After liberating them from Persian tyranny, Alexander the Great was instantly revered by the Egyptian people. Only twenty years of age, he was seen as their saviour, anointed as Pharaoh and declared the son of Amun-Ra. This veneration by the Egyptians was the catalyst for his quest to achieve divine status. It had long been rumoured that he was the son of Zeus, and it was this divine parentage that led to the growth of a personality cult that helped Alexander unite and rule all his conquered lands. In 331BC he founded the city of Alexandria in Egypt, the first of many to bear his name and perpetuate the cult across his vast empire.
