095: Ptolemaic Egypt – The Two Lands Restored

Twenty years of chaos in the Ptolemaic kingdom come to an end during the reign of Ptolemy V Epiphanes (204-180). His marriage to the Seleucid princess Cleopatra I Syra confirmed the loss of Coele Syria to Antiochus III, yet she proved to be a good match and helped secure the future of the dynasty. Haronnophoris and the Great Revolt are finally put down in 186, but the Alexandrian government is forced to give concessions to the Egyptians, as the Ptolemies must now come to terms with their new status as a second-class power in the Mediterranean. We also delve into the history of the Rosetta Stone, the Hellenistic period’s most famous document, and its role in the decipherment of Ancient Egyptian.

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095: Ptolemaic Egypt – The Two Lands Restored (Transcript)Download

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References
Primary
Appian – The Macedonian Wars
Appian – The Syrian Wars
Diodorus Siculus – Library of History
Josephus – The Antiquities of the Jews
Justin – Epitome of Pompeius Trogus
Livy – The History of Rome
Polybius – The Histories
Pompeius Trogus – Prologues
Porphyrius – Fragments

The Book of Daniel

Inscriptions
OGIS (Orientis Graeci Inscriptiones Selectae): 56, 90, 99, 758
SEG (Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum): 35.1604
TM (Trismegistos): 48335, 48339
Cairo: 38258

Papyri
P. Recueil: 11
P. Dem. Berl. Kaufv.: 3146, 13593
P. Dem. Ehev: 29
P. Gr.: 274
P. Köln: 7
P. Tor. Choach.: 1
SB: 6.9367, 20.14659
Chr. Wilck.: 162
BGU: 6.1215, 3992

Secondary
Buchwald, J. and Josefowicz, D.G. (2020) The Riddle of the Rosetta: How an English Polymath and a French Polyglot Discovered the Meaning of Egyptian Hierogylphs
Clarysse, W. (2004) The Great Revolt of the Egyptians (205-186 BCE), pgs. 1-13, https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/files/TheGreatRevoltoftheEgyptians.pdf
de Frutos García, A. and Tovar, S.T. (2017) “New Fragments of the Amnesty Decree of October 9, 186 BCE”, The Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists, Vol. 54, pp. 45-57
Fischer-Bovet, C. (2014) Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt
Höbl, G. (2001) A History of the Ptolemaic Empire
Johstono, P. (2016) “Insurgency in Ptolemaic Egypt” in Brill’s Companion to Insurgency and Terrorism in the Ancient Mediterranean, pgs. 183-215
Johstono, P. (2018) “‘No Strength to Stand’: Defeat at Panium, the Macedonian Class, and Ptolemaic Decline”, Brill’s Companion to Military Defeat in Ancient Mediterranean Society, pgs. 162-187
Llewellyn-Jones, L. (2024) The Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egypt
Pestman, P.W. (1995) “Haronnophris and Chaonnophris: Two Indigenous Pharaohs in Ptolemaic Egypt (205-186 B.C.)” in Hundred-Gated Thebes: Acts of a Colloquium on Thebes and the Theban Area in the Graeco-Roman Period, pp. 107-137
Thompson, D.J. (2012) Memphis Under the Ptolemies, Second Edition
Veïsse, A.E. (2022) “The ‘Great Theban Revolt’, 206-186 BCE” in Cultures of Resistance in the Hellenistic East, pgs. 57-73

091: The Fifth Syrian War

The crisis in Egypt enabled Antiochus III to launch another invasion south into Ptolemaic territory, kickstarting the Fifth Syrian War (202-195) that finally delivered Coele Syria into Seleucid hands after almost a century of conflict. Antiochus’ ambition to claim the territories of Seleucus I leads him to campaign in Europe, placing him on a collision course with the Roman Republic.

