Research work · 2016
Mathematics in Literature
Mathematics in Ancient Egypt
Abstract
In addition to the accounts, evidence for the significance of mathematics for scribal culture also comes from some literary texts, most notably, the Late Egyptian Miscellanies. The Miscellanies are a group of various texts, including model letters, excerpts of literary compositions, praises of the scribal profession, eulogies, and hymns to a teacher and others. During the Ramesside Period, scribes copied them on a regular basis. Several of these texts refer explicitly to the profession of the scribe, its demands and rewards. The so-called Satire of the Trades, extant in several versions, compares the duties and privileges of a scribe with those of other professions (e.g. that of a farmer, a soldier, and others). This chapter illustrates direct or indirect references to mathematics within these sources. Topics covered include mathematical education, mathematics in the scribe's daily work, and mathematics in Papyrus Anastasi I.