History of the Ptolemaic empire /

The Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt was the most successful and longest surviving of the successor states of Alexander the Great's empire. It has been almost 75 years, however, since the publication of the last comprehensive history of Ptolemaic Egypt in English, Edwyn Bevan's A History of Egypt under the Ptolemaic Dynasty (1927). This excellent translation of Holbl's 1994 Geschichte des Ptolemaerreiches is, therefore, welcome. In nine clearly written and well-documented chapters Holbl traces the history of Ptolemaic Egypt from Alexander's conquest in 332 BCE to the suicide of Cleopatra VII in 30 BCE. A full bibliography, detailed chronology, and three appendixes devoted to the genealogy of the Ptolemaic dynasty and its complex marriage relationships complete the work. Although political history forms the core of the book, Holbl devotes significant attention to the cultural history of Ptolemaic Egypt. Especially welcome is his extensive use of Egyptian evidence--particularly the surviving royal and priestly decrees in hieroglyphic script--to explicate the character of Macedonian and Egyptian ideologies of kingship and their interaction. This is a valuable work that belongs in the library of every college and university that offers instruction in ancient history. S. M. Burstein California State University, Los Angeles