Ptolemy Epigonos
[Billows, ''Kings and colonists: aspects of Macedonian imperialism'', p.110] ( el, Πτολεμαίος ὁ Έπίγονος ''Ptolemaios Epigonos'', ''Epigonos'' i.e. the ''heir'',
/ref> 299/298 BC–February 240 BC
/ref>) 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 ...
who was of Macedonian and Thessalian
Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessa ...
descent.
Family Background
Ptolemy was the first son[Ptolemaic Genealogy: Arsinoe II, Footnote 6]
/ref> born to 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 ...
and Arsinoe II
Arsinoë II ( grc-koi, Ἀρσινόη, 316 BC – unknown date between July 270 and 260 BC) was a Ptolemaic queen and co-regent of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of ancient Egypt. She was given the Egyptian title "King of Upper and Lower Egypt", making ...
. Ptolemy had two younger full-blooded brothers: 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 ...
[ and ]Philip
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
.[
His father Lysimachus, one 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 ...
of 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 ...
, was King of Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
, 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 ...
and Macedonia.[Lysimachus’ article at Livius.org]
/ref> His paternal grandfather was Agathocles of Pella Agathocles ( el, Ἀγαθοκλῆς, flourished 4th century BC) was a Greek nobleman who was a contemporary to King Philip II of Macedon (reigned 359 BC–336 BC).
Agathocles was a Thessalian serf
Serfdom was the status of many peasants ...
,[ a nobleman who was a contemporary to King ]Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 382 – 21 October 336 BC) was the king ('' basileus'') of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ...
and his paternal grandmother was an unnamed woman perhaps named Arsinoe. From his father's previous marriages and from an Odrysian concubine, Ptolemy had two older paternal half-brothers: Agathocles Agathocles (Greek: ) is a Greek name, the most famous of which is Agathocles of Syracuse, the tyrant of Syracuse. The name is derived from , ''agathos'', i.e. "good" and , ''kleos'', i.e. "glory".
Other personalities named Agathocles:
*Agathocles, ...
, Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
and two older paternal half-sisters: Eurydice
Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice') was a character in Greek mythology and the Auloniad wife of Orpheus, who tried to bring her back from the dead with his enchanting music.
Etymology
Several meanings for the name ...
,[ ]Arsinoe I
Arsinoe I ( el, Αρσινόη Α’, 305 BC – after c. 248 BC), Footnote 10 was queen of Egypt by marriage to Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
Life
Arsinoe was the second daughter and youngest child born to King Lysimachus and Nicaea of Macedon. H ...
[ and perhaps another unnamed sister who may have been the first wife of ]Ptolemy Keraunos
Ptolemy Ceraunus ( grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος Κεραυνός ; c. 319 BC – January/February 279 BC) was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty and briefly king of Macedon. As the son of Ptolemy I Soter, he was originally heir to the thron ...
.
His mother Arsinoe II, was a Ptolemaic princess who married his father as his third wife and married him as her first husband. She was a daughter born to 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 Berenice I of Egypt
Berenice I ( grc-gre, Βερενίκη; c. 340 BC – between 279 and 268 BC) was Queen of Egypt by marriage to Ptolemy I Soter. She became the second queen, after Eurydice, of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt.
Life Family
Berenice was originally f ...
and was a sister to the Pharaoh 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 ...
. Ptolemy I was another of the Diadochi who later founded the Ptolemaic dynasty of Ancient Egypt and Berenice I was the great-niece of the powerful regent 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 ...
. Ptolemy was the namesake of his maternal grandfather and was the first grandchild born to Ptolemy I and his wife, Berenice I.
Early life
Ptolemy was born and raised in Ephesus
Ephesus (; grc-gre, Ἔφεσος, Éphesos; tr, Efes; may ultimately derive from hit, 𒀀𒉺𒊭, Apaša) was a city in ancient Greece on the coast of Ionia, southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in t ...
, which was renamed for a time ''Arsinoea'' after his mother.[Arsinoe II’s article at Livius.org]
/ref> In 282 BC, his mother accused his half-brother Agathocles of treason and his father ordered the execution of Agathocles. After the death of his half-brother, Agathocles’ cousin-wife Lysandra
Lysandra (Greek: Λυσάνδρα, meaning "Liberator, Emancipator"; lived 281 BC) was a Queen of Macedonia, daughter of Ptolemy I Soter to Eurydice or Berenice.
