Ancient Egypt Time Line

Alexander the Great, the Ptolemaic Dynasty and the Roman Period

After the fall of Dynasty 20 in 1070 B.C., the history of Egypt became a chronicle of competing local families of rulers and of foreign invasions by the Kushites from the south and the Assyrians and the Persians from the east. Alexander the Great and his Macedonian Greek armies invaded Egypt in 332 B.C. He founded the great city of Alexandria in the north to commemorate the victory.

After Alexander's death his empire was divided among his generals. Egypt was claimed by Ptolemy, who founded his own line of kings, the Ptolemaic Dynasty. They promoted traditional Egyptian customs, and ruled until 30 B.C. when Cleopatra VII, the last of the Ptolemies, was defeated by the Romans under the leadership of Octavian (Augustus Caesar). Egypt became a part of the Roman Empire.