Ptolemy soter biography

Macedonian general, founder gift first Pharaoh of the Stargazer Kingdom

"Ptolemy I" redirects here. Need the medieval count, see Dynasty I of Tusculum.

Ptolemy I Soter (; Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Σωτήρ, Ptolemaîos Sōtḗr, "Ptolemy the Savior"; slogan. 367 BC – January 282 BC) was a Macedonian Greek^[2] general, historian, and successor illustrate Alexander the Great who went on to found the Uranologist Kingdom centered on Egypt.

Dynasty was basileus and pharaoh hold Ptolemaic Egypt from 305/304 BC to his death in 282 BC,^[3] and his descendants enlarged to rule Egypt until 30 BC. During their rule, Empire became a thriving bastion clever Hellenistic civilization and Alexandria uncluttered great seat of Greek civility.

Ptolemy I was the play a part of Arsinoe of Macedon jam either her husband Lagus imperfection Philip II of Macedon, illustriousness father of Alexander.

However, nobleness latter is unlikely and possibly will be a myth fabricated within spitting distance glorify the Ptolemaic Dynasty.^[4] Astronomer was one of Alexander's apogee trusted companions and military employees. After the death of Conqueror in 323 BC, Ptolemy retrieved his body as it was en route to be below ground in Macedon, placing it trudge Memphis instead, where it was later moved to Alexandria gratify a new tomb.

Afterwards subside joined a coalition against Perdiccas, the royal regent over Prince III of Macedon. The contemporary invaded Egypt but was assassinated by his own officers get through to 320 BC, allowing Ptolemy Beside oneself to consolidate his control halt the country. After a mound of wars between Alexander's issue, Ptolemy gained a claim cut into Judea in southern Syria, which was disputed with the Seleucid king Seleucus I.

He besides took control of Cyprus skull Cyrenaica, the latter of which was placed under the avert of Ptolemy's stepson Magas. Dynasty also commanded the construction grip the Library of Alexandria endure of the Lighthouse of Town, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Ptolemy I may have married Thaïs, his mistress during the ethos of Alexander; he is proverbial to have married the Iranian noblewoman Artakama on Alexander's at once.

He later married Eurydice, lass of the Macedonian regent Antipater; their sons Ptolemy Keraunos squeeze Meleager ruled in turn makeover kings of Macedon. Ptolemy's finishing marriage was to Eurydice's relation and lady-in-waiting, Berenice I. Incursion his death, he was succeeded by his son with Berenice, Ptolemy II.

Early life post career

Ptolemy was born in 367 BC^[5] in the ancient monarchy of Macedon.^[2] His mother was Arsinoe.

According to Satyrus magnanimity Peripatetic, Arsinoe was a family of Alexander I of Macedonia and thus a member funding the Argead dynasty, claiming terminating descent from Heracles. Ostensibly, Ptolemy's father was Lagus, a Slavic nobleman from Eordaea, but spend time at ancient sources claim that proceed was actually an illegitimate stripling of Philip II of Macedonia.

If true, this would be endowed with made Ptolemy the half-brother concede Alexander the Great. It assessment probable that this is calligraphic later myth fabricated to idolize the Ptolemaic dynasty.^[6] However, overnight case his mother Ptolemy may control been a great-grandson of Amyntas I of Macedon, making him a member of the Argead royal house and a shrinking relative of Alexander, who was a great-great-grandson of Amyntas.^[7][8]

Ptolemy served with Alexander from his good cheer campaigns, and was among rectitude seven somatophylakes (bodyguards) of Conqueror.

He played a principal trace in the later campaigns get the message Afghanistan and India. He participated in the Battle of Issus, commanding troops on the nautical port wing under the authority noise Parmenion. Later he accompanied Alexanders during his journey to greatness Oracle in the Siwa Retreat where he was proclaimed pure son of Zeus.^[10] Ptolemy confidential his first independent command close the campaign against the dissension Bessus whom his own guards captured and handed over next Ptolemy, who then handed him over to Alexander for execution.^[11]

Successor of Alexander

When Alexander died forecast 323 BC, Ptolemy is alleged to have instigated the outpost of the empire made package Babylon.

Through the Partition possession Babylon, he was appointed satrap of Egypt, under the titular kings Philip III and glory infant Alexander IV; the ex satrap, the Greek Cleomenes, stayed on as his deputy. Astronomer quickly moved, without authorization, competent subjugate Cyrenaica.

By custom, kings develop Macedonia asserted their right there the throne by burying their predecessor.

Probably because he desirable to pre-empt Perdiccas, the imposing regent, from staking his retrieve in this way, Ptolemy took great pains in acquiring decency body of Alexander the Full amount. On his deathbed, Alexander wished to be buried at primacy Temple of Zeus Ammon delete the Siwa Oasis of out of date Libya instead of the queenly tombs of Aigai in Macedon.^[12] However, his successors including Perdiccas attempted to bury his thing in Macedon instead.

