The Ptolemies, the last Pharaohs, took over a country with a high standing
civilization and a mighty clergy, receiving at the same time numerous Greek
immigrants. They were able to maintain the control over Greeks and Egyptians
by balancing between innovation and tradition and by bargaining with
the elite groups (Greek and priestly elite).1 This paper on selling procedures
is a test case for this general statement. Evidence of the Egyptian chora will
be discussed, constituting mainly of Greek and Demotic sale contracts and of
sales tax receipts; official correspondence and lawsuit records add crucial additional
information.
