Life as a colony of the Roman Empire. Complete Roman Domination of Egypt by the Roman exploitation makes Egypt a weak country. Eventually sees the rise of Christianity and then Islam.

1. Ancient Egyptian History
Class 6 The Romans
Adjunct Professor Joe Boisvert
Fall 2012 and Spring 2013

2. The Royal Library of Alexandria
• The Ancient Library of Alexandria, in Alexandria, Egypt, was the largest and
most significant library of the ancient world.
• It flourished under the patronage of the Ptolemaic dynasty and functioned as a
major center of scholarship from its construction in the 3rd century BC until
the Roman conquest of Egypt in 30 BC.
• The library was conceived and opened either during the reign of Ptolemy I
Soter (323–283 BC) or during the reign of his son Ptolemy II (283–246 BC).
• Plutarch (AD 46–120) wrote that during his visit to Alexandria in 48 BC Julius
Caesar accidentally burned the library down when he set fire to his own ships
to frustrate Achillas attempt to limit his ability to communicate by sea. After
its destruction, scholars used a "daughter library" in a temple known as the
Serapeum, located in another part of the city.

3. Library
of Alexandria

4. The Royal Library
• Built in the Royal Quarter next to the Museion
(House to the Muses) , the Royal Library
comprised a Peripatos walk, gardens, a room for
shared dining, a reading room, lecture halls and
meeting rooms.
• The library had an acquisitions department
(perhaps near the harbor), and a cataloguing
department.
• A hall contained shelves for the collections of
papyrus scrolls – legend has it that there was an
inscription above the shelves that read: "The
place of the cure of the soul." However, the exact
layout of the Library is not known.

5. Suggested Layout

6. What We Think it Looked Like Inside

8. Caesar's Egyptian War
In August 48 BCE, Julius Caesar defeated his rival
Pompey and the last defenders of the Roman
republic in the battle of Pharsalus in Greece.
Many died, but Pompey managed to leave the
battlefield and tried to obtain asylum in Egypt.
• However, the Egyptian authorities decided that it
was better not to help Pompey, because they
suspected that Caesar would declare war upon
them.
• Therefore, Pompey was executed when he tried
to come ashore. Not much later, Caesar arrived.

9. Cleopatra VII
• Cleopatra VII Philopator ('father-loving'): queen
of the Ptolemaic Empire, ruled from 51 to 30.
Relatives:
• Father: Ptolemy XII Auletes
• Mother: An Egyptian lady from a Memphite
priestly family
• First husband: Gaius Julius Caesar
– Son: Caesarion
• Second husband: Marc Antony
– Children: the twins Alexander Helius and Cleopatra
Selene (married to king Juba II of Mauretania), Ptolemy
Philadelphus
• Main deeds: Try to Keep Egypt’s Freedom and
Independence

10. Julius Caesar and Cleopatra

11. Battle for Power
• March 44: Julius Caesar is killed; Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIV
return to Egypt, where Ptolemy is soon killed and Caesarion
recognized as king; first of a series of bad harvests
• Summer 43: Cleopatra has achieved control of Cyprus; she
supports the faction of Caesar, led by the Second Triumvirate
(Marc Antony, Octavian, Lepidus), in its war against the
assassins, led by Brutus and Cassius
• 42: Battle of Philippi: the triumvirs defeat Brutus and Cassius;
Marc Antony will visit the east
• 41: Cleopatra meets Marc Antony in Tarsus. The Roman needs
the Egyptian queen in his war against the Parthian Empire, and
returns the rule of old Ptolemaic territories to her
• 39: Birth of the twins Alexander Helius and Cleopatra Selene
• 38: Marc Antony gives Chalkis (the Bekaa valley) and parts of
Cilicia and Chalkis to Cleopatra; later, she is allowed to govern,

12. Mark Antony
• Marcus Antonius, commonly known
in English as Mark Antony, was a
Roman politician and general. As a
military commander and
administrator, he was an important
supporter and loyal friend of his
mother's cousin Julius Caesar.
• Born: January 14, 83 BC, Rome
• Died: August 1, 30 BC, Alexandria
• Children: Cleopatra Selene,
Alexander Helios, Antonia Minor,
Ptolemy Philadelphus, Antonia
Major, Marcus Antonius Antyllus,
Iullus Antonius, Antonia,
granddaughter of Gaius Antonius
Hybrida

