Al?x?n??i?, l?c?t?? ?n th? M??it????n??n c??st in E???t, h?s s??n m?n? ch?n??s in its 2,300 ???? hist???. F??n??? ?? Al?x?n??? th? G???t in 331 B.C., ?t its h?i?ht it ?iv?ll?? R?m? in its w??lth ?n? siz?, ?n? w?s th? s??t ??? th? Pt?l?m?ic ??n?st?. H?w?v??, th????h hist??? n?t ?ll ?????? ?n th? h?w t? ?????? th? H?ll?nistic cit? with ? ????l E???ti?n ??st. An ?n???w?t?? t?m?l? ?isc?v???? ?? m??in? ?iv??s ??? th? ??st??n c??st sh?? li?ht ?n th? ?h????nic n?t??? ?? ?nci?nt Al?x?n??i?.

Pt?l?m?ic Al?x?n??i? h?s ???n ????????, in ?c???mic ci?cl?s, n?t ?s ???t ?? E???t, ??t ?s ? s?????t? G???k ??lis, ?? cit?-st?t?, ?? th? ??????s ?? E???t. P?t?? G???n, P????ss?? ?? Cl?ssics ?t th? Univ??sit? ?? T?x?s, A?stin, c?n?i?ms th?t Al?x?n??i? w?s n?t ???????? ?s ???t ?? E???t ???in? th? tim? ?? th? Pt?l?mi?s, w?itin? “Al?x?n??i? w?s ‘??’ E???t, ??t n?t ?? it.” 1

Al?x?n??? th? G???t ???n?in? Al?x?n??i?. P??lic D?m?in

This vi?w, h?w?v??, ???????? ?nl? sinc? th? mi?-19 th c?nt???. B????? th?t ??t?, Pt?l?m?ic Al?x?n??i? h?? ?lw??s ???n l??k?? ?t ?s ??in? ?n E???ti?n cit?, ?????s?ntin? ?nci?nt Ph????nic civiliz?ti?n. “In ? ??c??? ??ss?? ?? th? ????l? ?? D?l?s in h?n??? ?? ? N?xi?n, ?t ? tim? wh?n th? isl?n? l?? ?n??? th? in?l??nc? ?? Phil???l?h?s (Pt?l?m? II), th? h?n???n? is ??sc?i??? ‘??si??nt in Al?x?n??i? ?? E???t’. Al?x?n??i? w?s ?vi??ntl? ???????? ?? th? D?li?ns … ?s ? n??m?l ???t ?? E???t. ” N?n? ?? th? cl?ssic?l s???c?s s??k? ?? Al?x?n??i? ?s ??in? ? G???k cit?. P?l??i?s, Di?????s ?n? St????, th??? ??th??s wh? visit?? Pt?l?m?ic Al?x?n??i? ?n? w??t? ????t its ???l? hist???, s??k? ????t th? E???ti?n n?t??? ?? this ?i?st c?sm???lit?n cit? in hist???. 2

In 1998, ?n im???t?nt ??ch???l??ic?l ?isc?v??? w?s m??? in Al?x?n??i? which c?n?i?m?? th? ?h????nic n?t??? ?? E???ti?n Al?x?n??i?. Un??? th? h???in? “S?? ?iv?s ?? Cl????t??’s t???s???s”, th? L?n??n S?n??? Tim?s ?????t?? th? st??? ?n 25 Oct???? 1998: “S?c??ts ?? Cl????t??’s ???l?? ????l ??l?c?, in which sh? w???? J?li?s C??s??, h?v? ???n ??t?i?v?? ???m ??n??th th? w?v?s ?? th? M??it????n??n s??, wh??? th?? h?v? l?in ??? m??? th?n 1,600 ????s”

L?c?ti?n ?? Cl????t??’s P?l?c?. (vi?t??l-????t.c?m)

This ??m??k??l? ?isc?v??? c?m? ????t ??t?? th? E??????n Instit?t? ?? Un???w?t?? A?ch???l??? (IEASM) h?? ???n ?iv?n ???missi?n in th? 1990s t? w??k in th? ??st ???t ?? th? E?st??n H??????, wh??? th? Pt?l?m?ic ????l ????t?? w?s sit??t??.

St?t?? ?? Cl????t?? ?s E???ti?n ?????ss; B?s?lt, s?c?n? h?l? ?? th? 1st c?nt??? B.C.  G????? Sh?klin/ Wikim??i? C?mm?ns

A?t?? s?m? ????s ?? m???in? ?n? s???chin? th? ????, F??nk G???i?, th? F??nch l????? ?? th? ?n???w?t?? t??m ?? ??ch???l??ists, w?s ??l? t? ?nn??nc? ?????? th? ?n? ?? 1998 th?t h? h?? ?isc?v???? th? ????l ??l?c? ?? Cl????t?? (51-30 B.C.), th? l?st ?? th? Pt?l?m?ic ??l??s.

G???i?’s ?iv??s ???n? m???l? ?l???s ?n th? s????? which h? ??li?v?s ?st??lish?? ??? th? ?i?st tim? th? ???cis? l?c?ti?n ?? Cl????t??’s ??l?c?. Th?? ?ls? ???n? l?m?s ?? ??? ???nit? ?n? ???k?n c?l?mns ?n th? s??m????? isl?n? ?? Anti?h???s, which ???vi??? G???i? with ???th?? ?vi??nc? ?? th? sit? ?? th? ????l ????t??s. R?m?ins ?? Cl????t??’s ????l ??l?c? w??? ??t?i?v?? ???m ??n??th th? w?t??s ?? th? M??it????n??n S?? wh??? th?? h?? ?is???????? ??? 17 c?nt??i?s. Th? ?iv??s ?????t?? s??in? c?l?mns ?n? c??it?ls in ?is?????, kilns ?n? ??sins – s?m? ?? which w??? ??sc?i??? ?s th? s?-c?ll?? ‘B?ths ?? Cl????t??’; ????t ?l?cks ?? ???ss?? lim?st?n?, st?t??s ?? E???ti?n ?iviniti?s, ?n? ?v?n w?lls. (click h??? ??? ?ict???s).

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D??s l?t?? th? int??n?ti?n?l ???ss st??t?? t? ?iv? m??? ??t?ils ????t th? ?isc?v???. A s?hinx ?n? ?n im???t?nt ??li?i??s st?t?? ???????? ??? th? ?i?st tim? ??t?? ????t 2,000 ????s, wh?n th?? w??? ??????? ???m th?i? ??stin? ?l?c? in th? s??m????? ????l cit? ?? Anci?nt Al?x?n??i?. Th? ???k-???? ???nit? s?hinx, which h?s ???n i??nti?i?? ?s Cl????t??’s ??th??, Pt?l?m? XII A?l?t?s, w?s ?n? ?? ? ??i? ?l?nkin? th? st?t?? ?t th? ?nt??nc? t? ? sm?ll t?m?l? s?t within th? ???? ?? Cl????t??’s R???l P?l?c? ?n th? isl?n? ?? Anti?h???s, in Al?x?n??i?’s E?st??n H??????.

Bl?ck ???nit? s?hinx m??? ?? st?n?, th???ht t? ?????s?nt Pt?l?m? XII, ??th?? ?? Cl????t??. Disc?v???? ?? F??nk G???i? ???in? ?n???w?t?? inv?sti??ti?ns ?? ?n???w?t?? ?nci?nt Al?x?n??i?. (S???c?)

E???ti?n Kin? Pt?l?m? XII A?l?t?s, ??th?? t? Cl????t??. T?m?l? ?? K?m Om??. H??wi? St??ch/Wikim??i? C?mm?ns

As this t?m?l? t? th? E???ti?n ?????ss Isis w?s n?t m?nti?n?? ?? St????, th? ?nci?nt ??th??it? ?n Pt?l?m?ic Al?x?n???, F??nk G???i?, wh? l?? th? int??n?ti?n?l t??m ?? ?iv??s ?n? ??ch???l??ists th?t li?t?? th? ??lics 20 ???t (6 m?t??s) t? th? s????c?, w?s ??li?ht?? ?t th? ?isc?v???. G???i? w?s ?????t?? ?? th? S?n??? Tim?s ?s s??in?, “It’s t?t?ll? ?nkn?wn … ??t ?? c???s? w? sh??l? h?v? ?x??ct?? s?ch ? t?m?l? in cl?s? ???ximit? t? th? R???l P?l?c?. It’s ?n ?st?nishin? ?isc?v???.”

Th? li?tin? ?? th?s? st?t??s ?????ht t? ?n ?n? ?iv? ????s ?? ?x?l???ti?n ?? th? R???l P?l?c? ???? ?? G???i? ?n? his t??m. D??in? this ???i?? th?? w??? ??l? t? m?k? cl??? th? l????t ?? ????l ????t?? ?? th? Pt?l?m?ic kin?s, which l?st?? ??? ????t 300 ????s, st?tin? “W? h?v? ???n ??l? t? ?in??int th? ??l?c? ?n? th? t?m?l? ??i??? ?? th? ?nci?nt w?it??s, ?n? t? c????ct th?t w?itin? in s?m? c?s?s.”

Ph???s ?? Al?x?n??i?: I???liz?? ?????s?nt?ti?n ?? th? B?? ?? Al?x?n??i?. P??lic D?m?in

“W? h?v? c?nc?nt??t?? this ???? ?n Anti?h???s, th? s?nk?n isl?n? th?t is th? sit? ?? th? R???l P?l?c? ?n? it is ?lm?st ? mi??cl? th?t w? ???n? th? s?hinx ?n? th? st?t?? in s?ch cl?s? ??l?ti?nshi?,” h? c?ntin???. “Th? ?n???s?? s????c? h?s ???n s??si?in? sl?wl? ??? c?nt??i?s, ???cin? ??il?in?s t? t?m?l?, ?n? in AD 365 th??? w?s ? s?v??? ???th???k?, ??ll?w?? ?? ? ti??l w?v?. W? h?v? ???n ?m?z?? ?t h?w m?ch h?s ???n l??t in ?l?c?.”

Th? ?isc?v??? ?? ?n ?nci?nt E???ti?n t?m?l? within th? ???? ?? th? Pt?l?m?ic ??l?c? c?m? ?s ? c?m?l?t? s????is?. This sm?ll t?m?l? t? th? ?????ss Isis w?s ?isc?v???? 20 ???t (6 m?t??s) ???m th? s????c? in cl?s? ???ximit? t? th? ??si??nc? ?? Cl????t??.

At th? ?nt??nc? t? th? t?m?l?, ? ???k-???? ???nit? ?h????nic st?t?? ??m?ins. Th? s?hinx, sh?win? Cl????t??’s ??th?? Pt?l?m? XII (51-47 BC), w?s ?ls? ???n?. N?xt t? th?t l??s ? li??-siz? ???nit? st?t?? ?????s?ntin? ? sh?v?n-h????? E???ti?n ??i?st ?? th? ?????ss Isis c????in? ? j?? t????? with ?n im??? ?? Osi?is, ?nci?nt E???t’s ??? ?? th? ????.

As ? ??s?lt ?? th?s? ??ch???l??ic?l ?isc?v??i?s, th? ?h????nic n?t??? ?? ?nci?nt Al?x?n??i?, ?s??ci?ll? th? ????l ????t??, ??c?m? ???n??ntl? cl???.

G???i?’s ??ch???l??ic?l ??s???ch?s w??? ??ck?? ?? ? ????? ?? t?? E??????n hist??i?ns wh? w??? ??l? t? c?mm?nt ?n th?s? im???t?nt ?isc?v??i?s. P????ss?? Zs?lt Kiss, ?? th? P?lish Ac???m? ?? Sci?nc?s, w?s ??l? t? i??nti?? th? ?isc?v???? s?hinx ?s Pt?l?m? XII, n?tin?, “It is ? v??? st?ikin? ??s?m?l?nc? with ? ch???ct??istic ???????nc? ?? h?i? ?n??? th? E???ti?n H??????ss.”

H?w?v??, it w?s Zs?lt’s ?in?l c?mm?nt ?n th? n?t??? ?? th? ?nci?nt cit? ?? Al?x?n??i? th?t c???ht th? int???st ?? th? ???ss ?n? ??t th?i? h???lin?s. Th? P?lish ?????ss?? w?s ?v??wh?lm?? ?? th? m?n? Ph????nic ??m?ins ?isc?v???? in th? cit? which m??? him c?ncl??? “W? c?n c??t?inl? s?? in li?ht ?? th?s? ?isc?v??i?s th?t Pt?l?m?ic ?n? R?m?n Al?x?n??i? w??? l?ss H?ll?nistic ?n? m?ch m??? E???ti?n th?n w? th???ht.” 3

F??t???? im???: Anci?nt E???ti?n st?t??s ???n? ??n??th th? w?v?s ?? Al?x?n??i?’s E?st??n H??????. C???it: Th? Hilti F??n??ti?n