Lecture 3: The Augustan Settlement
Egypt in the Roman Empire

Aims
Objectives
Lecture summary
Lecture outline
Resources

Aims
To explain the complex of regulations that established the Augustan system
To introduce some of the basic terminology of Roman Egypt
To encourage students to think about political and administrative structures
To link the administrative settlement to ideas of ethnicity and introduce some more of the main themes of the historiography of Roman Egypt

Objectives
By the end of this session students should be better able to

  • discuss the administrative system of Roman Egypt
  • discuss the purposes of administration
  • relate the theoretical insights from lecture 2 to Romano-Egyptian society

Lecture Summary
When Augustus arrived in Egypt, he faced unusual problems. Having just made himself master of the Roman world, he had to make arrangements for the government of Egypt. He had various choices open to him but eventually opted for the rather unusual choice of an equestrian governor, and Egypt was to retain equestrian governors throughout the Roman period. Egypt was thus unusual and this oddity was replicated in other areas of Roman administration. Augustus adopted some of the basic structures of Ptolemaic administration (which has led historians erroneously to believe that the Roman period brought little change to Egypt) and some of the officials under the prefect retained Ptolemaic names. Nevertheless, there were new elements. most notably in the establishing of something close to a caste system in Roman Egypt, at the top of which were the Alexandrians and the Romans and which was enforced through the poll tax, imposed at differential rates on the various "ethnic" groups within the province. The other innovation was the development of the metropolite group, a group which came to run the newly emerging cities of Roman Egypt and who came to be at the forefront of political and cultural change in the province.

Lecture Outline

  • The Augustan problem
    • Egypt in 30 BC
      • Options
        • Client Kingdom
        • Province with Senatorial governor
        • New Arrangements
      • Existing Structures
        • Ptolemaic Court
        • Nomes
        • Strategoi
        • Temples
      • What Egypt lacked
        • City states
        • Local landed aristocracy
    • The situation in Rome
  • The Augustan Solution (Framework)
    • Central Administration
      • The Prefect
      • The Prefect's 'court'
      • Was the Prefect Pharaoh?
    • Local Administration
      • Strategoi
      • Royal Scribes
  • The Augustan Solution (Detail)
    • The Role of the Alexandrian Elite
    • The Division of the Population
      • The Poll Tax
      • The Metropolites
      • Alexandrians and Romans
  • Conclusion: Revolution or Evolution?

Resources

1) Administrative Structure :

2) Population Divisions :

3. Pliny Ep. X 6-7
C. Plinius to Trajan, Emperor
I thank you, master, since you granted Roman rights to the freedman of my wife and Roman citizenship to my doctor Harpocras, without any delay. But when I was ascertaining his age and his census rating, as you had instructed, I was advised by the more learned that I ought to have sought Alexandrian citizenship for him and then Roman, for he is an Egyptian. I, however, was not aware that there was any difference between Egyptians and other peregrini and I had thought it was enought to write to you only that he had been manumitted by a peregrina and that his patrona had died some time ago. I will not complain about my ignorance if it makes me more obliged to you on behalf of this man. I ask, therefore, so that I might legally enjoy the benefit that you have granted that you him Alexandrian citizenship....
Trajan to Pliny
Following the custom of emperors, I am not accustomed to granting Alexandrian citizenship lightly, but for Harpocras, your doctor, you have sought Roman citizenship, I am not able thus deny your additional petition. You must make known to me from what nome he comes, so that I may send a letter for you to my friend Pompeius Planta, Prefect of Egypt.


4. P. Oxy. XII 1453
Copy of an Oath. Thonis alias Patoiphis of Thonis and Herakleides of Totoes both lamplighters of the temple of Serapis, greatest god, and also of the Iseion and Paapis alias Thoonis and Pet[ ] of Patoiphis (the aforementioned) both lamplighters in Oxyrhynchus city in the temple of the great goddess Thoeris, all four swearby Caesar, god and son of a god, to Heliodoros of Heliodoros and Heliodoros of Ptolemaios the prostates of the temples of the Oxyrhynchite and the Kynopolite that they will supervise the lamps of the temples and fill them with appropriate oil on each of the temple days from Thoth 1 to Mersore 5 of the present year 1 of Caesar...

5. Gnomon of the Idios Logos
38. The children of a woman who is a citizen of Alexandria and an Egyptian man remains Egyptians, but inherit from both parents.
39. When a Roman man or a Roman woman marries a citizen of Alexandria or an Egyptian, without knowledge (of the true status), the children follow the lower class.
46. To Roman men and citizens of Alexandria who married Egyptian women without knowledge (of their true status) it was granted, in addition to freedom from responsibility, also that the children follow the father's station.

http://www.uky.edu/ArtsSciences/Classics/wlgr/wlgr-romanlegal148.html

6. Poll tax Receipts
P.Oxy. XII 1520 (AD 102) Year 5 of the Emperor Nerva Trajan Augustus Germanicus Pachon 26. Paid to Dionysios and the other collectors of the poll tax of the fifth year, Dekates (amphodon), Arendotos of Ptolemaios on the account, dr. 8
Year 5 Epeiph 5 pig tax, 5th year, Dekates, Arendotos, on the account, the same, 1 dr 4 obols.
P. Oxy. XII 1521 (AD 113) Year 18 Trajan Caesar the lord, Athur 5. Paid to Dios collector of money taxes of the metropolis poll tax of the current 18th year, South Quay, Eudaimon of Sarapion on the account, 2 dr 3 obols...
P. Tebt. II 306 (162-3) Year 3 Antoninus and Verus the lords Augusti Pharmouthi, account of Phamenoth. Paid to Priscus and the other collectors of money taxes Pakebis of Harpokration of [ ] of the poll tax of the second year at Tebtunis dr 22 ob. 4....

7. Inscriptions from Rome
Res Gestae Divi Augusti: 27.1
I added Egypt to the Empire of the Roman People.
ILS 91
Emperor Caesar son of the Divus Augustus pontifex maximus, imp XII, cos XI. trib. pot. XIV, dedicated this gift to the Sun, Egypt having been brought into the power of the Roman People. (on the base on an obelisk).

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