A History of Ancient Near Eastern Law

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2.1.3 The Administration

During the period in which Demotic was used, Egypt was adminis-

tered in different ways, first as a re-unified state under the Saites,

then as a satrapy of the Persian Empire, then as an independent

Hellenistic kingdom and, finally, as an imperial province of the

Roman Empire. In all of these periods, the basic structure of admin-

istration, as far as can be known, remained the same.^40 There was

technically no divine king, however, under the Persian or Roman

administration, although such pretense continued to be followed in

Egyptian temple contexts.

We have few sources for the administration of Egypt in the Early

Demotic period. For the Ptolemaic period, the administration of the

country at all levels is very well documented. The administration of

Egypt was divided between the central government (in Sais, under

the Saite dynasty, in Memphis, under the Persians; in Alexandria,

under the Ptolemies and Romans), the individual nomes or districts,

and the village or local administration. The administration of tem-

ples was in the hands of the local priesthood, but there were attempts

to control appointments at the highest level. The finances of tem-

ples, always technically part of the state, were also monitored by the

central government.

2.1.3.1 Central

The central administration consisted of the king, or the Satrap, in

the case of the Persian period. Some of the Ptolemies ruled with co-

regents. Under the Ptolemies, the office of dioiketes, in charge of the

country’s finances, continued earlier practice. Officials in charge of

correspondence and royal edicts, the military and governors of spe-

cial provinces probably rounded out the court in Alexandria. There

may in fact have been more than one dioiketes under the Ptolemies,

and his position at court, once thought to be the highest, may have

been as low as tenth highest.^41

2.1.3.2 Provincial

The provincial government was based on the ancient nome divi-

sions, traditionally forty-two in number, although there is some

fluctuation in our period. These were further divided into toparchies

(^40) Pestman, Primer.. ., 24–25.
(^41) Thomas, Epistrategos.. ., 189. See the comments by Turner, “Ptolemaic Egypt.. .,”
143, and Samuel, Shifting Sands.. ., 55.
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