E G Y 
SOI 
eefiive monarchs, for the fpace of two-and-twenty years ; 
at the expiration of which'time the provinces were an¬ 
nexed to the crown of Syria by Antiochus the Great. 
Ptolemy having at length concluded a peace with Sy¬ 
ria, applied himfeif to the extenfion of his dominions 
foutlnvard ; and proved fo fuccefsful in his attempts, that 
he became mailer of all the coal’s of the Red lea, both on 
the Arabian and Ethiopian Ihores, down to the llraits 
through which that fea difembogties itfelf into the fouth- 
ern ocean. Thefe acquifitions were made with little 
trouble ; and the king returned to Alexandria with an 
immenfe treafure, which he generottlly divided amonglt 
his gallant followers. Upon his return, he received an em- 
baliy from the Achaeans, and promifed them his alliltance 
againll the Etolians and Lacedemonians; but they hav¬ 
ing, in the mean time, requelled fuccours from the king 
of Macedon, Ptolemy renounced his firli: intention, and 
refolved to humble both the Achaeans and their new 
ally, by fending a Itrong reinforcement to Cleomenes 
king of Sparta. His expectations were, however, fuon 
fruitrated, as Cleomenes was totally defeated at the fa¬ 
mous battle of Selufia, and finally obliged xo take refuge 
in Egypt. Ptolemy,, though much chagrined,- received 
the vanquifhed prince with every mark of kindnefs and 
refpeft, allowed him a yearly penfiort of twenty-four-ta¬ 
lents, and allured him that he would ufe his utmolt ex¬ 
exertions to replace him on the throne ; but this promile 
was annulled by the death of Ptolemy, which happened 
in the twenty-feventh year of his age. This prince, with 
refpeft to his encouragement of literature and the arts, 
feems to have trodden in the deps of his predecelTor, as 
lie applied himfeif with the utmod care to the augmen¬ 
tation of the public library, and the remuneration of 
fuch perfons as were eminent for their abilities. He is 
faid to have podelted a conliderable fhare of erudition, 
and to have written, in his younger days, l’ome hidorical 
commentaries that were in high repute. 
Ptolemy Philopator, foil of Euergetes and Berenice, 
fucceeded his father in the government, before Chrid 217, 
and proved a molt debauched prince. Jultirvaffii ms that 
he committed the crime of parricide to obtain the crown, 
and that lie was therefore ironically called Philopator, or 
lover of his, father; but this alien ion feems ill-founded. 
He was named Tryphon, from the effeminacy of his di- 
verfions ; and Gallus, became lie nfed to walk through 
the Itreets on the bacchanal folemnities witli a wreath of 
ivy on his iiead, like the galli, or prielts of Cybele. I11 
the very commencement of his reign, he can fed iiis brother 
Magas to be put to death, at the mitigation of Sofibius his 
prime minider; and this aft of barbarity was loon fol¬ 
lowed by others of a fimilar nature. Cleomenes, w hom we 
have mentioned as having obtained a fecure afylum after 
liis defeat with Euergetes, was, for fome time, entrufted 
with the mod l'ecret couniels of Sofibius; but in confe- 
quence of his oppolition to the murder of Magas, his ad¬ 
vice was foon neglected, and both the king and his cour¬ 
tiers abandoned themfelves fo entirely to licentioufnefs 
and debauchery, that the kingdom fell into a kind of 
anarchy, and thfl Spartan prince began to lead a very me¬ 
lancholy life. In the mean time lie received intelligence 
that Anfigonus, king of Macedon, was dead ; that the 
Achaeans were engaged in holtilities with the Etolians; 
and that the Lacedaemonians had joined the latter again!! 
the Achaeans and Macedonians. He therefore reminded 
Philopator that lie had promifed fo a Hi ft him with a pow¬ 
erful fleet; and eafneltly petitioned for leave to depart 
with his followers, as lie could not poltibly expeft a more 
favourable opportunity for the recovery of his dominions. 
Tliis requelt was, however, of no eff'eft ; for Ptolemy was 
too deeply immerfed in vice and luxury to.attend to fuch 
concerns; and Sofibius, knowing the great fagacity and 
enterprifing fpirit of the Spartan, deemed it advifable to 
detain him in Egypt, left he Ihould invade the kingdom 
at a future day, and take an ample revenge for the illibe- 
Vol. VI. No. 351. 
