Ptolemies

Ptolemies (Ptolemaioi), Macedonian Greek dynasty that ruled Egypt from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC until the Roman conquest in 30 BC. It is named after the first of the dynasty—Ptolemy I Sōter (b. c.367, ruled 323–283 BC), one of Alexander's generals, who received Egypt in the division of his empire after his death (see DIADOCHOI). Other notable members were his son Ptolemy II Philadelphus, b. 308, who ruled 285–246 BC, for the first two years joint ruler with his father; and Ptolemy III Euergetēs, born between 288 and 280, who ruled 246–221 BC and won for a time a large part of Seleucid Asia. Cleopatra was the sister and wife of Ptolemy XIII (b. 63, ruled 51–47 BC) and ruled with him. The last to bear the name were another brother of Cleopatra, Ptolemy XIV (b. c.59, ruled 47–44 BC, jointly with Cleopatra), and Cleopatra's son by Julius Caesar, Ptolemy XV Caesar (b. 47, ruled nominally 44–30 BC, jointly with Cleopatra), better known as Caesarion.

The Ptolemies were immensely enriched by their exploitation of Egypt, and they raised their capital Alexandria to great wealth and magnificence. By their patronage of art and literature, and especially by the establishment of the Museum or literary academy of Alexandria, and the Alexandrian Library, the first Ptolemies made the city a centre of Hellenistic culture. Ptolemy I himself wrote the best of the histories of Alexander the Great (now lost) based on his own recollections and using much official material. It was used by the historian Arrian. Greek settlements were planted in many parts of Egypt, most extensively in the reclaimed land of the Faiyum. To these Greek settlers we owe numerous papyri, discovered in modern times in places where physical conditions have been suitable for their preservation, and on these many fragments of Greek literary works have been discovered (see PAPYROLOGY). See also EGYPT.