Ptolemaic dynasty

The Ptolemaic dynasty (/ˌtɒlɪˈmeɪ.ɪk/; Ancient Greek: Πτολεμαῖοι, Ptolemaioi), sometimes referred to as the Lagid dynasty (Λαγίδαι, Lagidae; after Ptolemy I's father, Lagus), was a Macedonian Greek[1][2][3][4][5] royal dynasty which ruled the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Ancient Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Their rule lasted for 275 years, from 305 to 30 BC.[6] The Ptolemaic was the last dynasty of ancient Egypt.

This article is about the royal family. For the territorial state over which it ruled, see Ptolemaic Kingdom.
Ptolemaic dynasty
Pharaoh Ptolemy Soter, British Museum
CountryAncient Egypt, Ancient Macedonia
Founded305 BC
FounderPtolemy I Soter
Final rulerCleopatra VII and Ptolemy XV
(Egypt)
Ptolemy XVI
(Syria)
Ptolemy of Mauretania
(Mauretania)
Final headDrusilla
TitlesPharaoh
Basileus of Egypt
King of Macedonia
King of Mauretania
King of Syria
King of Cyrene
DissolutionAD 79
Deposition30 BC (Egypt)
AD 40 (Mauretania)
Periods and dynasties of ancient Egypt
All years are BC
Early
Pre-dynastic period
First Dynasty I c. 3150–2890
Second Dynasty II 2890–2686
Old Kingdom
Third Dynasty III 2686–2613
Fourth Dynasty IV 2613–2498
Fifth Dynasty V 2498–2345
Sixth Dynasty VI 2345–2181
First Intermediate
Seventh Dynasty VII spurious
Eighth Dynasty VIII 2181–2160
Ninth Dynasty IX 2160–2130
Tenth Dynasty X 2130–2040
Early Eleventh Dynasty XI 2134–2061
Middle Kingdom
Late Eleventh Dynasty XI 2061–1991
Twelfth Dynasty XII 1991–1803
Thirteenth Dynasty XIII 1803–1649
Second Intermediate
Fourteenth Dynasty XIV 1705–1690
Fifteenth Dynasty (Hyksos) XV 1674–1535
Sixteenth Dynasty XVI 1660–1600
Abydos Dynasty 1650–1600
Seventeenth Dynasty XVII 1580–1549
New Kingdom
Eighteenth Dynasty XVIII 1549–1292
Nineteenth Dynasty XIX 1292–1189
Twentieth Dynasty XX 1189–1077
Third Intermediate
Twenty-first Dynasty XXI 1069–945
Twenty-second Dynasty XXII 945–720
Twenty-third Dynasty XXIII 837–728
Twenty-fourth Dynasty XXIV 732–720
Twenty-fifth Dynasty (Nubian) XXV 732–653
Late Period
Twenty-sixth Dynasty XXVI 672–525
Twenty-seventh Dynasty
(1st Persian Period)
 XXVII 525–404
Twenty-eighth Dynasty XXVIII 404–398
Twenty-ninth Dynasty XXIX 398–380
Thirtieth Dynasty XXX 380–343
Thirty-first Dynasty
(2nd Persian Period)
 XXXI 343–332
Hellenistic Egypt
Thirty-second Dynasty XXXII 332–305
Thirty-third Dynasty XXXIII 305–30
Roman Egypt
Thirty-fourth Dynasty
(Roman Pharaohs)
 XXXIV 30–313 AD
See also: List of pharaohs by period and dynasty
Periodization of ancient Egypt

Ptolemy, one of the seven somatophylakes (bodyguard companions), a general and possible half-brother 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. Ptolemy's family ruled Egypt until the Roman conquest of 30 BC.

Like the earlier dynasties of ancient Egypt, the Ptolemaic dynasty practiced inbreeding including sibling marriage, but this did not start in earnest until nearly a century into the dynasty's history.[7] 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 at the conquest by Rome marked the end of Ptolemaic rule in Egypt.

Ptolemaic rulers and consorts
Ptolemy I Soter was the founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty, and the first ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom.
Posthumous portrait of Cleopatra VII, from Roman Herculaneum, mid-1st century AD.[8][9]
The Gonzaga Cameo of Ptolemy II Philadelphus and Arsinoe II from Alexandria (Hermitage Museum)
Cameo of Ptolemaic rulers (Kunsthistorisches Museum)
The Cup of the Ptolemies: front (top) and back (bottom) of the cup (Cabinet des Médailles)

Dates in brackets 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.

