It is said that history like fashion always revises itself. Here is an example. Libya, a country until Italian takeover of 1911 was never alike. When UK’s minister of state of Armed Forces Nick Harvey suggested an Idea of dividing Libya into two regions, he revoked a strong historical pedigree.
Historically, Benghazi is part of Cyrenaica which was founded in the 7th century BC by Greek colonists around the ancient city of Cyrene whereas Tripoli, geographically long distant (1,200 miles to the West from Benghazi), was founded by Carthaginians, who wanted to trade with the indigenous Berber tribesmen.
Due to these cultural and geographical distances, over two millennia both colonies maintained their separate identities. Cyrenaica was influenced by Greek culture and developed a reputation for arts, crafts; medicine and learning while followed their founders, Carthaginians and focused on their commercial skills.
The Roman historian Plutarch described the Carthaginians as ‘coarse and gloomy, submissive to those who govern them and despotic to those they govern’.
There were no trades between the Benghazi (East) and Tripoli (West) reason being the long travel distance between the two. The sea route was also not favoured by the prevailing winds.
In later years of Persian, Egyptian and Macedonian regime also, the two regions stayed apart. Then Romans rolled in, they ruled Tripolitania province directly but joined Cyrenaica to their existing province of Crete.
Though apart from this distance, Tripoli and Benghazi shared a common language and legal system and continued to develop separately.
The East held close touch with Christianity until the marauding Vandals. In later years Arab invaders and Ottoman Turks suppressed those who followed the religion.
Tripoli became one of the great cities of the region under the Ottomans. Its population was predominantly Moorish and Muslim. West stayed rich, largely through piracy and the slave trade, which was allowed to continue until 1890.
In 19th centaury picture has changed and in 1911, Italy occupied it and divided it into three colonies named as Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and southern Fezzan. In 1934, Mussolini combined the three and formed a new country named Libya.
Libya remained united, untill today under the ruling of King Idris and Muammar Gaddafi. Any division due to current civil unrest will be a repeat case of history only, nothing else.
International News inextlive from World News Desk
