Ptolemy is a name derived from Ancient Greek. Common variants include Ptolemaeus (Latin), Tolomeo (Italian) and

Talmai Talmai (; he, תלמי 'my furrows') is a name in the Bible referring to a number of minor people. Its Aramaic version was associated with the Greek Ptolemy (see that article for the list of corresponding names and surnames), and is the origin of ...

(Hebrew).

Etymology

Ptolemy is the English form of the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...

name Πτολεμαῖος (''Ptolemaios''), a derivative of πτόλεμος, an Epic form of πόλεμος 'war'. A nephew of

Antigonus I Monophthalmus Antigonus I Monophthalmus ( grc-gre, Ἀντίγονος Μονόφθαλμος , 'the One-Eyed'; 382 – 301 BC), son of Philip from Elimeia, was a Macedonian Greek nobleman, general, satrap, and king. During the first half of his life he serv ...

was called ''Polemaeus'', the normal form of the adjective. ''Ptolemaios'' is first attested in

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Ody ...

and is the name of an Achaean warrior, son of Piraeus, father of Eurymedon. The name ''Ptolemaios'' varied over the years from its roots in

ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cu ...

, appearing in different languages in various forms and spellings: } ''Ptolemaîos'' , - , - * la, Ptolemaeus * german: Ptolemäus, Ptolemaios * it, Tolomeo * en, Ptolemy * egy, ptwȝlmysp:t-wA-l:M-i-i-s * cop, ⲡⲧⲟⲗⲉⲙⲁⲓⲟⲥ * Phoenician: 𐤐𐤕𐤋𐤌𐤉𐤎 (ptlmyš) or 𐤐𐤕𐤋𐤌𐤉𐤔 (ptlmys) *

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

and

Aramaic The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated i ...

: תלמי ''

'' *

Middle Persian Middle Persian or Pahlavi, also known by its endonym Pārsīk or Pārsīg () in its later form, is a Western Middle Iranian language which became the literary language of the Sasanian Empire. For some time after the Sasanian collapse, Middle P ...

𐭯𐭲𐭫𐭬𐭥𐭱 (ptlmywš) ''Patlamyōš'' * fa, بَطلَمیوس، پتُلِمَیوس ''Baṭlamīūs/ Ptolemaios'' * ar, بَطُلِيمُوس ''Baṭulīmūs'' The name ''Ptolemy'' spread from its Greek origins to enter other languages in

Western Asia Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes A ...

during the Hellenisation that followed the conquest of the known world by

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

. The Aramaic name Bar

(Greek ''Bartolomaios'' and English '' Bartholomew'') may be related.

Bartholomew the Apostle Bartholomew (Aramaic: ; grc, Βαρθολομαῖος, translit=Bartholomaîos; la, Bartholomaeus; arm, Բարթողիմէոս; cop, ⲃⲁⲣⲑⲟⲗⲟⲙⲉⲟⲥ; he, בר-תולמי, translit=bar-Tôlmay; ar, بَرثُولَماو� ...

is thus thought to have been the son of a Ptolemy. Ptolemais is formed from this name by the Greek feminine adjectival ending ''-i(d)s''.

Claudius Ptolemaeus

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

commonly refers to Claudius Ptolemaeus (ca. 90 AD–ca. 168 AD), a writer, geographer, mathematician, astronomer and astrologer who lived in the Alexandrine Greek culture of Roman Egypt.

Early Greek rulers and generals named Ptolemy

* Ptolemy (King of Thebes) (12th century BC) – mythical ruler of the ancient Greek city of Thebes * Ptolemy of Aloros (ruled 368 to 365 BC) – Regent of Macedon *

Ptolemy (somatophylax) Ptolemy ( grc, Πτολεμαῖος) was one of the selected officers of Alexander the Great, called somatophylaces. He was killed at the siege of Halicarnassus, 334 BC, commanding two ''taxeis'' of Hypaspists, those of Adaeus and Timander. ...

(died 334 BC) – Macedonian bodyguard and general of Alexander the Great * Ptolemy (son of Seleucus) (died 333 BC) – Macedonian bodyguard and general of Alexander the Great *

Ptolemy (son of Philip) Ptolemy, son of Philip ( el, Πτολεμαῖος ὁ Φιλίππου) was an officer who commanded the leading squadron of Macedonian cavalry (that of Socrates) at the Battle of the Granicus. Both Gronovius and Droysen, suppose that he is the s ...

