Battus I 630 BC - 600 BC
Battus was born in an unknown village on the Greek island of Thera. What is known of Battus’ family background is from the Greek historian Herodotus. His father, Polymnestus, was a Therean nobleman and his mother was named Phromina. She was a princess of Oaxus (a city on the Greek island of Crete). Her father, Etearchus or Eteachos, was King of Oaxus. When Phronima’s mother, then Queen of Oaxus (whose name is unknown) died, Etearchus remarried. Phronima’s stepmother (whose name is also unknown) became Queen. She did everything to torment Phromina, most notably by falsely accusing her of fornication. When Etearchus heard of this, he befriended a Therean merchant living in Oaxus called Themiston and convinced him to swear an oath that he would perform any task the king asked him to do. Etearchus fetched Phronima, had her put in Themiston’s charge, and asked him to throw her into the sea. Themiston, in order to clear himself of the obligation, took Phronima on his ship, lowered her into water with a rope, and hauled her back in the ship (i.e. he did not kill her as ordered). Themiston then sailed with Phronima back to his home island of Thera. There, Phronima became the mistress of a distinguished nobleman called Polymnestus, who was a member of the Minyan family of the Euphemidae. Phronima bore Polymnestus a son, Battus. Herodotus does not give his real name, but according to Pindar , his birth name was Aristotle. Justin gives him the name of Aristaeus and states after his death in Cyrene he was worshipped by the name of Aristaeus. In any case, Battus in ancient Greek means stammer (because he had a speech impediment as a child), while in the Libyan language battus means king. Herodotus opines that he was not known as Battus until he left for Libya .
In ca. 639 BC the king of Thera, Grinnus, travelled from the island to visit the oracle of Delphi, to seek advise on various matters. At that time, Thera had a severe drought and there was no rainfall for seven years. The population was also increasing and could no longer support its residents. One of the men that accompanied the king was Battus. When Grinnus asked for the priestess' advice, she gave him a seemingly irrelevant response. She told him that he must go to Libya and found a city there, on advise from the God Apollo. The king was too old for this journey and commissioned Battus to complete the task. The only problem was that neither of them knew where Libya was .
When Grinnus and Battus returned to Thera, the drought had worsened and the people were in great distress. The king sent some Thereans to once again seek the advice of the Oracle. The priestess repeated the same message, that they must found a colony in Libya for their fortunes to mend.
Grinnus then sent a group of men from the island to travel to Crete to inquire about the natives of Libya or anyone who had been to Libya. The group of men landed in Itanus and met a fisherman called Corobius, who explained to the men that he had once been blown out of course and ended up on Platea, an island off the Libyan coast.
The Thereans paid Corobius to come with them to Thera and shortly after, with a small party and Corobius as pilot, they set sail for Libya. The men landed on Platea and left Corobius there with enough supplies for a short while and then returned to their island bringing good news about finding the new colony. Corobius agreed to wait on Platea for a length of time, however his supplies began to run out. Luckily, a Samian vessel bound for Egypt under command of Colaeus was re-routed to Platea due to poor weather conditions. The crew gave Corobius enough food to last one year. Colaeus and his crew were anxious to reach their destination as easterly winds prevented them to travel to Egypt and they were driven as west as the Pillar of Hercules (modern Strait of Gibraltar). By their luck they landed at the wealthy trading post of Tartessus.
When the group of Thereans returned to their island and had told everyone of the new settlement, they decided then to send a new party of people representing the seven villages of the island (drawn by lot). The King and the people picked Battus as the leader for the journey to Platea. Battus and the others sailed in two penteconters. When the two ships had reached the coast, Battus could not decide what next to do and ordered that they sail back home. When they returned to Thera, however, the locals refused to allow them back on the shore and threw things at them from the harbour, shouting for Battus and his crew to go back.
Founding of Cyrene
Battus and the two ships journeyed once more to Platea, where they lived for two years, unable to establish themselves properly there . Leaving one man on the island, they returned to Delphi and consulted the Oracle again about Libya and their current poor conditions. She advised them to settle on the mainland. So, they sailed back to Platea, and established a settlement, a town called Aziris (south of Platea near a river and many valleys) .The Thereans lived there for six years on friendly terms with the Libyans. After a treaty with the locals, the Libyans persuaded them to leave Aziris and took them west through fine agricultural country called Irasa to Apollo's Fountain. The Libyan guides told Battus and his group of men ‘this is the place for you settle in, for here there is a hole in the sky’.This may refer to amount of great rainfall in the area, which is rare in Africa.
