Romano-Egyptian Relations (3rd Century BCE - 395 CE)

Ancient Egypt is one of the oldest civilizations of the world. Established on one of the most fertile lands of Ancient Near East, the Egyptians created a unique civilization with the unification of the country for the first time in the 4th Millennium BCE. Though mostly independent, Egyptian central authority disintegrated with the collapse of the New Kingdom and ruled at times by one foreigner after another. With the arrival of Alexander the Great, who conquered the Persian Empire, and the Ptolemies following him, members of Western Civilization began to rule the Nile Valley for the first time; in their 300-year-long rule, one of the defining elements in its affairs was the Roman Republic, which dictated Egypt's fate. This role continued until Egypt lost its independence, becoming a Roman provincia. Roman Egypt became a new turning point in the history of Ancient Egypt. This last chapter shows us that, while Egypt is an integral part of Roman Imperial history, it has its own unique features: It had a considerable Jewish population, close to Christianity's birthplace. Its specialness can be understood from the gubernatorial title, praefectus Aegypti. Cultural interactions between Rome and Egypt is evident. Egypt had a special place for Rome, both militarily and economically. As the subject is rich in both ancient and modern sources, it was possible to present the relations between two states and create a picture of Roman Egypt. Keywords: Rome, Egypt, Ptolemy, Cleopatra, Mark Antony, Augustus, Christianity, Jews, Alexandria.