Classics 596A: Hellenistic Egypt |
*NOTE: This is an old document. Many of the links may be broken.*
Instructor: | |
Time/Location: | W, 4:30–7:00 p.m.; Education 535 |
Contact Info: |
Office: Learning Services Building 215 |
OVERVIEWThis seminar explores the Egypt of the Ptolemies in virtually every aspect: its history, literature, art, architecture, religion and archaeology. We will consider how over the roughly 300-year period of Ptolemaic rule (332–30 B.C.) the kingdom changed, how the Ptolemies interacted with their neighbors—conquering weaker challengers but eventually succumbing to the Romans—and how Ptolemaic Egypt fit into the so-called "Hellenistic world" as an entity. The majority of the evidence we will examine will derive from Egypt itself, but we will also employ evidence from the other successor kingdoms for comparative, and sometimes supplementary purposes. |
GOALSBy the end of this course, you should be able to:
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PREREQUISITESIf you are an M.A. student in the Classics Department, you probably know by now that you aren't allowed to register for CLAS 596A unless you have demonstrated proficiency in a modern foreign language, as per the instructions on the Classics homepage. (This page is specifically for the Ancient History emphasis, but the bit about modern language applies to all of the emphases.) If you're not in the Classics Department, well, beats me. |
READINGSThere is ***no required book to buy*** for this course. I ordered J.G. Manning, The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305–30 BC (Princeton UP, 2009) at the bookstore, but you don't need to buy it, since is also freely available online via the UA Library catalog as an ebook: go here. If you want your own copy, buy away! You can (probably) get it for less elsewhere (try amazon - Barnes & Noble - abe Books). Also available online (here) via the UA Library catalog: G.R. Bugh, ed., The Cambridge Companion to the Hellenistic World (Cambridge UP, 2006; abbreviated as CCHW). We'll be reading a number of its chapters over the course of the semester. Five other books which are not available for free online but which will be heavily used in this course are A. Erskine, ed., A Companion to the Hellenistic World (Blackwell, 2003; I abbreviate BCHW); R.S. Bagnall and P. Derow, eds., Historical Sources in Translation: The Helenistic Period (Wiley-Blackwell, 2003; I abbreviate as B&D), a sourcebook of documents; J.J. Clauss and M. Cuypers, eds., A Companion to Hellenistic Literature (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010; I abbreviate as BCHL); R.S. Bagnall, ed., The Oxford Handbook of Papyrology (Oxford, 2011; I abbreviate as OHP); and N. Lewis, Greeks in Ptolemaic Egypt: Case Studies in the Social History of the Hellenistic World (2nd ed.; American Society of Papyrologists, 2001). I will post pdfs of the relevant sections of these texts—as well as any other readings—on the course D2L site. See the course schedule (below) for details. And make sure you have Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download available here) in order to view them! |
GRADINGGrading for the course will be based on the following breakdown:
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OTHER INFOSurprise! Cheating is not allowed. If you cheat, and I find out, you will receive a grade of 0 for the assignment and other bad things will happen. (See the U of A's code of academic integrity.) Office hours will be held M–Th, noon–1 p.m. in my office (#215) in the Classics Department (on the second floor of the blandly-named Learning Services Building). You are also welcome and encouraged to make an appointment to meet with me. Call, email or holler. D2L: As mentioned above, students in CLAS 596A will be expected to be familiar with D2L ("Desire2Learn"), the University's online course content management system. If you are unfamiliar with D2L, see the D2L homepage. As noted above, course readings will be posted on the course D2L page. Your grades will be posted there, as well. Students with disabilities should contact the UA Disability Resource Center (520 621-3268) for any special needs or accommodations. |
COURSE SCHEDULEWhat follows is an outline of the Fall semester. Reading assignments are due on the dates specified. For a typical class you'll read a substantial amount of primary and secondary literature, and we'll discuss it. I may supply you in advance with a list of reading questions to keep in mind while you're doing the reading. These questions will help direct our class discussions. Check this page often. Readings and assignments are subject to change. I'll try to give a heads-up in class if a major shake-up is imminent. I'll also try to provide you with the readings at least one week in advance. |
Week | Wednesday |
1 | 8/22 Introductions, Prefaces and Backstory READ (SECONDARY): (63pp total) Manning, Introduction (pp1–18) and Chapter 1 (pp19–28); B&D, Preface and Note on Reading Documents (ppxvii–xxix); BCHL, Introduction (pp1–14); CCHW, Introduction (pp1–8) |
