Saracens was a term used in the Middle Ages for those who professed the religion of Islam.^[1] The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ...

Etymology

The term Saracen comes from Greek Σαρακηνός, which has often been thought to be derived from the Arabic word شرقيين sharqiyyin ("easterners"), though the OED (s.v.) calls etymologies from this "not well founded". The term spread into Western Europe through the Byzantines and Crusaders.^[1] In the early centuries of the Roman Empire, the Saracens were a nomadic Arab tribe from the Sinai Peninsula, but later the Greek-speaking subjects of the Empire applied it to all Arabs. After the rise of Islam, and especially at the time of the Crusades, its usage was extended to whom today are called Muslims, particularly those in Sicily and southern Italy.^[2] Arabic redirects here. ... OED stands for Oxford English Dictionary Office of Enrollment & Discipline This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A current understanding of Western Europe. ... Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ... The Crusaders (formerly the Canterbury Crusaders) are a New Zealand Rugby Union team based in Christchurch, New Zealand that competes in the Super 14 (formerly the Super 12). ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez (west), Gulf of Aqaba (east) from Space Shuttle STS-40 For other uses of the word Sinai, please see: Sinai (disambiguation). ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Sicily ( in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 km² (9,926 sq. ...

In Christian writing, the name was made to mean "those empty of Sarah" or "not from Sarah," as Arabs were, in Biblical genealogies, descended from Hagar and also called the Hagarenes (Ἀγαρηνοί). According to the Arthurian Lancelot-Grail Cycle, the name derives from Sarras, an island important in the Quest for the Holy Grail. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Engraving of Sarah by Hans Collaert from c. ... The genealogies of Genesis record the descendents of Adam and Eve as given in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. ... Hagar (Arabic هاجر; Hajar; Hebrew הָגָר Stranger, Standard Hebrew Hagar, Tiberian Hebrew Hāḡār) is an Egyptian-born servant of Sarah, wife of Abraham in the Book of Genesis of the Torah (Hebrew Bible). ... Hagarenes also mhaggre, is a term that describes the followers or descendents of Hagar also known as the Arabs. ... The Matter of Britain is a name given collectively to the legends that concern the Celtic and legendary history of the British Isles, centering around King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. ... The Lancelot-Grail, also known as the prose Lancelot, the Vulgate Cycle, or the Pseudo-Map Cycle, is a major source of Arthurian legend. ... Sarras is a mystical island to which the Holy Grail is brought in the Arthurian legend. ... For other uses, see Holy Grail (disambiguation). ...

Saracens in Roman times

The earliest date-able reference to Saracens is found in Ptolemy's Geography, "Sarakene" is a region in the Northern Sinai named after the town Saraka located between Egypt and Palestine.^[3] Ptolemy also makes mention of a people called the sarakenoi living in north-western Arabia.^[3] Eusebius of Caesarea references Saracens in his Eccelastical history, in which he narrates an account wherein Dionysus the Bishop of Alexandria mentions Saracens in a letter while describing the Roman emperor Decius's persecution: "Many were, in the Arabian mountain, enslaved by the barbarous sarkenoi."^[3] The Historia Augusta, written in 400 CE also refers to an attack by Saraceni on Pescennius Niger's army in Aegyptus, 193 CE but provides little information on who they might be.^[4] This article is about the geographer, mathematician and astronomer Ptolemy. ... Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez (west), Gulf of Aqaba (east) from Space Shuttle STS-40 The Sinai Peninsula (in Arabic, Shibh Jazirat Sina) is a triangle-shaped peninsula lying between the Mediterranean Sea (to the north) and Red Sea (to the south). ... This article is about the geographical area known as Palestine. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... Eusebius of Caesarea Eusebius of Caesarea (c. ... Historia Ecclesiastica is the name of many different writings by different authors, usually documenting the history of Christianity. ... Pope Dionysius of Alexadria, named the Great, was the Bishop of Alexandria from 248 until his death on November 17, 265 after seventeen years as a bishop. ... “Decius” redirects here. ... The Augustan History (Lat. ... CE is an abbreviation which can have the following meanings: Capillary electrophoresis the CE mark is a stylized CE placed on products to signify conformance with European Union regulations. ... Pescennius Niger as emperor. ... This article is about the Aegyptus from Egyptian mythology. ... CE is an abbreviation which can have the following meanings: Capillary electrophoresis the CE mark is a stylized CE placed on products to signify conformance with European Union regulations. ...

