ThePtolemaic dynasty, also known as theLagids orLagidae, was aMacedonian Greek[1][2][3][4][5] royal family who ruled over Egypt. Their rule lasted for 275 years, from 305 BC to 30 BC. They were the finaldynasty ofancient Egypt.
Ptolemy, was one ofAlexander the Great's generals and deputies. He was appointedsatrap ofEgypt after Alexander's death in 323 BC. In 305 BC, he declared himself King Ptolemy I, later known as "Soter" (savior). TheEgyptians soon accepted the Ptolemies as the successors to thepharaohs of independent Egypt. Unlike their previous rulers under theAchaemenid Empire, they usually lived in Egypt. Ptolemy's family ruled Egypt until theRoman conquest of 30 BC.
All the male rulers of the dynasty took the name Ptolemy. Ptolemaic queens, some of whom were the sisters of their husbands, were usually called Cleopatra, Arsinoe or Berenice. The most famous, was the last queen,Cleopatra VII. She was involved in the Roman political battles betweenJulius Caesar andPompey, and later betweenOctavian andMark Antony. Her death marked the end of Ptolemaic rule in Egypt.
Dates in brackets represent the ruling dates of the Ptolemaic pharaohs. They often ruled jointly with their wives, who were often also their sisters. Several queens exercised royal authority, but the most famous and successful wasCleopatra VII (51–30 BC), with her two brothers and her son as successive nominalco-rulers. Several systems exist for numbering the later rulers; the one used here is the one most widely used by modern scholars.
Members of the Ptolemaic dynasty were described as extremelyobese. Theirsculptures andcoins show prominent eyes and swollen necks.Graves' disease within the family could explain the swollen necks and eye prominence (exophthalmos), although this is unlikely if they were simply obese.
Members of this dynasty likely suffered from a multi-organ fibrotic condition such asErdheim–Chester disease or a familial multifocal fibrosclerosis. With this condition, thenthyroiditis, obesity andocular proptosis can all occur at the same time.[6]
↑Jones, Prudence J. (2006).Cleopatra: A Sourcebook. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 14.ISBN9780806137414.They were members of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Macedonian Greeks, who ruled Egypt after the death of its conqueror, Alexander the Great.
↑Pomeroy, Sarah B. (1990).Women in Hellenistic Egypt. Wayne State University Press. p. 16.while Ptolemaic Egypt was a monarchy with a Greek ruling class.
↑Redford, Donald B., ed. (2000).The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press.Cleopatra VII was born to Ptolemy XII Auletes (80–57 BCE, ruled 55–51 BCE) and Cleopatra, both parents being Macedonian Greeks.
_-_2009.jpg)
