Alexander III the Great

The Macedonian conqueror

Alexander III the Great entered Egypt in late 332 BCE, where Persian satrap Mazakis peacefully surrendered the country along with its treasury. Respecting traditional Egyptian religious customs, Alexander traveled to Memphis, offered sacrifices to the Apis bull, and was officially crowned pharaoh, adopting the throne name Setenra-Meryamun ("chosen of Ra, beloved of Amun"). He founded the city of Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast and undertook a legendary pilgrimage to the Oracle of Ammon at the Siwa Oasis, where he was hailed as the son of the god, before leaving the region to continue his conquest of the Persian Empire.