The record of his coronation was recorded, as had become customary in the time of his grandfather, in three languages demotic, hieroglyphics and Greek. Ptolemy V actually received the pharaoh's crown at age twelve, and for the first time ever, a Ptolemy was crowned in Memphis. While the increase in elephants sounds impressive, the difference between African and Indian elephants was significant not just in the increased side of the African animals but also in their ability to handle the effects of war. When they appeared at Raphia, near Gaza, Antiochus had 62,000 infantry, in addition to 6,000 cavalry and 102 Indian elephants. The only thing that saved Egypt was Sosibius stalling Antiochus long enough to arrange an army 70,000 strong in infantry, another 5,000 in cavalry and 73 African elephants. How Sosibius created an army strong enough to fight a war let alone win it, since the finances of Egypt had been ignored by both Ptolemy IV and Sosibius, is amazing. Even when Antiachus III, who was now the Seleucid king, declared war on Egypt, Ptolemy left it up to Sosibius to somehow arrange an army. How Sosibius got his hooks into Ptolemy IV is unclear, but the pharaoh was your classic spoiled rich kid who would not stop partying long enough to attend to little matters like running a country. Nothing like scalding you brother as he takes a bath. Unfortunately, Ptolemy's little brother Magas was also a problem for Sosibius, so Ptolemy had him put to death as well. For some reason, however, Berenice ran afoul of Sosibius, a minister of her son. After marrying a second time and having children, she seems to have been a normal Queen of Egypt, if there is such a thing. She had Demetrius murdered, in her mother's bedroom no less, but that was before coming to Egypt and marrying Ptolemy III. She did have problems with her own mother, Apama II, who stole her husband, Demetrius the Fair. Why he had Berenice II murdered is unknown. If you or I were to become Pharaoh of Egypt, I doubt the first thing we would do is execute our mother, but you and I are not Ptolemy IV. Ptolemy IV Philopator would make his ancestors look like saints. I suppose the Ptolemy family needed Ptolemy III's 24 years of peace to recover from the chaos of his father and grandfather, but if the Egyptians thought their royal family was done with the nonsense, they were so far from right. Unlike other queens, Arsinoe II ruled as an equal by the side of her brother. She kept it up until Ptolemy II Philadelphus sent his wife into exile. Once back in Egypt, she started making accusation against her brother's wife, Arsinoe I, who just happened to be the daughter of her late husband Lysimachus. Her oldest son, Ptolemy fled to the north while Arsinoe went home to Egypt hoping her brother, Ptolemy II Philadelphus would protect her. Instead, her husband killed two of her boys. Eventually, she convinced her sons to kill Ptolemy Keraunos. The two just could not get along however. Arsinoe married her half-brother Ptolemy Keraunos and assumed the thrones her husband had held.
Seleucus went on the attack, and Lysimachus was killed in the battle. Agathocles's family ran to Seleucus I, one of the diadochi and King of Asia Minor. She worked with her half-brother Ptolemy Keraunos, and they accused Agathocles of treason against his father and poisoned him. Arsinoe wanted him gone so her sons would rule. She had three sons with him, but Lysimachus had a son, Agathocles, by a previous marriage. She was first married to Lysimachus, King of Macedon and Thrace. Arsinoe, on the other hand, can be considered nothing but a conniving witch. Philotera is known to have died fairly young before marriage. She gave birth to three children in Egypt, Lagus, Leontiscus and Eirene. Once in Alexandria, however, Ptolemy married her. In fact, it was Thais who convinced Alexander to burn down the palace in Persepolis during a night of heavy drinking. Some say she had also been Alexander's lover, as he kept her quite close to him at all times. He stole Alexander away from the caravan traveling back to Macedon and took the body to Alexandria.Īs for Thais, she had been Ptolemy's lover during his time away from Macedon. Under Macedonian law, the person who buried the prior king stood a greater claim to the kingdom when there was no living heir, and there was no way Ptolemy was going to let Perdiccas return to Macedon with Alexander's body, as the group had decided. She was a hetaera, an educated prostitute, who accompanied Alexander's army.
As he left for his new territory, he took two important things with him. Ptolemy was appointed the position of satrap of Egypt making him the governor.