enterprize, the winter campaign against the CoBsaeans, B. c. 324. (Arr. ib. vii. 15.)

was probably at this period that he strengthened his union with the new regent Antipater, by marrying his daughter Eurydice. (Droysen, Hellenism. vol. i. p. 154.) But the very next year (B. c. 320) we find him venturing on a bold step, in direct contravention of the arrangements then made, by seizing on the important satrapy of Phoenicia and Coele-Syria, which had been assigned to Laomedon, whom he did not scruple to dispossess by force of arms. (Diod. xviii. 39, 43; Appian. Syr. 52; Arrian, ap. Phot. p. 71, b.) It was probably during this expedition that he made himself master of Jerusalem, by attacking the city on the Sabbath day. (Josephus, Ant. xii. 1, adv. Apion. i. 22.)

From all these facts it is clear that at the death of Alexander few among his friends and generals occupied so prominent a place as the son of Lagus, and Perdiccas appears to have looked upon him from the first as one of his most formidable rivals. But Ptolemy was too prudent to allow his ambition to lead him into any premature demonstrations of enmity. In the first assembly of the generals he had indeed proposed that the government should be administered by a council of officers; but this suggestion being rejected, he attached himself to the party of Perdiccas during the subsequent transactions. But he was far from losing sight of his own interests. It is said to have been by his ad- The death of Antipater (B. c. 319) produced a vice that the different provinces and satrapies were great change in the relative situations of the difportioned out among the generals, and he took ferent leaders, and Ptolemy was now induced to care to secure for himself in the distribution the contract an alliance with Cassander and Antigonus important government of Egypt, at once the most against Polysperchon and Eumenes. He at first wealthy and the most secure from foreign invasion. fitted out a fleet, with which he repaired to the (Curt. x. 6. §§ 13, 16, 7. § 16; Justin. xiii. 2, 4; coasts of Cilicia, and commenced operations against Arrian ap. Phot. P. 69, a; Dexippus, ibid. p. 64, a; Eumenes, who in his turn threatened Phoenicia Paus. i. 6. § 2.) Thither he appears to have has- (Diod. xviii. 62, 73); but the war was eventually tened as speedily as possible: and one of his first drawn off to the upper provinces of Asia, and acts on arriving in his new government was to put Ptolemy remained a passive spectator of the conto death Cleomenes, who had administered the test. At length the decisive victory of Antigonus province under Alexander with the title of receiver- over Eumenes raised the former to a height of general of tributes, and had been expressly ap- power which rendered him scarcely less formidable pointed by the council of generals to continue as to his allies than his enemies, and his treatment hyparch under Ptolemy. Cleomenes had amassed of Pithon and Peucestes sufficiently betrayed his vast treasures by extortion and rapine, and his ambitious designs. Seleucus, who had himself execution thus tended to conciliate the minds of with difficulty escaped from his hands, fled for the Egyptians at the same time that it removed out refuge to Egypt, and by his representations of the of the way of Ptolemy a partisan of Perdiccas, character and projects of Antigonus awakened and put him in possession of this accumulated Ptolemy to a sense of the danger, and induced treasure. (Paus. i. 6. § 3; Arrian, l. c.; Dexip-him to enter into an alliance with Cassander and pus, l. c.)

All his efforts were now directed to strengthen himself in his new position: he attached his subjects by the mildness of his rule at the same time that he raised large forces, and concluded a secret league with Antipater against their common enemy, the regent Perdiccas. A still more overt act of disobedience was his persuading Arrhidaeus, who had been entrusted with the funeral of Alexander, to allow his body to be transported to Egypt, instead of conducting it, as originally agreed, to Aegae in Macedonia. (Diod. xviii. 14, 26, 28; Paus. i. 6. § 3; Arrian, ap. Phot. p. 70, b.) About the same time (B. c. 322) he took advantage of the civil dissensions at Cyrene to annex that important city and province to his dominions. (Diod. xviii. 21; Arrian, ap. Phot. p. 70, a.)

It was not till the beginning of the year B. C. 321 that hostilities actually commenced between Perdiccas and his adversaries. The regent, justly deeming Ptolemy the most formidable of his antagonists, determined to leave Eumenes to make head against his enemies in Asia, while he himself marched against Egypt. The result of his expedition has been already given under PERDICCAS [p. 187]. The personal popularity of Ptolemy with the Macedonian army, which had contributed essentially to his success, secured him a welcome reception by the royal forces immediately after the death of Perdiccas, but he wisely declined the office of regent, which was bestowed, by his advice, on Arrhidaeus and Pithon. In the new arrangements at Triparadeisus, he naturally retained possession of Egypt and Cyrene; and it

Lysimachus against their common enemy, B. C. 316. (Id. xix. 56; Paus. i. 6. § 4.)

