The Ptolemaic Dynasty of Ancient Egypt: From Ptolemy I to Cleopatra VII

Video

Kelly Macquire
by
published on 22 February 2022

The Ptolemaic dynasty in Ancient Egypt began under the rule of Ptolemy I Soter, whose goal was to make Egypt great again and he did that by putting the country back on solid economic and administrative footing, and it ended with Cleopatra VII. When Alexander the Great of Macedon died unexpectedly in 323 BCE he had amassed an enormous empire spanning from Egypt through Anatolia, Mesopotamia and parts of India. In order to stay away from the influence of the priests and officials at Memphis, Ptolemy I moved the capital from its traditional place at Memphis to Alexandria. Alexandria, a city established by Alexander the Great, grew and flourished under the Ptolemies. The city became more of a Greek city than an Egyptian one, with the port giving easy access to the sea and Greece, and with Greece becoming the language of both commerce and government.

A thing to note about the Ptolemies, although they were Pharaohs of Egypt, they didn’t learn the Egyptian language and pretty much just stayed in Alexandria (which they had made the new capital, moving it from the traditional capital of Memphis). They used Greek for all of their administrative documents, and married within their own family to keep the bloodline pure and also keep their wealth in the family.

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— CHAPTERS —
0:00​ Introduction
0:51 Lead Up To The Ptolemaic Dynasty
3:50 Egypt During the Ptolemaic Dynasty
7:48 The Ptolemy Family Tree
16:49 Outro

— WANT TO KNOW MORE? —
Ptolemaic Dynasty https://www.worldhistory.org/Ptolemaic_Dynasty/
Ptolemy I https://www.worldhistory.org/Ptolemy_I/
Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator https://www.worldhistory.org/Ptolemy_XIII_Theos_Philopator/
Arsinoe II Philadelphus https://www.worldhistory.org/Arsinoe_II_Philadelphus/
Cleopatra VII https://www.worldhistory.org/Cleopatra_VII/
The Economy of Ptolemaic Egypt https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1256/the-economy-of-ptolemaic-egypt/
Berenika II Euergetis https://www.worldhistory.org/Berenice_II_Euergetis/

— WATCH NEXT —
Cleopatra VII Philopator: the Last Queen of Ancient Egypt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6bM6ElVO5k
7 Surprising Stories from Herodotus' Histories https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRf1jUgXRqQ
Alexander the Great: Life and Reign of the King of the Macedonian Empire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E7JX-rVdFk
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: an Overview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YWPMZ6pHm8
Comparing Two Ancient Civilisations: Ancient Egypt vs. Mesopotamia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwY-ziBL1Jw

— ATTRIBUTIONS —
You can find all attribution and credits for images, animations, graphics and music here - https://worldhistory.typehut.com/the-ptolemaic-dynasty-of-ancient-egypt-from-ptolemy-i-to-cleopatra-vii-images-and-attributions-8317

The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:
https://www.ancientlyre.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A

— THUMBNAIL IMAGE —
https://www.worldhistory.org/image/15205/family-tree-of-the-ptolemaic-dynasty-of-egypt-305/
Simeon Netchev
CC BY NC SA 4.0 - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ptolemy_I_as_Pharaoh_of_Egypt.jpg
Stella
CC BY SA 4.0 - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

World History Encyclopedia
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#ptolemy #ptolemaicdynasty #cleopatravii

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About the Author

Kelly Macquire
Kelly is a graduate from Monash University who has completed her BA (Honours) in Ancient History and Archaeology, focussing on iconography and status in Pylos burials. She has a passion for mythology and the Aegean Bronze Age.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Macquire, K. (2022, February 22). The Ptolemaic Dynasty of Ancient Egypt: From Ptolemy I to Cleopatra VII. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2721/the-ptolemaic-dynasty-of-ancient-egypt-from-ptolem/

Chicago Style

Macquire, Kelly. "The Ptolemaic Dynasty of Ancient Egypt: From Ptolemy I to Cleopatra VII." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified February 22, 2022. https://www.worldhistory.org/video/2721/the-ptolemaic-dynasty-of-ancient-egypt-from-ptolem/.

MLA Style

Macquire, Kelly. "The Ptolemaic Dynasty of Ancient Egypt: From Ptolemy I to Cleopatra VII." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 22 Feb 2022. Web. 08 Dec 2024.

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