Ptolemaic cult of Alexander the Great

The Ptolemaic cult of Alexander the Great was a state-sponsored religious cult in Hellenistic Egypt in the 3rd–1st centuries BC, promoted by the Ptolemaic dynasty. The core of the cult was the worship of the deified Alexander the Great, which eventually formed the basis for the ruler cult of the Ptolemies themselves. The head priest of the cult was the chief priest in the Ptolemaic realm, and years were dated after the incumbents (eponymous priests).

Following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, his empire fell apart in the wars between his generals (the Diadochi, "Successors"). One of them, Ptolemy, son of Lagos, secured rule of Egypt and made it the base for his own imperial ambitions. To legitimize his rule, he relied, like the other Diadochi, not only on the right of conquest, but also on the supposed legitimate succession of Alexander. Not only did Ptolemy portray himself as Alexander's closest friend in his historical work, but in 321 BC seized his body while Alexander's funeral cortege was on its way to Macedon from Babylon, and brought it to the ancient Egyptian capital at Memphis. This claim was particularly useful in Egypt, where Alexander had been greeted as liberator from Achaemenid Persian rule and had been enthroned as Pharaoh and son of Ammon-Ra, receiving divine honours. During his stay in Egypt, Alexander had also laid the foundations for the city of Alexandria, which became the main Greek colony and capital of the country.

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