  • Ptolemy I Soter (303–282 BC)[10] married first Thaïs, then Artakama, then Eurydice, and finally Berenice I
  • Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285–246 BC)[11] 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 Philometora 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[12]
  • Cleopatra ("Cleopatra VII 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

Ptolemaic family tree
Lagus of Eordea, MacedonArsinoe of Macedon
Ptolemy I
Soter
(Kg 303–282 BC)		Berenice IPhilip
Arsinoe IIPtolemy II
Philadelphus
(Kg. 285–246 BC)		Arsinoe IMagas
of Cyrene		Apama II
Ptolemy III
Euergetes
(Kg. 246–221 BC)		Berenice II
Ptolemy IV
Philopator
(Kg. 221–203 BC)		Arsinoe III
Ptolemy V
Epiphanes
(Kg. 203–181 BC)		Cleopatra I
Syra
Ptolemy VI
Philometor
(Kg. 181–164 BC,
163–145 BC)		Cleopatra II
(Qn. 131–127 BC)		Ptolemy VIII
Physcon
(Kg. 170–163 BC,
145–116 BC)		Eirene
Ptolemy VII
Neos Philopator		Cleopatra III
(Qn, 116–101 BC)		Ptolemy
Memphites		Ptolemy Apion
Cleopatra IVPtolemy IX
Lathyros
(Kg. 116–107 BC,
as Soter II 88–81 BC)		Cleopatra
Selene		Ptolemy X
Alexander I
(Kg. 107–88 BC)
Ptolemy XII
Auletes
(Kg. 80–58 BC,
55–51 BC)		Berenice III
(Qn. 81–80 BC)		Ptolemy XI
Alexander II
(Kg. 80 BC,
for 19 days)
Cleopatra V
(Qn. 58–55 BC)
Cleopatra VI
(Qn. 58 BC)		Berenice IV
(Qn. 58–55 BC)		Ptolemy XIII
Theos Philopator
(Kg. 51–47 BC)		Cleopatra VII
Thea Philopator
(Qn. 51–30 BC)		Ptolemy XIV
(Kg. 47–44 BC)		Arsinoe IV
(Qn. 48–47 BC)
Julius
Caesar		Mark
Antony
Ptolemy XV
Caesarion
(Kg. 44–30 BC)		Alexander
Helios		Ptolemy
Philadelphus		Cleopatra
Selene II
Ptolemy of
Mauretania
Detailed Ptolemaic family tree
AntipaterLagusArsinoe of Macedon
Eurydice
Ptolemy I
Soter
(Kg 303–282 BC)		Berenice I
(∞ Philip
↓
Magas
of Cyrene
∞ Apama II
↓
See below: Berenice II)		Lysimachus
LysandraPtolemaisPtolemy CeraunusArsinoe II
Ptolemy II
Philadelphus
(Kg. 285–246 BC)		Arsinoe I
Berenice II of Egypt
(daughter of
Magas of Cyrene,
see above: Berenice I)
Ptolemy III
Euergetes
(Kg. 246–221 BC)		Berenice Syra
Antiochus III the GreatArsinoe III
Ptolemy IV
Philopator
(Kg. 221–203 BC)
Cleopatra I
Syra
Ptolemy V
Epiphanes
(Kg. 203–181 BC)

Ptolemy VI
Philometor
(Kg. 181–164 BC,
163-145 BC)		Cleopatra II
(Qn. 131–127 BC)
Ptolemy VIII
Physcon
(Kg. 170–163 BC,
145–116 BC)		Eirene ?
Ptolemy EupatorCleopatra Thea
Ptolemy VII
Neos Philopator		Cleopatra III
(Qn, 116–101 BC)		Ptolemy
Memphites		Ptolemy Apion
Cleopatra TryphaenaCleopatra IV
Ptolemy IX
Lathyros
(Kg. 116–107 BC,
as Soter II 88–81 BC)		Cleopatra V
Selene		?
Ptolemy X
Alexander I
(Kg. 107–88 BC)
?Berenice III
(Qn. 81–80 BC)
Ptolemy XI
Alexander II
(Kg. 80 BC,
for 19 days)
Ptolemy of Cyprus
Ptolemy XII
Auletes
(Kg. 80–58 BC,
55–51 BC)		Cleopatra VI
(Qn. 58 BC)

Berenice IV
(Qn. 58–55 BC)
Ptolemy XIII
Theos Philopator
(Kg. 51–47 BC)
Cleopatra VII
Thea Philopator
(Qn. 51–30 BC)
Ptolemy XIV
(Kg. 47–44 BC)		Arsinoe IV
(Qn. 48–47 BC)
Julius
Caesar		Mark
Antony

Ptolemy XV
Caesarion
(Kg. 44–30 BC)		Alexander
Helios		Cleopatra
Selene II		Juba II
of Mauretania		Ptolemy Philadelphus
Ptolemy of
Mauretania

Other notable members of the Ptolemaic dynasty
A seated woman in a fresco from the Roman Villa Boscoreale, dated mid-1st century BC. It likely represents Berenice II of Ptolemaic Egypt wearing a stephane (i.e. royal diadem) on her head.[13]
  • 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
See also: Incest § Antiquity, and Inbreeding § Royalty and nobility

