Ptolemy VIII Physcon: The Pride That Brought Peace to Egypt
Ptolemy VIII Physcon, often referred to as Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II or Ptolemy the Benefactor, was a vehement ruler of Egypt. He first tasted power when he was 12 years old as his brother’s co-ruler of Egypt in 170 BC. As years went by, he became obsessed with power and his reign became quarrelsome, creating civil conflict and economic frustration in the country.
Continue reading to find out how, during his latter days as a king, he tried to save Egypt from total destruction by imposing large-scale reorganizations.
Who Was Ptolemy VIII Physcon?
King Ptolemy VIII, also tagged as Physcon (182–116 BC) which, for the Greeks, means “Potbellied,” was a descendant of Ptolemy V Epiphanes, who fought divisively for the throne. His parents were Ptolemy V Epiphanes and Cleopatra I Syra, and when his enemies murdered his father, his eldest brother, Ptolemy VI Philometor, became the monarch.
At the age of 12, Ptolemy VIII mutually ruled Egypt with his brother from 170 BC to 164 BC. He led Cyrenaica in the succeeding year 163 BC up until145 BC.
When his older brother died in 145 BC, Philometor left behind his sister-turned-wife Cleopatra II and a son who was declared Ptolemy VII. Ptolemy Physcon heard about the news, sought a joint rule, and offered marriage to Cleopatra II, also his sister. During the feast at their wedding, someone killed Cleopatra’s son.
Immediately after that incident, Physcon claimed the throne and deliberately asserted himself as Pharaoh Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II. He successfully took over the crown to be the sole leader of Egypt in 145 BC.
Remarriage and Children
After years of arguing with his spouse, Ptolemy and his niece, Cleopatra III, were barred from Alexandria in 130 BC. Cleopatra III then became Ptolemy’s wife, without him divorcing Cleopatra II.
Ptolemy did this because he wanted to win the throne, even in a divisive way. He also planned to make the country submissive to Rome by promoting greater control of the Romans over Egypt.
Throughout the course of his life, Ptolemy VIII fathered seven children with Cleopatra II and Cleopatra III.
Exile From Egypt
When a civil war had been in place all over Alexandria, Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatra III, with their offspring, flew to Cyprus. Meanwhile, Ptolemy VIII planned his return to Alexandria, but the people had destroyed his statues and collections.
This triggered his anger, and he reportedly had his and Cleopatra II’s 12-year-old son, Ptolemy Memphites, killed and dismembered, sending the body parts to his mother, Cleopatra II as a birthday present. It was cruel and scandalous, but no one could question his acts.
To hold power, Cleopatra II sought support. She offered the crown to the Seleucid Empire’s ruler, Demetrius II Nicator. However, a rebel in the Seleucid Empire, Alexander II Zabinas, was supported by Ptolemy VIII and defeated Nicator’s troops near Pelusium. After taking over the throne, Physcon sentenced the people of Alexandria for their sins.
Cleopatra ran to Syria for a year and then went back to Alexandria to take over. During this time, Ptolemy VIII had already arranged for the marriage of one of his daughters with Cleopatra III, Cleopatra Tryphaena, to Antiochus VIII Philometor.
Restoration of the City
Ptolemy VIII acted on dialogs and settlements with Cleopatra II and the Seleucid court to bring back the empire’s lost and ruined cities. He withdrew his alliances with Alexander II Zabinas and accepted the idea of supporting Demetrius II’s son and heir, Antiochus VIII Philometor, alternatively.
To show his genuine intentions, he then sent his second daughter by Cleopatra III, Cleopatra Tryphaena, to become King Seleucid’s wife.
The settlements among Ptolemy VIII, Cleopatra III, and Cleopatra II took time to restore the scars of the past. With the peace and prosperity for Egypt on their minds, these powerful rulers agreed to issue an Amnesty Decree in 118 BC. This move paved the way to the pardoning of all crimes other than murder and robbery committed in the temples before 118 BC.
Amnesty Decree
This decree reassured exiles that they can take back their abandoned homes and properties with all back taxes waived. They could also settle land endowments created with militias throughout the civil conflict, acknowledge sanctuary landowners and tax privileges, and guide tax bureaucrats to practice homogenous measurements when they died.
Furthermore, they recognized the limitations of courts in legal battles between Egyptians and Greeks in the amnesty. The determination of fair judgment was the language of the documents on legal arguments, which were inscribed in the chrematistai (money judges) and laokritai (folk-judges).
