten Ni-Epresvia (in Greek: Ο Ύμνος της πρεσβείας των Αγίων) - from the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil
Yemenites, Dravidian Indians, and Egyptian and Greek Alexandrians lived in Socotra as per the information provided by the Periplus of the Erythraean (Red) Sea.
Aramaeans, who were omnipresent alongside the trade routes between East and West, settled also there and Cosmas Indicopleustes (6th c. CE) mentioned their presence. At the time, Socotrans were Nestorian Christians.
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