Who they were
Ptolemy lived c. 367–282 BC. A Macedonian general, he was one of Alexander the Great’s close companions. After Alexander’s death in 323 BC, he secured Egypt as satrap in the division of the empire.
What they did
He secured Alexander’s funeral cortege and buried him in Egypt — first at Memphis, later moved to Alexandria, though the tomb is now lost. In 305 BC he declared himself king, taking the epithet Soter (Savior). In the wars of Alexander’s successors he fought off his rivals, notably repelling invasions of Egypt. The founding of the Mouseion and the Library of Alexandria is credited to him, to his son Ptolemy II, or to both — the attribution is disputed. He also promoted the cult of Serapis, blending Greek and Egyptian religion.
Legacy
The Ptolemaic dynasty he founded ruled Egypt for nearly three centuries, ending with Cleopatra VII. He also wrote an eyewitness history of Alexander’s campaigns; the work is lost, but it was a key source used by the later historian Arrian.