Ptolemy XII - Cleopatra's father Cleopatra's father was Ptolemy XII, New Dionysus, Philopator, Philadelphus. In the last months of his life, he reigned together with his eldest daughter, Cleopatra. This king had six children. The eldest was also called Cleopatra, and she did not live long (in 58-57).

Husband and brother Ptolemy XIV A few days after Caesar declared the end of the war, he announced his decision on how he saw the future of Egypt. This decision was expected and feared. It could bring such changes that would entail a complete loss

Ptolemy was distinguished by curiosity and, due to bodily weakness, was constantly looking for new entertainment and amusements. Aelian claims that illness made Ptolemy II the most educated man. During his reign, Egypt often fought wars, but it was the generals and naval commanders of Ptolemy who fought. It was only during an expedition up the Nile that Ptolemy II himself went to war.

Soon, as head of state, Ptolemy faced new upheavals in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean. In 281 BC. e. the last two surviving leaders of Alexander's generation, both old men in their eighties, Seleucus and Lysimachus, entered their main battle. Lysimachus fell, and there were no obvious opponents left between Seleucus and the supreme power that Alexander possessed. The situation was threatening for young Ptolemy. His half-brother Ptolemy Keraunus was on the side of Seleucus, and, of course, Seleucus could support his claim to the Egyptian throne. Then, when Ptolemy Keraunus killed Seleucus at the Dardanelles, everything suddenly plunged into confusion. This eased the situation for the Egyptian king. The main danger was Seleucus, and now the ambition of Ptolemy Keraunus turned away from Egypt and turned to Macedonia. Arsinoe, the widow of Lysimachus, sister of Ptolemy II and Ptolemy's half-sister Keraunus, was still in Macedonia and decided to secure the empty throne for her infant son. However, Keraun managed to surpass her in cunning and ferocity. First he married her, then he killed her child, the son of Lysimachus. Arsinoe took refuge in the Samothrace sanctuary. But here a new and frightening difficulty arose - the invasion of crowds of wild Galatians (Gauls) from beyond the Balkans into Macedonia, Greece and Asia Minor. Ptolemy Keraunus died during this barbarian invasion (280 BC). A period of unrest began in Macedonia, during which another son of old Ptolemy, Meleager, sat on the royal throne for two months, but then disappeared again into darkness. Antipater, another contender for the throne of Macedonia, who occupied it for 45 days, after the overthrow took refuge in Alexandria; there he was known by the nickname Etesius (the wind that blows forty-five days). Finally, Antigonus Gonatus seems to have managed to conclude some kind of friendship agreement with Ptolemy. The Macedonian king was in dire need of conditions that could help strengthen his power in Macedonia; a ruinous war with Egypt would be detrimental to the accomplishment of this task. In turn, Ptolemy II did not yet want to see an enemy in Macedonia, considering the problems of domination in the East pressing for himself. Only such relationships can explain Antigonus’ “gift” of 4,000 Galatians to Ptolemy for military service in Egypt.

In Asia Minor and Northern Syria, Antiochus I, son of Seleucus, managed to take the royal throne of his father, although he could assert his power in Asia Minor only in conflict with other new powers - local principalities, Persian dynasties, the Greek state centered in Pergamon and nomadic hordes Galatians Eventually, after half a century of turmoil following the death of Alexander, a relatively stable group of powers emerged in the Eastern Mediterranean - the Antigone dynasty ruled in Macedonia; in Northern Syria, most of Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, Babylonia and Persia - the Seleucus dynasty; in other parts of Asia Minor - new local dynasties; in Egypt, Palestine, Cyrene and Cyprus - the Ptolemaic dynasty. In Greece itself, on the islands and coasts of the Aegean Sea, the Bosphorus and the Black Sea, the old Greek poleis still retained one or another degree of freedom, depending on the circumstances that gave them the opportunity to postpone the need to submit to any monarchical power.

Active political and military operations took place between all these states throughout the reign of Ptolemy II. Hellenistic Egypt was at the height of its power and glory. However, historical sources that could tell us what this king, his military leaders and ambassadors did have not been preserved. Only through fragmentary mentions in the works of later authors, random references and a few isolated inscriptions can we try to describe the events that took place at that time.

Because of the Ptolemaic ambitions to expand their dominions beyond Egypt to parts of Asia, to have command of the sea and to successfully intervene in the politics of the Greek world, they could not avoid being drawn into foreign affairs. For some time, between and 269 BC. e. The policy of the Alexandrian court was governed by a stronger will than that possessed by Ptolemy II. His sister Arsinoe, having lost the slightest prospect of becoming queen of Macedonia, arrived in Egypt, perhaps with clear intentions of becoming queen in her father's house. There was already a queen in Egypt, another Arsinoe, daughter of Lysimachus and wife of Ptolemy II. However, this was not an obstacle for such a powerful and intelligent woman as Arsinoe, the daughter of Ptolemy I, who went through an excellent school of intrigue at the court of Lysimachus. She was still in Macedonia, several years earlier, and swept Agathocles out of her way, forcing her father to kill him on false charges. Another Arsinoe managed to give birth to her husband three children - two sons, Ptolemy and Lysimachus, and a daughter Berenice. Now she has been accused of conspiracy and attempted murder of her husband. Two of her alleged accomplices - a certain Amyntas and a Rhodian named Chrysippus, her doctor, were put to death, and the queen herself was expelled to Upper Egyptian Koptos (there is a memorial stele of the Egyptian Sennuhrud, where he says that he was her servant and rebuilt for her decorated the sanctuary).

