Lagids

The Ptolemaic dynasty (; , ''Ptolemaioi''), also known as the Lagid dynasty (, ''Lagidai''; after Ptolemy I's father, Lagus), was a Macedonian Greek royal house which ruled the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Ancient Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Reigning for 275 years, the Ptolemaic was the longest and last dynasty of ancient Egypt from 305 BC until its incorporation into the Roman Republic in 30 BC.

Ptolemy, a general and one of the ''somatophylakes'' (bodyguard companions) of Alexander the Great, was appointed satrap of Egypt after Alexander's death in 323 BC. In 305 BC he declared himself Pharaoh Ptolemy I, later known as ''Sōter'' "Saviour". The Egyptians soon accepted the Ptolemies as the successors to the pharaohs of independent Egypt. The new dynasty showed respect to local traditions and adopted the Egyptian titles and iconography, while also preserving their own Greek language and culture. The Ptolemaic period was marked by the intense interactions and blending of the Greek and Egyptian cultures. Under the Ptolemies, Hellenistic religion was largely shaped by religious syncretism and imperial cult. Elements of Greek education became widespread in urban spaces, culminating in the foundation of the Mouseion (including the Library of Alexandria) and the Serapeum. During the Hellenistic period, the city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great, would gradually surpass Athens taking its place as the intellectual centre of the Mediterranean world.

To emulate the previous dynasties of Egypt, the Ptolemaic dynasty eventually adopted the practice of inbreeding including sibling marriage; this did not start in earnest until nearly a century into the dynasty's history.Move over, Lannisters: No one did incest and murder like the last pharaohs
on The A.V. Club All the male rulers of the dynasty took the name Ptolemy, while queens regnant were all called Cleopatra, Arsinoe, or Berenice. The most famous member of the line was the last queen, Cleopatra VII, known for her role in the Roman political battles between Julius Caesar and Pompey, and later between Octavian and Mark Antony. Her apparent suicide after the Roman conquest of Egypt marked the end of Ptolemaic rule in Egypt.

Rulers and consorts

* Ptolemy I Soter (303–282 BC) married first Thaïs, then Artakama, then Eurydice, and finally Berenice I
* Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BC) married Arsinoe I, then Arsinoe II; ruled jointly with Ptolemy Epigonos (267–259 BC)
* Ptolemy III Euergetes (246–221 BC) married Berenice II
* Ptolemy IV Philopator (221–203 BC) married Arsinoe III
* Ptolemy V Epiphanes (203–181 BC) married Cleopatra I Syra
* Ptolemy VI Philometor (181–164 BC, 163–145 BC) married Cleopatra II, briefly ruled jointly with Ptolemy Eupator in 152 BC
* Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator (possibly never reigned)
* Ptolemy VIII Physcon (170–163 BC, 145–116 BC) married Cleopatra II, then Cleopatra III; temporarily expelled from Alexandria by Cleopatra II from 131 to 127 BC, then reconciled with her in 124 BC.
* Cleopatra II Philometor Soteira (131–127 BC), in opposition to Ptolemy VIII Physcon
* Ptolemy Apion (c. 120–96 BC), son of Ptolemy VIII. Last Ptolemaic king of Cyrene.
* Cleopatra III Philometor Soteira Dikaiosyne Nikephoros (Kokke) (116–101 BC) ruled jointly with Ptolemy IX Lathyros (116–107 BC) and Ptolemy X Alexander I (107–101 BC)
* Ptolemy IX Lathyros (116–107 BC, 88–81 BC as Soter II) married Cleopatra IV, then Cleopatra Selene; ruled jointly with Cleopatra III in his first reign
* Ptolemy X Alexander I (107–88 BC) married Cleopatra Selene, then Berenice III; ruled jointly with Cleopatra III till 101 BC
* Berenice III Philopator (81–80 BC)
* Ptolemy XI Alexander II (80 BC) married and ruled jointly with Berenice III before murdering her; ruled alone for 19 days after that.
* Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos (Auletes) (80–58 BC, 55–51 BC) married Cleopatra V Tryphaena
* Cleopatra VI Tryphaena (58–57 BC) ruled jointly with Berenice IV Epiphaneia (58–55 BC), possibly identical with Cleopatra V Tryphaena
* Cleopatra ("Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator", 51–30 BC) ruled jointly with Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator (51–47 BC), Ptolemy XIV (47–44 BC) and Ptolemy XV Caesarion (44–30 BC).
* Arsinoe IV (48–47 BC), in opposition to Cleopatra
* Ptolemy of Mauretania (13 or 9 BC–AD 40) Client king and ruler of Mauretania for Rome

Dates in brackets on the Cup of the Ptolemies represent the regnal dates of the Ptolemaic pharaohs. They frequently ruled jointly with their wives, who were often also their sisters, aunts or cousins. Several queens exercised regal authority. Of these, one of the last and most famous was Cleopatra ("Cleopatra VII Philopator", 51–30 BC), with her two brothers and her son serving as successive nominal co-rulers. Several systems exist for numbering the later rulers; the one used here is the one most widely employed by modern scholars.

