The ptolemaic dynasty, also known as the lagids or lagidae, was a macedonian greek royal family who ruled over egypt. It is one of the most complete combined arms armies in the successors book. Antiochus iii was in the process of carving up the ptolemaic empire with the macedonians following the ascension of ptolemy v. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. It was one of the largest battles of the hellenistic kingdoms and was one of the largest battles of the ancient. The ptolemaic army was the army of the ptolemaic macedonian kings that ruled egypt from 305 to 30 bc. As with other hellenistic armies, the ptolemaic military forces resembled the macedonian army of alexander, while each gradually developed minor variations. Christelle fischerbovet, army and society in ptolemaic egypt. Read download greeks in ptolemaic egypt pdf pdf book library. Ptolemy viii one of the more sinister members of this dynasty, married his sister, his niece, and murdered his son. Ptolemys family ruled egypt until the roman conquest of 30 bc. A history of the ptolemaic empire gunther holbl, gunther.
Her book army and society in ptolemaic egypt cambridge university press, 2014 combines documentary evidence papyri, inscriptions with social theory to. Greeks in ptolemaic egypt is a book which intends to bring and succeeds the hellenic population of the nile valley to life for us via eminently enjoyable style and masterful integration of original texts in translation into the body of the work. Macedonia on the greek mainland, the seleucid empire in syria and mesopotamia, and the ptolemies, including egypt and cyrenaica. Egypt, egyptian art during the ptolemaic period of egyptian. Ptolemy, the son of alexanders general lagos, was first established as the governor of the satrapy of egypt, but officially became the first ptolemaic pharaoh of egypt in 305 bce. The battle of raphia, also known as the battle of gaza citation needed, was a battle fought on 22 june 217 bc near modern rafah between the forces of ptolemy iv philopator, king and pharaoh of ptolemaic egypt and antiochus iii the great of the seleucid empire during the syrian wars.
Christelle fischerbovet institute for research in the uwmadison. Egypt, egyptian art during the ptolemaic period of egyptian history from the saite period to roman domination 30 b. This is because gunther holbl, despite the title he has given to his book a history of the ptolemaic empire, has in fact written something else than a history of this empire. Faculty usc dana and david dornsife college of letters. Now available in paperback, this work, when originally published in hardcover 2014, was the first comprehensive study of the egyptian army in the ptolemaic period in over a century. It was ruled by the ptolemaic dynasty which started with ptolemy i soters accession after the death of alexander the great in 323 bc and which ended with the death of cleopatra vii and the roman conquest in 30 bc. Seleucid and ptolemaic reformed armies 168145 bc volume 2. Chapter 3 is significant for laying out the first of the books two big arguments. Military organization and hierarchy chapter 4 army and society in. Their rule lasted for 275 years, from 305 bc to 30 bc.
The roman needs the egyptian queen in his war against the parthian empire, and returns the rule of old ptolemaic territories to her. Military education and the british empire is the first major. Introduction i treat here the internal economic history of the ptolemaic dynasty, the longestlived of the hellenistic successor states, leaving aside the ptolemaic empire relevant to the first half of the period, or roughly from 330168 bc, the role of. This is particularly visible in funerary statues, such as shabtis. Few books have the potential to change the direction of scholarship. Employing greek and egyptian papyri and inscriptions, and building on approaches developed in stateformation theory, it offers a coherent account of how the changing structures of the army in egypt after alexanders conquest led to the development of an ethnically more integrated society. Usc historian plays with the pieces of an ancient puzzle. Three great kingdoms arose from the ashes of alexanders empire.
Ptolemaic egypt 32330 bc was the enduring of the states that emerged from alexanders empire, and for much of its existence was a major military power. Bactrian greek successor empire army list the last successor army is the pontic army 10046 bc that is a conglomeration of persian and hellenistic army styles. The ptolemaic dynasty controlled egypt for almost three centuries 305 30 bce, eventually falling to the romans. Cambridge core ancient history army and society in ptolemaic egypt by christelle fischerbovet. All the male rulers of the dynasty took the name ptolemy.
Army and society in ptolemaic egypt by christelle fischerbovet april 2014. Ancient egypt macedonian and ptolemaic egypt 33230 bce. In the first book of his on the erythraean sea, agatharcides reports that ptolemy. Coins of the ptolemaic empire, part 1, volumes 1 and 2 precious metal and bronze by catharine lorber, is the massive, longanticipated catalogue of coins struck by the first four ptolemaic kings. If the romans hadnt crushed his entire army at magnesia hed have had a pretty good chance of taking egypt. Ptolemaic military forces, consisting of over 57,000 infan.
The long disagreement finally ended in war 322 321 bce. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Ptolemaic successor empire army list pergamene successor empire army list. It essentially rewrites the sections on these rulers in j. On the death of alexanders last heirs, his conquests were divided among his generals. From the seleucid empire to the arrival of rome by cam rea. It was ruled by the ptolemaic dynasty, which started with ptolemy i soters accession after the death of alexander the great in 323 bc and which ended with the death of cleopatra vii and the roman conquest in 30 bc. Army and society in ptolemaic egypt by christelle fischerbovet. Ptolemaic queens, some of whom were the sisters of their husbands, were usually called cleopatra. Fischerbovet, christelle institute for research in the. Sep 29, 2016 perdiccas, to say the least, was outraged. Still the best concise history of the ptolemaic empire on the market, especially refreshing in its relatively low number of those underlying and unreflected colonial attitudes that you still get so often in works by authors who come to ptolemaic history not from the egyptology side. Egyptian ptolemaic army at the core of the ptolemaic army were two large blocks of phalangists.
Her book army and society in ptolemaic egypt cambridge university press, 2014 combines documentary evidence papyri, inscriptions with social theory to examine the army in hellenistic egypt as a vehicle for land distribution, a provider of group solidarity, and a place of interaction between greek and egyptian cultures. Essentially, the author comes up with a collection of sweeping, controversial and unsubstantiated statements that happen to run contrary to archaeological. Its main naval bases were at alexandria, egypt and nea paphos or new paphos in cyprus. Egypt in the ptolemaic period essay the metropolitan. Lloyd, army and society in ptolemaic egypt doctoral thesis by christelle fischerbovet, a military reform before the battle of raphia. The ptolemaic navy was the naval force of the ptolemaic kingdom and later empire from 305 to 30 bc.
The ptolemaic military was filled with diverse peoples from across their territories. The ptolemaic kingdom was a hellenistic kingdom based in ancient egypt. Both fellowships will allow fischerbovet to write a book that provides a more refined understanding of state formation and imperialism in ptolemaic egypt. Parthian campaign of demetrius ii nicator, 1469 bce then 1296 bce. Hed already taken judea before being distracted by rome. Like most of the other armies of the diadochi, it was very much macedonian in style, with the use of the long pike sarissa in a deep phalanx formation.
The conquests of alexander the great were followed by a flood of. Ptolemy wrote several scientific treatises, three of which were of importance to later byzantine, islamic and western european science. Quizlet flashcards, activities and games help you improve your grades. What aspects of the ptolemaic empire seem characteristic of all empires. Faculty profile usc dana and david dornsife college of. Seleucid and ptolemaic reformed armies 168145 bc 1. Aug 06, 20 antiochus iii was in the process of carving up the ptolemaic empire with the macedonians following the ascension of ptolemy v. This compelling narrative provides the only comprehensive guide in english to the rise and decline of ptolemaic rule in egypt over three centuries from the death of alexander in 323 bc to the tragic deaths of antony and cleopatra in 30 bc. While the ptolemaic army is best described as multiethnic, it did not lack. Ptolemaic egypt stands at the crossroads of egyptian and hellenistic history.
Successor empire armies emphasize the differences between the successors as they settled in to their wars. This wellwritten, clearly argued study belongs in all university libraries. Egypt, egyptian art during the ptolemaic period of. The rise and demise of the seleucid empire ancient origins. Army and society in ptolemaic egypt christelle fischerbovet. This is a reprint of naphtali lewis important book on the uses of papyrus records reconstructing life in ancient egypt. Alexander left egypt in the spring of 331 bce, having divided the military. Still the best concise history of the ptolemaic empire on the market, especially refreshing in its relatively low number of those underlying and unreflected colonial attitudes that you still get so often in works by authors who come to ptolemaic history not from the egyptology side, but from ancient history and classics. Pdf a history of the ptolemaic empire download full. This compelling narrative provides the only comprehensive guide in english to the rise and decline of ptolemaic rule in egypt over three centuries from the. Wab successors overview army lists and guidance for the successors. The lefthand block consisted of 25,000 macedonian and greek military settlers, with the righthand unit comprising 20,000 egyptian soldiers, hastily recruited and trained.
