Philometor

Also known as: Ptolemy called Philometor · Family: Egyptian · Role: king of Egypt · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 9

Before becoming king, Philometor was banished to Cyprus by his father, after Cleopatra opposed his accession and favoured her younger son, Alexander. After Philometor returned from exile and regained control of Egypt, Cleopatra urged the Egyptians to choose Alexander instead; when they resisted, she sent him to Cyprus as general, seeking to make herself more formidable to Philometor through him.

In the third year after the Theban revolt, Philometor suppressed it and destroyed Thebes’ former prosperity. The Athenians, whom he had treated well, erected a bronze statue of him and his only legitimate child, Berenice.

Relationship record

Life events

• Philometor was banished to Cyprus by his father before he could become king.(Book 1 · Chapter 9 · 📍 Cyprus)
  • “she would not allow them to call him to the kingdom, but got him banished to Cyprus by his father previously.”
• Philometor returned from exile and regained control of Egypt.(Book 1 · Chapter 9 · 📍 Egypt)
  • “Philometor quietly returned from exile and a second time held Egypt”
• Philometor suppressed the Theban revolt and destroyed Thebes’ former prosperity.(Book 1 · Chapter 9)
  • “And having reduced them in the third year after the revolt, he punished them so severely that there was no vestige left them of their ancient prosperity”

Book 1 · Chapter 9

• parent: Cleopatra (mother of Philometor) “for none of these kings that we know of was so hated by their mother as he was; for though he was the eldest of her sons she would not allow them to call him to the kingdom”
• siblings with Alexander (younger son of Cleopatra) “for though he was the eldest of her sons she would not allow them to call him to the kingdom, but got him banished to Cyprus by his father previously. Now of this dislike of Cleopatra to her son they allege other motives, but especially this one, that she thought Alexander, the younger of her sons, would be more obsequious to her.”
• with Cleopatra (mother of Philometor) (Cleopatra caused Philometor's banishment.) “but got him banished to Cyprus by his father previously”
• child: Berenice (daughter of Philometor) “the Athenians who had been well treated by him in many respects that I need not enumerate, erected a brazen statue both of him and Berenice, his only legitimate child.”
• rivals with Alexander (younger son of Cleopatra) (They were competing for the Egyptian kingship.) “And therefore she urged the Egyptians to choose Alexander for their king. And when the people opposed her in this, she sent Alexander to Cyprus, nominally as general, but really because she wished through him to make herself more formidable to Philometor”

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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.