The Legacy of the Middle Kingdom

Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss The Tale of Sinuhe, one of the most celebrated works of ancient Egyptian literature. Written around four thousand years ago, the poem narrates the story of an Egyptian official who is exiled to Syria before returning to his homeland some years later. The number of versions of the poem, which is known from several surviving papyri and inscriptions, suggests that it was seen as an important literary work; although the story is set against a backdrop of real historical events, most scholars believe that the poem is a work of fiction.

With:

Richard Parkinson Professor of Egyptology and Fellow of Queen's College at the University of Oxford

Roland Enmarch Senior Lecturer in Egyptology at the University of Liverpool.

Aidan Dodson Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Bristol

Producer: Thomas Morris.