Demotic Texts

4 credits · Graduate

This course builds upon material introduced in Egyptian 204A, continuing the study of Demotic (derived from the Greek word demos, meaning “people”), the stage of the ancient Egyptian language used by the people of Egypt during the Saite, Persian, Ptolemaic, and Roman periods (664 BCE-452 CE). Knowledge of this stage and script of the ancient language is essential for a proper understanding of Egypt during the later periods. Grammar covered this semester includes all forms of verbal sentences and clauses. We will read from a variety of genres, including oaths, marriage contracts, and literary, funerary, magical, and mythological texts. Students will obtain skills to transliterate, translate, and grammatically analyze Demotic texts.