Tens of thousands of papyri permit us to arrive at a detailed reconstruction of the economy and society of Graeco-Roman Egypt. Not only do we have extensive information on administrative structures and urban elites, but we are also well informed about many aspects of social and economic life, such as price levels, banking operations, the role of associations, patterns of landholding and agricultural practices. There are also numerous papyri which shed light on the women and children of Graeco-Roman Egypt and on the system of education. Finally, the surviving texts illustrate and illuminate awide vaiety of religious phenomena. The emphasis of this seminar will be on the use of the primary sources rather than on the secondary literature, which is not very abundant in any case.
Course objectives
Enhanced performance in the following areas: research skills, composition skills, ability to evaluate the findings of other researchers
Timetable
See course-schedule
Mode of instruction
Weekly seminar aimed at the completion of a substantial paper based on independent research
Assessment method
Entry test, research paper
Blackboard
no
Reading list
A. Bowman, Egypt after the Pharaohs
Registration
Contact information
“Prof. L. de Ligt“mailto:l.de.ligt@hum.leidenuniv.nl