In 332 B. C., Egypt was conquered by Alexander the Great; and its new
capital, the great Alexandria, destined to a lasting literary and
commercial renown, was founded. Subsequently it passed under Greek rule,
and the language of the government, and the administration and
philosophy, became essentially Greek. The court of the Ptolemies became
the center of learning and philosophy; and Ptolemy Philadelphus,
successful in his external wars, built the Museum, founded the library
of Alexandria. He purchased the most valuable manuscripts, engaged the
most celebrated professors, and had the Septuagint translation made of
the Hebrew Scriptures, and the Egyptian history of Manetho drawn up. His
successor, Euergetes, pushed the southern limits of his empire to Axum.
Philopator (221-204 B. C.) warred with Antiochus, persecuted the Jews,
and encouraged learning. Epphanes, (204-180 B. C.) encountered repeated
rebellions and was succeeded by Philometor (180-145 B. C.) and Euergetes
II. (145-116 B. C.), by Soter II. and Cleopatra till 106 B. C., and by
Alexander (87 B. C.), under whom Thebes rebelled; then by Cleopatra,
Berenice, Alexander II. (80 B. C.), and Neos Dionysus (51 B. C.) and
finally by the famous Cleopatra who maintained her power only through
her personal influence with Julius Cæsar and Mark Antony.