Selling Private Real Estate in a New Monarchical Setting. Sale and Community in Hellenistic Egypt

Abstract

The Ptolemies, the last Pharaohs, took over a country with a high standing civilization and a mighty clergy, receiving at the same time numerous Greek immigrants. They were able to maintain the control over Greeks and Egyptians by balancing between innovation and tradition and by bargaining with the elite groups (Greek and priestly elite).1 This paper on selling procedures is a test case for this general statement. Evidence of the Egyptian chora will be discussed, constituting mainly of Greek and Demotic sale contracts and of sales tax receipts; official correspondence and lawsuit records add crucial additional information.