Money in Ptolemaic Egypt: From the Macedonian Conquest to the End of the Third Century BC

Sitta von Reden

Cambridge University Press, Dec 6, 2007 - Business & Economics - 354 pages

This book explores the impact of Alexander the Great's introduction of coined money on the economy and society of Egypt and its political implications for the formation of the Ptolemaic state. It argues that the introduction of coinage happened slowly, spreading gradually from Alexandria into the chora. Under Ptolemy II, however, Egypt was aggressively monetised. Using both numismatic and papyrological evidence, the workings of a rural monetary economy are reconstructed where coinage was in high demand, but in short supply. It is argued that by the middle of the third century BC Egypt was much more thoroughly monetised than is usually assumed, but that the degree of monetisation was sustained only by an extensive credit economy as well as ad hoc commutation of monetary payments into kind. Contextualising the complexities of credit and banking in rural Egypt, the book offers a fresh picture of their function in the ancient economy.

Contents

• Monetising the countryside: 58
• Taxes: 84
• Bronze and silver: 111
• Rents: 118
• Wages: 130
• Formal loans: 153
• Table 7 Loans against pledge made by Zenons agents between: 164
• Table 8 cont: 178
• BGUXI965: 179
• Table 8 cont: 180
• Extending the credit economy: 181
• Table 10 Loans against future produce: 193
• Table n Credit sale: 199
• Table 12 Arrha: 201
• Leases and labour contracts: 205
• Credit in a social context: 227
• Banks and the money supply: 257
• Banking and business: 280

About the author

Sitta von Reden is Senior Lecturer in Ancient History and Classics at the University of Bristol, UK.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Money in Ptolemaic Egypt: From the Macedonian Conquest to the End of the Third Century BC
• Author: Sitta von Reden
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2007
• ISBN: 0521852641, 9780521852647
• Length: 354 pages
• Subjects: Business & Economics / Economic History; History / Ancient / Egypt; History / Ancient / General; History / Social History; Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural; Social Science / Archaeology