303 
E G 1 
liave married her to Ptolemy with no 'other view than 
that of deftroying the Egyptian monarch, and thereby 
■obtaining an eafy conqueft of his dominions. But the vir¬ 
tuous queen, inviolably attached to-her duty, joined with 
Ptolemy againft Antiochus, and preferred the ties of nup¬ 
tial love to thofe of confapguinity. 
Ptolemy was anxious to conciliate the friendfhip of the 
Achaean republic. Towards the end of his reign he fent 
ambafladors to them, inviting the confederacy to join with 
him in an offenfive and defendve league, promifing them 
a fupply of (hips, money, tliields, &c. This offer was 
accepted, and ambafladors were appointed to renew the 
alliance ; but while they were preparing to depart, news 
arrived of Ptolemy’s death. This dillipated prince, hav- 
hicr cruP.ied the rebellion in Egypt, refolved to quit his 
kingdom in order to carry on a vigorous war againft Se- 
leucus, king of Syria: but as his finances were exhaufted, 
one of his chief officers afked him by what means he de- 
ftened to raife money for the expedition. The king an- 
fvvered, that his friends were his treafure ; in confequence 
■ of which the nobles inferred that he intended to pillage 
them of their fortunes and eftates ; and, to prevent fuch 
aw evil, they contrived to put a period to his life by 
poifon, in the twenty-ninth year of his age, and twenty- 
fourth of his reign. While he acted under the care of 
Ariftomenes, and fubmitted to his directions, he was re¬ 
garded as an excellent and munificent prince ; but after 
the murder of that able man, he funk into the mod abjefit 
ltate of wickednefs, and tarniflied the honour of his youth 
by folly, tyranny, and debauchery. He left two fons, 
Philometor and Phyfcon, both under age, and one daugh¬ 
ter named Cleopatra. 
Ptolemy Philometor, when fix years old, fucceeded his 
father, before Chrift 1S0, under the guardianlbip of the 
queen-mother, who governed the Egyptians for the fpace 
of eight years. Upon her death the regency was trans¬ 
ferred to Lannseus, a nobleman of diftinction, and to Eu- 
Irnus, who was charged with the young king’s education. 
Thefe perfons, in the very beginning of their adminis¬ 
tration, demanded the provinces of Ccelo-Syria and Pa- 
l.eftinelrom Antiochus Epiphanes, who at that time oc¬ 
cupied the throne of Syria. This demand was peremp¬ 
torily rejected, and a war enfued.; in the courfe of which 
Philometor either furrendered himfelf voluntarily to An¬ 
tiochus, or was taken prifoner. The Alexandrians, fup- 
pofing their fovereign irrecoverably loft, raifed his younger 
brother to the throne, who for fo.me time bore tlte name 
of Ptolemy Evergetes the Second, but was afterwards 
difiinguifhed by tlte appellation of Phyfcon, or Great- 
bellied, in confequence of the extreme obelity which re¬ 
sulted from his gluttony and luxury. On his acceffion, 
Cip.eas and Cumanus were nominated to ferve him in the 
capacity of prime-minifters, and were charged with the 
important talk of reftoring the kingdom to its former 
wealth and fplendpr. But, on the return of Antiochus 
Epiphanes into Egypt, Phyfcon was driven from his 
ftation, and Philometor was reftored to his throne and 
dignity. Antiochus, however, defigned to kindle a war 
between the brothers, in order that when their ftrength 
was exhaufted he might feize on their domiirions ; and to 
this end he retained Pelufium in his hands, that he might 
be enabled to enter the country when he pleafed. But 
Philometor, fufpedting his defign, effefted an accommo¬ 
dation with his brother, who embraced a propofal of 
reigning jointly, and of uniting their arms againft the 
treacherous Antiochus. In confequence of this agree¬ 
ment, the king of Syria invaded Egypt with a great ar¬ 
my ; but he was compelled to relinquifli his project, and 
quit the country. 
