Ptolemy I Soter and His Relationship with Egypt - Assignment Example

Ptolemy I Soter and his Relationship with Egypt In ancient world, military men easily become rulers. This is because these men had developed skills over time such as administrative and leadership in the military. The grabbing of power in Egypt started when the Alexander the Great took power from the Persians. Alexander the Great had a strong army and the Persians could not beat it. Therefore, they peacefully surrender power to Alexander. During his tenure, Alexander demonstrated a high degree of reverence through offering sacrifice to the gods (Bosworth, 2002:15). He development agenda began with laying a plan to build the city of Alexandria. Further, he wanted to exercise his rule over a big territory. He had spread his campaigns to the eastwards where he succumbed to death while in Babylon. This was in 323 BC. After his demise, the General Ptolemy brought Alexander’s body back to Memphis. Biographers document that Ptolemy was born to Macedonian and Arsinoe in 367. As Alexander’s youth friend, Ptolemy assumed power of Egypt as his share of Alexander’s territory. After a period of few years, Ptolemy became Ptolemy 1 Soter, Pharaoh of Egypt. This marked the era of Ptolemic Period in Egypt (Ellis, 1994:23). How Ptolemy 1 Soter secured Egypt Ptolemy 1 came into power after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. The empire that Alexander had established experience succession wrangles. Alexander had amassed a lot power through occupying large territory in Asia and North Africa. The Greeks used this strategy to acquire power control through colonisation. After the demise of the death of Alexander the Great, rivalry over power ensued in his territory. This led to disintegration of the territory into small kingdom. Each kingdom wanted to have its autonomy. Alexander’s brother, Philip 3 Arrhidaios and his son Alexander 4 assumed power as joint king of the Empire. The principal general of Alexander’s army got appointment to positions of governors. The work of the generals was to head different provinces of the Alexander’s empire. Ptolemy was assigned the as a governor of Egypt. The appointment invited civil war among the governors. Each governor wanted to lead the Alexander’s empire. The struggle for succession continued and it culminated in assassination of Phillip 3 and Alexander 4 in 316 BC and 310 BC respectively (Ellis, 1994:27). Some of the generals such as Antigosnos were very powerful. This general announced himself a king of Alexander’s territory. This was in 306 BC. The governor eventually passed on in 301 BC and this ended his thirsty for power prematurely. This hideous act spelled doom for the most anticipated unity in the kingdom. Further wrangles for superiority resulted in emergence of three kingdoms, namely, Egypt, Macedonia, and Syria. Ptolemy became the king of Egypt (Ellis, 1994:22). Ptolemy’s first mandate was to safeguard the kingdom of Egypt after he came into the throne. This is because Egypt was under the threat of invasion from Antigonus. This was in 306 BC. Ptolemy 1 fought the Antagonus and defeated the invading army. Ptolemy 1 protected the residents of Rhodes, a part of his territory, from Demetrius military attack. Ptolemy continued to defend Egypt in a skilful way. In 321 BC, Ptolemy 1 military averted Perdiccas invasion. The king also prevented the capturing of Egypt during the Wars of the Diadochi. This was between 322 BC and 301 BC. The outbursts of violence emanated from division of Alexander’s empire. Each kingdom wanted to gain each other’s influence. The king secured Egypt from the Palestinians who for long conducted abrupt attacks. Relationship of Ptolemy 1 with Egypt The relationship of between the Egyptian people and Ptolemy 1 was very good. The people recognized the king as their saviour. This was after Ptolemy 1 prevented the territory against invasions. The close-nit relationship helped to start development project in Egypt. The king began building the Mediterranean port and Alexandria. The people of Egypt accepted the king’s rule because he adopted the pharaonic rule that was in existence in Egypt. The king maintained the existing cultural customs that the people of Egypt treasured (Lewis, 1986:31). Through his strategic plans, Ptolemy managed to form his war among the many Alexander’s successors. Through his strategies, biographers document that his diplomatic skills were evident. Many biographers compare him with people like Seleucus I, who ruled Babylon. Seleucus I granted Egypt control of Judea and the entire Palestine in 301 BCE, an exercise that took almost one century. As a fighter, Ptolemy succeeded Alexander