Battus named this new settlement (founded in ca. 630 BC) Cyrene. The name comes from a fountain called "Cyre", which was believed to have been consecrated to Apollo. In addition to naming the settlement, Battus made all the colonists swear an oath. There is an inscription dated from the 4th century BC, which claims to contain the original oath.
Although little is known of Battus' reign, he appeared to govern with mildness and moderation. He was also apparently a vigorous ruler, successful in cementing a colony and taking advantages of the natural surrounding environment.
Battus died in 600 BC and was worshipped as a heroic figure by his subjects. His grave is near the marketplace which joins the road he ordered the construction of, leading to the temple of Apollo. A statue of Battus was dedicated at Delphi, by the subjects of Cyrene. He is represented riding in a chariot driven by the nymph of Cyrene, with a figure symbolising Libya in the act of crowning him King.
His dynasty is known as The Battiad dynasty. He was succeeded by his son Arcesilaus I
Arcesilaus I 600 BC - 583 BC
Arcesilaus was the son of Battus I, the first king of Cyrenaica and Cyrene. Arcesilaus’ paternal grandparents were the Cretan Princess Phronima and the distinguished Therean nobleman called Polymnestus.
Very little is known on the life and reign of Arcesilaus. He succeeded to the throne after the death of his father in 600 BC. Herodotus says that the number of people in Cyrene during his reign remained equal to the original number of settlers under Battus. Arcesilaus died in 583 BC and was buried near his father.
His son, Battus II, succeeded him. Arcesilaus also had a daughter called Critola.
Battus II 583 BC - 560 BC
Battus was the son of the second Cyrenaean king Arcesilaus I and an unknown mother. His paternal grandfather was Battus I, founder of the Greek colony in Africa. Battus’ sister was the princess Critola and was the maternal uncle to Polyarchus and future Cyrenaean Queen Eryxo. Eryxo would later marry his son. Polyarchus and Eryxo were among his sister's children.
An oracle delivered at Delphi encouraged people from various parts from Greece, particularly those in the Peloponnese, Crete and the other islands to settle in Cyrene. Battus also invited Greeks to move to Libya.
The oracle declared that people who would ever settle in delightful Libya, would one day regret it. The oracle declared caused a great rush among Greeks to join Cyrene.
The new Greek immigrants may have founded Apollonia. The city became the region’s port city (modern Susah, Libya). Cyrenaica’s population began to increase and they began to encroach upon the territory of the Libyans. The Libyans and their King Adicran, had resented the Greek settlers because they took their land and they had enough of the domineering attitude of the Greeks.
Adicran dispatched an embassy to the Egyptian Pharaoh Apries. Apries collected his strong force and sent them to Cyrene to declare war on the Greeks. Around 570 BC the Egyptians, Battus and the Cyrenaeans marched to the Well of Thestis in Irasa to engage in war. The Cyrenaeans won against the Egyptian army. Very few Egyptians survived and returned home. Herodotus states that the Egyptians had no warfare experience against the Greeks and they didn’t take this battle seriously. Herodotus also states that this was the first battle that Greeks and Egyptians ever fought against each other.
The victory at The Well of Thestis confirmed the sovereignty of Cyrene and the establishment of Cyrenaica and her new founding cities. Battus also made an alliance with the new Egyptian Pharaoh Amasis II.
Plutarch considers Battus as a worthy and honourable man. Battus died in 560 BC and was buried near his father and paternal grandfather. Battus’ wife is unknown and was succeeded by his son Arcesilaus II .
Arcesilaus II 560 BC - 550 BC
Arcesilaus II was the son of the third Greek Cyrenaean King Battus II, while his mother is unknown. His paternal aunt was the Greek Cyrenaean Princess Critola and his paternal grandfather was the second Greek Cyrenaean King Arcesilaus I.
Arcesilaus’ wife was his paternal cousin, who was Critola’s youngest child and daughter who was called Eryxo. Arcesilaus and Eryxo had married before he succeeded his father. His father died in 560 BC and Arcesilaus ascended the throne. Arcesilaus and Eryxo, had a child who was the future Cyrenaean King Battus III. Plutarch states Arcesilaus had another paternal cousin called Polyarchus, who was Eryxo’s eldest brother. Arcesilaus also had other paternal male cousins, though the historian doesn’t give their names.
