dynasty pharaoh article_title name style
argead dynasty alexander the great , philip iii arrhidaeus cleomenes of naucratis
 cleomenes nomarch and satrap
cleomenes of naucratis

cleomenes -lrb- greek : kλεoμένης ; died 322 bc -rrb- , a greek of naucratis in egypt , was appointed by alexander iii of macedon as nomarch of the arabian district -lrb- '' νoμoς '' -rrb- of egypt and receiver of the tributes from all the districts of egypt and the neighbouring part of africa -lrb- 331 bc -rrb- .
some of the ancient writers say that alexander made him satrap of egypt ; but this is incorrect , for arrian expressly states that the other nomarchs were independent of him , except that they had to pay to him the tributes of their districts .
it would , however , appear that he had no difficulty in extending his depredations over all egypt , and it is possible that he would have taken the title of satrap .
it is told that his rapacity knew no bounds , that he exercised his office solely for his own advantage .
when there was a scarcity of grain , which was less severe in egypt than in the neighbouring countries , he at first forbade its export from egypt .
but when the nomarchs represented to him that this measure prevented them from raising the proper amount of tribute , he permitted the export of grain , but placed a heavy export duty on it .
on another occasion , when the price of grain was ten drachmas , cleomenes bought it up and sold it at 32 drachmas ; and in other ways he interfered with the markets for his own gain .
alexander had entrusted him to build the new city of alexandria .
cleomenes informed the people of canopus , then the chief emporium of egypt , that he must move them to the new city .
to avert such an evil they provided him with a large sum of money .
but , as the building of alexandria advanced , he again demanded that the people of canopus pay him a large sum of money , which they could not pay .
so this provided him with the excuse for removing them .
he also made money out of the superstitions of the people .
after one of his boys had been killed by a crocodile , he ordered the crocodiles be destroyed .
but , in return for all the money which the priests gathering to save their sacred animals , he revoked his order .
on another occasion he sent for the priests , and informed them that the religious establishment was too expensive and must be reduced .
so the priests handed over to him the treasures of their temples .
so he then left them undisturbed .
alexander was informed of cleomenes ' actions , but found it convenient to take no notice of them .
but after his return to babylon in 323 bc , he wrote to cleomenes , commanding him to erect at alexandria a splendid monument to hephaestion , and promised that if this work was zealously performed , he would overlook his misconduct .
in the distribution of alexander 's empire after his death -lrb- 323 bc -rrb- , cleomenes remained in egypt as satrap under ptolemy , who put him to death on the suspicion of his favouring perdiccas .
the effect , if not also a cause , of this act was that ptolemy was then able to take possession of cleomenes ' accumulated wealth , which amounted to 8000 talents .
