Ptolemaic Kingdom
The Ptolemies ruled Egypt from the generation after Alexander the Great to Cleopatra VII’s death in 30 BC. Their court at Alexandria maintained a Greek-speaking monarchy while the rulers also appeared as pharaohs in Egyptian temples. The kingdom’s power reached into Cyprus, Cyrenaica and other parts of the eastern Mediterranean at different times. Monumental temples, island ports and rock-cut tombs preserve these connected worlds, from the ritual architecture of the Nile Valley to the cities and maritime routes supporting the dynasty.
Explore Ptolemaic sites
Ptolemaic temples express Egyptian kingship, while ports and rock-cut tombs connect the Nile Valley with the kingdom’s Mediterranean territories.
Daily life
Daily Life in Ptolemaic Egypt: Households, Work and Worship
Household records, workshop letters, cooking remains and teaching exercises reveal family resources, work, consumption, worship and learning in Ptolemaic Egypt.
History and society
Ptolemaic Egypt: History, Government and Society
The Ptolemaic kingdom joined a Macedonian dynasty, Egyptian temples and villages, royal administration and overseas possessions from the late fourth century to 30 BCE.
- Alexandria, the Countryside and Ptolemaic Communities: Cities, Status, and Household Life
- Farming, Taxation and Production in Ptolemaic Egypt
- Ptolemaic Armies, Fleets and Military Settlement in Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean
- Ptolemaic Buildings, Workshops and Scholarship: Royal Patronage in Egypt
- Ptolemaic Government, Officials and Legal Communities in Egypt
- Temples, Priests and Kings in Ptolemaic Egypt: Institutions of Worship and Royal Power