340 BC – 330 BCs

Events in 340 BC – 330 BC 3

• 1070 BC – 332 BC The Late Period -- fragmentation and foreign rule The Late Period (1070-332 BC) sees Egypt divided, conquered by Nubians and Assyrians, briefly independent under the Saite Renaissance, then conquered twice by Persia. The Nubian 25th Dynasty (747-656 BC) rules as authentic pharaohs; the Saite 26th Dynasty (664-525 BC) produces a brilliant cultural revival before Cambyses conquers Egypt for Persia in 525 BC.
• 332 BC Alexander the Great enters Egypt -- 332 BC Alexander the Great enters Egypt in 332 BC, welcomed as a liberator from Persian rule. He visits the oracle of Amun at Siwa, where he is addressed as the son of Amun. He founds Alexandria (331 BC) on the Mediterranean coast. His body is eventually brought to Alexandria after his death (323 BC), displayed in a golden sarcophagus for centuries -- its location now unknown.
• 332 BC – 30 BC The Ptolemaic Kingdom -- Greek pharaohs The Ptolemaic period (332-30 BC) begins with Alexander's conquest and ends with Cleopatra's suicide. The Ptolemies make Alexandria the greatest intellectual centre of the ancient world -- home to the Library, the Museum, Euclid, Eratosthenes and Archimedes. They build magnificent temples (Edfu, Dendera, Philae) and rule as pharaohs while speaking Greek.