She was married first to her maternal cousin Alexander, one of the sons of Cassand ...
with their children fled to Seleucus I Nicator
Seleucus I Nicator (; ; grc-gre, Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ , ) was a Macedonian Greek general who was an officer and successor ( ''diadochus'') of Alexander the Great. Seleucus was the founder of the eponymous Seleucid Empire. In the po ...
in Babylon
''Bābili(m)''
* sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠
* arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel''
* syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel''
* grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn''
* he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel''
* peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru''
* elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
. Seleucus I used this bitter dynastic succession feud as an opportunity to expand his dominions. In the Battle of Corupedium
The Battle of Corupedium, also called Koroupedion, Corupedion or Curupedion ( grc, Κύρου πεδίον or Κόρου πεδίον, "the plain of Kyros or Koros") was the last battle between the Diadochi, the rival successors to Alexander the Gr ...
in 281 BC, Seleucus I defeated Lysimachus. Seleucus I added Asia Minor and part of Thrace to his empire.[
His mother only held control of the Aegean part of his father's kingdom. After the death of his father, Arsinoe II and her sons fled to ]Cassandreia
Cassandreia, Cassandrea, or Kassandreia ( grc, Κασσάνδρεια, ''Kassándreia'') was once one of the most important cities in Ancient Macedonia, founded by and named after Cassander in 316 BC. It was located on the site of the earlier Anc ...
. In order to protect, secure Arsinoe II and her son's sovereignty and his father's kingdom, Ptolemy's mother married his maternal uncle Ptolemy Keraunos
Ptolemy Ceraunus ( grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος Κεραυνός ; c. 319 BC – January/February 279 BC) was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty and briefly king of Macedon. As the son of Ptolemy I Soter, he was originally heir to the thron ...
, who was his mother's older paternal half-brother.[ Ptolemy Keraunos lived in his father Lysimachus' kingdom as a political exile and prior to marrying his mother had murdered Seleucus I in order to gain the power of his former protector and then rushed to ]Lysimachia
''Lysimachia'' () is a genus consisting of 193 accepted species of flowering plants traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae. Based on a molecular phylogenetic study it was transferred to the family Myrsinaceae, before this family wa ...
where he had himself acclaimed king by the Macedonian army.[
The union between Arsinoe II and Ptolemy Keraunos was purely political as they both claimed the Macedonian, Thracian thrones and by the time of Ptolemy father's death his power extended to southern Greece. Arsinoe II's marriage to her half-brother wasn't a happy one. Through his marriage to Arsinoe II, Ptolemy Keraunos’ political position would be strengthened. As Ptolemy's uncle-stepfather was becoming too powerful, Arsinoe II conspired with her sons against him, while he was away on a campaign. Ptolemy Keraunos quickly retaliated by capturing Cassandreia and killing Ptolemy's brothers Lysimachus and Philip. Arsinoe II and Ptolemy were able to escape.
]
Attempted claim of the Macedonian throne
Arsinoe II fled to Egypt to Ptolemy II for protection against Ptolemy Keraunos. Ptolemy Keraunos' brief reign ended in 279 BC as he was captured and killed during the Gallic invasion of the Balkans
Gallic groups, originating from the various La Tène chiefdoms, began a southeastern movement into the Balkans from the 4th century BC. Although Gallic settlements were concentrated in the western half of the Carpathian basin, there were notable ...
led by Bolgios Bolgios (Greek Βόλγιος, also Bolgius, Belgius) was a Gaulish leader during the Gallic invasion of the Balkans who led an invasion of Macedon and Illyria in 279 BC, killing the Macedonian king Ptolemy Keraunos.
He was part of a force of Gau ...
who conducted a series of mass raids on mainland Greece.[ Ptolemy by then was the oldest and only surviving son of Lysimachus.][Ptolemaic Genealogy: Arsinoe II, Footnote 7]
/ref> As the son and heir of the great Lysimachus, he seemed to be destined to be something more than a mere regional dynast after the assassination of half-brother Agathocles. His new position as the heir apparent as one of the great empires of the early Hellenistic period didn't last long after the deaths of his father, Lysimachus, and uncle and stepfather, Ptolemy Keraunos, which lead to the complete dissolutions of their kingdoms.
