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Evolution of City Administration in Roman Egypt

Explore the transformation of city administration in Roman Egypt pre- and post-Diocletian, from the introduction of boule councils to the decline of the council's role. Delve into the changes within city councils, countryside administration, and the elite's power dynamics. Learn about the provinces of Egypt and the social structure of landowning elites. Discover the roles of women, education, and culture in Roman Egyptian society. Uncover the impact of Christian literature and the shift from gymnasiums to circuses. Widen your perspective with insights into the "Wandering Poets" of Egyptian nome capitals. For a detailed examination, read pp. 54-62 of Septimius Severus's administration in Roman Egypt.

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Evolution of City Administration in Roman Egypt

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  1. Egypt 3: The Cities

  2. Administration Important: pp. 54-62 c. 201: Septimius Severus: all nome capitals polis-status (before only Ptolemais, Naucratis, Alex., Antinoopolis) Introduction of boule(city council): esp. for tax collection by land-owning elite

  3. Administration Cities before Diocletian Mix of Greek, Egyptian and Roman elements Greek: • City councils (boulai) • Magistrates: euergetism • gymnasial/councillor class (bouleutai) Egyptian: • Division in nomes (districts), strategos Roman: -toplayer above Egyptian-Greek administration, e.g. prefect and other high officials in Alex.

  4. Tasks of councillors: • Tax collection • Magistratural functions: - Exegetes: accounting for status • Gymnasium (e.g. gymnasiarch) • Food supplies (e.g. agoranomos) Appointed by council and had to report back to them * Also special public events, such as festivals, visits of emperors etc.

  5. Changes Diocletian ‘decline’ of boule > better perceived as ‘transformation’! • Changes in city itself: gymnasium losing central place in city in favour of other forms of amusement, e.g. horses; religious functions (e.g. archiereus) taken over by functions in Church • Early fourth-century administrative changes: Introduction of logistes (curator civitatis); strategos> exactor; riparius: public order; defensorcivitatis: justice -

  6. In general: Shift away from council to curial class (curiales/politeuomenoi) Basically the councillors in Late Antiquity are only involved in tax collection • Countryside: Toparchies replaced with muncipalities (pagi); at head: praeposituspagi(councillor class) > ‘decline of nome system’

  7. What changed for the elite: ‘growing power but diminished autonomy’ Because of this three-tired system, imperial government not very present, except e.g. through army

  8. Provinces of Egypt • 298, Diocletian: Egypt and Thebaid • 314/5: Herculia, Iovia, Thebaid • 322: Herculia, Mercuriana, Iovia, Thebaid • 324: Egypt, Thebaid • 341: Augustamnica, Egypt, Thebaid • 381: Augustamnica, Egypt, Thebaid Head of these provinces: praeses 381: creation of Egypt as diocese with Augustal Prefect above other praesides • 397-ca. 500: Augustamnica, Egypt, Arcadia, Thebaid * 6th cent.: 6 or 7 provinces; from 539 dux et augustalis

  9. Landowning elite Concentration of wealth but not undifferentiated unity: • Small landowners: < 10 arouras (ca. 40-50% of all holders) Cannot live off these lands: civil/military service, other occupations • Middle group: 11-100 arouras (ca. 40 %) Not dependent on occupation; civil service - Large land holders: > 100 arouras (ca. 10%): rich; councillor class

  10. Extensive lands in the countryside, sometimes spread over several pagi • Staples, such as grain • Other: ships, town houses etc. In general about 5-10% of city population could live off lands owned For further details read pp. 68-78

  11. What did the rest of the population do? • Production (food, shelter, clothing, technology) e.g. processing and milling of grain, meat and fish etc. Construction business, textile industry etc. Metal working etc. • Distribution: market centre for food and drink, cf. Mediterranean market places, highly specialised • Services: transportation (e.g. on Nile); slaves

  12. Women • Patriarchal society (though not as bleak as classical Greece): position depended on family, wealth and social position • Owning and leasing of land Ca. 8.5 % of land holders were women • Lower classes: shops, domestic service etc. Widows and orphans not socially accepted

  13. Greek education and culture • Mostly councillors, but exception are e.g. wealthy athletes • Education system: • Grammatistes • Secondary eduction: grammatikos • Educational institution: gymnasium, only accessible to gymnasial class Ca. 14 years: ephebes Also sports: local, but also trans-regional (Panopolis), or even international (Olympic Games)

  14. High culture Main centres: Panopolis, Hermopolis, Oxyrhynchus • Full-time philosophers • Little evidence for libraries, but large amount of literary works seem to have come from Panopolis (Bodmer collection, perhaps Chester Beatty) • Main development: incorporation of Christian literature and use as part of Christian education

  15. Other changes: gymnasium > circus (cf. before on ‘decline of the council’ ‘Wider Horizons’: • Group of poets from Egyptian nome capitals, ‘Wandering Poets’: Olympiodorus of Thebes; Nonnus(Dionysiaca), Cyrus of Panopolis (consul 441)

  16. SB III 6222 (Dec. 301?)

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