Cross-cultural Contacts among Mercenary Communities in Saite and Persian Egypt

Abstract

References in ancient sources and epigraphical, archaeological, and papyrological material document the existence of mercenary garrisons in Egypt in the seventh through fifth centuries BCE. These garrisons of Greeks, Carians, Phoenicians, Cypriotes, Aramaeans, Jews, and others formed communities in Egypt that endured and preserved the languages, religions, and customs of their home communities throughout the period of the Saite Dynasty and the first Persian domination. At the same time, these communities interacted with one another and with the host society of Egypt. A dynamic equilibrium was maintained in which the centripetal pull of acculturation was balanced by the strong forces that maintained a sense of group identity among the mercenaries and connections with their home societies. This equilibrium produced a uniquely fruitful environment for cross-cultural exchanges among the various communities and played a major role in the pattern of cultural exchanges among the societies of the Eastern Mediterranean in this period.