Saracen

:For the English rugby union team, see Saracens (rugby club).

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The term Saracen comes from Greek sarakenoi.

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In the early centuries of the Roman Empire it was used as the name of an Arab tribe in the Sinai, apparently taken from the Arabic word شرقيين sharqiyyin ("easterners").

Related Topics:
Roman Empire - Arab - Sinai - Arabic

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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 all Muslims, particularly those in Sicily and southern Italy. In older Western historical literature, the term "Saracen Empire" was often used to refer to the Arab Caliphate under the rule of the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties.

Related Topics:
Islam - Crusades - Muslim - Sicily - Italy - Literature - Caliphate - Umayyad - Abbasid

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In Christian polemical writing against Islam, the name was made to mean "those empty of Sarah" or "not from Sarah," as Arabs are descended from Hagar.

Related Topics:
Christian - Sarah - Hagar

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Saracen has also commonly been applied to Mediterranean pirates.

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