The difference between these two was that the chrematistai pertained to judgment on quarrels over Greek documents, whereas the laokritai pertained to a decision that clashes over Egyptian records. The chrematistai, however, had been avoided to strain Egyptians into their courts.
How Did Ptolemy VIII Died?
Ptolemy VIII passed away in 116 BC. When he died, he was replaced by his wife, Cleopatra III, and his son, Ptolemy IX Soter, due to the Alexandrians’ preference. Meanwhile, his younger son, Ptolemy Apion, was chosen as the ruler of Cyrenaica.
Ptolemy VIII’s Legacy
Intrigues and scandals marred the reign of Ptolemy VIII. We have learned about the tumultuous events that completed his power, and how his pride brought much chaos to his leadership and even led to the murder of significant royal family members.
Ptolemy VIII hated the Jews and the elite in Alexandria because they did not support him, so he took part in the expulsions that ruined the once glorious city of wisdom. Ptolemy was adamant about his plans, but his marital affairs were not acceptable to the people. The people were furious about his actions.
Suffice it to say that the people took revenge against the monarchy. They set fire to the palace to denounce his murderous acts, as they could not accept his murder of his son with Cleopatra. All within good reason, as historians all agree that they have never seen such a brutal act in Egypt before. He dismembered the body of his 12-year-old son and sent the parts to Cleopatra.
Expansion of the Kingdom
Nonetheless, Ptolemy VIII was also concerned with the expansion of his kingdom. He sponsored approximately 117 expeditions, including a sea voyage to India. It was a voyage that sailed by way of the Red Sea passing down through the Indian Ocean and commenced the start of Egypt’s success in the spice trade.
When Ptolemy VIII died, Cleopatra became in charge of the throne. She had chosen Alexander, her son, to lead Egypt. It was the right choice, but the people urged her to choose Philometor Soter to be her co-ruler.
Ptolemy’s Effects in Egypt
The prestige that Egypt enjoyed in ancient times can’t be denied. Previous leaders had worked hard for the political and economic stability of the nation. It was a pride Egypt carried throughout its glorious past, and Ptolemaic Egypt was economically stable until the end of the fourth century BC.
Its source of wealth was predominantly from the abundant supply of water from the Nile, which was the people’s source of water supply to irrigate their farms and industries. The fertile soil of their farms provided much agricultural produce. At the same time, their artisans created sophisticated works of art.
The government established a state-of-the-art legacy when it printed its first coinage and expanded its international trade. You could tell that Egypt savored its grand heritage during the time of the Ptolemaic period.
Decline of Power
However, there was a decline in economic power during the time of Ptolemy VIII. Some historians even called it an economic collapse. It happened due to the corrupt government and favoritism among the leaders. The government also spent so much money on military armaments because they experienced political instability at that time.
Subsequent fights among the royal members of the crown went too far, and this was the beginning of Egypt’s decline. Despite the changes in the leadership, the damage worsened because of the leaders’ jealousy, intrigues and scandals.
The government lacked a strong and decisive leader because the royal members wanted to swindle one another. They needed a clear command and genuine nationalism, and historians have often narrated how the country failed politically and economically.
To top it all off, a civil war ruined the government. The people felt disappointed about the perennial corruption, and despite the reforms initiated by the government, it was not enough to restore the once glorious past of the country.
Conclusion
Ptolemy VIII ruled in a drastic and iniquitous way. He forced his way onto the throne and didn’t care how much it cost him.
Here are some of the most important points we learned in the article above.
Ptolemy VIII’s desire for power led him to commit murderous acts, which resulted in him even killing his own child.
His greediness created chaos and destruction all over the empire. The people were divided and ended up killing one another.
He might have been victorious as a king, but the empire was already on the verge of collapsing. It was one of the reasons he humbled down his arrogance and pride to bring peace and restoration to the dying city.
He settled his disputes with Cleopatra II and the King of Seleucid by promising his daughter to be the king’s wife.
Eventually, Ptolemy VIII, Cleopatra III, and Cleopatra II worked together to restore the empire.
After four decades of civil conflict, the powerful Ptolemaic dynasty was now only a shadow of its preceding glory.
The Egyptian territory further deteriorated when Physcon partitioned the land among his widow and his progenies.
Although Ptolemy VIII eventually humbled himself for the sake of his country, it wasn’t enough to bring back the old glory of Egypt.
