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  3. Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt
  • Cited by 39
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Online publication date:
April 2014
Print publication year:
2014
Online ISBN:
9781139035231
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139035231
Subjects:
Ancient History, Classical Studies, Military History, History
Series:
Armies of the Ancient World
Information

Book description

This is the only substantial and up-to-date reference work on the Ptolemaic army. Employing Greek and Egyptian papyri and inscriptions, and building on approaches developed in state-formation theory, it offers a coherent account of how the changing structures of the army in Egypt after Alexander's conquest led to the development of an ethnically more integrated society. A new tripartite division of Ptolemaic history challenges the idea of gradual decline, and emphasizes the reshaping of military structures that took place between c.220 and c.160 BC in response to changes in the nature of warfare, mobilization and demobilization, and financial constraints. An investigation of the socio-economic role played by soldiers permits a reassessment of the cleruchic system and shows how soldiers' associations generated interethnic group solidarity. By integrating Egyptian evidence, Christelle Fischer-Bovet also demonstrates that the connection between the army and local temples offered new ways for Greeks and Egyptians to interact.

Reviews

'Fischer-Bovet has written the first full-scale study of the Ptolemaic military in over a century. Few books have the potential to change the direction of scholarship; this is such a book … This well-written, clearly argued study belongs in all university libraries.'

S. M. Burstein Source: Choice

'Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt offers a wide-ranging analysis of Ptolemaic military institutions, particularly as a social vehicle for stability and integrative activity. It features a comprehensive bibliography, numerous sources in translation, several helpful maps, charts and diagrams, and thorough indices.'

Paul Johstono Source: Bryn Mawr Classical Review

'… [the book] is filled with a great deal of useful and highly interesting information and, as such, it amply repays the time taken to make a considered read.'

Victor Blunden Source: Ancient Egypt

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