Ptolemaic & Roman Eras

Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BCE. One of his generals, Ptolemy I (Soter I) became the pharaoh of Egypt in 305 BCE and began the line of Ptolemaic rulers that lasted for 300 years. Queen Cleopatra, thanks to Shakespeare and Hollywood, is perhaps the most well-known of this Greek lineage.

The photos here concentrate on three major temple areas constructed during the Ptolemaic period: The Temple of Horus at Edfu (started 237 BCE with construction and decoration continuing for another 150 years); The Temple of Sobek and Haroeris at Kom Ombo (begun by Ptolemy VI (180-145 BCE); and The Temples on Philae Island.

By 30 BCE, the Ptolemaic Dynasty ended and Egypt came under Roman rule, a condition that would last for the next 400 years. Among the photos, there is the purely Roman Odeon (small theatre) excavated in Alexandria and the Kiosk of Trajan, added by the Romans to Temple of Isis on Philae Island.

To continue the historical tour of Egypt, go to the Christian & Islamic Era page.