P T. 
ral treatment he had lately received. It was even judged 
impolitic to allow him his liberty at Alexandria; where¬ 
fore the unfortunate Cleomenes was feized and kept in 
confinement till his defpair fuggelted tiie resolution of 
efcaping from prifon, with his friends and domeltics, in 
order to excite the Alexandrians to a revolt. This at¬ 
tempt was, however, rendered abortive, and the prince 
and his followers voluntarily perifhed by each other, to 
avoid the ignominy of a public punifliment. The dead 
body of Cleomenes was flayed and hung upon a crofs, by 
command of Philopator ; wiio alio extended his inhuman 
revenge to the mother, children, and attendants, of the 
deceafed. 
Ptolemy, by concluding a diflionourable peace with 
Antiochus king of Syria, occalioned fo general a difeon- 
tent among the Egyptians^ as finally broke out into an 
open rebellion ; but the royal party feems to have ob¬ 
tained a victory, though hiltorians are filent with refpeft 
to the particulars of the event. About this time, before 
Chrift 20S, the king, who had received an affront front 
the Jews, publi(lied an edict, excluding all perfons fiom 
the palace, who did not facrifice to the Egyptian deities; 
in confequence of which every individual of the Jewilh 
nation mult either violate the law of his Creator, or re- 
fign al! pretenfions to the royal protection, in what cafe 
foever lie might need it. And by another decree, the 
Jews were (tripped of all thole valuable rights and privi¬ 
leges, which had induced them to quit their native coun¬ 
try and fettle in Egypt ; for it Ihould be obferved, that 
by favour of Alexander the Great and Ptolemy Soter, 
they enjoyed the lame privileges at Alexandria as the 
Macedonians, and were enrolled among the fii It rank of 
inhabitants. Philopator, however, degraded them to the 
third rank, and ordered that at the time of t his enrolment 
the mark of an ivy leaf Ihould be imprelfed on their faces 
with a hot iron ; that this mark Ihould be univerfally 
regarded as a badge-of llavery; and that every perfon, 
wiio prefumed to oppofe the execution of the decree, 
Ihould be put to death. But that lie might not appear 
an enemy to the whole nation, he made an exception in 
favour of thole who Ihould l'acrifice to his idols, pro- 
miling all fuch the enjoyment of their former rank and 
privileges. This fpecious offer was however of fmall 
eff'eft, fince only three hundred individuals out of the 
many thoufands of the Jews wiio relided in Alexandria, 
debafed themfelves by a compliance with tine king’s com¬ 
mand : the others preferred the ignominious badge, or 
purchafing a dear exemption, with all their property. 
Thofe wiio continued fled fait in allegiance to their God, 
exprelfed their abhorrence of their apoftate brethren, by 
excluding them from all manner of communication. This 
being confidered as a contempt of the king’s authority, 
it fo much enraged Ptolemy, that he refolved on the ex¬ 
tirpation of all the Jews, beginning with thole who re- 
fided in Egypt, and then proceeding vvith-equal feverity 
againll the inhabitants of Judea and Jerulalem. Purfuant 
to tit is fanguinary defign, lie can led-all the Jews who dwelt 
in Egypt to be brought in chains to iiis capital, and there 
to be (hut up in the hippodrome, that he might aniufe 
himfeif with the view of their deliruftion. He next com¬ 
manded tiie mailer of the elephants to prepare five hun¬ 
dred of thofe animals for tiie execution of that perfecuted 
people ; and appointed the enfuing morning for the tragical 
cataltrophe of their misfortunes. Thefe orders were accord¬ 
ingly obeyed, and the people affembled in crowds to wit- 
nelsthe cruel .niaflacre ; but tiie king having fat till a late 
hour with iiis debauched companions, was unable to at¬ 
tend tiie dreadful exhibition, and the prifoners confe- 
quently obtained a lliort refpite. Next morning Ptolemy 
was awakened, by iiis own command, for the fame pur- 
pol’e ; but being much inebriated, he threatened tiie per¬ 
fon who fpoke to him witli the effects of his refentment, 
and tiie execution was delayed till the third day. In tiie 
mean time the captive Jews prefented their prayers to 
4. H Almighty 
