Chapters › Kush: Napata & Meroe · Egypt
Ptolemaic Egypt
305 BCE – 30 BCE Arabic under review
Approximate area of control
Research in progress No sourced map of this era's territory yet, so no area is drawn.
Key events
- Greek dynasty; contacts with Meroe
Capitals / sites
Alexandria
Geopolitics
The Dodecaschoenus, about 120 km from Syene (Aswan) to Hiera Sycaminos, 'had belonged to the Ptolemies, but the rulers of Meroe ... had long since added it to their kingdom' (GHA II ch.7, p.208). Riad attributes Meroe's prosperity under Ergamenes and his successors 'essentially to its friendly relations with Egypt' (ch.6, p.203). Shared Egyptian–Nubian sanctuaries at Philae and Dakka confirm continuing relations (ch.10, p.287).
Culture
Diodorus says Ergamenes, 'steeped in Greek culture', defied the priests who could order a king's death and had some of them killed; GHA notes there is no corroboration for the priests' power over the king's life, and his identity among three Meroitic kings is uncertain (GHA II ch.10, p.287). His temple at Dakka is 'purely Egyptian in conception' (ch.6, p.203). At Musawwarat es-Sufra, hymns in good Ptolemaic Egyptian honour the Meroitic lion-god Apedemak (ch.10, p.287).
Economy
The Ptolemies set up 'bases for elephant-hunting all along the African coast as far as Somalia' and built ships to carry the animals, because they needed war elephants against the Seleucids (GHA II ch.6, p.185). Riad says the only lasting result was cultural: Hippalus' discovery of the monsoon pattern, under Ptolemy III, shortened the voyage to India (p.185).
Regional power
Research in progress We have not yet read a source for this section. It will be added once one is checked; nothing is filled in by guesswork.
Open data flags
- regional_power: no actors scored
- Pass 20 text: [WORKING TRANSLATION – needs native Arabic review] for every Arabic field
- CONTESTED – identity of 'Ergamenes' among three Meroitic kings (GHA II p.287)
Sources
- H. Riad (with J. Dévisse) (1981) Egypt in the hellenistic era, ch.6 (General History of Africa II) UNESCO / Heinemann / University of California Press link [en]
- S. Donadoni (1981) Egypt under Roman domination, ch.7 (General History of Africa II) UNESCO / Heinemann / University of California Press link [en]
- J. Leclant (1981) The empire of Kush: Napata and Meroe, ch.10 (General History of Africa II) UNESCO / Heinemann / University of California Press link [en]
- K. Michałowski (1981) The spreading of Christianity in Nubia (General History of Africa II, ch.12) UNESCO link [en]
- Wikipedia contributors Ptolemaic Kingdom Wikipedia link [en]