Monuments of Roman Egypt

6 sessions: Mondays, 7th November to 12th December; 10.30 to 12.30.  At Berkeley House and on Zoom.

Egypt under the rule of the Roman Emperors is generally thought of as ‘too late’ to be Pharaonic, but not Roman enough to be placed alongside other provinces: it is anomalous, but that is a major part of its interest. The Roman period saw the construction or completion of some of the largest surviving temples such as Dendera, Kom Ombo, Esna, Philae, and Kalabsha. Emperors are depicted everywhere as pharaohs and Egyptian culture persisted and adapted to new influences. This short series looks at some of the major surviving monuments in the Nile Valley, the continuing cultural traditions and the defence exploitation of the Oases of the Western Desert and the roads and quarries of the Eastern Desert.

Robert Morkot studied Ancient History and Egyptology in London and Berlin. His research interests are based in the Mediterranean and North-East Africa, and have been particularly involved with Egypt, Nubia and Sudan, and Libya.  He was Chair of the Society for Libyan Studies (now BILNAS) from 2011-2016 and is currently President of the Friends of the Petrie Museum. His publications include The Egyptians: an Introduction and The Black Pharaohs: Egypt’s Nubian Rulers.