Ptolemy II Philadelphus summary

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Ptolemy II Philadelphus, (born 308, Cos—died 246 bc), King of Egypt (285–246 bc), second king of the Ptolemaic dynasty. He reigned as coruler (285–282) with his father, Ptolemy I Soter, then purged his family of rivals, including his first wife, and married his sister, Arsinoe II. Wars with the rulers of the Seleucid and Antigonid dynasties weakened his influence in the Aegean and brought near-disaster to his allies Athens and Sparta. He concluded these wars by diplomacy and marriage alliances and managed to regain his influence in the Aegean. He devised a buffer zone of possessions to protect Egypt from attack, and he dealt with reverses through diplomacy. A prudent and enlightened ruler, he promoted economic development and made Alexandria into a centre for poets and scholars.

Arsinoe II Summary

Arsinoe II was the queen (basilissa) of Thrace and Macedonia and, later, the wife of her younger brother, King Ptolemy II Philadelphus of Egypt, and possibly his coruler. It has been inferred by modern historians that she wielded great power in both roles, though the extent of that power is

government Summary

Government, the political system by which a country or community is administered and regulated. Most of the key words commonly used to describe governments—words such as monarchy, oligarchy, and democracy—are of Greek or Roman origin. They have been current for more than 2,000 years and have not

Egypt Summary

Egypt, country located in the northeastern corner of Africa. Egypt’s heartland, the Nile River valley and delta, was the home of one of the principal civilizations of the ancient Middle East and, like Mesopotamia farther east, was the site of one of the world’s earliest urban and literate