Greco-Roman Egypt Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to Greco-Roman Egypt, including coinage, social structures, religious practices, magic, and astrology.

Coinage

The introduction of coins into Egypt under the Ptolemies and Romans.

Bronze Coins

Most common coin used for daily transactions in Egypt.

Alexandria Mint

The mint that produced coins with Greek inscriptions and Roman Emperor portraits

Opus vermiculatum

A fine mosaic technique using tightly packed tiny tiles.

Katachos

A recluse confined to a temple who interprets dreams.

Apollonius

The brother of Ptolemaeus who acts as his link to the outside world.

Serapis

Cult founded by Ptolemy I in 286 BC which is a syncretic deity generated from the worship of Osiris & Apis.

Inundation Season (Aket)

The season when the Nile River overflows its banks, from August to November.

Upper Egypt

A flood plain, narrow, valley-like region susceptible to flooding, but also limiting its agricultural land.

Lower Egypt

Triangular region and much larger, fertile area that supported twice the agricultural land of Upper Egypt.

Fayoum

Originally marshy region drained and made fertile by Kleon and Theodorus.

Nilometers

Device originating in Pharaonic times used to measure the water level during the annual flood.

Philae

Island in the Nile where the Gallus Stele is located.

Cornelius Gallus

The first prefect of Egypt appointed by Augustus.

Paraphernalia

Personal belongings given to the wife.

Cleurchs

Garrison soldiers/professional soldiers.

Oiketes, doulos, andrapodon

Terms for slaves.

Chrematistai

A court which represented royal authority, hearing cases on an AD hoc basis, and eventually replacing the other courts.

Voces magicae/mysticae

Verbal performance in magical spells.

Kharakteres

Mythical alphabet of invented graphemes.

Curses

Spells inscribed on lead tablets, often folded/pierced with nails, and buried in liminal spaces.

Sortition

Action of selecting or determining something by the casting/drawing of lots.

Astragaloi

Gaming pieces sometimes referred to as knucklebones.

Sortes Astrampsychi

3rd century AD bibliomancy published under the aegis of an Egyptian sage.

Incubation

Practice of sleeping in a temple to receive dreams.

Oneirocritica

The only complete surviving dream book from Greco-Roman Egypt, written by Artemidorus.

Katarchic astrology

The implementation of a horoscope to determine the most beneficial time to start something.

Taweret

Hippo deity and a protective deity for childbirth.

Bes

Goblin type man that is a protector of children/child birth.