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091: The Fifth Syrian War Download

References
Primary
Appian – Macedonian Affairs
Appian – The Syrian Wars
Diodorus Siculus – Library of History
Josephus – The Antiquities of the Jews
Justin – Epitome
Livy – The History of Rome
Plutarch – Life of Cimon
Polyaenus – Stratagems
Polybius – The Histories
Porphyrius – Fragments
St. Jerome – Chronological Tables
Tacitus – Annals
The Book of Daniel

C. Ord. Ptol. (Corpus des ordonnances des Ptolémées)
OGIS (Orientis Graeci Inscriptiones Selectae)
SEG (Supplementum Epigraphicum Graecum)

Secondary
Austin, M. (2006) The Hellenistic World from Alexander to the Roman Conquest: A Selection of Ancient Sources in Translation (Second Edition)
Bar-Kochva, B. (1976) The Seleucid Army: Organization and Tactics in the Great Campaigns
Du Plessis, J.C. (2022)The Seleucid Army of Antiochus the Great: Weapons, Armour and Tactics
Eckstein, A.M. (2012) Rome Enters the Greek East: From Anarchy to Hierarchy in the Hellenistic Mediterranean, 230-170 BC
Gera, D. (1987) “Ptolemy Son of Thraseas and the Fifth Syrian War”, Ancient Society, Vol. 18, pp. 63-73
Grainger, J.D. (2010) The Syrian Wars
Grainger, J.D. (2015) The Seleukid Empire of Antiochus III, 223-187 BC
Gruen, E.S. (1984) The Hellenistic World and the Coming of Rome
Johstono, P. (2018) “‘No Strength to Stand’: Defeat at Panium, the Macedonian Class, and Ptolemaic Decline”, Brill’s Companion to Military Defeat in Ancient Mediterranean Society, pgs. 162-187
Ma, J. (1999) Antiochos III and the Cities of Western Asia Minor
Schäfer, P. (2003) The History of the Jews in the Greco-Roman Period
Wrightson, G. (2022)The Battles of Antiochus the Great: The Failure of Combined Arms At Magnesia That Handed the World to Rome

071: The Fourth Syrian War – A Tale of Two Kingdoms

In 222 B.C., two of the world’s most powerful kingdoms saw the coronation of young monarchs: Antiochus III of the Seleucid Empire, and Ptolemy IV Philopator of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt. As Antiochus tries to keep his realm from falling apart in the face of rebellions and the assassination of his older brother, the laziness of Ptolemy allows the court of Alexandria to fall into a whirlwind of conspiracies and corruption among his advisors, serving as a dramatic prelude to the Fourth Syrian War.

071: The Fourth Syrian War – A Tale of Two Kingdoms Transcript Download

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References

Primary
Appian – The Syrian Wars
Athenaeus – Deipnosophistae
Josephus – The Antiquities of the Jews
Justin – Epitome
Pliny the Elder – Natural History
Plutarch – Life of Cleomenes
Polybius – The Histories
Pompeius Trogus – Prologues
Porphyrius – Fragments
Zenobius – Proverbs
The Book of Daniel

Secondary
Bar-Kochva, B. (1976) The Seleucid Army: Organization and Tactics in the Great Campaigns
Chrubasik, B. (2016) Kings and Usurpers in the Seleukid Empire: The Men who would be King
D’Agostini, M. (2018) “Asia Minor and the Many Shades of a Civil War. Observations on Achaios the Younger and his Claim to the Kingdom of Anatolia”. The Seleukid Empire 281-222 BC: War Within the Family, pgs. 59-81
Du Plessis, J.C. (2022) The Seleucid Army of Antiochus the Great
Grainger, J.D. (2015) The Seleukid Empire of Antiochus III, 223-187 BC
Hobl, G. (2001) A History of the Ptolemaic Empire
Kosmin, P.J. (2016) The Land of the Elephant Kings: Space, Territory, and Ideology in the Seleucid Empire
Kurht, A. and White, S.S. (1993) From Samarkand to Sardis: A New Approach to the Seleucid Empire
Ma, J. (1999) Antiochos III and the Cities of Western Asia Minor
Parpas, A.P. (2016) The Hellenistic Gulf: Greek Naval Presence in South Mesopotamia and the Gulf (324-64 B.C.)
Pomeroy, S.B. (1984) Women in Hellenistic Egypt: From Alexander to Cleopatra
Roller, D.W. (2020) Empire of the Black Sea: The Rise and Fall of the Mithridatic World

063: Ptolemaic Egypt – Berenice’s Lock and the Gates of Babylon

As the power couple of the Mediterranean, Ptolemy III and Berenice II Euergetes (Benefactor) would oversee the apogee of Hellenistic Egypt. Ptolemy’s successful blitzkrieg against the Seleucid Empire during the Third Syrian War would see a near-total conquest of Syria and Mesopotamia, and brought their northern rivals to their knees. As one of the most formidable women in all of the ancient world, Berenice would be immortalized through the poetry of Callimachus and possessed an unprecedented amount of personal cpower compared to any royal lady of the time.