Hippolytus, the book of the laws of countries and Uranius mention three distinct peoples in Arabia during the first half of the third century, the Saraceni, Taeni and Arabes.^[3] The Taeni are later identified with the Arab tribe called tayyi were located around the Khaybar Oasis all the way up to to the eastern Euphrates while the saracenoi were placed north of them.^[3] These Saracens located in the Northern Hejaz appear as people with a certain military ability and opponents of the Roman Empire who are characterized by the Romans as barbaroi.^[3] They are described in a Notitia dignitatum dating from the time of Diocletian, during in the 3rd century, as comprising distinctive units in the composition of the Roman army distinguishing between Arabs, Iiluturaens and Saracens.^[5] The Saracens are described as forming the equites (heavy cavalry) from Phoenicia and Thamud.^[5] In a praeteritio, the defeated enemies of Diocletians campaign in the Syrian desert are described as Saracens and other 4th century military reports make no mention of Arabs but refer to groups as far as Mesopotamia, involved in battles on both the Persian as well as Roman sides, as Saracens.^[5][6] In Greek mythology, Hippolytus was a son of Theseus and either Antiope or Hippolyte. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... Ruins of a Jewish Fortress at Khaybar Khaybar (خيبر) is the name of an oasis some 95 miles to the north of Medina (ancient Yathrib), Saudi Arabia. ... For the song River Euphrates by the Pixies, see Surfer Rosa. ... Map with the region outlined in red and the 1923 Kingdom in green “Hedjaz” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... The Notitia Dignitatum is a unique document of the Roman imperial chanceries. ... Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (c. ... The Roman army was a set of land-based military forces employed by the Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic and later Roman Empire as part of the Roman military. ... Phoenicia (or Phenicia ,[1] from Biblical Phenice [1]) was an ancient civilization centered in the north of ancient Canaan, with its heartland along the coast of modern day Lebanon and Syria. ... The Thamud are a people mentioned in the Quran as rejecting their Prophet Saleh. ... The Syrian Desert (Arabic: ), also known as the Syro-Arabian desert, is a combination of steppe and true desert that is located in parts of the nations of Syria, Jordan, and Iraq. ...

The Historia Augusta carries an account of a letter to the Roman senate, ascribed to Aurelian, that describes the Palmyrian queen Zenobia as: "I might say such was the fear that this woman inspired in the peoples of the east and also the Egyptians that neither Arabes, nor Saraceni, nor Armenians moved against her."^[5] Another early Byzantine source chronicling the Saracens are the 6th century works by Ioannes Malalas.^[5] The difference between the two accounts of Saracens is that Malalas saw Palmyrans and all inhabitants of the Syrian desert as Saracens and not Arabs, while the Historia Augusta saw the Saracens as not being subjects of Zenobia and distinct from Palmyrans and Arabs.^[5] Writing at the end of the fourth century Ammianus Marcellinus, a historian of Julian the Apostate, notes that the term Saraceni designating "desert-dwellers" of the Syrian desert had replaced Arabes scenitae.^[5] After Ammianus times the saracens were known as warriors of the desert.^[7] The term Saracens, popular in both Greek and Roman literature over time came to be associated with Arabs and Assyrians as well, and carried a definitive negative connotation.^[6][8] In the second and third century the Roman-Arab relations had become confrontational resulting in the annexation of Arab cities resulting to their increased nomadization so that by the end of the Roman period the use of the term Saracen in reference to Arabs had become conventional.^[8] The Augustan History (Lat. ... The Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus) was the main governing council of both the Roman Republic, which started in 509 BC, and the Roman Empire. ... Lucius Domitius Aurelianus[1] (September 9, 214–September 275), known in English as Aurelian, Roman Emperor (270–275), was the second of several highly successful soldier-emperors who helped the Roman Empire regain its power during the latter part of the third century and the beginning of the fourth. ... Early morning panorama of Palmyra. ... This article is about the Queen of the Palmyrene Empire who conquered Egypt. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... John Malalas (or Malelas) (Syriac for orator ) (c. ... Flavius Claudius Iulianus (331–June 26, 363), was a Roman Emperor (361–363) of the Constantinian dynasty. ...

