HIST 3155 Study Guide - Summer 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Ptolemaic Kingdom, Muslim Conquest Of Egypt, Wine
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
HIST 3155
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
HIST 3155 Lecture Notes Page #1
Lecture 2 Notes: Metropoleis and Villages
The Metropoleis: Administration
• Metropoleis (sing. Metropolis) were capitals of the nomes. (Around 40 nomes in the Roman
period).
• Metropoleis were the headquarters for the strategoi (sing. strategos) – the chief nome
administrators.
• At some point by the late-fist etu AD, a poess of uiipalizatio ega i etopoleis.
• Metropoleis were broken into amphoda (neighbourhoods).
• Minor town magistrates: e.g. Agoranomos, eutheniarch, gymnasiarch.
• c. AD 200: introduction of town councils (Septimius Severus).
Oxyrhychus: Early Discoveries
• Monumental column still visible above ground.
• Remains of city walls reported.
• Si Flides Peties soehat hast dig i 9 foud oe:
– Remains of theatre;
– Two streets with colonades; and
– Part of the northern necropolis.
Oxyrhychus: Textual Evidence
• The thousands of papyri found in the rubbish dumps of the site give many hints about what the
city was like physically:
– City walls;
– City was broken into distinct districts;
– Temples: Serapis; Athena Thoeris (Taweret); Dionysius; Zeus; Roman imperial cult;
– Gymnasium; baths; water tower; theatre;
– Houses;
– Gardens and orchards.
Oxyrhychus: Recent Discoveries
• Excavation of the Upper Necropolis. Tomb of Het (late pharaonic). Other Roman-era tombs in
pharaonic style. Coptic tombs.
• Location of the theatre.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
HIST 3155 Lecture Notes Page #2
• East gate – underneath minaret of mosque of Zain al-Aidi.
• Circular building in NE – part of walls?
• Mound to NW – hippodrome?
• Underground temple of Osiris – 1.5 km W of site.
The Villages: Administration and Economy
• Chief village administrator was komogrammateus illage sie, a litugial positio.
• Many other administrative positions at village level were liturgical (i.e. compulsory public
services).
• Villages were predominantly agricultural settlements.
• Some had other major economic focuses – e.g. Soknopaious Nesos, a temple village.
• Fishing and hunting were also important.
Soknopaiou Nesos
• Main temple of Soknopaios has been found.
• Grand processional route (a dromos) running S temple.
• Dromos was raised 3 m above street plan.
• Something of the layout of the other streets and houses has been discovered. Was a fairly
regular grid street plan.
Lecture 3A Notes: Religion in Roman Egypt
Religion and Magic
• Bouda etee eligio ad agi is ofte diffiult ad sujetie. Does agi etail
more coercion of the supernatural?
-- Recourse to magic entailed a different mental attitude; this was no longer a matter of placing the
responsibility for one’s life in the hands of the gods, but rather putting pressure on them to obtain from
life what one desired.
Dunand 2004: 316
• Themes in the study of religion in Roman Egypt:
– Religion embedded in space: region, temple, festival; home.
– Cultural contact and assimilation in religion.
• Poles ith pagais as a lael.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
