Além de Roma, nenhuma cidade no Alto Império Romano foi mais analisada, caracterizada e criticada a partir de perspectivas externas do que Alexandria no Egito. As imagens produzidas pela literatura ajudaram a elaborar a representação da cidade que a historiografia contemporânea perpetuou: uma cidade enorme, linda, rica, turbulenta e polêmica. O objetivo desta tese de doutorado é discutir as diversas representações sobre Alexandria, reforçadas e divulgadas por autores antigos entre o século I a.C. e III d.C.. Acreditamos que tais representações, associadas à grandeza e prosperidade de Alexandria que a assemelhavam à capital do Império, ilustram uma percepção da cidade como um espelho de Roma e, também, uma ameaça à sua hegemonia. Todas as ênfases nas qualidades e realizações de Alexandria por um lado, e nos seus problemas e tendência à rebelião, por outro, não eram inocentes e são indicativas de uma mentalidade que vislumbrava a cidade como um local que demandava a atenção contínua por parte dos representantes do poder romano. A intenção desta pesquisa é analisar os motivos que geraram essa dualidade nas narrativas, por meio do mapeamento das temáticas e contextos mais tratados pela tradição clássica. / Apart from Rome, no city in the early Roman Empire was more analyzed, characterized and criticized by external perspectives than Alexandria in Egypt. The images produced by the literature helped create the representation of the city that the contemporary historiography has perpetuated: an enormous, beautiful, rich, turbulent and polemic city. The aim of this doctorate thesis is to discuss the several representations about Alexandria reinforced and divulged by ancient authors between the first century BC and third century AD. We believe that theses representations associated to Alexandrias greatness and prosperity that made it similar to the capital of the Empire illustrate a perception of the city as a mirror to Rome and a threat to its hegemony. All the emphasis on Alexandrias qualities and achievements on the one hand, and on its problems and rebellious tendency on the other, were not innocent, and indicate a mentality that understood the city as a place that demanded continuous attention by the representatives of Roman power. The objective of this research is to analyze the reasons that led to this duality in the narratives by means of listing the themes and contexts mostly dealt with by the classical tradition.

Além de Roma, nenhuma cidade no Alto Império Romano foi mais analisada, caracterizada e criticada a partir de perspectivas externas do que Alexandria no Egito. As imagens produzidas pela literatura ajudaram a elaborar a representação da cidade que a historiografia contemporânea perpetuou: uma cidade enorme, linda, rica, turbulenta e polêmica. O objetivo desta tese de doutorado é discutir as diversas representações sobre Alexandria, reforçadas e divulgadas por autores antigos entre o século I a.C. e III d.C.. Acreditamos que tais representações, associadas à grandeza e prosperidade de Alexandria que a assemelhavam à capital do Império, ilustram uma percepção da cidade como um espelho de Roma e, também, uma ameaça à sua hegemonia. Todas as ênfases nas qualidades e realizações de Alexandria por um lado, e nos seus problemas e tendência à rebelião, por outro, não eram inocentes e são indicativas de uma mentalidade que vislumbrava a cidade como um local que demandava a atenção contínua por parte dos representantes do poder romano. A intenção desta pesquisa é analisar os motivos que geraram essa dualidade nas narrativas, por meio do mapeamento das temáticas e contextos mais tratados pela tradição clássica. / Apart from Rome, no city in the early Roman Empire was more analyzed, characterized and criticized by external perspectives than Alexandria in Egypt. The images produced by the literature helped create the representation of the city that the contemporary historiography has perpetuated: an enormous, beautiful, rich, turbulent and polemic city. The aim of this doctorate thesis is to discuss the several representations about Alexandria reinforced and divulged by ancient authors between the first century BC and third century AD. We believe that theses representations associated to Alexandrias greatness and prosperity that made it similar to the capital of the Empire illustrate a perception of the city as a mirror to Rome and a threat to its hegemony. All the emphasis on Alexandrias qualities and achievements on the one hand, and on its problems and rebellious tendency on the other, were not innocent, and indicate a mentality that understood the city as a place that demanded continuous attention by the representatives of Roman power. The objective of this research is to analyze the reasons that led to this duality in the narratives by means of listing the themes and contexts mostly dealt with by the classical tradition.

