Ptolemaic Kingdom
Egypt, 305–30 BCE.
A Greek-speaking dynasty founded by one of Alexander the Great's generals ruled Egypt as pharaohs. Alexandria became the intellectual capital of the Mediterranean.
Seat of power: Alexandria
Rulers
Ptolemy I Soter
King and Pharaoh, 305–282 BCE
A Macedonian general who took Egypt after Alexander's death. He kept the pharaonic system of temples and taxes, put Greeks in the top posts, and promoted a new god, Serapis, to bring Greeks and Egyptians together.
Portrait of Ptolemy I Soter: Marie-Lan Nguyen, Public domain, file
Cleopatra VII
Queen and Pharaoh, 51–30 BCE
The last active ruler of the dynasty and the first of her line to speak Egyptian. She ruled through alliances with Rome's most powerful men, Julius Caesar and then Mark Antony, until their defeat at Actium led to Roman annexation.
Portrait of Cleopatra VII: Louis le Grand, Public domain, file
Culture
- The Library and Museum of Alexandria gather scholars such as Euclid and Eratosthenes, who measured the Earth's circumference.
- The Pharos lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, guides ships into Alexandria's harbour.
- The Rosetta Stone (196 BCE) records one decree in hieroglyphs, Demotic and Greek. It became the key to reading hieroglyphs in 1822.
Picture
A reconstruction of the Pharos lighthouse, which stood at the harbour entrance for more than 1,500 years.
Image: Prof. Hermann Thiersch (1874–1939), Public domain, file
