Libya Greek cities were established in the area that became known as Cyrenaica. In 525 BC the Persian army of Cambyses II overran Cyrenaica, which for the next two centuries remained under Persian or Egyptian rule. Alexander the Great was greeted by the Greeks when he entered Cyrenaica in 331 BC, and Eastern Libya again fell under the control of the Greeks, this time as part of the Ptolemaic Kingdom. After the fall of Carthage the Romans did not immediately occupy Tripolitania (the region around Tripoli), but left it instead under control of the kings of Numidia, until the coastal cities
Names of the Greeks used by the Romans. Some toponyms, especially an ancient city "Hellas" in southern Thessaly, and the Greek tradition seem to indicate that the name "Hellenes" was Pre-Dorian itself and that the homeland of the "Graikoi", who were later called "Hellenes", was in central Greece. The Greek tradition mentions an earlier deluge of Ogyges in the region of Boeotia which was occupied by the Minyans a group of autochthonous or Proto-Greek speaking people. The region was called Graïke in ancient times probably after the old city of Graea (Γραῖα "Graîa", from Proto-Greek "grau-j-", "old lady") on the coast. Homer refers to