The Study of Achaemenid Egypt

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

Henry P. Colburn

Published:

2019

Publisher:

Edinburgh University Press

The introductory chapter provides some historical context for the study of Achaemenid Egypt. This period in Egyptian history is an orphan of sorts, falling between the earlier periods, of great interest to Egyptologists, and the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, of great interest to classicists. Along with this lack of interest, there is also a more insidious tendency to emphasize the scarcity of evidence for this period, something Margaret Root has called the ‘politics of meagerness.’ This tendency is tied to nineteenth century orientalist views of the Persians as savage despots, a view also held by the ancient Greeks. To avoid these issues, this book focuses on the experience of Achaemenid rule. This involves two main approaches: 1.) the examination of continuities and changes in the structures of Egyptian society, and 2.) a study of identity through decisions made about material by individuals and communities.

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