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The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305-30 BC Paperback – October 7, 2012

by J. G. Manning (Author)

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The history of Ptolemaic Egypt has usually been doubly isolated--separated both from the history of other Hellenistic states and from the history of ancient Egypt. The Last Pharaohs, the first detailed history of Ptolemaic Egypt as a state, departs radically from previous studies by putting the Ptolemaic state firmly in the context of both Hellenistic and Egyptian history. More broadly still, J. G. Manning examines the Ptolemaic dynasty in the context of the study of authoritarian and premodern states, shifting the focus of study away from modern European nation-states and toward ancient Asian ones. By analyzing Ptolemaic reforms of Egyptian economic and legal structures, The Last Pharaohs gauges the impact of Ptolemaic rule on Egypt and the relationships that the Ptolemaic kings formed with Egyptian society. Manning argues that the Ptolemies sought to rule through--rather than over--Egyptian society. He tells how the Ptolemies, adopting a pharaonic model of governance, shaped Egyptian society and in turn were shaped by it. Neither fully Greek nor wholly Egyptian, the Ptolemaic state within its core Egyptian territory was a hybrid that departed from but did not break with Egyptian history. Integrating the latest research on archaeology, papyrology, theories of the state, and legal history, as well as Hellenistic and Egyptian history, The Last Pharaohs draws a dramatically new picture of Egypt's last ancient state.

Print length

280 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Princeton University Press
Publication date

October 7, 2012
Dimensions

6.1 x 0.71 x 9.2 inches
ISBN-10

0691156387
ISBN-13

978-0691156385
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Manning's book is one of the most thought-provoking studies on the Hellenistic world to have appeared for quite some time, and it will be essential reading for anyone concerned with this remarkable period."---John Ray, Times Literary Supplement

"Manning has produced a deep and meaningful study of the social and political relationships inherent in the Ptolemaic economy."---Timothy Howe, Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"Following his study of land tenure and use in Hellenistic Egypt, Manning presents a well-supported analysis of the formation of the Ptolemaic state in the fourth and third centuries BCE." ― Choice

"Integrating the latest research on archaeology, papyrology, theories of the state, and legal history, as well as Hellenistic and Egyptian history, The Last Pharaohs draws a dramatic picture of Egypt's last ancient state." ― Heritage Key

"This book, using latest archaeological technique combined with analysis of Ptolemaic documents, sets into a clear yet far ranging perspective the reality of Egypt in a 300 year span from the ancient to the Roman world." ― Stephen Cox Trust

"The Last Pharaohs has a place alongside [the works of] Gunther Holbl and Werner Huss."---Paul McKechnie, Ancient West and East

Review

"This fascinating book has broad views that should appeal to many people who are neither specialists on ancient Egypt nor the ancient Greek world. J. G. Manning has a perfect knowledge of his subject."―Alain Bresson, University of Chicago

"Most scholars who study Ptolemaic Egypt are specialists in either Greek or Egyptian demotic papyrology, work below the level of large-scale narrative, and write technical studies that are not always accessible to historians. And the evidence from Ptolemaic Egypt is often considered parochial since Egypt is thought of as unique in the ancient world. J. G. Manning's book answers all these problems. Leaving the niche of technical papyrology and showing convincingly why Ptolemaic Egypt is important for the study of state formation and the ancient economy, he approaches the period as a real historian and puts his subject in the context of current international scholarly debate. The Last Pharaohs will impress ancient historians in general, and should make the Ptolemaic state an important case study in the literature on authoritarian states and state formation."―Katelijn Vandorpe, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Princeton University Press (October 7, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0691156387
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0691156385
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 0.71 x 9.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,836,804 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,696 in Ancient Egyptians History