063: Ptolemaic Egypt – Berenice’s Lock and the Gates of Babylon Transcript Download

Family Tree: Reign of Ptolemy III Download

Primary
Aelian – On Animals
Aelian – Varia Historia
Anonymous – Periplus of the Erythraean Sea
Anonymous – Scholia Theocritus
Appian – Syrian Wars
Athenaeus – Deipnosophistae
Callimachus – Fragments
Catullus – Works
Cosmas Indicopleustes – Christian Topography
Eusebius – Chronicle
Hyginius – De Astronomica
Justin – Epitome
Polyaenus – Stratagems
Polybius – The Histories
Pompeius Trogus – Prologues
Porphyrius – Fragments
Plutarch – Life of Alexander
Plutarch – Life of Aratus
Plutarch – Life of Cleomenes
Plutarch – Life of Demetrius
Plutarch – Life of Philopoemen
Pausanias – Description of Greece
Pliny the Elder – Natural History
Strabo – Geography

Inscriptions
OGIS 54 (Adoulis Inscription)
OGIS 56 (Decree of Canopus – Greek Translation)
Cairo CG 22187 (Decree of Canopus – Egyptian Translation)
Stele CCG 70031 (Stele of Senenshepsu)

Babylonian Sources:
Babylonian King’s List 6, Obv. 11
Babylonian Chronicles (BCHP): 10, 11

Papyrus Fragments
P. Cairo. Zen.: II 5925
P. Gurob: Col. II I.6; III
P. Haun.: 6.15-17
P. Lugd. Bat.: XV

Secondary
Burstein, S. (2016) Ptolemy III and the Dream of Reuniting Alexander’s Empire, Ancient History Bulletin, 31, 77-86
Carney, E.D. (2013) Arsinoe of Egypt and Macedon: A Royal Life
Clayman, D.L. (2014) Berenice II and the Golden Age of Ptolemaic Egypt
Eckstein, A.M. (2006) Mediterranean Anarchy, Interstate War, and the Rise of Rome
Grainger, J.D. (2010) The Syrian Wars
Gutzwiller, K. (1992) Callimachus’ Lock of Berenice: Fantasy, Romance, and Propaganda, The American Journal of Philology, 113(3), pp. 359-385
Hölbl, G. (2001) A History of the Ptolemaic Empire
Houghton, A. and Lorber, C. (2001) Seleucid Coins: A Comprehensive Catalogue, Part 1. Seleucus I Through Antiochus III.
Kosmin, P.J. (2012) “The Land of the Elephant Kings: Space, Territory, and Ideology in the Seleucid Empire”
Manning, J.G. (2010) The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305-30 BC
Llewellyn-Jones, L. and Winder, S. (2010) A key to Berenike’s Lock? The Hathoric model of queenship in early Ptolemaic Egypt in Creating a Hellenistic World, Pgs. 247-269
Piejko, F. (1988) “Episodes from the Third Syrian War in a Gurob Papyrus, 246 BC”, Archiv fur Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete, 36, 13-27van Oppen de Ruiter, B.F. (2015) Berenice II Euergetis: Essays in Early Hellenistic Queenship
Zelinskyi, A.L. (2020) The Famine in Egypt under Ptolemy III Euergetes: the Revision of the Date and the List of Sources, Vostok (Oriens), 3, pp. 65-73

061: Ptolemaic Egypt – Greeks in an Egyptian Land

Drawn by the prospects of providing service to the Ptolemaic government in either the bureaucracy or the army, or perhaps seeking to settle and farm some of the most productive land in the world, tens of thousands of Greeks would immigrate to Egypt in pursuit of a better life. Thanks to the abundant papyrological record, we are able to get an intimate look into the lives and careers of those who now to called Egypt home: those such as the deeply religious devotee of Serapis named Ptolemaeus, or Kleon, the hard-pressed chief engineer of the Fayyum reclamaton project of Ptolemy II Philadelphus.