In the aftermath of the death of Ptolemy Keraunos chaos was brought to the Greek mainland. In this period 279 BC-277 BC, Ptolemy Epigonos fled to the Illyrian Kingdom
The Illyrian Kingdom is the name of a country that existed on the Western part of the Balkan Peninsula in ancient times and represented an alliance of Illyrian tribes.
History
In southern Illyria organized realms were formed earlier ...
. With the help of their King Monunios
Monounios or Monunius ( grc, Μονούνιος; la, Monunius; ruled 290 – 270 BC) was an Illyrian king who reigned in southern Illyria, in the territory of the Taulantii, around the hinterland of Dyrrhachion and Apollonia. He is the firs ...
, Ptolemy Epigonos tried unsuccessfully to recover Macedonia and again probably in 278 BC without success. He is mentioned as one of the claimants in the period of anarchy following the reign of Sosthenes
Sosthenes (Greek: Σωσθένης, ''Sōsthénēs'', "safe in strength") was the chief ruler of the synagogue at Corinth, who, according to the Acts of the Apostles, was seized and beaten by the mob in the presence of Gallio, the Roman governor ...
. The chaos lasted until Antigonus II Gonatas
Antigonus II Gonatas ( grc-gre, Ἀντίγονος Γονατᾶς, ; – 239 BC) was a Macedonian ruler who solidified the position of the Antigonid dynasty in Macedon after a long period defined by anarchy and chaos and acquired fame for ...
defeated the Gauls in battle near Lysimachia, Thrace in 277 BC. After his victory, Antigonus II was recognised as Macedonian King and his power extended to southern Greece.
Co-regency of the Ptolemaic Kingdom
After his failed attempted to regain the Macedonian Kingdom, Ptolemy eventually went to the Ptolemaic Kingdom to live with his relatives. Ptolemy II then was married to his only remaining paternal half-sister, Arsinoe I, by whom he had two sons, 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 ...
and 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 ...
, and a daughter, Berenice
Berenice ( grc, Βερενίκη, ''Bereníkē'') is the Ancient Macedonian form of the Attic Greek name ''Pherenikē'', which means "bearer of victory" . Berenika, priestess of Demeter in Lete ca. 350 BC, is the oldest epigraphical evidence. Th ...
.[ At an unknown date between after 279 BC-274/3 BC, Ptolemy's mother arrived in Egypt. Probably at the instigation of Arsinoe II, charges of conspiring to assassinate Ptolemy II were soon brought against Arsinoe I.][Britannica Online Encyclopedia – Arsinoe I]
/ref> Ptolemy II had convicted Arsinoe I of plotting against him. He ended his marriage to Arsinoe I and divorced her. Ptolemy II had exiled Arsinoe I to Coptos
Qift ( arz, قفط ; cop, Ⲕⲉϥⲧ, link=no ''Keft'' or ''Kebto''; Egyptian Gebtu; grc, Κόπτος, link=no ''Coptos'' / ''Koptos''; Roman Justinianopolis) is a small town in the Qena Governorate of Egypt about north of Luxor, situated und ...
in southern Egypt.[
Ptolemy's mother married his maternal uncle Ptolemy II.] Arsinoe II died at an unknown date between July 270 BC-260 BC. Ptolemy II at some point after his mother's death had his children legally declared as the children of Arsinoe II and had the sons of Arsinoe II legally declared as the children of Ptolemy II.
Ptolemy Epigonos disappears from the historical records from the time of his failed attempt to reclaim the Macedonian throne till the death of Arsinoe II. According to surviving portraits, inscriptions, coinage and papyri, Ptolemy was made co-regent of the Ptolemaic Kingdom by Ptolemy II. There may have been several reasons why Ptolemy II made Ptolemy his co-regent: to relieve him of some of his duties; to have the remaining living child of Arsinoe II to have as a help rather than a burden and support for the Chremonidean War
The Chremonidean War (267–261 BC) was fought by a coalition of some Greek city-states and Ptolemaic Egypt against Antigonid Macedonian domination. It ended in a Macedonian victory which confirmed Antigonid control over the city-states of Gre ...
which began at the beginning of the co-regency.
The earliest attested date for his co-regency with his maternal uncle-adopted father is from papyri
Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, ''Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'') can also refer to a d ...
dated from November 267 BC, while the last dated reference from his co-regency is September 10, 259 BC. There is a possibility Ptolemy may have been betrothed to his maternal cousin-paternal niece-adopted sister Berenice. Ptolemy is shown as an adult on the Great Mendes Stela The Great Mendes Stela is a commemorative stele erected during the Ptolemaic dynasty by Ptolemy II Philadelphus for Mendes, Lower Egypt. Ptolemies III through V also had stelae: the bilingual, three-script Decree of Canopus and the Rosetta Stone.
