Ptolemaic dynasty

The Ptolemaic dynasty (/ˌtɒlɪˈmeɪ.ɪk/; Ancient Greek: Πτολεμαῖοι, Ptolemaioi), also known as the Lagid dynasty (Λαγίδαι, Lagidai; after Ptolemy I's father, Lagus), was a Macedonian Greek^{[1][2][3][4][5]} royal house which ruled the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Ancient Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Reigning for 275 years, the Ptolemaic was the longest and last dynasty of ancient Egypt from 305 BC until its incorporation into the Roman Republic in 30 BC.^[6][7]

Ptolemies Πτολεμαῖοι
Royal house
The Eagle of Zeus was the traditional symbol of Ptolemaic Egypt
Country	Ancient Egypt, Ancient Macedonia, Ancient Rome
Founded	305 BC
Founder	Ptolemy I Soter
Final ruler	Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XV (Egypt) Ptolemy XVI (Syria) Ptolemy of Mauretania (Mauretania Caesariensis)
Final head	Drusilla
Titles	Pharaoh Basileus of Egypt King of Macedonia King of Mauretania Caesariensis King of Syria King of Cyrene
Dissolution	AD 79
Deposition	279 BC (Macedon) 30 BC (Egypt) AD 40 (Mauretania)

Ptolemy, a general and one of the somatophylakes (bodyguard companions) of Alexander the Great, was appointed satrap of Egypt after Alexander's death in 323 BC. In 305 BC he declared himself Pharaoh Ptolemy I, later known as Sōter "Saviour". The Egyptians soon accepted the Ptolemies as the successors to the pharaohs of independent Egypt.^[a] The new dynasty showed respect to local traditions and adopted the Egyptian titles and iconography, while also preserving their own Greek language and culture.^[8][6] The Ptolemaic period was marked by the intense interactions and blending of the Greek and Egyptian cultures.^[9] Under the Ptolemies, Hellenistic religion was largely shaped by religious syncretism and imperial cult.^[10][11] Elements of Greek education became widespread in urban spaces, culminating in the foundation of the Mouseion (including the Library of Alexandria) and the Serapeum.^[12] During the Hellenistic period, the city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great, would gradually surpass Athens taking its place as the intellectual centre of the Mediterranean world.^[13]

To emulate the previous dynasties of Egypt, the Ptolemaic dynasty eventually adopted the practice of inbreeding including sibling marriage;^[14] this did not start in earnest until nearly a century into the dynasty's history.^[15] All the male rulers of the dynasty took the name Ptolemy, while queens regnant were all called Cleopatra, Arsinoe, or Berenice. The most famous member of the line was the last queen, Cleopatra VII, known for her role in the Roman political battles between Julius Caesar and Pompey, and later between Octavian and Mark Antony. Her apparent suicide after the Roman conquest of Egypt marked the end of Ptolemaic rule in Egypt.^[16]