The ptolemaic army under ptolemy vi philometor nick sekunda, angus mcbride, ed org on. There is such a narrative at the beginning of each of the books sections, and these bits and pieces generally follow a chronological order. This nowclassic book, fully updated to 2009, follows the historic struggles of the region over the last two hundred years, from napoleons assault on egypt, through the slow decline and fall of the ottoman empire, to the painful emergence of modern nations, the palestinian question and islamic resurgence. Click download or read online button to get app empire book now. There was a single design, in either green or blue faience.
However, to those in egypt the legitimacy of the ptolemaic dynasty lay in its connection to the fallen king. This is as they started to recruit more varied mercenary troops, whilst the levies of the wider alexandrian empire start to take a more prominent role in the military. Ptolemaic dynasty simple english wikipedia, the free. Jun 30, 2019 the ptolemies came to rule egypt after the arrival of alexander the great 356323 bce in 332 bce. Jun 22, 2018 coins of the ptolemaic empire, part 1, volumes 1 and 2 precious metal and bronze by catharine lorber, is the massive, longanticipated catalogue of coins struck by the first four ptolemaic kings. Army and society in ptolemaic egypt by christelle fischer. The skilful integration of material from a vast array of sources allows the reader to trace the political and religious development of one of the most. I asked a question about the ptolemies over on raskhistorians and was recommended egypt in the age of cleopatra by michel chauveau it was a good read as well as the last pharaohs. Sep 21, 2016 the ptolemaic dynasty was a hellenistic macedonian royal family which ruled the ptolemaic empire in egypt for nearly 300 years, from 305 b.
Seleucus gained control of the eastern provinces, and his empire was the largest among the successor states. Egypt, a community of scholars was established in what was known. Greeks and macedonians serving in the ptolemaic army settled ther e and were. Seleucus i nicator founded it following the division of the macedonian empire vastly expanded by alexander the great. At the core of the ptolemaic army were two large blocks of phalangists. Alexander died in june 323 bce his empire was split into 3 smaller empires ptolemaic empire was centerd in egypt. The ptolemaic army by nick sekunda, a companion to ancient egypt by alan b. Military education was the lifeblood of the armies, navies, and air forces of the british empire and an essential ingredient for success in both war and peace. Sep 28, 2000 buy a history of the ptolemaic empire 1 by holbl, gunther isbn. Svoronos classic, but now much out of date, ta nomismata tou kratous ton ptolemaion. It was established by seleucus i nicator meaning victor or conqueror, one of the diadochi, or successors, of alexander the great. The seleucid empire was a hellenistic state that existed between the 4th and 1st centuries bc. Jan 28, 2017 seleucid and ptolemaic reformed armies 168145 bc 1 seleucid army by nick sekunda and angus mcbride illustrator.
Fischerbovet army and society in ptolemaic egypt armies of the ancient world. That is confirmed by historian flavius josephus, who writes that ptolemy, desirous to collect every book in the habitable earth, applied. Cleopatra flees to alexandria and opens negotiations with octavian. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Then, when alexander the great of macedon set out to dismantle the persian empire, he took egypt in 332 b. The first is the astronomical treatise now known as the almagest, although it was originally entitled the mathematical treatise.
Instead, they isolated themselves in the capital city of alexandria, a city envisioned by alexander the great. Oddly, while they ruled egypt, they never became egyptian. He was appointed satrap of egypt after alexanders death in 323 bc. Even in death, he played a major role in both the egyptian and ptolemaic imagination. At the time, the end of the third intermediate period, egypt had been ruled as a persian satrapy for a decadeindeed that was the case in egypt off and on since the 6th century bce. This is the only substantial and uptodate reference work on the ptolemaic army. Although the temples, as in persian times, had to pay taxes, their rights and privileges were extended or given back to them manning 2003, 161164, so that they became an important economic power in the ptolemaic empire johnson 1983, 71, and in addition to the army and administration, were established as the third base of ptolemaic rule. They were the last dynasty of ancient egypt ptolemy, was one of alexander the greats generals and deputies. The ptolemaic empire 32330 bce christelle fischerbovet is working on a book that aims at developing a better understanding of state formation and imperialism in egypt after the conquest of alexander down to the inclusion of egypt into the roman empire 33230 bce.