winning the title “king”. Of the many successes he earned, Ptolemy defended Rhodes against the assaulting of Antigonus in 3004 BEC, an action that won him the title “Savior”. Ptolemy 1 Soter constructed temples where the Egyptian worshiped their gods. The Ptolemy adored the god of Eternity. This was the same god that Egyptian prayed to. In addition, Ptolemy embraced Egyptian culture such as mummification and burial in sarcophagi covered with hieroglyphs (Harris, 1971:436). The Ptolemy established a strong economic base in Egypt through reclaiming the cultivatable lands. Agriculture flourished in Egypt throughout the year. The pharaoh introduced irrigation system that supported crops such as cotton and grapes. Ptolemy intensified foreign trade links between Egypt and her trading partners making luxury goods available to Egyptian. This improved the lifestyles of many people in Egypt. Ptolemy rule in Egypt encouraged people inclusiveness. The pharaoh did not use the oppressive mode of ruling that characterised the mother Empire. Ptolemy saw the need to become one of the people so that he could establish his rule. This was unlike Alexander who wanted to exercise an authoritarian power. The unity between the authority and the people of Egypt helped to shape strong society focussed on a common goal. The Ptolemaic Dynasty held people together to withstand the sways from external conflicts and family feuds. Because of solidarity, cities such as Alexandria emerged prosperous. Alexandria was a hub of commercial activities between Egypt and the outside world. The city grew big and the Ptolemy’s Empire stretched further to incorporate the coast of Syria and Aegean Sea (Manning, 2010:29). Despite the wide acceptance of Ptolemy’s rule, a few of traditional rulers of Egypt despise the Dynasty. They strongly resented the presence of Greeks in their country. Due to the influence of tradition-minded people, nations brought their feuds to streets and businesses of Alexandria. This created tensions between different factions in Egypt. The Ptolemy 1 sater authority was under threat of disintegration. This meant that Egyptians did not welcome the Greeks wholesomely. There was an evident social-political disparity between the two racial groups. The Egypt conservatisms wanted to maintain their autonomy (Lewis, 1986:33). Ptolemy 1 had to bring the two warring groups to a common understanding through worship and developments. Conflicts between Ptolemy and Other Successors After the split of the Alexander’s Empire, each general in his army became a governor of the kingdom external territories. This was after the generals reached an agreement under the Alexander 4 and Philip 3 who assumed the kingship position. They divided the kingdom into three large parts. These included Macedonia, Syria and Egypt. Ptolemy became the governor of Egypt. The successors had ambitions to dominate the territories. One of the most ambitious governors was Antigonus. This governor ruled Macedonia territory. Perdiccas, who was one of the Alexander’s generals, was a threat to Ptolemy 1 rule. The governor sent spies in Egypt in order to invade it (Ellis, 1994:35). The sole reason for the general’s outrage was to eliminate Ptolemy. Perdiccas waged the first war in Egypt in 321 BC. The general sought fortress at all cost. However, he suffered a sad defeat. The Ptolemy army displayed power and endurance. Perdiccas’s troops retreated and returned to their camps. Demetrius carried out the second invasion in Rhodes in Egypt in 312 BC. Conversely, his troops met a strong side of Ptolemy. After victory, Ptolemy started building a house to safeguard the Ark and devices collected over centuries. In the light of frequent invasions, Ptolemy placed his soldiers in all different parts of Egypt to secure the territory. In did this through adherence to the cultural and traditional traditions in Egypt. Internationally, Ptolemy 1 fought regions such as Cyrenaica, Cyprus and Palestine (Lewis, 1986:29). Legacy of Ptolemy Ptolemy’s rule brought many benefits to Egypt. Ptolemy established a strong Dynasty in Egypt during his time in power. Immediately after Ptolemy ascended to power, he started developments in Egypt. To start with, Ptolemy secured the country from external aggression. The other successors such as Demetrius and Antigonus wanted to capture Egypt at the region of Gaza. His troops stood firm to defend the territory from invasion. Ptolemy army succeeded in prevent the enemy troops from getting into the territory. In so doing, Ptolemy earned the name saviour (Harris, 1971:435). Since Ptolemy was a great learner, he established Great Royal Library in Alexandria. This library became a crucial source of