Ptolemaic Kingdom

The Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean: The Ancient World Economy & The Kingdoms of Africa, Arabia & India, Raoul McLaughlin, c. 2014, 2018.

Time to take a look at the Ptolemaic Kingdom; it comes up often in the book above.

Start with wiki.

Ptolemaic Kingdom: 323 BC - 30 BC

• a hellensitic kingdom
• the Ptolemaic dynasty
• started with Ptolemy 1 Soter's accession after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC
• ended with the death of Cleopatra and Roman conquest in 30 BC

Ptolemy 1 Soter, from Macedon, declared himself pharaoh of Egypt

Who was Soter?

• a companion and historian of Alexander the great
• shared in the spoils after Alexander's death
• might have been the illegitimate son of Philip II of Macedon, and thus Alexander's half-brother
• like al Macedonian nobles, claimed descent from Heracles, the mythological Greek founder of the Argead dynasty that ruled Macedon
• Soter: one of Alexander's seven bodyguards
• played a principal part in the later campaigns of Afghanistan and India
• after Alexander's death, through the Partition of Babylon, Soter was appointed satrap of Egypt
• importance of Macedonian successors to quickly bury the body of their predecessors
• Soter took great pains to grab Alexander's body and placing it temporarily in Memphis, Egypt
• the history for the spoils in the Mideast continues but bottom line: Ptolemy declares himself pharaoh of Egypt
• meanwhile, Seleucus got Syria
• but constant rivalry between Seleucid (Syria) and Ptolemy (Egypt)
• Antigonus held Macedon/Greece

Berenice pops up again

• 285 BC: Ptolemy made his son by Berenice -- Ptolemy II Philadelphus -- his co-regent

Ptolemy 1/Soter died 282 BC

Back to the Ptolemaic dynasty

• All the male rules of the dynasty took the name Ptolemy while princesses and queens preferred the names Cleopatra, Arsinoë, or Berenice.
• Ptolemaic kings adopted the Egyptian custom of marrying their sisters, many of the kings ruled jointly with their spouses, who were also of the royal house
• incest: successors became increasingly feeble
• the only Ptolemaic queens to officially rue on their own were Berenice III and Berenice IV.
• Cleopatra V did co-rule but was with another female, Berenice IV.
• Cleopatra VII officially co-ruled with Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator, Ptolemy XIV, and Ptolemy XV, but effectively, she ruled Egypt alone.

Cleopatra VII was the last; she was the "Cleopatra" of "Cleopatra and Mark Anthony"

Cleopatra VII ascended the Egyptian throne at the age of eighteen upon the death of her father, Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos. She reigned as queen "philopator" and pharaoh with various male co-regents from 51 to 30 BC when she died at the age of 39.

The demise of the Ptolemies' power coincided with the growing dominance of the Roman Republic. Having little choice, and witnessing one city after another falling to Macedon and the Seleucid empire, the Ptolemies chose to ally with the Romans, a pact that lasted over 150 years. During the rule of the later Ptolemies, Rome gained more and more power over Egypt, and was eventually declared guardian of the Ptolemaic Dynasty. Cleopatra's father, Ptolemy XII, paid vast sums of Egyptian wealth and resources in tribute to the Romans in order to secure his throne. After his death, Cleopatra and her younger brother inherited the throne, but their relationship soon degenerated. Cleopatra was stripped of authority and title by Ptolemy XIII's advisors. Fleeing into exile, she would attempt to raise an army to reclaim the throne. 

Cleopatra did have an affair with Julius Caesar and from that, a son, Caesarion, in 45 BC. Julius Caesar had gone to Egypt to quell riots; Egypt was essential for Rome's survival (grain and revenues; trading).

Cleopatra needed his help to regain the throne.

Now, Berenice.

Many, many women with that name: see this site. Many were associated with rule of Egypt / Ptolemy.

• Most interestingly, the first Judean princess of Berenice note was daughter of Salome I, a sister of Herod the Great (died 4 BC); she was the mother of Herod Agrippa I
• the second Berenice (28 AD - ?) was a daughter of Herod Agrippa I, wife of Herod of Chalcis till 48 AD, then much of her time at court of her brother Agrippa II
• Berenice (after 50 AD -- ? ), daugher of another daughter of Herod Agrippa I

Herod the Great, died 4 BC
his successor, Herod Antipas

• Herod Antipas (the same man who had previously ordered the death of John the Baptist) had wanted to see Jesus for a long time, hoping to observe one of the miracles of Jesus.

Following Herod Antipas, it was Agrippa I.

And this is where we will stop.