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Ptolemaeus

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• Ptolemaeus

or PTOLEMY (Πτολεμαῖος , i.e. "the warlike," from - πτόλεμος = πόλεμος ), the dynastic name of the Greek kings of Egypt (A.V. "Ptol'emee" or "Ptoleme'us"), and hence employed also by many private persons. The name, which occurs in early legends (Il. 4:228; Pausan. 10:5), appears first in the historic period in the time of Alexander the Great, and became afterwards very frequent among the states which arose out of his conquests. For the following, which are the only persons of the name mentioned in the Scriptures (and these in the Apocrypha alone, although referred to in Daniel), we adopt the statements found in the standard authorities. For the civil history of the Ptolemies the student will find ample references to the original authorities in the articles in Smith's Dict. of Classical Biography, ii, 581, etc., and in Pauly's Real-Encyklopadie. The literature of the subject in its religious aspects has been noticed under ALEXANDRIA (See ALEXANDRIA); (See DISPERSION). A curious account of the literary activity of Ptolemy Philadelphus is given (by Simon de Magistris) in the Apologia sent. Pat. de LXX Vers., appended to Daniel sec. LXX (Romae, 1772); but this is not always trustworthy. More complete details of the history of the Alexandrine libraries are given by Ritschl, Die Alexandrinischen Bibliotheken (Breslau, 1838); and Parthey, Das Alexandr. Museum (Berlin, 1838). The foregoing table gives the descent of the royal line as far as it is connected with Biblical history. (See EGYPT).

1. PTOLEMY I, Soter (Σωτήρ, savior), known as the son of Lagus, a Macedonian of low rank, was generally supposed to be an illegitimate son of Philip. He distinguished himself greatly during the campaigns of Alexander; at whose death, foreseeing the necessary subdivision of the empire, he secured for himself the government of Egypt, where he proceeded at once to lay the foundations of a kingdom (B.C. 323). His policy during the wars of the succession was mainly directed towards the consolidation of his power. and not to wide conquests. He maintained himself against the attacks of Perdiccas (B.C. 321) and Demetrius (B.C. 312), and gained a precarious footing in Syria and Phoenicia. In B.C. 307 he suffered a very severe defeat at sea off Cyyprus from Antigonus, but successfully defended Egypt against invasion. After the final defeat of Antigonus, B.C. 301, he was obliged to concede the debatable provinces of Phoenicia and Coele-Syria to Seleucus; and during the remainder of his reign his only important achievement abroad was the recovery of Cyprus, which he permanently attached to the Egyptian monarchy (B.C. 295). He abdicated in favor of his youngest son, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, two years before his death, which took place in B.C. 283.

Ptolemy Soter is described very briefly in Daniel 11:5 as one of those who should receive part of the empire of Alexander when it was 4 divided towards the four winds of heaven." "The king of the south [Egypt in respect of Judoea] shall be strong; and one of his princes [Seleucus Nicator, shall be strong]; and he [Seleucus] shall be strong above him [Ptolemy], and have dominion." Seleucus, who is here mentioned, fled from Babylon, where Antigonus sought his life, to Egypt in B.C. 316, and attached himself to Ptolemy. At last the decisive victory of Ipsus (B.C. 301), which was mainly gained by his services, gave him the command of an empire which was greater than any other held by Alexander's successors; and "his dominion was a great dominion" (Dan. l.c.). Jerome (ad Dan. l.c.) very strangely refers the latter clauses of the verse to Ptolemy Philadelphus, "whose empire surpassed that of his father." The whole tenor of the passage requires the contrast of the two kingdoms on which the fortunes of Judaea hung.

In one of his expeditions into Syria, probably B.C. 320, Ptolemy treacherously occupied Jerusalem on the Sabbath, a fact which arrested the attention of the heathen historian Agatharcides (ap. Joseph. C. Ap. i, 22; Ant. 12:1). He carried away many Jews and Samaritans captive to Alexandria; but, aware probably of the great importance of the good-will of the inhabitants of Palestine in the event of a Syrian war, he gave them the full privileges of citizenship in the new city. In the campaign of Gaza (B.C. 312) he reaped the fruits of his liberal policy; and many Jews voluntarily emigrated to Egypt, though the colonyv was from the first disturbed by internal dissensions (Josephus, as above; Hecat. ap. Joseph. C. Ap. l.c.).

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