The Power of Words: Egyptian Language and Culture in the Papyrus Museum

The Power of Words: Egyptian Language and Culture in the Papyrus Museum

The special exhibition “The Power of Words: Rule and Cultural Diversity in Ancient Egypt” opens in the Papyrus Museum of the Austrian National Library in Vienna on June 12, 2025. This exhibition will be on view until May 3, 2026 and includes over 90 exhibits that provide insight into the various languages ​​of Egypt from around 1500 BC. BC to 1000 AD. Original documents on papyrus, parchment and paper will illustrate the topic of language traditions as well as their historical and social change, as OTS reports.

The exhibition focuses on the simultaneous existence and overlap of different languages ​​in Egypt. Particular attention is paid to the parallel cultivation of dominant and vernacular languages ​​over centuries. Egypt was already historically a multilingual country. While Greek was established as the language of rule since the conquest by Alexander the Great, Egyptian remained the language of the native population. Around 30 B.C. In the 4th century BC, when Egypt was annexed to the Roman Empire, Latin also became the command language for Roman soldiers, although it was not widely spoken.

Insights into the multilingualism of ancient Egypt

Bernhard Palme, member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and director of the papyrus collection, highlights in an interview how papyri offer valuable insights into the everyday lives of people in Roman and late antique Egypt. “During the Hellenistic period, Greek became the official language,” explains Palme. The locals needed Greek for administrative tasks, while the Egyptian language remained present among the population, as archaeologie42 reports.

Most people spoke Egyptian, while Greek was dictated in the administration. Latinity was particularly needed by the Roman army and the highest levels of administration. There are approximately 2,000 Latin papyri worldwide, many of Roman soldiers, and these documents provide deep insight into personal matters. Palme describes a special debt note between two soldiers, which served as a kind of certificate for everyday life.

The historical language of Egypt

The Egyptian language is one of the oldest documented languages ​​in the world and has developed over thousands of years. It ranges from hieroglyphs, which combine logographic and phonetic elements, through ancient Egyptian, middle Egyptian and modern Egyptian to the Coptic language. The hieroglyphic script, which dates back to 3000 B.C. 1000 BC and 1000 AD is the best known form, while the Coptic script is still used in liturgical contexts of the Coptic Orthodox and Coptic Catholic Churches since the 3rd century AD, as sprachfabrik24 explains.

Currently, Arabic and various Coptic dialects dominate modern Egypt, while the original forms of the Egyptian language are no longer spoken. The upcoming exhibition will also show how the languages ​​of the past document both the cultural plurality and political history of ancient Egypt.

The exhibition opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., with an extension on Thursday until 9 p.m. The entrance fee is Ꞓ 6,-, a guided tour can be booked for Ꞓ 5,-, and entry is free for visitors under 19 years of age. The exhibition catalog “The Power of Words: Rule and Cultural Diversity in Ancient Egypt”, edited by Bernhard Palme and Angelika Zdiarsky, is available for Ꞓ 34.