Graeco Roman Egypt

More is known about everyday life in Graeco-Roman Egypt than in any other Greek or Roman territory, largely owing to the thousands of papyri discovered in the rubbish tips of ancient towns at the beginning of the twentieth century. The papyri, which include accounts, personal letters, complaints and legal documents, enable the archaeologist to see the artefacts and monuments in their full social context, in a way that is impossible when examining any other ancient civilisation. From the papyri we can tell how everyday objects, which were exceptionally well preserved in the dry sands of Egypt, were used. This book portrays Egyptian society in Greek and Roman times (332 BC to AD 395), with its concerns about finance, family and friends, to which the modern reader can easily relate. It covers settlements from the great cosmopolitan, if unruly, city of Alexandria, to small villages, while considering social problems such as burglary and technological advances like the development of glassworking. About the author Simon Ellis obtained a doctorate from Lincoln College, Oxford, for research on late Roman and Byzantine houses. From 1976 to 1988 he worked on excavations at Carthage, first with the University of Michigan, and later as director of the British projectEllis, Simon P. is the author of 'Graeco Roman Egypt' with ISBN 9780747801580 and ISBN 0747801584.