AP/HIST 3154 3.00
Egypt From Alexander To Cleopatra
The occupation of Egypt by Alexander the Great and the establishment of the Ptolemaic monarchy resulted in a significant influx of settlers from all around the Greek world. In this course, we examine the complex social, cultural, and political negotiations that resulted from this ancient episode of colonialism. How did the Ptolemaic monarchs, who had established their dynasty by force, attempt to obtain political legitimacy in the eyes of both Greeks and Egyptians? Were relations between Greeks and Egyptians characterised mainly by fruitful interaction, or by hostility and suspicion? Was there a synthesis of Egyptian and Hellenic culture, or did the two remain radically separate? In this course, we seek to explore these questions, especially by exploiting the abundant papyrological evidence from the Ptolemaic period.