Siege of Alexandria (47 BC)

Siege of Alexandria
Part of Alexandrine Civil War
Caesar before Alexandria, a work by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini (1675–1741), showing Julius Caesar upset by the death of Pompey the Great, the work is in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, England.
Date late 48 BC – early or mid 47 BC Location Alexandria, Ptolemaic Egypt (modern Egypt) 31°12′0.000″N 29°55′0.001″E / 31.20000000°N 29.91666694°E / 31.20000000; 29.91666694 Result Roman victory
Belligerents
Roman Republic	Ptolemaic Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Gaius Julius Caesar Cleopatra VII Euphranor †	Ptolemy XIII Achillas  Arsinoe IV (POW) Ganymedes Pothinus
Strength
Initially: 3,200 infantry 800 cavalry Elements of Legio VI and Legio XXVII After reinforcements: 8,000 infantry 800 cavalry 19 warships and 15 smaller vessels Reinforcements: 1 full legion (Legio XXXVI)	20,000 infantry 2,000 cavalry An unknown number of militia 27 warships
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown
class=notpageimage| Location within Egypt

The siege of Alexandria was a series of skirmishes and battles occurring between the forces of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra VII, Arsinoe IV, and Ptolemy XIII, between 48 and 47 BC. During this time Caesar was engaged in a civil war against remaining Republican forces.

The siege was lifted by relief forces arriving from Syria. After a battle contesting those forces' crossing of the Nile delta, Ptolemy XIII and Arsinoe's forces were defeated.