Founding of Alexandria in Egypt
- Date
- 331 BCE
- Category
- Exploration & colonisation
- Region
- Egypt (Nile delta)
- Era
- Classical Antiquity
- Significance
After taking Egypt from Persian control, Alexander the Great founded the city of Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast at the western edge of the Nile delta, traditionally in spring 331 BCE.
Sited for its fresh water, sheltered harbour and access to both sea and river trade, the city was laid out on a Greek grid plan. Under the Ptolemaic dynasty that ruled Egypt after Alexander's death, Alexandria became the capital and one of the largest and wealthiest cities of the ancient world, a cosmopolitan hub of Greeks, Egyptians, Jews and others. It hosted the Pharos lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders, and the Mouseion and Great Library that made it the foremost centre of learning in the Hellenistic world. Alexandria became the model for the dozens of Greek-style cities Alexander and his successors planted across the Near East, anchoring the spread of Greek culture.
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Empires active in 331 BCE
- Macedonian Empire (Alexander)336 BCE – 323 BCE
- Roman Republic509 BCE – 27 BCE
- Achaemenid Empire550 BCE – 330 BCE
- Nanda Empire345 BCE – 322 BCE
- Kingdom of Kush1070 BCE – 350 CE
- Carthaginian Empire650 BCE – 146 BCE
Related exploration & colonisation events
- Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions opens the Silk Road138–c. 125 BCE
- Corinth founds Syracuse and the Greek colonisation of the Westc. 733 BCE
- Foundation of Carthage by colonists from Tyre814 BCE (traditional)
- Lapita voyagers settle Tonga and Samoa: first peopling of Remote Oceaniac. 900 BCE
- First Settlement of the Mariana Islands and Entry into Remote Oceaniac. 1500 BCE
- Columbus's first voyage reaches the Americas12 October 1492
Further reading
The wider story
The Kingdom of Kush: The Napatan and Meroitic Empires
The accessible standard on Nubia's great Nile kingdom.
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