Stolen Legacy

Stolen Legacy: The Greeks Were Not the Authors of Greek Philosophy, But the People of North Africa, Commonly Called the Egyptians is a book by Guyanese-American historian George G. M. James, first published in 1954. In this book, James argues that Greek philosophy wasn't originally developed by the ancient Greeks themselves. Instead, he suggests that it was borrowed from the Ancient Egyptians during Alexander the Great's conquest of Egypt.

According to James, Alexander looted the Royal Library at Alexandria, taking valuable texts that influenced prominent figures like Aristotle. He also references earlier Greek sources like Herodotus, who acknowledged Greece's cultural indebtedness to Egypt. Additionally, James highlights Greek philosophers like Pythagoras and Plato, believed to have studied in Egypt.

The book leans on Freemasonry writings to assert that Greco-Roman mysteries stem from an 'Egyptian Mystery System.' However, historians critique James for inaccurately citing these sources. Overall, his thesis, as presented in Stolen Legacy, has been widely dismissed as pseudohistory by academic historians.