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What was the Ptolemaieia festival in Alexandria?
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Ptolemaic dynasty
Head of a queen, marble sculpture possibly made in Egypt, Ptolemaic period (305β30 bce); in the Brooklyn Museum, New York. 14 Γ 12 Γ 11.5 cm.
The Ptolemaieia was a quadrennial festival held in Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus.21
Designed to hold a status equal to that of the Olympic Games, the festival served as a grand display of the dynasty's power and its commitment to Hellenistic culture. A central feature of the celebration was a procession of remarkably elaborate and ingeniously constructed floats, which presented various scenarios illustrating Greek religious cults.21