This essay explores the divinatory practice of incubation in ancient Egypt during the Graeco-Roman period with a particular focus on the magical and religious significance of the practice. Two main sanctuaries, Abydos and Deir el-Bahari have been investigated with a focus on the gods Bes and Osiris in the former and Amenhotep and Imhotep in the latter. The study has mainly examined surviving epigraphy and the ritual and cultic elements of the sites in relation to physical space as a prerequisite for ritual incubation. In addition, this study has related Greek influences on the practice of incubation in Egypt as a potential source of origin but has also investigated indigenous Egyptian traditions both for questioning the origin of and placing the practice into context. / Denna uppsats undersöker den spådomspraktik så kallad inkubation i Antika Egypten under dess Grekisk-romerska period med ett särskilt fokus på den magiska och religiösa meningen med praktiken. Två primära helgedomar, nämligen Abydos och Deir el-Bahari, har undersökts med ett fokus på gudarna Bes och Osiris i den förra och Amenhotep samt Imhotep i den senare. Studien har främst undersökt kvarlevande epigrafik och den rituella och det kultiska elementet av platserna i relation till fysiskt utrymme som en föregångare för rituell inkubation. Dessutom har denna studie relaterat grekiska influenser på inkubation i Egypten som ett potentiellt ursprung men har även undersökt inhemsk egyptisk tradition både i frågan om dess härkomst och för att ställa praktiken i sin kontext.

Au-delà de l’idée communément admise de la rareté du bois en Égypte, les documents grecs d’Égypte, grâce à la richesse et à la variété des informations qu’ils livrent, offrent les moyens de mieux appréhender la place qu’occupaient l’arbre et son bois aussi bien dans le paysage que dans l’économie du pays : depuis son rôle écologique ou ornemental, jusqu’à la production de fruits, de fourrage ou de combustible, l’arbre fournit aussi le bois alimentant les activités de menuiserie, de charpenterie ou de construction navale. Cette thèse présente ainsi une étude de l’exploitation de ces ressources par la société gréco-égyptienne au cours de la période couverte par la documentation papyrologique (de la fin du IVe s. av. J.-C. jusqu’au VIIIe s. ap. J.-C.), en partant de l’étude des papyrus et ostraca grecs pertinents, soit plusieurs centaines de documents édités. À la croisée des sources textuelles et archéobotaniques, une analyse lexicographique a ainsi permis de vérifier et d’établir dans la langue grecque d’Égypte les noms des principales essences locales exploitées pour leur bois (acacia, sycomore, perséa, saule, tamaris et jujubier épine-du-Christ). Outre les enjeux philologiques, cette étude a conduit à mettre en évidence des implications qui relèvent de l’histoire des paysages – introductions, abandons, répartition des espèces arborées –, de l’histoire économique – gestion, importation, distribution et consommation du bois –, de l’histoire culturelle – circulation des noms et sélection des essences –, mais aussi de la culture matérielle – travail du bois et usages des objets produits. / Beyond the common idea of wood scarcity in Egypt, the wealth of Greek documentation from Egypt provides solid ground to reevaluate the importance of trees and wood production in both the landscape and economy of the country : be they ornamental or ecologically functional, trees provide fruits, fodder and fuel, but also timber for woodworking, shipbuilding or charcoal. This dissertation thus contains a study of the exploitation of these natural resources by the Graeco-Egyptian society, from the end of the 4th century BC to the 8th century AD, based on the study of the relevant papyri and ostraca from Egypt, i.e. several hundreds of published documents. As a prerequisite for their right interpretation, a comprehensive lexicographical analysis was made, consisting of crossing textual and archaeobotanical sources, with the objective to crosscheck and establish the correct Greek names of the main local trees providing timber (acacia, sycamore, perséa tree, willow, tamarisk and nabk tree). In addition to these philological stakes, this study allowed as well to evidence implications in different fields, and in particular in the history of landscaping, like the introduction, abandonment, distribution of tree species, in the economy, like the production, importation, distribution and consumption of timber and fuel, in the cultural history, like flow of names and wood species selection, as well as in the art of wood crafting and culture of use of wooden artefacts.

The aim of this thesis is to examine changes in the status of traditional Egyptian religious culture during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, from 331 BCE to 313 CE. Four distinct categories of material culture are examined: monumental construction of temples and civic buildings, traditional hard-stone sculpture, Alexandrian tombs, and Roman coins. These bodies of evidence were chosen because each offers a unique perspective, reflecting respectively the personal inclinations and official attitudes of both the culturally Hellenic and indigenous elites, which have not previously been studied in this context. Examined together for the first time, these categories reveal commonalities that show clearly the progression of the status of indigenous religious culture. From this, it is argued that, despite being economically disadvantaged by the Roman administration, the high status of this culture persisted in Egyptian society under both the Ptolemies and the Romans. Patterns of Egyptian temple and classical civic building show that Egypt's indigenous elite controlled the resources allocated for temple construction under the Ptolemies, but that the Romans gradually transferred this land into the management of the culturally Hellenic elite. This resulted in a decrease in Egyptian temple building after the first century CE and a corresponding increase in classical construction from then on. The production of hard-stone statues is shown for the first time to reveal that the indigenous elite had the resources and cultural confidence to continue and develop their traditions under the Ptolemies, while the sharp decrease at the start of the Roman period reflects their diminution in autonomy and prosperity under Roman rule. New analysis of traditional elements and motifs in the tombs of Alexandrian elites shows that this group respected and adopted indigenous religious customs and beliefs, with a higher incidence of indigenous imagery in the Roman period compared with the Ptolemaic period. In a similar way, well-informed Egyptian religious iconography rendered in a classical style on Alexandrian coins demonstrates the respect of the Roman authorities for Egyptian religious cults and institutions at an official level. In sum, it is argued that indigenous religious culture largely maintained its privileged economic and social status throughout the Ptolemaic period, despite political upheavals. Under Roman rule, the individuals and institutions representing Egyptian religious culture were disadvantaged economically; however, its social importance and standing were preserved and it continued to enjoy respect.

Cette étude concerne le fait théâtral dans ses dimensions matérielles, éclairé par les textes relatifs au fonctionnement et à la place du théâtre dans la société de l'Égypte hellénistique et romaine. Foyer d'expression et de diffusion de la culture gréco-romaine, la pratique théâtrale apparaît comme un élément fondamental au sein du processus d'hellénisation qui se met en place en Égypte à partir de la conquête d'Alexandre le Grand. Trois grands axes de recherche ont été définis : en premier lieu, le théâtre est étudié en tant qu'ouvrage architectural. Cette approche, essentiellement archéologique, est également mise en relation avec la notion de cadre urbanistique et de parure monumentale des villes d'Égypte à cette période. Nos recherches s'orientent ensuite plus spécifiquement sur le rayonnement de la pratique théâtrale en Égypte, à travers l'étude des productions d'objets issus de l'univers théâtral et dionysiaque. Ces représentations témoignent non seulement de la diffusion et de l'adaptation d'une composante essentielle de la culture grecque et romaine en Égypte, mais également de l'attachement royal à Dionysos, considéré comme l'ancêtre de la dynastie lagide. En troisième et dernier lieu, les activités et les diverses manifestations associées à l'édifice théâtral sont développées ; il s’agit d’aborder non seulement les spectacles, les auteurs et les acteurs, mais également les questions d'entretien, de maintenance et de gestion du bâtiment. L'apport de la documentation textuelle et archéologique constitue un outil précieux dans le développement de cette problématique. / This study deals with theatre in his material dimensions, enlightened by the texts relating to the operation and place of theatre in the society of Hellenistic and Roman Egypt. Centre of expression and diffusion of Graeco-Roman culture, theatrical practice appears as a fundamental element in the process of Hellenization which implements in Egypt from the conquest of Alexander the Great. Three main areas of research were identified : first, the theatre is discussed as in his architectural dimension. This approach, mainly archaeological, is also in relation with the notion of urban planning framework and set of monumental cities of Egypt at this time. Then our research focuses specifically on the influence of theatrical practice in Egypt, through the study of the production of objects associated to theatrical and Dionysiac world. These images reflect not only the diffusion and adaptation of an essential component of Greek and Roman culture in Egypt, but also the royal attachment to Dionysus, considered the ancestor of Ptolemaic dynasty. Third and finally, the various activities and events associated with the theatre building are developed ; we deal not only dramatic shows, authors and actors, but also maintenance and building management issues. The contribution of textual documentation is an invaluable tool in the development of these notions.