Defining the elite in Roman Egypt: the metropolitan orders and the formation of local power structures.

For centuries, ancient Egypt has fascinated scholars and laymen alike. The splendor of the pharaohs of old, with their colossal structures and enigmatic burial rituals, create an exotic atmosphere that appeals to many. Paradoxically, Egyptologists have largely ignored the abundance of sources surviving from later periods and thus the lives of the Egyptians under foreign rulers, such as the Roman emperors. Yet from the Egyptian sands emerged a papyrological goldmine offering a wealth of information on this country more profound than the popularized amorous exploits of queen Cleopatra. This project will focus on the elite groups in Roman Egypt that existed from roughly AD 1 to AD 300, i.e. the gymnasial and metropolite orders. Much has been written on their legal status, but the actual reality of their daily lives has largely been ignored. The diverse political, economic and cultural backgrounds of their members will therefore be mapped, as well as how they related to each other and to superior ranks in Egyptian society. The place of the privileged orders within the overarching social structure of the empire will also be examined to gain new insights into Roman provincial policy. A prosopographical study will be complemented with social network analysis. This alternative approach of quantification and visualization will provide a different perspective on the elite social networks of Roman Egypt and the Roman Empire in general.