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 | The arid desert sands of Egypt make it a uniquely important location for studying the seismic changes that took place throughout the Hellenistic period. The preservation of papyri, ostraca, buildings, and tombs offers unparalleled evidence for a detailed study of Egypt's society, culture(s), and daily life. This course studies the complex, multicultural history of Egypt under the Ptolemies, from Alexander to Cleopatra to gain a focused understanding of one Hellenistic kingdom and begin to extrapolate our conclusions to the wider Hellenistic world. |
| 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 papyri, archaeology, and literature, and will learn to analyse Egypt within the broader context of the Hellenistic world. Through a close study of texts in translation and material culture, the course will approach Egypt¿s society, economy, religion, and culture, examining these alongside broader topics such as gender, bilingualism, and class dynamics. Egypt¿s geography and physical remains will be mobilised and contextualised in light of the documentary and literary evidence, so that students are able to anchor the past in its physical context. Students will also, through the study of papyri in particular, learn to develop an understanding of objects¿ physical features and their modern treatment, and will be guided to make critical use of papyrological tools and online resources.
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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
|
| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 26 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
172 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
50 %,
Coursework
50 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework:
3,000 word essay (50%)
Exam:
2 hour paper (50%) |
| Feedback |
Students will receive written feedback on their coursework, and will have the opportunity to discuss that feedback further with the Course Organiser during their published office hours or by appointment. |
| No Exam Information |
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 James Oakley
Tel:
Email: joakley@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Sonnet Chun
Tel:
Email: Sonnet.Chun@ed.ac.uk |
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