061: Ptolemaic Egypt – Greeks in an Egyptian Land Transcript Download

Episode Links:
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Bibliography

Primary

Arrian – Anabasis of Alexander
Athenaeus – Deipnosophistae
Diodorus Siculus – Library of History
Herodotus – Histories
Josephus – Against Apion
Polybius – The Histories
Plutarch – Life of Alexander
Plutarch – Life of Demetrius
Strabo – Geography
Tacitus – Histories
C.Ord.Ptol.
P. Cair Zen.
P. Ent.
P. Hal.
P. Hamb.
P. Lond.
P. Petr.
P. Tebt
BGU
UPZ

Secondary
Bagnall, R.S. and Cribiore,R. (2006) Women’s Letters from Ancient Egypt, 300 BC-AD 800
Benaissa, A. and Remijsen, S. (2019) A Sound Body and Mind in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 382-393
Boozer, A.L. (2019) Cultural Identity: Housing and Burial Practices in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 361-379
Bonnechere, P. (2007) Divination in A Companion to Greek Religion Pgs. 145-159
Chauveau, M. (1997) Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra
Clarysse, W. (2019) Ethnic Identity: Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 299-313
Crawford, D.J. (1973) Garlic-growing and agricultural specialization in Graeco-Roman Egypt. Chronique d’Égypte 48: 350-363
Cribiore, R. (2001) Gymnastics of the Mind: Greek Education in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt
Daley, J. (2019) Egyptian Schoolboy’s 1,800-Year-Old Lesson to Go on Display, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/egyptian-schoolboys-1800-year-old-lesson-go-display-180971234/
David, R. (2003) Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt, Revised Edition
Evans, J.A. (2008) Daily Life in the Hellenistic Age: From Alexander to Cleopatra
Fischer-Bovet, C. (2014) Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt
Fischer-Boet, C. and Sänger P. (2019) Security and Border Policy in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs.
Fraser, P.M. (1972) Ptolemaic Alexandria
Honigman, S. (2003) ‘Politeumata’ and Ethnicity in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt, Ancient Society, Vol. 33 Pgs. 64-67
Honigman, S. (2019) Ethnic Minority Groups in Vandorpe, K. A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 315-325
Jennes, G. (2019) Life Portraits: People in Worship in A Companion to Greeks Across the Ancient World, Pgs. 473-481
Lewis, N. (1986) Greeks in Ptolemaic Egypt
Manning, J.G. (2003) Land and Power in Ptolemaic Egypt: The Structure of Land Tenure
Manning, J.G. (2010) The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305-30 BC
Manning, J.G. (2020) Egypt in A Companion to Greeks Across the Ancient World, Pgs. 363-383
Mertrens, B. (1985) A Letter to the Architecton Kleon: P. Petrie II 4,1+4,9 in Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik Bd. 59, pp. 61-66
Millar, F. (1987) The Problems of Hellenistic Syria in Hellenism in the East: The interaction of Greek and non-Greek civilizations from Syria to Central Asia after Alexander Pgs. 110-133
Monson, A. (2012) From the Ptolemies to the Romans: Political and Economic Change in Egypt
Naether, F. (2019) New Deities and New Habits in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 439-447
Pfeiffer, S. (2008) The God Serapis, His Cult and the Beginnings of the Ruler Cult in Ptolemaic Egypt in Ptolemy II Philadelphus and his World, Pgs. 387-408
Pomeroy, S.B. (1984) Women in Hellenistic Egypt: From Alexander to Cleopatra
Redon, B. (2019) New Architectural Practices and Urbanism in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 519-532
Reekmans, T. (1977) Archiv fur Papyrusforschung, 20, 17-24
Renberg, G.H. and Naether, F. (2010) “I Celebrated a Fine Day”. An Overlooked Egyptian Phrase in a Bilingual Letter Preserving a Dream Narrative, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, Bd. 175, pp. 49-71
Rowlandson, J. (1998) Women and society in Greek and Roman Egypt: A sourcebook
Rowlandson, J. and Lippert, S. (2019) Family and Life Cycle Transitions in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 327-345
Schentuleit, M. (2019) Gender Issues: Women to the Fore in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 347-360
Thompson, D.J. (2011) Slavery in the Hellenistic World in The Cambridge World History of Slavery, Volume I: The Ancient Mediterranean World Pgs. 194-213
Tovar, S.T. and Vierros, M. (2019) Languages, Scripts, Literature, and Bridges Between Cultures in Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 485-499
Vandorpe, K. (2019) Life Portraits: People at Work in A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt Pgs. 269-280

060: Ptolemaic Egypt – A Traveler’s Guide to Alexandria

A reimaging of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, painted by Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach in 1721. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Alexandria, or Alexandria-by-Egypt as it was called, was the easily the greatest city of the Hellenistic Age. Founded by Alexander the Great in 332/331, it became the pet project of the Ptolemaic dynasty, who turned it into the capital of their mighty empire. Through the dynasty’s direction and enormous amounts of money, the city was endowed with magnificent works of art and architecture, all the while playing host to an great body of scholars and artists. From the cosmopolitan makeup of its population to its legendary monuments like the Lighthouse of Pharos and the Library, I will be giving a sightseeing tour of Alexandria during its heyday under the reign of the Ptolemies.

