ptolemy writings on alexander the great
Few, if any, persons in the ancient Graeco-Roman world have inspired as much writing, by both ancient and modern authors, as Alexander the Great of Macedon. Alexander became a “state god” and his “priest” the highest clerical position in Egypt. Ptolemaeus (Ancient Greek: Πτολεμαῖος, romanized: Ptolemaios) or Ptolemy (died 309 BC) was a nephew and general of Antigonus I Monophthalmus, one of the Successors of Alexander the Great.His father was also called Ptolemy and was a brother of Antigonus. Ptolemy V Epiphanes, (Greek: Illustrious) (born c. 210—died 180 bc), Macedonian king of Egypt from 205 bc under whose rule Coele Syria and most of Egypt’s other foreign possessions were lost.. After Sosibius, Ptolemy IV’s corrupt minister, had murdered Ptolemy V’s mother, the five-year-old king was officially elevated to the throne; Sosibius became his guardian. In December 330, after the Philotas affair, Ptolemy was appointed as somatophylax, one of the seven bodyguards who served as Alexander's deputies. Following a brief peace, Ptolemy was involved in a series of conflicts with both Antigonus and Demetrius, finally aiding in their defeat and Antigonus’ death at Ipsus in 301 BC. The two chief sources from which he drew his narrative were the histories written by Ptolemy, son of Lagus, and Aristobulus, son of Aristobulus, both of whom were officers in Alexander's army. A book for the general reader particularly interested in literary forensics and battle strategy, the text gives a comprehensive analysis of Alexander's years in expansion. Once home to the massive Pharos lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonder of the Ancient World, the Mediterranean seaport of Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great around 330 BCE, and like many other cities in his Empire, took its name from him. The Great vs. the Savior. He is eager to pass knowledge on to his students. In Ancient Greece, Phillip II founded a powerful and unified empire. Ptolemy was completely against this idea and led a campaign to divide the empire among the leading generals. 17 Jan 2021. After his death in 323 BCE, Alexander's Empire was left in the hands of his generals, with Ptolemy I Soter taking Egypt and making Alexandria his capital in 320 BCE. After his death in 323 BCE, Alexander's Empire was left in the hands of his generals, with Ptolemy I Soter taking Egypt and making Alexandria his capital in 320 BCE. The territory given to Ptolemy after Alexander the Great died was _____ The territory given to Ptolemy after Alexander the Great died was _____ THIS SET IS OFTEN IN FOLDERS WITH... World History: Unit 4. Formerly a small fishing village on the Nile delta, Alexandria became the seat of the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt and developed into a great intellectual and cultural centre, perhaps the greatest city in the ancient world. Ptolemy next appears at the battles of Issus and Gaugamela. He was in Egypt in 332 BC at Siwa and Memphis, but the History of Alexander has him playing a vital role in a number of conflicts in India while others have him as only a minor if not insignificant participant. Alexander after Alexander: Macedonian Propaganda and Historical Memory in Ptolemy and Aristobulus’ Writings In: Brill's Companion to the Reception of Alexander the Great. Ptolemy I (c. 366–283 B.C.E. ) In 305 BC, he declared himself King Ptolemy I, later known as "Soter" (saviour). Because he believed them to be the most reliable, Arrian based his biography on the works of Ptolemy I (366-282 BCE) and Aristobulus (c. 375-301 BCE). Ptolemy made only a few vague and disparaging remarks regarding theoretical work over the intervening three centuries, yet the study of the planets undoubtedly made great strides during that interval. Since he did not want to fall under the influence of the priests and officials at Memphis, Ptolemy’s first decision was to move the country’s capital to Alexandria. From that time, Ptolemy ruled Egypt nominally in the name of joint kings Philip III and Alexander IV. They were the successors of Alexander the Great, who had invaded Egypt, becoming Pharaoh. Last modified February 03, 2012. Young reveals the layers of Ptolemy's personal biases and gains, making for an interesting treatment. The original source document has been lost to history however, it was used as a principal source for the works of Arrian of Nicomedia so most of the important information has been saved for history. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2021) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Alexander was welcomed by the Egyptians as a liberator and took the country without a battle. Ptolemy declared himself pharaoh in 305 BC and ruled till 283 BC. He journeyed to Siwa Oasis in the … Ptolemaeus (Ancient Greek: Πτολεμαῖος, romanized: Ptolemaios) or Ptolemy (died 309 BC) was a nephew and general of Antigonus I Monophthalmus, one of the Successors of Alexander the Great.His father was also called Ptolemy and was a brother of Antigonus. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Ptolemy_I/. Historian . Diodorus’s history recorded this theft: Ptolemy, moreover, doing honour to Alexander, went to meet it with an army as far as Syria and, receiving the body, deemed it worthy of the greatest consideration. At Issus he served in the left flank under the command of Parmenio. Ptolemy's contribution as a historian is immense; he wrote an eyewitness history of Alexander's campaigns (which is now lost). The earliest known surviving source of information on the founding of the Library of Alexandria is the pseudepigraphic Letter of Aristeas, which was composed between c. 180 and c. 145 BC. After his death, Ptolemy was deified and a festival was held in his honor for years to come. A Reconstruction of Ptolemy I’s History of Alexander’s Conquests, a Primary Source Cited in Later Books That Disappeared More Than One Thousand Years Ago Alexander the Great is well known as one of the first great empire builders of the ancient world. This new religion was a combination of both Greek and Egyptian influences, although the Egyptians saw it as more Greek than Egyptian. The Apocryphal Alexander: Alexander the Great in Ptolemy the Quail Ptolemaeus Chennus’s Καινὴ Ἱ 1 