Topic summary

Ptolemaic cult of Alexander the Great

Ptolemaic cult of Alexander the Great

Early rule

Conquest of the Persian Empire

Expedition into India

Death and legacy

Cultural impact

The Ptolemaic cult of Alexander the Great was an imperial cult in ancient Egypt during the Hellenistic period (323–31 BC), promoted by the Ptolemaic dynasty. The core of the cult was the worship of the deified conqueror-king Alexander the Great, which eventually formed the basis for the ruler cult of the Ptolemies themselves. The head priest of the imperial cult was the chief priest in the Ptolemaic Kingdom.