Ptolemy of Egypt

About this book

Even though Ptolemy I is a major figure of the Hellenistic period, there has never been a biography of him before this one. The unsatisfactory condition of the sources, not least the absence of a Life by Plutarch is the probable reason. Although we know a great many facts about Ptolemy, we know too little about the real man. The enthralling portrait of Ptolemy which emerges from this book will more than make up the need. The period between the death of Alexander the Great and the death of Ptolemy l is enormously complex. There were a great many powerful and ambitious men jockeying for control of Alexander's empire. Of these men, Professor Ellis argues, Ptolemy was the most important. He established the first, the most influential and the longest of all the Hellenistic dynasties. He made Alexandria, his capital, the most significant city of its day and the intellectual centre of the western world. He created the Museum, the most advanced institution of higher learning in the ancient world and founded a library with the largest collection of books until relatively recent times. Ptolemy of Egypt is the story of a leader of prophetic insight, extraordinary intellect and keen administrative ability. It provides an accessible introduction to the early Hellenistic period, the period of the Successors. It will appeal to those interested in ancient Greek history and ancient Egyptian history.