Undergraduate Course: Hellenistic Egypt: Society, Economy and Culture (332BC - 31BC) (ANHI10051)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Hellenistic Egypt has a uniquely important place in the study of the ancient world: first, papyri offer unparalleled first-hand evidence for a detailed study of Egypt's administration, economy, society, culture, and daily life; second, it was the longest-lasting Hellenistic Kingdom. This course studies the complex history and fascinating multicultural society of Egypt under the Ptolemaic dynasty, from the 4th cent. BC to 30 BC, when Egypt's last Queen, Cleopatra VII, succumbed to the eagles of Rome. |
| Course description |
In this course, students will become familiar with the complex and fascinating history of the multicultural society of Hellenistic Egypt as evinced by the unique amount of evidence offered by the papyri and will learn to analyse the role of Egypt within the broader context of the Hellenistic world. Through a close study of texts in translation, the course will approach Egypt's administration, economy, society, religion, and culture, as well as topics such as gender, bilingualism, ancient archives, social mobility, slavery, status, and complex identities. Topographical aspects, archaeological sources, and material culture will also be mobilised and contextualised in the light of the information from documentary sources, so that students may anchor the past in its physical context and thus gain a fuller understanding of ancient realities. Students will also learn to develop a sensitivity towards documents' physical features and be guided to make full critical use of papyrological sources and online tools.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should usually have at least 3 courses in Classics related subject matter (at least 2 of which should be in Ancient History) at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this) for entry to this course. We will only consider University/College level courses. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- know and understand the social, economic, and political history of Egypt in the Hellenistic period;
- know and understand the social and cultural interactions of the multicultural population of Egypt in the period;
- collect, analyse and compare evidence from a range of material for the period (for instance, papyrological and archaeological);
- evaluate and criticize the work of modern historians;
- evidence skills in the presentation of their ideas and conclusions on this topic.
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Reading List
Bagnall, R.S. (ed.) 2009. The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology. Oxford.
Clarysse, W. and Thompson, D. J. 2006. Counting the People in Hellenistic Egypt. Cambridge.
Cribiore, R. 2001. Gymnastics of the Mind. Greek education in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt. Princeton.
Fisher-Bovet, Ch. 2014. Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt. Cambridge.
Fraser, P.J. 1975. Ptolemaic Alexandria. Oxford.
Keenan, J., Manning J., and Yiftach-Firanko, U. (eds.) 2014. Law and Legal Practice in Egypt from Alexander to the Arab Conquest. Cambridge.
Lewis, N. 1986. Greeks in Ptolemaic Egypt. Oxford.
Manning, J.G. 2009. The Last Pharaohs: Egypt under the Ptolemies. Princeton.
Parca, M. 2012. 'The women of Ptolemaic Egypt: the view from papyrology'. In James and Dillon (eds.), A Companion to Women in the Ancient World. Oxford: 316-28.
Rowlandson, J. 2005. 'Town and country in Ptolemaic Egypt'. In Erskine (ed.), A Companion to the Hellenistic World. Oxford: 249-63.
Thompson, D. J. 2012. Memphis under the Ptolemies. 2nd ed. Princeton.
Vandorpe K. (ed.) 2019. A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt. Oxford. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Hellenistic Egypt |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Mario C. D. Paganini
Tel:
Email: mpaganin@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Lauren Smith
Tel:
Email: Lauren.N.Smith@ed.ac.uk |
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