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The House of Ptolemy:
Kings, Queens, and the Rest of the Royal Ptolemies





[ Ptolemaic Kings List ] [ Ptolemaic Royal Titles] [ Genealogy List ] [ Writings on the Rulers ] [ Bibliographic Notes ]
[ Ceasar, Cleopatra, Marcus Antonius] [ Numismatic Notes ]
[ Work in Process ] [ Back to Index Page ] [ Comments ]

The Ptolemaic King List*

* date information in red taken from: PTOLEMAIC CHRONOLOGY - by Alan Edouard Samuel.
Muenchener Beitraege zur Papyrusforschung und Antiken Rechtsgeschichte. 43 heft. C.H. Beck'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Muenchen 1962
Ruler Dates
(All Dates BCE)		 Comments
Cleomenes of Naucratis
Satrap of Egypt for Alexander the Great		 331 - 323 BCE Appointed by Alexander the Great in the spring of 331, originally as Alexander's collector of revenues in Egypt. Not a Ptolemaic ruler, Cleomenes appears here as the antecedent of the House of Ptolemy
323, June 10/11 Death of Alexander the Great
Ptolemy, Son of Lagos
SATRAP of EGYPT

* under Philip Arrhideus: 323 - 317
* --- with Cleomenes as assistant (hyparchos): 323
* under Alexander IV: 317 - 311
* given epithet SOTER: 305		 323 - 305 BCE Short biographical sketch
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
Another short biographical sketch of Ptolemy I
Contemporary coin images of Ptolemy I
Wife: Eurydice
305, November 7 Soter takes title of king
Ptolemy I
(Soter I)


* Elevation and joint rule with Philadelphos: 284-282		 305 - 282 BCE Contemporary coin images of Ptolemy I & Berenice I
Wives: Eurydice, Berenice I
284, January beginning of joint regency of Soter and Philadelphus
282, between January 7 and summer death of Soter
Ptolemy II
(Philadelphus)		 282 - 246 BCE Contemporary coin images of Ptolemy II & Arsinoe II
Short biographical sketch of Ptolemy II
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
Wives: Arsinoe I, Arsinoe II
246, January 29 death of Philadelphus, accession of Euergetes I
Ptolemy III
(Euergetes I)		 246 - 222 BCE Contemporary coin images of Ptolemy III & Berenice II
Short biographical sketch of Ptolemy III
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
Wife: Berenice II
222, between October 18 and December 31 death of Euergetes I, accession of Philopator I
Ptolemy IV
(Philopator I)		 222 - 205/4 BCE Contemporary coin image of Ptolemy IV
Youthfull and idealized contemporary portrait head
Short biographical sketch of Ptolemy IV
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
210, 9 October Birth of Ptolemy V Epiphanes
210, November 30 Elevation of Epiphanes as coregent with his father Philometor
205, after October18, possibly November 28 death of Philopator
204, between summer and September 8 accession of Epiphanes
Ptolemy V
(Epiphanes)		 205/4 - 180 BCE Short biographical sketch of Ptolemy V
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
Wife: Cleopatra I
197, November 26 Anakleiteria of Epiphanes
196, March 27 Rosetta Stone inscribed
180, between February 20 and October 6 death of Epiphanes and accession of Philometor
Ptolemy VI
(Philometor)


* regency under Cleopatra I: 180-176;
* 1st Sole reign: 176 - 170;
* Joint reign with Ptolemy VIII 169-164;
* Invasion of Antiochus IV of Syria: 169 & 168;
* 2nd Sole reign with Cleopatra II: 164/3-145
 180 - 145 BCE Short biographical sketch of Ptolemy VI
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
Wife: Cleopatra II
176, between April 8 and October 14 death of Cleopatra I, Philometor ruling, married to his sister
170, October 5 beginning of joint regency of Philometor, Euergetes II, and Cleopatra II
164, October expulsion of Philometor
163, before May 29 return of Philometor
145, spring association of Neos Philopator on the throne
145, before September 19 death of Philometor, accession of Euergetes II
Ptolemy VII
(Neos Philopator)

* associated ruler with his father Philometor: 145/144
* regent under his uncle Euergetes II and mother Cleopatra II (who married): 145/144		 145 - 144 BCE
 Short biographical sketch of Ptolemy VII
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
Ptolemy VIII
(Euergetes II) "Physkon" restored


King of Cyrenaica, Libya 163-145
 145 - 116
 Short biographical sketch of Ptolemy VIII
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
Contemporary image of Ptolemy VIII in Pharaonic headdress (Mistakenly labled as 'Ptolemy VII'. This statue, now in Belgium, is an image of Ptolemy Euergetes II showing us why he was nicknamed 'Physkon').
Wives: Cleopatra II, Cleopatra III
131-130 revolution of Cleopatra II
116, June 28 death of Euergetes II
116, after October 29 116, death of Cleopatra II
Cleopatra III and
Ptolemy IX
(Soter II) "Lathyrus"

Ruler in Cyrenaica, Libya: 115 - 104/1;
Ruler in Cyprus: 105 - 88 BCE
 117 - 108 BCE Short biographical sketch of Cleopatra III & Ptolemy IX Soter II (Lathyros)
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)

Wife: Cleopatra III
115, before April 6 establishment of Cleopatra III with Soter II
110, before October 31 expulsion of Soter II, Alexander I on the throne
109, before February 2 return of Soter II
108, between March 10 and May 28 second interruption of Soter’s reign by Alexander I
Cleopatra III and
Ptolemy X
(Alexander I)

Ruler in Cyprus: 114/3 - 105/4



Ptolemy X
(Alexander I) and
Cleopatra Berenice		 107 - 88 BCE Short biographical sketch of Cleopatra III & Ptolemy X
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
Wife: Cleopatra Berenice
107, before November 15, probably before September 19 expulsion of Soter
101, before October 26 death of Cleopatra III
88, soon before September 14 death of Alexander I, return of Soter II
Ptolemy IX (Philometor Soter II) "Lathyrus",
restored (2nd Reign)		 88 - 80 BCE Short biographical sketch of Cleopatra III & Ptolemy IX Soter II (Lathyros)
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
Wife: Cleopatra III
80, March death of Soter II
Cleopatra Berenice and
Ptolemy XI
(Alexander II)		 80 BCE Short biographical sketch of Cleopatra Berenice
Short biographical sketch of Ptolemy XI (Alexander II)
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
80 Cleopatra Berenice ruled for 6 months;
succeeded by Alexander II, who ruled for 19 days
80, before September 11 accession of Auletes
Ptolemy XII
(Neos Dionysus) "Auletes"		 80 - 58 BCE Short biographical sketch of Ptolemy XII (Neos Dionysos)
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
Idealized portrait head of Ptolemy XII
Wife: Cleopatra Berenice
58, after September 7 departure of Auletes from Egypt
Berenice IV

at first with Cleopatra Tryphaena
afterwards with Archelaus		 58 - 55 BCE Short biographical sketch of Berenice IV
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
57, before July 11 Berenice IV and Cleopatra Tryphaena on the throne
56, between February 1 and April 16 Archelaus married to Berenice IV
55, before April 22 return of Auletes
Ptolemy XII
(Neos Dionysus)
"Auletes", restored		 55 - 52/1 BCE
52, September 5 association of Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII with Auletes on the throne
51, between ca. February 1 and March 22 death of Auletes
Cleopatra VII
(Philopator Nea Thea)


with Ptolemy XIII (Philopator): 52/1-47;
with Ptolemy XIV (Philopator): 47-44;
sole reign: 44-36;
coregency with Ptolemy XV (Caesar Philopator Philometor "Caesarion"): 36-30 involvement with Julius Caesar: 48 to 44;
involvement with Marc Antony: 41-30;
 52/1 - 30 BCE Short biographical sketch of Cleopatra VII
(from Egyptian Tourism Ministry site)
Contemporary statue head of Cleopatra VII
(London: British Museum)
Contemporary coin image of Cleopatra VII (and Mark Anthony)
47, before January 15 death of Ptolemy XIII
44, between July and 2 September death of Ptolemy XIV
41 Caesarion temporarily on the throne
36 beginning of joint regency of Cleopatra & Caesarion
30, August 3 capture of Alexandria by Octavian
30, August 12 death of Cleopatra
30, August 31 beginning of Augustus’ reign


Genealogy
List

  • --- Titulature Of The Pharaohs: Ptolemaic Dynasty (305-30 BCE)
    A marvelous aid! The complete titulature in transliterated hieroglyphics for the Ptolemaic dynasty including the cartouches of the rulers and their spouses. For the period of Macedonian rule (Alexander III, IV, & Satrapy of Ptolemy 332-305 BCE) see http://members.xoom.com/dloeillet/KL/KLS/Alex.html (but sadly no cartouches). The information at this site is in English and French.

    It is best to start at http://members.xoom.com/dloeillet/KL/KLS/ETitul1.html for a discussion of how the rulers of Egypt set up their titles, the royal Egyptian naming conventions, a discussion of the manner of rendering the linguistic information see http://members.xoom.com/dloeillet/KL/KLS/ECONVENTION.html, and the source books from which this site's information is derived.

    • Bibliographic Notes:
    Kings, Queens, and the Rest of the Royal Ptolemies

    The Rulers

    Numismatic Notes:
    Kings, Queens, and the Rest of the Royal Ptolemies





    +++ Misc. Links To Be Updated/Evaluated+++

  • --- Biographisch-Bibliographischen Kirchenlexikon: PTOLEMAIOS XII
    The Biographisch-Bibliographischen Kirchenlexikon base page is at http://www.bautz.de/bbkl/
  • --- Ptolemies
    A thumbnail sketch for each in the house of Ptolemy. Seems unfinished and not all pages are properly linked.
  • --- Hellenistic History, Images, and Related Topics
    By David Penso. A subpage of David's Web Site on the Ancient World. This site houses a collection of short articles on various aspects of Hellenism and Hellenistic History. For images of some Ptolemaic Rulers see his page on Photos of Statues of Ptolemaic Rulers. No mention is made of where the (copyrighted?) images originated.
  • Les Derniers Pharaons. Les turbulents Ptolémées d'Alexandre le Grand à Cléopâtre la Grande
    (Madeleine Della Monica)
    ISBN 2706812729, © 1997, Maisonneuve et Larose
    “Ce livre couvre l’histoire de l’Égypte d’Alexandre le Grand à Cléopatre VII, tout en décrivant la période ptolémaique et ses chefs d’état.”

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