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Volume 12 issue 5 April 2012

ANCIENT EGYPT explores the WORLD WIDE WEB ...

THE PTOLEMIES

This month’s NETFISHING continues its look at the history of Egypt by seeing what the World Wide Web has to say about the Ptolemaic Kings of Egypt and their turbulent reigns.

The history of the Ptolemaic Period shows that the Kings (and Queens) were not above murdering their own family members to succeed to the throne and gain ultimate power. Murder seems to be second nature to them and this trait is first displayed by PTOLEMY IV Philopator (221-205 BC) who is said to have murdered his own father (PTOLEMY III) to gain the throne.

He also appears to have been particularly ruthless in eliminating any possible alternative claimants to the throne in that he killed his uncle, his younger brother, and his own mother. He married his own sister Arsinoe (III), but was governed by his mistress, a lady called Agathoclea. Ptolemy IV was bisexual and he established a court of ‘favourites’ which included one Agathocles (the

brother of his mistress Agathoclea). Refer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemy_IV_Philopator

http://www.livius.org/ps-pz/ptolemies/ptolemy_iv_philopator.html

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ptolemy4.htm

http://virtualreligion.net/iho/ptolemy_4.html

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Africa/Egypt/_Texts/BEVHOP/7*.html

http://phouka.com/pharaoh/pharaoh/dynasties/dyn33/04pto4.html

On the death of Ptolemy IV (aged 41) his five-year-old son became king, as PTOLEMY V Epiphanes (205-180 BC). Courtiers Agathocles and Sosibius saw their chance to gain power, killed his mother, Arsinoe III, and appointed themselves as ‘regents’ for the young king. This outraged the general Tlepolemus who rescued the king, and an Alexandrian mob entered the palace and lynched both Agathoclea and her brother Agathocles. Other rulers took advantage of the young king’s inexperience and seized Egypt’s possessions in the Mediterranean. This caused civil unrest at home and so the now twelve-year-old king granted land and tax concessions to the priesthood to ensure their continued support for his reign. One such concession was recorded in three separate scripts: (Hieroglyphs, Demotic and Greek) on the famous ‘Rosetta Stone’ now in the British Museum.

Ptolemy V married Cleopatra (I), the daughter of Antiochus the Great, the King of Syria, and so the name Cleopatra (a Syrian name) enters into the Egyptian family line. Ptolemy V and Cleopatra I had three children, their eldest son becoming PTOLEMY VI Philometer (180-164 BC). Refer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemy_V_Epiphanes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone

http://www.livius.org/ps-pz/ptolemies/ptolemy_v_epiphanes.html

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ptolemyv.htm

http://virtualreligion.net/iho/ptolemy_5.html

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Africa/Egypt/_Texts/BEVHOP/8*.html

http://www.phouka.com/pharaoh/pharaoh/dynasties/dyn33/05ptp5.html

History seems to repeat itself and with the death of Cleopatra I, two courtiers, Eulaeus and Lenaeus appoint themselves as ‘guardians’ of the young Ptolemy VI. They declare war on Antiochus IV of Syria and are duly defeated at the battle of Pelusium in 170 BC. The young king Ptolemy VI is captured by Antiochus IV (his uncle) and held prisoner. Believing their king dead, the Egyptians declare his younger brother and sister King and Queen, and the siblings rule jointly as PTOLEMY Euergetes II and CLEOPATRA II (170-163 BC). Thus there were two claimants to the throne: the newly declared rulers and Ptolemy VI (the prisoner of Antiochus IV). Antiochus appeals to Rome to reinstate his nephew, Ptolemy VI, as King of Egypt, but Rome makes Ptolemy VI only ‘King of Memphis’ whilst they appoint the siblings Ptolemy Euergetes II and Cleopatra II as joint rulers of Alexandria.

Antiochus, however, is not satisfied and he continues to meddle in Egyptian affairs. He finally sends an army to ‘assist’ his nephew which causes Ptolemy Euergetes II and Cleopatra II to appeal to Rome for help – now against Antiochus IV. This brings about a famous event in history to which we still refer today. The Roman Senator Caius Popilius Laenas is duly dispatched to Egypt (with only an honour guard) and he confronts Antiochus and his entire army. Caius Popilius Laenas, whilst talking with Antiochus walks around him and draws a ‘circle in the sand’ with his staff. He tells Antiochus that he has a choice: he can withdraw, or he can ‘cross the line’ and leave the circle, when he will be at war with Rome. Antiochus wisely withdraws and returns with his army to Syria.

Ptolemy Euergetes II (the younger brother) is made King of Cyrenaica (a province on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa), but he is unhappy to have lost the kingship of Egypt. His elder brother Ptolemy VI is restored as King of Egypt on condition he marries his own sister, Cleopatra II. Restored by Roman authority Egypt prospers under his rule. Refer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemy_VI_Philometor

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ptolemy6.htm

http://virtualreligion.net/iho/ptolemy_6.html

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Africa/Egypt/_Texts/BEVHOP/9*.html

http://www.phouka.com/pharaoh/pharaoh/dynasties/dyn33/06pto6.html

Victor Blunden

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