Ἀλεξάνδρειαι

Alexandreiai: eighteen cities. First the Egyptian or Libyan, as the many, from Alexander son of Philip. Jason who wrote the Life of Greece says in the fourth book: "the site of the city was given him by oracle in a dream thus: 'Then there is an island in the much-surging sea, in front of Egypt, and Pharos they call it'. He ordered the architects to trace out the plan; lacking white earth they traced it with barley-meal, and birds swooping down suddenly snatched up the barley; Alexander being troubled, the seers told him to take heart, for the city would be nurse of all." So too Arrian. It was called Rhakotis and Pharos and Leontopolis, because the womb of Olympias had been sealed with the image of a lion. It was called par excellence 'city' and 'citizens' from it, as Athens 'town' and the Athenians 'townsmen' and 'town-folk'. In Roman times it was called Sebaste and Ioulia and Klaudia and Dometiane and Alexenteria. In its settled extent it is thirty-four stades in length, eight in breadth, and the whole circumference a hundred and ten stades. Second is a city of the Troad, in which was born Hegemon the epic poet, who wrote the Leuktrian war of the Thebans and Lakedaimonians. About which Demosthenes in the fourth of the Bithyniaka. Third of Thrace by Macedonia, which he founded before the great Alexandreia, being seventeen years old. Fourth a city of the Oritai, a people of Fish-eaters, along the coasting voyage of India. Fifth in Opiane, by India. Sixth again of India. Seventh among the Arioi, a people of the Parthyaians by India. Eighth of Cilicia. Ninth in Cyprus. Tenth by Latmos of Karia, in which was an Adonion holding an Aphrodite of Praxiteles. Eleventh by Baktra. Twelfth among the Arachotoi. Thirteenth in Makarene, past which flows the river Maxates. Fourteenth among the Sorianoi, an Indian people. Fifteenth among the Arachotoi, bordering India. Sixteenth by the Black Gulf. Seventeenth in Sogdiane among the Paropamisadai. Eighteenth on the Tanais, his own foundation, as Ptolemy declares in the third. There is also a place on Trojan Ida called Alexandreia, in which they say Paris judged the goddesses, as Timosthenes. The ethnonym Alexandreus from the genitive 'Alexandrou'. The feminine, as from 'Sinopeus' 'Sinopis', so from Alexandreus Alexandris. Didymos cites a usage from Eratosthenes of Alexandrites. Favorinus in his On the Cyrenaic City says Alexandreiotes beside the... Alexandreianos, as 'Myrleia' 'Myrleianos', Herakleia 'Herakleianos'. Also said the possessive Alexandreios. Nikanor son of Hermeias in the first On Alexandreia confirms all these, both Alexandrinos and Alexandrines, but not Alexandreotes. There is also 'alexandreia' a herb and plant, among others 'alexandra', with which Alexander was crowned in the contests. Some call it 'danae', others 'chamaidaphne', others 'epiphyllakanthon' or 'phyllokarpon'.