Having thus got rid of Arsinoe, the daughter of Lysimachus, Arsinoe, the daughter of Ptolemy I, took her brother as her husband and became the Egyptian queen. The marriage of half-brother and sister was previously something unheard of in the Greek world, although quite common among the Egyptians and consistent with Pharaonic tradition. Many were shocked. Arsinoe was about forty at the time; in any case, she was eight years older than her brother-husband. The Greek Sotad, the famous author of indecent poetry at that time, spoke in rude terms about this marriage as incest. According to one fragment of the work of Athenaeus, the poet fled from Alexandria immediately after reading his poems, but was captured by the king's naval commander Patroclus off the Carian coast and thrown into the sea in a lead coffin.

Arsinoe accepted, or was given the nickname Philadelphia ("Loving Brother"). She probably no longer hoped to give birth to more children and, most likely, adopted her husband’s children from another Arsinoe. Apparently, the Greek world understood that the course that the Egyptian court henceforth followed in international politics was directed by the firm hand of Arsinoe Philadelphia. What Ptolemy himself thought about all this, no one will ever know. After Arsinoe's death, he expressed his devotion to her in every possible way, but this proves little. Even if he did not have loving feelings for his sister, he could sincerely mourn the loss of her powerful guiding mind. It is possible that the marriage union of Arsinoe and Ptolemy II was needed not only by Arsinoe, but also by the king of Egypt himself, who hoped through this marriage to acquire “legal” rights to the legacy of Lysimachus - to those vast territories where Arsinoe was once an unlimited ruler.

If we are guided by a brief summary of events contained in the work of Pausanias, then it was under the harsh regime of Arsinoe of Philadelphia that inconvenient members of the royal family began to be eliminated. Ptolemy's brother Argeus was put to death on charges of conspiracy against the king. When Arsinoe was in charge, no one knew whether the accusations were true or fabricated. Then another half-brother, the son of Eurydice (we are not given his name) was accused of inciting unrest in Cyprus and executed. Demetrius of Phalerum, the old adviser to Ptolemy I Soter, after the death of the latter, also fell out of favor and was taken into custody, pending clarification and a special decision. The reason for this was that he at one time advised Ptolemy Lagus to give the throne into the hands of his eldest son Ptolemy Keraunus. So he lived out his life in a decline in mental strength, until during his sleep a poisonous snake bit him in the hand and he gave up the ghost.

The great dangers and disasters that befell Greece and Asia Minor almost did not affect Egypt at all. At the beginning of his reign, Ptolemy II turned all his efforts to using the difficulties of his rivals for the benefit of Egypt. Since 301 BC. e. Egypt laid claim to Coelesyria, with its rich cities and important strategic location. But here the Ptolemies met the unyielding determination of the Seleucids to keep Coelesyria behind them. Therefore, only the weakening of the position of Antiochus Soter in the international arena in the first years of his reign suggests that the Egitians had the opportunity to strengthen themselves in Coelesyria. Probably in the spring of 276 BC. e. it came to a real war when Ptolemy, according to a Babylonian cuneiform inscription, invaded Syria. Modern historians called it the “First Syrian War”. Its history is impossible to compose. An unclear beam of light only picks out individual fragments here and there. Pausanias briefly states: We have, unfortunately, only two contemporary references to the actions taken by Ptolemy: one hieroglyphic inscription from Sais, mainly consisting of traditional phrases inherited from the time of the Pharaonic invasions of Asia, and the other - an excerpt from the poem of Theocritus, composed in order to earn favor in Alexandria.

The stele erected by the priests at Sais says that Ptolemy "took tribute from the cities of Asia" that he punished the nomads of Asia, cut off many heads and shed streams of blood, that his enemies in vain arrayed innumerable warships, cavalry and chariots against him, “more numerous than those owned by the princes of Arabia and Phenicia” that he celebrated his triumph with festivals and that the crown of Egypt rested firmly on his head. Whatever the outcome of military operations outside Egypt, the priests would still describe them in approximately the same terms. And Theocritus, extolling the greatness of Egypt, in his 17th idyll writes the following:

Theocritus's silence about Egyptian rule in Ionia in the late 270s BC is incomprehensible. e. It is difficult to imagine that Egypt did not try to take possession of this area of ​​Asia Minor, one of the richest parts of the former power of Lysimachus. Miletus, then still a significant port on the coast of Asia Minor, apparently came under the rule of Ptolemy even before the First Syrian War, in -278 BC. e. In the sanctuary of Didyma, located next door, stood a statue of Ptolemy's sister Philotera, erected by the Milesian demos. The fact that Egypt laid claim to dominance in Ionia is also evidenced by a letter from Ptolemy II to Miletus outlining many benefits and privileges granted to the Milesians by the Egyptian king: “Also now, since you firmly guard our city and our friendship and alliance, - for my son and Callicrates (commander of the fleet in the Aegean Sea in about 266 BC) and other friends wrote to me about that demonstration of good the will that you showed towards me - we, knowing this, value you highly and will strive to repay your people with good deeds ... ". The Seleucids and their allies probably took some countermeasures in Ionia in order to prevent the Egyptians from strengthening their positions here.

It seems that Ptolemy managed to firmly take possession of Phenicia. In Sidon, Ptolemy placed his chief naval commander, apparently the Hellenized Phoenician Philocles, on the royal throne. On Delos, this Philocles organized magnificent festivities - the Ptolemaios. There is a random mention in Polyaenus of the capture of Cavnos by Ptolemy's commander Philocles.

The “Babylonian Cuneiform Chronicle” testifies to the military actions of Antiochus, where under the 36th year of the Seleucid era (/274 BC) the following is indicated: “This year the king left his court, his wife and son in Sardis (Sapardu) to ensure a strong defense. He came to the province of Ebirnari (Zarechye, that is, Syria) and went against the Egyptian army, which was camped in Ebirnari. The Egyptian army fled from him (?). In the month of Adar, on the 24th, the ruler of Akkad sent to Ebirnari to the king a lot of silver, fabrics, furniture and machinery from Babylonia and Seleucia, the royal city, and 20 elephants, which the ruler of Bactria sent to the king. In this month, the commander-in-chief mobilized the king’s troops, which were stationed in Akkad, and went to the king in the month of Nisan to help in Ebirnari ... ". So, the main military clashes between Antiochus and Ptolemy occurred in the spring months of 274 BC. e. and, it seems, ended with the victory of Antiochus. The successes of Antiochus I in Syria may not have been limited to the operation described in the chronicle. Probably at the same time Antiochus suddenly captured Damascus, which was occupied by the Egyptians under the command of the general Dion.