The next spring (315), after ineffectual attempts at negotiation, Antigonus commenced hostilities by the invasion of Syria, quickly recovered most of the cities in Phoenicia which had fallen under the yoke of Ptolemy, and laid siege to Tyre, the most important of all, and the strength of which for a long time defied all his efforts. While he was engaged in this siege, and in the equipment of a fleet, and his nephew Ptolemy was carrying on the war in Asia Minor with great success, the king of Egypt was undisputed master of the sea, of which he availed himself to establish a footing in Cyprus, where he either gained over or subdued almost all the petty princes among whom the island was divided. At the same time he did not neglect the affairs of Greece, whither he despatched a strong fleet under his admiral Polycleitus, and endeavoured to gain over the Greek cities by idle proclamations of liberty. Polycleitus, on his return, defeated Theodotus, one of Antigonus's admirals, at Aphrodisias in Cilicia, and took his whole fleet. But the next year (314) Tyre at length fell into the hands of Antigonus, who now found himself undisputed master of Syria and Phoenicia, and was, consequently, able to turn his own attention towards Asia Minor, leaving his son Demetrius to protect the newly-acquired provinces. The youth of Demetrius would have induced Ptolemy to attempt their recovery, but his attention was occupied during the year 313 by a revolt in Cyrene, and the defection of several of the princes of Cyprus. The former he succeeded in putting down through the

agency of his general Agis, while he deemed it | umbrage to Antigonus, who in consequence recalled necessary to repair in person to Cyprus, with a Demetrius from Greece, and determined to make large force, with which he quickly reduced the re- a grand effort to wrest that important island from volted cities, and placed the whole island under the the hands of his rival. It was occupied by command of Nicocreon of Salamis, on whose fidelity Ptolemy's brother Menelaus with a powerful fleet he had full reliance. After this he laid waste with and army, but he was unable to resist the forces his fleet the adjoining coasts of the main land, took of Demetrius, was defeated, and besieged in the the towns of Posideum in Syria, and Mallus in city of Salamis, the capital of the island. Ptolemy Cilicia, and withdrew again to Cyprus before De- himself now hastened to his relief with a fleet of metrius, who hastened to oppose him, could arrive 140 ships, and a sea-fight ensued between him and on the spot. But the following spring (B. c. 312) Demetrius- -one of the most memorable in ancient he determined, at the instigation of Seleucus, to history - - which terminated, after an obstinate oppose Demetrius in the field, and invaded Palestine contest, in the total defeat of the Egyptian fleet. with a large army. He was met by the young ge- Ptolemy was now compelled to withdraw to neral at Gaza, and a pitched battle ensued, in which Egypt, while his brother Menelaus, with his fleet Ptolemy and Seleucus were completely victorious, and army and the whole island of Cyprus, fell into and Demetrius was compelled to evacuate Syria, the hands of the conqueror. Antigonus was so leaving the whole country open to the Egyptian much elated by this victory as to assume the title kings, who recovered almost without opposition of king, an example which Ptolemy, notwithstandall the cities of Phoenicia. After this he sent ing his defeat, immediately followed, B. c. 306. Seleucus at his own request with a small force (Diod. xx. 45-53; Plut. Demetr. 15-18; Paus. against Babylon, where that general succeeded in i. 6. § 6; Justin. xv. 2; Appian, Syr. 54.) establishing a permanent footing. [SELEUCUS.] Meanwhile, Demetrius partly retrieved his disaster by defeating Ptolemy's general Cilles, and soon after Antigonus himself advanced into Syria, to support his son. Ptolemy gave way before them, and withdrew into Egypt, where he prepared for defence; but Antigonus did not attempt to follow him, and spent his time in operations in Asia. The next year (B. c. 311) hostilities were suspended by a general peace. (Diod. xix. 57-62, 64, 69, 79-86, 90, 93, 105; Plut. Demetr. 5, 6; Paus. i. 6. 5; Justin. xv. 1; Appian, Syr. 54.)

Of the motives which led to this treaty we have no information, but the probability is that all parties regarded it as little more than a truce. Ptolemy appears to have been the first to recommence hostilities, and, under pretence that Antigonus had not, pursuant to the treaty, withdrawn his garrisons from the Greek cities in Asia, he sent a fleet to Cilicia under Leonidas, who reduced many towns on the coast, but was again compelled to withdraw by the arrival of Demetrius. The next year (B. c. 309) Ptolemy in person sailed with a large fleet to Lycia, took the important city of Xanthus, as well as Caunus and other places in Caria, and laid siege to Halicarnassus, which was, however, relieved by the sudden arrival of Demetrius. Ptolemy now withdrew to Myndus where he wintered, and the next spring (308) repaired in person to the Peloponnese, where he announced himself as the liberator of Greece, but effected little, beyond the taking possession of the two strongholds of Corinth and Sicyon, which were yielded to him by Cratesipolis; and having placed garrisons in these he returned to Egypt. (Diod. xx. 19, 27, 37; Plut. Demetr. 7.) This year was, however, marked by a more important advantage in the recovery of Cyrene, which had for some years past shaken off the Egyptian yoke, but was now, after the death of Ophellas, reduced once more under the subjection of Ptolemy by the arms of his brother Magas. [MAGAS.]

The next season (B. c. 307) Demetrius succeeded in establishing his authority over great part of Greece, and drove Demetrius the Phalerean cut of Athens, who took refuge at the court of Egypt. Ptolemy appears to have remained inactive during these events, but it is probable that his military and naval preparations at Cyprus gave

But the defeat at Salamis not only entailed upon the Egyptian king the loss of Cyprus, but left his rival for a time the undisputed master of the sea, an advantage of which Antigonus now determined to avail himself to strike a decisive blow against Egypt itself. For this purpose he himself advanced by land through Syria with a powerful army, while Demetrius supported him with his fleet. Ptolemy did not attempt to meet him in the field or oppose him on the frontiers of Egypt, but contented himself with fortifying and guarding the passages of the Nile, as he had done against Perdiccas: a manoeuvre which proved equally successful on the present occasion. The fleet of Demetrius suffered severely from storm, and his efforts to effect a landing in Lower Egypt were frustrated, while Antigonus himself was unable to force the passage of the river: his troops began to suffer from hunger: many of them deserted to Ptolemy, whose emissaries were active with bribes and promises: and the old king at length found himself compelled to abandon the enterprise and retire into Syria. (Diod. xx. 73— 76; Plut. Demetr. 19; Paus. i. 6. § 6.) Ptolemy was well contented to have escaped from so great a danger, and doubtless occupied in recruiting his forces, but we do not learn that he ventured to resume the offensive. The next year however (B. C. 305), Demetrius having turned his arms against the Rhodians, Ptolemy assisted the latter with repeated supplies both of troops and provisions. So important, indeed, were his succours on this occasion, that when Demetrius had been at length compelled to raise the siege (304), the Rhodians paid divine honours to the Egyptian monarch as their saviour and preserver (wτnp), a title which appears to have been now bestowed upon Ptolemy for the first time. (Diod. xx. 81— 88, 96, 98-100; Paus. i. 6. § 6, 8. § 6; Athen. xv. p. 696, f.)

During the next two years the king of Egypt seems to have been a nearly passive spectator of the contest in Greece, though in the course of it Corinth and Sicyon were wrested from his power by Demetrius: but at length in B. c. 302 the arrogant pretensions of Antigonus once more united Ptolemy and Seleucus with Cassander and Lysimachus in a league against their common foe. Still, however, Ptolemy took comparatively little part in the contest, which led to the decisive

the most conspicuous was Thaïs, the celebrated | suing him (Paus. i. 7. §§ 1, 2; Schol. ad Callim. Athenian hetaera. By her he had two sons, named Leontiscus and Lagus, and a daughter, Eirene, who was married to Eunostus, one of the petty princes of Cyprus. (Athen. xiii. p. 576, e.; Paus. i. 6. § 8.) Another son of Ptolemy, named Argaeus, is also mentioned, who was probably illegitimate, but his mother is unknown. (Paus. i. 7. $ 1.)

H. in Del. 170-190). Magas, however, subsequently induced Antiochus II., king of Syria, to make common cause with him against the Egyptian monarch, aud himself undertook a second expedition against Egypt, in which he again advanced to the frontier, and took the fortress of Paraetonium; but the efforts of Antiochus were paralysed by the address of Ptolemy, and he was able to effect nothing on the side of Syria. At length the war was terminated by a treaty, which left Magas in undisputed possession of the Cyrenaïca, while his

the son of Philadelphus. (Paus. i. 7. § 3; Po lyaen. ii. 28; Justin. xxvi. 3; Droysen, Hellenism. vol. ii. pp. 244-250.)

It was probably during the continuance of this war that we find Ptolemy also taking an active part in the affairs of Greece, by sending a fleet under Patroclus to the assistance of the Athenians against Antigonus Gonatas [PATROCLUS]. Nor was he inattentive to the events that were passing in more distant countries. After the defeat of Pyrrhus by the Romans, he had hastened to conclude a treaty with the rising republic, and during the subsequent war between Rome and Carthage, he continued faithful to his new allies, and refused to assist the Carthaginians. (Liv. Epit. xiv. ; Dion Cass. fr. 146; Zonar. viii. 6; Justin. xviii. 2; Val. Max. iv. 3. § 9; Appian. Sic. 1.)

[E. H. B.] PTOLEMAEUS II. (Птоλeμatos), king of EGYPT, surnamed PHILADELPHUS, was the son of Ptolemy I. by his wife Berenice. He was born in the island of Cos, whither his mother had accom-infant daughter Berenice was betrothed to Ptolemy, panied her husband during the naval campaign of B. c. 309. (Theocr. Idyll. xvii. 58; et Schol. ad loc.; Callim. H. ad Del. 165-190; Droysen, Hellenism. vol. i. p. 418.) We have scarcely any information concerning the period of his boyhood or youth, though we learn that he received a careful education; and Philetas, the elegiac poet of Cos, and Zenodotus the grammarian, are mentioned as his literary preceptors (Suid. s. v. Þλntâs and ZŋvódoTOS). But it is probable that his own promising character and disposition combined with the partiality of his father for Berenice, to induce the aged monarch to set aside the offspring of his former marriage in favour of Philadelphus. In order to carry this project into execution, and secure the succession to this his favourite son, the king at length resolved to abdicate the sovereign power, and establish Philadelphus (at this time 24 years of age) upon the throne during his own lifetime. The young prince appears to have been personally popular with the Alexandrians, who, we are told, welcomed the announcement with the utmost joy, and the accession of the new monarch (Nov. B. C. 285) was celebrated with festivities and processions of the utmost magnificence. (Justin. xvi. 2; Athen. v. pp. 196-203; Porphyr. ap. Euseb. Arm. p. 113.)

Of the subsequent relations between Egypt and Syria, we know only in general terms that hostilities between them were frequently interrupted or suspended, and as often renewed; but the wars appear to have been marked by no events of a striking character. It must have been towards the close of the reign of Philadelphus that the long protracted contest was terminated by a treaty of peace, by which Ptolemy gave his daughter Berenice in marriage to Antiochus II. The other It is probable that the virtual authority of king stipulations of the peace are unknown to us, but it still remained in the hands of Ptolemy Soter, is certain that Phoenicia and Coele-Syria-the during the two years that he survived this event; never-failing cause of dispute between the two but no attempt was made to disturb his arrange- monarchies-remained in the hands of Ptolemy ment of the succession. Ptolemy Ceraunus and (Hieron. ad Daniel. xi. 6; Droysen, vol. ii. p. 316.) Meleager quitted Egypt, and Philadelphus found In Greece Ptolemy appears to have continued himself at his father's death (B. c. 283) the un- throughout his reign on unfriendly if not directly disputed master of his wealthy and powerful king-hostile terms with Macedonia, and lost no opportudom. His long reign was marked by few events of a striking character, while his attention was mainly directed to the internal administration of his kingdom, and the patronage of literature and science; his foreign policy was essentially pacific, and the few external wars by which his reign was troubled, were not of a nature to affect deeply the prosperity of his dominions. Unfortunately, our historical information concerning his reign is so scanty, that we have the greatest difficulty in arranging and connecting the few notices that have been transmitted to us. Its tranquillity appears to have been first disturbed by hostilities with his half brother Magas, who had governed Cyrene as viceroy under Ptolemy Soter, but on the death of that monarch threw off the yoke, and asserted his independence. Not content with maintaining himself in the possession of the Cyrenaica, Magas even attempted to invade Egypt, and had advanced as far as Paraetonium, when he was recalled to his own dominions by a revolt of the Marmaridae. A formidable mutiny among his Gaulish mercenaries prevented Ptolemy from pur

nity of assisting the party opposed to that power; but it was not until a few years defore his death that the successes of Aratus and the rise of the Achaean league opened out to his policy fresh prospects in that quarter. He hastened to support Aratus with considerable sums of money, and received him in the most friendly manner when he visited Alexandria in person. (Plut. Arat. 11, 12.)

But while Ptolemy was thus attentive to the events that were passing among the neighbouring potentates, his chief care was directed to the internal administration of his kingdom, and to the encouragement and extension of its foreign commerce. One of the first measures of his reign was to take effectual steps for clearing Upper Egypt from the robbers and banditti by which it was infested (Theocr. Idyll. xv. 46-49, and Schol. ad loc.), and he afterwards carried his arms far into Ethiopia, and established friendly relations with the barbarian tribes of that country. He was also the first to derive from those regions a supply of elephants for war, which had been previously pro