Some lands are so ancient, it's like they're forever new. Libya's like that – from Neolithic times before the dawn of history, down through Egyptians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, and Muslims, the ancient peoples of Libya's coasts and deserts assimilated new ideas and made tradeworthy accommodation (eventually) with all comers. The political entity we think of as a somewhat-misshapen box on Africa's Mediterranean shore only came into existence in 1951; prior to that, Libya had, like so many other lands in regions of overlapping imperial interests, changed hands many times as the powerful waxed and waned.
Join me, if you will, in the Cave of the Moonbat, where tonight we'll look at some of the Libya-attacking that went on the ancient lands of Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan. Consider it a prelude to the other three diaries in this series, which concern themselves with Libya-attacking in the Middle Ages, in the World Wars, and in the modern era. Don't worry, though – it'll be a couple of thousand years before we have to start worrying about Nazi tanks – so grab your trusty saif, mount up your camel, and meet me at the nearest oasis.
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