997 



PTOLE1LEUS EUERGETES. 



PTOLEM>EUS EPIPHANES. 



possession of the maritime parts of Arabia and of the eastern coast of 

 Africa, and his admiral Timosthenes appears to have gone as far 

 south as Madagascar. (Vincent's ' Commerce and Navigation of the 

 Antients, Ac.,' vol. i. p. 42.) Theocritus (' Adoniazusse ') describes in 

 glowing colours the wealth and power of his patron ; and his account 

 is confirmed by the less suspicious testimony of Appian, who was 

 himself a native of Alexandria. The latter writer informs us ('Prje- 

 fatio Histor.,' c. 10) that under the Ptolemies the army consisted of 

 200,000 foot soldiers, 40,000 horse, 300 elephants, and 2000 war- 

 chariots, and the fleet of 2000 smaller vessels, 1500 triremes, and 800 

 ships magnificently adorned and equipped for royal use. The money 

 in the treasury amounted to 740,000 Egyptian talents at the death of 

 Ptolemy Pbiladelphus, who, according to Appian, amassed greater 

 treasure and expended more upon public works than any of his suo- 

 cessors. Athenaeus also bears testimony (ii. p. 203) to the great 

 power of Philadelphus, and states among other things that he sur- 

 passed all other kings in the number of his ships. The power and 

 influence of the Egyptian kingdom under the three first Ptolemies is 

 also attested by Polybius (v. 34), who says that they were masters of 

 Cmle-Syria and Cyprus, and extended their influence over the neigh- 

 bouring countries as far as Thrace and Macedonia. (Clinton's ' Fast. 

 Hellen.,' Hi. p. 383.) 



The political events of the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus may be 

 comprised in a few words. He put to death, at the commencement 

 of his reign, two of his brothers, one of whom had endeavoured to 

 excite the Cyprians to revolt. He was also engaged in war with 

 Magas, the son of Berenice by a former husband, who had been 

 appointed governor of Cyrene. Magas, who was married to Apama, 

 the daughter of Antiochus and grand-daughter of Seleucus, prevailed 

 upon his father-in-law to break the treaty which had been made 

 between Seleucus and Ptolemy. Ptolemy however, by assuming the 

 defensive, prevented Antiochus from invading his dominions (Paus., i. 

 7, 3), and finally concluded a peace with his successor Antiochus II., 

 by which the latter agreed to repudiate hia wife Laodice, and to marry 

 Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy. [AmioCHCS II.] 



In B.C. 274 Ptolemy sent an embassy to Home and formed an 

 alliance with the republic. (Liv., ' Epit.,' 14 ; Eutrop., ii. 15.) We 

 also read of a Roman embassy to Egypt. (Justin, xvii. 2.) Ptolemy 

 sent a naval force to the assistance of the Athenians against Antigonus 

 and the Macedonians (Paus., 1, 7, 3) ; and the Athenians hi compli- 

 ment to him called one of their tribes I'tolemais. (Paus., i. 6, 8 ; i. 

 5, f 5.) Ptolemy also founded a gymnasium at Athens, not far from 

 the market-place, which was called after his name, and which con- 

 tained a bronze statue of him. (Paus., i. 17, 2.) 



Ptolemy Philadelphus died, B.C. 247, after reigning two years with 

 his father and thirty-six alone. He was married twice ; to Arsinoe, 

 the daughter of Lysimachus, and also to Arsinoe, his own sister. 

 [ARSIKO*.] Pausanias remarks (i. 7, 1) upon his marriage with the 

 tatter, that in doing so he violated the laws of the Macedonians, but 

 not of the Egyptians. By his sister he had no children, but by the 

 daughter of Lysimachus he had three, Berenice, Ptolemy surnamed 

 Euergetes, and Lysimachus. (Schol. Theocr., xvii. 128, quoted by 

 Clinton.) 



III. PTOLEM^EUS, surnamed EUE'RGETES, or the 'benefactor,' 

 succeeded his father B.C. 247. He was engaged in war at the com- 

 mencement of his reign with Seleucus Calliuicus, to revenge the death 

 of bis sister Berenice. [BERENICE II.] Great success attended his 

 arms ; he obtained possession of many of the provinces belonging to 

 the Heleucidse, and would probably have overthrown their empire, if 

 he had not been obliged to return to Egypt in consequence of some 

 civil commotions. (Justin, xxvii. 1.) Seleucus tried to strengthen 

 his power by entering into an ' alliance with his brother Antigonus 

 Gonatas ; but they quickly became jealous of each other, and Ptolemy 

 availed himself of their dissensions to extend his kingdom. 



