Hellenistic Egypt: Monarchy, Society, Economy, CultureHellenistic Egypt brings together for the first time the writings of the preeminent historian, papyrologist, and epigraphist Jean Bingen. These essays, first published by Bingen from 1970 to 1999, make a distinctive contribution to the historiography of Hellenistic Egypt, a period in ancient Egypt extending from its conquest by Alexander the Great in 332 B.C. until its annexation as a province of the Roman Empire by Octavian (later Augustus) in 30 B.C., after his defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Ruled by Ptolemaic kings during this period, Hellenistic Egypt was a sophisticated, rich, and fertile country. Its history is intimately bound up with the history of the Mediterranean as a whole, yet parts of that history remain relatively obscure and open to debate. New evidence, particularly from papyri, emerges frequently and shifts our understanding and interpretation of this significant time. For the last six decades Jean Bingen has been a leading editor and interpreter of such evidence. In particular his work on the Ptolemaic monarchy and economy, which illustrates how the Greeks and Egyptians interacted, has transformed the field and influenced all subsequent work. Historian and classicist Roger Bagnall has selected and introduced Bingen’s most important essays on this topic. Copub: Edinburgh University Press |
Contents
Ptolemy I and the quest for legitimacy | 15 |
snapshot of a reign a temple | 31 |
Cleopatra VII Philopatris | 57 |
The dynastic politics of Cleopatra VII | 63 |
The Thracians in Ptolemaic Egypt | 83 |
Ptolemaic papyri and the Achaean diaspora | 94 |
Greek presence and the Ptolemaic rural setting | 104 |
the Ptolemaic period | 114 |
Greek tradition | 157 |
The structural tensions of Ptolemaic society | 189 |
The thirdcentury landleases from Tholthis | 206 |
Greek economy and Egyptian society in the third century | 215 |
Greeks and Egyptians according to PSI V 502 | 229 |
GraecoRoman Egypt and the question | 240 |
Normality and distinctiveness in the epigraphy | 256 |
Conclusion | 279 |
Kerkeosiris and its Greeks in the second century | 122 |
The cavalry settlers of the Herakleopolite in | 132 |
Two royal ordinances of the first century and | 141 |
| 290 | |
| 299 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Achaean administration agricultural Alexander Alexandria Antony Apollonios appears arouras Arsinoite Berenike Bernand BGU VIII BGU XIV Bingen Caesar Chapter chôra Claire Préaux Cleopatra Cleopatra VII cleruchic contract countryside cult cultivator cultural decree docu documents domain dossier dynastic elaikê epiclesis epigraphic exploitation fact Fayyum fiscal Greeks and Egyptians harvest Hellênes Hellenistic Egypt Hellenistic period immigrants inscription Isis katoikic katoikoi Kerkeosiris king klêros land later lease less Macedonian machimoi Memphis ment metropolis milieu monarchy monetary economy naos neôtera nome official organisation papyri papyrological papyrology particularly Petosiris pharaoh Philae political population privileged probably problem prostagma Ptol Ptolemaic Egypt Ptolemaic period Ptolemy I Soter Ptolemy XII queen reign Revenue Laws right of asylum role Roman Rome royal system rural sanctuary second century social space strategos structures syntimêsis tax farming Tebt temple tês epigonês third century Tholthis Thracian tion titulature traditional village wheat Zenon καὶ τῶν