Cleopatra’s Egypt

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• the history, society and culture of Ptolemaic Egypt
• the impact of Rome
• the role of Cleopatra
• the different ways in which scholars interpret the interaction of Greek and Egyptian culture

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively in the context of a timed exam
• Work in a seminar-team to prepare critical analyses of key primary material and to communicate them effectively
• Communicate effectively in seminar discussions
• Gather information and organise it into an accurate and coherent essay

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Formulate your own perspectives on key topics and be able to communicate them effectively in informal discussion and formal written exercises
• Engage critically with key primary sources
• Make well-supported judgments about the value of particular interpretations of the evidence
• Reflect critically on the different ways in which scholars have constructed ‘Greek’ and ‘Egyptian’
• Communicate accurately and clearly a range of knowledge and critical reflection in response to exam questions and essay topics

Subject Specific Practical Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Carry out research based on primary and secondary sources
• Use a range of search-engines (print and electronic) to gather evidence
• Judge the strengths and weaknesses of different interpretations

This course studies the history, society and culture of Egypt from its conquest by Alexander the Great of Macedon (332 BC) to the death of Cleopatra VII (30 BC), last of the dynasty founded by Alexander’s general, Ptolemy son of Lagos. From the beginning of this period, thousands of immigrants came to Egypt from all over the Greek world to make their homes in cities and countryside of Egypt. What was the impact of the arrival of the Greeks, and their political dominance in Egypt for three hundred years? What influences and tensions accompanied the development of this new world? This course explores different aspects of relations between Greeks and Egyptians in this period, culminating in a detailed look at the evidence for the rule of Cleopatra, the only Ptolemaic ruler to have learned Egyptian. Topics for study include:

• ancient and modern constructions of Ptolemaic Egypt;
• the Ptolemies’ creation of a new style of monarchy, combining Greek ideals of kingship with the ancient tradition of the Pharaohs;
• domestic and foreign policy;
• law and administration;
• life in the countryside;
• Ptolemaic Alexandria: culture and commerce;
• Memphis and the Egyptian temples;
• ‘Isis is a Greek word’: Greek religion and Pharaonic tradition;
• the Jews of Egypt;
• Egyptian resistance to Greek rule;
• the coming of Rome;
• the rule of Cleopatra.

Teaching methods include

• Lectures and tutor-led seminars
• Training in the analysis of key primary sources and how to present an analysis in the context of a seminar
• Essay tutorials

Learning activities include

• preparatory reading
• Reading and evaluating the recommended reading for seminar discussion
• Preparing and presenting responses to seminar topics as part of a group

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.