From Alexander to the Theoi Adelphoi: Foundation and Legitimation of a Dynasty (Studia Hellenistica)

This book explores the rise of the concept of dynastic continuity in the Ptolemaic kingdom from political, cultural and sociological perspectives, focusing on the first century of Macedonian rule in Egypt, from Alexander’s conquest to the early years of Ptolemy III. A chronological and thematic discussion leads the reader from the success of charismatic leadership in the age of the Diadochs to the establishment of a more durable system of the practice and representation of power during the third century. The analysis focuses on actors involved in the processes of negotiation of Ptolemaic power as well as on the way they interacted by adapting ideological themes to different media and socio-cultural contexts. The main topics discussed include: the interaction between royal and non-royal initiatives in the representation of legitimacy and dynastic continuity; royal apparatus and its reception in mass events; the relations between human power and the divine; the combination of historical events and mythic patterns for the creation of an intentional history of the new dynasty; the historical development of the tradition concerning Alexander and the first Ptolemies, with a focus on the survival and reconfiguration of ideological themes in post-Ptolemaic Alexandria.