059: Ptolemaic Egypt - Kingdom of Gold, Kingdom of the Nile

Herodotus described Egypt as the gift of the Nile River, and without a doubt the Ptolemaic rulers took full advantage of the land’s agricultural prosperity. In addition to their exploitation of the Nile’s annual inundation, the Ptolemies would introduce the most rigorously developed (or exploitative) taxation system ever seen in Egypt, and would enable them to become the wealthiest people in the world of the 3rd century BC. We will take a look at the administrative layout of Hellenistic Egypt in order to see how the Ptolemaic dynasty oversaw such a financial juggernaut, ranging from the day-to-day operations of their many officials to grand imperial projects such as the reclamation of the Fayyum Oasis. Show Links Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2021/04/12/059-ptolemaic-egypt-kingdom-of-gold-kingdom-of-the-nile/) Episode 059 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/059-ptolemaic-egypt-kingdom-of-gold-kingdom-of-the-nile-transcript.pdf) The Ozymandias Project: iTunes (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ozymandias-project/id1537896277) Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5BomB9FPUjX2nPzXazYk1E) Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheOzymandiasP1) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)