The Middle Persian correspondent terms for Saracens are tazigan and tayyaye; who were located by Stephanus of Byzantium in the 6th century at the Lakhmid capital city of Al-Hirah.^[9] Sassanid Empire at its greatest extent The Sassanid dynasty (also Sassanian) was the name given to the kings of Persia during the era of the second Persian Empire, from 224 until 651, when the last Sassanid shah, Yazdegerd III, lost a 14-year struggle to drive out the Umayyad Caliphate... Stephanus Byzantinus (Stephanus of Byzantium), the author of a geographical dictionary entitled Εθνικα (Ethnica), of which, apart from some fragments, we possess only the meagre epitome of one Hermolaus. ... The Lakhmids (Arabic: ) or Muntherids (Arabic: ) were Arab Christians that lived in Iraq,al-Hirah became their capital in (266 AD). ... A manuscript from the 15th century describing the constructing of Al-Khornaq castle In Al-Hira,The Lakhmids capital city Al HÄ«ra (Arabic,الحيرة) was an ancient city located south of al-Kufah in south-central Iraq. ...

In Christian literature

Eusebius and Epiphanius Scholasticus in their Christian histories places Saracens east of the Gulf of Aqaba but beyond the Roman province of Arabia and mention them as Ishmaelites through Kedar; thus, they are outside the promise given to Abraham and his descendants through Isaac and also beyond a privileged place in the family of nations or divine dispensation.^[10][8] They were viewed as pagans and polytheists in ancient times and in later Christian times became associated with cruel tyrants from early Christian history such as: Herod the great, Herod Antipas and Agrippa I.^[8] Christian writings viewed them as heretics who had to be brought into the Orthodox fold by Origen.^[8] To the Christian Saint Jerome the Arabs, who were also considered in Christian theology as Ishmaelites, are also by definition Saracens; pagan tent-dwelling raiders of the lands on the eastern fringes of the Roman empire.^[8] The term saracen carried the connotation of people living on the fringes of settled society, living off raids on towns and villages and became equated with both the "tent-dwelling" Bedouin as well as sedentary Arabs.^[8] Church writers of the period commonly describe Saracen raids on monasteries and their killing of monks.^[8] The term and the negative image of Saracens was in popular usage in both the Greek east as well as the Latin west through the Middle Ages.^[8] With the rise of Islam in the seventh century and it's strong association with Arabs, tied the term closely with not just race and culture, but religion as well.^[8] The rise of the Arab empire and the ensuing hostility with the Byzantine empire saw itself expressed as conflict between Islam and Christianity and the association of the term with Islam was further accentuated both during and after the Crusades.^[8] Epiphanius Scholasticus was a sixth-century translator of Greek works into Latin. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Sinai Peninsula, with the Gulf of Aqaba (east) and the Gulf of Suez (west), as viewed from the Space Shuttle STS-40. ... Arabia Petraea Arabia Petraea, also called Provincia Arabia or simply Arabia, was a frontier province of the Roman Empire beginning in the second century; it consisted of the former Nabataean kingdom in modern Jordan, southern modern Syria Sinai, and northwestern Saudi Arabia. ... According to Quranic tradition Ibrahim had two wives Sarah and Hajira. ... Kedar is an another name for Lord Shiva, one of the three major gods of Hindu religion, the other two being Brahma and Bishnu. ... For other uses, see Abraham (name) and Abram (disambiguation). ... Sacrifice of Isaac, a detail from the sarcophagus of the Roman consul Junius Bassus, ca. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Dispensationalism. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Herod the Great. ... Herod Antipas (short for Antipatros) was an ancient leader (tetrarch, meaning ruler of a quarter) of Galilee and Perea. ... Front and back of a Judean coin from the reign of Agrippa I. // Agrippa I also called the Great (10 BC - 44 AD), King of the Jews, was the grandson of Herod the Great, and son of Aristobulus IV and Berenice. ... For other uses, see Heresy (disambiguation). ... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ... Origen Origen (Greek: Ōrigénēs, 185–ca. ... For other uses, see Jerome (disambiguation). ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Pagan may refer to: A believer in Paganism or Neopaganism Bagan, a city in Myanmar also known as Pagan Pagan (album), the 6th album by Celtic metal band Cruachan Pagan Island, of the Northern Mariana Islands Pagan Lorn, a metal band from Luxembourg, Europe (1994-1998) Pagans Mind, is... A Bedouin man on a hillside at Mount Sinai Bedouin, (from the Arabic (), is a desert-dwelling Arab nomadic pastoralist, found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and Negev to the Arabian Desert. ... Monastery of St. ... For other uses, see Monk (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... The Arab Empire at its greatest extent The Arab Empire usually refers to the following Caliphates: Rashidun Caliphate (632 - 661) Umayyad Caliphate (661 - 750) - Successor of the Rashidun Caliphate Umayyad Emirate in Islamic Spain (750 - 929) Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in Islamic Spain (929 - 1031) Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258... Byzantine redirects here. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ...

