The Ptolemies, the Sea and the Nile
Studies in Waterborne Power

This book examines how the power of the Ptolemies depended upon control of waterways, the easiest form of communication in the ancient world.

Kostas Buraselis (Edited by), Mary Stefanou (Edited by), Dorothy J. Thompson (Edited by)

9781107033351, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 4 July 2013

294 pages, 13 b/w illus. 11 maps 8 tables
23.5 x 16 x 1.8 cm, 0.6 kg

With its emphasis on the dynasty's concern for control of the sea – both the Mediterranean and the Red Sea – and the Nile, this book offers a new and original perspective on Ptolemaic power in a key period of Hellenistic history. Within the developing Aegean empire of the Ptolemies, the role of the navy is examined together with that of its admirals. Egypt's close relationship to Rhodes is subjected to scrutiny, as is the constant threat of piracy to the transport of goods on the Nile and by sea. Along with the trade in grain came the exchange of other products. Ptolemaic kings used their wealth for luxury ships and the dissemination of royal portraiture was accompanied by royal cult. Alexandria, the new capital of Egypt, attracted poets, scholars and even philosophers; geographical exploration by sea was a feature of the period and observations of the time enjoyed a long afterlife.

Preface
In memoriam F. W. Walbank Christian Habicht
1. Introduction Kostas Buraselis and Dorothy J. Thompson
2. The Ptolemaic League of Islanders Andrew Meadows
3. Callicrates of Samos and Patroclus of Macedon: champions of Ptolemaic thalassocracy Hans Hauben
4. Rhodes and the Ptolemaic kingdom: the commercial infrastructure Vincent Gabrielsen
5. Polybius and Ptolemaic sea power Andrew Erskine
6. Ptolemaic grain, seaways and power Kostas Buraselis
7. Waterborne recruits: the military settlers of Ptolemaic Egypt Mary Stefanou
8. Our academic visitor is missing: Posidippus 89 (A-B) and 'smart capital' for the thalassocrats Paul McKechnie
9. Aspects of the diffusion of Ptolemaic portraiture overseas Olga Palagia
10. Ptolemies and piracy Lucia Criscuolo
11. The Nile police in the Ptolemaic period Thomas Kruse
12. Hellenistic royal barges Dorothy J. Thompson
13. Eudoxus of Cyzicus and Ptolemaic exploration of the sea route to India Christian Habicht
14. Timosthenes and Eratosthenes: sea routes and Hellenistic geography Francesco Prontera
15. Claudius Ptolemy on Egypt and East Africa Klaus Geus.

Subject Areas: Geographical discovery & exploration [RGR], Egyptian archaeology / Egyptology [HDDG], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA], African history [HBJH]