Rulers and consorts

• Ptolemy I Soter (303–282 BC)^[17] married first Thaïs, then Artakama, then Eurydice, and finally Berenice I
• Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BC)^[18] married Arsinoe I, then Arsinoe II; ruled jointly with Ptolemy Epigonos (267–259 BC)
• Ptolemy III Euergetes (246–221 BC) married Berenice II
• Ptolemy IV Philopator (221–203 BC) married Arsinoe III
• Ptolemy V Epiphanes (203–181 BC) married Cleopatra I Syra
• Ptolemy VI Philometor (181–164 BC, 163–145 BC) married Cleopatra II, briefly ruled jointly with Ptolemy Eupator in 152 BC
• Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator (possibly never reigned)
• Ptolemy VIII Physcon (170–163 BC, 145–116 BC) married Cleopatra II, then Cleopatra III; temporarily expelled from Alexandria by Cleopatra II from 131 to 127 BC, then reconciled with her in 124 BC.
• Cleopatra II Philometor Soteira (131–127 BC), in opposition to Ptolemy VIII Physcon
• Ptolemy Apion (c. 120–96 BC), son of Ptolemy VIII. Last Ptolemaic king of Cyrene.
• Cleopatra III Philometor Soteira Dikaiosyne Nikephoros (Kokke) (116–101 BC) ruled jointly with Ptolemy IX Lathyros (116–107 BC) and Ptolemy X Alexander I (107–101 BC)
• Ptolemy IX Lathyros (116–107 BC, 88–81 BC as Soter II) married Cleopatra IV, then Cleopatra Selene; ruled jointly with Cleopatra III in his first reign
• Ptolemy X Alexander I (107–88 BC) married Cleopatra Selene, then Berenice III; ruled jointly with Cleopatra III till 101 BC
• Berenice III Philopator (81–80 BC)
• Ptolemy XI Alexander II (80 BC) married and ruled jointly with Berenice III before murdering her; ruled alone for 19 days after that.
• Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos (Auletes) (80–58 BC, 55–51 BC) married Cleopatra V Tryphaena
• Cleopatra VI Tryphaena (58–57 BC) ruled jointly with Berenice IV Epiphaneia (58–55 BC), possibly identical with Cleopatra V Tryphaena^[19]
• Cleopatra ("Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator", 51–30 BC) ruled jointly with Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator (51–47 BC), Ptolemy XIV (47–44 BC) and Ptolemy XV Caesarion (44–30 BC).
• Arsinoe IV (48–47 BC), in opposition to Cleopatra
• Ptolemy of Mauretania (13 or 9 BC–AD 40) Client king and ruler of Mauretania for Rome

Dates in brackets on the Cup of the Ptolemies represent the regnal dates of the Ptolemaic pharaohs. They frequently ruled jointly with their wives, who were often also their sisters, aunts or cousins. Several queens exercised regal authority. Of these, one of the last and most famous was Cleopatra ("Cleopatra VII Philopator", 51–30 BC), with her two brothers and her son serving as successive nominal co-rulers. Several systems exist for numbering the later rulers; the one used here is the one most widely employed by modern scholars.

Family tree

Ptolemaic family tree

Lagus of Eordea, Macedon Arsinoe of Macedon Ptolemy I Soter (Kg 303–282 BC) Berenice I Philip Arsinoe II Ptolemy II Philadelphus (Kg. 285–246 BC) Arsinoe I Magas of Cyrene Apama II Ptolemy III Euergetes (Kg. 246–221 BC) Berenice II Ptolemy IV Philopator (Kg. 221–203 BC) Arsinoe III Ptolemy V Epiphanes (Kg. 203–181 BC) Cleopatra I Syra Ptolemy VI Philometor (Kg. 181–164 BC, 163–145 BC) Cleopatra II (Qn. 131–127 BC) Ptolemy VIII Physcon (Kg. 170–163 BC, 145–116 BC) Eirene Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Cleopatra III (Qn, 116–101 BC) Ptolemy Memphites Ptolemy Apion Cleopatra IV Ptolemy IX Lathyros (Kg. 116–107 BC, as Soter II 88–81 BC) Cleopatra Selene Ptolemy X Alexander I (Kg. 107–88 BC) Ptolemy XII Auletes (Kg. 80–58 BC, 55–51 BC) Berenice III (Qn. 81–80 BC) Ptolemy XI Alexander II (Kg. 80 BC, for 19 days) Cleopatra V (Qn. 58–55 BC) Cleopatra VI (Qn. 58 BC) Berenice IV (Qn. 58–55 BC) Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator (Kg. 51–47 BC) Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (Qn. 51–30 BC) Ptolemy XIV (Kg. 47–44 BC) Arsinoe IV (Qn. 48–47 BC) Julius Caesar Mark Antony Ptolemy XV Caesarion (Kg. 44–30 BC) Alexander Helios Ptolemy Philadelphus Cleopatra Selene II Ptolemy of Mauretania

