DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14564#0201
CITIES OF EGYPT.
neighbour. In a splendid campaign he revived the fame
of the ancient Pharaohs, and the people of Egypt rejoiced
when he brought back to the shrines the statues which
the Persians had carried away. Berenice, beautiful and
virtuous, shared his throne, and the court and city of
Alexandria then reached their highest prosperity. The
first century of the city's life now closed, and the decline
began. Weak kings could not govern well at home, nor
abroad make head against their turbulent neighbours of
Syria. Pretenders in their own family took advantage
of the difficulties of the heads of the house. Very soon
Rome began to protect, to interfere, and to weaken, and
it was only under the splendid reign of Cleopatra, am-
bitious, unscrupulous, but yet the last brilliant heir of
Alexander's genius, that Egypt for a while recovered her
greatness. Then came the catastrophe, and the Roman
Empire gained a rich and turbulent province ; for under
the later kings a new force appeared in Egyptian
politics, the restless Greek populace of Alexandria.
Strong enough to expel a tyrant, they had lost the Hel-
lenic sense of liberty, and only called in a fresh tyrant in
his stead. Their part was not a noble one. They were
more and more isolated from the rest ot Egypt. The
, efforts of patriots to establish a native dynasty found no
neighbour. In a splendid campaign he revived the fame
of the ancient Pharaohs, and the people of Egypt rejoiced
when he brought back to the shrines the statues which
the Persians had carried away. Berenice, beautiful and
virtuous, shared his throne, and the court and city of
Alexandria then reached their highest prosperity. The
first century of the city's life now closed, and the decline
began. Weak kings could not govern well at home, nor
abroad make head against their turbulent neighbours of
Syria. Pretenders in their own family took advantage
of the difficulties of the heads of the house. Very soon
Rome began to protect, to interfere, and to weaken, and
it was only under the splendid reign of Cleopatra, am-
bitious, unscrupulous, but yet the last brilliant heir of
Alexander's genius, that Egypt for a while recovered her
greatness. Then came the catastrophe, and the Roman
Empire gained a rich and turbulent province ; for under
the later kings a new force appeared in Egyptian
politics, the restless Greek populace of Alexandria.
Strong enough to expel a tyrant, they had lost the Hel-
lenic sense of liberty, and only called in a fresh tyrant in
his stead. Their part was not a noble one. They were
more and more isolated from the rest ot Egypt. The
, efforts of patriots to establish a native dynasty found no