Topic summary
Ptolemy II
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Ptolemy II Philadelphus.
Ruler cult
Ptolemy II was responsible for the transformation of the cult of Alexander the Great, which had been established by Ptolemy I, into a state cult of the Ptolemaic dynasty. At the start of his sole reign, Ptolemy II deified his father. He deified his mother Berenice I as well after her death in the 270s. The couple was worshipped as a pair, the Theoi Soteres (lit. ' Savior Gods'). Around 272 BC, Ptolemy II promoted himself and his sister-wife Arsinoe II to divine status as the Theoi Adelphoi (lit. 'Sibling Gods').