John of Damascus, a resident of the Caliphate's capital city, described the Saracens in the early 8th century: John of Damascus (Greek: Ιωάννης Δαμασκήνος/Ioannês Damaskinos; Arabic: Yaḥyā ibn Manṣūr; Latin: Iohannes Damascenus or Johannes Damascenus also known as John Damascene, Χρυσορρόας/Chrysorrhoas, streaming with gold—i. ... For main article see: Caliphate The Caliph (pronounced khaleef in Arabic) is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Sharia. ...

There is also the people-deceiving cult (threskeia) of the Ishmaelites, the forerunner of the Antichrist, which prevails until now. It derives from Ishmael, who was born to Abraham from Hagar, wherefore they are called Hagarenes and Ishmaelites. And they call them Saracens, inasmuch as they were sent away empty-handed by Sarah (ek tes Sarras kenous); for it was said to the angel by Hagar: "Sarah has sent me away empty-handed" (cf. Genesis xxi. 10, 14). These, then, were idolaters and worshippers of the morning star and Aphrodite whom in fact they called Akbar (Chabar) in their own language, which means "great". So until the times of Heraclius they were plain idolaters. From that time till now a false prophet appeared among them, surnamed Muhammad (Mamed), who, having happened upon the Old and the New Testament and apparently having conversed, in like manner, with an Arian monk, put together his own heresy. And after ingratiating himself with the people by a pretence of piety, he spread rumours of a scripture (graphe) brought down to him from heaven. So, having drafted some ludicrous doctrines in his book, he handed over to them this form of worship (to sebas).^[11] In this extract, John might actually have been referring to Allat, a pre-Islamic goddess equated with Aphrodite.

In modern times, "Saracen" has also commonly been applied to Mediterranean pirates. According to Quranic tradition Ibrahim had two wives Sarah and Hajira. ... For the Friedrich Nietzsche book, see The Antichrist. ... Hagar and Ishmael in the Wilderness, by Karel Dujardin Ishmael (Hebrew: יִשְׁמָעֵאל, Standard Tiberian ; Arabic: إسماعيل, Ismāīl) was Abrahams eldest son, born by his wifes handmaiden Hagar. ... For other uses, see Abraham (name) and Abram (disambiguation). ... Hagar can refer to: Hagar (Bible), in the Book of Genesis, the handmaiden of Sarah and wife of Abraham Hagarism: The Making of the Islamic World, title name taken from the above lady Hagar (company), an Icelandic retailer company, part of the Baugur Group Hägar the Horrible, the comic... Hagarenes also mhaggre, is a term that describes the followers or descendents of Hagar also known as the Arabs. ... According to Quranic tradition Ibrahim had two wives Sarah and Hajira. ... Engraving of Sarah by Hans Collaert from c. ... For other uses, see Genesis (disambiguation). ... The Birth of Venus, (detail) by Sandro Botticelli, 1485 For other uses, see Aphrodite (disambiguation). ... For the Patriarch of Jerusalem, see Patriarch Heraclius of Jerusalem. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Note: Judaism... This article is about the Christian scriptures. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      This article... For other uses, see Heresy (disambiguation). ... Mentioned in the Quran (Sura 53:20), Allāt (a contraction of pre-Arabic *al-ilāhat the Goddess) was a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess who was one of the three chief goddesses of Mecca. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... The Birth of Venus, (detail) by Sandro Botticelli, 1485 For other uses, see Aphrodite (disambiguation). ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Pirates may refer to: A group of people committing any of these activities: Piracy at sea or on a river/lake. ...

See also

• Mohammedan
• Medieval Christian view of Muhammad
• Orientalism
• History of Islam in southern Italy

Mohammedan is an archaic term in English for a Muslim. ... During the Middle Ages, the Christian world held a largely antagonistic view of Muhammad. ... For the book by Edward Said, see Orientalism (book). ... The Islamic conquest and domination of Sicily (as well as parts of southern Italy) is a process whose origin must be traced back in the general expansion of Islam from the 7th century onwards (see Muslim conquests for more details). ...

Footnotes

A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary, an important reference for information about places and place-names (see: toponomy), used in conjunction with an atlas. ...

References

• Retso, Jan, The Arabs in Antiquity: Their History from the Assyrians to the Umayyads, Routledge, 2003, ISBN 0-700-71679-3
• Hoy, Jaclyn, Storm: Set Adrift in a land called Holy, Xlibris Corporation, 2003, ISBN 1-401-08052-9