304 
e g y p t; 
riving in Greece, on his way to Cyprus, raifed a'great 
number of mercenaries, with a defign to enlarge Iris ter¬ 
ritories by force ; but, on the remonftrance of the am- 
balfadors, he difmiffed his forces and returned to Lybia, 
while one of the deputies proceeded to Alexandria. 
1 he defign of the ambaffadors was to bring the two 
brothers to an interview on the frontiers of their domi¬ 
nions, and there to effect an amicable compromife agree¬ 
ably to the orders o.f the fenate; but Torquatus, on his 
arrival at Alexandria, found Philometor much averfe to 
the requeft of the fenate. He did not, indeed, abfohitely 
refufe to fubmit to its decifion, but, confenting to fome- 
things, and objecting againft others, lengthened the dif- 
cufiion without coming to any determination. Phyfcon, 
receiving no intelligence, became impatient, and lent 
Merula, the other ambaffador, alfo to the Alexandrian 
court, hoping that both the deputies would prevail on 
Ptolemy to comply with the exprefs orders of the fenate. 
Philometor, however, Hill oblerved the fame conduft, 
treating the ambaffadors with great kindnefs, and enter¬ 
taining them in the rnoft fumptuous manner for forty 
days fuccelfively, without giving them a decifive anfwer ; 
and, when he found they would no longer be put off, he 
plainly told them that he would accede to no other treaty 
than that which had already been ratified between him., 
felf and Phyfcon. 
The Cyreneans, in the mean time, conceived fo ftrong' 
an averfion againft Phyfcon, that they determined to keep 
him out of their country by force of arms. Phyfcon im¬ 
mediately haftened to Cyrene with all his forces, but 
was overthrown by the i[landers. Being, thus involved 
in great difficulties, he fent two ambaffadors to Rome, to 
renew his complaints againft bis brother ; in c.onfequence 
of which the fenate declared in his favour, and exprdfed 
their refentment againft Philometor, by renouncing his 
alliance, and commanding his ambaffadors to leave the 
city. Phyfcon having in the mean time fubdued his re¬ 
bellious fubjetts, eftablilhed him felf in Cyrene ; but his 
vicious condudt foon eftranged the minds of the Cy¬ 
reneans to fuch a degree, that feveral confpirators 
vowed his deftruction, and falling upon him one night 
as lie returned from the palace, wounded him in feveral 
places, and left him for dead. This outrage was imme¬ 
diately attributed to Philometcr, and Phyfcon repaired 
with all poflible fpeed to Rome to lay his grievances be¬ 
fore the fenate, and to {hew them the fears of his wounds. 
Though Philometor was well known fo be a generous 
and humane prince, and mod unlikely to have counte¬ 
nanced a flafll nation, yet the confcript fathers encouraged 
the accufation,. and carried their prejudices to fuch a 
jieight, that they actually refufed to hear Philometor’s 
ambaffadors in refutation of the charge. At the fame 
time they appointed five cominiffioriers to condudt Phyf¬ 
con into Cyprus, and to put him in polTeffion of that ifiand, 
enjoining all their allies in thole parts to fupply him with 
forces for that purpole. Phyfcon, thus encouraged by 
the Romans, aflembled a numerous army, and effected 
his landing in Cyprus, B. C. 157; but, being there en¬ 
gaged by Philometor in perfon,. his forces were defeat¬ 
ed, and he was obliged to {belter himfelf in the city of 
Lapitho, where he was befieged and taken prifoner. Phi¬ 
lometor, on this occafion, gave a high proof of his gene- 
rofity. Inftead of treating his turbulent brother with 
that feverity which his actions deferved, he indulged 
him with free forgivenefs, reftored to him Lybia and Cy¬ 
rene, affigned him fome other territories in lieu of Cy¬ 
prus, and promifed him his daughter in marriage. This 
unexampled clemency put an end to the war; and the 
Romans could no.longeroppofe a prince whofe goodnefs 
of difpofition had gained him the affection of all the 
neighbouring nations. 
