Offers a portrait of an extraordinary city as seen through the eyes of its inhabitants and by outsiders, from the time of its foundation in the 4th century BC up to the 20th century. As the capital of a Hellenistic kingdom, then as a major city in the Roman, Byzantine and Arab empires, Alexandria was renowned as an intellectual city. '...makes a good introduction to Alexandria as well as stimulating reading for experts.' Times LIterary Supplement 'Overall, the book, composed of apparently miscellaneous materials, makes up in essence an interesting and largely consistent whole, describing two Alexandrias, the real and the imagined, in different epochs, from different points of view and with regard to a broad and varied selection of sources.' Bibliotheca Orientalis '... an excellent survey, which gives one a real sense of the richness, importance and the elusiveness of its subject.' The Journal of Classics Teaching