Egypt clearly feared an attack. The Pythos Stele reports that in the month of Hatir in the 12th year of his reign (November 274 BC) Ptolemy II appeared in Geronopolis on the Isthmus of Suez. Perhaps from this inscription it follows that the invasion of Antiochus' troops into Egypt was expected, and the presence of Ptolemy and Arsinoe was needed to organize the defense.

The troubles that Egypt had gotten itself into due to the Syrian war were made worse by a new uprising in Cyrenaica.

The end of the war is absolutely unknown to us. It ended no later than Theocritus writing his 17th idyll, that is, either in or in 272 BC. e. It is difficult to assess the overall results of the war. The successes of the Seleucids are very likely, but it is hardly possible to talk about their victory. Most likely, as a result of prolonged hostilities, a reconciliation was achieved with a fair amount of compromise on both sides. Antiochus's decision could have been influenced by the plague epidemic that apparently struck Babylonia at that time.

Also, under Ptolemy II Philadelphus, his parents were deified and their cult was founded. They became known as the Savior Gods. In honor of the deified Ptolemy Soter, a festival with games was held in Alexandria - Ptolemies. It was celebrated every four years. The festival was probably first established in June or July 278 BC. e. , on the fourth anniversary of the death of the first Ptolemy. Callixenus's famous description of the festive procession in Alexandria almost certainly refers to the second festival in 274 BC. e.

With the death of Arsinoe, Ptolemy's reign enters a new era. About two and a half years later (first mentioned on January 26, 266 BC), young Ptolemy appears in the sources, the “son” of Ptolemy II, who becomes his father’s co-ruler. One could confidently say that this is his son from another Arsinoe, the future king Ptolemy Euergetes, if it had not happened that the name of this young co-ruler disappeared from documents approximately between May and November 258 BC. e. This raises a problem that still causes controversy among historians. Various hypotheses have been put forward:

The next war in which Egypt participated is called the Chremonidean War, named after the Athenian Chremonides, who led the Greek revolt against Macedonia. This time Ptolemy's opponent was the Antigone dynasty, represented by the king of Macedonia, Antigonus Gonatas. Many ancient famous cities of Greece entered into an anti-Macedonian union, led by Athens and Sparta, who saw an opportunity to regain the freedom lost a century ago. Ptolemy also joined this alliance. In the decree of Chremonides, in connection with the listing of all participants in the anti-Macedonian coalition, it is said that. Even after her death, Arsinoe's mind continued to rule the Alexandrian court. Having not received any definite results in the First Syrian War, Ptolemy II transferred the center of gravity of the struggle for the revival of the power of Lysimachus to Greece.

The war was started by Athens, which threw off the Macedonian yoke (at the end of 266 BC). Of course, the Greeks had high hopes, counting on the support of Egypt, whose fleet dominated the Aegean Sea. The further course of events is reproduced from the brief narratives of Pausanias and Justin, as well as from other scattered sources. Pausanias reports that “Antigonus, son of Demetrius, marched against Athens with both foot troops and a fleet... Patroclus arrived from Egypt to help the Athenians... the Lacedaemonians also acted as a national militia, entrusting the main command to King Ares. But Antigonus surrounded Athens with the tightest ring, so that the forces allied with the Athenians had no opportunity to enter the city.” Thus Antigonus besieged Athens and held off the Spartans on the Isthmus. And all this time, the Egyptian fleet, under the command of the Egyptian naval commander Patroclus, sailed off the island, later called Patroclus Island, not far from the coast of Attica and did nothing useful. Patroclus, himself a Macedonian by origin, justified himself by saying that his naval troops were recruited from only native Egyptians and it was inconvenient for them to fight as infantry. It is possible, however, that the Egyptians landed on the eastern shore of Attica, on the Koroni Peninsula, where remains of temporary defensive walls, utensils and many coins of Ptolemy II were found. Therefore, Pausanias is very skeptical about the contribution of Ptolemy II to the Chremonidean War: The tactics of the Spartans, located near Corinth and trying to break through the Isthmian barriers, were not successful either. At such a critical moment for the anti-Macedonian coalition in Megara, the mercenary detachments of the Galatians, who were garrisoning here, rebelled against Antigonus Gonatas. Whether the rebellion was the result of the Galatians' own initiative, or whether it was inspired by the Spartans and Egyptians, is unknown. However, the benefits of the new situation for Macedonia's enemies are quite obvious. Antigonus had to take urgent measures to correct the situation. The Macedonian king, according to Justin,... The course of the battle between Antigonus and the barbarians is not stated, and only at the end is it reported with certain exaggerations: “The Galatians were cut down every single one.” It is known that Antiochus I sent some Galatians to Antigonus. Whether they were the same Galatians who rebelled in Megara, or whether they were a completely different contingent, is difficult to say. In any case, from the epigram in honor of the Galatian leader Bricco, it is obvious that he fought heroically with Ares and seems to have been loyal to Antigonus.

The victory of Antigonus Gonatas over the Galatians brought confusion to the ranks of his opponents. Patroclus negotiated with Ares and tried "to encourage the Lacedaemonians and Ares to begin battle against Antigonus". Ares reacted very coldly to these proposals. He. But, not wanting to quarrel with the Egyptians, Ares withdrew his army under the pretext that he had run out of food. Patroclus also sailed with his fleet from Attic waters and from then until the end of the war the Egyptians do not seem to have appeared in Greece. The results of excavations on the Koroni Peninsula show that the retreat of the Egyptians was more like the flight of the vanquished. "Ptolemy and the Spartans,- Justin writes, -

Perhaps the invasion of Macedonia by Alexander of Epirus, son and heir of Pyrrhus, was at that moment a success of Ptolemaic diplomacy; but if so, then this success did not bring any benefit, since the Egyptian forces were unable to take advantage of it. Antigonus managed to recapture Macedonia and defeat Epirus without lifting the siege of Athens. The king of Sparta, trying to break through to the aid of Athens, fell on the battlefield. In the end, Athens had to surrender (261 BC). Chremonides and his brother Glaucon took refuge in Egypt. The Chremonidean War most pitifully demonstrated the failure, indecisiveness or incompetence of Ptolemy. The consequence of the Chremonides War was the loss by Egypt of the influential position that it previously occupied in the Aegean Sea, and the significant strengthening of Macedonia. Immediately after the signing of peace, an anti-Egyptian coalition was created, which included Antigonus Gonatas, Antiochus II and Rhodes.

Not without the participation of Egypt, the struggle between cities in Crete also developed. Perhaps Egypt and Sparta acted as accomplices in Crete, and on their side stood cities such as Falasarna, Polyrhenia (Polyrrhenia), Aptera, Gortyna. Ptolemy firmly held power over Crete, where he apparently had particularly close ties with the city of Ethan. Patroclus is mentioned in the inscription as the island's general.

The years that passed between the Chremonidean War and the accession of Antiochus III to the Seleucid throne in 223 BC. e. , - one of the most obscure periods of Greek history, since not a single historical work has survived that would speak about them, and we can only piece together some general picture of what happened from random mentions by later authors and a few unofficial inscriptions and papyri. In the Aegean region, the most prominent event in the years immediately following the Chremonidean War was the struggle between Egypt and Macedonia for naval supremacy. An interesting historical anecdote given in connection with this by Athenaeus:

It is known that two major naval battles took place - the battles of Kos and Andros - and that in the first of them Antigonus Gonatas defeated the Egyptian fleet. In addition, there was a naval battle off Ephesus, in which the Egyptian fleet under Chremonides was defeated by the Rhodian fleet; Presumably, Rhodes was in an alliance with Macedonia. But who fought at Andros, Antigonus Gonatas or his nephew Antigonus Doson, and who was the king of Egypt, when both battles took place, Ptolemy II or Ptolemy III, what the battle of Andros was for Egypt: defeat or victory - and when the battle of Ephesus took place - all these issues on which there is no general consensus.

The main source of information about these battles is Plutarch. He tells the same story three times, in different works: on the eve of a naval battle, a certain junior military leader asked Antigonus: “Don’t you see that the enemy fleet is stronger?”- to which Antigonus allegedly responded boastfully: “How many ships do you think I am?” Plutarch's presentation in all three versions of this story has differences, leading to confusion, contradictions and giving rise to many hypotheses. Thus, in one story Plutarch says that the battle took place at Kos, in another that it took place at Andros; in the third the location of the battle is not indicated at all. The name of the king is also presented in different ways: either he is Antigonus the Second, or simply Antigonus, or Antigonus the Old Man. Athenaeus also tells a rather strange story relating to the Battle of Kos: Antigonus, after defeating the generals of Ptolemy at Cape Levkolla on Kos, donated his flagship here to Apollo. In the 27th prologue of Pompey Trogus it is briefly stated that "Antigonus defeated Sophron at Andros in a sea battle". Finally, Diogenes of Laeres also talks about some kind of naval victory of Antigonus Gonatas, but does not name the place of the battle.

Based on this fragmentary information, it can be assumed that there were not two battles, but only one - in the waters between the nearby islands of Andros and Keos. “Kos” is a mistake of manuscript copyists. In addition, there is no Cape Levkolla on Kos and in ancient times it was not Apollo, but Asclepius who was worshiped here. In fact, the repetition of the same story by Plutarch in relation to both the battle of Kos and the battle of Andros is far from accidental: it can only indicate that there was one battle, and not two. Moreover, it is absolutely fantastic that the weak Macedonian fleet could cross the entire Aegean Sea without any obstacles, reach Kos and here be able to give a decisive battle to the powerful Egyptian squadron; on the contrary, a battle in the waters of Andros and Keos, which lie near Attica, is precisely the most likely.

Regarding the time of this naval battle, it is most preferable to date it to 260 BC. e. , which is indirectly substantiated by the data of one historical anecdote by Plutarch. In this anecdote we read that celery, an isthmian wreath plant, sprouted spontaneously from the hull of Antigone's flagship, giving the ship the name Isthmia. It is most likely that this is the same ship that Antigonus sacrificed to Apollo; from this we can conclude that the battle took place during the Isthmian Games, which took place once every two years. Since until the autumn of 262 BC. e. Athens, apparently, had not yet been taken by Antigonus, but around 259 BC. e. Demetrius the Handsome from Macedonia reached Cyrene completely unhindered, which he could hardly have easily done if the Egyptian fleet still dominated the sea, then the conclusion suggests itself - the naval battle, in which the Egyptians suffered a crushing defeat, took place in the spring of 260 BC . e. during the Isthmian Games.

An Egyptian papyrus was found containing fragments of some Ptolemaic chronicle, one of the sections of which was entitled: “The Life of Ptolemy, nicknamed Andromache.” The papyrus is poorly preserved, but you can still make out approximately the following: The most interesting thing in this text was the coincidence of its content with one message from Athenaeus; according to the latter, Ptolemy, son of Philadelphus, commanded in Ephesus, but Thracian mercenaries plotted against him, from whom he fled to the temple of Artemis, where he was stabbed to death along with his mistress. The same son is apparently named in the above-mentioned inscription from Miletus.

