Ptolemies

The Ptolemies ( Ptolemaia ) were a festive event serving the ruler's cult in Ptolemaic Egypt.

The first Ptolemies were born after the death of Ptolemy I in 282 BC. Given by his son and successor Ptolemy II in Alexandria . Among other things, representatives from Athens took part in this first event . Since 279 BC Like the Panhellenic Games , the festival was celebrated every four years. Among other things, the Nesiotenbund was invited . As a result, numerous Greek poleis regularly sent representatives to the event. The Ptolemies in Alexandria are documented until 211/10.

During the time it was held, the festival was as important as the Olympic Games . As with the other major festivals of this type, there were musical, athletic and hipster competitions. At Athenaios there is an abridged report by Callixeinos of Rhodes , probably from the Ptolemies in 274/74 BC. Chr., Handed down. Here he describes a colorful festival with 6000 participants, 2000 sacrificial animals and an army parade of 80,800 men.

Ptolemies were set up in other places as well. There were festivals even in places that were not dependent on the Ptolemies. Ptolemies from 83 BC were celebrated in Athens. Until 24 BC The Nesiotenbund organized Ptolemies on Delos , which were also celebrated on Lesbos (in Eresos and Methymna ) and Erythrai .

literature

• Christian Habicht : Athens. The history of the city in Hellenistic times , CH Beck, Munich 1995 ISBN 3-406-39758-1
• Simon RF Price: Ptolemaia , in DNP 10 (2001), col. 526/27