The royal brothers, being delivered from the appre- 
lienfions of a .foreign enemy, began, as is ufual, to quar¬ 
rel with each other, and their divisions foon role to Inch 
a height, that Phyfcon dethroned Philometor, and com¬ 
pelled him to quit the .kingdom. He embarked for Italy, 
and-landed at Brundufiunij whence lie travelled to Rome 
{ P T. 
on foot, meanly clothed and ill attended, a mode of con¬ 
duct well adapted to raife the companion of the Roman 
fenate. Demetrius fon of Seleucus Philopator, late king 
of Syria, who was then as hoftage at Rome, hearing of 
the arrival of Ptolemy, and of the deplorable condition 
in which he was about to appear in the metropolis of the 
world, caufed a magnificent equipage to be prepared, 
and went with it himfelf to meet him. Finding him on 
foot and covered with duft, he embraced him in the moft 
affefbionate manner, placed a crown upon his head, and 
entreated him to make ufe of the carriage which he 
brought: but Ptolemy refufed the offer of the Syrian, 
and would not even permit him to accompany him during 
the remainder of his journey. Demetrius therefore with¬ 
drew, and Philometor entered Rome in his humble at¬ 
tire, and took up his lodging in the private houfe of an 
Alexandrian painter. The fenate, on his arrival, fent 
for him, and apologized for the omiffion of thofe cere¬ 
monies which were ufual upon fuch an occafion, affuring 
him that it was not from want of refpedt, but merely be- 
caufe his vifit had been kept fo private that they had no 
intelligence of it till after his arrival. He was then re- 
quefted to quit the habit in which he came, to accept of 
more fuitable accommodations, and to fix a day for an 
audience of the fenate. 
Philometor, at the appointed time, preferred himfelf 
before the confcript fathers, B. C. 162 ; and plead¬ 
ed his cauf’e fo powerfully, that the jullice of his com¬ 
plaint was obvious to every auditor, and a decree was 
paffed for his reftoration. Two deputies were ordered to 
attend him to Alexandria, and on their arrival in Egypt 
they fucceeded in negociating an accommodation between 
the brothers; by virtue of which Phyfcon was acknow¬ 
ledged king of Lybia and Cyrene, and Philometor was 
reftored to the government of Egypt and the ifiand of 
Cyprus. This treaty of mutual agreement, though fo- 
lemnly ratified by the cuftomary facrifices, was foon vio¬ 
lated.by Phyfcon, who, being dilfatisfied with his divi- 
fion of territory, fent ambafladors to Rome, requefting 
that the ifiand of Cyprus might be alligned to him. Find¬ 
ing his embaffy unfuccefsful, he went to Rome in per. 
fon, in order to prefs his folicitation ; but Menithyllus 
of Alabanda maintained the oppofite eaufe with great 
ability. Fie reprefented to the fenate, that Phyfcon had 
already received much more than he could reafonably 
have expedted from his injured brother ; that he had 
been protected from the fury of the populace, who fuf- 
pedted him of parricide; and that he had himfelf ac¬ 
ceded to the recent divifion of territory in the prefence 
of the gods ; but that his unbounded ambition had flight¬ 
ed the moft facred bonds, and led him to contemn the fo- 
lenin decree of the confcript'fathers. Thefe aflertions 
were fubftantiated by the ambafladors, who had been fent 
from Rome to negociate the accommodation ; and Phyl- 
con had nothing to anfvver, but that he was compelled, 
by the urgency of his-affairs, to fubniit to the propofal 
of his elder brother, though highly prejudicial to his in- 
tereft. He infifted upon the inequality of the divifion, 
appealed to the equity of the fenate for a favourable de- 
ciiion, and craftily fuggefled that Philometor, by retain¬ 
ing his prefent large dominions, might foon become a 
formidable enemy. This fuggeftion proved cffeftual in 
behalf of the royal fupplicant: for thofe. refined politi¬ 
cians, who would have continued firm on the fide of juf- 
tice, though affailed by all the energy of zeal and the 
enchanting powers of oratory, no fooner recollecled it 
w 7 as for their own advantage that the ftrength cf Egypt 
(hould be divided, than they adjudged the ifiand of Cy¬ 
prus to the younger brother, as an addition to his fiiare, 
in direct oppo/ition to a treaty which had been fo lately 
concluded by their own ambafladors. Two commiflioners 
were therefore fent with Phyfcon to put him in polieflion 
of Cyprus ; but they were commanded to ufe lenient 
methods, and to perfu.de Philometer, if poftible, volun¬ 
tarily to give up the ifiand to his brother. Phyfcon, ar¬ 
riving 
