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What was the Ptolemaic religion?

What was the Ptolemaic religion?

Ptolemaic Kingdom

Ptolemaic Kingdom Πτολεμαϊκὴ βασιλεία Ptolemaïkḕ basileía
Religion Cult of Alexander the Great within Greco-Egyptian syncretism (official) Egyptian polytheism (common), Greek polytheism Judaism Hermeticism Local beliefs
Government Hellenistic monarchy
Pharaoh
• 305–283 BC Ptolemy I Soter (first)

How did the Ptolemies use religion to assert authority?

Ptolemy I created a new god, Serapis, in an effort to blend elements of Greek and Egyptian religion. The Ptolemies used this type of religious syncretism (the blending of different religious practices and beliefs) to gain acceptance as rulers.

Who was the last Ptolemaic ruler?

Cleopatra VII
Cleopatra VII, often simply called “Cleopatra,” was the last of a series of rulers called the Ptolemies who ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years. She was also the last true pharaoh of Egypt. Cleopatra ruled an empire that included Egypt, Cyprus, part of modern-day Libya and other territories in the Middle East.

What did Antiochus?

Antiochus forestalled an Egyptian expedition to Palestine by invading Egypt. He defeated the Egyptians between Pelusium and Mount Kasion, conquered Pelusium, and in 169 occupied Egypt with the exception of Alexandria, the capital.

Why did Ptolemy believe the Earth was stationary?

Ptolemy believed that the heavenly bodies’ circular motions were caused by their being attached to unseen revolving solid spheres. When Copernicus proposed a heliocentric model—with Earth and the planets all orbiting the Sun—he was compelled to abandon the notion that there is no empty space between the spheres.

Who ruled Egypt after the Romans?

The End of Roman Egypt Over time the city of Rome fell into disarray and susceptible to invasion, eventually falling in 476 CE. The province of Egypt remained part of the Roman/Byzantine Empire until the 7th century when it came under Arab control.

What issues did Ptolemy have with the government?

Corrupt bureaucratic practices, droughts, military expenditures, and political unrest plagued the economy of the Ptolemaic dynasty as the kingdom went into a period of decline in the 2nd century BCE.

Why did the Ptolemaic kings marry their sisters?

Because the Ptolemaic kings adopted the Egyptian custom of marrying their sisters, many of the kings ruled jointly with their spouses, who were also of the royal house. This custom made Ptolemaic politics confusingly incestuous, and the later Ptolemies were increasingly feeble.

What did the Jews do in the Roman Empire?

In addition, after 70, Jews and Jewish Proselytes were only allowed to practice their religion if they paid the Jewish tax, and after 135 were barred from Jerusalem except for the day of Tisha B’Av. Many of the Judaean Jews were sold into slavery while others became citizens of other parts of the Roman Empire.

Why was the Ptolemaic Kingdom important to ancient Egypt?

From the mid third century, Ptolemaic Egypt was the wealthiest and most powerful of Alexander’s successor states, and the leading example of Hellenistic civilization. Beginning in the mid second century, dynastic strife and a series of foreign wars weakened the kingdom, and it became increasingly reliant on the Roman Republic.

How did the Ptolemies gain recognition as pharaohs?

Ptolemaic Kingdom. To gain recognition by the native Egyptian populace, the Ptolemies named themselves as pharaohs. The later Ptolemies took on Egyptian traditions by marrying their siblings per the Osiris myth, had themselves portrayed on public monuments in Egyptian style and dress, and participated in Egyptian religious life.

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