Greek Culture in Hellenistic Egypt

The book originates from the papers discussed in three conferences, held in Cassino and Florence. It aims to investigate some aspects of the cultural consequences of the settlement of the Greeks in Egypt during the Hellenistic period, with a focus on the reception and reuse of their literature, through a discussion of papyrological material, archaeological evidence, and literary sources. The essays are divided in three thematic sections. The first investigates the dichotomy of persistence and evolution, as reflected by iconography, planning of urban spaces and literary sources. The second section offers new reflections on a long debated problem: the meaning of ‘ethnicity’ and the dynamics of ‘ethnic’ interactions between Egyptians and Greeks, in literature and documents. The third explores some moments of the reception and diffusion of the Greek literature in Egypt, juxtaposing the discussion of specific, extraordinary texts and more general surveys of evidence which aim to explain some general patterns. Mixing case studies and comprehensive overviews, the volume aims to offer an updated, multifaceted representation of complex phaenomena which can be understood only going beyond disciplinary boundaries.