Alexander’s Legacy

Alexander’s Empire When Alexander died in 323 B.C. his empire was split up among his generals. These generals were called the Diadochi. There were a few main groups, but the two most important were the general Ptolemy, who was the satrap of Egypt, and the general Seleucus, who was the commander of the cavalry and ruled the eastern part of Alexander’s empire. Another of the Diadochi was a man named Lysimachus, who was an Alexandrian king of Thrace, Asia Minor, and Macedon

Fractured Empire

Fractured Empire As time went on, Seleucus and Lysimachus became allies until Seleucus attacked and defeated Lysimachus, taking control of his lands as well as the Seleucid territories. Seleucus also attempted to gain control over lands to the east of his empire, specifically India, which was then ruled by the Mauryan Dynasty. Seleucus also had to deal with the region of Bactria, which has proved throughout history to be an extremely difficult place to conquer and rule.

Ptolemaic Kingdom Ptolemy was the regent of the Egyptian territories at the death of Alexander. When the Empire fractured, he maintained his position through force, and established the Ptolemaic Dynasty, which lasted for around 300 years. All of the kings in this dynasty took the name of Ptolemy, while the queens took the names Arsinoe, Berenice, and Cleopatra.

Ptolemaic Kingdom Ptolemy did not dramatically change the politics or religion of Egypt, and even built new temples to the Egyptian gods. This is part of why he maintained so much of his power. The Ptolemaic Dynasty remained powerful until it was finally defeated by the Romans.