Luxor4u The Kings of Pharaonic Egypt - Ptolemaic and Roman Periods

The Kings of Pharaonic Egypt

by Connie Tindale

Ptolemaic and Roman Periods

(All dates are approximate)

General Information

For three hundred years after Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, the Ptolemaic period saw a glorious resurgence and a golden age of society and culture in Egypt. It gave Egypt the new capital of Alexandria but it was also one of internal strife that saw the Egyptian Empire expand and then diminish before it eventually fell to Rome

The thing to be remembered about the Ptolemies is that they were first and foremost Greco-Macedonians not Egyptians. This meant that as well as ruling Egypt they maintained large armies to engage in battles with factions of the old Hellenistic empire that might not have always been in Egypt's interest. Their need to assert themselves was not confined to military exploits but encompassed a need to outdo everyone else by making Alexandria the most cultured city in the world.

Apart from elegant buildings, Alexandria had the great lighthouse that was built on Pharos and it had the Mouseion, of which the world famous library formed part. The Mouseion was founded by Ptolemy I, as part of the policy to make Alexandria the centre of Greek culture. Alexandria even hosted a four-yearly set of games that were meant to rival the Olympic games themselves. It can be seen from this that Egypt, except for providing wealth and prestige, held little interest for them. In fact the only Ptolemy to have bothered to learn the Egyptian language was the famous Cleopatra VII.

The first of the Greco-Macedonian Pharaohs was Alexander himself and he was anointed king at the Temple of Ptah in Memphis. When Alexander died in Macedonia in 323, his body was highjacked by Ptolemy and brought back to Egypt where it was interred in a gold sarcophagus. Following Alexander's death there was a fight for succession that was to last for decades and saw his half-brother and eventually Ptolemy ruling Egypt. Ptolemy's claim to the throne was at first tenuous until it was rumoured that he was in fact an illegitimate son of Philip of Macedonia and therefore also one of Alexander's half-brothers.

All of the Greco-Macedonian Pharaohs were called Ptolemy and their reigns saw the introduction of the practice of the marriage between full brothers and sisters. This has at times been thought to be an Egyptian practice but there is little evidence of full bothers and sisters marrying before this time. This might well have been done to ensure that there was no mixing of Greek and Egyptian blood, which might have led to mixed loyalties although there is evidence of lower levels of the aristocracy marrying into the remnants of the old Egyptian royal family.

While the Ptolemies might not have wanted to embrace Egyptian nationality they did embrace the Egyptian religions and incorporated them with their own. The addition of birthing houses to many temples cemented the link between the Ptolemies and the gods. If the Pharaoh was born of a god then there was no doubt about the right to rule. Prodigious building went on during this period with the most wonderful examples being the temple of Horus at Edfu, the Temple of Isis at Philae and the temple of Hathor at Dendara. In Thebes, temples were built to Hathor at the Deir el Medina and among others temples were constructed to Khonsu and Opet at Karnak.

The result of the internecine battles that raged within the Ptolemy families, was increased intervention from Rome which was called upon to settle some dispute or other. The part that Rome played in the murderous conflicts between Cleopatra VII and her brothers Ptolemy XIII and XIV brought in the last phase of the Ptolemaic kingship. Cleopatra was able to resurrect the glories of the past briefly through the military genius of Mark Antony but this was brought to an end when his brother-in-law Octavian won the battle at Actium which saw Cleopatra's and Egypt's final demise.

The Egyptian religions began to wane with the rise of Christianity, a religion that has its roots in Egypt with the beginning of the Coptic Church. The similarities between Christianity and the Egyptian religions were marked, and this made the new religion far more acceptable than it might have been.

With the rise in Christianity, many of the temples in Thebes became monasteries from which they still take the name 'Deir' as in Deir el Medina and Deir el Bahri. The Medinet Habu also became a monastery for a while with its reliefs being covered with mud so that they were hidden from view.

Roman rule saw increased trade in Egypt, and Alexandria continued as a major trading port. Roman additions were made to many temples and there is evidence of a Roman garrison on the edge of Luxor Temple. There was however considerable unrest amongst the common people and there were riots throughout the country. The Roman Empire itself was perhaps in self-destruct mode and it was ultimately to decline.

Ptolemaic period

Macedonian Dynasty - 332 - 305 BCE

Alexander the Great
Philip Arrhidaeus
Alexander IV

332 - 323
323 - 317
317 - 310

Ptolemaic dynasty

Ptolemy I Soter I
Ptolemy II Philadelphus
Ptolemy III Euergetes I
Ptolemy IV Philopator
Ptolemy V Epiphanes I
Ptolemy VI Philometor
Ptolemy VII Neos Philopater
Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II (Physcon)
Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator
Ptolemy VIII Eurgetes
Ptolemy IX Soter II
Ptolemy X Alexander I
Ptolemy IX Soter II (restored)
Ptolemy XI Alexander II
Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos (Auletes)
Queen Cleopatra VII (fem.)
Ptolemy XIII
Ptolemy XIV
Ptolemy XV Caesarion

305 - 285
285 - 246
246 - 221
221 - 205
205 - 180
180 - 145
145
170 - 116
145
170 - 116
116 - 107
107 - 88
88 - 80
80
80 - 51
51 - 30
51 - 47
47 - 44
44 - 30

Following the death of Cleopatra Egypt became a province of Rome

Roman Period

Augustus
Tiberius
Gaius (Caligula)
Claudius
Nero
Galba
Otho
Vespasian
Titus
Domitian
Nerva
Trajan
Hadrian
Antoninus Pius
Marcus Aurelius
Commodus
Helvius Pertinax
Didius Julianus
Septimus Severus
Caracalla
Geta
Macrinus
lagabalus
Severus Alexander
Gordian III
Philip the Arab
Decius
Gallus and Volusianus
Valerian
G allienus
Macrianus and Quietus
Aurelian
Probus
Diocletian
Mazimian
Galerius
Constantinus

30 BCE- 14 CE
14 - 37
37 - 41
41 - 54
54 - 68
68 - 69
69
69 - 79
79 - 81
81 - 96
96 - 98
98 - 117
117 - 138
138 - 161
161 - 180
180 - 192
192 - 193
193
193 - 211
198 - 217
209 - 212
217 - 218
218 - 222
222 - 235
238 - 244
244 - 249
249 - 251
251 - 253
253 - 260
253 - 268
260 - 261
270 - 275
276 - 282
284 - 305
286 - 305
293 - 311
293 - 306

Source: Dates were taken from The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt