Epigonus of Telmessos ( grc, Επίγονος Τελμησσεύς, Epigonos Telmēsseus, flourished 3rd century BC) was a

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

Prince from

Asia Minor Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

Family background

Epigonus may have been a second-born son to

Ptolemy I Epigone Ptolemy EpigonosBillows, ''Kings and colonists: aspects of Macedonian imperialism'', p.110 ( el, Πτολεμαίος ὁ Έπίγονος ''Ptolemaios Epigonos'', ''Epigonos'' i.e. the ''heir'', 299/298 BC–February 240 BC) was a Greek Prince fro ...

and younger brother Lysimachus of Telmessos, but this is disputed. Ptolemy Epigone was the initial heir of

Ptolemy II Philadelphus ; egy, Userkanaenre Meryamun Clayton (2006) p. 208 , predecessor = Ptolemy I , successor = Ptolemy III , horus = ''ḥwnw-ḳni'Khunuqeni''The brave youth , nebty = ''wr-pḥtj'Urpekhti''Great of strength , gol ...

and was related to three of the

Diadochi The Diadochi (; singular: Diadochus; from grc-gre, Διάδοχοι, Diádochoi, Successors, ) were the rival generals, families, and friends of Alexander the Great who fought for control over his empire after his death in 323 BC. The War ...

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

Lysimachus Lysimachus (; Greek: Λυσίμαχος, ''Lysimachos''; c. 360 BC – 281 BC) was a Thessalian officer and successor of Alexander the Great, who in 306 BC, became King of Thrace, Asia Minor and Macedon. Early life and career Lysimachus was b ...

Ptolemy I Soter Ptolemy I Soter (; gr, Πτολεμαῖος Σωτήρ, ''Ptolemaîos Sōtḗr'' "Ptolemy the Savior"; c. 367 BC – January 282 BC) was a Macedonian Greek general, historian and companion of Alexander the Great from the Kingdom of Macedon ...

and the powerful

Regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

Antipater Antipater (; grc, , translit=Antipatros, lit=like the father; c. 400 BC319 BC) was a Macedonian general and statesman under the subsequent kingships of Philip II of Macedon and his son, Alexander the Great. In the wake of the collaps ...

Life

Little is known about the life of Epigonus, as he was a part of the Lysimachid dynasty, which is also known as the Ptolemaic-Lysimachid dynasty in

Lycia Lycia (Lycian language, Lycian: 𐊗𐊕𐊐𐊎𐊆𐊖 ''Trm̃mis''; el, Λυκία, ; tr, Likya) was a state or nationality that flourished in Anatolia from 15–14th centuries BC (as Lukka) to 546 BC. It bordered the Mediterranean ...

in ruling the city of

Telmessos Telmessos or Telmessus ( Hittite: 𒆪𒉿𒆷𒉺𒀸𒊭 ''Kuwalapašša'', Lycian: 𐊗𐊁𐊍𐊁𐊂𐊁𐊛𐊆 ''Telebehi'', grc, Τελμησσός), also Telmissus ( grc, Τελμισσός), later Anastasiopolis ( grc, Αναστ� ...

. He was born at an unknown date either in his father’s co-regency of the Ptolemaic Kingdom with Ptolemy II in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

Egypt which was from 267 BC until 259 BC or when his father was the first Ptolemaic Client King of

. His father ruled Telmessos from late 259 BC until his death in February 240 BC. and his brother Lysimachus succeeded their father as the second Ptolemaic client king of Telmessos who ruled from early 240 BC until his death in 206 BC. Epigonus name means "heir" in Greek. It had been used as an epithet by his possible father, Ptolemy I. Epigonus is only known from inscriptions from Telmessos and dedicatory inscriptions from the Greek island of

Delos The island of Delos (; el, Δήλος ; Attic: , Doric: ), near Mykonos, near the centre of the Cyclades archipelago, is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. The excavations in the island are ...

. As his family likely had relative autonomy from Ptolemaic control increased and Ptolemaic power declined rapidly and dramatically outside of Egypt after the death of

Ptolemy III Euergetes , predecessor = Ptolemy II , successor = Ptolemy IV , nebty = ''ḳn nḏtj-nṯrw jnb-mnḫ-n-tꜢmrj'Qen nedjtinetjeru inebmenekhentamery''The brave one who has protected the gods, a potent wall for The Beloved Land , nebty_hiero ...

in 222 BC, probably Epigonus with his family had the motive and opportunity for divorcing themselves from Ptolemaic suzerainty. At an unknown date, Epigonus with his brother and their families were enjoying excellent cordial relations with the Seleucid monarch

Antiochus III the Great Antiochus III the Great (; grc-gre, Ἀντίoχoς Μέγας ; c. 2413 July 187 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic king and the 6th ruler of the Seleucid Empire, reigning from 222 to 187 BC. He ruled over the region of Syria and large parts of the re ...

. Antiochus III reigned from 222 BC until 187 BC, was an enemy of the Ptolemies who was at the time expanding Seleucid power in Asia Minor. By an unnamed wife, he had a son called

.Billows, ''Kings and colonists: aspects of Macedonian imperialism'', p.103

References

Sources

Lysimachus’ article at Livius.org

{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111126034441/http://www.tyndalehouse.com/egypt/ptolemies/nios_i_fr.htm , date=2011-11-26
Ptolemy ‘the Son’ Reconsidered: Are there too many Ptolemies?, Jennifer Ann Tunny, University of Queensland, 2000
* R.S. Bagnall, The administration of the Ptolemaic possessions outside Egypt, Brill Archive, 1976 * R.A. Billows, Kings and colonists: aspects of Macedonian imperialism, BRILL, 1995 3rd-century BC Greek people Ptolemaic dynasty People of the Seleucid Empire Anatolian Greeks Lycians