How Many Ptolemies Were There?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Of the

fifteen Ptolemaic

marriages, ten were between brother and sister while two were with a niece or cousin. This meant that even Cleopatra VII, the last Ptolemy to rule Egypt and the subject of playwrights, poets, and movies, was not Egyptian but Macedonian.

How many Ptolemaic kings were there?

Ptolemy’s portion of Alexander’s rule included Egypt, Libya, and the Sinai Peninsula, and he and his descendants would make up a dynasty of

13 rulers

for close to 300 years. Alexander’s three great kingdoms jockeyed for power during the third and second centuries BCE.

How did the Ptolemies come to rule Egypt?

After Alexander’s death in 323 BC, his empire quickly unraveled amid competing claims by the diadochi, his closest friends and companions. Ptolemy, a Macedonian who was one of Alexander’s most trusted generals and confidants, won control of Egypt from

his rivals

and declared himself pharaoh.

Was Ptolemy a pharaoh of Egypt?

Ptolemaic Dynasty Pharaoh Ptolemy Soter, British Museum Parent family Argead Country Ancient Egypt, Ancient Macedonia Founded 305 BC

How many Cleopatra’s were there?

Officially, only

seven princesses

with the name ‘Cleopatra’ are credited as sitting on the throne of Egypt, although there is some confusion over the length of reigns and the degree of real power held. The last, Cleopatra VII, is the most famous, thanks to her romantic dalliances with Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony.

What happened to the Ptolemies?

The Ptolemaic dynasty

controlled Egypt for almost three centuries

(305 – 30 BCE), eventually falling to the Romans. Oddly, while they ruled Egypt, they never became Egyptian. Instead, they isolated themselves in the capital city of Alexandria, a city envisioned by Alexander the Great.

What ethnicity was Cleopatra?

Scholars generally identify Cleopatra as essentially of

Greek ancestry with some Persian ancestry

. This is based on the fact that her Macedonian Greek family – the Ptolemaic dynasty – had intermarried with the Seleucid dynasty that ruled over much of West Asia.

How were inbred Pharaohs?

The ancient Egyptian royal families were almost expected to marry within the family, as inbreeding was present in virtually every dynasty. Pharaohs were not

only wed to their brothers and sisters

, but there were also “double-niece” marriages, where a man married a girl whose parents were his own brother and sister.

How long did Cleopatra rule Egypt?

Cleopatra VII, often simply called “Cleopatra,” was the last of a series of rulers called the Ptolemies who ruled Egypt for

nearly 300 years

. She was also the last true pharaoh of Egypt.

Who was the first White Pharaoh of Egypt?


Ptolemy I
Reign 305/304 – 282 BC (Ptolemaic dynasty – founder) Predecessor Alexander IV Successor Ptolemy II Philadelphus show Royal titulary

What killed Cleopatra?

Rather than fall under Octavian’s domination, Cleopatra died

by suicide

on August 12, 30 B.C., possibly by means of an asp, a poisonous Egyptian serpent and symbol of divine royalty. Octavian then executed her son Caesarion, annexed Egypt into the Roman Empire, and used Cleopatra’s treasure to pay off his veterans.

Are there 2 Cleopatras?

Cleopatra II (Greek: Κλεοπάτρα; c. 185 BC – 116/115 BC) was a queen of Ptolemaic Egypt who ruled from 175 to 116 BC with two successive brother-husbands and her daughter—often in rivalry with her brother Ptolemy VIII.

Is Cleopatra in the Bible?

Just because it is in the bible does not mean it is God telling you to do it. This was not that

Cleopatra

. It was her great, great, great, great, (one more) great grandma. … Maccabees starts with the reign of Alexander, the first Cleopatra’s father, who is now known as “Alexander The Great”.

Was Cleopatra V Egyptian?

Cleopatra was a queen of Egypt but

she was not Egyptian

. She was the last of the Macedonian Greek dynasty that ruled Egypt from the time of Alexander the Great’s death in 323 BCE to about 30 BCE.

Did Julius Caesar marry Cleopatra?

Caesar established her younger brother Ptolemy XIV as her co-ruler to secure her throne and then

married Cleopatra in the Egyptian manner

(although this marriage was not recognised in Rome as he was already married and it was not legal for a Roman citizen to marry a foreigner).

Are there any pictures of Cleopatra?

Scholars have searched for the visage behind the legend, but it’s often impossible to verify a historical figure’s image.

Cleopatra’s body has never been discovered

. Most surviving paintings and sculptures of her are anachronistic inventions, more telling of their own times than of the subject herself.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.