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J.G. Manning
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Joe Manning was born in Champaign, Illinois, grew up in Chicago, and attended Ohio State, where he studied Medieval architectural history and History. He did his graduate work at the University of Chicago, where he took his MA and PhD degrees in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations in the famed Oriental Institute. He holds the William K. and Marilyn M. Simpson chair in History & in Classics at Yale University, and is an ancient historian whose main interest is the social and economic history of the Hellenistic world. He is increasingly concerned with issues arising out of the study of Egyptian history in the long run and the impact of climate change on premodern societies. He has traveled extensively and has lived in Egypt, England, Spain and Belgium as well as throughout the US. Manning is currently a Professor of Classics and History at Yale University.
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Joseph Gilbert Manning
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Amazon Customer

Fascinating and well researched

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2020

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This book should be standard text for anyone interested in the Ptolemaic period, the book brilliantly describes the fusion of cultural traditions and the many aspects of changes the Ptolemaic monarchy brought forth as well as how the new leadership used what already existed and improved upon it. The city of Alexandia, the library, the temples and light house all came about because of the tolerance and fusion of cultures. I highly recommend!

2 people found this helpful

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C. Field

An overview of the Ptolemies I was looking for

Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2013

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This was a great book on the overview of Ptolemaic administration and economy that is largely lacking in this field of scholarship. Books on the Ptolemies are few and far between and while I felt Mr. Manning's book was a good supplement to Gunther Holbl's "A History of the Ptolemaic Empire" which provided a thorough overview of the reigns of the numerous kings and queens of the house of Ptolemy and their political achievements. One of the biggest pieces Manning helped me understand is how despite our outdated, western orientalist view of the Egyptians, the Ptolemies were not despotic rulers but in fact had to give and take with numerous powerful groups in society in order to maintain their rule.

7 people found this helpful

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William D. Shingleton

Careful what you are getting into

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2013

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I bought this book looking for a basic overview of the Ptolemy dynasty, which started with Alexander's key lieutenant and ended with Cleopatra. The Ptolemies are poorly studied, as scholars of Classical Rome and Greece tend to ignore them as a side-show and scholars of Ancient Egypt tend to view them as an unconnected and unwieldy addition to the end of the Pharonic era. This makes finding a good book on the Ptolemies hard to find.

Unfortunately, this book is not written for generalists, does not provide any kind of linear timeline of the events and accomplishments of the dynasty, and does not allow the members of Egypt's last dynasty of leaders to emerge as individuals. Instead, this book is written as a discussion of the structures of Ptolemaic society, government, and economy. The author is clearly an expert and is engaged in an academic debate about the nature of the Ptolemaic state with other experts both living and dead. Some of his commentary on the nature of authoritarian regimes will strike the students of modern autocracies as useful. However, the book in general is inaccessible to neophytes like me who cannot tell Ptolemy V from Ptolemy X at the outset.

I cannot comment on the extent to which a student of archeology, classics, or Egyptology would enjoy this book, as I am none of these things. What I can say is that anyone looking for a basic survey of one of the key dynasties of Egyptian history should look elsewhere.

30 people found this helpful

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Mohsen Ebrahim

Good book

Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2018

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Very good and informative

One person found this helpful

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rachel cate

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2017

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wonderful book

One person found this helpful

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N. Jacques

A very academic treatment of the culture. I was ...

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2016

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A very academic treatment of the culture. I was hoping for more of the history off the family. Their history was not a major concern in this book.

2 people found this helpful

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Jean Miélot

Misleading title, many missed opportunities

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2019

I saw this book and I thought, wow, interesting, I will finally learn something on the Greek conquest of Egypt and the long-term factors that led Cleopatra to 'surrender' to the Romans. Guess what? Cleopatra is Not . Mentioned . Even . Once . Of course, I wasn't necessarily expecting stories about queens rolled up in carpets committing suicide by snake, but one wonders in what state of mind the author Joseph Manning and the editors were when they purposefully deceived their reading audience by bringing a book on the market titled "The last pharaohs. Egypt under the Ptolemies" and act as if this dynasty's most famous ruler never existed. On the other hand, if this book had (much more accurately) been called "The historiography of nation building, taxation and law in Ptolemaic Egypt - A case study on the political economy of premodern states" I would have never looked into this while I was actually positively interested by quite a few of Manning's arguments.