...
, where he is depicted wearing the pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: ''pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the an ...
’s war crown, which is suggested that Ptolemy is playing an active role in court life and later in military affairs. His portrait on the Mendes Stela is dated from 264/3 BC. The wearing of this crown reveals and gives a significant statement; as it was used as a symbol of coronation and legitimate pharaonic succession.[ According to the surviving evidence, Ptolemy was to be the intended heir and successor of Ptolemy II.][
]
Revolt and rule over Telmessos
In 262/261 BC, Ptolemy II sent Ptolemy to the city of Miletus
Miletus (; gr, Μῑ́λητος, Mī́lētos; Hittite transcription ''Millawanda'' or ''Milawata'' (exonyms); la, Mīlētus; tr, Milet) was an ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia, near the mouth of the Maeander River in a ...
in Asia Minor, to represent the Pharaoh in reporting political conditions back to him. The tyrant Timarchus
Timarchus or Timarch was a Greek noble and a satrap of the Seleucid Empire during the reign of his ally King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. After Antiochus IV's death, he styled himself an independent ruler in his domain in the Persian east of the Emp ...
was in charge of that city. For unknown reasons, Ptolemy with Timarchus led a revolt against Ptolemy II in 259/258 BC. It is possible that Ptolemy may have revolted against Ptolemy II because Ptolemy II may have wanted Ptolemy to hand over his command in Asia Minor to him. Ptolemy and Timarchus’ revolt didn't help Ptolemy II's strategic planning in Asia Minor as in 258 BC, Timarchus was slain by the Seleucid King Antiochus II Theos
Antiochus II Theos ( grc-gre, Ἀντίοχος Θεός, ; 286 – July 246 BC) was a Greek king of the Hellenistic period, Hellenistic Seleucid Empire who reigned from 261 to 246 BC. He succeeded his father Antiochus I Soter in the winter of ...
during the course of the Second Syrian War
The Syrian Wars were a series of six wars between the Seleucid Empire and the Ptolemaic Kingdom, Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, Diadochi, successor states to Alexander the Great's empire, during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC over the region then c ...
which was between the Ptolemaic Kingdom and the Seleucid Empire which resulted in war losses including Miletus being captured by Antiochus II.[
After the revolt had ended in 258 BC, Ptolemy II could have reconciled with Ptolemy and probably may have forgiven him due to his fear of the growing power of the Seleucid Empire. Ptolemy II terminated Ptolemy's co-regency with him and made him renounce any claims he had to Egyptian throne. After this occurred, Ptolemy II gave Ptolemy a city in Asia Minor called ]Telmessos
Telmessos or Telmessus ( Hittite: 𒆪𒉿𒆷𒉺𒀸𒊭 ''Kuwalapašša'', Lycian: 𐊗𐊁𐊍𐊁𐊂𐊁𐊛𐊆 ''Telebehi'', grc, Τελμησσός), also Telmissus ( grc, Τελμισσός), later Anastasiopolis ( grc, Αναστ ...
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 ...
, to govern in his own right and establish his own dynasty. The city of Telmessos, prior to being under Ptolemaic rule was previously under the kingship of Ptolemy's late father Lysimachus, thus Ptolemy would become a client monarch and have a client kingdom to rule under the Ptolemaic Kingdom. A surviving inscription from Telmessos dated from 258 BC, reveals an arms-length accord that Ptolemy reached with the Egyptian government and indicates that Ptolemy II made Ptolemy a Ptolemaic official in the area and was given a large estate in the area by the Pharaoh.[Ptolemaic Genealogy: Ptolemy "the Son", Footnote 4]
/ref> Ptolemy ruled as a Ptolemaic Client King of Telmessos from late 258 BC until his death in February 240 BC.
In his co-regency with Ptolemy II and in particular his rule of Telmessos, Ptolemy re-established and continued the rule of the Lysimachid dynasty, which is also known as the Ptolemaic/Lysimachid dynasty in Lycia. The evidence below reveals that Ptolemy was in a semi-autonomous position typical of the Hellenistic dynasts:
* He remained subordinate loyal to Ptolemy II and Ptolemy III.[
* He recommended a ''philos'' or ''friend'', for honors and altered the tax burden of Telmessos.]
