Ptolemy Andromachou

Ptolemy Andromachou ( Greek  Πτολεμαίος Ἀνδϱομάχου ; 3rd century BC) was probably an illegitimate son of King Ptolemy II from the Ptolemaic dynasty .

A thirteen-line fragmentary papyrus is available for Ptolemy Andromachou , from which a short biography can be found. Accordingly, he conquered the Thracian coastal city of Ainos (today Enez) , took part in the sea ​​battle of Andros and was finally murdered in a revolt in Ephesus . The murder is confirmed by Athenaios , who reports of a revolt by Thracian mercenaries in Ephesus, from which the governor Ptolemy fled with his lover Eirene to the Artemis sanctuary, but was killed there with her.

Dating, origin and identity

An exact dating of the biography is not possible, but the events described can be assigned to the third Syrian war , i.e. between the years 246 to 240 BC. BC, especially because of the battle of Andros, which is placed in this temporal context. The takeover of Ephesus by the Ptolemies is also counted towards this war, where Ptolemy Andromachou is likely to have been installed as governor afterwards.

There is largely disagreement in the specialist literature on the family origin of Ptolemy Andromachou. Based on the position at Athenaios, P. Fraser, K. Buraselis, C. Ravazzolo and most recently MD Gygax recognize him as an illegitimate son of King Ptolemaios II, the first three of whom also recognize him as the priest of Alexander in 251/250 v. BC , equate Ptolemy, son of Andromachos . This assumption is based on the full wording of the nickname of Ptolemy Andromachou in the papyrus, which there is called Πτολεμαιο έπίϰλησιν Ἀνδϱομάχου , which translates as "Ptolemy, so-called son of Andromachou [actual son of Ptolemy II." can. Fraser, Buraselis and Ravazzolo recognize a father's name ( patronymic ) in it, with which they reconcile the identity of Ptolemy Andromachou with the priest of Alexander. According to this construction, the person of Andromachos was the adoptive father of Ptolemy Andromachou, perhaps even the husband of the royal mistress, under whose name the royal bastard was legitimized.

MD Gygax and Werner Huss separate the person of the Alexander priest from that of Ptolemy Andromachou, albeit in different explanations. Both interpret the epithet recorded in the papyrus as a real epithet, which they translate as “Fighter of Andros”, which refers to his participation in the Battle of Andros. In this case, however, the nickname should be understood as a mock name, since the Ptolemies had to accept a defeat at Andros. But while Gygax also represents the paternity of Ptolemy II on Ptolemy Andromachou, Huss combines his biography with that of Ptolemy the son , who was actually a son of Lysimachus and Arsinoë II , who was born by his stepfather (and uncle ) Ptolemy II was adopted and made co-regent. This construction is in turn rejected by Gygax, who relies on an Egyptian inscription, the exact translation of which Huss did not take sufficient account of, and identifies two different people in Ptolemy Andromachou and Ptolemy the son, who, however, are both illegitimate sons of Ptolemy II and thus ( Must have been half brothers.

Family connection according to Huss:

Arsinoë I.

Ptolemy II Philadelphus

Arsinoë II.

Lysimachus

Ptolemy III

Ptolemy Andromachou = Ptolemy the son = Ptolemy, son of Lysimachos = Ptolemy of Telmessos = Ptolemy of Ephesus

Family connection to Gygax:

Arsinoë I.

Ptolemy II Philadelphus

Arsinoë II.

Lysimachus

Ptolemy III

Ptolemy the son

Ptolemy Andromachou = Ptolemy of Ephesus

Ptolemy, son of Lysimachos = Ptolemy of Telmessos

literature

• Arnaldo Momigiano, Peter Fraser: A New Date for the Battle of Andros? A discussion. In: The Classical Quarterly. Vol. 44, 1950, pp. 107-118.
• K. Buraselis: The Hellenistic Macedonia and the Aegean Sea: Research on the politics of Kassandros and the first three Antigonids in the Aegean Sea and in western Asia Minor. Munich 1982.
• C. Ravazzolo: Tolomeo figlio di Tolomeo II filadelfo. In: Studi ellenistici. Vol. 8, 1996, pp. 123-142.
• Werner Huss : Ptolemy the son. In: Journal of Papyrology and Epigraphy . Vol. 121, 1998, pp. 229-250 ( PDF ).
• Marc Domingo Gygax: To the co-regent of Ptolemy II Philadelphos. In: Historia: magazine for ancient history. Vol. 51, 2002, pp. 49-56.

Remarks

1. ↑ Papyri Graecae Haunienses (P. Haun.) 6; first published by Tage Larsen: Papyri Graecae Haunienses I: Literary Texts and Ptolemaic Documents. Copenhagen 1942, p. 44.See also Huss, p. 235.
2. ^ Athenaios 13, 593a-b.
3. ↑ For the Alexander priest see CC Edgar: Zenon Papyri. Vol. II. Cairo 1928, no.59289.
4. ↑ As the mother of Ptolemaios Andromachou, Bilistiche, daughter of Philo, is assumed, who had officiated in the same year as the Alexander priest as the "basket bearer" (kanephoros) of the "sibling goddess " (Arsinoë II.). Ptolemy II actually had a mistress named Bilistiche, see Athenaios 13, 576f and Plutarch , Moralia 753e = Amatorius 9. Whether this was identical to the Kanephore remains speculation.
5. ↑ So already P. Maas: The Year's Work in Classical Studies. 1939-45, p. 2.
6. ↑ Plutarch, Pelopidas 2, 2.
7. ↑ Gygax, pp. 50-51; Huss, pp. 242-244.
8. ↑ The inscription dates to the 21st year of reign (265/264 BC) of Ptolemy II, in which it is written: “His Majesty commanded his son / who has the name of the one who fathered him / the ka To celebrate the feast of the Ba Temple. ”In this son, who bears the same name as his father, Gygax Ptolemaios sees the son, since Ptolemy III. could not have been old enough at this point in time to commit a ritual act.