The Ptolemies and Cleopatra VII in context

When Alexander the Great died in 323 BC his general Ptolemy took Egypt. In 305 BC he declared himself king. His family ruled for the next 275 years. This site counts 29 Ptolemaic rulers, including the queens who shared the throne.

Greek rulers, Egyptian kings

The Ptolemies spoke Greek and kept their court at Alexandria, a city on the coast that grew into the largest in the Mediterranean world. They also acted as pharaohs. They built and restored temples such as Edfu, Dendera and Philae in the old style, appeared on temple walls in kilts and crowns, and took Egyptian throne names written in cartouches.

The famous Rosetta Stone dates from the reign of Ptolemy V in 196 BC. It records a priestly decree in hieroglyphs, a cursive Egyptian script and Greek, and that is how Champollion was able to start reading hieroglyphs in 1822.

Cleopatra VII

Cleopatra VII came to the throne in 51 BC, aged about eighteen, jointly with her brother Ptolemy XIII. She was the first of her family to learn Egyptian. She allied herself with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony, both for her own position and to keep Egypt independent of Rome. After Octavian's victory at Actium she died in 30 BC, and Egypt became a Roman province. Her son Ptolemy XV, called Caesarion, was killed soon afterwards.

Her portrait is mostly known from coins, which show a strong nose and a firm chin. The Hollywood version is much later.

All Ptolemaic rulers

In order of reign:

• Ptolemy I Soter Ptolemaic dynasty, 305 BC to 282 BC
• Ptolemy II Philadelphus Ptolemaic dynasty, 284 BC to 246 BC
• Arsinoe II Ptolemaic dynasty, 277 BC to 270 BC
• Ptolemy III Euergetes Ptolemaic dynasty, 246 BC to 222 BC
• Berenice II Ptolemaic dynasty, 246 BC to 221 BC
• Ptolemy IV Philopator Ptolemaic dynasty, 222 BC to 204 BC
• Arsinoe III Ptolemaic dynasty, 220 BC to 204 BC
• Ptolemy V Epiphanes Ptolemaic dynasty, 204 BC to 180 BC
• Cleopatra I Ptolemaic dynasty, 180 BC to 176 BC
• Ptolemy VI Philometor Ptolemaic dynasty, 180 BC to 145 BC
• Cleopatra II Ptolemaic dynasty, 175 BC to 116 BC
• Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Ptolemaic dynasty, 145 BC to 145 BC
• Ptolemy VIII Physcon Ptolemaic dynasty, 170 BC to 116 BC
• Cleopatra III Ptolemaic dynasty, 142 BC to 101 BC
• Ptolemy IX Lathyros Ptolemaic dynasty, 116 BC to 81 BC
• Cleopatra IV Ptolemaic dynasty, 116 BC to 115 BC
• Ptolemy X Alexander I Ptolemaic dynasty, 110 BC to 88 BC
• Cleopatra Selene I Ptolemaic dynasty, 115 BC to 102 BC
• Berenice III Ptolemaic dynasty, 81 BC to 80 BC
• Ptolemy XI Alexander II Ptolemaic dynasty, 80 BC to 80 BC
• Ptolemy XII Auletes Ptolemaic dynasty, 80 BC to 51 BC
• Cleopatra V Ptolemaic dynasty, 79 BC to 57 BC
• Cleopatra VI Ptolemaic dynasty, 58 BC to 57 BC
• Berenice IV Ptolemaic dynasty, 58 BC to 55 BC
• Cleopatra VII Ptolemaic dynasty, 51 BC to 30 BC
• Ptolemy XIII Ptolemaic dynasty, 51 BC to 47 BC
• Ptolemy XIV Ptolemaic dynasty, 47 BC to 44 BC
• Caesarion (Ptolemy XV) Ptolemaic dynasty, 44 BC to 30 BC
• Ptolemy XVI Philadelphus Ptolemaic dynasty, 36 BC to 30 BC