Long ago Quote by Leonard William King
““There is no doubt whatever that these Keftiu of the Egyptians were Cretans of the Minoan Age. They used to be considered Phoenicians, but this view was long ago exploded. They are not Semites, and that is quite enough. Neither are they Asiatics of any kind. They are purely and simply Mycenaean, or rather Minoan, Greeks of the pre-Hellenic period—Pelasgi, that is to say.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Keftiu and Their Origins, 1900s
The passage argues that the Keftiu, once thought to be Phoenicians or Semites, are actually Minoan or Mycenaean Greeks from the pre‑Hellenic era.
In simple terms: Keftiu were Minoan Greeks, not Phoenicians or Semites.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and correct historical misclassifications.
Themes
history
archaeology
identity
ancient cultures
ethnicity
Mood
analytical
inquisitive
scholarly
Type
historical
academic
When to use this quote
- museum curation
- academic research
- education curricula
- heritage tourism
- cultural diplomacy
Key Concepts
Minoan civilization
Greek prehistory
ethnolinguistic classification
Questions to Reflect On
- How do modern national narratives influence interpretations of ancient peoples?
- What implications does re‑classifying Keftiu have for understanding Mediterranean trade?
A Different Perspective
The evidence for this re‑identification is still debated among scholars.
![“[The Cretans have] more wit than words.” quote by Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/545/plato-103_character_the-cretans-have-more-wit-than-words-935_935458.jpg)
![“The dark cloud, which had been cleared by the Phoenician discoveries, and finally dispelled by the arms of Caesar, again settled on the shores of the Atlantic, and a Roman province [Britain] was again lost among the fabulous Islands of the Ocean.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/08e/edward-gibbon-710_arms_the-dark-cloud-which-had-been-cleared-by_1084745.jpg)
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