Some historians see him as the son of Lysimachus and Arsinoe of Philadelphia, adopted by King Ptolemy. Allegedly, with the help of the Egyptian fleet, he was supposed to conquer the possessions of his father Lysimachus and become a king there, subject to Egypt. He took part in the Battle of Andros, for which he probably received the nickname "Andromachus". Here Ptolemy Andromachus witnessed the destruction of his plans and goals, as the Egyptian fleet was defeated, Antigonus Gonatas gained dominance at sea, and all hopes of overthrowing his power collapsed. It was in such a situation that his break with his adoptive father apparently occurred, which forced him to declare himself an independent ruler of Ionia. He was eventually killed in Ephesus by Thracian mercenaries. Other scholars see him as the son-co-ruler of Ptolemy Philadelphus by his first wife Arsinoe I, the elder brother of Ptolemy Euergetes, whose death at Ephesus explains why he disappeared from Egyptian records in 258 BC. e. A third option is also possible: Ptolemy Andromachus, the son of Lysimachus and the co-ruler son of Ptolemy Philadelphus, were different people with the same name, and it just so happened that they died at approximately the same time.

Unfortunately for Ptolemy Philadelphus, during these years, after reigning for fifty years, Magus, the old, unusually obese ruler of Cyrene, died. The Egyptian king developed a relationship with him that suited the Egyptians, first of all. Before his death, he agreed with his half-brother, the king of Egypt, that his daughter and heir Berenice would marry the son of Ptolemy, heir to the throne of Egypt. This could be a successful way to reunite Cyrene and Egypt. The anti-Egyptian widow of the Magus Apama found a suitable reason to break with Ptolemy Philadelphus: she refused his son the honor of being Berenice's husband. Thus, Cyrene returned to a position of open hostility towards Egypt. In search of allies, Apama turned first of all to Macedonia, which had just successfully fought with the Ptolemaic power at sea. Justin says that Apama offered Berenice as a wife to Demetrius, nicknamed the Handsome, the half-brother of Antigonus Gonatas. Demetrius, the son of Ptolemy's half-sister Ptolemais, hastily rushed to Cyrene, was treated kindly here and, it seems, was proclaimed king. According to Eusebius, Demetrius wasted no time: he fought a lot in Cyrene and “he captured all of Libya”. It is unlikely that his enemies were only Libyan nomads; Most likely, Eusebius directly refers to Demetrius’s war with the Egyptians. It was extremely beneficial for Macedonia to gain a foothold in Cyrenaica and inflict blows on Egypt that could be fatal for it. Demetrius enjoyed undoubted success; and, apparently, this forced Ptolemy Philadelphus to change tactics. Justin depicts further events in this way: . During the rebellion, which was allegedly led by the young Berenice herself, Demetrius was killed in the bedroom of Apama (/258 BC), and the widow of the Magus herself, at the insistence of Berenice, was spared the life of the rebels.

Having overthrown Macedonian influence in Cyrene, Ptolemy Philadelphus saved his state from a direct threat from the west, but Cyrene remained rebellious for a long time. At first, its inhabitants called on the Aetolian Lycon to restore order, but they became victims of his tyranny. Then here from Greece in or 250 BC. e. philosophers, adherents of the Platonic school Ekdem and Demophanes arrived, trying to give the country new legislation. The cities of Cyrenaica began to be depicted on coins as a republican union. How long the alliance lasted and what happened to the young queen in the meantime is shrouded in darkness. All these unrest ended with the subjugation of Cyrene to Egypt, but this happened no earlier than 10-12 years after the death of Demetrius the Handsome. An inscription from Adulis names "Libya" as one of the countries inherited rather than conquered by Ptolemy III Euergetes. Perhaps it was after the conquest of Cyrenaica that the three Kerenian cities received new names: Eugesperides became Berenice, Tavhira became Arsinoe, and Barka became Ptolemais. Although, apparently, Berenice to some extent recognized Egypt as her “suzerain” before that, which can be indicated by coins with the image of Berenice without a veil - that is, in the form of a virgin - dating back to that period. They bear the names of King Ptolemy and Queen Berenice. After the subjugation of Cyrene, Berenice married Ptolemy III Euergetes at the very beginning of his reign, and possibly even before the death of Ptolemy II Philadelphus. Why the marriage was postponed for 13 or 14 years after the matchmaking can be explained by the fact that at first Berenice was betrothed to Ptolemy, who was his father’s co-ruler in -258 BC. e. , and after the death of the latter, a decade and a half later she married the new heir to the throne, Ptolemy Euergetes.

After the end of the First Syrian War, the internal problems of the Seleucid kingdom prevented it from taking any decisive action in the Mediterranean. In 261 BC. e. Antiochus I Soter fell in battle with Eumenes I of Pergamon and was replaced on the throne by his son Antiochus II Theos. The new Seleucid king, some time after his accession to the throne, considered himself strong enough to try to take from Ptolemy II what his dynasty had lost in the First Syrian War. A war broke out between Egypt and Syria, which modern scholars have decided to call the Second Syrian War. We know even less about the dates, course and duration of this war than about the dates, course and duration of the First. Jerome of Stridon vaguely says that Antiochus "fought with all the military might of Babylon and the East" And “Waged a war for many years.” But he certainly failed to tear Coelesyria away from Egypt; perhaps he did not even penetrate the coveted province. Surely, on the coast of Asia Minor, near which the Egyptian fleet could no longer operate with the same success, having lost superiority at sea, a complicated struggle was being waged, consisting of military actions and diplomatic intrigues. Antiochus II apparently formed an alliance with Antigonus of Macedon, with whom he was related by two dynastic marriages. The Rhodians, who had long been burdened by Ptolemaic hegemony, were also considered his allies.

