Alexander's administration of Egypt and the ostracon from Memphis: a research contribution

Having conquered Egypt, Alexander the Great was aware of the country’s paramount geopolitical significance. Therefore, he sought to eliminate all elements that could lead to its secession from central authority and established an administrative system that prevented the concentration of power in the hands of a single individual. He divided power among many individuals who were personally accountable to him. An ostracon from Memphis served as the basis for Stanley Burstein's claim that Alexander the Great divided Egypt into two satrapies. Burstein relies solely on the similarity between two personal names: that of satrap Pediese, mentioned in the ostracon, and Petisis, one of the two administrative governors of Egypt, recorded by Flavius Arrian in the Anabasis. He even attributed the title of the nomarch of Egypt to both Petisis and Dolоaspis. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, the scholarly literature has begun referencing this claim as fact. This paper aims to highlight the thesis that Alexander the Great divided Egypt into two satrapies has no basis in the historical sources and re-examine the methodology used by Burstein.