Plutarch states that Arcesilaus' character was different from his father’s and received the surname ‘The Oppressor‘, because his character and appearance was of a rugged deposition. During his father’s reign Arcesilaus, had built fortifications around his house and became known throughout Cyrenaica for doing this.
When Arcesilaus became King he had a man called Learchus or Laarchus, who became his advisor. Herodotus states that Learchus was his brother, however Plutarch states that Learchus was an ill mannered and vicious friend. Arcesilaus followed the counsels of Learchus and became more of a tyrant then a king. Learchus was secretly plotting behind Arcesilaus to become Cyrenaica’s new king. Learchus had ordered the banishment and deaths of noble Cyrenaeans.
When Arcesilaus had found out about Learchus’ plotting, Arcesilaus had quarrelled with Learchus about the kingship and Learchus falsely blamed his plotting on him. Arcesilaus had ordered Learchus and his supporters to be exiled from Cyrenaica.
Learchus and his supporters left Cyrene and created their own settlement called Barca, (sometimes known as Meri, Libya). During the construction of Barca, Learchus was able to persuade local Libyans to withdraw their allegiance from Cyrene and encourage them to come with him and to declare war on Arcesilaus.
Learchus and the local Libyans were alarmed of the Cyrenaean troops approaching them and they hastily withdrew. Arcesilaus and the Cyrenaean troops chased Learchus and his supporters as far as Leucon, when Learchus and his supporters decided to attack the king and his army. Arcesilaus and the Cyrenaean troops were defeated and he lost up to 7,000 hoplites.
Not so long after the defeat, near Leucon Arcesilaus became very ill after drinking a poisonous drink containing a deadly fish called a sea-hare. According to Plutarch this fish when consumed is fatal to people. Learchus strangled and killed Arcesilaus in 550 BC. Learchus returned to Cyrene and after his attempt to become the new king, Eryxo and Polyarchus successfully plotted to have Learchus murdered. Then Battus III was proclaimed king by Polyarchus. Arcesilaus’ body was returned to Cyrene and was buried near his paternal ancestors
Battus III 550 BC - 530 BC
Battus III of Cyrene or Battus III, surnamed The Lame (Greek:Βάττος ο Χωλός, flourished 6th century BC) was the fifth Greek Cyrenaean king and a member of the Battiad dynasty.
Battus was the son and only child of Cyrenaean King Arcesilaus II and Cyrenaean Queen Eryxo. His paternal grandfather was the third Cyrenaean King Battus II, while is paternal grandmother is unknown. His maternal grandmother was the Cyrenaean Princess Critola, while is maternal grandfather was a Cyrenaean noble whose name is unknown and was murdered by Learchus (a rival to Arcesilaus II) in 550 BC. Battus II and Critola were siblings and were children to the second Cyrenaean King Arcesilaus I. Their paternal grandfather was the first Cyrenaean King Battus I.
Battus received the surname The Lame because when he was born with a limp to his leg. Battus was proclaimed King in 550 BC by his maternal uncle Polyarchus, when his uncle and his mother Eryxo had successfully plotted to kill Learchus, who murdered Arcesilaus II and attempted to become Cyrenaean King.
During his reign, Battus realised that Cyrenaica had become an unstable state, from the unstable relations with the Libyans, Egyptian Pharaoh Amasis II and the attempted dethroning of his late father and himself from Learchus. He visited the Oracle at Delphi for advice and consulted the priestess, on what he could do about Cyrenaica. The priestess advised Battus to go and visit Mantineia Arcadia and ask for a man called Demonax, who could assist him to reform the Cyrenaean constitution. Demonax was held in high regard by the Mantineians and held a high position there.
Battus returned to Cyrene with Demonax to assist him in reforming the constitution. Demonax reformed the Cyrenaean constitution and did the following. He divided Cyrenaica into three groups:
-Greeks from Thera (modern Santorini)
-Greeks from the Peloponnese and Crete
-Greeks from the other Aegean Islands
Demonax created a Senate which controlled Cyrenaica. The senate's members were representatives from the three groups and the king was the senatorial president. The new constitution, had reduced the powers, responsibilities and authority of the Cyrenaean King. The monarchy remained however, the king was only responsible and had the authority for to grant land to citizens and be a priest and to be in charge of religious duties. Demonax who put in place Ephors to punish impostors and created a strong 300 armed police force patrolling and protecting Cyrenaica.
To further protect Cyrenaica from the Libyans and their aristocracy, Battus made an alliance with the Egyptian Pharaoh Amasis II. As a sign of gratitude, Battus allowed Amasis to marry a Greek woman from Cyrenaica. Amasis chose Battus' daughter, Ladice to marry and they married after 548 BC.