060: Ptolemaic Egypt: A Traveler’s Guide to Alexandria Transcript Download

Episode Links:
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Maps

A rough layout of Alexandria shortly after Cleopatra’s death in 30 BC. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Bibliography

Primary

Aelian – On Animals
Appian – The Civil Wars
Ammianus Marcellinus – The Histories
Aristeas – Letter to Philocrates
Arrian – Anabasis of Alexander
Arrian – Events After Alexander (Fragments)
Athenaeus – Deipnosophistae
Aulus Gellius – Attic Nights
Cassius Dio – Roman History
Cicero – Tusculan Disputations
Diodorus Siculus – Library of History
Galen – Works
Geminus – Elements of Astrology
Ibn Battuta – Travels in Asia and Africa
Ibn Jubayr – Travels
Jerome – Chronological Tables
Josephus – Against Apion
Josephus – The Antiquities of the Jews
Julius Caesar – The Alexandrian War
Julius Caesar – The Civil War
Lucan – Pharsalia
Lucian – The Way to Write History
Pausanias – Guide to Greece
Philo – Against Flaccus
Philo – On the Embassy to Gaius
Philon – Pneumatics
Pliny – Natural History
Plutarch – Life of Alexander
Plutarch – Life of Antony
Plutarch – Life of Caesar
Plutarch – Moralia
Polybius – The Histories
Posidippus – Epigrams
Psuedo-Callisthenes – The Alexander Romance
Pseudo-Nicolaus – Progymnasmata
Quintus Curtius Rufus – The History of Alexander
Socrates Scholasticus – Ecclesiastical History
Strabo – Geography
Suetonius – Life of the Divine Caesar
Suetonius – Life of the Divine Augustus
Suetonius – Life of Caligula
Syncellus – Chronographia
Tacitus – The Histories
Theocritus – Idylls
Timon – Fragments
Vitruvius – On Architecture
Zenobius – Proverbs

