The ancient city of Alexandria did not disappoint its visitors. Renowned for its beauty, architecture, and education, it is often surpassed by Athens and Rome in today’s classical studies. But its importance in the ancient world should not be overlooked. It remained a center of knowledge and learning for hundreds of years and its many marvels continue to astound historians.
There are lots of places I wish I could go back to with a good camera and explore for a day, and Alexandria will always be at the top of that list! Unlike its sister cities, little remains of ancient Alexandria today. Much of the waterfront, including the royal district, sunk in a series of earthquakes over the last 2,000 years.
Now off Egypt, about as far as a ship can sail in a day with a good stiff breeze behind it, there is an island called Pharos – it has a good harbor from which vessels can get out into the open sea when they have taken in water.
– Homer, The Odyssey
Founding of Alexandria
Alexandria (ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΕΙΑ) was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BCE at a site similar to the one described in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. Alexander treasured the poem and kept it with him for inspiration during his military campaigns. He founded Alexandria on a narrow isthmus in northern Egypt bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north and Lake Mareotis to the south. An island, called Pharos, was strategically positioned north of the new city. Alexander left Egypt to continue his military campaigns shortly after its conquest, but a team of architects stayed behind to plan and build his new city.
Alexandria was an immediate success and was quickly regarded as one of the most pleasant places to live. The ancients already favored the climate due to low humidity and mild winters, but the city was laid out on a grid precisely angled to let the fresh Mediterranean breeze pass through its streets. Built primarily of limestone and white marble, it was always believed that Alexandria resembled other major Greek cities. It wasn’t until underwater excavations of its harbor began that archeologists discovered that Alexandria had been built with a mixture of Greek and Egyptian styles.
The New Capital of Egypt
Alexander had a loyal friend (and some say half-brother) called Ptolemy. When Alexander died suddenly in 323 BCE, his vast territory was split among his generals. Ptolemy quickly took control of Egypt and proclaimed himself its new governor. The brand new city of Alexandria became his center of government.
In one of his first political moves, Ptolemy stole the body of Alexander and had it moved to Egypt while it was being transported to their home country of Macedon. This provided Ptolemy with some monarchical legitimacy, for the body of Alexander was revered as sacred and godlike. Having it nearby would ensure that some of its success would pass to the city. An elaborate mausoleum, which came to be known as the Soma, was built for Alexander’s remains in the city center. It attracted many visitors who wished to honor the dead king.
Meanwhile, the other Macedonian generals were too busy disputing territories closer to their homeland to care. Egypt seemed far away and remained undisturbed, allowing Ptolemy to gain a strong foothold in the country. Confident in his new position, he proclaimed himself King of Egypt in 305 BCE and thereby founded the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Growth & Commerce
Ptolemy wanted to increase Mediterranean trade from his new capital. Recognizing an advantage in the close proximity of Pharos Island, he had it connected to the mainland by a 4,200 foot-long causeway. This causeway, known as the heptastadion, was an engineering marvel that separated the water into two large harbors. You can see this bridge in the picture at the top of this post. Warehouses for spices, papyrus, wine, and oil were soon built at the water’s edge. Many of the products coming through Alexandria, such as papyrus, were a monopoly controlled by the Ptolemies*, providing the city with substantial wealth.
*Most of the men of the Ptolemaic dynasty were named Ptolemy, which is why the entire family is known as the Ptolemies. To make studying them easier, historians gave each king a number behind his name. Alexander’s general became Ptolemy I, his son became Ptolemy II, etc. The same is true for the queens, since women of the family only had three names to choose from: Berenice, Arsinoe, or Cleopatra
Ptolemy and his descendants continued to build elaborate structures which astounded and attracted visitors. The first lighthouse in the world, and the tallest in history, was built at the entrance to the Great Harbor. Standing 400-450 feet tall, its fire was kept burning day and night and could be seen 30 miles out to sea. It has been suggested that the city’s garbage was taken to the lighthouse to be burned. This could explain the city’s famous cleanliness. The building soon became known simply as Pharos (after the name of the island).
Pharos continues to be the root word for “lighthouse” in many languages, including: Italian/Spanish: Faro French: Phare Greek: Φαρος (Faros) Norwegian/Swedish: Fyr
Center of Learning
Perhaps even more famous than the lighthouse was Alexandria’s library. The Ptolemies were obsessive book collectors. Their goal was to have a copy of every medical, astronomical, mathematical, and creative piece of writing in the known world. The royal family spent large amounts of money buying manuscripts. Those which could not be bought were borrowed from their owners and copied in Alexandria (except the library kept the originals and sent the copies back instead!).
Attracted by this collection of written work, scholars from across the Mediterranean flocked to Alexandria in order to live under the patronage of the royal family. The Great Library was part of a larger structure known as the Museion (a word later adopted by the Romans as Museum). While residing in the Museion, scholars did not have to pay rent or taxes. They were also provided with materials to conduct their experiments. In return for these privileges, the royal family called on them for knowledge. They acted as advisors to the court and tutors to the royal children. The Museion soon grew to support over 1,000 scholars at any given time. In addition to beauty and marvels, Alexandria became regarded as the center for learning and education in the Mediterranean world.
Legacy
Even at the height of the Roman Empire, Rome’s streets and buildings were considered narrow and drab by Alexandrian standards. Alexandria also had an entire peninsula devoted to palaces which could be seen from the sea. The ancient geographer Strabo was astounded that approximately one-quarter of the city was made up of “beautiful public parks and palaces,” and that the city streets were so broad. He wrote that the two main avenues, which crossed at the center of the city, were more than a hundred feet wide.
The citizens of Alexandria were primarily of Greek descent. The language of Alexandria was Greek and the people practiced a mixture of Greek and Egyptian religion. One of the most surprising aspects of Ptolemaic Egypt was the royal family’s aggressive assimilation of Egyptian religious beliefs into the Hellenistic way of life. Ptolemy I even elevated Serapis, who was a hybrid of Greek and Egyptian gods, as the patron of the city. A large temple, the Serapeion, was built for him in Alexandria. Serapis increased in popularity and continued to be worshiped throughout the Mediterranean for more than 700 years.
More to Explore
The images in this post are all taken from the movie Agora