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.[14] 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[15] 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 most well-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 likely siblings or possibly cousins as well.[7]

Contemporaries describe a number of the Ptolemaic dynasty members as extremely obese,[16] whilst 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 likely 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.[17]

  • Ptolemy of Macedon founded the Ptolemaic Dynasty.
  • Ptolemy II
  • Ptolemy III
  • Ptolemy IV
  • Ptolemy V
  • Ptolemy VI
  • Cleopatra II (right)
  • Ptolemy VIII
  • Ptolemy IX
  • Ptolemy X
  • Ptolemy XI
  • Ptolemy XII
  • Ptolemy XIII and Isis
  • Ptolemy XIV
  • Cleopatra VII
  • Ptolemy XV, commonly called Caesarion.
  • Sardonyx cameo of a Ptolemaic prince as the Greek god Hermes, Cabinet des médailles, Paris.

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
  • List of pharaohs#Ptolemaic Dynasty
  • List of Seleucid rulers
  • On Weights and Measures, which contains a chronology of the Ptolemies
  • Ptolemaic Decrees
  • Roman pharaohs

References
  1. Jones, Prudence J. (2006). Cleopatra: A Sourcebook. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 14. ISBN 9780806137414. They were members of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Macedonians, who ruled Egypt after the death of its conqueror, Alexander the Great.
  2. Pomeroy, Sarah B. (1990). Women in Hellenistic Egypt. Wayne State University Press. p. 16. while Ptolemaic Egypt was a monarchy with a Greek ruling class.
  3. Redford, Donald B., ed. (2000). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press. Cleopatra VII was born to Ptolemy XII Auletes (80–57 BC, ruled 55–51 BC) and Cleopatra, both parents being Macedonian Greeks.
  4. Bard, Kathryn A., ed. (1999). Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt. Routledge. p. 488. ISBN 9780415185899. Ptolemaic kings were still crowned at Memphis and the city was popularly regarded as the Egyptian rival to Alexandria, founded by the Macedonians.
  5. Bard, Kathryn A., ed. (1999). Encyclopedia of the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt. Routledge. p. 687. ISBN 9780415185899. During the Ptolemaic period, when Egypt was governed by rulers of Greek descent...
  6. Epiphanius of Salamis, however, puts the total number of years of the Ptolemaic dynasty at 306, presumably calculated from 306/5 BC to 1 AD. See: Epiphanius' Treatise on Weights and Measures – The Syriac Version (ed. James Elmer Dean), University of Chicago Press 1935, p. 28 (note 104). Compare On Weights and Measures.
  7. Move over, Lannisters: No one did incest and murder like the last pharaohs on The A.V. Club
  8. Walker, Susan; Higgs, Peter (2001), "Painting with a portrait of a woman in profile", in Walker, Susan; Higgs, Peter (eds.), Cleopatra of Egypt: from History to Myth, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press (British Museum Press), pp. 314–315, ISBN 9780691088358.
  9. Fletcher, Joann (2008). Cleopatra the Great: The Woman Behind the Legend. New York: Harper. ISBN 978-0-06-058558-7, image plates and captions between pp. 246-247.
  10. Wasson, Donald (February 3, 2012). "Ptolemy I". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
  11. Tunny, Jennifer(2001)The Health of Ptolemy II Philadelphus. The Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists/ Vol.38(1/4), pp.119-134
  12. W. Huß, Ägypten in hellenistischer Zeit (Egypt in Hellenistic times). C. H. Beck, Munich 2001, p. 679
  13. Pfrommer, Michael; Towne-Markus, Elana (2001). Greek Gold from Hellenistic Egypt. Los Angeles: Getty Publications (J. Paul Getty Trust). ISBN 0-89236-633-8, pp. 22–23.
  14. Walter Scheidel (September 1996). "Brother-sister and parent-child marriage outside royal families in ancient Egypt and Iran: A challenge to the sociobiological view of incest avoidance?". Ethology and Sociobiology. 17 (5): 321. doi:10.1016/S0162-3095(96)00074-X.
  15. Ptolemy II "Philadelphus" on Encyclopædia Britannica
  16. Michalopoulos, A.; Tzelepis, G.; Geroulanos, S. (2003). ""Morbid obesity and hypersomnolence in several members of an ancient royal family"". Thorax. 58 (3): 281–282. doi:10.1136/thorax.58.3.281-b. PMC 1746609. PMID 12612315.
  17. Ashrafian, Hutan (2005). "Familial proptosis and obesity in the Ptolemies". J. R. Soc. Med. 98 (2): 85–86. doi:10.1177/014107680509800224. PMC 1079400. PMID 15684370.

Further reading
  • 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).
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