The sources are clear that the Romans and Greeks considered sub-Saharan Africans "exotic" because the latter had black skin, and prostitutes of sub-Saharan Afri

The sources are clear that the Romans and Greeks considered sub-Saharan Africans "exotic" because the latter had black skin, and prostitutes of sub-Saharan African origin were sometimes sought out by Romans and ascribed certain qualities due to their dark skin. It has been suggested that such othering is an act of oppression regardless of what historical era it occurred in. That is, the Romans did not need to have our contemporary understanding of race in order to engage in racism towards black Africans.