Imagining the Past: Historical Fiction in New Kingdom Egypt

Description

Five hundred years before Homer immortalized the Trojan Horse, the ancient Egyptians had already composed a tale of soldiers hiding Ali Baba-like in baskets to capture a besieged city. Shortly after the rise to power of the warrior pharaoh Ramesses II, Egyptian authors began to write stories about battles and conquest. However, these stories were not set in the present, but in the past: they were the world's first works of historical fiction. These literary recreations of past events, which preserve fascinating mixtures of fact and fiction, provide unparalleled information about topics as diverse as ancient Egyptian historiography, religion, and notions of humor and wit. Imagining the Past is the first volume to provide complete translations and commentary for the historical fiction composed during Egypt's New Kingdom. The four works include The Quarrel of Apepi and Seqenenre, The Capture of Joppa, Thutmose III in Asia, The Libyan Battle Story. An introduction explores Egyptian conceptions of the past, the universe of historical and literary texts in New Kingdom Egypt, and the definition of a new genre of Egyptian literature. Extensive commentary and new translations appear within each chapter, and a concluding analysis summarizes the audience and function of historical fiction as well as theology and historiography within the tales. Despite the fragmentary nature of the papyrus copies, the thorough research into the literary, political, and social context of each tale allows a modern reader to explore this forgotten literary subfield and appreciate the stories as works of historical fiction. Cover Contents Preface List of figures and plates List of abbreviations Note to the translations Chronology 1. Intimations of an earlier age: History and fiction in New Kingdom Egypt Imagining the past in New Kingdom Egypt The intertextual universe of New Kingdom historical fiction Historical fiction: An Ancient Egyptian literary genre Historical fiction as physical and linguistic artifacts of the scribal profession 2. The Quarrel of Apepi and Seqenenre British Museum EA 10185 (Papyrus Sallier I): An introduction The characters: Seqenenre, Apepi, and Scribes The setting: Hutwaret and the “Southern City” Introduction: Two kings and pestilence in Egypt Apepi, servant of Seth Apepi dictates a message; Seqenenre worships Amun-Re The message delivered: “Expel the Hippopotami” Seqenenre summons his council The Quarrel of Apepi and Seqenenre and the “Instruction of Letter Writing” Riddles and intertextualities 3. The Capture of Joppa British Museum EA 10060 (Papyrus Harris 500): An introduction The protaganist: General Djehuty The place: Joppa Strong drink and horses A request with unintended consequences Soldiers in baskets: The art of deception Props: Baskets, ropes, and manacles Foreign women and the “Mistress” of Joppa An Ancient Egyptian “Trojan Horse”: Military strategem in The Capture of Joppa Djehuty congratulates Pharaoh 4. Thutmose III in Asia Papyrus Turin 1940+1941: An introduction A fragmentary beginning Darkness, fowlers, and Paser’s speech Divine interventions: A hostile wind with three Montus Thutmose III defeats the enemy 5. The Libyan Battle Story Papyrus Louvre N 3136: An introduction Pharaoh, the divine son, in the palace Fortresses in the Western Delta The Libyan battle at the fields of Perire 6. A thematic survey of New Kingdom historical fiction Audience and function of Egyptian historical fiction: Entertainment and empire Scribal victory: The Quarrel of Apepi and Seqenenre Charioteers, loan words, and menace: The Capture of Joppa Recreating a battle: Thutmose III in Asia Knowing the enemy: The Libyan Battle Story Theology in the tales Historiography in the tales Appendix 1: BM EA 10185 Appendix 2: BM EA 10060 Appendix 3: P. Turin 1940+1941 Appendix 4: P. Louvre N3136 Notes Bibliography Hieroglyphic Plates Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Z