This paper intends to examine the importance of cultural interaction between the Pontic area and Egypt, the richest and most powerful Hellenistic kingdom in the Ptolemaic period. From immemorial times Egyptian culture had a major impact...
moreThis paper intends to examine the importance of cultural interaction between the Pontic area and Egypt, the richest and most powerful Hellenistic kingdom in the Ptolemaic period. From immemorial times Egyptian culture had a major impact especially toward Greeks, the first who recognized and appreciated not only possible analogies between the Egyptian and Greek religion, but an appreciable influence upon their own beliefs and important rituals. The Fenician sailors, followed by the Greek colonists from Naucratis had traded usual and cultic objects long before Alexander the Great conquests. Thus, the Egyptian culture and religion became known at long distances, even in the Greek colonies from the Black Sea. Alexandria, the Egyptian capital under the Ptolemaic rule had an important role on the Pontic Greek colonies, too. In just a few years, between the rule of Ptolemy Soter and Ptolemy Philadelphus, Alexandria became the main cultural centre in the Hellenistic world. The engine of this quick and remarkable success, was represented by the Ptolemaic cultural patronage, who layed the foundation of the most famous institutions of the ancient world : the Museion and the Library, attracting like a magnet the most enlightened minds of the time, including intellectuals originating in the Pontic region. Between them, this article will succintly present the cultural impact and activity of just a few, like Aristophanes of Byzantium, Heraclides Lembus from Callatis, Denis the Thracian, Philo of Byzantium, Herophilos of Chalcedon, Xenocrates of Chalcedon, or Isokrates of Apollonia.
