CLASS 2688 - [Cleopatra’s Egypt: Tradition and Transformation]

(crosslisted) ARKEO 2688, NES 2688
(GHB) (HA-AS)

Spring. Not offered 2017-2018. 3 credits. Student option grading.

C. Barrett.

Under a Greco-Macedonian ruling dynasty, the Ptolemies, Egypt became a crossroads for the entire Mediterranean. Popular culture today remembers Ptolemaic Egypt best for the exploits of the famous queen Cleopatra, but a deeper study of this diverse society provides a unique window onto the ways that Greeks and Egyptians viewed the concepts of “Hellenicity” and “Egyptianness.” In this course, we will examine a variety of social, political, economic, and cultural perspectives on Ptolemaic Egypt and its relationships with the rest of the Mediterranean world. Topics include (1) the political and economic history of Ptolemaic Egypt; (2) the multicultural character of Ptolemaic society; (3) the interaction of Greek and Egyptian religious systems, and the creation of “fusion” gods; (4) Ptolemaic relations with the rest of the Hellenistic world and beyond; and (5) the relevance of Ptolemaic Egypt to an understanding of modern phenomena such as globalism, tourism, and colonialism.