13. Cleopatra had Children by
both Caesar and Mark Antony
"Julius Caesar" Marlon Brando as
Mark Antony 1953 MGM/Turner Ent

14. Last Battle
• She played her game very well with Mark Antony and made him
follow her plan, he make a new Hellenistic empire with Alexandria as
capitol.
• When he started giving roman territories to Cleopatra, like parts of
Syria and Cyprus the senate decided to 'relieve him of his duties for
Rome'.
• Octavian's had to conquer Egypt.
The decisive battle was fought soon, at Action, or in latin Actium.
• It's rather remarkable that Marcus Antonius decided to fight at sea,
knowing that his legionnaires were far better and also knowing that
he could never beat Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Octavian's' admiral.

15. Augustus 1st Emperor of the Roman
Empire ( Octavius)
Born: September 23, 63
BC, Rome
Died: August 19, 14 AD,
Nola
Spouse: Livia (m. BC 38–
AD 14)
Children: Julia the Elder,
Gaius Caesar, Lucius
Caesar, Agrippa
Postumus
Siblings: Octavia Minor
Parents: Julius Caesar,
Atia, Gaius Octavius

16. Augustus
• Augustus and his successors continued the tradition
of building temples to the local gods on which the
rulers and the gods were depicted in the Egyptian
manner.
• The Romans completed the construction of an
architectural jewel, the Temple of Isis on Philae
Island , which was begun under the Ptolemy's.
• A new artistic development during this period was
the painting of portraits on wood, an art that
originated in the Fayyum region. These portraits
were placed on the coffins of mummies.

19. Beginning of Roman Empire
Augustus was the founder of the Roman
Empire and its first Emperor, ruling from 27
BC until his death in 14 AD.
Marc Antony and Cleopatra committed
Suicide after losing battle to Augustus

20. The Old World

22. The reign of Augustus initiated an era
of relative peace known as the Pax
Romana (The Roman Peace).
The Mediterranean world remained at
peace for more than two centuries.
Augustus dramatically enlarged the
Empire, annexing Egypt, Dalmatia,
Pannonia, Noricum, and Raetia,
expanded possessions in Africa,
expanded into Germania, and completed
the conquest of Hispania.

23. Rome Took All From Egypt
• The story of Roman Egypt is a sad record of shortsighted
exploitation leading to economic and social decline.
• Like the Ptolemy's, Rome treated Egypt as a mere estate
to be exploited for the benefit of the rulers.
• But however incompetently some of the later Ptolemy's
managed their estate, much of the wealth they derived
from it remained in the country itself.
• Rome, however, was an absentee landlord, and a large
part of the grain delivered as rent by the royal tenants or
as tax by the landowners as well as the numerous
money-taxes were sent to Rome and represented a
complete loss to Egypt.

24. Egypt under Rome and Byzantium, 30
B.C.-A.D. 640
• With the establishment of Roman rule by Emperor
Augustus in 30 B.C., more than six centuries of Roman and
Byzantine control began.
• Egypt again became the province of an empire, as it had
been under the Persians and briefly under Alexander.
• As the principal source of the grain supply for Rome, it
came under the direct control of the emperor in his
capacity as supreme military chief, and a strong force was
garrisoned there.
• Gradually, Latin replaced Greek as the language of higher
administration. In 212 Rome gave the Egyptians citizenship
in the empire.

25. Roman to Christians to Muslims
Roman rule: 30 BC - AD 395
Byzantine: AD 395-640 Ruled from
Constantinople, predominantly Christian.
Islamic/Arab Period (Caliphate) Egypt: 640
AD onwards. Ruled from Damascus and
from Baghdad.
Ottoman Period: AD 1517-1805. Ruled from
Turkey.

26. Coptic Egypt: Christianity arrived in
Egypt
Coptic Egypt: Christianity arrived in Egypt around
50AD with St. Mark, and a Christian community
started in Alexandria. Eventually there were many
(60?) Christian monasteries in Egypt and the
religion was generally widespread. Difficulties
came when the Romans under Diocletian started
to suppress other religions, particularly
Christianity. Much martyrdom for a period of
about 30 years, 284-313 AD, until the Romans
decided on a policy of tolerance again. Christianity
continues in parts of Egypt to the present day.