Roman and Byzantine Egypt
Egypt, 30 BCE–641 CE.
Egypt became the granary of Rome, governed by a prefect who answered directly to the emperor. Later it was a heartland of early Christianity.
Seat of power: Alexandria
Rulers
Augustus
Roman Emperor, 30 BCE–14 CE
Treated Egypt as a personal possession of the emperor. Senators could not enter without permission, and a prefect from the equestrian class collected the grain tax that fed the city of Rome.
Portrait of Augustus: Justin Benttinen, CC BY-SA 4.0, file
Heraclius
Byzantine Emperor, 610 CE–641 CE
Recovered Egypt from a Persian occupation in 629, but disputes over the nature of Christ split the Egyptian church from Constantinople. The Arab army of Amr ibn al-As took the country in the years around his death.
Portrait of Heraclius: Classical Numismatic Group, CC BY-SA 2.5, file
Culture
- Fayum mummy portraits blend Egyptian burial customs with Greco-Roman painting.
- Coptic Christianity takes root, and the Desert Fathers start Christian monasticism in Egypt's deserts.
- Saint Catherine's Monastery in Sinai, built under Justinian in the 6th century, is still in use today.
Picture
A mummy portrait from the Fayum, painted in wax on wood during the Roman period.
Image: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
