In 323 B.C., when Alexander III, the Macedonian conqueror of the Persian Empire (which included Egypt), died, a coalition of his generals took over rule of the vast area under his control. Ptolemy I Soter was one of these generals and by 305 B.C. was in complete control of Egypt. Declaring himself king, Ptolemy I established what historians sometimes call the Ptolemaic dynasty, a series of kings named Ptolemy who ruled Egypt from 305 B.C. to 30 B.C. The time when these kings ruled is often referred to as the Ptolemaic Period, or as the beginning of what is known to historians as the Greco-Roman Period (because it was an era of Greek and Roman influence).
List of Ptolemaic Kings and Queens:
List of Ptolemaic Kings and Queens:
- Ptolemy I Soter (304-284)
- Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-246)
- Ptolemy III Euergetes (246-221)
- Ptolemy IV Philopator (221-205)
- Ptolemy V Epiphanes (205-180)
- Ptolemy VI Philometor (180-164, 163-145)
- Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator (d. 144 bc)
- Ptolemy VIII Euergetes (170-163, 145-116)
- Ptolemy IX Soter II (Lathyros) (116-107, 88-81)
- Ptolemy X (107-88 BCE)
- Ptolemy XI Alexander II (105-80 BCE)
- Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysius (80-58, 55-51)
- Ptolemy XIII (51-47)
- Ptolemy XIV (47-44)
- Ptolemy XV Caesarion (44-30)
- Cleopatra I (c. 215-176 bc)
- Cleopatra II (c. 185-116 BC)
- Cleopatra III (c. 158-101 BC)
- Cleopatra IV (d. 113 BC)
- Cleopatra V Selene (c. 140/135-69 BC)
- Cleopatra VI Tryphaena (d. 57 BC)
- Cleopatra VII Philopator (c. 69-30 BC)
- Cleopatra Selene II (40 BC-11/7 AD)
- Cleopatra Thea (165-121 BC)
- Cleopatra Tryphaena (d. 112 BC)