Battus reigned until his death in 530 BC, and was buried near his paternal ancestors. He was survived by his wife, Cyrenaean Queen Pheretima, their son Arcesilaus III and their daughter Ladice. He was succeeded by Arcesilaus III.
Arcesilaus III 530 BC - 515 BC
Arcesilaus was the son of the fifth Cyrenaean King Battus III and Cyrenaean Queen Pheretima. His sister was the Cyrenaean Princess Ladice who married the Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Amasis II. Although his maternal grandparents are unknown, his paternal grandparents were the Cyrenaean Queen Eryxo and Cyrenaean King Arcesilaus II
When his father died in 530 BC, Arcesilaus became the new king. In 525 BC, Arcesilaus made an alliance with the King Cambyses II of Persia and they became friends. Cambyses had recently conquered Egypt and adding the country to his empire.
Herodotus describes his character as a ‘great rumpus‘. About 518 BC, Arcesilaus could no longer accept the Cyrenaean constitution changes introduced by his late father and Demonax and demanded the restoration of his ancestral rights. He was supported by his mother. After civil struggles that followed, Arcesilaus was defeated and fled to the Greek island of Samos, while his mother fled to the court of Greek King Euelthon in Salamis, Cyprus seeking troops from the king, which the king refused to do.
Arcesilaus was in Samos recruiting men for his army, in return promising the men to grant them land in Cyrenaica. Once he got his army together, he travelled to the oracle at Delphi to consult about his future in Cyrene. The priestess stated to him, that you will have a kingship in Cyrene for eight generations under four rulers named Battus and four rulers named Arcesilaus. She advised him to have no attempt to keep power beyond that period. She also advised him to be careful how to treat the Cyrenaean citizens and if he is cruel to them, they will go against him. Arcesilaus ignored this advice from the priestess.
Arcesilaus returned to Cyrenaica with his army and regained his power. He had driven his political opponents out of Cyrene into exile. His supporters received their land, however out of fear of a back lash (also ignoring the oracle’s advice), Arcesilaus left Cyrene and went to the Cyrenaean town of Barca.
While in the market place in Barca with his father-in-law, some Cyrenaean exiles recognised him. The Cyrenaean exiles went up to the two men and killed them. His father-in-law, was a Libyan man called Alazir, who was the governor of Barca. Herodotus states that Arcesilaus was related to Alazir. Arcesilaus married his daughter (whose name is unknown) and they had a son and only child called Battus IV. Battus IV became king in late 515 BC after Pheretima died in Egypt who ruled Cyrenaica for a while. Arcesilaus was buried near his paternal ancestors in Cyrene
Battus IV 515 BC - 465 BC
Battus was the son and only child of the fifth Greek Cyrenaean King Arcesilaus III and his mother was an unnamed Libyan woman, who was the daughter of Alazir, a Libyan who served as Governor of Barca. Herodotus states that his father and his maternal grandfather were related and his maternal grandmother is unknown. Battus’ paternal grandparents were the fifth Greek Cyrenaean King Battus III and Greek Cyrenaean Queen Pheretima. Battus was of Greek and Libyan origin. His paternal aunt was Cyrenaean Princess Ladice who married the Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Amasis II.
Battus succeeded his paternal grandmother in late 515 BC. She had died from a dreaded skin disease in Egypt. From 515 BC until 465 BC, Battus served as King of Cyrenaica. Very little is known on his reign and appeared his reign to be peaceful. During his reign, Cyrene became a wealthy town. Cyrenaica exported wheat, barley, olive oil and silphium (an unidentified plant with aromatic & medicinal properties). Battus’ wife is unknown and died in 465 BC. He was succeeded by his son Arcesilaus IV and was buried near his paternal ancestors.
Arcesilaus IV 465 BC - 440 BC
Arcesilaus was the son and only child of the seventh Greek Cyrenaean King Battus IV and his mother is unknown. His maternal grandparents are unknown, however his paternal grandparents were sixth Greek Cyrenaean King Arcesilaus III and his paternal grandmother is an unnamed Libyan woman, who was the daughter of a Libyan called Alazir, who served as the governor of Barca. Herodotus states that Arcesilaus III and Alazir were related to each other.
