Ptolemy I Soter: Themes and Issues

by Edward M. Anson

Ptolemy I, whose epithet was Savior, was in many respects the most successful of all of Alexander the Great's successors. He created the longest lasting of the Hellenistic kingdoms that rose in the aftermath of the great conqueror's death, ending with the death of Cleopatra VII and Egypt's incorporation into the Roman Empire. This book is not a standard biography, but rather an examination of the major issues surrounding Ptolemy's reign, the major controversies and questions surrounding his career and legacy. What were his ultimate ambitions? How did he administer his kingdom? What was his role in the demise of the unified empire created by Alexander?

Ptolemy's administration of this foreign land, although privileging colonists from Greece and Macedonia over native Egyptians, maintained a level of political stability in a land with a long history of resisting foreign rule. Each of the key themes discussed in the chapters follows a chronological order so that readers unfamiliar with the life of Ptolemy can follow the narrative. Each chapter includes a discussion of the major academic positions on each issue and an evaluation of the primary historical and archaeological evidence. Ptolemy I Themes and Issues brings new clarity to the history of one of the chief architects of the Hellenistic Age.

Genres: History

248 pages, Paperback

Published July 13, 2023

Reviews

[Faustibooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-researched book on one of the most interesting of Alexander's Successors! After Alexander's death, Ptolemy managed to base himself in Egypt and eventually became Pharaoh and King, creating one of the most powerful and longest-lasting Hellenistic kingdoms. He turned the newlyfounded city of Alexandria into the most important cultural and economic centre of the Mediterranean while also keeping the other Diadochi in check through cunning diplomacy and intervention.

This book is not a traditional chronological biography of Ptolemy, but it divides his life into multiple themes and discusses each separately, such as his military actions, his approach to ruling in Egypt and his history writing. Unfortunately, we do not have as much information on Ptolemy as we would like, and this shows, the book is relatively short and has a lot of repetition. There are also some other topics that are barely discussed, and I wonder if that's really because of a lack of sources or not. The Library of Alexander is mentioned but Anson does not discuss it in much detail, nor does he look much at Ptolemy II, which I can understand to a certain extent, though I would enjoy knowing more about him.

All in all, it is a fine academic book on the founder of that great dynasty which would end with the famous Cleopatra VII almost 300 years later. It won't add much new information for the Diadochi enthusiast though.