Alexander in Egypt and Foundation of Alexandria
When Alexander entered Egypt in 332/331 BCE, the Egyptians had no reason to love their Persian rulers. Alexander was welcomed without resistance. The Persian satrap Mazaces surrendered without a fight. Alexander visited Memphis and made sacrifice to the Egyptian gods, including the sacred Apis bull — a gesture that won immediate Egyptian goodwill. He was crowned pharaoh at Memphis, presenting himself as the legitimate heir of the Egyptian kings and son of the sun-god Amun (identified by Greeks with Zeus). He then made a remarkable journey to the oasis of Siwa deep in the Libyan desert, to consult the oracle of Amun. At Siwa the oracle's priest greeted Alexander as 'son of Amun.' What Alexander asked privately was never revealed, but he left visibly affected. On the Egyptian coast Alexander chose the site for a new city — Alexandria. He personally marked out the street grid with barley meal, and when birds ate the barley, seers interpreted this as a good omen: the city would feed the world. Architect Dinocrates of Rhodes planned the city. Alexander departed for Persia before a single building rose; he never returned to see his city. Alexandria would become the greatest city of the Hellenistic world, home to 500,000 people, the famous Library, and the Mouseion. It remained the intellectual capital of the Mediterranean for centuries.
- Year: 331 BCE
- Category: Cultural