When his father died in 465 BC Arcesilaus became the new king. Arcesilaus became a celebrity of his age. He became famous in his era because in 462 BC, Arcesilaus won a chariot race at the Pythian Games at Delphi. Arcesilaus actually breed horses which were the native horses of Libya. The Libyan Horse is one of the few natural breeds of the world, which were descendant from the original wild horses of central Asia. Among the descendants of the original wild horses of central Asia are the Spanish horse and the Arabian horse. The Libyan horses are mentioned by the Greek historians Herodotus and Xenophon in their writings. Various cultures throughout history have breed and used the Libyan horse.
His victory in 462 BC, was celebrated by Greek poet Pindar in the Fourth Ode and Fifth Ode of the Pythian Ode. Pindar advises Arcesilaus in his ode to reconcile with his opponents and stresses the rightfulness of his rule because it has been eight generations of his ancestry rule in Cyrenaica.
In his reign, he became more of a tyrant than a king. Arcesilaus actually exiled many Cyrenaean nobles. He supported himself by having a mercenary army. Through his tyranny, Arcesilaus destroyed his dynasty. The Cyrenaeans having enough of the Battiads dynasty, began to rebel.
The citizens rebelled that successfully that Arcesilaus left Cyrene and fled for Euesperides (modern Benghazi) with his son and only child, the last Cyrenaean prince Battus V of Cyrene or Battus V. His wife is unknown. Arcesilaus along with his son were killed by the Cyrenaean citizens in 440 BC. After Battus was killed, the Cyrenaeans cut off his head and threw his head into the sea. It is unknown whether, if Arcesilaus was buried near paternal ancestors. Battus’ beheading was a significant moment for Cyrenaica, as it was the end of The Battiads ruling Cyrenaica. The citizens proclaimed Cyrenaica a democratic republic under Persian rule.
In 440 BC, Cyrene became a Republic, under Persian suzerainty (as had been the latter kings from Arcesilaus III). Cyrene was conquered by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and fell to the portion of Ptolemy I in the division of Alexander's Empire. In 276 BC it reasserted its independence.
Kings of Cyrene, 276-249 BC
Magas 276 BC - 250 BC
Berenice II, was the daughter of Magas of Cyrene.Magas then married Apama II, his third maternal cousin and the daughter of the Seleucid Empire king Antiochus I Soter, and used his marital alliance to foment a pact to invade Egypt. Apama and Magas had a daughter called Berenice II, who was their only child. He opened hostilities against Ptolemy II Philadelphus in 274 BCE, attacking Egypt from the west, as Antiochus I was attacking Palestine. However, Magas had to cancel his operations due to an internal revolt of the Libyan nomad Marmaridae. In the east, Antiochus I suffered defeat against the armies of Ptolemy Philadelphus. Magas at least managed to maintain the independence of Cyrene until his death in 250 BCE, upon which the kingdom was almost immediately reabsorbed by Ptolemaic Egypt.
Magas is mentioned in the Edicts of Ashoka, as one of the recipients of the Indian Emperor Ashoka the Great's Buddhist proselytism, although no Western historical record of this event remains. Ashoka also claims that he encouraged the development of herbalism, for men and animals, in the territories of the Hellenistic kings
The philosopher Hegesias of Cyrene, from the city of Cyrene where Magas ruled, is sometimes thought to have been influenced by the teachings of Ashoka's Buddhist missionaries
Demetrius the Fair 250 BC - 249 BC
Demetrius is a man of Greek Macedonian descent. He was surnamed The Fair, because he was an attractive man. He was born and raised in Macedonia. Demetrius was named after his father and was the youngest child, from the children of King Demetrius I of Macedon and his mother was Ptolemais. Ptolemais married Demetrius I as his fifth wife around 287 BC/286 BC in Miletus. Demetrius I married Ptolemais as his fifth wife, while this was Ptolemais’ first marriage. When his parents married, his father was king. Demetrius was the only child born into the marriage as in 283 BC his father had died. From his father’s previous marriages, Demetrius had various paternal half siblings which included king Antigonus II Gonatas, princess and later queen of the Seleucid Empire Stratonice of Syria.
Demetrius’ maternal grandparents were the first Greek-Egyptian pharaoh Ptolemy I Soter and noblewoman Eurydice. Among his maternal aunts were queen Arsinoe II of Egypt and among his maternal uncles were pharaoh Ptolemy II Philadelphus and Macedonian King Ptolemy Keraunos (Keraunos was Ptolemais’ full blooded brother). Among his maternal cousins were pharaoh Ptolemy III Euergetes. His paternal grandparents were Macedonian king Antigonus I Monophthalmus and noblewoman Stratonice, while his paternal uncle was the general Philip.