Detailed Ptolemaic family tree

Antipater Lagus Arsinoe of Macedon Eurydice Ptolemy I Soter (Kg 303–282 BC) Berenice I (∞ Philip ↓ Magas of Cyrene ∞ Apama II ↓ See below: Berenice II) Lysimachus Lysandra Ptolemais Ptolemy Ceraunus Arsinoe II Ptolemy II Philadelphus (Kg. 285–246 BC) Arsinoe I Berenice II of Egypt (daughter of Magas of Cyrene, see above: Berenice I) Ptolemy III Euergetes (Kg. 246–221 BC) Berenice Syra Antiochus III the Great Arsinoe III Ptolemy IV Philopator (Kg. 221–203 BC) Cleopatra I Syra Ptolemy V Epiphanes (Kg. 203–181 BC) Ptolemy VI Philometor (Kg. 181–164 BC, 163-145 BC) Cleopatra II (Qn. 131–127 BC) Ptolemy VIII Physcon (Kg. 170–163 BC, 145–116 BC) Eirene ? Ptolemy Eupator Cleopatra Thea Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Cleopatra III (Qn, 116–101 BC) Ptolemy Memphites Ptolemy Apion Cleopatra Tryphaena Cleopatra IV Ptolemy IX Lathyros (Kg. 116–107 BC, as Soter II 88–81 BC) Cleopatra V Selene Ptolemy X Alexander I (Kg. 107–88 BC) ? Berenice III (Qn. 81–80 BC) Ptolemy XI Alexander II (Kg. 80 BC, for 19 days) Ptolemy of Cyprus Ptolemy XII Auletes (Kg. 80–58 BC, 55–51 BC) Cleopatra VI (Qn. 58 BC) Berenice IV (Qn. 58–55 BC) Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator (Kg. 51–47 BC) Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (Qn. 51–30 BC) Ptolemy XIV (Kg. 47–44 BC) Arsinoe IV (Qn. 48–47 BC) Julius Caesar Mark Antony Ptolemy XV Caesarion (Kg. 44–30 BC) Alexander Helios Cleopatra Selene II Juba II of Mauretania Ptolemy Philadelphus Ptolemy of Mauretania

Other notable members of the Ptolemaic dynasty

A seated woman in a fresco from the Roman Villa Boscoreale, dated mid-1st century BC. It likely represents Berenice II of Ptolemaic Egypt wearing a stephane (i.e. royal diadem) on her head.^[20]

• Ptolemy Keraunos (died 279 BC) – eldest son of Ptolemy I Soter. Eventually became king of Macedonia.
• Ptolemy Apion (died 96 BC) – son of Ptolemy VIII Physcon. Made king of Cyrenaica. Bequeathed Cyrenaica to Rome.
• Ptolemy Philadelphus (born 36 BC) – son of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII.
• Ptolemy of Mauretania (died 40 AD) – son of King Juba II of Numidia and Mauretania and Cleopatra Selene II, daughter of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony. King of Mauretania.
• Ptolemy II of Telmessos, grandson of Ptolemy Epigonos, flourished second half of 3rd century BC and first half of 2nd century BC
• Ptolemy of Cyprus, king of Cyprus c. 80–58 BC, younger brother of Ptolemy XII Auletes

Health

See also: Incest § Antiquity, and Inbreeding § Royalty and nobility

Cameo of Ptolemaic rulers (Kunsthistorisches Museum)

Continuing the tradition established by previous Egyptian dynasties, the Ptolemies engaged in inbreeding including sibling marriage, with many of the pharaohs being married to their siblings and often co-ruling with them.^[21] Ptolemy I and other early rulers of the dynasty were not married to their relatives, the childless marriage of siblings Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II^[22] being an exception. The first child-producing incestuous marriage in the Ptolemaic dynasty was that of Ptolemy IV and Arsinoe III, who were succeeded as co-pharaohs by their son Ptolemy V, born 210 BC. The best-known Ptolemaic pharaoh, Cleopatra VII, was at different times married to and ruled with two of her brothers (Ptolemy XIII until 47 BC and then Ptolemy XIV until 44 BC), and their parents were also likely to have been siblings or possibly cousins.^[15]

The Gonzaga Cameo of Ptolemy II Philadelphus and Arsinoe II from Alexandria (Hermitage Museum)

