Cleopatra was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic (Greek) Kingdom in Egypt. She ruled Egypt in the first century BCE, and was defeated by the Roman Empire. Her defeat brought to an end the rule of the Pharaohs in Egypt and began the prolonged period of Roman occupation.

The Ptolemaic Kingdom ruled Egypt from 305 BCE until 30 BCE, during the rule of Hellenistic culture in Egypt. The Ptolemaic Kingdom was founded by one of Alexander the Great’s most successful generals, Ptolemy I Soter. The Ptolemaic Kingdom assimilated well into Egyptian society, but still had to contend with several rebellions.

The 31st Dynasty was established by the Persian Emperor Artaxerxes III in 343 BCE. It began when Artaxerxes III led the Persian reconquest of Egypt and declared himself Pharaoh. It came to an end less than two decades later with the conquests of Alexander the Great.

The chief civil administrator of Ancient Egypt was the vizier, an administrative lieutenant appointed by and reporting directly to the Pharoh. The high priest was an extremely high and privileged position in Ancient Egypt it was not position in the civic administration, it was strictly religious and cultural in nature.

The 28th, 29th, and 30th dynasties in Egypt all ruled during the half-century between two periods of Persian rule in Egypt.

A satrap is a “province” or “district” within the Persian Empire. So, the term Egyptian Satrapy would be most likely to refer to the administration of Egypt under the rule of the Persian Empire. The Persians first conquered Egypt in the sixth century BCE, they ruled for a century before being driven out by an Egyptian uprising. The Persians again conquered Egypt under the rule of Artaxerxes III in the fourth century CE, but this rule lasted less than two decades before the Persians were themselves conquered by the Greek armies of Alexander the Great.

During the Late Period, the capital of Egypt was moved to Sais, in the Nile Delta. This demonstrates how power and authority was migrating northwards during the Late Period, as Egypt was slowly and forcefully being absorbed into the Asiatic and Mediterranean worlds.

Marriage was rarely directly controlled by the state, and Egyptians could seek divorce and commit adultery without fear of government punishment. Marriage and adultery, however, were heavily regulated by the local community, which had a vested interest in enforcing norms and promoting peaceful co-existence.

Artaxerxes III was a ruler of the Persian Empire during the fourth century BCE. When he came to power, Egypt had recently rebelled against the Persian Empire and was trying to re-establish itself as a strong, independent kingdom. Artaxerxes III led a successful Persian reconquest of Egypt and established himself as the first Pharaoh of the 31st Dynasty.

The Assyrian Empire conquered most of Egypt in the seventh century BCE and ruled for less than two centuries before they were themselves conquered by the mighty Persian Empire. The Persians ruled Egypt for a little over a century before they were deposed by an Egyptian rebellion. The Persians took back control a few generations later, but were then swiftly conquered by Alexander the Great in the fourth century BCE.