Life in a Multi-Cultural Society: Egypt from Cambyses to Constantine and Beyond

"Egypt from its incorporation into the Persian empire in 525 B.C. was home to a multi-cultural society with several strong cultural traditions. Scholars who work on Late period Egyptian hieroglyphic and hieratic texts, Aramaicists, Greek papyrologists, classicists and ancient historians, religious and legal historians, archaeologists, and art historians who study Egypt during the "Late" period were invited to a symposium entitled "Life in a Multi-Cultural Society: Egypt from Cambyses to Constantine" held at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago in September 1990, in conjunction with the 4th International Congress of Demotists. Most of the papers presented at the symposium are included in this volume; each individual paper makes a significant contribution to our understanding of an important period in world history, but the volume as a whole shows what a wide range of material and approaches must be considered in the study of complex societies, especially societies preserving several cultural or ethnic traditions. In addition, it serves as inspiration for further studies of multi-cultural societies."