We possess hardly any particulars respecting the life and character 

 of Ptolemy Euergetes. If inferior to bis predecessors, he was superior 

 to those that reigned after him ; Strabo says (p. 796) that the kings 

 of Egypt after the third Ptolemy governed worse than their prede- 

 cessors. He followed his father's example in giving every encourage- 

 ment to trade and commerce. It appears from an inscription, which 

 was found at Adule by Cosmas, that Ptolemy bad conquered Abys- 

 sinia, and that he maintained a powerful fleet in the Ked Sea. A 

 translation of this inscription, with many valuable remarks, is given 

 in Dr. Vincent's ' Commerce and Navigation of the Ancients in the 

 Indian Ocean,' vol. ii. p. 533, &c. If we can trust to this inscription, 

 Ptolemy Euergetes must in bis wars with Seleucus have subdued the 

 greater part of Asia. It states that he had received from his father the 

 kingdom of Egypt, Africa, Syria, Phoenicia, Cyprus, Lycia, Caria, and 

 the Cyclades, and that he invaded Asia with his land and sea forces, 

 and with elephants from the country of the Troglodytes and Ethio- 

 pians. The inscription then states that with these forces he reduced 

 all the country on this side the Euphrates, ns well as Cilicia, the 

 Hellespont, Tbraco, and all the forces in these provinces; and that ho 

 afterwards crossed the Euphrates, and entered Mesopotamia, Baby- 

 lonia, Susiaua, Persis, Media, and the whole country as far as Bactria, 

 and brought the whole under bis dominion. 



Daring the reign of Euergetes, Cleomenes, king of Sparta, took 

 refuge in Egypt, and was received by him with great distinction. 



(Plutarch, ' Cleom.,' c. 32 ; Paus. ii. 9, 3 ; Justin, xxviii. 4.) Ptolemy 

 Euergetes married Berenice, the daughter of Magas, king of Cyrene. 

 [BERENICE III.] By her he had three children, Magas, Ptolemy 

 Philopator, and Arsinoe. He was murdered by his own son Philo- 

 pator, B.C. 222. 



Coin of rtolemauis Euergetes. 

 British Museum. Actual size. Silver. 



IV. PTOLEM^EUS, suruamed PHILO'PATOR, or 'father-loving, 

 succeeded Euergetes, B.C. 222. He was distinguished by his pro- 

 fligacy and cruelty, and is said to have been ironically called riiilo- 

 pator on account of having murdered his father. (Justin, xxix. 1.) 

 His chief minister was Sosibius, at whose instigation he put to death 

 his mother Berenice, his uncle Lysimachus, his brother Magas, his wife 

 and sister Arsinoe, who is called Kurydice by Justin (xxx. 1), and 

 Cleomenes the Spartan king. (Polyb., v. 34, 35 ; xv. 25 ; Plutarch, 

 ' Cleom.,' 33, 34, &c.) Philopator however appears to have been an 

 able general. In B.C. 219 the province of Coole-Syria, which had beeu 

 conquered by his father, was attacked by Antiochus the Great, who at 

 first obtained possession of the greater part of it through the treachery 

 of Theodotus, the Egyptian governor. In the following year how- 

 ever the forces of Ptolemy were more successful. Antiochus was 

 defeated in a great battle fought at Raphia, near Gaza, B.C. 217 ; and 

 Code-Syria and Palestine were ceded to Ptolemy by a treaty made in 

 the same year. (Polyb., iv. 37 ; v. 79-87. [ANTIOCHUS III.] Philo- 

 pator died B.C. 205, after a reign of seventeen years. (Clinton.) 



Coin of PtolenKeus Philopator. 

 British Museum. Actual size. Silver. 



V. PTOLEM^US, surnamcd EPI'PHANES, or 'illustrious,' the 

 son of P. Philopator and Arsinoe, was only five years old at the death 

 of his father. (Justin, xxx. 2.) Antiochus the Great thought it a 

 favourable opportunity not only to recover Code-Syria, but also to 

 obtain the sovereignty of Egypt, and accordingly united with Philip, 

 king of Macedon, to divide the Egyptian dominions between them. 

 (Polyb., iii. 2 ; Liv., xxxi. 14.) The guardians of the young king took 

 the precaution of placing him under the protection of the Romans, 

 which the latter willingly undertook, as they were anxious to obtain 

 a pretext for attacking Philip and Antiochus. (Justin, xxx. 2, 3.) 

 Livy also mentions (xxxi. 9) an Egyptian embassy to Rome in B.C. 200. 

 When the Romans were engaged in their war with Philip, Antiochus 

 attacked the dominions of Ptolemy, and reduced, in B.C. 198, all the 

 cities in Code-Syria. He also conquered Scopas, who had in the 

 preceding year brought 6000 auxiliaries to Ptolemy. (Liv. xxxiii. 19.) 

 But as Antiochus was anxious to prosecute his conquest in Asia Minor, 

 he proposed a treaty of marriage between his daughter and Ptolemy, 

 to be consummated when both came of age, by which Coele-Syria and 

 Palestine were to be given with the princess as a dowry. (Polyb., 

 xxviii. 17 ; Joseph., 'Ant.,' xii. 4, 1.) This marriage was afterwards 

 celebrated in the year B.C. 192 or 193, when Ptolemy was about seven- 

 teen years of age. Ptolemy died B.C. 181, and is said to have been 

 poisoned. (Hieron., 'Ad Dan.,' c. 11.) He left three children, P. Philo- 

 metor, P. Physcon, and Cleopatra, wh o was successively married to her 

 two brothers. (Joseph., ' Antiq.,' xii. 4, 11 ; Justin, xxxviii. 8.) 



Coin of Ptolemffius Epiphanee. 

 British Museum. Actual Size, Gold. 



