Abstract
The paper discusses the one of the representatives of the Egyptian elite of the Ptolemaic era during the initial stage of the dynasty’s existence – the nomarch of three nomes and military commander Nectanebo. Autobiographical inscriptions on his sarcophagus are examined. Although their text does not allow for the precise determination of Nectanebo ‘s period of active service, the holding of several positions by him and the fact of their inheritance may suggest that the peak of his activity fell during the reign of the XXX Dynasty (379/8–342/1 BC). Nectanebo is presumed to have died between 341 and 305 BC. This dating is supported by the fact that the dignitary recognizes Nectanebo I as a sacred ruler but does not recognize contemporary kings as legitimate: he does not mention their names and, moreover, uses epithets for himself that typically characterize the King of Egypt. The latter circumstance also indicates that at the time the texts were composed, there was no universally recognized Egyptian king in Egypt, such as Ptolemy I became in 305 BC.
Keywords
Ancient Egypt, Hellenism, Ptolemies, Egyptian priesthood, Argeads, royal legitimacy.