PHARAOH.SE
The first pharaoh of the Ptolemaic Dynasty
Prenomen: Setepenra meryamun
Also known as: Ptolemaios Soter
Accession 306 BC
End of reign 285 BC
Duration 21 years
When Alexander the Great died in Babylon in 323 BC, the scramble for the remains of his empire began. One of his seven bodyguards, Ptolemaios, anglicised as Ptolemy, secured the position of governor of Egypt, which he held for 15 years, culminating in his coronation as Pharaoh in January 304 BC. To avoid the influence of the priests and officials in Memphis, he moved the capital to Alexandria, a better strategic location on the Mediterranean coast.
Although of Greek descent, the kings of the Ptolemaic kingdom adopted the regalia and gods of the pharaohs, restoring old temples and building new ones dedicated to the Egyptian gods, and also founded the Great Library of Alexandria. Ptolemy I earned the nickname Soter, which means saviour in Greek, largely due to his help in lifting Demetrius' siege of Rhodes in 305/304 BC.
Although of Greek descent, the kings of the Ptolemaic kingdom adopted the regalia and gods of the pharaohs, restoring old temples and building new ones dedicated to the Egyptian gods, and also founded the Great Library of Alexandria. Ptolemy I earned the nickname Soter, which means saviour in Greek, largely due to his help in lifting Demetrius' siege of Rhodes in 305/304 BC.
Titulary & Hieroglyphs
References
- Gauthier, H. Le livre des rois d'Égypte. MIFAO 20 (1915): pp. 217–221
- Beckerath, J., 1999. “Handbuch der ägyptischen Königsnamen”, 2 ed., MÄS 49 (1999): pp. 234–235
- Leprohon, R. J., 2013. The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary. pp. 178