Votive statue of a Ptolemaic ruler

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This is a remarkably preserved ancient limestone votive statue of a ruler from the Ptolemaic dynasty unearthed in Voni. The Ptolemaic dynasty, also known as the Lagids, was a Macedonian Greek royal family that dominated the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Their reign lasted for an impressive 275 years, spanning from 305 to 30 BC, marking them as the final dynasty of ancient Egypt. One of Alexander the Great's seven loyal bodyguards and generals, Ptolemy, was appointed satrap of Egypt after Alexander's death in 323 BC. In 305 BC, he proclaimed himself Ptolemy I, later earning the title Sōter or "Saviour". The Egyptians swiftly accepted the Ptolemies as successors to their pharaohs, and they ruled Egypt until the Roman conquest in 30 BC. A striking tradition among the male rulers of this dynasty was that they all took the name Ptolemy, while female rulers like Cleopatra, Arsinoe, or Berenice were often referred to by these names. Notably, Cleopatra VII, the last queen of this line, gained fame for her involvement in Roman politics between Julius Caesar and Pompey, as well as between Octavian and Mark Antony. Her apparent self-inflicted death at the hands of Rome marked the end of Ptolemaic rule in Egypt.