Alexander the Great

Alexander III of Macedon entered Egypt late in 332 BC, taking control from the crumbling Achaemenid Persian Empire without significant resistance. His arrival marked the end of the Second Persian Period and began nearly three centuries of Greek rule in the Nile Valley. Alexander presented himself not as a foreign oppressor, but as a legitimate pharaoh respectful of indigenous religious customs.

During his brief stay, Alexander travelled across the western desert to the Siwa Oasis, where the oracle of Amun hailed him as the god's son, cementing his divine status in Egyptian eyes. He also selected the site on the Mediterranean coast for the foundation of Alexandria, which quickly grew into the political and intellectual capital of the Hellenistic world. At Luxor Temple, Alexander ordered the reconstruction of the inner bark sanctuary, where he was depicted in traditional pharaonic regalia offering to Amun-Ra.

Alexander left Egypt in 331 BC to pursue Darius III across Asia, never returning during his lifetime. He died in Babylon in 323 BC, having reigned over Egypt for roughly nine years, from 332 to 323 BC, with dates fixed within a year. Following his death, his general Ptolemy brought his embalmed body back to Egypt, eventually burying him in a magnificent tomb in Alexandria known as the Soma, the exact location of which remains lost.

Scholars know his Egyptian rule through Greek historical narratives, contemporary hieroglyphic inscriptions, surviving temple reliefs at Luxor, and the foundation of Alexandria itself.

Monuments

• Alexandria foundation
• Luxor Temple bark shrine
• Siwa Oasis Oracle

Explore further

Try the name on the Cartouche Desk, or see where the reign falls on the timeline.