Antiochus II and the Rhodians jointly besieged Ephesus, which, apparently, after the murder of Ptolemy Andromache by the Thracians, temporarily passed into the hands of Egypt. The Egyptian fleet, according to Polyaenus, was commanded in the harbor of Ephesus by the Athenian Chremonides.

“The Rhodians, who fought with King Ptolemy, were near Ephesus; Chremonides, the navarch of Ptolemy, went to sea to engage in a naval battle. Agathostratus lined up the Rhodians one ship at a time and, clearly showing himself to the opponents, turned back and after a short time returned to his anchorage. The enemies, considering that they did not dare to fight at sea, themselves singing paeans, returned to the harbor; Agathosstratus, having turned around and closed the fleet on two flanks, sailed towards the enemies who came to the ground near the crown of Aphrodite, and unexpectedly attacked and won.”

After this victory, the Rhodians and Antiochus attacked the city from two sides - from land and sea - and took Ephesus (from the inscription it is known that by 253 BC Ephesus was in the hands of the Seleucids). Ptolemy was forced to cede Caunus to the Rhodians for 200 talents.

Probably at the same time Antiochus besieged Miletus and, having captured this city, "destroyed the tyrant Timarchus" for which he was nicknamed "grateful Milesians" God (“Theos”) It is unlikely that this Timarchus was in an allied relationship with Egypt, since before that he supported the uprising of the “son” of Ptolemy II known as Ptolemy Andromachus.

In Greece, Ptolemy, it seems, throughout his reign continued to focus on unfriendly, if not hostile, relations with Macedonia, and did not miss the opportunity to provide assistance to parties opposing this power. So, several years before his death, the successes of Arata and the strengthening of the Achaean League opened up new prospects for his policy in this direction. He hastened to support Aratus with significant sums of money, and gave him the most friendly welcome when he visited Alexandria in person. Appian, that during the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage, when both warring powers were extremely exhausted due to new fleets being sent to sea every now and then, the Carthaginians tried to make a loan from Ptolemy of 2000 talents (almost 52 tons of silver). But maintaining friendly relations with both powers, the king tried to reconcile them. When this failed, he objected to the Carthaginians’ proposal: “We are obliged to help friends against enemies, but not against friends.” Being in an alliance with both of them, the king fully enjoyed the benefits of neutrality, so that his ships sailed unhindered in the waters controlled by both sides.

The Ptolemies did not, unlike the previous pharaohs, seek to annex Ethiopia (Nubia) to their possessions. Being Greeks, they were rather interested in the Mediterranean world in the north and were quite content with the fact that the southern border of Egypt passed at the first cataract or a little further. However, Ptolemy II paid great attention to encouraging and expanding his foreign trade, especially with the countries of the Red Sea basin and India. One of the first measures of his reign was to take effective steps to cleanse Upper Egypt of robbers and bandits, of whom there were especially many there. Not content with this, Ptolemy, as Diodorus writes, went on a campaign to Ethiopia with a Greek army and thus discovered a country hitherto unknown to the Greeks. It seems that Ptolemy II's motives were more likely to be geographical curiosity and the desire to obtain unusual animals, in any case, we hear nothing about attempts to annex Ethiopia. He apparently established friendly relations with the barbarian tribes of this country and was also the first who tried to arrange the supply of elephants from these regions, with a view to their subsequent training for use in military affairs, for before him war elephants were delivered exclusively from India.

Despite some foreign policy failures during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, Egypt's political and economic position was strengthened. This is facilitated by the rather successful pragmatic internal policy of the tsar. Ptolemy Philadelphus continued his father's course in national politics. One of the first acts of Ptolemy Philadelphus on the throne (even during the period of joint rule) was the liberation of about 100 thousand Jews captured and resettled in Egypt during the reign of Ptolemy I Soter, as well as the organization of the translation into Greek of the sacred books of the Jews - the Septuagint. This translation was carried out under the direction of Demetrius of Phalerus.

He continued the course of his father Ptolemy I Soter to transform the capital of the state, Alexandria, into one of the largest centers of trade and crafts of the Hellenistic world. To achieve this goal, the construction of port facilities was completed during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, including the famous Pharos Lighthouse, which was soon ranked as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In the economic sphere, the role of the state, whose monopoly was land and crafts, was extremely large. There was also a policy of distributing land plots to large nobles. The income of the royal treasury was truly fabulous. At the end of the reign of the second Ptolemy, when his possessions included the south of Syria and the southern coast of Asia Minor, the army consisted of 200,000 infantry and 40,000 horsemen, 300 elephants, 2,000 war chariots; there were weapons reserves for 300,000 people; 2000 small warships, 1500 warships, some with five rows of oars, and double the material, 800 yachts with gilded bows and sterns; and in his treasury there was an extraordinary sum of 740,000 Egyptian talents (almost 28,572 tons of silver); his annual income is said to have reached 14,800 talents (571.5 tons of silver) and 1,500,000 artabs (15,000 tons) of bread. A significant part of it was spent on maintaining a magnificent court, army, navy, colossal bureaucratic apparatus, and on subsidies to priests and temples.

At the same time, Ptolemy Philadelphus paid great attention to the development of sciences and arts. It was during his reign that the Alexandrian Museum and Library flourished, for the maintenance of which significant sums were allocated. The king showed a personal interest in replenishing the book fund of the Library of Alexandria, which at the beginning of the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus amounted to about 200 thousand books, and subsequently reached half a million copies. He personally wrote to the kings, with many of whom he was related, so that they would send him everything that was available from the works of poets, historians, orators, and doctors. On behalf of Ptolemy Philadelphus, a catalog of the Library of Alexandria was compiled - the famous “Tables” of Callimachus in 120 scroll books. Tsets reports that Ptolemy II founded an auxiliary library in the Serapeum, which contained 42,800 scrolls.

