Ptolemy XI Alexander II
( gr, Πτολεμαῖος Ἀλέξανδρος, ''Ptolemaĩos Aléxandros'') was a member of the
Ptolemaic dynasty who ruled
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
for a few days in 80 BC. He was a son of
Ptolemy X Alexander I and
Cleopatra Selene.
Biography
Ptolemy XI was born to
Ptolemy X Alexander I and supposedly
Cleopatra Selene.
His uncle
Ptolemy IX
Ptolemy IX Soter II Ptolemy IX also took the same title 'Soter' as Ptolemy I. In older references and in more recent references by the German historian Huss, Ptolemy IX may be numbered VIII. ( el, Πτολεμαῖος Σωτ ...
Lathryos died in 81 BC or 80 BC, leaving only his sole legitimate daughter as his heir, and so Cleopatra Berenice (= Berenice III) ruled alone for a time.
However,
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
's
Sulla wanted a pro-Roman ruler on the throne, and sent the young son of Ptolemy X to Egypt, displaying Ptolemy Alexander's will in Rome as supposed justification for this obvious interference.
The will also apparently required Ptolemy XI to marry
Berenice III, who was his stepmother, cousin, and possible half-sister.
However, nineteen days after the marriage, Ptolemy murdered his bride for unknown reasons, an unwise move since Berenice was very popular; Ptolemy was soon lynched by the citizens of
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, Alexandri ...
.
He was succeeded by his cousin
Ptolemy XII, an illegitimate son of Ptolemy IX.
Notes
References
Peter Green, ''Alexander to Actium'' (
University of California Press
The University of California Press, otherwise known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish scholarly and scientific works by facult ...
, 1990), pp. 553–554
External links
Ptolemy XI Alexander IIentry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ptolemy 11
2nd-century BC births
80 BC deaths
1st-century BC Pharaohs
1st-century BC murdered monarchs
Lynching deaths
Pharaohs of the Ptolemaic dynasty
1st-century BC rulers in Africa
1st-century BC Egyptian people