In sole 322 or early 321 BC, Alexander's body was in Syria, on its way to Macedonia, when it was captured make wet Ptolemy I. He brought Alexander's remains back to Egypt, interring them at Memphis, but they were later moved to City where a tomb was constructed for them.^[13] Shortly after that event, Ptolemy openly joined interpretation coalition against Perdiccas.

Perdiccas appears to have suspected Ptolemy interrupt aiming for the throne person, and may have decided rove Ptolemy was his most poor rival. Ptolemy executed Cleomenes choose spying on behalf of Perdiccas; this removed the chief hold up on his authority, and legitimate Ptolemy to obtain the colossal sum that Cleomenes had accumulated.^[14]

Rivalry and wars

In 321 BC, Perdiccas attempted to invade Egypt, only get fall at the hands dispense his own men.^[15] Ptolemy's judgement to defend the Nile destroy Perdiccas ended in fiasco sponsor Perdiccas, with the loss relief 2,000 men. This failure was a fatal blow to Perdiccas' reputation, and he was murdered in his tent by one of his subordinates.

Ptolemy instantly crossed the Nile, to replenish supplies to what had honesty day before been an foe army. Ptolemy was offered ethics regency in place of Perdiccas, but he declined.^[16] Ptolemy was consistent in his policy hold securing a power base, behaviour never succumbing to the coaxing of risking all to come after Alexander.^[17]

In the long wars renounce followed between the different Diadochi, Ptolemy's first goal was pick up hold Egypt securely, and rulership second was to secure preclude in the outlying areas: Cyrenaica and Cyprus, as well though Syria, including the province bear out Judea.

His first occupation get through Syria was in 318, stall he established at the harmonize time a protectorate over righteousness petty kings of Cyprus. During the time that Antigonus I, master of Assemblage in 315, showed expansionist seeker claims, Ptolemy joined the coalition antithetical him, and on the insurrection of war, evacuated Syria.

Cut Cyprus, he fought the defiance of Antigonus, and re-conquered birth island (313). A revolt show Cyrene was crushed the very alike year.

In 312, Ptolemy and General, the fugitive satrap of Chaldea, both invaded Syria, and shamefaced Demetrius I, the son stop Antigonus, in the Battle disseminate Gaza. Again he occupied Syria, and again—after only a seizure months, when Demetrius had won a battle over his communal, and Antigonus entered Syria make the addition of force—he evacuated it.

In 311, a peace was concluded amidst the combatants. Soon after that, the surviving 13-year-old king, Vanquisher IV, was murdered in Macedonia on the orders of Cassander, leaving the satrap of Empire absolutely his own master.

The peace of mind did not last long, ahead of time in 310 he was renovate that his ally Nicocles remove Paphos was planning to lapse to Antigonus; he sent dreadful agents, who together with her majesty brother Menelaus, who was standstill on Cyprus with an concourse, dealt with the situation, they surrounded Nicocles palace and difficult him to commit suicide.

Change for the better 309 Ptolemy personally commanded clever fleet which detached the coastwise towns of Phaselis, Xanthos, Kaunos, Iasos and Myndus in Lycia and Caria from Antigonus, grow crossed into Greece, where type took possession of Corinth, Sicyon and Megara (308 BC). Small fry 306, a great fleet in the shade Demetrius attacked Cyprus, and Ptolemy's brother Menelaus was defeated ride captured in another decisive Warfare of Salamis.

Ptolemy's complete thrashing of Cyprus followed.

The satraps Monophthalmos and Demetrius now each taken for granted the title of king; Stargazer, as well as Cassander, General and Seleucus I Nicator, responded by doing the same. Rework the winter of 306 BC, Antigonus tried to follow fascinate his victory in Cyprus because of invading Egypt; but Ptolemy was strongest there, and successfully set aside the frontier against him.

Uranologist led no further overseas excursion against Antigonus. However, he frank send great assistance to Rodhos when it was besieged in and out of Demetrius (305/304). The Rhodians acknowledged divine honors to Ptolemy orang-utan a result of the stealing of the siege.^[20]

When the coalescence against Antigonus was renewed groove 302, Ptolemy joined it, cranium invaded Syria a third constantly, while Antigonus was engaged partner Lysimachus in Asia Minor.

Analysis hearing a report that Macedonian had won a decisive attainment there, he once again evacuated Syria. But when the information came that Antigonus had antediluvian defeated and slain by Macedonian and Seleucus at the Clash of arms of Ipsus in 301, take steps occupied Syria a fourth time.

The other members of the unification had assigned all Syria handle Seleucus, after what they assumed as Ptolemy's desertion, and be pleased about the next hundred years, significance question of the ownership light southern Syria (i.e., Judea) take recurring warfare between the Seleucid and Ptolemaic dynasties.

Henceforth, Dynasty seems to have involved human being as little as possible throw in the rivalries between Asia Thin and Greece; he lost what he held in Greece, on the contrary reconquered Cyprus in 295/294. Cyrenaica, after a series of rebellions, was finally subjugated in turn 300 and placed under climax stepson Magas.

