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Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, widely known as Job Ben Solomon in Europe, is one of the few survivors to escape captivity in North America and return to Africa. Involved in the slave trade himself, his fate took a dramatic turn in 1731 when he was captured and sent to Maryland, United States. Diallos noble background, education, and literacy in Arabic caught the attention of English elites. He was brought to England in 1733 and later returned to his homeland in Africa, where he became known as a symbol of African dignity and resilience.Early Life of Ayuba Seleiman Diallo & EnslavementLetter of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo to his father, 1731. Source: Wikimedia Commons/British Library, LondonAyuba Suleiman Ibrahima Diallo was born around 1701 in Bundu, in the West African state of Futa Toro, located in modern-day Senegal. His father, Suleiman Diallo, was a prominent religious and political leader from a noble Muslim Fulbe ethnic group.During his early childhood, Diallo was acquainted with Sambo, the prince of the Islamic region of Futa Toro. They both excelled in studying Arabic and the Quran.By the 1720s, Diallo had married two formerly enslaved people and had four children. At this time, he was renowned not only for his intelligence but also for his success as a merchant in the transatlantic slave trade.In 1730, Diallo travelled to the coastal port for supplies as well as to sell two of his familys Mandinka (a West African ethnic group) enslaved persons. Accompanied by Loumein Ndiaye, his assistant and interpreter, Diallo was captured by the Mandinka as retaliation and sold alongside his interpreter as war captives initially to local slave traders, then to English merchants.Ayuba tried to escape to avoid being sent away into slavery. He managed to convince Pike, captain of a slave ship, that they had known each other through slave trading and that if a messenger were sent to his father, he would pay the ransom. Pike agreed, but the messenger did not return on time. Ayuba Diallo was then transferred to the British colony of Maryland in North America.Life in MarylandSlave Trade, by John Raphael Smith, 1791. Source: Paul Mellon Fund, National Gallery of Art, Washington DCIn Maryland, Ayuba was sold to Alexander Tolsey, a tobacco planter.Ayuba struggled to work on plantations due to his weak stamina, and he was put in charge of the cattle. However, Ayuba found the living conditions unbearable; he often would escape into the woods to pray and isolate, facing humiliation from other laborers and nearby settlers.In 1731, Ayuba attempted to flee but was quickly recaptured. Being imprisoned at the Kent County Courthouse, he was provided with an African interpreter. With his help, Ayuba explained that the reason for his escape was not an act of rebellion, but an attempt to acquire peace to pray.It was at the courthouse that Thomas Bluett, an attorney and Anglican priest, first noticed Ayuba. Stunned by the story and personality of Diallo, Bluett would document Diallos life in his book Some Memoirs of the Life of Job, the Son of Solomon, the High Priest of Boonda in Africa, published in 1734.In this book, Bluett recalled:Upon our Talking and making Signs to him, he wrote a Line or two before us, and when he read it, pronounced the WordsAllah andMahommed; by which, and his refusing a Glass of Wine we offered him, we perceived he was aMahometan, but could not imagine of what Country he was, or how he got thither; for by his affable Carriage, and the easy Composure of his Countenance, we could perceive he was no common Slave.Plan of the Nantes slave ship La Marie Sraphique, which transported 307 enslaved people across the Atlantic in horrific conditions. Source: Spiegel/Chateau des ducs de Bretagne/Muse dhistoire de NantesConsidering his exceptional situation, Ayuba was returned to the plantation and given an undisturbed place to pray. Alexander Tolsey, being informed of Ayubas noble family, allowed him to send a letter to his father, asking for the sum for freedom.Ayubas letter was seen by James Oglethorpe, a lawyer and deputy governor of the British Royal African Company. Oglethorpe morally opposed slavery and was one of the founders of Georgia, which was initially intended as a slave-free colony. Stunned by Ayubas story, he decided to arrange Ayubas freedom himself and paid 45 pounds in compensation.Ayuba arrived in England in 1733 to arrange the final steps for his freedom.Life In EnglandSlaves working on plantations. Source: British Online ArchivesDuring his two-month journey on a ship to England, Diallo started learning English. Upon arrival, he was named Job ben Solomon, a biblical anglicization of his name. In London, the Duke of Montagu hosted Ayuba.At Montagus country estate, Diallo continued to study English. English nobles often visited him to listen to his stories and adventures, as well as life in Africa. They frequently showered Ayuba with gifts as a symbol of their admiration.Later, Ayuba began to translate Arabic manuscripts and inscriptions for the Royal Society, an elite scientific institution. One of the most well-known