Contemporaries describe a number of the Ptolemaic dynasty members as extremely obese,^[23] while sculptures and coins reveal prominent eyes and swollen necks. Familial Graves' disease could explain the swollen necks and eye prominence (exophthalmos), although this is unlikely to occur in the presence of morbid obesity. This is all likely due to inbreeding depression. In view of the familial nature of these findings, members of the Ptolemaic dynasty are likely to have suffered from a multi-organ fibrotic condition such as Erdheim–Chester disease, or a familial multifocal fibrosclerosis where thyroiditis, obesity and ocular proptosis may have all occurred concurrently.^[24]

Gallery

• 
  Ptolemy I, founder of the dynasty.
• 
  Ptolemy II
• 
  Ptolemy III
• 
  Ptolemy IV
• 
  Ptolemy V
• 
  Ptolemy VI
• 
  Cleopatra II (right)
• 
  Ptolemy VIII
• 
  Ptolemy IX
• 
  Ptolemy X
• 
  Ptolemy XI
• 
  Ptolemy XII
• 
  Ptolemy XIII and Sekhmet
• 
  Ptolemy XIV
• 
  Cleopatra VII
• 
  Ptolemy XV, commonly called Caesarion.
• 
  Sardonyx cameo of a Ptolemaic prince as the Greek god Hermes, Cabinet des médailles, Paris.
• 
  Posthumous portrait of Cleopatra VII, from Roman Herculaneum, mid-1st century AD.^[25][26]
• 
  The Cup of the Ptolemies: front (top) of the cup (Cabinet des Médailles)
• 
  The Cup of the Ptolemies: back (bottom) of the cup (Cabinet des Médailles)

See also

• Ancient Egypt portal
• Egypt portal
• History portal

• Argead dynasty, another Greek dynasty in Egypt which ruled immediately prior to the Ptolemies
• Donations of Alexandria
• Hellenistic period
• History of ancient Egypt
• List of pharaohs § Ptolemaic Dynasty
• List of Seleucid rulers
• On Weights and Measures, which contains a chronology of the Ptolemies
• Ptolemaic Decrees
• Roman pharaohs

References

1. As such, in modern times they are sometimes called the Thirty-third (XXXIII) Dynasty in the context of Ancient Egyptian history

1. Jones 2006, p. xiii: "They were members of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Macedonian Greeks, who ruled Egypt after the death of its conqueror, Alexander the Great".
2. Jeffreys 2005, p. 488: "Ptolemaic kings were still crowned at Memphis and the city was popularly regarded as the Egyptian rival to Alexandria, founded by the Macedonian Greeks".
3. Robins 2001, p. 108: "...Cleopatra VII, the last member of the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty to govern Egypt. Although the Ptolemies were not only Greek by origin but also by culture, they adopted from the Egyptians the custom of royal brother-sister marriage".
4. Southern 2009, p. 43: "The Ptolemaic dynasty, of which Cleopatra was the last representative (...) stemmed from Ptolemy Soter, a Macedonian Greek in the entourage of Alexander the Great".
5. Depuydt 2005, p. 687: "during the Ptolemaic period, when Egypt was governed by rulers of Greek descent..."; Pomeroy 1990, p. xvi: "...while Ptolemaic Egypt was a monarchy with a Greek ruling class"
6. Jones 2006, p. 3.
7. Epiphanius of Salamis, however, puts the total number of years of the Ptolemaic dynasty at 306, presumably calculated from 306/5 BC to 1 AD. See: Epiphanius' Treatise on Weights and Measures – The Syriac Version (ed. James Elmer Dean), University of Chicago Press 1935, p. 28 (note 104). Compare On Weights and Measures.
8. Southern 2009, pp. 43–44.
9. Rutherford 2016, p. 4: "The second [phase of relationship between Greek and Egyptian culture] begins when Egypt is taken over by a Greek-speaking elite in the last decades of the fourth century. From then on, the two cultures coexisted, which inevitably resulted in interactions and mutual influence between them".
10. Potter 2009, p. 419.
11. Carney 2013, pp. 95–100, "Cults".
12. Holbl 2001, p. 84.
13. Jones 2006, p. 10.
14. Robins 2001, p. 108: "...they adopted from the Egyptians the custom of royal brother-sister marriage".
15. Move over, Lannisters: No one did incest and murder like the last pharaohs on The A.V. Club
16. "Cleopatra the Great: Last Power of the Ptolemaic Dynasty". ARCE. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
17. Wasson, Donald (February 3, 2012). "Ptolemy I". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
18. Tunny, Jennifer(2001)The Health of Ptolemy II Philadelphus. The Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists/ Vol.38(1/4), pp.119–134
19. W. Huß, Ägypten in hellenistischer Zeit (Egypt in Hellenistic times). C. H. Beck, Munich 2001, p. 679
20. Pfrommer, Michael; Towne-Markus, Elana (2001). Greek Gold from Hellenistic Egypt. Los Angeles: Getty Publications (J. Paul Getty Trust). ISBN 0-89236-633-8, pp. 22–23.
21. Walter Scheidel (September 1996). "Brother-sister and parent-child marriage outside royal families in ancient Egypt and Iran: A challenge to the sociobiological view of incest avoidance?". Ethology and Sociobiology. 17 (5): 321. doi:10.1016/S0162-3095(96)00074-X.
22. Ptolemy II "Philadelphus" on Encyclopædia Britannica
23. Michalopoulos, A.; Tzelepis, G.; Geroulanos, S. (2003). ""Morbid obesity and hypersomnolence in several members of an ancient royal family"". Thorax. 58 (3): 281–282. doi:10.1136/thorax.58.3.281-b. PMC 1746609. PMID 12612315.
24. Ashrafian, Hutan (2005). "Familial proptosis and obesity in the Ptolemies". J. R. Soc. Med. 98 (2): 85–86. doi:10.1177/014107680509800224. PMC 1079400. PMID 15684370.
25. Walker, Susan; Higgs, Peter (2001), "Painting with a portrait of a woman in profile", in Walker, Susan; Higgs, Peter (eds.), Cleopatra of Egypt: from History to Myth, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press (British Museum Press), pp. 314–315, ISBN 9780691088358.
26. Fletcher, Joann (2008). Cleopatra the Great: The Woman Behind the Legend. New York: Harper. ISBN 978-0-06-058558-7, image plates and captions between pp. 246-247.

