Collection of Greek and Latin inscriptions (non-funerary) from Imperial Alexandria (1st-3rd centuries AD). BiEtud 108.
IFAO| N° d'inventaire | 19494 |
| Format | 20 x 27.5 |
| Détails | 497 p., paperback. |
| Publication | Cairo, 1994 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782724701456 |
The second city of the Roman Empire left behind few archaeological or epigraphic remains. This collection, however, brings together 124 texts, spread between the beginning of the Roman occupation and the reign of Diocletian. The study of these inscriptions sheds light on both the life of Alexandria, a Greek city, and the delicate relationship between an ancient capital, proud of its glorious past, and the Roman authority represented by a prefect appointed by the emperor. The dedications of honorary statues reveal many imperial officials, some of whom had brilliant careers. As for the emperors, they presented themselves from the earliest times as builders (Alexandria Canal, Caesareum). The city tried to win their favor, but it was those who were entitled to the most laudatory epithets—Caracalla, Diocletian—who asserted their authority in the most brutal manner. Alexandria also did not forget that it was a Greek city. The municipal magistrates who covered the costs of dedications to the emperors readily took advantage of the opportunity to display their family tree, thus highlighting their aristocratic pride. For we were in a time when a handful of notables monopolized both the city's offices and the government functions in the chora for their own benefit. Social life in Alexandria is illustrated by a series of texts relating to professional, cultural, sporting, and of course religious associations. Religion held a central place in everyday life, the most honored gods being Sarapis and Isis. Near Alexandria, the suburb of Nicopolis housed a legionary camp. The testimonies from it are of interest to the history of legion recruitment, but also to Alexandria's role as a military base.
The second city of the Roman Empire left behind few archaeological or epigraphic remains. This collection, however, brings together 124 texts, spread between the beginning of the Roman occupation and the reign of Diocletian. The study of these inscriptions sheds light on both the life of Alexandria, a Greek city, and the delicate relationship between an ancient capital, proud of its glorious past, and the Roman authority represented by a prefect appointed by the emperor. The dedications of honorary statues reveal many imperial officials, some of whom had brilliant careers. As for the emperors, they presented themselves from the earliest times as builders (Alexandria Canal, Caesareum). The city tried to win their favor, but it was those who were entitled to the most laudatory epithets—Caracalla, Diocletian—who asserted their authority in the most brutal manner. Alexandria also did not forget that it was a Greek city. The municipal magistrates who covered the costs of dedications to the emperors readily took advantage of the opportunity to display their family tree, thus highlighting their aristocratic pride. For we were in a time when a handful of notables monopolized both the city's offices and the government functions in the chora for their own benefit. Social life in Alexandria is illustrated by a series of texts relating to professional, cultural, sporting, and of course religious associations. Religion held a central place in everyday life, the most honored gods being Sarapis and Isis. Near Alexandria, the suburb of Nicopolis housed a legionary camp. The testimonies from it are of interest to the history of legion recruitment, but also to Alexandria's role as a military base.