Double Names and Elite Strategy in Roman Egypt

The aim of this work is to investigate how in Roman Egypt, double names were used by the local elite to promote their social status. Polyonymy (i.e. the use of multiple names) is found in Egyptian texts as early as the Old Kingdom, and during the Ptolemaic period the practice is adopted in Greek environments as well. At this time, double names generally combined a Greek and an Egyptian name and reflected the complexity of ethnic identity in Ptolemaic society. It is in the Roman period, however, that numbers rise spectacularly--from roughly 1% at the beginning of Roman rule, to over 6%, peaking under the Severans. This upsurge of double names was triggered for a reason--a study of the phenomenon may paint a picture of the ideals and aspirations underlyingthis choice.