Egypt, once the most powerful civilization on the planet. Who would think that this civilization would decline and become part of another country? How did the Egyptian Civilization fall? In around 1000 B.C. there was struggle for power by priests and nobles and the country started to split up. Rich people who wanted to take over Egypt hired men to take over areas in Egypt. As there was struggle for power, enemies from other countries invaded Egypt. The Cushites ruled from about 767 B.C. until they were defeated by the Assyrians in 671 B.C. and then Egypt took back their country in 525 BC. In 343 B.C. a Persian conqueror named Artaxerxes (Ar-te-zerks-zeas) took over Egypt as part of his conquest. When taking over Egypt, he did so with minimum casualties. Artaxerxes would be defeated by a Greek conqueror which would start a new period for Egypt, the Ptolemaic (Tolay-may-ick) period.

Alexander the Great was the King of Macedon for 13 years. He conquered most of Europe and Africa. Alexander’s army defeated Artaxerxes. The war against Artaxerxes took six months. Alexander became the Pharaoh of the Egyptian Empire and he was loved by the Egyptian people. He was committed to the well being of the people so he chose not to change their ways. After Alexander the Great died, his generals each ruled areas he conquered. A general named Ptolemy (Tolay-me) was given Egypt and started a period in Egyptian history called the Ptolemaic period. The Ptolemaic period lasted 300 year until Rome took it over.

Cleopatra was the last ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt. She shared some power with her father and eventually ruled Egypt. She married Mark Antony, a co-ruler of Egypt. In 33 B.C. Octavian, another co-ruler of Egypt, had a war against Antony; he defeated Antony and claimed Egypt. Three years later Cleopatra and Antony committed suicide. Romans ruled Egypt for seven centuries, Egypt was a great source of wealth to the Romans. The Egyptians had huge sources of wheat because of the Nile, which helped Rome when it was in need of food. The Romans brought Christianity to Egypt. The Roman period of Egypt was peaceful even though the ancient religion of Egypt was taken over by the fast spread of Christianity. The period of Ancient Egypt, which lasted from 3000 B.C. – 639 A.D., was at an end when Arab brought their new religion, Islam.

In 639 B.C. Arabs took over Egypt and preached Islam to the country, thus ending the period of Ancient Egypt. The Egyptian empire lasted thousands of years, but as time passed the people of Egypt lowered their principles and started fighting for control. Invaders from different civilization saw this and invaded Egypt. It was thanks to the King of Macedon, Alexander the Great, that the invaders of Egypt were put to a stop and he was able to reign Egypt as a beloved pharaoh. After Alexander died, the Greeks would only rule Egypt for another 300 years in a period known as the Ptolemaic period. In 33 B.C. Octavian took Egypt from Cleopatra and Mark Antony. Egypt was very peaceful after the Roman-Egyptian period. The fall of this rich civilization is probably one of the most important part, in not just Egyptian history, but ancient history in general, since Egypt was the most powerful civilization in the world at the time.