Beneath the waters of Abukir Bay, at the edge of the Nile Delta, lie the sunken remains of the ancient Egyptian cities Canopus and Thonis-Heracleion, which submerged over 1000 years ago, but were dramatically rediscovered in the 20th century and brought to the surface by marine archaeologists in the 1990s. These pioneering underwater excavations continue to this day, and have yielded a wealth of ancient artefacts, to be displayed in Britain for the first time in 2016. Through these marvelous finds, this book tells the story of how two iconic ancient civilizations, Egypt and Greece, interacted in the late first millennium bc.
From the foundation of Naukratis and Thonis-Heracleion as trading posts to the grand conquest of Alexander the Great, through the following centuries of Ptolemaic rule to the ultimate dominance of the Roman Empire on the world stage, Greeks and Egyptians lived alongside each other in these lively cities, sharing their politics, religious ideas, languages, scripts and customs. Greek kings adopted the insignia of the pharaoh; ordinary Greek citizens worshipped in Hellenic sanctuaries next to Egyptian temples; and their ancient gods and mythologies became ever more closely intertwined. This book showcases a wonderful collection of artefacts, coupled with a retelling of the history by world-renowned experts in this subject (including the sites' long-term excavators), bringing the reader face-to-face with this vibrant ancient society.