Hi there. You're listening to the Hellenistic Age podcast. Episode 60, Ptolemaic Egypt, a traveler's Guide to Alexandria.

I am Logadies, king, through my power and wealth, complete master of the art of pleasure. There's no Macedonian, no barbarian equal to me or even approaching me.

The son of Seleucus is really a joke with his cheap

lechery. But if you're looking for other things, note this too. My city's the greatest

perceptor, queen of the Greek world, genius of all knowledge, of every art. Entitled Glory of the

Ptolemies, this piece was composed in 1911 by the poet Constantine Peter Cavafee.

Cavafy was born in Constantinople, but was raised in the Greek community that thrived in Alexandria until the mid-1950s.

His love for the history of the Hellenistic period and that of what he considered to be his native city resonates throughout his works.

While I had seen better days in Kavfi's time,

for over a thousand years after its creation, Alexandria was considered one of the greatest

cities in the world. Its initial foundations were laid out by Alexander the Great,

but Alexandria would take on the life of its own as the passion project for the Ptolemaic dynasty,

who turned the city into their royal capital.

Imperial power funneled vast amounts of money to aid in its beautification with the construction

of some of the most spectacular monuments and buildings of the era, all the while attracting

intellectuals and artists that would flock together under the Ptolemy's patronage, replacing Athens

as the intellectual and cultural center of the Greek world.

For sure, we've already spent an entire episode covering cities in the Hellenistic Age, but I don't plan on this just being a retread of past content.

Among its contemporaries, Alexandria stands alone, unique in both its splendor and documentation.

Though we have surprisingly little

archaeological remains, we have several descriptive accounts of the city itself and its landmarks.

In this episode, I want to take you on a sightseeing tour of Alexandria, guiding you through

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