The emperor as pharaoh

• Titel: The emperor as pharaoh
• Titelzusatz: provincial dynamics and visual representations of imperial authority in Roman Egypt, 30 B. C. - A. D. 69
• Mitwirkende: O'Neill, Sean Joseph
• Verf.angabe: by Sean Joseph O'Neill
• Jahr: 2011
• Umfang: XVII, 322 S.
• Illustrationen: Ill., Kt.
• Fussnoten: Includes abstract. - Includes bibliographical references
• Hochschulschrift: Cincinnati, Ohio, Univ. of Cincinnati, Diss., 2011
• Bestellnr.: 3475104
• Bestellnr.: 34-75104
• Schlagwörter: (g)Ägypten <Altertum> / (s)Römerzeit / (s)Herrschaft / (s)Bildliche Darstellung
• Dokumenttyp: Hochschulschrift
• Sprache: eng
• (Umfang): 4 Mikrofiches
• (Ort): Ann Arbor, Mich.
• (Verlag): UMI, Proquest
• K10plus-PPN: 1443362646

Abstract

Octavian's capture of Egypt in 30 B.C. brought an end to Ptolemaic rule and marked the beginning of Roman control of a province which would become one of the most important sources of grain and other material goods within the empire. As in other provinces, Roman officials tried to incorporate their own ideological constructs regarding imperial authority into long-standing local traditions (which, in post-Ptolemaic Egypt, included a distinctly indigenous Egyptian mode of ethnic and religious expression, as well as a Greek and an increasingly syncretized Greco-Egyptian one). The present work focuses on the reflections both of their efforts and of how they were received, primarily through the examination of visual media created within two realms: namely, the body of coin-types produced at the Roman mint in Alexandria and the vast range of pharaonic-style reliefs carved on, within, or near the indigenous temples. These two distinct media have been selected for their informative value vis-à-vis the Roman attempts to shape provincial perceptions and the Egyptian religious views of the emperor's legitimacy as an inheritor of the pharaonic mantle.The present analysis of the images produced in these two realms centers on the imperial reigns comprising the first century of Roman rule over the Egyptian province (30 B.C. - A.D. 69). This time-frame allows for a close examination of the full array of socio-economic, religious, artistic, and archaeological effects related to the transition from Ptolemaic rule. While many of these effects are already observable during the reign of Augustus, the inclusion of the entire line of Julio-Claudian emperors in this study allows for the analysis of a wider and even more illustrative range of images (including potential "dynastic" examples).The Alexandrian coins were by far the most widely circulated material products of Roman agency in Egypt. Although the degree of intervention in type-selection from Rome itself is a matter of debate (one also treated in the present work), the exclusive representation of Roman interests in the full range of Alexandrian types can be readily demonstrated. On the other hand, the creation of pharaonic-style relief images remained under the direct control of the Egyptian clergy, far removed from the possibility of consistent intervention on the part of Roman authorities. As the priests were directly responsible for the propagation of notions of the ritual role played by the emperor as pharaoh, the reliefs and their associated texts constitute faithful sources regarding the probable religious perceptions of the Roman ruler among ethnic Egyptians. Along these lines, an analysis of the reliefs and of the context of their creation present the opportunity to gain insight on two levels: first and foremost, they facilitate an evaluation of the impact of the novel nature of Roman rule, Roman economic policies, and the various "messages" issued by provincial officials on the Egyptian priests and temples; in addition, they offer a glimpse into the conception of Roman authority as it was formulated within the culture embraced by the majority of provincials.