(4th century BC) – Macedonian officer of

* Ptolemy (general) or Polemaios (died 309 BC) – Macedonian general and nephew of Antigonus I Monophthalmus * Ptolemy (son of Pyrrhus) (295–272 BC) – a son of king

Pyrrhus of Epirus Pyrrhus (; grc-gre, Πύρρος ; 319/318–272 BC) was a Greek king and statesman of the Hellenistic period.Plutarch. '' Parallel Lives'',Pyrrhus... He was king of the Greek tribe of Molossians, of the royal Aeacid house, and later he be ...

Ptolemy of Epirus Ptolemy ( el, ), king of Epirus (237 BC – 234 ВС) was the second son of Alexander II, king of Epirus, and Olympias, grandson of the great Pyrrhus and brother of Phthia of Macedon. He was named in honour of his late uncle Ptolemy. He succee ...

– King of the Greek frontier kingdom of Epirus c. 237 BC – 234 ВС

Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty

The Ptolemaic dynasty, of Macedonian origin, ruled Hellenistic Egypt for nearly 300 years, from 305 BC to 30 BC. The kings of this dynasty, the first of which was

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 Macedo ...

(303–282 BC), were all named Ptolemy, as were several other members of the dynasty.

Other people named Ptolemy or Ptolemaeus

Born before 20th century

Ptolemy Macron Ptolemy Macron (fl. 2nd century BCE) was a general of King Antiochus IV Epiphanes (c. 215 BCE – 164 BCE), head of the Seleucid Empire, a Greek state in Western Asia. His life is covered in parts of the first two Books of the Maccabees, which call ...

(fl. 2nd century BC), governor of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia. *

Ptolemaeus of Commagene Ptolemaeus ( el, ) (201 BC - 130 BC) was initially the satrap of Commagene, later becoming its first king in 163 BC. He belonged to the Orontid Dynasty, founded by Orontes I. Ptolemaeus' father was King Orontes IV of Armenia, son of Arsames ...

(201 BC - 130 BC), satrap and then first King of Commagene *

Ptolemy (son of Abubus) Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importan ...

, governor of

Jericho Jericho ( ; ar, أريحا ; he, יְרִיחוֹ ) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It is the administrative seat of the Jericho ...

(ca. 130 BC) in the First Book of the Maccabees; instigated the death of Simon Maccabees; and for whom Dante named the section of Hell reserved for traitors to guests ('Ptolemaea') *

Ptolemy (son of Mennaeus) Ptolemy or Ptolemaeus ( el, ), son of Mennaeus (Mennæus) was tetrarch of Iturea and Chalcis from about 85 BC to 40 BC, in which year he died. He tried to extend his kingdom by warlike expeditions (Strabo, xvi. 2, § 10); and ruled the Lebanon, t ...

(rule ended ca. 40 BC), governor of biblical Abilene, a district of the disputed region of Coele-Syria *

Ptolemy of Mauretania Ptolemy of Mauretania ( grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ''Ptolemaîos''; la, Gaius Iulius Ptolemaeus; 13 9BC–AD40) was the last Roman client king and ruler of Mauretania for Rome. He was the son of Juba II, the king of Numidia and a member ...

(d.40 AD) *

Ptolemaeus Chennus Ptolemy Chennus or Chennos ("quail") ( grc-koi, Πτολεμαῖος Χέννος ''Ptolemaios Chennos''), was an Alexandrine grammarian during the reigns of Trajan and Hadrian. According to the ''Suda'', he was the author of an historical drama ...

(2nd century AD), a grammarian who lived in the Alexandrine Greek culture of Roman Egypt *

Ptolemaeus and Lucius Ptolemaeus and Lucius (died ca. 165 AD) are venerated as Christian martyrs and saints, who died during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Biography According to an early account by St. Justin Martyr, Ptolemaeus converted a promiscuous woman to Christia ...

(d. c. 165 AD), Christian martyrs * Ptolemy (gnostic) (c. 180 AD), a religious philosopher who was active in Roman Italy and Gaul *

Ptolemy-el-Garib Ptolemy-el-Garib (Arabic, more correctly ''al-gharīb'', "Ptolemy the foreigner," explained as meaning "Ptolemy the unknown") (fl. c. 300 AD) was a Hellenistic pinacographer, probably of the Peripatetic school, who wrote a ''Life of Aristotle'' no ...

(fl. c. 300 AD), a Peripatetic pinacographer whose ''Life of Aristotle'' * Ptolemaeus Secundus ('Second Ptolemy'), a nickname for the Arab polymath

Ibn al-Haytham Ḥasan Ibn al-Haytham, Latinized as Alhazen (; full name ; ), was a medieval mathematician, astronomer, and physicist of the Islamic Golden Age from present-day Iraq.For the description of his main fields, see e.g. ("He is one of the pr ...

