Irlandos at 09:07, July 27, 2006

2006-07-27T09:07:06Z

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'''Ptolemy VIII''' Euergetes II ([[Greek language |Greek]]: '''Πτολεμαίος Ευεργέτης''') (c. [[182 BC]] – [[26 June]] [[116 BC]]), nicknamed '''Physcon''' ("Potbelly" or "Bladder") for his obesity, was a king of the [[Ptolemaic dynasty]] in Egypt. His complicated career started in [[170 BC]], when [[Antiochus IV Epiphanes]] invaded Egypt and installed the young Euergetes as king.

After Antiochus left ([[169 BC|169]]), Euergetes agreed to a joint rule with his older brother [[Ptolemy VI Philometor]] and [[Cleopatra II]]. This arrangement led to continuous intrigues, lasting until October [[164 BC|164]], when Philometor went to Rome to angle for support from the Senate, who were little helpful, but Physcon's sole rule was not popular, and in May [[163 BC|163]] the two brother agreed to a partition that left Physcon in charge of Cyrenaica.

Although the arrangement lasted until Philometor's death in [[145 BC|145]], it did not end the sparring. Physcon convinced the Senate to back his claim on [[Cyprus]], but Philometor ignored this, and after Physcon's attempt to conquer the island failed, in [[161 BC|161]] the Senate sent Philometor's ambassadors home. Sometime around [[156 BC|156]]/[[155 BC|155]] Philometor tried to have Physcon assassinated, but this failed, and Physcon went to Rome, displayed the scars of wounds he received in the attempt, and despite the opposition of Cato the Elder, received the Senate's support and some resources for another attempt on Cyprus. (An inscription records that Physcon had bequeathed Cyrenaica to Rome if he died childless, an act not mentioned by any literary source.)

The second attempt on Cyprus also failed, and Philometor captured Physcon, but spared him, offered him the hand of his daughter [[Cleopatra Thea]], and sent him back to Cyrenaica.

When Philometor died on campaign in [[145 BC|145]], Cleopatra II had her son proclaimed [[Ptolemy VII of Egypt|Ptolemy VII]], but Physcon returned, proposed a joint rule and marriage to Cleopatra II, then had the unlucky youth assassinated during the wedding feast. He then took the throne as "Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II", the name deliberately recalling his ancestor [[Ptolemy III Euergetes]], and had himself proclaimed as pharaoh in [[144 BC|144]].

Physcon took his revenge on the Jews and intellectuals of [[Alexandria]] who had opposed him, engaging in mass purges and expulsions that included [[Aristarchus of Samothrace]] and [[Apollodorus]], leaving Alexandria a changed city.

He then seduced and married [[Cleopatra III]] without divorcing Cleopatra II, who was infuriated, and by [[132 BC|132]] or 131, the people of Alexandria rioted and set fire to the royal palace. Physcon, Cleopatra III, and their children escaped to Cyprus, while Cleopatra II had his 12-year-old son, Ptolemy Memphitis acclaimed as king - Physcon was however able to get hold of the boy, killed him, and sent the dismembered pieces to Cleopatra.

The ensuing civil war pitted Cleopatra's Alexandria against the countryside, who supported Physcon. Cleopatra offered the throne of Egypt to [[Demetrius II of Syria|Demetrius II Nicator]], but he got no further than [[Pelusium]], and by [[127 BC|127]] Cleopatra left for Syria, leaving Alexandria to hold out for another year.

After further intrigues, Cleopatra II ended up back in Egypt in [[124 BC]], and about this time Physcon sent his second daughter by Cleopatra III, [[Cleopatra Tryphaena]], to marry [[Antiochus VIII Grypus|Antiochus VIII Philometor]]. A formal amnesty decree followed in [[118 BC]], but it was insufficient to improve government, and the Romans would soon be forced to intervene after his death in [[116 BC|116]].

When he died he left the throne to Cleopatra III and one of her sons, whichever she preferred. If it were up to her, her younger son Alexander would reign with her. However, the Alexandrians wanted her older son Philometer Soter, governor of Cyprus, to co-reign. She reluctantly complied, with Philometer taking the name Ptolemy IX, though her younger son would rule at one point.

==External link==
*[http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Africa/Egypt/_Texts/BEVHOP/10*.html Ptolemy Euergetes II at LacusCurtius] — (Chapter X of E. R Bevan's ''House of Ptolemy'', 1923)

==Print reference==
* Peter Green, ''Alexander to Actium'' (University of California Press, 1990) ISBN 0-520-05611-6

{| align="center" cellpadding="2" border="2"
|-
| width="30%" align="center" | Preceded by: '''[[Ptolemy VI Philometor|Ptolemy VI]]''' and '''[[Cleopatra II of Egypt|Cleopatra II]]'''
| width="40%" align="center" | '''[[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemaic King of Egypt]]''' ''First Reign'' ''with [[Ptolemy VI Philometor|Ptolemy VI]] and [[Cleopatra II of Egypt|Cleopatra II]]''
| width="30%" align="center" | Succeeded by: '''[[Ptolemy VI Philometor|Ptolemy VI]]''' and '''[[Cleopatra II of Egypt|Cleopatra II]]'''
|-
| width="30%" align="center" | Preceded by: '''[[Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator|Ptolemy VII]]''' and '''[[Cleopatra II of Egypt|Cleopatra II]]'''
| width="40%" align="center" | '''[[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemaic King of Egypt]]''' ''Second Reign'' ''with [[Cleopatra II of Egypt|Cleopatra II]] and [[Cleopatra III of Egypt|Cleopatra III]]''
| width="30%" align="center" | Succeeded by: '''[[Cleopatra II of Egypt|Cleopatra II]]'''
|-
| width="30%" align="center" | Preceded by: '''[[Cleopatra II of Egypt|Cleopatra II]]'''
| width="40%" align="center" | '''[[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemaic King of Egypt]]''' ''Third Reign'' ''with [[Cleopatra II of Egypt|Cleopatra II]] and [[Cleopatra III of Egypt|Cleopatra III]]''
| width="30%" align="center" | Succeeded by: '''[[Ptolemy IX Lathyros|Ptolemy IX]]''' and '''[[Cleopatra III of Egypt|Cleopatra III]]'''
|}

{{Credit wikipedia}}

[[Category:182 BC births]]
[[Category:116 BC deaths]]
[[Category:Pharaohs of the Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemy 08]]

Ptolemy VIII Physcon - Revision history

Irlandos at 09:07, July 27, 2006