Ptolemy III Euergetes, (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Εὐεργέτης, Ptolemaĩos Euergétēs, reigned 246 BCE–222 BCE) was the third ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. He was the eldest son of Ptolemy II Philadelphus and his first wife, Arsinoe I, and came to power in 246 BCE upon the death of his father.
He married Berenice of Cyrene in the year corresponding to 244/243 BCE; and their children were Arsinoe III, Ptolemy IV Philopator, Magas, and a daughter also named Berenice.
Ptolemy III Euergetes was responsible for the first known example of a series of decrees published as bilingual inscriptions on massive stone blocks in three writing systems. Ptolemy III's stone stela is the Canopus Stone of 238 BCE. Other well-known examples are the Memphis Stele (Memphis Stone), bearing the Decree of Memphis, about 218 BCE, passed by his son, Ptolemy IV, and the famous Rosetta Stone erected by Ptolemy Epiphanes his grandson, in 196 BCE.
Ptolemy III's stone contains decrees about priestly orders, and is a memorial for his daughter Berenice. But two of its 26 lines of hieroglyphs decree the use of a leap day added to the Egyptian calendar of 365 days, and the associated changes in festivals.
He is also credited with the foundation of the Serapeum in Alexandria.
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War with Seleucids
Due to a falling out at the Seleucid court his eldest sister Berenice Phernophorus was murdered along with her infant son. In response he invaded Syria.[1] During this war, the Third Syrian War, he occupied Antioch and even reached Babylon.[2]
This war is cryptically alluded to in Daniel XI 7-9.[3]
See also
- History of Ptolemaic Egypt-
- Ptolemais - towns and cities named after members of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
- Decree of Canopus
Notes
- ^ Bevan
- ^ See the Ptolemy III chronicle
- ^ The Elephant in the Greek and Roman World H H Scullard p133
External links
- Ptolemy Euergetes I at LacusCurtius — (Chapter VI of E. R Bevan's House of Ptolemy, 1923)
- Ptolemy III — (Royal Egyptian Genealogy)
- Ptolemy III Euergetes entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith
| Preceded by Ptolemy II Philadelphus |
Ptolemaic dynasty | Succeeded by Ptolemy IV Philopator |
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