Philometor, on his return to Alexandria, entrufted the 
government of Cyprus to a man of the name of Archias, 
before Chrift 145, who perfidioully agreed, after the king’s 
departure, to deliver up the ifiand ^o Demetrius king of 
Syria. His treachery was, however,, di[covered, and Ar- 
chias, to avoid a public punifhment, became his own exe¬ 
cutioner. Ptolemy, in the mean time, determined to re¬ 
venge himfelf upon Demetrius, and accordingly joined 
the kings of Pergamus and Cappadocia in fetting up 
Alexander Balas as a pretender to his crown. This de¬ 
fign was attended with fuccefs, and Alexander was not 
only placed on the throne of Syria, but received the 
daughter of Philometor in marriage: yet, notwithstand¬ 
ing thefe favours, the new monarch entered into a plot 
againft; his benefactor, and Ptolemy, who confequently 
became bis greateft enemy,-marched againft him and de¬ 
feated his army near Antioch, but was'mortally wounded 
in this engagement, and died on the fifth day after his vic¬ 
tory. This prince was of an amiable difpofition, and is 
highly commended for his clemency and good-nature. 
He afiumed the name of Philometor, to teftify his grati¬ 
tude to his mother for her prudent adminiftration during 
his minority. He permitted the Jews to build a temple 
in Egypt; and he is faid to have received front Arifto- 
bolus, an Alexandrian Jew, a commentary on the Penta¬ 
teuch. 
Cleopatra queen of Egypt, on the deceafe of her royal 
confort, before Chrift 14c, endeavoured to fecure the fuc- 
ceffion for her fon, being fupportea in that defign by fome 
of the principal lords ; but others declaring for Phyfcon, 
fent ambaffadors to invite him to Alexandria. The queen 
immediately took the moll -prudent meafures for her fafe- 
ty, and engaged a numerous army to efpoufe her canfe. 
But, previoufiy to the commencement of hoftilities, a 
compromife was effected between the parties by the Ro¬ 
man ambaffador, who propofed that Phyfcon fhould marry 
Cleopatra, and reign jointly with her during his life ; but 
at the fame time declare her fon by Philometor next heir 
to the crowd. Thefe terms were embraced; but Phyf¬ 
con had no fooner obtained the kingdom by his marriage, 
than he murdered the young prince in his mother’s arms. 
This monarch, as we have'already obferved, was com¬ 
monly called Phyfcon, on account of his corpulency; but 
the name which he afiumed was Evergetes, or the Bene, 
fadtor : this, was changed by his fu'jects into Kakergetes, 
or the Evil Doer ; for lie was the molt cruel, wicked, and 
defpicable, of the Ptolemies who fwayed the Egyptian 
feep're. He was no fooner eftablifhed in the kingdom, 
than he caufed all perfons to be put to death who had 
lamented the fate of the young prince ; and exercifed 
the mod wanton cruelties upon the Jews for no other 
reafon than their adherence to Cleopatra. In the fecond 
year of his reign his queen brought him a fon, whom he 
called Memphitis, from fome particular ceremonies which 
he was performing at the time of the child’s birth in the 
city of Memphis. On his return to Alexandria, he ba- 
niflied all thofe who had been brought up with Philome¬ 
tor, and, without the leaf! provocation, gave permifiion to 
the foreigners who compofed his guard, to plunder and 
malfacre the inhabitants at their pleafure ; in confequence 
of which the ftreets were deluged with the blood of the 
innocent citizens ; and thole who efcaped the {laughter 
fled into other countries, leaving their native land in a 
manner defolate. A.fter this.unparalleled barbarity, Phyf¬ 
con invited ftrangers to re-people the place, giving them 
the habitations of the wretched fugitives, and admitting 
them to all the rights and privileges of the former citi¬ 
zens. As there were among thofe who had emigrated 
on this occafion many philofophers, phylicians, and maf- 
ters of the liberal arts and fciences, literature, was by 
their means, revived in Greece, Afia Minor, the iflands 
of the Archipelago, and in ether places where they form¬ 
ed their new fettlements. The fanguinary wars which 
had been carried on for a confiderable number of years 
among the fuccelfors of Alexander, had almoft annihi¬ 
lated learning in thofe parts ; but the unfortunate Alex¬ 
andrians, by ereiting fchools, and undertaking the tui¬ 
tion of youth for a fmall lalary, revived the fever.il 
branches, of learning, which would certainly have been 
