Life after Diadochi Wars as a Humble Traveler

     The following day I pack all my things and thank the shopkeeper for watching my wares and allowing me a place to rest. I set out for the port and am immediately awestruck. Aside from the port is a huge bridge that stretches across the ocean to Pharaoh's Island and upon the island a huge tower. I grab a random pedestrian’s arm and ask, “You there tell me what is this sorcery?” while I point at the bridge, the man rips my hand off his arm and exclaims, “Hey! Don’t touch me! And that isn’t sorcery! That bridge was built by the hard work of man. I’d know because I helped build it.” I reply, “What magic arts did you dabble in to create such an elaborate thing so far and wide?” The man replies, “Again not magic you idiot, was the hard work of man that crafted that bridge. We call it engineering.” Awestruck I thank the man and gaze upon the fine craft. What is this engineering? Eventually, I shake off my daze and go to the port. Gazing upon the ocean I notice the water seems so calm

  [1] Eventually, I arrive at the Jewish Synagogue and try to converse with a group of Jewish people. I begin asking them in Greek what has brought them near Egypt to Ptolemy’s region. At first, no one speaks, eventually though a man comes forward and answers my question. He said simply, “Acceptance.” In response to this, I nod my head affirmatively as I too am familiar with the need. Despite what the man said, however, the area I had traveled to was unlike the rest of the city. It seemed poorer and less up kept than the other parts of the city that I had been through. Additionally, hardly any Greeks lingered in this area and those that did were mostly city guards. I decided that I’d seen enough for the day and started heading back to the shopkeeper who was watching my wares. Along my way back I witness a guard beating a Jewish man. The Jewish man is begging for the beating to stop, and the guard continues to wail on him. I intervene and say, “Guard why must you beat this man so sensel

     I begin to pray to Poseidon for good fortune and safety while out at sea but, before I finished my prayer, I heard the most un-peculiar sound, across from me a man speaking a language I had never heard before and a Greek man were arguing. The Greek man also spoke the mystery language and they both shouted until finally the mystery man conceded and handed the Greek man coinage then promptly left. I approached the Greek man and asked, “What is that language you spoke and why were you arguing?”, the Greek man turns to me and says, “It is none of your business, but if you must know that man spoke Hebrew and it is common among the Jewish people in this city. As for the argument, the man was trying to pay for my wares by offering prayer, but prayer doesn’t keep my family fed.” In response to this I ask, “How did you manage to learn to speak this language, and where are these people from?” The Greek man sighs and says, “I was raised in this city and my closest friends are devoted to the

  [1] My journey begins with traveling in Alexandria’s city to get to the ocean port. I arrive at a shop and pay the keeper to watch over my wares. There are a few things I saw while coming through the city that piqued my interest thus before I head out to sea, I shall explore the city and see what has changed since the death of my lord Alexander. I stopped in a theater to see what it was all about, I saw grown men dressed in costumes telling stories to children, after noticing this I took my leave, for I am not a child that needs entertaining. After leaving the theater I walked around asking people in Greek for directions to the nearest shrine of Poseidon; eventually, I get an answer and head over. https://www.traveltoegypt.net/front/images/blog/The-Roman-amphitheatre.jpg Example of Theater Architecture from Pharos Island / Alexandria [1]

       As a humble merchant traveling through the times after the Diadochi Wars; I have witnessed the rise and fall of self-proclaimed emperors, the melding and acceptance of multiple religions, and with gleamed wide eyes beheld the amazement of the advancement of architecture and engineering. My lord Alexander would cringe and perhaps die twice at the sight of his generals fighting for scraps of his crippled empire. When Alexander died many wars were started over who should rule as the successor of his empire. In the end, everything was split: Lysimachus took Thrace and much of Asia Minor, Cassander controlled Macedonia and Greece, Ptolemy the first ruled Egypt, Palestine, Cilicia, Petra, and Cyprus. Additionally, Seleucus I Nicator ruled the remainder of Asia and founded the Seleucid Empire which was comprised of Mesopotamia, the Levant, Persia, and part of India. [1] The wars ravaged my home of inland Alexandria, and I was forced further outland towards the ocean for peaceful trade