Family tree

Other notable members of the Ptolemaic dynasty

*Ptolemy Keraunos (died 279 BC) – eldest son of Ptolemy I Soter. Eventually became king of Macedonia.
* Ptolemy Apion (died 96 BC) – son of Ptolemy VIII Physcon. Made king of Cyrenaica. Bequeathed Cyrenaica to Rome.
* Ptolemy Philadelphus (born 36 BC) – son of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII.
*Ptolemy of Mauretania (died 40 AD) – son of King Juba II of Numidia and Mauretania and Cleopatra Selene II, daughter of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony. King of Mauretania.
* Ptolemy II of Telmessos, grandson of Ptolemy Epigonos, flourished second half of 3rd century BC and first half of 2nd century BC
* Ptolemy of Cyprus, king of Cyprus c. 80–58 BC, younger brother of Ptolemy XII Auletes

Health

Continuing the tradition established by previous Egyptian dynasties, the Ptolemies engaged in inbreeding including sibling marriage, with many of the pharaohs being married to their siblings and often co-ruling with them. Ptolemy I and other early rulers of the dynasty were not married to their relatives, the childless marriage of siblings Ptolemy II and Arsinoe II being an exception. The first child-producing incestuous marriage in the Ptolemaic dynasty was that of Ptolemy IV and Arsinoe III, who were succeeded as co-pharaohs by their son Ptolemy V, born 210 BC. The best-known Ptolemaic pharaoh, Cleopatra VII, was at different times married to and ruled with two of her brothers (Ptolemy XIII until 47 BC and then Ptolemy XIV until 44 BC), and their parents were also likely to have been siblings or possibly cousins.

Contemporaries describe a number of the Ptolemaic dynasty members as extremely obese, while sculptures and coins reveal prominent eyes and swollen necks. Familial Graves' disease could explain the swollen necks and eye prominence (exophthalmos), although this is unlikely to occur in the presence of morbid obesity. This is all likely due to inbreeding depression. In view of the familial nature of these findings, members of the Ptolemaic dynasty are likely to have suffered from a multi-organ fibrotic condition such as Erdheim–Chester disease, or a familial multifocal fibrosclerosis where thyroiditis, obesity and ocular proptosis may have all occurred concurrently.

Gallery

File:Ptolemy I Soter Louvre Ma849.jpg, Ptolemy I, founder of the dynasty.
File:Ptolemy II MAN Napoli Inv5600.jpg, Ptolemy II
File:Ptolemy III Euergetes.jpg, Ptolemy III
File:PtolemyIV-StatueHead MuseumOfFineArtsBoston.png, Ptolemy IV
File:Ptolemaeus V.jpg, Ptolemy V
File:Ring with engraved portrait of Ptolemy VI Philometor (3rd–2nd century BCE) - 2009.jpg, Ptolemy VI
File:Cleopatra II and III Kom Ombo Temple.jpg, Cleopatra II (right)
File:Relief of Ptolemy VIII in Kom Ombo Temple.jpg, Ptolemy VIII
File:Edfu29.JPG, Ptolemy IX
File:Ägyptisches Museum Berlin 112.jpg, Ptolemy X
File:Kom Ombo 0312.JPG, Ptolemy XII
File:Kom Ombo 0333.JPG, Ptolemy XIII and Sekhmet
File:Ptolemy XIV.jpg, Ptolemy XIV
File:Cleopatra VII statue fragment, 69-30 BC - Royal Ontario Museum - DSC09761.JPG, Cleopatra VII
File:Denderah4 Cesarion.jpg, Ptolemy XV, commonly called Caesarion.
File:Cameo Ptolemaic prince Bab111 CdM Paris.jpg, Sardonyx cameo of a Ptolemaic prince as the Greek god Hermes, Cabinet des médailles, Paris.
File:Posthumous painted portrait of Cleopatra VII of Egypt, from Herculaneum, Italy.jpg, Posthumous portrait of Cleopatra VII, from Roman Herculaneum, mid-1st century AD.Fletcher, Joann (2008). ''Cleopatra the Great: The Woman Behind the Legend''. New York: Harper. , image plates and captions between pp. 246-247.
File:Coupe_des_Ptolémées_01.JPG, The Cup of the Ptolemies: front (''top'') of the cup ( Cabinet des Médailles)
File:Coupe_des_Ptolémées_02.JPG, The Cup of the Ptolemies: back (''bottom'') of the cup ( Cabinet des Médailles)

See also

* Argead dynasty, another Greek dynasty in Egypt which ruled immediately prior to the Ptolemies
* Donations of Alexandria
* Hellenistic period
* History of ancient Egypt
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* List of Seleucid rulers
* '' On Weights and Measures'', which contains a chronology of the Ptolemies
* Ptolemaic Decrees
* Roman pharaohs

References

Informational notes

Citations

Bibliography

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Further reading

* Bingen, Jean. ''Hellenistic Egypt''. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2007 (hardcover, ; paperback, ).
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* A. Lampela, ''Rome and the Ptolemies of Egypt: The development of their political relations 273–80 B.C.'' (Helsinki, 1998).
* J. G. Manning, ''The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305–30 BC'' (Princeton, 2009).
* Susan Stephens, ''Seeing Double: Intercultural Poetics in Ptolemaic Alexandria'' (Berkeley, 2002).

External links

Livius.org: "Ptolemies"
—by Jona Lendering

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States and territories established in the 4th century BC
States and territories disestablished in the 1st century BC
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Hellenistic dynasties
Ptolemaic
Ancient Greek dynasties
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4th century BC in Egypt
3rd century BC in Egypt
2nd century BC in Egypt
1st century BC in Egypt
4th-century BC establishments in Egypt
1st-millennium BC disestablishments in Egypt
305 BC
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