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Portrait of Ptolemy I or II of Egypt
This limestone portrait from the Early Ptolemaic Period (323-246 BCE) depicts either Ptolemy I or Ptolemy II of Egypt. Exact provenance is unknown. (Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto)
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Hellenistic Warfare
When Alexander the Great died in 323 BCE, he left behind an empire devoid of leadership. Without a named successor or heir, the old commanders simply divided the kingdom among themselves. For the next three decades, they fought a lengthy...
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Ptolemy II Philadelphus Founds the Library of Alexandria
"Tolomeo Filadelfo nella biblioteca di Alessandria", or "Ptolemy Philadelphus founds the Library of Alexandria", is an oil painting from 1813 by Italian artist Vincenzo Camuccini (1771-1844 CE). The painting portrays the Greco-Macedonian...
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Ptolemy XII Bust
Portrait of Ptolemy XII from the Louvre, Paris.
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Ptolemy V Epiphanes Tetradrachm
Tetradrachm of Ptolemy V Epiphanes (r. 205-180 BCE). Portrait of Ptolemy on obverse, Ptolemaic eagle on reverse with the legend "Ptolemy Basileus" (meaning "King Ptolemy"). Minted in Phoenicia.
Münzkabinett der Staatlichen Museen, Berlin.
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Ptolemy II (Artistic Facial Reconstruction)
A photorealistic representation of Ptolemy II of Egypt (284-246 BCE) as he may have appeared early in his reign. This reconstruction is based on archaeological evidence including busts, coinage, and descriptions of Ptolemy II in historical...
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Ptolemy II Before Arsinoe II
Limestone relief from the Chapel of Ptolemy II at Tanis in the Nile Delta representing Ptolemy II facing Arsinoe II (San el-Hagar, ca. 275-250 BCE; BM reg. no. 1885,1101.5, inv. no. EA-1056). Courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum...
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Bronze Statues of Ptolemy II & Arsinoe II
These early 3rd-century BCE bronze statues from Alexandria, Egypt, portray the royal Ptolemaic couple Ptolemy II Philadelphus ("The Sibling-Loving") and Arsinoe II Philadelphus. Ptolemy II is wearing the scalp of an elephant, possibly symbolic...
Definition
Antigonus I
Antigonus I Monophthalmus ("the One-Eyed") (382 -301 BCE) was one of the successor kings to Alexander the Great, controlling Macedonia and Greece. When Alexander the Great died in 323 BCE, a conflict known as the Wars of the Diadochi ensued...
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Ptolemy's Map of the World
The map of the world created by the astronomer and geographer Claudius Ptolemy (c. 100 - c. 170 CE). From a 15th-century book by Leinhart Holle. Made by the German cartographer Donnus Nicholas Germanus.
