USC.edu

Christelle Fischer-Bovet

Associate Professor of Classics, History and Middle East Studies
Christelle Fischer-Bovet
Email fischerb@usc.edu Office PED 130Q Office Phone (213) 740-3683

Research & Practice Areas

Hellenistic History, Greek & Roman Egypt, Papyrology & Epigraphy, Ancient Historiography, State Formation, institutions, military history, Ethnicity & Colonization, Ancient Economy and numismatics, Empire Studies

Center, Institute & Lab Affiliations

  • Groupe d’étude des mondes hellénistiques,
  • The American Historical Association,
  • The American Research Center in Egypt,
  • The American Society of Papyrologists,
  • The Association of Ancient Historians,
  • The International Association of Papyrologists,
  • The Society of Classical Studies,
  • Waterloo Institute for Hellenistic Studies, External Research Associate

Biography

Christelle Fischer-Bovet specializes in the social and cultural history of the Eastern Mediterranean from Alexander the Great to the Romans (4th c. BC-1st c. AD), with a special interest in Greco-Roman Egypt. Her book Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt (Cambridge University Press, 2014; paperback 2019) combines documentary evidence (papyri, inscriptions) with social theory to examine the army in Hellenistic Egypt as a vehicle for land distribution, a provider of group solidarity, and a place of interaction between Greek and Egyptian cultures. She has also written several articles...

Education

  • Ph.D. Classics, Stanford, 2008
  • M.A. Classics, Stanford, 1/2006
  • B.A. Licence ès Lettres, History, Greek, French, Université de Neuchâtel, Switzerland, 10/2001
    • Post-Doctoral Fellow of the Swiss National Science Foundation, UC Berkeley, 10/01/2008 – 08/15/2010

  • Tenure Track Appointments

    • Associate Professor of Classics, History, and Middle East Studies, USC, 08/16/2016 –
    • Assistant Professor of Classics, USC, 08/16/2010 – 08/15/2016

    Research, Teaching, Practice, and Clinical Appointments

    • Postodoctoral fellow, University of California, Berkeley & Swiss National Science Foundation, 2008-09-01-2010-08-15

  • Research Specialties

    Hellenistic History, Greek & Roman Egypt, Papyrology & Epigraphy, Ancient Historiography, State Formation, institutions, military history, Ethnicity & Colonization, Ancient Economy and numismatics, Empire Studies

  • Book

    • Fischer-Bovet, C., von Reden, S. (2021). Comparing the Ptolemaic and Seleucid Empires: Interaction, Communication and Resistance. 2022 Paperback edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: Paperback edition 2023.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2014). Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019 Paperback edition.

    Book Chapters

    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2022). “The economy of Egypt and the Ptolemaic Empire”, in S. von Reden (ed.) Cambridge Companion to the Greek Economy, 124–138.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2022). “Ptolemaic mercenaries and local populations in Egypt and Cyprus: Trust, social capital and dedicatory inscriptions”, in P. Sänger and S. Scheuble-Reiter (eds), Söldner und Berufssoldaten in der griechischen Welt: Soziale und politische Gestaltungsräume, Historia-Einzelschriften, Stuttgart, Franz Steiner Verlag, p. 175–196.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2022). “Hellenistic Warfare and Egyptian Society”, in D. Candelora, N. Ben-Marzouk, K. Cooney (eds), Ancient Egyptian Society: Challenging Assumptions, Exploring Approaches, New York, Routledge, 182–194.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2021). “Reassessing Hellenistic Settlement Policies: The Seleucid Far East, Ptolemaic Red Sea Basin and Egypt.Part 2B. Reassessing Ptolemaic Settlement Policies: Another Look at the Poleis. Comparing the Ptolemaic and Seleucid Empires: Inte pp. 64–85. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2021). The Ptolemies and Judea in the second century BC. The Middle Maccabees Archaeology, History, and the Atlanta: SBL Press.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2020). Hellenistic Empires: The Dynasties of the Ptolemies and the Seleucids. The Oxford World History of Empire, Volume 2, The pp. 167–197. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2020). Soldiers in the Epigraphy of Ptolemaic Egypt. TheEpigraphy of Ptolemaic Egypt pp. 127–158. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C., Lorber, C. (2020). Getting paid in Ptolemaic Egypt in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC – with C. Lorber. Money rules! The monetary economy of Egypt, from P pp. 169–202. Cairo: IFAO.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2020). Ptolemaic Officials and Officers in Search of Fame. Celebrity, Fame, and Infamy in the Hellenistic Wor pp. 111–134. Toronto: Toronto University Press.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2019). Security and border policy. Army and police. I. Ptolemaic Egypt. Blackwell Companion. Greco-Roman and Late antique pp. 163–170. Oxford: Wiley.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2016). Towards a translocal elite culture in the Ptolemaic empire. 103–128 in Lavan, M., Payne, R. and Weisweiler, J. (eds), Cosmopolitanism and Empire: Universal Rulers, Local Elites and Cultural Integration in the Ancient Near East Mediterranean.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2016). Les Égyptiens dans les forces armées de terre et de mer sous les trois premiers Lagides. pp. 1,669-1678.. ” in Derda, T., Lajtar, A., Urbanik, J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 27th International Congress of Papyrology,.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2015). The Ptolemaic Army. Oxford Handbooks Online
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2014). Un aspect des conséquences des réformes de l’armée lagide : Soldats, temples Egyptiens et inviolabilité (asylia). in Véïsse, A.-E., Wackenier, S. (eds.), L’armée en pp. 137–170. EPHE, Genève, Droz.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2014). Est-il facile de conquérir l’Egypte? L’invasion d’Antiochus IV et ses conséquences. Feyel, Graslin, Le projet politique d’Antichos IV pp. 43.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2011). Counting the Greeks in Egypt: immigration in the first century of Ptolemaic rule. Demography and the Graeco-Roman World: New Insight pp. 20. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2010). Ethnic identity and status: comparing Ptolemaic and Early Roman Egypt. Identity and Identification in Antiquity pp. 20. forthcoming: Cambridge Scholars Press.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2009). Letter Requesting Medical Tools (PStrasbCopte inv. 563). Greek Medical Papyri II pp. 157-165. Firenze: Istituto Papyrologica “G. Vitelli”.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2007). P. Tebt. VI 1169: Copy of a Judicial Proceeding (P.Tebt. UC 1589-91). The Tebtunis Papyri VI pp. 9. forthcoming.