* He appeared to have caused the Telmessians to issue coinage with types borrowed from the coinages of his father Lysimachus and with a monogram (ΠΤ) representing his own name, and to have made other internal dispensations in Telmessian institutions without apparent reference to his Ptolemaic suzerain. He made one archon
''Archon'' ( gr, ἄρχων, árchōn, plural: ἄρχοντες, ''árchontes'') is a Greek word that means "ruler", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem αρχ-, mean ...
at the head of the city government instead of the previous three and making a hiereus the eponym
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
ous magistracy instead of the archons.[
* After he died, Ptolemy had descendants ruling over Telmessos.][
Ptolemy had an extraordinary degree of autonomy and was loosely under the authority of the Ptolemaic Pharaohs.][ Ptolemy had achieved substantial influence in Telmessos and in the surrounding local cities in the region. He established himself in Telmessos to the extent that he was mentioned in a decree honoring a certain Leimon son of Antipater, who is said to be a ''philos'' or ''friend'' of Ptolemy, which was mentioned as one of the motivating factors in the decree.][
Ptolemy changed the payment to the tenth of the produce on ''apomeira'' or levies on beams, grain, millet, pulse, sesame, wheat and other crops in Telmessos. He levied orchard crops and the use of pasture land, taxies typical of Ptolemaic practices in Egypt. It is unknown how much time these agricultural levies lasted for and through Ptolemy's taxation reforms he was honored with a decree.] The taxation reforms for Telmessos was out of the ordinary for the citizens of the city and was a big shift from a complicated system of taxation and rents imposed by the Ptolemies that was elsewhere known in Asia Minor.[
Before he died in 240 BC, Ptolemy III honored Ptolemy in another decree in the city assuring the city still recognised the authority of the King 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 ...
and to Ptolemy's good care of the city. When Ptolemy died an honorific surviving inscription dedicated to him reads: ''Ptolemy son of Ptolemy and Arsinoe the Theoi Philadelphoi'' (the Sibling-loving Gods).[ At the death of Ptolemy, he was the last surviving child of the Diadoch Lysimachus. At an unknown date, perhaps during his co-regency with Ptolemy II or in his rule over Telmessos, Ptolemy married an unnamed Greek aristocratic woman by whom he had two sons: Lysimachus of Telmessos who later succeeded him as the second Ptolemaic client ruler of Telmessos and ]Epigonos of Telmessos Epigonus of Telmessos ( grc, Επίγονος Τελμησσεύς, Epigonos Telmēsseus, flourished 3rd century BC) was a Greek Prince from Asia Minor.
Family background
Epigonus may have been a second-born son to Ptolemy I Epigone and younger b ...
.
His identity
The identity of Ptolemy is perhaps the most confusing and controversial of Ptolemaic genealogy.[ Ptolemy is also identified as the following:
* ''Ptolemy Epigone'',] also known as Ptolemy the Epigone, ''Epigone'' (''Epigonos'') i.e. the ''heir'',[ he is known from an inscription at Telmessos. The sons 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 ...
of 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 ...
were widely referred to as the ''Epigonoi'' or ''the heirs''.[ This also reveals his succession status and relations to the Ptolemaic Kingdom, the kingdom of his late father and being the brief heir to the kingdom of his mother and his uncle Ptolemy Keraunos.
* ''Ptolemy Nios'' or Ptolemy ‘the Son’, which he was known during his co-regency with Ptolemy II as he was the adopted son and supposed first intended heir of Ptolemy II.
* ''Ptolemy ‘the Brother’'', refers to his relationship with Ptolemy III.
* ''Ptolemy of Telmessos'', this was his title when he ruled Telmessos.
* ''Ptolemaios Lysimachou''] or simply, Ptolemy, son of Lysimachus.
See also
* Aristander
References
Bibliography
Lysimachus’ article at Livius.org
* Christopher Bennett
(2001-2013)
*
*
*
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{{authority control
290s BC births
240 BC deaths
3rd-century BC Pharaohs
3rd-century BC Macedonians
3rd-century BC rulers
Ancient Thessalians
Ancient Macedonian monarchs
Hellenistic Thrace
Ptolemaic court
Pharaohs of the Ptolemaic dynasty
3rd-century BC Egyptian people
Anatolian Greeks
Lycians