The Ptomelic Dynasty
The ptomelic dynasty
All the kings of the Ptolemaic family had the same name
To distinguish each reign they adopted descriptive name e.g. soter (Savior) and II Philadelphus (love sis) and III Euergetes (Benefactor)
The Ptomleic rulers adopted the Egyptian ideas of hereditary, divine kingship
The Egyptian ruler was associated with the god Amon or Horus (son of the great mother-goddess Isis and her brother/husband Osiris. Lord of the Dead.
The ptolemies adopted the practise of royal incest i.e. the marriage of brother and sister (god wedded to goddess)
Advantage of this-limited disputes over succession.
Ptolemic dynasty was characterised by murder despite the ties of blood and marriage. (Note – this was as common in Macedonian political affairs as Egyptian)
Ptolemies were also given to excess- they found nothing immoral in lavish display.
They believed in enjoying their wealth- it was a way of thanking the gods for it.
Greek word luxuriousness “tryphe”.
The Ptolemies also brought to Egypt a love of earning
Ptolemy I created the Library of Alexandria- with his patronage it became a great centre of learning, attracting scholars and artists from the ancient world
Other Ptolemties built upon this legacy.
The early Ptolemies did well in Egypt- the dynasty was prosperous, enjoying great wealth, expanding territorial boundaires. Ptolemies I,II.III were good rulers- builders as well as conquers.
From reign of Ptolem IV onwards- weak leaders.
Ptolmey IV-Murdered his own mother, a brother and uncle.
Ptolemy V-lost all of Egypt’s foreign territories (except Cpyrus)
Ptolemy VI-Egypt was involved in a war against Syria. Egypt was losing – only the intervention of a Roman legate maintained Ptolemaic rule.
From this point onwards “Rome and Egypt were inextricably linked” (L.Forman, Cleopatra’s Palace”)
The Romans were interested in Egypt’s grain and gold/
The Ptolemies started to rely on Roman “muscle” to support their rule
Later Ptolemies had to not give offence to Roman and
All the kings of the Ptolemaic family had the same name
To distinguish each reign they adopted descriptive name e.g. soter (Savior) and II Philadelphus (love sis) and III Euergetes (Benefactor)
The Ptomleic rulers adopted the Egyptian ideas of hereditary, divine kingship
The Egyptian ruler was associated with the god Amon or Horus (son of the great mother-goddess Isis and her brother/husband Osiris. Lord of the Dead.
The ptolemies adopted the practise of royal incest i.e. the marriage of brother and sister (god wedded to goddess)
Advantage of this-limited disputes over succession.
Ptolemic dynasty was characterised by murder despite the ties of blood and marriage. (Note – this was as common in Macedonian political affairs as Egyptian)
Ptolemies were also given to excess- they found nothing immoral in lavish display.
They believed in enjoying their wealth- it was a way of thanking the gods for it.
Greek word luxuriousness “tryphe”.
The Ptolemies also brought to Egypt a love of earning
Ptolemy I created the Library of Alexandria- with his patronage it became a great centre of learning, attracting scholars and artists from the ancient world
Other Ptolemties built upon this legacy.
The early Ptolemies did well in Egypt- the dynasty was prosperous, enjoying great wealth, expanding territorial boundaires. Ptolemies I,II.III were good rulers- builders as well as conquers.
From reign of Ptolem IV onwards- weak leaders.
Ptolmey IV-Murdered his own mother, a brother and uncle.
Ptolemy V-lost all of Egypt’s foreign territories (except Cpyrus)
Ptolemy VI-Egypt was involved in a war against Syria. Egypt was losing – only the intervention of a Roman legate maintained Ptolemaic rule.
From this point onwards “Rome and Egypt were inextricably linked” (L.Forman, Cleopatra’s Palace”)
The Romans were interested in Egypt’s grain and gold/
The Ptolemies started to rely on Roman “muscle” to support their rule
Later Ptolemies had to not give offence to Roman and