Sources

• Carney, Elizabeth (2013). Arsinoe of Egypt and Macedon, A Royal Life. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195365511.
• Jones, Prudence (2006). Cleopatra: A Sourcebook. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 9780806137414.
• Pomeroy, Sarah (1990). Women in Hellenistic Egypt, From Alexander to Cleopatra. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 9780814322307.
• Southern, Patricia (2009) [2007]. Antony and Cleopatra: The Doomed Love Affair That United Ancient Rome and Egypt. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 9781848683242.
• Potter, David (2009). "Hellenistic religion". In Erskine, Andrew (ed.). A Companion to the Hellenistic World. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1405154413.
• Holbl, Gunther (2001). "Ptolemaic period". In Redford, Donald (ed.). Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195138236.
• Jeffreys, David (2005) [1999]. "Memphis". In Bard, Kathryn (ed.). Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt. Routledge. ISBN 1134665253.
• Depuydt, Leo (2005) [1999]. "Rosseta Stone". In Bard, Kathryn (ed.). Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt. Routledge. ISBN 1134665253.
• Robins, Gay (2001). "Queens". In Redford, Donald (ed.). Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195138236.
• Rutherford, Ian (2016). Greco-Egyptian Interactions: Literature, Translation, and Culture, 500 BCE-300 CE. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199656127.

Further reading

• Bingen, Jean. Hellenistic Egypt. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007 (hardcover, ISBN 0-7486-1578-4; paperback, ISBN 0-7486-1579-2).
• Roberta Casagrande-Kim, ed. (2014). When the Greeks Ruled Egypt: From Alexander the Great to Cleopatra. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691165547.
• A. Lampela, Rome and the Ptolemies of Egypt: The development of their political relations 273–80 B.C. (Helsinki, 1998).
• J. G. Manning, The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305–30 BC (Princeton, 2009).
• Susan Stephens, Seeing Double: Intercultural Poetics in Ptolemaic Alexandria (Berkeley, 2002).

External links

• Livius.org: "Ptolemies" Archived 2014-09-06 at the Wayback Machine—by Jona Lendering