instances includes Ayuba working for a prominent physician and naturalist, SirHansSloane, whose library later became the foundation of the British Museum. Ayuba also copied Arabic texts, assisting British and Arabic scholars in research related to Islam.Perhaps one of Ayubas most remarkable achievements was his three handwritten copies of the Quran, written entirely from memory. This fact demonstrates his remarkable scholarly skills and extraordinary literacy capabilities.For these accomplishments, Diallo was accepted as a member of the Gentlemans Society of Spalding. He became a social success, impressing the British elite and intellectual circles with his intelligence and manners. Even the royal family, including Queen Caroline of Ansbach, the wife of King George II of Great Britain, received him, most probably due to her keen interest in education, science, and the arts.Portrait of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, by William Hoare, 1733. Source: National Portrait Gallery, LondonIn his 1738 book Travels Into the Inland Parts of Africa, Francis Moore, a traveler and Royal African Company agent, described Diallo as a person of extraordinary abilities, and distinguished merita happy mixture of the Grave and the Cheerful.During Ayubas stay in London, prominent artist William Hoare painted his portrait. This had both political and historical significance as it represents one of the earliest known British portraits of an African from life. William Hoare most likely received the commission for the painting by supporters or members of the Royal Society, possibly James Oglethorpe or Sir Hans Sloane, who were involved in Ayubas emancipation and introduction to British society. Ayuba initially refused to sit for a portrait, fearing it might be used as an object of worship.As an illustration of Diallos piety, Thomas Bluett, in his Memoirs, points out:Jobs Aversion to Pictures of all Sorts was exceeding great; insomuch that it was with great Difficulty that he could be brought to sit for his own. We assured him that we never worshipped any Picture, and that we wanted his for no other End but to keep us in mind of him. He at last consented to have it drawn, which was done by Mr Hoare.By 1734, Ayuba, with the assistance of his newly acquired English friends of high society, managed to obtain the long-awaited freedom. A subscription sum was raised to cover all the costs related to Ayubas stay in London, his travel, and his freedom.In July 1734, Ayuba boarded the ship to return to the coast of the Gambia, Africa.Gaining Freedom & Returning HomePortrait of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, by William Hoare, c. 1733. Source: Royal Academy, LondonWhen Ayuba Diallo reached the coast of Gambia, he sent a message to his family, informing them about his arrival. Despite Diallos fathers deteriorated health, he survived to hear about Diallos freedom and safe return home. However, Diallo never met his father alive.Upon being reunited with his family, Diallo introduced new equipment and skills he had learned in Europe to improve the living conditions of the Bundu people. He also continued his activity as a religious leader and scholar, living with his four children and one of his wives, whom he was forced to leave behind when he was captured in 1731.Ayuba Diallo died aged 77. His death was recorded in the minutes of the Spalding Gentlemens Society.Legacy of Ayuba Suleiman DialloPlate to commemorate the abolition of the slave trade, by Henry Moses and Josiah Collyer, 1808. Source: Royal Museum GreenwichAyuba Suleiman Diallo is celebrated as an educated man, deeply knowledgeable in Islamic scholarship and Arabic literature, and a resilient, dignified former enslaved person who successfully navigated both West African and British elite societies. However, modern literature exposes the complexities and duality of his persona.Though he endured slavery, humiliation, harsh labor, and displacement, he profited from the slave trade himself. Even after his return to Africa, Diallo continued to lead a privileged life and was involved with the slave trade for personal profit.Ayuba Diallos story of enslavement and freedom was exceptional. Most West Africans sold into slavery were not of noble origin and lacked access to education or the British elite support system that might have aided in securing their freedom.The narrative of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo was primarily shaped by Thomas Bluetts accounts of his life and Ayubas memoirs, dictated to Bluett and published in French and English in 1734. The works were mostly intended to appeal to Western, particularly British, socio-cultural and political sensibilities. The story was the answer to the ideals of enlightenment, education, virtue, and reasoning. These qualities were particularly praised within the Royal Society and by those who eventually worked for his freedom.While the moral aspect of his story is ambiguous, Ayuba Suleiman Diallo remains a symbol of resilience in historical injustices, such as the transatlantic slave trade, representing a key figure at the complex intersections of African resilience, European imperialism, and the Enlightenment.

