History of Egypt From 330 B.C. To the Present Time, Volume 10 of 12

_EGYPT UNDER THE PTOLEMIES_

_ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND THE CONQUEST OF EGYPT--THE REIGNS OP THE
PTOLEMIES--GRADUAL GROWTH OF ROMAN INFLUENCE--INTRIGUES OF CLEOPATRA
WITH POMPEY, CAESAR, AND ANTONY_

_Alexander the Great in Egypt--Alexandria founded--The Greeks favour
the Jews--Ptolemy Soter establishes himself in Egypt and overcomes
Perdiccas--Struggles for Syria--Beginning of Egyptian coinage--Art and
Scholarship--Ptolemy resigns in favour of his son Philadelphus
--First treaty with Rome--Building of the Pharos--Growth of
Commerce--Encouragement of Learning--The library of Alexandria--Euclid
the geometer--Poets, astronomers, historians, and critics--The
Septuagint--Marriage of Philadelphus to his sister Arsinoë--Ptolemy
Euergetes plunders Asia--Egyptian temples enlarged--Religious
tolerance--Annual tribute of the Jews--Eratosthenes the
astronomer--Philosophy and Science--Culmination of Ptolemaic rule--The
dynasty declines under Philopator--Syrians invade Egypt; Philopator
retaliates; visits Jerusalem--The Jews persecuted--The king's
follies--Riots at Alexandria--Inglorious end of Philopator--The
young Ptolemy Epiphanes protected by Rome--Military revolt
suppressed--Coronation of Epiphanes--The Rosetta Stone--Marriage of
Epiphanes and Cleopatra, daughter of Antiochus the Cheat--A second
rebellion repressed--Accession of Ptolemy Philometer under
the guardianship of Cleopatra--Antiochus Epiphanes defeats
Philometer--Euergetes seizes the throne and appeals to Rome--Antiochus
supports Philometor against his brother Euergetes--The brothers combine
against Antiochus--Fraternal rivalry--Philometer appeals to the Romans
who adjust the quarrel--Philometer arbitrates in a dispute between
the Jews and the Samaritans--New temples built--Egyptian
asceticism--Philometer's death; Euergetes reigns alone, and divorces
his queen Cleopatra--Popular tumult in Alexandria--Euergetes
flees--Cleopatra in power--Euergetes regains the throne; conquers
Syria and makes peace with Cleopatra--The reign of Cleopatra Cocce with
Lathyrus (Ptolemy Soter II.)--Cleopatra in the ascendent--She helps
the Jews, while Lathyrus helps the Samaritans--Lathyrus flees to
Cyprus--Ptolemy Alexander I rules with Cleopatra--Death of Alexander
and restoration of Lathyrus--Accession of Cleopatra Berenicê--Ptolemy
Alexander II. bequeaths Egypt to Rome, murders Berenicê, and is slain
by his guards--Auletes succeeds--The Romans claim Egypt--Pompey assists
Auletes who is expelled by the Egyptians--Cleopatra Tryphama and
Berenicê placed on the throne--Grabinius and Mark Antony march
into Egypt and restore Auletes--The reign of Cleopatra--Pompey made
governor--The Egyptian fleet aids Pompey--Pompey is slain--Cæsar
besieged by the Alexandrians--He overcomes opposition, is captivated
by Cleopatra and establishes her authority--The Queen's
extravagance--Defeat of Antony--Death of Cleopatra--Octavianus annexes
Egypt._




INTRODUCTORY ESSAY


HELLENISM AND HEBRÆISM IN EGYPT UNDER THE PTOLEMIES


I.

When Alexander the Great bridged the gulf dividing Occident and Orient,
the Greeks had attained to a state of maturity in the development of
their national art and literature. Greek culture and civilisation,
passing beyond the boundaries of their national domain, crossed this
bridge and spread over the Asiatic world. To perpetuate his name, the
great Macedonian king founded a city, and selected for this purpose,
with extraordinary prescience, a spot on the banks of the Nile, which,
on account of its geographical position, was destined to become a
centre, not only of international commerce and an entrepôt between Asia
and Europe, but also a centre of intellectual culture. The policy of
Alexander to remove the barriers between the Greeks and the Asiatics,
and to pave the way for the union of the races of his vast empire, was
continued by the Lagidæ dynasty in Egypt. With her independence and
native dynasties, Egypt had also lost her political strength and unity;
she retained, however, her ancient institutions, her customs, and
religious system. The sway of Persian dominion had passed over her
without overthrowing this huge rock of sacerdotal power which, deeply
rooted with many ramifications, seemed to mock the wave of time. Out
of the ruins of political independence still towered the monuments
of civilisation of a mighty past which gave to this country moral
independence, and prevented the obliteration of nationality. It would
have mattered very little in the vast empire of Alexander if one
province had a special physiognomy.