Egypt: Alexander to Augustus

• • A week-by-week guide to the topics you will explore in this subject will be provided in your study materials.

Others

NCCW (pre-2020 units) HST804, AHPG821, AHIX821

Special requirements

No special requirements

Theocritus wrote: '... there's no country so fruitful as the low-country of Egypt when Nile comes gushing up to soak the soil and break it, nor no country, neither, possessed of so many cities of men learned in labour ... and in them the lord and master of all is proud Ptolemy.' In this unit this powerful empire is studied. Its kings, fifteen of them, all had the name of Ptolemy. In their capital city of Alexandria, founded by and named after Alexander the Great, the kings of the Ptolemy family built the Museum and Library which made their empire the beating heart of the Greek intellectual world. Theirs was the longest-lasting of the successor kingdoms which took over the lands conquered by Alexander, lasting until Octavian (later known as Caesar Augustus) defeated Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony in a sea-battle at Actium in 31 BC.

• Major essay (40%)
• Minor essay (20%)
• Summaries (40%)