(c. 965 – c. 1040) * Ptolemy I of Tusculum (d.1126), a count of Tusculum who asserted his family's descent from the Roman

Julii The gens Julia (''gēns Iūlia'', ) was one of the most prominent patrician families in ancient Rome. Members of the gens attained the highest dignities of the state in the earliest times of the Republic. The first of the family to obtain t ...

* Ptolemy II of Tusculum (d.1153), a count of Tusculum who married Bertha, daughter of Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor * Ptolemaios Sarigiannis (1882–1958), a Greek Army officer

Born in 20th century or later

Ptolemy Tompkins Ptolemy Tompkins (born 1962) is an American writer specializing in books describing the role of the spiritual in ordinary life. His best-known work, "Proof of Angels" (Howard Books, 2014), co-authored with Utah police officer Tyler Beddoes, focuse ...

(born 1962) – American author *

Ptolemy Dean Ptolemy Hugo Dean (born 1968) is a British architect, television presenter and the 19th Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey. He specialises in historic preservation, as well as designing new buildings that are in keeping with their histo ...

(born 1968) – British architect, author, and TV presenter *

Ptolemy Slocum Ptolemy Slocum (born 20 November 1975) is an American actor, known for his role as Sylvester in ''Westworld''. Slocum was born in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. He was named after the Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy and has been active as an actor ...

(born 1975) – American actor *

Barry Ptolemy Robert Barry Ptolemy (born 1969) is an American film director, producer and writer. Ptolemy directed ''Transcendent Man'' (2009) a documentary film about futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil. Life Ptolemy was born in Los Angeles, California. His fa ...

(born 1969) – American film director and producer

People named Tolomeo or Tolomei

* Tolomeo da Lucca or Bartholomew of Lucca (Bartolomeo Fiadoni c. 1236 – c. 1327), a medieval Italian historian * Bernard Tolomeo (1272–1348), founder of the Olivetan Roman *

Tolomeo Gallio Tolomeo Gallio (also spelled Gallo and Galli; 25 September 1527 – 3 or 4 February 1607) was an Italian Cardinal. Biography In the time of Pope Gregory XIII, he acted as papal secretary of state (in office 1572 to 1585), having a key role ...

(1527–1607), an Italian cardinal * Tolomeo Faccendi (1905–1970), an Italian sculptor * Tolomeo Mwansa (1941-2014), a Zambian football goalkeeper * Giovanni Battista Tolomei (1653–1726), Italian Jesuit priest, theologian, and cardinal

Uses in arts and entertainment

*''The Ptolemy'' (1934) is a large reed organ built by the American composer Harry Partch, named in tribute to Claudius Ptolemaeus *'' Tolomeo'' is an opera by Handel composed in 1728, a fictionalisation of some events in the life of Ptolemy IX Lathyros, king of Egypt *Alderman Ptolemy Tortoise is a character in '' The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher'' by

Beatrix Potter Helen Beatrix Potter (, 28 July 186622 December 1943) was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as '' The Tale of Peter Rabbit'', which was ...

*''Ptolemaios'' and ''Ptolemaios 2'' are fictional spacecraft in the anime television series ''

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is a Japanese anime television series, the eleventh installment in Sunrise (company), Sunrise studio's long-running ''Gundam'' franchise comprising two seasons. The series is set on a futuristic Earth and is centered on the exploits of the f ...

'' and film '' Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer'' *'' Ptolemy's Gate'', published 2005, is the third book in ''The Bartimaeus Trilogy'', a fantasy series by the English author Jonathan Stroud. The series includes a character called Ptolemy, from 2nd century BC Ptolemaic Egypt, who is nephew to

Ptolemy VIII Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II Tryphon ( gr, Πτολεμαῖος Εὐεργέτης Τρύφων, ''Ptolemaĩos Euergétēs Tryphon'' "Ptolemy the Benefactor; c. 184 BC – 28 June 116 BC), nicknamed Physcon ( "Fatty"), was a king of the Ptolema ...

and cousin to

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� ...

*'' Ptolemaic Terrascope'' is a magazine founded in 1989. The name was inspired by "Ptolemy the turtle, who lives at Terrascope Towers". Various artworks and logos feature an astronomer peering through a 'terrascope', so Ptolemaic may here refer to Claudius Ptolemaeus *''The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey'' is a novel by

Walter Mosley Walter Ellis Mosley (born January 12, 1952) is an American novelist, most widely recognized for his crime fiction. He has written a series of best-selling historical mysteries featuring the hard-boiled detective Easy Rawlins, a black private inv ...

, later adapted into a miniseries of the same name, whose titular character is a lonely 93-year-old man with dementia.

References

{{given name Etymologies Ancient Greece * Cultural history Hellenistic Egyptians