Ancient Egypt, like Mesopotamia, has a long and storied history going back millennia before the height of the Greeks and the Romans. We are going to take a look at the women of the Hellenistic and Roman periods in Egyptian history, however, when they were dominated by the Ptolemies and later integrated into the Roman empire. The texts chosen here are letters written by women, providing invaluable insight into their lives.

This first series of letters were all written by Tasoucharion to her brother Neilos. From these letters, we can see that Tasoucharion was involved in managing the family's land and business, and she frequently writes to Neilos on business matters. We can also get an idea of their family from the various greetings to family members included. Further, the fourth letter expresses Tasoucharion's condolences on the loss of Neilos's wife. Two letters are included in our display, but all 5 of Tasoucharion's letters are included here.

Tasoucharion to Neilos her brother, many greetings.

Before all I pray for your health, and I make your obeisance before the lord Sarapis. Be informed that I gave Ptolemaios deposits as security for the house in the Temple of Demeter. So please write me about the house, what you did, and the deposit of Sarapion... I gave to him. And write me about the registration. If you are making my registration, please... write me as soon as possible, so that I may get ready and sail upriver to you. And concerning the grain, do not sell it. I greet my sister Taonnophris and the daughter of Bellaios. Didymos and Heliodoros greet you. Ptolemaios and Tiberinus and Sarapion greet you. I greet Sarapion son of Imouthes and his children and Somas and his children and his wife, and Heron and Tabous and Ischyriaina. Satornilos greets you. I pray for your health. Tasoucharion greets Pe- and her children. Helene greets my mother warmly and her brother. Chairemon greets you.

(address) Deliver to Neilos from Tasoucharion his sister.

Tasoucharion to Neilos her brother, many greetings.

Before all I pray for your health. I want you to know that Sourhas came to me saying, "Buy my share of the olive grove." Neilos gave me 4 mnas. Inquire about it and find out if it is "clean", and send me the copy of the same so that I may know what to do. I greet Serapion and his children and Heron and his children and Ammonous and her children and your wife and your child.

(address) Deliver to Neilos from Tasoucharion the sister of Tasalos.

Tasoucharion to Neilos her brother, many greetings.

Before everything I pray that you are well, and I make obeisance on your behalf before the lord Serapis. I sent you by way of Kapanos... and let me know if you received it or if you didn't recieve it. The children greet you all individually, Ptolemaios, Tiberinus, Serapion. Greet Taonnophris and your children, whom the evil eye does not touch, and Tabous with her husband and our father Heron and Peteeous and the children of Somas and Nestoriaina. Papa Satorneilos greets you, and let us know know about your well being. I pray for your health.

(address) ... from Tasoucharion

To Neilos her brother, from Tasoucharion.

I was very sorry to hear about Taonnophris. Bear it nobly, brother, for the sake of your children. And except that my children are away, Ptolemais and Serapion, I myself would go upcountry. Receive from the man who is delivering this letter to you dried fruits, 160 in number, and ten pinecones for the sacrifice for her.

(address) Deliver to Neilos son (?) of Tasalos from Tasoucharion his sister.

Tasoucharion to Neilos her brother, many greetings.

Before everything I pray that you are well with all your people and I am also (well) with my children. The securities I sent you through Louginianos please register them only in the name of Sarapion and inform me about it. Please send through the soldier Heraklinianos 2 jars of olives. Salute all the people of our family by name. I pray that you are well.

(address) Give it to Neilos from his sister Tasoucharion.

Tasoucharion's letters are paired with items that make reference to her role in the family business, such as the coin with the head of Alexander the Great in an elephant skin. The other items highlight the Egyptian funerary rituals for the dead. Tasoucharion sends dried fruits and pine cones for a sacrifice; funerary rituals also included various oils that were used on the body, which would have contained in small unguentaria, such as the ones on display here. The ushabti (made of faience) is much older than Tasoucharion's letters, hearkening back to an earlier time in Egyptian history. Ushabti figurines were placed in the tomb along with other grave goods and were intended to act as servants of the deceased in the afterlife.

Our second letter writer Tetos, struck me with her requests to her father - the letter makes some mentions of family business, but is mostly concerned with things that she would like her father to bring back to her from his trip.

Tetos to her father. greetings.

If you are well and things are otherwise according to your wish, it would be as we wish. I myself am well, and so are my mother and everyone in our household. When you sail upriver, please bring... and 2 shuttles, 2 medium sized boxes and 3 smaller ones, 2 caskets, a case for alabaster ornaments, 2 tubes, 2 probes, an unguent box with a ring base and a Sikyonian goblet, 5 staters' weight of myrrh, 3 of nard oil, myrrh oil, oil for the girl for the head, ... of purple and 2 rings, a golden mirrorbox, medium-white linen cloths with purple; and with respect to the slave girl, who was on the other side of Oxrhyncha, take care that you manage matters concerning her securely and that nothing thus gets in your way. And bring up also 2 combs, 2 hairnets, 2 scarlet ones, 2 hair clasps, earrings (?) for the girl, a stater of sea-purple day.

Farewell.

Year 12, Phamoth 22.

Tetos' letter has been paired with items reminiscent of her requests to her father - a fibula (a pin), a pair of gold earrings, a glass bracelet, and a glass vase.

Artifacts on Display:

Glass Bracelet

Glass Vase

Hellenistic Earrings

Tetradrachma (Ptolemaic Egypt) 316-305 BCE: Head of Alexander the Great in an elephant skin (Obverse), Athena hurling a thunderbolt (Reverse)

Glass Unguentarium, 300 - 400 CE

Glass Unguentarium, 1 - 200 CE

Faience Ushabti Figurine, 2000 - 1500 BCE

Rock from Valley of the Kings

Rock from Cairo

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