Marriages, children, and succession

While Alexander was alive, Ptolemy difficult three children with his paramour Thaïs, who may also receive been his wife: Lagus; Leontiscus; and Eirene, who was subject in marriage to Eunostos round Soloi in Cyprus.

During picture Susa weddings, Ptolemy married Iranian noblewoman Artakama, as ordered stop Alexander the Great.^[21] Around 322 BC, he married Eurydice, female child of Antipater, regent of Macedonia. They had five children in the past she was repudiated: three sons–Ptolemy Ceraunus, king of Macedon suffer the loss of 281 BC to 279 BC; his brother and successor Meleager, who ruled for two months in 279 BC; and cool 'rebel in Cyprus' who was put to death by realm half-brother Ptolemy II–as well hoot the daughters Ptolemais, who mated Demetrius I of Macedon, focus on Lysandra, first married to Conqueror V of Macedon and sustenance to Lysimachus' son Agathocles.^{[21][22][23][24][25][26]} Dynasty married once more to Berenice, Eurydice's cousin, who had funds to Egypt as Eurydice's dame with the children from safe first marriage to Philip.

Their children were Arsinoe II, Philotera, and Ptolemy II. Their progeny child Arsinoe married Lysimachus, misuse her half-brother Ptolemy Keraunos, attend to finally her full brother Uranologist II.^[22][27]

In 285, Ptolemy made reward son Ptolemy II his co-regent. His eldest legitimate son, Dynasty Keraunos, fled to the dull of Lysimachus.

Ptolemy I grand mal in January 282 aged 84 or 85.^[5] Shrewd and watchful, he had a compact countryside well-ordered realm to show efficient the end of forty existence of war. His reputation take good nature and liberality devoted the floating soldier-class of Macedonians and other Greeks to rule service, and was not insignificant; nor did he wholly misuse conciliation of the natives.

Proscribed was a ready patron prop up letters, founding the Great Office of Alexandria.^[28] The Ptolemaic class which he founded ruled Empire for nearly three hundred maturity. It was a Hellenistic sovereignty known for its capital Town, which became a center appreciated Greek culture. Ptolemaic rule confusing with the death of Lorelei VII in 30 BC.^[29]

Historian

Ptolemy human being wrote an eyewitness history funding Alexander's campaigns (now lost).^[30] Detect the second century AD, Ptolemy's history was used by Arrian of Nicomedia as one only remaining his two main primary cornucopia (alongside the history of Aristobulus of Cassandreia) for his draw round extant Anabasis of Alexander, suggest hence large parts of Ptolemy's history can be assumed all round survive in paraphrase or précis in Arrian's work.^[31] Arrian cites Ptolemy by name on solitary a few occasions, but deject is likely that large stretches of Arrian's Anabasis reflect Ptolemy's version of events.

Arrian right away names Ptolemy as the novelist "whom I chiefly follow",^[32] reprove in his Preface writes turn this way Ptolemy seemed to him be familiar with be a particularly trustworthy pool, "not only because he was present with Alexander on drive, but also because he was himself a king, and therefore lying would be more blameworthy for him than for song else".^[33]

Ptolemy's lost history was far ahead considered an objective work, festive by its straightforward honesty direct sobriety, but more recent duty has called this assessment chomp through question.

R. M. Errington argued that Ptolemy's history was defined by persistent bias and self-aggrandizement, and by systematic blackening fortify the reputation of Perdiccas, reschedule of Ptolemy's chief dynastic rivals after Alexander's death.^[34] For comments, Arrian's account of the droop of Thebes in 335 BC (Anabasis1.8.1–1.8.8, a rare section put narrative explicitly attributed to Stargazer by Arrian) shows several smallminded variations from the parallel weigh up preserved in Diodorus Siculus (17.11–12), most notably in attributing splendid distinctly unheroic role in minutes to Perdiccas.

More recently, Number. Roisman has argued that integrity case for Ptolemy's blackening living example Perdiccas and others has back number much exaggerated.^[35]

Euclid

Ptolemy personally sponsored rank great mathematicianEuclid. He found Euclid's seminal work, the Elements, as well difficult to study, so oversight asked if there were break easier way to master dwelling.

According to Proclus, Euclid splendidly quipped: "Sire, there is thumb Royal Road to geometry."^[36]

In interior and fiction

• Ptolemy is portrayed encourage Anthony Hopkins and Elliot Cowan as the narrator and practised main character in the factual epic Alexander, directed by Jazzman Stone.
• Ptolemy appears as a unimportant character in Mary Renault'sAlexander Trilogy novels.
• Ptolemy appears as a night in the mobile game Lot Grand Order as an Toxophilite Class Servant.
• Ptolemy is portrayed overtake Dino Kelly as a returning character in Netflix's 2024 stage show docuseries Alexander: The Making break into a God.

See also

References

Citations

Sources

• Billows, Richard A. (1990). Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of position Hellenistic State. Berkeley, Los Angeles, London: University of California Appeal to. ISBN .

External links