~Koschei~
Roman Egypt, 119 A.D.
In 30 B.C., the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt controlled by Cleopatra was conquered by Octavian (later Augustus). This would be a massive gain for the Roman Empire as they no longer had to import grain from Egypt that fed the people of Rome. The province was now Rome's breadbasket and gateway to Red Sea and Indian Ocean trade (a topic that deserves its own build).
However, despite being under new management, life was still the same for the majority of Egyptians. The majority of Egyptians (90-95%) were subsistence farmers like they were under the Pharaohs and subsequent foreign rule. The rest were mainly Greeks who lived in urban areas like Alexandria and had a much higher standard of living. The Romans also kept the social structures in place built by the Ptolemies such as Greeks and Hellenized Egyptians being at the top, while Egyptians were at the bottom. The only change made to this was that the new Roman leadership was at the top of the peaking order. Social mobility was possible in the province, but usually for Egyptians that became Hellenized. In 212 A.D., Emperor Caracalla declared that everyone in the empire is a citizen, but that did little to change the social divide.
Later on with the spread of Christianity in the 4th century, many Egyptians would convert to the burgeoning faith. The Coptic language would soon become more widespread amongst Christian Egyptians. The province itself would remain part of the Eastern Roman Empire until 641 A.D. when it was conquered by the Muslims.
I probably should've titled this "Society in Roman Egypt", but whatever. My goal is do to a build of each province in the Roman Empire, but Roman Egypt will require multiple as it was one of the most important provinces in the Roman Empire. Making a small build of a peasant house just doesn't do it justice and I'll probably do a build of Alexandria in the future. Also I hope you guys like the lighting in this picture, I used a sky light for this one.
Roman Egypt, 119 A.D.
In 30 B.C., the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt controlled by Cleopatra was conquered by Octavian (later Augustus). This would be a massive gain for the Roman Empire as they no longer had to import grain from Egypt that fed the people of Rome. The province was now Rome's breadbasket and gateway to Red Sea and Indian Ocean trade (a topic that deserves its own build).
However, despite being under new management, life was still the same for the majority of Egyptians. The majority of Egyptians (90-95%) were subsistence farmers like they were under the Pharaohs and subsequent foreign rule. The rest were mainly Greeks who lived in urban areas like Alexandria and had a much higher standard of living. The Romans also kept the social structures in place built by the Ptolemies such as Greeks and Hellenized Egyptians being at the top, while Egyptians were at the bottom. The only change made to this was that the new Roman leadership was at the top of the peaking order. Social mobility was possible in the province, but usually for Egyptians that became Hellenized. In 212 A.D., Emperor Caracalla declared that everyone in the empire is a citizen, but that did little to change the social divide.
Later on with the spread of Christianity in the 4th century, many Egyptians would convert to the burgeoning faith. The Coptic language would soon become more widespread amongst Christian Egyptians. The province itself would remain part of the Eastern Roman Empire until 641 A.D. when it was conquered by the Muslims.
I probably should've titled this "Society in Roman Egypt", but whatever. My goal is do to a build of each province in the Roman Empire, but Roman Egypt will require multiple as it was one of the most important provinces in the Roman Empire. Making a small build of a peasant house just doesn't do it justice and I'll probably do a build of Alexandria in the future. Also I hope you guys like the lighting in this picture, I used a sky light for this one.