Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, a celebrated City in Egypt, built by Alexander the Great, in the year of the World 3673. before J. C. 327. or 331 before the vulgar Æra. It is situated between the Mediterranean and the Lake Mæris¹. There was before a village called Rachotis, at the nearest place to this port. Dinocrates the celebrated Architect drew the plan of it, and gave the dimensions of it. The City of Alexandria is pretty often to be met with in the Latin text of those books of the Old Testament which were written before the Nahum iii. 8. Jer. xlv. 25. Ezek. xxx. 14,15,16.reign of Alexander. But this name is no where in the original Hebrew; we read there of No-Ammon², which is probably the City of Diospolis in the Delta, between Busiris to the South, and Mendesa to the North.

The Arabians inform us that Alexandria was called Caissoun, before Alexander the Great rebuilt or enlarged it³. Dinocrates who prepared the plan of it, was the same Architect who rebuilt the Temple of Diana of Ephesus, which had been burnt by Erostratus. He had the direction of the work of this new City; but that it might be carried on with more diligence, Alexander appointed Cleomenes, one of his Captains, to be the Surveyor⁴. Cleomenes was of Naucratis in Egypt. Justin calls him the founder of Alexandria, as having contributed a great deal to the improvement of it⁵. Aridæus, Alexander’s Brother, was charged with the care of carrying the body of this Prince from Babylon to Alexandria. He employed two years in making preparations for the removal of it, the pomp whereof is described to us by Diodorus Siculus. There had been a prophecy current, intimating that the place where Alexander should be buried should be prosperous and flourishing: The Governours therefore of the several Towns and Provinces disputed among themselves who should have the honour and advantage of possessing his Body. There was a proposal for the conveying it to Aigui in Macedonia, where generally the Kings of this Country were buried; but Egypt carried it. His body therefore was deposited first of all at Memphis, and afterwards was removed to Alexandria. It is said⁶ to have been laid in a coffin of gold, and to have been embalmed in honey.

Alexandria belonged successively to the Greeks and Romans, then to the Greeks again, till it fell under the dominion of the Arabians, while Omar III. Mahomet’s Successor was Caliph. The happy situation of this City between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and upon the river Nile, drew thither the Commerce of the East and West, and made it in a very little time one of the most flourishing Cities in the world. When the Arabians took it, there were four thousand Palaces still standing in it⁷, four thousand Bagnios, forty thousand Jews paying tribute, four hundred squares, and twelve thousand persons who sold herbs and fruits. This City, which was formerly so rich and powerful, is no more than a village without any thing remarkable in it besides its ruins, and the remains of its past grandeur⁸. The Egyptians or Kopts call it generally Rachot, this being, as we have observed, the name of the old village in the room whereof it was built. See hereafter the titles NO-AMMON and THEBES.

The Christians still at this day reverence the Churches of Alexandria dedicated to St. Mark and St. Catherine; one is celebrated for the tomb of this Evangelist, whose body was carried away by the Venetians. There is a picture in it which, according to the tradition of the Kopts, who are the possessors of this Church, was painted by St. Luke. It represents the Archangel St. Michael, at a little more than half his length, with a sword in his hand. The other Church is famous for the martyrdom of St. Catherine, which she suffer’d for the sake of Jesus Christ in the reign of Maximian.

Another thing considerable there is, the remains of Cleopatra’s magnificent Palace, and without the City Pompey’s Pillar is very much admired, the shaft whereof is six fathoms high, all of one piece, of admirable Granite⁹. It is the finest column that is any where to be seen.

After the death of Alexander the Great, Ptolemy, firnamed Soter, who had been Captain of the guards to this Emperor, had his bones conveyed to Alexandria, and made this City the capital of his Kingdom. The Ptolemy’s his successors reigned there for two hundred and ninety three years. The Commonwealth of the Jews had great correspondence with the Kings of Egypt, who succeeded Alexander, and reigned in Alexandria. Here is a list of these Princes.

Alexander the Great died in the year of the world 3681, before J.C. 319, before the vulgar Æra 323.

Ptolemy, the Son of Lagus, firnamed Soter, reigned thirty nine years, and died in 3720.

Ptolemy Philadelphus reigned thirty nine years, and died in 3758.

Ptolemy Euergetes reigned twenty five years, and died in 3783.

Ptolemy Philopator reigned seventeen years, and died in 3800.

Ptolemy Epiphanes reigned twenty four years, and died in 3824.

Ptolemy Philometor reigned thirty seven years, and died in 3861.

Ptolemy Euergetes or Physcon, reigned fifty three years, part with his Brother Philometer, part alone. He died in 3888.

Ptolemy Lathyrus reigned thirty six years six months. He died in 3923.

Cleopatra, the Daughter of Lathyrus, and Wife of Alexander I. reigned six months.

Alexander I. the Nephew of Lathyrus, was established in 3924, and died in 3943. See Usher under the year 3924.

Alexander II. the Son of Alexander I. was dispossess’d by the Alexandrians in 3939.

Ptolemy Nothus, or Auletes, the Son of Lathyrus, reigned thirteen years, and died in 3953.

Ptolemy, firnamed Dionysius or Bacchus, reigned three years eight months, and died in 3957.

Cleopatra reigned from 3957, and killed herself in 3974. The City of Alexandria¹⁰ received the light of the Gospel, by the ministry of St. Mark, the Disciple of St. Peter, about the year of J.C. 59 or 60. He suffer’d martyrdom there towards the year 68, and was succeeded by Anian, whom he had converted in his first voyage to this City.

Read this article in its place on the printed pages