Satrap Stelae
POxy 1241
P.Tebt 33

Secondary
Apherghis, G.G. “The Seleukid Royal Economy: The Finances and Financial Administration of the Seleukid Empire”
Behrens-Abouseif, D. “The Islamic History of the Lighthouse of Alexandria” Muqarnas, 200, 23(2006), Pgs. 1-14
Benjamin, C. “Empires of Ancient Eurasia: The First Silk Roads Era, 100 BCE-250 CE”
Bickermann, E.J. “The Jews in the Greek Age”
Bricault, L. and Versluys, M.J. “Isis on the Nile. Egyptian Gods in Hellenistic and Roman Egypt” Proceedings of the IVth International Conference of Isis Studies, Liège, November 27-29 2008,
Bursaelis, K., Stefanou, M. and Thompson, D.J. “The Ptolemies, the Sea and the Nile: Studies in Waterborne Power”
Chaveau, M. “Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra”
Clayman, D.L. “Berenice II and the Golden Age of Ptolemaic Egypt”
Christesen, P. and Kyle, D.G. “A Companion to Sport and Spectacle in Greek and Roman Antiquity”Cohen, G.M. “The Hellenistic Settlements in Syria, the Red Sea Basin, and North Africa”
Dix, T.K. ““Public Libraries” in Ancient Rome: Ideology and Reality” Libraries & Culture Vol. 29, No. 3 (Summer, 1994), pp. 282-296
El-Abbadi, M. and Fathallah, O.M. “What Happened to the Ancient Library of Alexandria?”
Erskine, A. “Culture and Power in Ptolemaic Egypt: The Museum and Library of Alexandria”, Greece & Rome, Vol XLII, 1, April 1995
Erskine, A. “Life after Death: Alexandria and the Body of Alexander”
Fraser, P.M. “Ptolemaic Alexandria”
Grainger, J.D. “Kings and Kingship in the Hellenistic World: 350-30 BC”
Harper, K. “The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, & the End of an Empire”
Hose, M. and Schenker, D. “A Companion to Greek Literature”
Hubbell, H.M. “Ptolemy’s Zoo”, The Classical Journal Vol. 31, No. 2 (Nov., 1935), pp. 68-76
Iossif, P.P. “Ptolemaia” in “The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition” Pgs. 5624-5625
Kosmin, P.J. “The Land of the Elephant Kings: Space, Territory, and Ideology in the Seleucid Empire”
Krasilnikoff, J.A. “Alexandria: A Cultural and Religious Melting Pot”
Manning, J.G. “The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305-30BC”
McKeghnie, P. and Guillame, P. “Ptolemy II Philadelphus and his World”
McKenzie, J.S. and Reyes, A.T. “The Alexandrian Tychaion: a Pantheon?”, Journal of Roman Archaeology, Volume 26 , 2013 , pp. 36-52
McLaughlin, R. “The Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean: The Ancient World Economy & the Kingdoms of Africa, Arabia & India”
McLeod, R. “The Library of Alexandria – Centre of Learning in the Ancient World”
Miles, M.M. “A Companion to Greek Architecture”
Monson, A. “From the Ptolemies to the Romans: Political and Economic Change in Egypt”
Pomeroy, S.B. “Women in Hellenistic Egypt: From Alexander to Cleopatra”
Stewart, A. “Faces of Power: Alexander’s Image and Hellenistic Politics”
Thonemann, P. “The Hellenistic World: Using Coins as Sources”
Vandorpe, K. “A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt”
Vizard, F. “In Search of Cleopatra’s Palace.” Popular Science 05 1999: 78-81. ProQuest. 6 May 2021.
Woolf, G. “The Life and Death of Ancient Cities: A Natural History”

059: Ptolemaic Egypt – Kingdom of Gold, Kingdom of the Nile

A Pentadrachm minted under the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, who was arguably the most wealthy man in the world during the 3rd century BC. Source

Herodotus described Egypt as the gift of the Nile River, and without a doubt the Ptolemaic rulers took full advantage of the land’s agricultural prosperity. In addition to their management of the Nile’s annual inundation, the Ptolemies would introduce the most rigorously developed (or exploitative) taxation system ever seen in Egypt, and would enable them to become the wealthiest people in the world of the 3rd century BC. We will take a look at the administrative layout of Hellenistic Egypt in order to see how the Ptolemaic dynasty oversaw such a financial juggernaut, ranging from the day-to-day operations of their many officials to grand imperial projects such as the reclamation of the Fayyum Oasis.

059: Ptolemaic Egypt – Kingdom of Gold, Kingdom of the Nile Transcript Download

Primary
Appian – The Civil Wars
Appian – Preface
Aristeas – Letter to Philocrates
Arrian – Anabasis
Athenaeus – Deipnosophistae
Diodorus Siculus – Library of History
Herodotus – Histories
Josephus – Antiquities of the Jews
Josephus – The Jewish War
Justin – Epitome
Plutarch – Life of Caesar
Plutarch – Life of Cleomenes
Plutarch – Life of Demetrius
Plutarch – Moralia
Polybius – Histories
Socrates Scholasticus – Ecclesiastical History
Strabo – Geography
Suetonius – Life of Tiberius
Berlin P 25 239
BM EA 24
P. Hib. I 54.1–32
P. Tebt. I 61b
P. Tebt. III.1 703
P. Tebt. III.1 802.1-20
UPZ I 14