At the Alexandria Museum under Ptolemy II of Philadelphia, an observatory, an anatomical theater, a zoo and a botanical garden appeared. Every possible assistance was provided to scientific studies; the staff of the Alexandria Museum achieved significant successes in philology and poetry, mathematics, astronomy, mechanics and medicine. For the first time, it was allowed to perform autopsies on corpses for scientific purposes. Moreover, Erasistratou, a mechanic and mathematician, on the 25th of the Macedonian month Dios, that is, on January 27, Ptolemy II Philadelphus died at the age of almost sixty-three years. Before his death, he was mentally damaged, suffered greatly due to illness and was disappointed with life. Josephus states that this Ptolemy reigned for 39 years.

Later Greek authors tell us the names of many of his mistresses. One was a native Egyptian, although she was called by a Greek name Didima("Twin"). The other one, whose name was Myrtion, was an actress who played in vulgar comedies; her house, after she gained the favor of the king, became famous as one of the most elegant in Alexandria. Mnesis And Pofina were flutists and were also famous for the splendor of their houses. Another one was Klino, and statues and figurines, which were certainly in demand in Alexandria, depicted her dressed in one

With o. Cos and the Peripatetic philosopher from Lampsaka. Other prominent scientists and collaborators were apparently involved in the education of Ptolemy Philadelphus, created in 295 BC. on the initiative And .

IN Ptolemy II Philadelphus (possibly on his birthday) was appointed by decree as co-ruler of Egypt instead of the rightful heir to the throne, son After death in- the sole ruler of Egypt.

In order to strengthen personal power, he not only pursued a policy of opposing and isolating the legitimate heir, who was in exile, but also killed his brothers (from other marriages of his father Ptolemy Soter) Argedaeus, accused of plotting against the king, and a rebel (name not preserved) on the . Cyprus.

He sought to continue his father's policy of strengthening dominance at sea and access to key trading centers of the North African and Asia Minor coasts. However, in 282 BC. Cyrenaica falls away from Egypt, where Philadelph's mother's son from his first marriage is in power. In 275/4 BC. makes an attempt to attack Egypt, but instead is forced to conquer the nomadic Libyan tribes that have fallen away from him.

In 280 BC. Ptolemy Philadelphus conquers the subordinate southern regions of Syria, including Damascus. In 278, Miletus became an Egyptian possession.

In 274 BC. The First Syrian War begins between Ptolemy II Philadelphus and for dominance in Syria and Phenicia, the struggle for which continues with varying success throughout the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus.

During the Chremonidean War between and Macedonia, Egypt acts as the main ally of the Athenians in their fight against. However, Ptolemy Philadelphus' attempts to increase his influence in mainland Greece ended in failure. INdestroys the Egyptian fleet off the island of Kos, and 263/2 BC. captures and destroys the walls of the city. The undivided dominance of the Ptolemaic fleet in the eastern Mediterranean comes to an end.

Despite some foreign policy failures during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, Egypt's political and economic position was strengthened. This is facilitated by the rather successful pragmatic internal policy of the young tsar. Ptolemy Philadelphus continues his father's course in national politics. One of the first acts of Ptolemy Philadelphus on the throne (even during the period of joint rule) was the liberation of about 100 thousand Jews captured and resettled in Egypt during the reign of, as well as organizing the translation into Greek of the sacred books of the Jews -. This translation was carried out under the guidance of, who advised the young king to read books about royal power and the art of ruling, for “the books contain what friends do not dare say to the kings’ faces.”

Continued his father's course A to transform the state capital into one of the largest centers of trade and crafts of the Hellenistic world. To achieve this goal, during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, the canal between the Red Sea and the Nile was thoroughly renewed, and the construction of port facilities, including the famous one, was completed. In the economic sphere, the role of the state, whose monopoly was land and crafts, was extremely large. There was also a policy of distributing land plots to large nobles. The income of the royal treasury was truly fabulous. A significant part of it was spent on maintaining a magnificent court, army, navy, colossal bureaucratic apparatus, and on subsidies to priests and temples.

At the same time, Ptolemy Philadelphus paid great attention to the development of sciences and arts. It was the time of his reign that was the time of heyday and for the maintenance of which significant sums were allocated. The king showed a personal interest in replenishing the book fund, which by the beginning of the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus amounted to about 200 thousand books. He bought from the Athenians copies of the ancient tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, and also personally wrote to the kings, with many of whom he was related, so that they would send him everything that was available from the works of poets, historians, orators, and doctors. On behalf of Ptolemy Philadelphus, a catalog was compiled - the famous “Tables” in 120 scroll books.

Under Ptolemy Philadelphus, a tomb was built in, and his body was transferred from Memphis to. Under him, the beginning of the deification of the kings of the Ptolemaic dynasty was laid, cults were founded And I, parents of Ptolemy II Philadelphus.

The marriages of Ptolemy II Philadelphus were also not least aimed at strengthening the power of the Ptolemaic dynasty and personally Ptolemy II Philadelphus on the Egyptian throne. His first wife was the daughter of Diadochi, whose marriage was apparently concluded in 288 BC. when the coalition of four kings took shape,, And

Ptolemy II Philadelphus (308-246 BC) - son of Ptolemy I, king of Egypt. In 283 he inherited the Egyptian throne from his father. Ptolemy II tried to turn Egypt into the strongest power in the Eastern Mediterranean.
After the death of Seleucus I in 281, Ptolemy II invaded Syria and captured Damascus. In Asia Minor he occupied Halicarnassus, Mindus, Kaunus and occupied Caria. On the Balkan Peninsula, Ptolemy II supported the Greek states and Epirus against Macedonia; in the Middle East, he sought to maintain control over Coelesyria despite the claims of the Seleucids.
In 275, the First Syrian War began. The Egyptian fleet reigned supreme along the entire eastern coast of the Mediterranean. Soon the situation changed. Antiochus II defeated the Egyptians in Syria and took Damascus from Ptolemy II. Megas rebelled in Cyrenaica, and Pyrrhus died in Argos. In 272, the First Syrian War ended and peace was signed.
Ptolemy II's allies in Greece were defeated by Antigonus Gonatas at Chremoni-
before the war (268-262). Immediately after the signing of peace, an anti-Egyptian coalition was created, which included Antigonus Gonatas, Antiochus II and Rhodes. In 261, the Second Syrian War began. Antiochus II took a number of cities in Asia Minor from Ptolemy II, and his troops invaded Coelesyria. At the Battle of Kos in 258, the Egyptian fleet was defeated by Antigonus Gonatas. Ptolemy II admitted his defeat and signed a peace treaty in 255.