Manning basically takes for granted that his readers are well versed in the basics of Ptolemaic Egypt. I must confess that I am not; my knowledge about Ptolemaic kings amount to next to nothing. So, while working my way through chapters on theories concering state formation in premodern societies, the evolvement of state bureaucracies, and the intricacies of tax politics and law (which is the main focus of this book), I also learned that in the chaos following Alexander the Great's capture of Egypt Ptolemy and his successors - against all odds - built one of the most succesvul pharaonic dynasties in history. The Ptolemies introduced to Egypt a financial infrastructure with banks, a mint and a new coinage which revolutionized the collection of taxes to the point of making pharao Ptolemy II Philadelphos the wealthiest man in the world. It also allowed the Ptolemies to embark into ambitious land-reclamation projects in the Fayyum; build temples across Egypt which are still mandatory stops for tourists cruising the Nile today (Edfu, Kom-Ombo), create new cities like Ptolemais near Thebes and Alexandria - the latter evolving into the biggest city on the planet with a population of 500.000. The Ptolemies turned the Egyptian bureaucracy into a bilingual apparatus; a feat that gathered world-wide attention through Champollion's analysis of the Rosetta Stone. Their program of state propaganda led to an incredible output of 'hellinized' pharaonic imagery, but also to the compilation of a list of royal dynasties by the state official Manetho which historians today still use as a framework to study Ancient Egyptian history. And oops, since she is not mentioned we almost forgot, their last queen was kissed by Marc Anthony.

This book basically argues that the main force driving Ptolemaic Egypt was an amorphous apparatus of quasi-anonymous state officials. This book echoes Christopher Clark's argument that European leaders in 1914 'sleep walked' into the abyss; and that leaders were utterly unable to control their all-powerful government bureaucracies whom were poised for war. Similarly, Manning describes how the Ptolemies profoundly transformed Egypt not by themselves, but by bringing in Greek officials who reshaped Egyptian law, finance, taxation and society. By focusing on the Greek contribution to Egyptian government Manning achieves tremendous insights. His ability to summarize primary and secondary source material in this synthesizing work is truly impressive. And while this book does a fantastic job in mapping the strenghts and weaknesses of the Ptolemaic state bureacracy, it is also flawed on a very fundamental level: it reduces 'old-fashioned' royal and military history to a side-note. Manning refuses to acknowledge that individual rulers do make choices that do alter the course of history. There is an implicit denial in this book that the outcome of wars or personal interests of kings can force state officials to alter state structures. As a reader, I felt really annoyed when Manning explicitly acknowledged this point when he argues that bureaucracies in premodern states are far less robust than modern bureaucracies - which gave premodern rulers much more leeway in stamping their authority on state policies - it would have been appropriate to follow up on this observation by exploring key moments that were clearly game-changers such as the battle of Raphia or the invasion of Antiochius IV. In my opinion, Manning puts way too much emphasis on continuities, while the changes were undeniably profound.

All in all, I really feel that Manning missed an easy opportunity with this book. His erudition would have shone brighter with the inclusion of two or three more chapters explaining the Ptolemies to dummies like me; the book also could have really improved with the inclusion of twenty or so pictures of relevant Ptolemaeic propaganda. At least, he would have honoured the title of this book, because despite my respect for his research I must admit that my lack of prior knowledge made me unable at times to follow every intricacy and it's relevance to the wider story. And while I found Manning's book thoughtproviking on many points, at the same time it made up for pretty tedious reading.

8 people found this helpful

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Mary Banks

Ptolemies, background, the people and their realm.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2015

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Really well written and readable. Found the content useful for study of the period. Manning tackles it from a different perspective to other authors writing on the subject.

2 people found this helpful

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