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Ancient Egypt / Ptolemaic dynasty /
Ptolemy 2 Philadelphus
(309- 246 BCE) King of Egypt 285-246 and second in the Ptolemaic dynasty.
He was the son of Ptolemy 1, the founder of the dynasty, and Berenice 1.
At the time of his assumption of power, Egypt held a firm grip on Cyprus, Phoenicia and Palestine. Through his reign, Ptolemy extended the Egyptian empire into Nubia and the Arabian peninsula. At periods, Cyrenaica was also under Egyptian control.
It was during his reign that Egypt established itself as the maritime power of the Mediterranean Sea, as a result of wars fought against the Seleucids.
On the home ground, among Ptolemy's main achievements were to improve state control over Egyptian agriculture.
Culture prospered under Ptolemy, with rich achievements centered around the court in Alexandria. The library of Alexandria prospered under him, too.
He has succeeded by his son, Ptolemy 3.
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By: Tore Kjeilen
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