Memphis Under the Ptolemies

Dorothy J. Thompson is a fellow of Girton College, University of Cambridge, and a member of the faculty of classics at the University of Cambridge. She is a fellow of the British Academy and an honorary president of the International Association of Papyrologists.

Winner of the 1989 James H. Breasted Prize, American Historical Association "This thoroughly revised edition of a masterpiece of historical writing examines with precision and verve the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis in the period between Alexander and Augustus... She is especially sensitive to the syncretic, sometimes cacophonous, metropolitan life produced by a population drawn from throughout the Mediterranean basin, and by the confrontation of classical civilization itself on the verge of cultural upheaval, as Roman power gradually eclipsed Greek prestige and influence--with a civilization that reached back millennia. The result is a meticulous, vivid portrait of a profoundly foreign world."--The Atlantic "[A] masterful analysis of the surviving evidence for ancient Memphis."--John F. Oates, American Journal of Philology "[T]his book greatly enhances understanding of Egyptian history in the Ptolemaic period and the author is to be congratulated on her skill in welding the disparate sources into such an attractive whole."--Amelie Kuhrt, History "[A] book of utmost importance to all readers interested in ancient civilizations... Thompson's concentration on the Hellenistic period provides a penetrating study of all aspects of this city from the time of Alexander to Augustus."--C. C. Lamberg-Karlovsky, Choice "This, in so many ways, is a book aimed at students and for that target audience is successful, and would make a sensible purchase."--Kate Phizackerley, Egyptological.com "Scott Soames' new book, What Is Meaning?, is an important book, both in the issues it raises and in its shortcomings. It is the first serious discussion of meaning (not 'semantic content' or some other term designed to sidestep the real issue) by a leading analytic philosopher of language in a long while, and its findings lead to a more realistic understanding of meaning and language."--Sergeiy Sandler, European Legacy "The text of the book is closely packed and authoritative in its presentation of the facts. Whilst this is not an 'easy read' the text is surprisingly readable and engaging. Indeed there is so much to be learned from these pages that one wants to turn the page and read on, and once a chapter is started it is difficult to put the book down... In short a masterful piece of scholarship looking at a complex and often overlooked period of Egyptian history. A book that any serious student of the Ptolemaic Period, or the Hellenistic world, would greatly benefit from reading."--Victor Blunden, Ancient Egypt "Princeton University Press has done students of Ptolemaic Egypt a great service by publishing a second edition of this rich and important book."--Andrew Erskine, European Legacy

• List of Illustrations and Tables viii Prefaces ix Acknowledgments xv Abbreviations xvi A Note on Transliteration xix Chapter 1: The Second City 1 Chapter 2: Economic Life in Memphis 29 Chapter 3: Ethnic Minorities 76 Chapter 4: Ptolemies and Temples 99 Chapter 5: The Undertakers 144 Chapter 6: Apis and Other Cults 177 Chapter 7: Between Two Worlds: The Sarapieion 197 Chapter 8: Roman Memphis: An Epilogue 247 Appendixes A. Memphite Professions Additional to Those Recorded in the Zenon Archive 259 B. The Undertakers' Archive 260 C. A Property Settlement in 197 B.C. 262 D. Apis Bulls of the Ptolemaic Period 263 Bibliography 285 Index 319