Alexandria in the Roman period (30 BC - 284 AD)

Abstract

The city of Alexandria is one of the most important cities of the ancient Arab East in particular, and the ancient world in general, because of the great fame that this city enjoyed as a result of the urban beauty of its buildings. In addition to the great scientific and intellectual contributions it made to the world through its scientific metropolis, the Library of Alexandria, these contributions have had great merit over the world as a whole.

This city was built by Alexander the Macedonian in an important strategic location characterized by being full of life since ancient times through “16” small villages, the largest of which was called “Rakouda”; In addition to being the only natural port capable of receiving commercial ships throughout the year, regardless of the climatic conditions, unlike the rest of the sites scattered on the coast. Alexander's desire to build a city in Egypt bearing his name is an opportunity to achieve this.

After the death of Alexander, Egypt came under the rule of "Ptolemy" (one of the leaders of Alexander the Great), who took Alexandria as the capital of his state known as the Ptolemaic State.

During the existence of this state on its lands, Alexandria witnessed a long period of fluctuations and conflicts over the throne, the last of which was the conflict between the most famous queens of Alexandria “Cleopatra” and her brother, and during that stage the Mediterranean region was the land of the Roman civil war between “Pompey” and “Julius Caesar”, which ended With the victory of "Julius Caesar" in the battle of "Pharsalus" in 48 BC. M. and the killing of his opponent, "Pompey" in Alexandria, to start a new stage in the history of Alexandria later known as the Alexandria War in 47 BC. M was the party of some employees of the Ptolemaic court and "Julius Caesar" After he intervened in the dispute between the queen and her brother over the throne and resolved it, which constituted a major blow to the interests of the employees, and this war ended with the victory of "Julius Caesar" and his appointment of Cleopatra as queen on the throne of Egypt to begin between them an affair that had a negative impact on Julius Caesar, as she formed one of the The reasons that claimed his life in the conspiracy that erupted against him in the Roman Senate, and after his death wars of revenge began from some of his leaders “Octavius” and Marcus Antonius” against his murderers and conspirators against him, which ended with the division of his possessions in the East and West between them, and by virtue of Octavius ​​had become the master of the East. He began looking to get rid of the Persians' competition with him, so he needed great economic expenses and found them in Alexandria, while Cleopatra found in him the best ally to secure her throne, to repeat what happened with "Julius Caesar" with Octavius, who lost His life at the hands of yesterday's ally "Marcus Anthony" after his defeat in the Battle of Actium in 30 BC, after which Alexandria turned from a Hellenistic city to a Roman state in its various aspects of civilization, especially the political and administrative system based on what was present during the Ptolemaic era with the introduction of a dimension Amendments in terms of positions and titles to establish the feet of the Roman administration in the country, and aspects of social life based on class discrimination among the city’s residents in terms of taxes and the tasks assigned to each of them, with preference for Roman citizens who came as soldiers in the Roman army or as merchants and economists, and the culture through which the city of Alexandria continued Its scientific and civilized radiation in the fields of medicine, astronomy and geography as it was in the Ptolemaic era with the support and care of the Roman emperors. As for the religious aspect, the Romans practiced a kind of The religious tolerance that left the Egyptians and Greeks in the city to practice their religious rituals and worship their gods, with the introduction of some Roman teachings and beliefs, which eventually culminated in the entry of Christianity into the city, which constituted a turning point in all aspects of life within the city.