2 | 8/29 Historical Overview... and Source Problems READ (SECONDARY): (72pp total) BCHL, Chapter 2 (pp17–29); Green (2007) Introduction (ppxv–xxxiii); OHP, Chapter 10 (pp216–255) READ (PRIMARY): (58pp total) B&D, Part 1 (pp1–55) and Tables and Charts (pp289–291) PRESENTERS: BCHL, Chapter 25 (pp384–394), Bauschatz; OHP, Chapter 21 (pp495–520), Bauschatz |
3 | 9/5 Models of, for and in Ptolemaic Egypt READ (SECONDARY): (87pp total) Manning, Chapters 2 and 3 (pp29–72); Samuel (1993), pp168–210 READ (PRIMARY): (93pp total) B&D, Part 1 (pp55–110) with OHP, Chapter 16 (pp358–394) PRESENTERS: BCHW, Chapter 11 (pp177–195), Bauschatz; BCHW, Chapter 25 (pp431–446), Grantham |
4 | 9/12 Setting up Shop: Bureaucracy READ (SECONDARY): (93pp total) Manning, Chapter 4 (pp73–116); Lewis (2001), Chapter 1 (pp8–36); Verhoogt (1998), Chapter 4 (pp50–69) READ (PRIMARY): (23pp total) B&D, Part 4 (pp144–162) and Appendix (pp285–288) PRESENTERS: CCHW, Chapter 3 (pp52–72), Browne; OHP, Chapter 22 (pp521–540), Bauschatz |
5 | 9/19 It's the Economy, Stupid READ (SECONDARY): (79pp total) Manning, Chapter 5 (pp117–164); Lewis (2001), Chapter 3 (pp46–55); Von Reden (2007), Chapter 2 (pp58–78) READ (PRIMARY): (36pp total) B&D, Part 5 (pp163–198) PRESENTERS: CCHW, Chapter 4 (pp73–92), Browne; OHP, Chapter 8 (179–196), Rick |
6 | 9/26 Law and Order READ (SECONDARY): (105pp total) Manning, Chapter 6 (pp165–201) and Appendix (pp207–216); Thompson (1997), pp961–966; Bauschatz (2007), pp13–39; McGing (1998), pp159–183 READ (PRIMARY): (30pp total) B&D, Parts 6 (pp199–205) and 7 (pp206–228) PRESENTERS: Mélèze Modrzejewski (2005), pp343–354, Wehmeier; BCHW, Chapter 23 (pp389–404), Baker |
7 | 10/3 Science and Technology READ (SECONDARY): (51pp total) Lewis (2001), Chapter 2 (pp37–45); CCHW, Chapters 11 (pp223–240) and 12 (pp241–264) READ (PRIMARY): (48pp total) Aratus, Phaenomena (48pp, not including introduction and notes) PRESENTERS: BCHL, Chapter 14 (pp197–210), Grantham; OHP, Chapter 15 (pp338–357), Browne |
8 | 10/10 Town and Country READ (SECONDARY): (65pp total) BCHL, Chapter 4 (pp46–61); BCHW, Chapters 12 (pp196–215) and 15 (pp249–263); Crawford (1971), Chapter 3 (pp39–52) READ (PRIMARY): (141pp total) B&D, Part 3 (pp119–143); Theocritus, Idylls and Epigrams (116pp, not including introduction and notes) PRESENTERS: BCHL, Chapter 16 (pp224–237), Bauschatz; BCHL, Chapter 17 (pp238–250), Bauschatz *Book Review due in class today.* |
9 | 10/17 The Ptolemaic Army and Empire READ (SECONDARY): (81pp total) Lewis (2001), Chapters 4 (56–68) and 8 (pp124–152); Bagnall (1976), Chapter 9 (pp213–251) READ (PRIMARY): (61pp total) B&D, Part 2 (pp111–118); Aineias the Tactician, How to Survive Under Siege (53pp, not including introduction and notes) PRESENTERS: CCHW, Chapter 13 (pp265–294), Bauschatz; Burliga (2008), pp92–101, Nobody |
10 | 10/24 Art and Architecture READ (SECONDARY): (65pp total) Pollitt (1986), Chapter 12 (pp250–263); Smith (1988), Chapter 9 (pp86–98); Doxiadis (1995), pp82–102; Borg (1995), pp229–235 READ (PRIMARY): (67pp total) Letter of Aristeas (67pp, not including introduction and notes) PRESENTERS: CCHW, Chapter 7 (pp136–157), Baker; CCHW, Chapter 8 (pp158–185), Wehmeier |
11 | 10/31 Hellenistic Literature READ (SECONDARY): (66pp total) BCHL, Chapters 3 (pp30–45), 6 (pp81–91) and 22 (pp317–336); Stephens (2003), Introduction (pp1–19) READ (PRIMARY): (82pp total) Callimachus, Hymns, Epigrams and Selected Fragments (82pp, not including introduction and notes) PRESENTERS: BCHL, Chapter 7 (pp92–105), Bauschatz; BCHL, Chapter 8 (pp106–116), Bauschatz |
12 | 11/7 Religion under the Ptolemies READ (SECONDARY): (68pp total) Thompson (1988), Chapter 4 (pp106–154); Lewis (2001), Chapter 5 (pp69–87) READ (PRIMARY): (47pp total) B&D, Part 9 (pp247–284); Kallixeinos of Rhodes, The Grand Procession of Ptolemy Philadelphus (9pp, not including introduction and notes) PRESENTERS: BCHL, Chapter 24 (pp366–383), Rick; CCHW, Chapter 10 (pp208–222), Nobody |
13 | 11/14 Ptolemaic Society READ (SECONDARY): (51pp total) BCHL, Chapter 5 (pp62–77); Lewis (2001), Chapter 6 (pp88–102); CCHW, Chapter 14 (pp295–314) READ (PRIMARY): (107pp total) B&D, Part 8 (pp229–246); Rowlandson (1998), Chapter 6 (pp280–368) PRESENTERS: BCHL, Chapter 27 (pp415–428), Baker; BCHL, Chapter 28 (pp429–447), Wehmeier |
14 | 11/21 *Thanksgiving Recess: No Class* READ (PRIMARY): (161pp total) Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica (161pp not including introduction or notes) |
15 | 11/28 The Outside World; Conclusions READ (SECONDARY): (61pp total) Manning, Conclusions (pp202–206); BCHL, Chapter 30 (pp463–478); BCHW, Chapters 17 (pp280–293) and 18 (pp294–310); Coleman, JAEI 4.1 (2011): 1–8 READ (PRIMARY): (57pp total) Polybius 5.34–87 (40pp, not including introduction and notes); with Walbank (2002), Chapter 3 (pp253–269) PRESENTERS: BCHL, Chapter 10 (pp136–150), Grantham; BCHL, Chapter 11 (pp151–165), Rick |
16 | 12/5 Seminar Paper Presentations |
17 | 12/12 No Class: Final Exams *Final paper due by 5 p.m. on Friday, December 14.* |