| Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator | |
|---|---|
| Πτολεμαίος Θεός Φιλοπάτωρ | |
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| Reign | 51–47 BC |
| Coregency | Cleopatra VII, Arsinoe IV (disputed; in opposition to Cleopatra VII) |
| Predecessor | Ptolemy XII Auletes |
| Successor | Cleopatra VII andPtolemy XIV Philopator |
| Consort | Cleopatra VII |
| Father | Ptolemy XII Auletes |
| Born | c. 62 BC |
| Died | prob. 13 January 47 BC (aged 14) Nile river |
| Dynasty | Ptolemaic |
Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator[1] (Ancient Greek:Πτολεμαῖος Θεός Φιλοπάτωρ,Ptolemaĩos; c. 62 BC – 13 January 47 BC) was Pharaoh of Egypt from 51 to 47 BC, and one of the last members of thePtolemaic dynasty (305–30 BC). He was the son ofPtolemy XII and the brother of and co-ruler withCleopatra VII. Cleopatra's exit from Egypt caused a civil war to break out between the pharaohs. Ptolemy later ruled jointly with his other sister,Arsinoe IV.
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Son of the Egyptian PharaohPtolemy XII (r. 80–58 BC and 55–51 BC), Ptolemy XIII succeeded his father aspharaoh of thePtolemaic Kingdom in the spring of 51 BC at the age of 11. His father had stipulated that Ptolemy XIII would be married to his older sisterCleopatra (ruled from 51–30 BC), with the couple ruling as co-rulers. In October 50 BC, Ptolemy XIII was promoted to senior ruler along with her, although the eunuchPothinus acted asregent for him.[2]
In the spring of 48 BC, Ptolemy XIII and Pothinus attempted to depose Cleopatra due to her increasing status as queen. Her face appeared on minted coins, for example, while Ptolemy XIII's name was omitted on official documents. Ptolemy intended to become main ruler, with Pothinus acting as the power behind the throne.
Ptolemy XIII and Pothinus managed to force Cleopatra to flee toSyria, but she soon organized her own army and a civil war began in Egypt. Soon their other sister started to claim the throne asArsinoe IV of Egypt (r. 48–47 BC), further complicating the situation.
At this point, defeatedRoman generalPompey the Great came to Egypt seeking refuge from his pursuing rivalJulius Caesar. Initially, Ptolemy XIII pretended to have accepted his request, but on 29 September 48 BC, he had the general murdered byAchillas andLucius Septimius in hopes of winning favor with Caesar when the victorious general arrived.
When Caesar arrived he was presented with the head of his deceased rival and former ally, but reportedly, instead of being pleased, Caesar reacted with disgust and ordered that Pompey's body be located and given a proper Roman funeral. Cleopatra VII proved more successful in winning Caesar's favor and became his lover. Caesar arranged the execution of Pothinus and the official return to the throne of Cleopatra VII, though she had never officiallyabdicated her marriage to Ptolemy XIII.[citation needed]
Still determined to depose Cleopatra VII, Ptolemy XIII allied himself with Arsinoe IV. Jointly, they organized the factions of the army loyal to them against those loyal to Cleopatra VII and the relatively small part of Caesar's army that had accompanied him to Egypt. The battle between the warring factions occurred in mid-December 48 BC insideAlexandria itself (Siege of Alexandria (47 BC)), which suffered serious damage.[3][better source needed] Around this time, the burning of theLibrary of Alexandria occurred.[4]
Upon the arrival of Roman reinforcements, theBattle of the Nile (47 BC) ensued and resulted in a victory for Caesar and Cleopatra, forcing Ptolemy XIII to flee the city. He reportedly drowned on 13 January 47 BC while attempting to cross theNile river.[5] Whether he was attempting to flee or was seeking negotiations remains uncertain from sources of the time. Cleopatra VII remained the unchallenged ruler of Egypt, although she named their younger brotherPtolemy XIV of Egypt (r. 47–44 BC) her new co-ruler.[citation needed]
Ptolemy appears inGeorge Frideric Handel's 1724 operaGiulio Cesare in Egitto ("Julius Caesar in Egypt") andGeorge Bernard Shaw's playCaesar and Cleopatra, and was played byRichard O'Sullivan in the 1963 motion pictureCleopatra. Ptolemy and his fight with Caesar and Cleopatra for control of Egypt also feature in the HBO TV seriesRome episode "Caesarion".
Ptolemy's civil war with Cleopatra figures prominently in the 2017 historical video gameAssassin's Creed Origins, in which he is presented as a weak puppet ruler to theOrder of Ancients who drove him to depose his sister. At the end of the war, main character Aya draws an arrow to kill him, but holds back as his boat is attacked by crocodiles, causing him to fall into the river and drown.
Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator Born: c. 62 BC Died: c. 47 BC | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Pharaoh of Egypt 51–ca. 47 BC withCleopatra VII Arsinoe IV | Succeeded by Cleopatra andPtolemy XIV |
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