Book materials used: Tikhanovich Yu.N., Kozlenko A.V. 350 great. Brief biography of the rulers and generals of antiquity. The Ancient East; Ancient Greece; Ancient Rome. Minsk, 2005.

Ptolemy II Philadelphus (Ptolemaios, Loving Sister) (308-246 BC). King of Egypt in 283/282-246. BC, son of Ptolemy I and Berenice I. Born on the island of Kos. OK. 289/288 BC married Arsinoe I (daughter of Lysimachus). In 285 BC. became co-ruler with his father, and in 283/282 BC. - a sovereign king. OK. 281 BC divorced Arsinoe I and c. 276/275 BC married his sister Arsinoe II and made her his sender. For the Greeks, this marriage was a scandal, although among the Egyptian pharaohs, marriages between brother and sister were quite normal. During the First Syrian War against Antiochus I (c. 274/273-271 BC) invaded Syria and Asia Minor, winning victory in 271 BC. Having deified himself and Arsinoe II in 272/271 BC, he established the Ptolemaic cult. Later he took the title and cult name of Arsinoe - Philadelph.

During the Chremonide War, he suffered certain losses, supporting Athens and Sparta in the fight against Macedonia (286-263/262 BC). In the Second Syrian War against Antiochus II (260-253 BC), he lost vast territories in Asia Minor and, to make peace, was forced to marry his daughter Berenice Syra to Antiochus II. Together with his advisors, he did a lot for the Hellenization of Egypt. Created most of the institutions of the strict financial administration of the Ptolemaic state and founded many Greek settlements, especially along the shores of Lake Merida. He built the Faros Lighthouse and significantly expanded the museum and library in Alexandria. Organized the construction of a canal connecting the Red Sea with the Nile. Alexandria, its capital, became the cultural and intellectual center of the Greek world.

Adkins L., Adkins R. Ancient Greece. Encyclopedic reference book. M., 2008, p. 88.

Ptolemy II Philadelphus - king of Egypt from the Ptolemaic family, who reigned in 283-246. BC Son Ptolemy I and Berenice. Genus. in 309 BC. + 246 BC Wives: 1) Arsinoe, daughter of the Thracian king Lysimachus; 2) Arsinoe, daughter of Ptolemy 1 (his sister); 3) unknown.

Ptolemy began to rule the country during his father’s lifetime (Justin: 16; 2). Having fallen in love with Arsinoe, his own sister on both his father's and mother's sides, he married her, doing something that was in no way allowed among the Macedonians, but which was customary among the Egyptians over whom he ruled. Then he killed his brother Argei, who allegedly encroached on his life. He also transported Alexander's ashes from Memphis to Alexandria. Ptolemy also killed another brother, born of Eurydice, noticing that he was encouraging the inhabitants of Cyprus to fall away from Egypt (Pausanias: 1; 17).

In 280 BC, taking advantage of the difficult situation of the Syrian kingdom, Ptolemy took the southernmost regions of Syria from Antiochus 1, and even captured Damascus (Droysen: 3; 1; 3). Ptolemy's maternal brother, Maga, who, thanks to Berenice, received governorship in Cyrene, in 274 BC. led an army from Cyrene to Egypt. Ptolemy, having strengthened the passes, awaited the advance of the Cyrene troops, but Maga never attacked him, since he was forced to conquer the nomadic Libyan tribes that had fallen away from him. Ptolemy wanted to pursue him, but he also could not do this due to the outbreak of an uprising of Galatian mercenaries. Maga did not rest on this and dragged the Asian king Antiochus 1 into the war. In 265 BC. Ptolemy sent his fleet to the shores of Greece to act against the Macedonian king Antigonus II Gonatas (Pausanias: 1; 17). But this fleet was defeated at Kos (Droyzen: 3; 1; 3). Later, Ptolemy waged a successful war with the Syrian king Antiochus II, and conquered the coast of Cilicia and Lycia from him in Asia (Droyzen: 3; 2; 1).

Ptolemy's children were born not from his sister Arsinoe, but from the daughter of Lysimachus. His sister died childless (Pausanias: 1; 17). According to Strabo, Ptolemy was distinguished by curiosity and, due to bodily weakness, was constantly looking for new entertainment and amusements (Strabo: 17; 1; 5). Josephus adds that Ptolemy founded a wonderful library in Alexandria, trying to collect in it and translate into Greek all the books that existed in the world. The number of books in this unique repository allegedly reached half a million copies. Among others, the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek. Interested in the fate of the Jewish people, Ptolemy ordered the release of 100,000 prisoners taken by his father from Judea (Flavius: “Jewish Antiquities”: 12; 2).

All the monarchs of the world. Greece, Rome, Byzantium. Konstantin Ryzhov. Moscow, 2001.

Read further:

Ptolemy I Soter- ruler and king of Egypt in 324-283. BC, father of Philadelphia.

Ptolemy III Euergetes- king of Egypt from the Ptolemaic family, 246-222. BC , son of Philadelphia.

Historical figures of Greece(biographical reference book).