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Period · 332 BC to 4th century AD

Greco-Roman Period

Dates

332 BC to 4th century AD

Dynasties

Argeads, Ptolemies, Roman emperors

Capital

Alexandria

In the directory

69 entries

Macedonian kings and later Roman emperors rule Egypt as pharaohs. Greek and Egyptian culture merge, and the ancient temples are enlarged more magnificently than ever before.

Achievements and events

• 332 BCAlexander the Great conquers Egypt and founds Alexandria in 331 BC.
• c. 290 BCPtolemy I has the Library of Alexandria built, the greatest centre of learning in the ancient world.
• c. 280 BCPtolemy II has the lighthouse built on the island of Pharos, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• 237 BCConstruction begins on the Temple of Horus at Edfu, today the best-preserved temple in Egypt.
• 196 BCRosetta Stone: a priestly decree for Ptolemy V in hieroglyphs, Demotic and Greek.
• 30 BCDeath of Cleopatra VII; Egypt becomes a Roman province and the granary of Rome.
• 394 ADLast known hieroglyphic inscription: the Graffito of Esmet-Akhom in the temple of Philae.

All rulers of the period

Argeads

• Alexander III the Great332–323 BC
• Philip III Arrhidaeus323–317 BC
• Alexander IV Aegus317–310 BC

Ptolemies

• Ptolemy I Soter323–306 BC 306–283 BC
• Magas300–c. 250 BC
• Ptolemy II Philadelphus285–283 BC 283–246 BC
• Demetrius the Fair250–249/248 BC
• Ptolemy III Euergetes248–246 BC 246–222 BC
• Ptolemy IV Philopator222–205 BC
• Horwennefer206–200 BC
• Ptolemy V Epiphanes205–180 BC
• Ankhwennefer200–186 BC
• Ptolemy VI Philometor180–164 BC 163–145 BC
• Antiochus IV Epiphanes168 BC
• Ptolemy Eupator152 BC
• Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator145 BC
• Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II170–164 BC 164/163 BC 163–145 BC 145–131 BC 128–116 BC
• Cleopatra II170–164 BC 131–128 BC 116/115 BC
• Harsiesi131–130 BC
• Ptolemy IX Soter II116–107 BC 106–88 BC 88–81 BC
• Cleopatra III116–107 BC 107–101 BC
• Ptolemy X Alexander I110–107 BC 107–101 BC 101–88 BC
• Ptolemy Apion100–96 BC
• Cleopatra Berenice III81–80 BC
• Ptolemy XI Alexander II80 BC
• Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos80–58 BC 55–51 BC
• Ptolemy of Cyprus80–58 BC
• Berenice IV58–55 BC
• Cleopatra VI58/57 BC
• Archelaus56/55 BC
• Cleopatra VII52/51 BC 51–30 BC
• Ptolemy XIII50–47 BC
• Arsinoe IV48/47 BC
• Ptolemy XIV48/47 BC 47–44 BC
• Ptolemy XV Caesarion44–30 BC

Roman emperors

This table contains only those emperors who are also attested in hieroglyphs in Egypt. For a complete overview, see the list of Roman emperors of antiquity.

• Augustus27 BC–14 AD
• Tiberius14–37 AD
• Caligula37–41 AD
• Claudius41–54 AD
• Nero54–68 AD
• Galba68–69 AD
• Otho69 AD
• Vespasian69–79 AD
• Titus79–81 AD
• Domitian81–96 AD
• Nerva96–98 AD
• Trajan98–117 AD
• Hadrian117–138 AD
• Antoninus Pius138–161 AD
• Marcus Aurelius161–180 AD
• Lucius Verus161–169 AD
• Commodus180–192 AD
• Pertinax193 AD
• Septimius Severus193–211 AD
• Caracalla211–217 AD
• Geta211 AD
• Macrinus217–218 AD
• Diadumenian218 AD
• Severus Alexander222–235 AD
• Philip the Arab244–249 AD
• Decius249–251 AD
• Valerian253–260 AD
• Aurelian270–275 AD
• Zenobia270–272 AD
• Probus276–282 AD
• Diocletian284–305 AD
• Maximian285–310 AD
• Galerius293–311 AD
• Maximinus Daza305–313 AD