2ορία has perplexed scholars for centuries, as far back as the ninth-century patriarch Photius to whom we are primarily indebted for what writings of Ptolemaeus Chennus, or Ptolemy “the Quail,” survive today. In Persepolis, Ptolemy was linked to the burning of the city. Ptolemy was responsible for Serapis's rise to power. [...] The king led them to the revel, with Thais the courtesan conducting the ceremony. and founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt, a family of fifteen kings—all of whom were named Ptolemy—who reigned over Egypt for more than three hundred years. In Ptolemy's view, Alexander had been a rational expansionist. Background. He served not only as king of Egypt but also the founder of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, a dynasty which included the infamous Cleopatra VII. Ptolemy I. At one place, Ptolemy corrects Cleitarchus' account of Alexander's campaigns, and this proves that Ptolemy's history was published after the History of Alexander, which can be dated between 310 and 301. Ptolemy, the nephew, was Antigonus's right-hand-man until his son Demetrius took on a more prominent role. This position was later claimed by Ptolemy. For example, he suggests that the account was written as a way of cementing Alexander's importance, as well as Ptolemy's, and to that end it skims over the more undesirable accounts of the famous Macedonian. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Next, he created a new religion with a new god Serapis, the god of healing. However, Ptolemy’s book was lost—perhaps with the destruction of the library he founded—and not even an original fragment has survived. Early Career. The one common threat among these “kings” was that no one liked Perdiccas, and Perdiccas disliked Ptolemy above all. Alexander the Great, who turned half the world into his empire, seems like an almost god-like figure.Rumors about him, first encouraged to further his legend, continue to persist. As Alexander the Great’s empire disintegrated, however, Ptolemy established himself as a ruler in his own right. - Sir William Tarn, Alexander the Great (Cambridge, 1948). (British Museum, London) (Italian, 1702-1759)/Public domain) The First Settlers in Alexandria . Ptolemy I(born c. 367 BC; reigned 323 – 282 BC) was a former general of Alexander the Great and the first king of the Ptolemaic Dynasty. The library was named after Alexander the Great, who initiated the collection of documents in 334 BCE. In 305-304 BCE he proclaimed himself king. He decided for the present not to send it to Ammon, but to entomb it in the city that had been founded by Alexander himself… There he prepared a precinct worthy of the glory of Alexander in size and construction. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. 26 terms. While Cleomenes accomplished a great deal, the full expansion of Alexandria came under the rule of Alexander’s general Ptolemy and the rule of the Ptolemaic Dynasty (332-30 BCE) which followed. In the second place, Ptolemy sometimes exaggerates his own role. License. Because of this move, Alexandria became more of a Greek rather than Egyptian city. It was during this time, after a failed conspiracy to kill Alexander was discovered, that Ptolemy was named one of the king’s personal bodyguards. It became the center of Hellenistic culture. Compared to Rome and Greece, the city had stunning buildings and was better planned. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. He was a veteran soldier and trusted commander who had served Alexander. When Alexander died in 323 BC, the fate of the empire was left in the hands of Perdiccas, the cavalry leader, who had been handed Alexander’s signet ring on the king’s deathbed, a possible transference of power. Arrian, Latin in full Lucius Flavius Arrianus, (born c. ad 86, Nicomedia, Bithynia [now İzmit, Tur. Tarn, Alex. The alliances that would be formed among these new satraps were tenuous and both war and peace would reign for 30 years. Map of the Successor Kingdoms, c. 303 BCEby Javierfv1212 (Public Domain). Library of Alexandria, the most famous library of Classical antiquity. Ptolemy I, successor of Alexander the Great. Ptolemy I (Soter I) 323-285 B.C. After Ptolemy was struck by a poisoned arrow, it was Alexander who saved his life by using various native herbs to extract the poison. Moreover, Ptolemy’s veracity, especially as an observer, has been controversial since the time of the astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546–1601 Formerly a s… However, since so much of what we know about his life came from the writings of philosophers and historians after his death, myths will always surround him. Following Phillips II’s death at the hands of Pausanias, Alexander embarked on his quest to meet, defeat and conquer Darius III and the Persian Empire. The Lighthouse of Alexandria was a massive structure of three stories with a statue of Zeus atop. was a Macedonian general under Alexander the Great (356–323 B.C.E. ) Rise to Power. Regardless of a certain familial link, Philip treated Ptolemy as his own son. Perdiccas resented this theft and immediately took action, attacking Egypt. Ptolemy’s name first appears during Alexander’s defeat of Memnon, the Greek mercenary general in the service of Persia, at Halicarnassus. Of note is Young's description of the Library at Alexandra and its splendor, including it as a reference for when Ptolemy's work was written. The Legacy of Alexander the Great. It was under Ptolemy that the newly-founded Alexandria came to replace the ancient city of Memphis as the capital of Egypt. 78 terms. Ptolemy served alongside Alexander from the Persian defeat at the Battle of Issus in modern-day Turkey and the journey to find the oracle that proclaimed Alexander to be Zeus incarnate, to the Battle of the Hydaspes River in 326 BC that opened India to the West. They are almost entirely known from Arrian's Anabasis, but this is sufficient to come to some conclusions about their nature. Position in Egypt, Ptolemy ’ s rule of Egypt in 323 BC Egypt from 323 BC, declared. Achieved much success, and is represented by the Egyptians soon accepted the as!, but this is sufficient to come to some conclusions about their nature history... 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