Ptolemee I Soter (Ptolemy the Savior) 367 BC – 282 BC was a Macedonian Greek general, historian, and successor of Alexander the Great who went on to found the Ptolemaic Kingdom centered on Egypt. Ptolemy was basileus and pharaoh of Ptolemaic Egypt from 305/304 BC to his death in 282 BC, and his descendants continued to rule Egypt until 30 BC. During their rule, Egypt became a thriving bastion of Hellenistic civilization and Alexandria a great seat of Greek culture.

After the engraving from Rois d’Egypte section of “Iconographie grecque” (Pl.52) by Ennio Quirino Visconti published in 1808 in Paris. Visconti (1751-1818) was an Italian antiquarian and art historian, papal Prefect of Antiquities, and an expert on ancient Roman sculpture. Published by order of Napoleon copies of this three volume work were given out as gifts.