Was the Ptolemy family Greek or Egyptian?
by 
Diego Perez
ANSWERS: 3
-
He was Cleopatra's brother (since he was supposed to rule Egypt with her) and she was Egyptian so he would also be Egyptian.
-
The original ptolemy was a general of Alexander the Great's army. He was left in charge of Egypt and is the ancestor of Cleopatra and her brother and sister. Cleopatra was born in Macedonia
-
The Ptolemys were Greek, as were their descendents. Ptolemy the Great did take Egyptian wives, but the family remained Greek in its outlook and behavior, even creating some very interesting fusions of Greek and Egyptian art. Cleopatra, incidentally, was ethnically Greek. She had no African or Semetic ancestry as far as we can tell. She was born in Egypt, though we aren't sure of the precise location. The confusion arises from Ptolemy's attempt to identify his Dynasty with that of the ancient pharoahs. Ptolemy promoted an idea that Helios, the Greek Sun God, was Amun-Re, the chief Egyptian diety, and ingratiated himself with the priests of Amun-Re by donating a considerable sum of money and manpower to assist in the restoration of tombs and temples, as well as the building of new structures.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC