090116 KU Ancient History and Classical Studies: Hellenistic Egypt (2017S)

This lecture series in English offers an overview of central aspects of the history and civilisation of Egypt between Alexander the Great's conquest in 332 BC and Octavian's annexation of the country to the Roman Empire in 30 BC. Based on both Greek and Demotic sources, it will examine key questions such as the reasons for the formation, rise, decline and eventual fall of the Ptolemaic Empire; its relationship with its neighbours and international competitors; immigration; the various ethnic groups that came to inhabit the country and the complex relationships between them; ethnicity and the dynamics of cultural change resulting in a unique civilisation; and the last Ptolemaic rulers' desperate attempts at survival in the face of Roman expansion. All sources will be used in translation and so no knowledge of ancient languages is required.