CLASS 2685 - Egyptomania: Imagining Egypt in the Greco-Roman World

(crosslisted) ANTHR 2285, ARKEO 2285, NES 2985
(GHB) (CA-AS)

Spring. 4 credits.

C. Barrett.

Throughout Greek and Roman history, the idea of Egypt inspired powerful imaginative responses ranging from fascination to fear. This course investigates Egyptian interactions with the Greco-Roman world and the changing Greek and Roman attitudes towards Egypt. Readings will cover subjects including the earliest Egyptian-Aegean trade, Herodotus’ accounts of Egypt, Greco-Macedonian kings on the throne of the pharaohs, Roman perceptions of the notorious Cleopatra, the worship of Egyptian gods in the Greco-Roman world, and the incorporation of Egypt into the Roman empire (among other topics). Through an examination of Greek and Roman representations of Egypt, we will investigate how Greeks and Romans conceived of their own societies and cultural identities. Finally, we will also address images of Egypt in modern popular culture; how have Greco-Roman portrayals of Egypt helped shape today’s view of the Pharaonic world?