Secondary
Aperghis, G.G. “The Seleukid Royal Economy: The Finances and Financial Administration of the Seleukid Empire”
Bauschatz, J. “Law and Enforcement in Ptolemaic Egypt”
Bickerman, E.J. ”The Jews in the Greek Age”
Bursaelis, K., Stefanou, M. and Thompson, D.J. “The Ptolemies, the Sea and the Nile: Studies in Waterborne Power”
Cartledge, P., Garnsey, P. and Gruen, E. “Hellenistic Constructs: Essays in Culture, History & Historiography”
Chaveau, M. “Egypt in the Age of Cleopatra”
Evans, J.A. “Daily Life in the Hellenistic Age: From Alexander to Cleopatra”
Falivene, M.R. “Government, management, literacy: Aspects of Ptolemaic administration in the early Hellenistic period.” Ancient Society, 22: 203-227
Fischer-Bovet, C. “Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt”
Fraser, P.M. “Ptolemaic Alexandria”
Grainger, J.D. “Kings and Kingship in the Hellenistic World: 350-30 BC”
Harper, K. “The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire”
James, S. and Dillion, S. “A Companion to Women in the Ancient World”
Lloyd, A.M. “A Companion to Ancient Egypt”
Manning, J.G. “The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305-30BC”
Manning, J.G. “Land and Power in Ptolemaic Egypt”
McKeghnie, P. and Cromwell, J. “Ptolemy I and the Transformation of Egypt”
Monson, A. “From the Ptolemies to the Romans: Political and Economic Change in Egypt”
Ruprecht, H.A. “Marriage Contract Regulations and Documentary Practice in the Greek Papyri” Scripta Classica Israelica vol. XVII 1998 pp. 60-76
Shaw, I. “The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt”
Thonemann, P. ”The Hellenistic World: Using Coins as Sources”
Vandorpe, K. “A Companion to Greco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt”
Wilkinson, T. “The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt”

058: Ptolemaic Egypt – Two Lands, Two Peoples, One Ruler

A golden ring depicting Ptolemy VI Philometor. It is a fabulous example of the dual nature of the Ptolemaic monarchy, showing Ptolemy VI in typical Hellenistic realism while wearing the garb of an Egyptian pharaoh, the Pschent double-crown upon his head. Source

Throughout the three centuries of Ptolemaic control over Egypt, their dynasty can be best described as having a split identity. Ruling from Alexandria, the new intellectual and cultural capital of the Greek-speaking world, the Ptolemies were very much Hellenistic kings and queens. But Egypt was an ancient land, and they needed to come to terms with the pharaonic tradition that had dominated Egyptian life for the better part of 3,000 years. As the longest reigning dynasty in Egyptian history, the Ptolemies adopted the role and iconography of the pharaoh to great success. They were also capable of developing new ways to project their power, whether through the establishment and promotion of royal cults and new deities like Serapis, or incorporating the image of splendor and abundance as part of their propaganda. In this episode, we will see how the Ptolemies successfully legitimized their rule in the eyes of both Greeks and Egyptians alike.

058: Ptolemaic Egypt – Two Lands, Two Peoples, One Ruler Transcript Download

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Interview: On Rulership & Ruler-Cults in Ptolemaic Egypt w/ Henry Bohun

Ptolemy I Statue — Black basalt statue of Ptolemy I Soter (r.323/306 – 282) in a manner highly similar to earlier Egyptian pharaohs. © The Trustees of the British Museum

With an Egyptologist’s perspective, PhD student Henry Bohun joins the show to help explore the complexities of the relationship between the Greco-Macedonian rulers of the Ptolemaic Dynasty with that of their native Egyptian subjects. Despite being Macedonian to the core, the Ptolemies nevertheless saw themselves as heirs and continuators of the Pharaonic tradition, and the ways in which they did are explored in this episode.

Episode Links:
iTunes| SoundCloud | Stitcher | Spotify

Title Theme: Seikilos Epitaph with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera

Interview: On the Reception of Cleopatra in the Islamic World w/ Yentl Love (The Queer Classicist)

The legacy of Cleopatra, the last independent queen of Ptolemaic Egypt and arguably the most famous figure of the Hellenistic period, is not just limited to the works of William Shakespeare. Joining us today is Yentl Love, creator and writer of the website “The Queer Classicist”, who talks about the reception of Cleopatra (Qalūbaṭrah) in the Islamic tradition.

Episode Links:
iTunes| SoundCloud| Stitcher | Spotify

Title Theme: Seikilos Epitaph with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera

Yentl Love:
www.thequeerclassicist.com
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Book Recommendations
-“Egyptology: the Missing Millennium – Ancient Egypt in Medieval Arabic Writings” Okasha el-daly
-“Cleopatra” Duane Roller
-“Cleopatra: a Life” Stacy Schiff
-“S.P.Q.R.” Mary Beard
-“Themes in Roman Society and Culture: An Introduction to Ancient Rome” Matt Gibbs, Milorad Nikolic & Pauline Ripat
-“Themes in Greek Society and Culture: An Introduction” Allison Glazebrook and Christina Vester