ahencyclopedia:

THE most successful Egyptian dynasty was that of the Ptolemies. Founded by Alexander the Great’s general Ptolemy I Soter in 305 BCE, Ptolemy was a Greek-speaking Macedonian, who made his rule in Egypt acceptable by adopting all the traditions and roles of the Pharaohs, and becoming a patron of the religious cults, (a policy which was followed by all the Pharaohs who succeeded him). 

Alexandria (named by Alexander the Great) became the capital of Egypt and soon became one of the most important cities in the ancient world. Known for its studies of the sciences, its lighthouse, and its great library, which was the largest in the world at the time. 

Various conflicts weakened the dynasty from the rule of Ptolemy IV Philopater, and from the year 168 BCE it was effectively a Roman protectorate. 

Cleopatra, the most famous of the Ptlomeies was born in 69 BCE and inherited the throne once her father had died. At first she shared the throne with her younger brother and husband, Ptolemy XIII, but soon became the sole ruler. Cleopatra was the first Ptolemy to become fluent in Egyptian, as well as her native Greek, and at least six other languages, making her a valued ruler and able to communicate with diplomats from multiple countries. 

Cleopatra had relationships with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, having a son (Caesarion) with Caesar and three children with Mark Antony. In 32 BCE, Civil war broke out in Rome, with tensions rising between Antony and Octavian. Cleopatra and Antony’s armies were defeated by Octavian’s army in 31 BCE at the battle of Actium, and a year later they both committed suicide. 

With Cleopatra’s death came the end of the Ptolemy dynasty, and from 30 BCE Egypt became a Roman province. 

Read More About Cleopatra

Sources Used:

Chronicles of the Ancient World by John Haywood 

‘Ancient Egypt' 

and ‘Cleopatra VII’ by Joshua J. Mark on Ancient History Encyclopedia. 

ancientart:

Depictions of the Abu Simbel temples, from 1843 to present.

Of the most magnificent monuments in the world, the two temples at Abu Simbel date to about 1260 BCE, and have long captured the interest and imaginations of many.

Ramesses II dedicated the so-called Small Temple of Abu Simbel to the goddess Hathor, and his wife Nefertari. Slightly further south is the larger temple, which Ramesses dedicated to the gods Ptah, Amun-Re, Re-Horakhty, as well as his own divine self. 4 colossal seated figures of Ramesses take up the facade of the latter.

The Great Temple of Ramesses II by kairoinfo4u.

Temple of Hathor/Nefertari, published in 1902, Internet Archive Book Images.

The Great Temple of Ramesses II, published in 1921, Internet Archive Book Images.

The Great Temple of Ramesses II, published in 1896, Internet Archive Book Images.

‘Interior of the excavated Temple of Abu Simbel in Nubia,’ published in 1843, The British Library.

merelygifted:

my-next-adventure:

Funerary Complex of Djoser at Saqqara

I thought it had a bit of a Frank Lloyd Wright feel to it oddly enough.

#Netjerikhet

merelygifted:

Papyrus of Ani

canisalbus:

Once in a Thousand Years

douglasbgibson:

ennead—a group of nine.

Ancient Egyptians organized their gods into groups of nine; their principal group of gods was “Great Ennead of Heliopolis,” the sun god Ra, his children Shu and Tefnut, their children Geb and Nut and their children Osiris, Seth, Isis,and…

dwellerinthelibrary:

sartorialadventure:

Hair and headdresses from ancient Egypt

Illustrations from The Mode in Hats and Headdresses by Ruth Turner Wilcox (1945).

hismarmorealcalm:

Statuette of a Jackal  Saite Period  Dynasty 26  664 –  525 B.C.

tenaflyviper:

Since the original article has since been deleted (I can’t imagine why…), you can still view it here.

While ancient Egyptians were, by all accounts, black, the fact remains that their civilization was under foreign rule for the last 340 years before its collapse.  There are literally numerous funerary coffins from that time period—different from a traditional Egyptian sarcophagus—that bore portraits depicting the person inside.  These are referred to as Fayum mummy portraits.  They are clearly a departure from Egyptian practices and artwork, and are considered as direct Roman influence, so yes:  There is quite a lot of evidence as to the Greek and Roman occupation of Egypt.

As for Cleopatra, even her name is of Greek origin.  As mentioned above, she was part of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Greek rulers that served as Egyptian pharaohs.  The land would be later ruled over by Romans, Arabs, and Muslims.  It is not known who her mother is, but it is speculated that even her mother may have been part Macedonian, and not fully Egyptian, thus putting even the suggested quarter of Egyptian heritage into question.  While both queens Hapshetsut and Nefertiti were of pure Egyptian lineage, Cleopatra was not.

For further reading:

http://www.womenintheancientworld.com/cleopatra.htm

http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/intro/antiquity.html

http://realhistoryww.com/world_history/ancient/Greek_Period.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemaic_Kingdom

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeks_in_Egypt

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/regy/hd_regy.htm

http://www.egypt-tehuti.org/articles/greeks-in-ancient-egypt.html

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/online_research_catalogues/ng/naukratis_greeks_in_egypt/introduction/greek%E2%80%93egyptian_relations.aspx

Or, if you’d like even more information, I’m pretty sure I’ve got a few books around here on the subject…

But seriously:  Please do not make a post about the history of anything unless you are knowledgeable enough about it that you are not presenting a false account of someone else’s civilization.