Egypt

2055 BCE

Memphis called Ankh-Tawy, meaning “life of the two lands”.

1650 BCE

Memphis is besieged by the Hyksos.

1550 BCE

Memphis renamed to mn-nfr, meaning “enduring and beautiful”.

716 BCE

Sennacherib, the Neo-assyrian emperor, approaches Pelusion but declines an attempt to take it

671 BCE

Memphis is captured by the Assyrians under Esarhaddon.

664 BCE

Memphis is again sacked and looted by the Assyrians under Ashurbanipal .

525 BCE

Cambyses II, son of Cyrus the Great, uses Phoenician naval support, including ships from Tyre, Sidon, and Byblos, for his conquest of Egypt and Memphis.

525 BCE

At the Battle of Pelusion, the Persians under Cambyses II take Egypt

404 BCE

Amyrtaeus ends the Persian occupation of Egypt and frees Memphis.

399 BCE

The Egyptian capital is moved from Memphis to Mendes.

399 BCE
October

Amyrtaeus defeated by Nepherites I at Memphis.

380 BCE

Approximate birth year of Nektanebo II at Sebennyte.

380 BCE

Nektanebo I overthrows Nepherites II and founds the 30th dynasty of Egypt, centered in Sebennyte

373 BCE

Pharnabazos approaches Pelusion, but declines to take it

343 BCE

Arrtaxerxes III Okhos successfully reconquers Egypt, ending its independence under Pharaoh Nektanebo II, who ruled from Sebennyte.

342 BCE

Artaxerxes III enters Memphis and installs a satrap. Nektanebo II flees to Nubia.

340 BCE

Nektanebo II is besieged by Artaxerxes III in Memphis. He eventually flees north.

340 BCE

Pelusion is taken by the Persians under a command of Greeks

333 BCE

Mazakes departs from Memphis and defeats the forces of Amyntas and kills him.

333 BCE

Pelusion opens its gates to Alexander the Great

332 BCE

Alexander the Great enters Egypt, where he is hailed as a liberator. He sacrifices to the gods at Memphis.

331 BCE
April

Alexandria, Egypt founded by Alexander the Great.

331 BCE
April

Alexander the Great returns to Memphis and is informed that the oracles at Didama and Erythrai proclaimed him a son of Zeus.

323 BCE
June 30

Partition of Babylon. Abydos and Adramytteion come under control of Leonnatos. Egypt with Alexandria and Gaza are under Ptolemy. Baktria comes under Seleukos I Nikator. Asandros obtains Caria. Laomedon receives Koele-Syria.

321 BCE

Ptolemy diverts the funeral carriage of Alexander the Great to Alexandria. Archon may have colluded with him on this.

305 BCE

Ptolemy I declares himself Pharaoh and moves his capital to Alexandria, thus beginning the Ptolemaic Kingdom.

298 BCE

Pyrrhos is taken as a hostage to Alexandria in an arrangement between Demetrios Poliorketes and Ptolemy I Soter.

298 BCE

Pyrrhos marries Antigone, the stepdaughter of Ptolemy I Soter, in Alexandria.

297 BCE
283 BCE

Ptolemy II takes power in Alexandria. He is believed to have founded the Library of Alexandria.

253 BCE
July

Ptolemy II Philadelphos travels to Memphis and distributes reclaimed land near there to his soldiers.

173 BCE

Antiochos Epiphanes defeats the forces of Ptolemy Philometor at the Battle of Pelusion

80 BCE

Berenike III installs Ptolemy XI as co-regent of Egypt. He then murders Berenike III and is subsequently lynched in Alexandria. Ptolemy XII becomes king.

73 BCE

The synagogue at Leontopolites is destroyed by Vespasian

55 BCE

Romans under Mark Antony defeat the Egyptians at Pelusion and take the country

48 BCE

Emesa aids Julius Caesar in his siege of Alexandria

48 BCE
September 29

Pompey arrives for Alexandria and is killed near Pelusion.

48 BCE
October 2

Julius Caesar arrives in Alexandria and supports Kleopatra VII over her brother, Ptolemy XIII.

47 BCE

Julius Caesar lays siege to Alexandria.

48 BCE
December

Julius Caesar and Kleopatra are besieged in Alexandria by Ptolemy XIII and Arsinoe IV.

47 BCE

Mithridates of Pergamon storms and takes Pelusion in an effort to support Julius Caesar

47 BCE
March

The forces of Julius Caesar are relieved in the Siege of Alexandria.

43 BCE

Marc Antony seizes 200,000 scrolls from the Library at Pergamon and gifts them to Kleopatra for the Library at Alexandria.

30 BCE

Octavian (later Augustus) enters Alexandria and annexes Egypt into the Roman Empire. Cleopatra VII commits suicide, ending the Ptolemaic Dynasty.

30 BCE

Augustus appears before Pelusion and is admitted to take Egypt

38 CE

Violence between Jews and Greeks in Alexandria over the visit of King Agrippa I results in numerous synagogues being desecrated.

50 CE

Approximate year of the death of Philo,a reknowned Jewish Philosopher, in Alexandria.

69 CE
July

Vespasian is the first emperor since Augustus to visit Egypt. He stays in Alexandria.

115 CE

The Diaspora Revolt results in major damage to Alexandria and the near annihilation of its Jewish community. Trajan uses the occasion to rebuild the city.

176 CE

Emperor Marcus Aurelius visits Alexandria and addresses the city’s citizens during his reign.

215 CE

Caracalla visits Alexandria and feels insulted by the locals, so he orders all men of arms-bearing age to be executed.

272 CE

Queen Zenobia of Palmyra briefly controls Egypt, including Alexandria, during her revolt against Rome, but Emperor Aurelian recaptures the city later that year.

298 CE

Pompey’s Pillar erected in Alexandria to honor Diocletian.

321 CE

The Arian controversy begins, with the priest Arius in Alexandria challenging orthodox Christian teachings about the nature of Christ. This theological debate has widespread implications for Christianity across the Roman Empire.

325 CE

Council of Nicaea is convened by Constantine to address the Arian controversy. Athanasius, a key figure from Alexandria, emerges as a defender of orthodox Christianity against Arianism.

335 CE

Athanasius becomes Bishop of Alexandria, playing a central role in the Arian controversy and in shaping early Christian doctrine.

343 CE

Constans and Constantius II hold the Council of Serdica to settle a dispute over the bishop Athanasius of Alexandria. There is no agreement.

345 CE

Constantius II and Constans nearly start a civil war, until Constantius allows Athanasius to return to his position in Alexandria.

356 CE

Athanasius is exiled from Alexandria by Emperor Constantius II due to his opposition to Arianism.

365 CE
July 21

An earthquake destroys Aptera, Gortyna, Eleutherna, and Knossos on Crete. Alexandria is devastated by a tsunami, and Kyrene is also affected by the same tsunami. Kydonia is also damaged. In the Peloponnese, Messene is affected.

373 CE

Athanasius dies in Alexandria, leaving a lasting legacy as a defender of Nicene Christianity against Arianism.

391 CE

Theophilus, the Patriarch of Alexandria, orders the destruction of pagan temples in Alexandria, including the Serapeum, as part of the rising Christian influence and suppression of paganism following Emperor Theodosius I’s edicts against pagan worship.