| Ptolemy Apion | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Ptolemy Apion from Herculaneum, presently located at theNational Archaeological Museum, Naples. | |
| King of Cyrene | |
| Born | 150-145 BC Cyrene (?) |
| Died | 96 BC |
| Greek | Πτολεμαῖος Ἀπίων |
| House | Ptolemaic dynasty |
| Father | Ptolemy VIII Physcon |
| Mother | Eirene of Cyrene |
Ptolemy Apion or simply known asApion (Ancient Greek:Πτολεμαῖος Ἀπίων; between 150 BC and 145 BC – 96 BC) was Greco-EgyptianKing ofCyrenaica who separated it from thePtolemaic Kingdom ofEgypt, and in hislast will bequeathed his country toRome.[1] He was a member of thePtolemaic dynasty.
Apion was the son ofPtolemy VIII Physcon, king of Egypt (170-165, 145-132, and 127-116) and king of Cyrene and Cyprus (163-116 BC), by a concubine. Apion's mother is often identified with Eirene, who was his mistress around 147 BC,[2] but there is no evidence for this.[3]
Ptolemy Apion was apparently given Cyrene as a separate kingdom ca. 105-101 BC.[3] Nothing is recorded of Ptolemy's reign of Cyrenaica. Some scholars have doubted that he ever actually reigned.[4] Ptolemy died in 96 BC without heirs. In Ptolemy's will, he left Cyrenaica and his ancestral royal estates to the rule of theRoman Republic.[3]
Media related toPtolemy Apion at Wikimedia Commons