Alexandria, Egypt was founded in 331 BCE, after Alexander the Great had a vision of building a city in his own name. The delta of Rhacotis provided a convenient backdrop for Alexander's (and his successor, Ptolomy) future endeavors in the Eastern Mediterranean because it advantageously linked the city to the Nile River. After Alexander's death, General Ptolomy assumed control, after which he developed the city into one of the most iconic cultural, educational, and trade centers of the ancient world.
Alexandria's central location within the Mediterranean, the weather, clean water, and most of all, its accessibility to sea ports, paved the way for Alexandria's success. All of these factors were rare in Egypt, especially given the volatility of the climate and the pollution which ran rampant in most of the deltas near the Nile. Due to these advantages, Alexandria could flourish in terms of trade and thus a cosmopolitan, commercial, and intellectual center was born.
The initial inhabitants were from Greece, Asia Minor, the Aegean Islands, Macedonia, Persia, and Judaea (Bagnall 51). Even though the population was varied, the Greek citizens were favored, most likely due to their cultural affiliation with Alexander the Great. According to Bagnall, at its height, the city housed 500,000 citizens, and much violence erupted between the Jewish and Greek sects, because the Greek inhabitants were seen as culturally superior (52). Even though the city of Alexandria was situated in Egypt proper, it was a “melting pot” of various people who originated from places throughout the Mediterranean. This, coupled with its naturally advantageous geographical locale, enabled Alexandria to flourish.
Works Cited
Bagnall, Roger S, and Dominic Rathbone. Egypt from Alexander to the Early Christians: An Archaeological and Historical Guide. Los Angeles: J.P. Getty, 2004. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment