The Rise of Coptic: Egyptian versus Greek in Late Antiquity

Description

Coptic emerged as the written form of the Egyptian language in the third century, when Greek was still the official language in Egypt. By the time of the Arab conquest of Egypt in 641, Coptic had almost achieved official status, but only after an unusually prolonged period of stagnation. Jean-Luc Fournet traces this complex history, showing how the

Jean-Luc Fournet is the Chair of Written Culture in Late Antiquity and Byzantine Papyrology at the College de France in Paris.

"This short volume showcases an exemplary combination of papyrological accuracy, attention to detail, and an eye for the broader context. . . the book will become standard on the subject and indispensable for anyone interested in the history of late antique Egypt or multilingualism in the Roman world."---Agnes T. Mihalyko, Plekos "The Rise of Coptic represents a significant contribution to our understanding of the position of Coptic during Late Antiquity."---Jennifer Cromwell, Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists