Some of the ancient writers say that Alexander made Cleomenes satrap of Egypt, but Arrian expressly states that the other nomarchs were independent of him, except that they had to pay to him the tributes of their districts.
Cleomenes informed the people of Canopus, then the chief emporium of Egypt, that he must move them to the new city.
But, in return for all the money which the priests gathered to save their sacred animals, he revoked his order.
But after his return to Babylon in 323 BC, he wrote to Cleomenes, commanding him to erect at Alexandria a splendid monument to Hephaestion, and promised that if this work was zealously performed, he would overlook his misconduct.
The effect, if not also a cause, of this act was that Ptolemy was then able to take possession of Cleomenes' accumulated wealth, which amounted to 8000 gold talents.