alexandrea ad aegyptVmthe legacy of multiculturalism in antiquity

ROGÉRIO SOUSAMARIA DO CÉU FIALHOMONA HAGGAGNUNO SIMÕES RODRIGUES

alexandrea ad aegyptVmthe legacy of multiculturalism in antiquity

ROGÉRIO SOUSAMARIA DO CÉU FIALHOMONA HAGGAGNUNO SIMÕES RODRIGUES

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ISBN 978-972-36-1336-0

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Alexandria endures in our imagination as the first modelof cultural interaction – of cosmopolitanism, to use bothclassical and contemporary terminology – and as thecultural and intellectual capital of the ancient world. Theintermingling of races and beliefs, and the exchange ofideas, undoubtedly produced the knowledge that modernscholarship still celebrates. This book is a testimony that the values embodied byAlexandria and its Library continue to inspire nobleminded scholars whose pursuit for knowledge transcendsboundaries and time. The breadth and scope of the paperspresented do credit to the spirit of Alexandria – itsmulticulturalism, and its passion for science andscholarship. The book in our hands confirm that themulticulturalism of the Ancient World, rippling out fromAlexandria to extend throughout the Hellenistic periodand beyond, is as valid now as it was then – perhaps moreso today, when globalization has given a new meaning tothe internationalism envisioned by Alexander the Greatcenturies ago. Now, with the “clash of civilizations”dominating our discourse, it is pertinent to remember thelesson Alexandrea ad Aegyptum taught us: that theinteraction between cultures can only lead to thebetterment of the human condition and carry us toheights unimagined.

Ismail SerageldinLibrarian of Alexandria

The excellent contributions gathered in this bookdedicated to the city of books, Alexandria, areundoubtedly traced along the lines of Amr and John’sdialogue. Intolerance, which is borne almost always out ofignorance, threatens continuously the peaceful meetingand coexistence of peoples and cultures nowadays.Alexandria, its people and books remind us that the searchfor dialogue, the reflection on the forms of unity indiversity are at the same time our greatest heritage and themost dramatically pressing agenda.

Gabriele CornelliUniversity of Brasilia

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THE POLYVALENT NATURE OF THE ALEXANDRIAN ELITE HYPOGEA: A CASE STUDY IN THE GRECO-EGYPTIANCULTURAL INTERACTION IN THE HELLENISTIC AND ROMAN PERIODS

KYRIAKOS SAVVOPOULOS

Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Centre for Hellenistic Studies.

HYPOGEA

1 The term «necropolis» is mentioned by Strabo who visited the western cemeteries of the city (XVII.1.10).

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Abstract: Alexandria, the capital of Egypt during the Hellenistic and Roman periods is often hailed as the ancient cosmopolitan center of Mediterranean par excel-lence. Since the foundation of the city by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C., several tradi-tions – along with their representatives, mainly Greek and Egyptian – coexisted and inter-acted with each other, resulting in the most advanced – by any definition – multiculturalsociety. Underground tombs, known also as Hypogea, constitute the most well preservedarchaeological discipline of material remains, which reflects such phenomenon. There areseveral structures of extensive architecture and decoration, which can shed light on funer-ary customs, religion, arts, and more importantly, the multicultural identity of their«inhabitants», as developed during a period of more than six centuries. Within this con-text, Greek-ness and Egypt-ness seem not represent absolute ethnic values, but rathergradually become flexible characterizations dependent on the context in which coexistand interact with each other.

Alexandrian Necropolis owes its name1 – City of the Dead – to its extensive size, monu -mentality as well as function, aspects falling outside the customary Greek funerary contextespecially in relation to the world of the living. It is comprised by an extensive network of

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underground corridors, rooms and galleries – catacombs – of great variety, all correspon-ding to Alexandria’s multicultural character and social diversity. Monumental funerarystructures, also known as hypogea for the Alexandrian elite, represent not only the most dis-tinct feature of the Alexandrian Necropolis, but also the most well preserved type of theancient city’s material evidence. Due to their monumental architecture and extensive deco -ration, consisting of both Greek and Egyptian elements, they can trigger fruitful discussionon various topics, such as art, architecture, religion, funerary customs, as well as social sta-tus and cultural identity of the Alexandrian society. In this text several cases are examinedrepresenting greatly the inconsistency in tombs’ architecture, decoration and funerarypractices, while corresponding to different aspects and periods of Alexandria’s social andcultural history.

In any case, Alexandrian hypogea had a common functional characteristic; they repre-sented both the last residence of the dead and, at the same time, a meeting point betweenthe world of the living and that of the dead – a relationship preserved through extensivefunerary and post-funerary rites. Even though both Greek and Egyptian funerary practicesand styles were applied, the epithet Alexandrian should also be introduced since varyingelements from the aforementioned multicultural structures were used in order to fulfill thediverse needs of the cosmopolitan Alexandrian society over time and place.

THE ORIGINS OF THE ALEXANDRIANHYPOGEA RECONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF NEW EVIDENCE

Most scholars have emphasized the Greek character of these tombs, which reflects theHellenic identity of their inhabitants and displays their elite social class. Pagenstecher estab-lished the «Oikos» model for Alexandrian tombs2.

He emphasised their Macedonian origin, reflected in the sequence of rooms fromvestibule to the main burial chamber, and assumed that their structural type derived fromthe form of houses in Northern Greece and elsewhere. Concerning the court of the Alexan-drian structures, Pagenstecher suggested that their only function was to host visitors and toprovide the inner part with fresh air and light. Adriani, on the other hand, rejected theMacedonian origin of Alexandrian structures based on several differences, and claimed,among others, that Macedonian tombs’ character is more introverted, as result of their cov-ering by a tumulus and lack of court, and more «individual» when compared to the more«collective» Alexandrian hypogea. He also pointed out that these were covered with soil andwere left abandoned until the time to reuse them would come. Alexandrian tombs, on the

HYPOGEA

2 PAGENSTECHER, 1919.

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