Alexandria

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Timeline: Alexandria

Years: 332 BCE - 1957	Subject: Encyclopedias, Geographical reference
Publisher: HistoryWorld	Online Publication Date: 2012
Current online version: 2012	eISBN: 9780191735813

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BCE CE

Year	Event
332 BCE	While in Egypt, Alexander founds Alexandria – the best known of the many towns he establishes to spread Greek culture Go to Alexandria in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 4th century BCE Politics Conquest and colonization Africa North Africa Egypt Greece
322 BCE	Alexander's corpse, hijacked by Ptolemy, becomes a sacred relic in Alexandria Go to Ptolemy in Oxford Dictionary of the Classical World (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 4th century BCE Politics Dynasties and royalty Africa North Africa Egypt
c. 320 BCE	Ptolemy begins to transform Alexandria into a centre of Greek culture, founding his famous 'museum' and library Go to Alexandrian Library in The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 4th century BCE Politics Conquest and colonization Africa North Africa Egypt
c. 300 BCE	Euclid, teaching at the museum in Alexandria, writes what becomes Europe's standard textbook on geometry Go to Mafia [Crime] in The Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 4th century BCE 3rd century BCE Science Africa North Africa Egypt
c. 280 BCE	The Jewish community of Alexandria coins the word diaspora for Jews living far from Israel Go to diaspora in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 3rd century BCE Religion Judaism Africa North Africa Egypt The Alexandrian school of medicine develops an alarming form of clinical anatomy – human vivisection Go to Herophilus in The Oxford Companion to Medicine (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 3rd century BCE Science Medicine Africa North Africa Egypt A great lighthouse, subsequently one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is built on the island of Pharos, off Alexandria Go to Alexandria, Egypt in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 3rd century BCE Seven Wonders of the World Architecture Africa North Africa Egypt The Jews of Alexandria commission the Greek translation of the Old Testament which becomes known as the Septuagint See this event in other timelines: 3rd century BCE Religion Judaism Africa North Africa Egypt
c. 260 BCE	The 500,000 scrolls in the library at Alexandria are listed in a catalogue, which itself runs to 120 scrolls Go to Alexandrian Library in The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 3rd century BCE Africa North Africa Egypt
c. 250 BCE	The organ, using a mechanical device to pump air through a set of musical pipes, is invented in Alexandria by Ctesibius Go to Ctesi'bius in The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 3rd century BCE Performing arts Music Africa North Africa Egypt The first alchemists, working in Alexandria, are also the world's first experimental chemists Go to alchemy in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 3rd century BCE Science Chemistry Africa North Africa Egypt
48 BCE	Julius Caesar, now fifty-two, meets the 21-year-old Cleopatra in Alexandria and they become lovers Go to Caesar, Julius (100–44 bc) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Politics Dynasties and royalty Africa North Africa Egypt
47 BCE	Julius Caesar leaves Alexandria to travel with his army by the land route back to Italy, through Turkey Go to Caesar, Julius (100–44 bc) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Africa Egypt
41 BCE	Mark Antony spends the winter with Cleopatra in Alexandria Go to Cleopatra VII (69–30 bc) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Africa Egypt
34 BCE	In a spectacular ceremony known as the Donations of Alexandria, Mark Antony distributes the eastern Roman territories between Cleopatra, her eldest son (Caesarion) and his own three children Go to Mark Antony (83–30 bc) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Africa Egypt
30 BCE	Octavian arrives in Egypt with an army, and holds Cleopatra a prisoner in her palace in Alexandria Go to Cleopa'tra VII (69–30 bc) in The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Africa Egypt Hearing that Cleopatra is dead (false news, as it turns out), Mark Antony commits suicide in Alexandria Go to Antony, Mark (82–30 bc) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Africa Egypt Cleopatra commits suicide, applying a poisonous asp to her breast, Go to Cleopa'tra VII (69–30 bc) in The Oxford Companion to Classical Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century BCE Politics Dynasties and royalty Africa North Africa Egypt
69	Vespasian, proclaimed emperor by his troops in Alexandria, is the survivor among this year's four emperors Go to Vespasian (ad 9–79) in The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century CE Roman empire Politics Dynasties and royalty Africa North Africa Egypt Europe Italy Empires
c. 75	Hero, a Greek scientist in Alexandria, devises various forms of steam engine Go to Hero of Alexandria (c.ad 62) in A Dictionary of Scientists (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century CE Steam Technology Engineering Africa North Africa Egypt The dioptra, developed by Hero of Alexandria for surveying land, is an early form of theodolite Go to Hero of Alexandria (c.ad 62) in A Dictionary of Scientists (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1st century CE Technology Inventions and discoveries Africa North Africa Egypt
c. 150	Ptolemy writes in Alexandria an encyclopedic account of Greek scientific theory in cosmology, astronomy and geography Go to Ptolemy (130–75) in The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 2nd century Greek science Science Africa North Africa Egypt
c. 244	Plotinus, moving from Alexandria to Rome, teaches the influential philosophy later known as Neo-Platonism Go to Plotinus (205–270) in World Encyclopedia (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 3rd century Latin literature Literature Philosophy Africa North Africa Egypt Europe Italy
367	A document is distributed by the bishop of Alexandria, formally establishing the contents of the New Testament Go to New Testament in The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 4th century Religion Christianity Africa North Africa Egypt
642	The unopposed capture of Alexandria by the Arabs completes the Muslim conquest of Egypt Go to Alexandria in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 7th century Byzantine empire Politics Conquest and colonization Religion Islam Muslim empires Africa North Africa Egypt Empires
828	The Venetians, acquiring from Alexandria some bones believed to be those of St Mark, build St Mark's to house the valuable relic Go to Mark, St in The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 rev ed.) See this event in other timelines: 9th century Religion Christianity Venice Africa North Africa Egypt Europe Italy
1882	Anti-western riots in Alexandria result in many deaths and provoke a British invasion Go to Arabi Pasha (1839–1911) in A Dictionary of World History (2 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 19th century Victorian era Politics Conquest and colonization British empire European empires from 1415 European empires in Africa Africa North Africa Egypt Europe Empires
1941	December 19 - Italian frogmen enter the harbour at Alexandria and cripple two British battleships Go to frogmen in The Oxford Companion to World War II (1 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1940s Second World War 20th century War Africa North Africa Egypt Wars since 1900
1957	The publication of the novel Justine launches Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet Go to Durrell, Lawrence (1912–90) in The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature (3 ed.) See this event in other timelines: 1950s 20th century Literature English literature Literature in English Fiction Great Britain - from 1707 United Kingdom - from 1801 British Isles Europe Britain

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date: 19 May 2025

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