Egyptian History - The Ptolemaic Dynasty

Egyptian History - The Ptolemaic Dynasty - "Greek and Roman Rule"

When the Egyptian history came to an end, it was 332 B.C. This was a period of time where the Greeks went to war with the Egyptians and they won.

The Greeks formed their own dynasty called the Ptolemaic Dynasty that ruled for nearly 300 years until 30 BC. In 30 BC the Romans took control of Egypt. The Romans ruled for over 600 years until around 640 AD.

Alexander the Great

• In 332 BC, Alexander the Great swept down from Greece conquering much of the Middle East all the way to India. Along the way he conquered Egypt. Alexander was declared pharaoh of Egypt. He established the capital city of Alexandria along the northern coast of Egypt.

  
  

• When Alexander the Great died, his kingdom was divided among his generals. One of his generals, Ptolemy I Soter, became pharaoh of Egypt. He established the Ptolemaic Dynasty in 305 BC.

  
  

The Ptolemaic Dynasty

The Ptolemaic Dynasty was the last dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Although Ptolemy I and later rulers were Greek, they took on the religion and many traditions of Ancient Egypt. At the same time, they introduced many aspects of Greek culture into the Egyptian way of life.

For many years, Egypt prospered under the rule of the Ptolemaic Dynasty. Many temples were built in the style of the New Kingdom. At its peak, around 240 BC, Egypt expanded to control Libya, Kush, Palestine, Cyprus, and much of the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Alexandria

During this time, Alexandria became one of the most important cities in the Mediterranean. It served as the major trade port between Asia, Africa, and Europe. It also was the center of Greek culture and education. The Library of Alexandria was the largest library in the world with several hundred thousand documents.

Decline of the Ptolemaic Dynasty

*After years of ruling, Ptolemy III died, and this caused the Ptolemaic Dynasty to start to get weak.

*The government had all kinds of things going on and people were against the government and secretly fought against it.

*The Roman Empire was becoming stronger and they began to take over parts of the world including parts of the Mediterranean.

Roman Battle

• Pharaoh Cleopatra VII, in 31 B.C. decided that it would be best if she would join forces with the Roman general called Mark Antony.

• They went to war against another Roman, a leader named Octavian.

• They fought in a battle called the Battle of Actium and this is where Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII were defeated and then a year later, Octavian also fought against Alexandria and beat the Egyptian army.

Roman Empire

- Egypt at this point in 30 B.C. became part of the Roman rule.

- Their life changed and the Roman’s had a different culture and life than the Egyptians did.

- Rome was a place that was a trade place and was one of the most important areas during the time.

- Since this place was so important, Egypt helped to bring a lot of wealth to the Romans.

- In the 4^th century though, things changed, and Rome decided to split.

- This is when Egypt became part of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire was called Byzantium.

The Arab Rule "Muslim"

- During the 7^th Century, Egypt was always being attacked.

- These attacks mostly happened in the east. In 616, they were attacked by the Sassanids and they were defeated. Then in 641, they were defeated again by the Arabs.

- Egypt became under the rule of the Arabs until the Middle Ages.

Multiple Choice

1- What leader invaded Egypt in 332 BC bringing an end to Persian rule?

• Julius Caesar

• Alexander the Great

• Genghis Khan

• Darius I

Multiple Choice

2. What was the capital city of Egypt under the rule of the Greeks?

• Thebes

• Cairo

• Luxor

• Alexandria

Multiple Choice

3. What was the name of the Egyptian dynasty during the rule of the Greeks?

• Ptolemaic Dynasty

• Macedonian Dynasty

• Alexandrian Dynasty

• Greek Dynasty

Multiple Choice

4. What period of Egypt came to an end when the Greeks took control?

• New Kingdom

• 1st Intermediate Period

• Late Period

• Ottoman Period

Multiple Choice

5- What empire took control of Egypt from the Greeks in 30 BC?

• Persian Empire

• Babylonian Empire

• British Empire

• Roman Empire

Multiple Choice

6- The city of Alexandria was a center of Greek culture and education and one of the most important cities of the Mediterranean.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

7- Who was the last pharaoh of Egypt?

• Mentuhotep II

• Ahmose I

• Tutankhamen

• Cleopatra VII

Multiple Choice

8- What people took control of Egypt throughout much of the Middle Ages?

• British

• Arabs

• Romans

• French

Multiple Choice

9- What Roman general did Cleopatra ally with to fight against Octavian?

• Julius Caesar

• Marcus Crassus

• Mark Antony

• Cornelius Sulla

Multiple Choice

10- Egypt was a source of grain and great wealth for the Roman Empire.

• True

• False