Ptolemy

Ptolemy

Short Biography, Information & Facts about Ptolemy I Soter, the famous pharaoh and king of Egypt

Biography, Facts and information about the life of a Pharaoh
The term pharaoh was the title of an ancient Egyptian king who was considered to be a living god and worshipped as a deity. The pharaoh was an absolute ruler of Egypt, both the political and religious leader.

Short Biography of the life of Ptolemy I Soter
The history, facts and information about Ptolemy I Soter, a famous pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.

The following biography information provides basic facts about the life Ptolemy:

Ptolemy was also known as Ptolemy I Soter
He earned the name Soter meaning Saviour after defeating Antigonus on Rhodes in 304BC
Egyptian Period / Kingdom: First Pharaoh of the Ptolemaic Dynasty (332 BC - 30 BC)
Name of Previous Pharaoh: The Persian King Darius III 336 BC - 332 BC of the Thirty-first Egyptian Dynasty

Years of Reign: (305 BC-283 BC)
Succeeded by: Ptolemy II Philadelphus (283 BC-246 BC)
Family
- Father: There are 2 different suggestions regarding who was the father of Ptolemy
  - His father was Lagus a Macedonian nobleman
  - There was also a rumour that he married Arsinoe when she was already pregnant with Ptolemy by King Philip II - this notion would have given additional credence to the Ptolemaic Dynasty Ptolemy I would then have been the illegitimate son of Philip II of Macedonia and the half brother of Alexander the Great
- Mother: His mother was Arsinoe of Macedonia who was originally a concubine of Philip II, king of Macedonia
- Wives of Ptolemy Soter:
  - Thaïs
  - Artakama
  - Euryrdice
  - Berenice
- Children: Ptolemy II Philadelphus
Year of Death: 283BC
Biography and accomplishments or why Ptolemy I was famous: He was a trusted general of Alexander the Great. When Alexander conquered Egypt he made Ptolemy the ruler of the country and he established the Greek Ptolemaic Dynasty who ruled from 332 BC - 30 BC. All of his male successors were called Ptolemy and all of his female successors were called Cleopatra. Although a Greek the Ptolemies embraced the Egyptian culture, gods and civilisation.
He founded the Great Library of Alexandria which contained all the knowledge of the Ancient civilisations, but was destroyed by the Romans. He also wrote a biography of Alexander the Great

Ptolemy I Soter
Each section of this Ancient Egyptian website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about the Golden Age of Pharaohs and of Ptolemy. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of the Ancient Egyptian Kings - their life, family, reign, dynasty, important dates and events and accomplishments.