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Abstract: The Greco-Macedonian dynasty of the Ptolemies, which ruled Egypt from 322 until 30 BCE, established early on a practice of incestuous marriage in the royal house. This custom, which may have had a number of pragmatic functional purposes, was on a more profound level symbolic of royal power. But royal incest, as practised by the Ptolemies, was only one of a larger set of behaviours, all of which were symbolic of power, and all of which were characterized by lavishness, immoderation, excess and the breaching of limits in general.
Keywords: incest, marriage, Ptolemy, Cleopatra, power, excess
Résumé: Les Ptolémées, dynastie gréco-macédonienne qui régna sur l'Egypte de l'an 322 à l'an 30 av. J.-C., avaient très tôt établi la pratique du mariage incestueux dans la maison royale. Si cette pratique résultait probablement de plusieurs objectifs pragmatiques et fonctionnels, elle symbolisait surtout, à un niveau plus profond, l'étendue du pouvoir royal. L'inceste royale, telle que la pratiquaient les Ptolémées, ne représentait cependant qu'un comportement parmi tant d'autres qui symbolisaient collectivement leur pouvoir et se caractérisaient par le luxe, l'immoderation, l'excès et la violation des règles de façon générale.
Mots-clés: inceste, mariage, Ptolémée, Cléopâtre, pouvoir, excès
The subject of incest continues to spark much discussion in the scholarly literature. The foci for such discussion are multifaceted: the genetic consequences of inbreeding, the problem of sexual abuse within the family, the psychological factors promoting (or suppressing) incestuous behaviours, the complexity of symbolism underlying the concept of incest itself. The breadth of this topic, and the many angles from which it may be addressed, particularly invite a multidisciplinary approach. The intent of this paper is to offer a different perspective on the subject of symbolic incest, a perspective which draws on the study of a culture not generally represented in the anthropological literature. The author, as a classicist, feels some diffidence at making this offering to an audience of anthropologists; nevertheless, it is to be hoped that this window on a classical culture may help in some small way to inform the ongoing and vibrant debate on this topic.
In the Hellenistic Age, conventionally defined as the era of ancient Greek history following the death of Alexander the Great (323 BCE), the kingdom of Egypt was ruled by...