Empires: Cleopatra and the Romans Part Two

The Ptolemies ruled over a nation of vast wealth. The production of grain in Egypt alone, made it the largest producer of grain in the Meditteranean. Egyptians also produced papyrus, wool, salt, cloth, perfume and oil. These were made in royal factories. However the local merchants, artisans and tradesmen benefited from Egypt's becoming a nation that circulated substantive coinage. Egypt would not have had coinage without Greek leadership because Egyptians believed gold belonged to the gods, not to commerce and industry. The Ptolemies inherited a splendid harbor at Alexandria which they enhanced with a magnificent lighthouse. The Ptolemies established the world's largest and most comprehensive library at Alexandria. This was next to a museum for teaching and learning. Each new generation added a new part to the Ptolemaic palace, resulting in a structure that seemed to twist and turn endlessly.

The Egyptian priesthood gave its members status and a leadership position in Egyptian society. The Ptolemies put considerable effort and resources to building a re-building temples. The priesthood was also hereditary and under Cleopatra the high priests of Memphis were influential. The priests performed their duties at cult sites honoring the traditional Greek divinities, Alexander the Great and the Ptolemaic dynasts. Cleopatra and her brothers were regarded as the intermediaries between the Egyptian gods and the Egyptian people. But it was the priests who had the duties of maintaining the order and sanctity of the Egyptian universe. These gods were not only worshipped in temples, but also in private guilds, clubs and homes. Because the Ptolemies were seen as gods themselves there was a very close relation between them and the Egyptian priesthood. The Ptolemies were right alongside the pantheon of Egyptian gods. Cleopatra was a genuine goddess and shared this status with other family members.

The royal burial ground was near the palace in the reign of Ptolemy I Soter. It would of course be used for the interment of the remains of the newly minted dynasty. Ptolemy I, showing the good mind for business that almost all of his family seemed to possess planned to make it into a tourist attraction! His plan was bold. He must have been thinking, "Wouldn't having Alexander the Great's body buried within Alexandria's city walls make it a wonderful attraction." However, Alexander's body was on it's way to his homeland in Macedon. Ptolemy pirated the corpse and had it taken back to Alexandria. Having the remains of Alexander the Great inside the city made it a stopping point for untold numbers of people. The interest in it continued into Roman times. Octavian (Augustus Caesar) himself made a pilgrimage to see it and one wonders if his own inclinations towards starting a dynasty began with seeing how the Ptolemies carried out their plans. The image is of Apollodorus unwrapping Cleopatra before an astonished Julius Caesar. There is a very interesting story behind this that will come later. I should point out that it appears that not all historians are convinced of its veracity. I hope to have the next post here very soon, maybe even tomorrow if all goes well. Peace and be well to anyone stopping by!