As you walk through the streets of Rome you’ll find a number of cultural influences. You’ll spy plenty of Hellenistic influences but apart from this you’ll also find a fair amount of Egyptian influences. Throughout the years the Romans had varying levels of relationships with the Egyptians and in 30 BC Egypt became a part of the roman empire after Octavian conquered Mark Antony and Cleopatra. Egypt became a major asset to the roman empire over time as it was one of the key produces of grain for the empire and was crucial in keeping an empire of that size fed and under control. The capital of Egypt, Alexandria, became the second largest city in the roman empire and it actually contained the largest port in the empire making it a crucial trading tool. This enourmous trading power emanating from the coast of the Egyptian coast represents the logistics of the spread of Egyptian culture to Rome. With the constant trade between Rome and Alexandria, mainly transporting grain but also with merchant ships passing back and forth so spread Egyptian art and culture into the city. Also with Rome’s conquests and consequent power over Egypt items were taken from Egypt for the great city of Rome. This is how many of the obelisks in Rome got where they are today.