When approaching Alexandria, we often focus on the role of the Pharos in guiding ships from far out to sea to the city and its great port.

This was the essence of the epigram of Posidippus on the left side of the screen.

But the Pharos was more than just a large signpost for the city and harbor, and a warning of the reefs at its entrance.

Its scale and magnificence was a visible symbol of Ptolemaic wealth and power.

It was an icon for their regime, striking and unambiguous.

In his description of the harbor on the right of the screen, it's notable that the framing device that Strabo uses is the Pharos, and the journey into the Portus Magnus from the sea, and the views of the city that th- this afforded.