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305 BCEReputable sourceWell documented

The Ptolemaic Dynasty Begins

On the timeline · around 305 BCE · The Ptolemaic Dynasty Begins500 BCE450 BCE400 BCE350 BCE300 BCE250 BCE200 BCE150 BCE100 BCE

What happened

After Alexander's death, his general Ptolemy took Egypt and, in 305 BCE, declared himself king as Ptolemy I Soter, founding a Macedonian-Greek dynasty that ruled from Alexandria. The Ptolemies fused Hellenistic kingship with Egyptian religious tradition.

Why it matters

The Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Egypt for nearly three centuries and made Alexandria the intellectual capital of the ancient world.

Sources