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City of Cologne/Roman-Germanic Museum, Michael WiehenThe staircase was once connected to a praetorium, the official residence of the Roman governor.During excavations related to the construction of a new museum in Cologne, Germany, archaeologists have uncovered several remarkably well-preserved ruins from the citys ancient Roman past. Beneath the foundation of an apse from the fourth century C.E., archaeologists found both a staircase and a shrine connected to the citys Roman governor.Dating to the first and second centuries C.E., these finds are remarkable windows into Colognes Roman history and an astounding example of how the long-gone past can remain hidden right beneath the surface of a modern city.The Ancient Roman Staircase And Shrine Uncovered Right Beneath The Center Of CologneAccording to a statement from the City of Cologne, the Roman ruins were discovered during the construction of a new underground tour area related to the forthcoming MiQua LVR Jewish Museum. After reexamining an apse from a large 4th-century C.E. basilica in the Rathausplatz, which previously appeared to be just a mere dip in the pavement, archaeologists realized that there was more at the site than met than eye.City of Cologne/Roman-Germanic Museum, Michael WiehenThe starting point of the excavation was an apse from a 4th-century basilica, which archaeologists realized was much thicker than previously known.By looking at a cross section of the apse, archaeologists determined that it was more than 13 feet thick. It was not made of Roman cast concrete (opus caementicium), but instead a carefully crafted layer of volcanic stone, basalt, and limestone, which was then bonded with a mortar made of brick and gravel. This remained intact over many centuries perhaps because of strategic backfills of earth, possibly meant to even out the slope to the river bank.But the more impressive Roman ruins were found at even deeper archaeological levels. It was there that archaeologists uncovered a staircase from the first century C.E. and an altar (lararium) from the second century C.E.City of Cologne/Roman-Germanic Museum, Franziska BartzThe Roman staircase dates back to the first century C.E., and connected varying levels of the praetorium near the Rhine.Both of these discoveries were connected to a praetorium, the official residence of the Roman governor. The staircase connected a lower level of the Rhine to a higher level of the praetorium itself, though its unknown where exactly the original staircase ended. Meanwhile, the lararium is a niche in the wall dedicated to the households guardian deities, the Lares, who are represented by figurines. Here, worshippers could leave food or objects as offerings.Though all the ruins are exciting finds, the lararium is an especially astounding discovery. Still flecked with paint, its more comparable to shrines found in far-off locales like Pompeii than it is to anything found north of the Alps.The Rich Roman-Era History Of CologneThe Roman history of Cologne began some 2,000 years ago, when the Germanic Ubii tribe struck a deal with the Romans to settle on the left bank of the Rhine. Their original settlement, the modern-day site of the historic center of Cologne, was known as Oppidum Ubiorum.City of Cologne/Roman-Germanic Museum, Michael WiehenThe Roman shrine, or lararium, is an especially unique find for the region, with comparable examples found in faraway cities like Pompeii.The Ubii were ultimately relocated to the right bank of the Rhine, and Oppidum Ubiorum became an important Roman military base, settlement, and center of trade. In 50 C.E., the Roman emperor Claudius agreed to make the settlement a colonia upon the request of his wife, Agrippina the Younger, who was born in Oppidum Ubiorum.From that point on, the settlement became known as Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. As a Roman colonia, it soon had stone buildings, temples, baths, aqueducts, paved streets, and official residences like the praetorium. Indeed, the city was important enough in the region that, in 90 C.E., it became the capital of the Roman province of Lower Germany, Germania Inferior. At the time, some 45,000 people lived there.Now, the discovery of the Roman staircase and shrines represent a fascinating reminder of Colognes early history, a time when the city was a new Roman colonia nestled in the far-flung reaches of the empire.After reading about the Roman staircase and shrine that were uncovered in Cologne, go inside the complicated question of when the Roman Empire actually fell. Then, discover the wild stories behind some of the worst Roman emperors, from Caligula to Caracalla.The post Museum Construction In Germany Just Turned Up An Ancient Roman Governors Palace And Basilica appeared first on All That's Interesting.

There's nothing quite like owning a piece of something you love, is there? In the video game world, that feeling has been increasingly eroded as the vast majority of storefronts shift towards downloadable formats (yes, including physical copies), but that doesn't mean you can't chase that feeling.