The Ptolemaic Kingdom in and around Egypt begins following Alexander the Great's conquest in 332 BCE and ends with the death of Cleopatra VII and the Roman conquest in 30 BCE.

It is founded when Ptolemy I Soter declares himself Pharaoh of Egypt, creating a powerful Hellenistic state stretching from southern Syria to Cyrene and south to Nubia.

Alexandria becomes the capital city and a center of Greek culture and trade.

To gain recognition by the native Egyptian populace, they name themselves the successors to the Pharaohs.

The later Ptolemies take on Egyptian traditions by marrying their siblings, having themselves portrayed on public monuments in Egyptian style and dress, and participating in Egyptian religious life.

Hellenistic culture thrives in Egypt until the Muslim conquest.

The Ptolemies have to fight native rebellions and are involved in foreign and civil wars that lead to the decline of the kingdom and its annexation by the Roman Empire.