Dynasties of Ancient Egypt | |
---|---|
Predynastic Period | |
Protodynastic Period | |
Early Dynastic Period | |
1st 2nd | |
Old Kingdom | |
3rd 4th 5th 6th | |
First Intermediate Period | |
7th 8th 9th 10th 11th | |
Middle Kingdom | |
11th 12th | |
Second Intermediate Period | |
13th 14th 15th 16th 17th | |
Abydos Dynasty | |
New Kingdom | |
18th 19th 20th | |
Third Intermediate Period | |
21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th | |
Late Period | |
26th 27th 28th | |
29th 30th 31st | |
Hellenistic Period | |
Argead Dynasty | |
Ptolemaic Dynasty |
The Ptolemaic Dynasty was a Hellenistic royal family which ruled over Egypt for nearly 300 years, from 305 BCE to 30 BCE.
Ptolemy, a Macedonian and one of Alexander the Great's generals, was appointed satrap of Egypt after Alexander's death in 323 BCE. In 305 BCE, he declared himself King Ptolemy I, later known as "Soter" (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 BCE.
All the male rulers of the dynasty took the name Ptolemy. Ptolemaic queens, some of whom were the sisters of their husbands, were usually 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 suicide at the conquest by Rome marked the end of Ptolemaic rule in Egypt.
Ptolemaic rulers and consorts[]
The dates in brackets are regnal dates for the kings. They frequently ruled jointly with their wives, who were often also their sisters. Several queens exercised regal authority, but the most famous and successful was Cleopatra VII (51 BCE-30 BCE), with her two brothers and her son as successive nominal co-rulers. Several systems exist for numbering the later rulers; the one used here is the one most widely used by modern scholars. Dates are years of reign.
Name | Dates | Comments |
---|---|---|
Ptolemy I Soter | 305-282 BC | |
Ptolemy II Philadelphos | 284-246 BC | |
Arsinoë II Philadelphos | 277-270 BC | Queen consort and co-regent of Ptolemy II. |
Ptolemy III Euergetes | 246-222 BC | |
Berenice II Euergetis | 244/243-222 BC | Queen consort and co-regent of Ptolemy III. |
Ptolemy IV Philopator | 222-204 BC | |
Arsinoë III Philopator | 220–204 BC | Queen consort and co-regent of Ptolemy IV. |
Ptolemy V Epiphanes | 204-180 BC | |
Cleopatra I Syra | 193-176 BC | Queen consort and co-regent of Ptolemy V; co-regent of Ptolemy VI during the latter's childhood. |
Ptolemy VI Philometor | 180-164 BC and 163-145 BC | His reign was interrupted by his brother Ptolemy VIII from 164 to 163 BC; Ptolemy VI was restored thereafter. |
Cleopatra II Philometor Soteira | 175-164 BC, 163–127 BC and 124–116 BC | Queen consort and co-regent of Ptolemy VI; married Ptolemy VIII around 145 BC; led revolt against him in 131 BC and became sole ruler of Egypt. Later reconciled with Ptolemy VIII; co-ruled with Cleopatra III and Ptolemy VIII until 116 BC. |
Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator (?) | 145 BC or 131–130 BC (?) | Uncertain identity and chronological placement, likely granted royal dignity posthumously in which case he did not actually rule, son of Cleopatra II and either Ptolemy VI or VIII, identical to either Ptolemy or Ptolemy Memphites. |
Ptolemy VIII Euergetes Tryphon | 171–163 BC, 145–131 BC and 127–116 BC | Proclaimed king by Alexandrians in 170 BC; ruled jointly with Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra II from 169 to 164 BC; briefly became sole regent from 164 to 163 BC; restored after the death of Ptolemy VI in 145 until he died in 116 BC. |
Cleopatra III Euergetis | 142–131 BC and 127–107 BC | Second wife of Ptolemy VIII. Restored with Ptolemy VIII in 127 BC; later co-regent with Ptolemy IX and X. Murdered by her own son Ptolemy X. |
Ptolemy IX Soter | 116-110 BC | Died 80 BC |
Cleopatra IV | 116-115 BC | Briefly married to Ptolemy IX, but was pushed out by Cleopatra III. Later murdered. |
Ptolemy X Alexander I | 110-109 BC | Died 88 BC |
Berenice III | 81-80 BC | Forced to marry Ptolemy XI; murdered on his orders 19 days later |
Ptolemy XI Alexander II | 80 BC | Young son of Ptolemy X Alexander; installed by Sulla; ruled for 80 days before being lynched by citizens for killing Berenice III |
Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos | 80-58 BC and 55–51 BC | Son of Ptolemy IX; deposed in 58 BC Reigned briefly with his daughter Cleopatra VII before his death in 51 BC |
Cleopatra V Tryphaena I | 79–68 BC | Wife of Ptolemy XII, mother of Berenice IV |
Cleopatra VI Tryphaena II | 58–57 BC | Daughter of Ptolemy XII, but theorised by some Egyptologists to actually be the same person as Cleopatra V. |
Berenice IV Epiphaneia | 58–55 BC | Daughter of Ptolemy XII; forced to marry Seleucus Kybiosaktes, but had him strangled. Joint rule with Cleopatra VI until 57 BC. |
Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator | 52-30 BC | Ruled jointly with her father Ptolemy XII, her brother Ptolemy XIII, her brother-husband Ptolemy XIV, and her son Ptolemy XV. In modern usage, the stand-alone use of "Cleopatra" with no ordinal number usually refers to Cleopatra VII. Committed suicide. |
Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator | 51-47 BC | Brother of Cleopatra VII |
Arsinoë IV | 48-47 BC | In opposition to Cleopatra VII |
Ptolemy XIV Philopator Philadelphos | 47–44 BC | Younger brother of Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII |
Ptolemy XV Caesar | 44-30 BC | Infant son of Cleopatra VII; aged 3 when proclaimed co-ruler with Cleopatra. Last known ruler of ancient Egypt when Rome took over. |
Name | Dates | Comments |
---|---|---|
Horwennefer | 205–199 BC | Rebel king of Upper Egypt. |
Ankhwennefer | 199–185 BC | Rebel king of Upper Egypt. |
Horsaiset-Sausir | 131–130 BC | Rebel king of Upper Egypt. |
Other members of the Ptolemaic dynasty[]
- Ptolemy Keraunos (died 279 BCE) - eldest son of Ptolemy I Soter. Eventually became king of Macedon.
- Ptolemy Apion (died 96 BCE) - 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 ACE 40) - son of Juba II of Mauretania and Cleopatra Selene (II), daughter of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony. King of Mauretania.
External links[]
- Ptolemaic Dynasty.
- Livius, Ptolemies by Jona Lendering.
Preceded by: Argead Dynasty |
Hellenistic Period Ptolemaic Dynasty |
Succeeded by: Roman Egypt |