| < Back | Home |
The Persians conquered Egypt and after Alexander conquered Persia Egypt was part of his prize. When Alexander left Egypt in 331 B.C. he left Cleomenes of Naukratis in charge of the territory. When Alexander died, Ptolemy's generals divided the Empire and Ptolemy took Egypt. Ptolemy was a veteran soldier and trusted commander who had been a childhood friend and served Alexander ever since.
He started the Ptolemaic Dynasty, which lasted almost 300 years. In 31 B.C. The Roman Empire took Egypt from the Greeks when Roman Emperor Octavian defeated the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. The Roman period ended in 627 A.D, when the Islamic prophet Muhammad, demanded that Al-Muqawqis (Cyrus, Patriarch of Alexandria, who administered Egypt on behalf of the Byzantine Empire) withdraw - which he did.
Egyptians did not like Greek or Roman rule, consequently there were many uprisings. As was befitting the conquerors and rulers, the Europeans often lived apart and maintained their own cemeteries/necropolis's - those at the Fayum/Faiyum Oasis is typical of them. Fayum is 62 miles southwest of Cairo and is the site of many necropolis's, Fag el-Gamous is one of them. It was in use by Europeans from about 300 B.C. to about 400 A.D. and yielded several Mummy Portraits. Mummy portraits were portraits painted on joined wooden planks, and were placed under the bandages covering the mummy’s face. Sometimes the portrait was painted on plaster masks or painted linen shrouds. They were painted in tempera or in pigments mixed with liquid beeswax.
Please note that though these Greek/Roman portraits depict one or two Blacks and many Mulattoes: please be assured that these portraits selected for public distribution have been carefully screened to depict mostly Whites and mulattoes, because that is what the Albino people and their mulattoes want the world to believe is representative of Greeks and Romans.