    Encyclopedia Article

    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2023). “Cleopatra, 69–30 BC,” in Oxford Classical Dictionary,Oxford University Press, 2015 — Article published December 22, 2015; last modified, May 24, 2023.: https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.1672.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2016). Egypt, Ptolemaic. in McKenzie, J., Charney, M., Doumanis, N. (eds), The Encyclopedia of Empire, Wiley-Blackwel.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2012). Ethnicity, Greco-Roman Egypt. (Bagnall, R. et al., Ed.).1,000 words. Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell: Encyclopedia of Ancient History.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2012). Katoikoi. (Bagnall, R. et al., Ed.).1,000 words. Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell: Encyclopedia of Ancient History.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2012). Revolts, Egyptian. (R. Bagnall et al., Ed.).1,000 words. Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell: Encyclopedia of Ancient History.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2012). Memnon, Colossi of. (Bagnall, R. et al., Ed.).500 words. Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell: Encyclopedia of Ancient History.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2011). Herwennefer and Ankhwennefer. (Gates, H. L., Akyeampong, E., Ed.).1,000 words. Oxford University Press: The Dictionary of African Biography.

    Journal Article

    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2021). Greek papyri of the Classics Department at Stanford (P. Stan. Class.) – Part II – with W. Clarysse. The Journal of Juristic Papyrology 50, 2020.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2018). Ethnicity and official identity: comparing Ptolemaic and Early Roman Egypt. Journal of Egyptian History 11. pp. 208–242.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2016). A challenge to the concept of decline for understanding Hellenistic Egypt. From Polybius to the twenty- first century. Topoi. Orient – Occident. Vol. 20, pp. 209–237.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2015). Social unrest and ethnic coexistence in Ptolemaic Egypt and the Seleucid Empire. Past & Present. pp. 3–45.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C., Clarysse, W. (2013). Greek Papyri of the Classics Department at Stanford” (P. Stan. Class.). Part I” – with W. Clarysse. The Journal of Juristic Papyrology. Vol. 42 (2012), pp. 31-88.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2013). Egyptian warriors: the machimoi of Herodotus and the Ptolemaic army. Classical Quarterly. Vol. 63, pp. 209-236.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C., Clarysse, W. (2012). Silver and bronze standards and the date of P.Heid. VI 383. Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete. Vol. 58, pp. 36-42.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C., Clarysse, W. (2012). A military reform before the battle of Raphia?. Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete. Vol. 58, pp. 26-35.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2006). Retour sur SB XX 14070 : les affaires de la famille d’un vétéran dans le nome arsinoïte. Zeitschrift fur Papyrologie und Epigraphik. Vol. 155, pp. 200-206.

    Essay Translation

    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2003). Cadmos et les Labdacides (4.1-5.9). (Schubert, Paul, Ed.). pp. 133-143. Vevey. Editions de l’Aire.
    • Fischer-Bovet, C. (2000). Translation of Papyri (no 21, 25, 58, 59, 68). (Schubert, Paul, Ed.). pp. 15. Vevey. Editions de l’Aire.
    • CLAS 338-HIST-Warfare, State, and Society in the Ancient World, Classics-History, Fall 2013
    • CLAS 378-HIST-MESP Ptolemaic and Early Roman Egypt. An introduction to papyrology, Classics-History-MESP, Fall 2012
    • CLAS 499 – From Alexander to Cleopatra: state and society in Ptolemaic Egypt (323-30 BCE), Classics, Spring 2011
    • HIST 101, The Ancient World, History, Fall 2010
    • Loeb Classical Library Foundation Award, Harvard University, 2022-2023
    • Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship Recipient, Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers, University of Freiburg-im-Breisgau (Germany)., 2016-2017
    • Solmsen Fellowship, Institute for Research in the Humanities, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2014-2015
    • Post-Doctoral Fellow of the Swiss National Science Foundation at the University of California, Berkeley, 10/01/2008 – 07/15/2010
    • Geballe Dissertation Prize Fellowship, Stanford Humanities Center, 2007-2008

  • Conferences Organized

    • Co-organizer with J. Glenn (History), S. Rebegianni (Classics), C. Moatti (Classics), Pre-Modern Mediterranean Seminar of USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute , USC Campus, 09/01/2016 –
    • Co-organizer with C. Moatti (Classics & paris 8), Ariela Gross (USC Gould School of Law), Life in Mobility: Between Precariousness and Trust, USC Campus, 01/19/2018 – 01/20/2018
    • Organizer with S. von Reden, Comparing the Ptolemaic and Seleucid Empires: The Role of the Local Elites and Populations, Freiburg-i.-Breisgau, Germany, 06/30/2016 – 07/02/2017
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