acquisition of knowledge, not only in the Egypt but also in the world at large. The resource centre had cataloguing and acquisition departments. Ptolemy 1 used the library to collect all sources of knowledge across the world. This led to improvement of literacy levels through suppressing illiteracy. Egyptians could access knowledge that helped them to change their lives for better (Bingen, 2007:16). The rule of Ptolemy 1 led emergence of Prosperous town such as Alexandria. Ptolemy made this city the capital of Egypt territory. Ptolemy laid down the relevant infrastructure that made the city to strategic for international and domestic trade. Alexandria became the heart of many economic activities in the Mediterranean region. After the establishment of his authority, Ptolemy embarked on building of temples that Persians had demolished. To attain homogeneity in culture between Greeks and Egyptians, Ptolemy created the syncretistic cult of Serapis. This united the two groups of people through worship (Manning, 2010:30). Ptolemy introduced agriculture in Egypt. The Egyptians could grow crops such as cotton, white, and grapes. Agriculture mainly used irrigation. Greeks developed new methods of farming. Agriculture was a state controlled industry. Farmers got seeds, grains, and tools from state-operated offices. Egyptians practised agriculture along Nile Valley. Ptolemy 1 ensured that there was proper co-ordination of agricultural output with the favourable systems of trade. Egyptian farmers grew grapes in the western delta and oasis. The grapes produced quality red and white wines (Buson, 2002:13). Egyptians consumed the grains and sold the surplus to their trading partners. Ptolemy 1 introduced coins in Egypt. This enabled traders to carry out their transactions using coins. The coins had silver and tetradrachma. The faces of coins bore the portrait of Ptolemy 1. Alexandria minted the silver and gold coins. The silver drachms and half-drachms were light and traders could carry the coins comfortably. Initially the coins were Attic Staters but later Ptolemy 1 introduced modification. Those charged with changing the silver and golden coins did not alter the weight. The Ptolemy 1 had engravers signatures. The intentions for minting the coins were to conduct foreign trade. This helped Ancient Egypt to attain a substantial growth. Ancient Egypt became an important destination for commerce (Harris, 1971:434). In conclusion, it is evident that Ptolemy 1 Soter brought many beneficial changes in Ancient Egypt. Many authors who present his story through publication prove that Ptolemy’s rule was a peaceful one. Ptolemy acquired Egypt territory through a war-free way. Ptolemy did not use force to establish his rule in Egypt. Ptolemy was very considerate and accommodated the beliefs of ancient Egyptians. This indicates that Ptolemy did not rule over the ancient Egypt. Ptolemy 1 Soter had the Egyptians concern in everything he did. To show his solidarity with the Egyptian people, Ptolemy worshipped the god of Eternal with the people of Egypt. Through worship, Ptolemy 1 Soter sought to bring the Greeks and Ancient Egyptians together. Ptolemy knew prosperity of his territory needed a sound economic base. In the light of this, Ptolemy 1 Soter constructed Alexandria city that become a hub of business activities. He also established new agricultural methods that supplemented the traditional ones. All these strategies contributed to the success of Ptolemy 1 soter in Ancient Egypt. Bibliography Austin, A. 1981. The Hellenistic World from Alexander to the Roman conquest. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Bingen, J. 2007. Hellenistic Egypt. Berkeley: University of California Press. Bosworth, B. 2002. The Legacy of Alexander: Politics, Warfare, and Propaganda under the Successors. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Buson, M. 2002. Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. New York: Infobase Publishing. Ellis,W. 1994. Ptolemy of Egypt. New York: Routledge. Fraser, P. 1972. Ptolemaic Alexandria. Brighton: Sandpiper Books. Harris, J. 1971. The legacy of Egypt. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Hazzard, R. 2000. Imagination of a Monarchy, Studies in Ptolemaic Propaganda. Toronto: University of Toronto Press Lewis, N. 1986. Greeks in Ptolemaic Egypt. New York: American Society of Papyrologists. Manning, J. 2010. The Last Pharaos: Egypt under the Ptolemies, 305-30BC. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. Smith, H. 1974. A Visit to Ancient Egypt: Life at Memphis and Saqqara (c. 500-30 BC). Oxford: Aris & Phillips. Sousa, J. 2007. The Rise of Empires. Dallas: Sousa International, Inc. Read More