Edward Said, in his seminal book Orientalism , perceived clear links between the ancient Greek and Roman stereotypes of the East and the prejudiced European nineteenth-century picture of the Muslim world, which was considered exotic, backward, uncivilised, degenerate, and dangerous, in contrast with the Western societies that were seen as developed, rational, flexible, and, above all, superior. However, the reality is much more complex shaped by both the imperialist perceptions of defeated enemies embraced by all Middle Eastern empires going back at least to the Assyrians, and the intermixed admiration and jealousy of the old 'Eastern' traditions of learning. Part of the Greek and Roman stereotypes of the East are rooted in the interaction with eastern imperial ideals, being taken over and further developed to strengthen common Hellenic and Roman identities. Due to the subsequent free borrowing of these stereotypes and their application to different societies, the Orient has always been a moving '(n)everwhere' with each culture constructing their own Oriental mirages.

Autorentext
Björn Forsén is research director of the project Encounters between East and West in the Greek World at the University of Helsinki. His research interests include migration, travels, trade and transcultural interaction in a diachronic context, often connected to Empires, identities and stereotypes. Antti Lampinen is senior researcher at the University of Turku. His research focuses on ancient ethnographical and geographical thinking, discrimination in ancient societies and communication, cultural connections, processes of stereotyping and representations of population groups.