332–323 BCE
Macedonian Dynasty of Egypt
332–305 BCE
The Macedonian, or Argead, dynasty covers Egypt from Alexander the Great's conquest in 332 BCE to Ptolemy's taking of the royal title. Alexander founded Alexandria and was received in Egypt as a pharaoh. After his death in 323 BCE, his half-brother Philip III and his young son Alexander IV were nominal kings.
In practice, Ptolemy son of Lagos ruled Egypt as satrap and made himself king in 305 BCE, founding the Ptolemaic dynasty.
- Period
- Ptolemaic Period
- Dates
- 332–305 BCE
- Rulers profiled
- 3
Rulers of the Macedonian Dynasty
Best-known rulers: Alexander III; Philip III; Alexander IV. Every ruler profile in the archive for this dynasty, in the order used by the chronology. Each name links to a full profile with dates, background, sources and illustrations.
Major monuments
- Alexandria’s foundation
- Egyptian temple and administrative continuities
Key events
- Alexander’s conquest
- division of his empire
- Ptolemy’s consolidation in Egypt.
Reading the evidence
The period bridges Macedonian conquest and the formal Ptolemaic kingship of 305 BCE.
Sources: Metropolitan Museum, Egypt in the Ptolemaic Period; Shaw (2000). See the full bibliography.