Not much is known about him until 249 BC. Greek Cyrenaean king Magas of Cyrene died in 249 BC or 250 BC. His widow, was the powerful Greek monarch Apama II. Apama was Demetrius’ niece, who was a daughter of his paternal half sister Stratonice of Syria from her marriage to Greek king of the Seleucid Empire Antiochus I Soter.
Apama summoned Demetrius from Macedonia. She offered Demetrius, her daughter with Magas (and only child) princess Berenice II in marriage to him. Demetrius in return, would become King of Cyrenaica and protect Cyrenaica from the Ptolemaic dynasty. Demetrius agreed to Apama’s request and married Berenice. When he married Berenice and became king, there was no opposition in his rise to the throne. When Demetrius became king, he became so ambitious it reached the point of recklessness.
Sometime after his marriage to Berenice, Demetrius and Apama became lovers. Jealous of her husband's affair with her mother, Berenice argued with both of them and fatally stabbed Demetrius who died in Apama’s arms. The poem Coma Berenices by Greek poet Callimachus (lost, but known in a Latin translation or paraphrase by Catullus), apparently refers to her killing of Demetrius: "Let me remind you how stout-hearted you were even as a young girl: have you forgotten the brave deed by which you gained a royal marriage?"
First marriage to a Greek noblewoman from Larissa named Olympias the daughter of a Greek nobleman Polycletus or Polyclitus of Larissa. Olympias married Demetrius at an unknown date in the 3rd century BC. She probably died before 249 BC.
Their children:
Antigonus III Doson - later Greek Macedonian King
Echecrates - Not much is known of this nobleman apart from the fact that he had a son whom he named after his brother Antigonus. A few months before his paternal second cousin Greek King Philip V of Macedon’s death Echecrates' son Antigonus revealed to Philip that Philip's son prince Perseus of Macedon had made false accusations against his brother, Philip's other son, Demetrius, whom Philip had then had put to death. Philip, indignant at Perseus’ conduct appointed Antigonus as his successor. When Philip died in 179 BC and Antigonus became king, Perseus ousted Antigonus and had him executed.
Second marriage to his great niece, Greek Cyrenaean princess and future Greek queen of Egypt Berenice II. They married either in 249 BC or 250 BC. Berenice killed Demetrius, out of jealousy and revenge because Demetrius and her mother became lovers
In 249 BC Cyrene again became a republic, but was restored to Ptolemaic control in 246 BC. From 163 BC, Cyrene occasionally had its own rulers from the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Kings of Cyrene, 163 BC - 30 BC
Ptolemy VIII Physcon 163 BC - 116 BC
Monumental stele attributed to Ptolemy VIII, glorifying his rule and describing his support of Egyptian gods. The stele was written in Egyptian hieroglyphs as well as Greek.After Antiochus left (169 BC), Euergetes agreed to joint rule with his older brother Ptolemy VI Philometor and Cleopatra II. This arrangement led to continuous intrigues, lasting until October 164 BC, when Philometor went to Rome to gain support from the Senate, who were a little helpful, but Physcon's sole rule was not popular, and in May 163 BC the two brothers agreed to a partition that left Physcon in charge of Cyrenaica.
Although the arrangement lasted until Philometor's death in 145 BC, it did not end the sparring. Physcon convinced the Senate to back his claim on Cyprus, but Philometor ignored this, and after Physcon's attempt to conquer the island failed, in 161 BC] the Senate sent Philometor's ambassadors home. Sometime around 156 BC/155 BC Philometor tried to have Physcon assassinated, but this failed, and Physcon went to Rome, displayed the scars of wounds he received in the attempt, and despite the opposition of Cato the Elder, received the Senate's support and some resources for another attempt on Cyprus. (An inscription records that Physcon had bequeathed Cyrenaica to Rome if he died childless, an act not mentioned by any literary source.)
The second attempt on Cyprus also failed, and Philometor captured Physcon, but spared him, offering him the hand of his daughter Cleopatra Thea, and sent him back to Cyrenaica.
When Philometor died on campaign in 145 BC, Cleopatra II had her son proclaimed Ptolemy VII, but Physcon returned, proposed joint rule and marriage to Cleopatra II, his sister. He then had the unlucky youth assassinated during the wedding feast. He then took the throne as "Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II", the name deliberately recalling his ancestor Ptolemy III Euergetes, and had himself proclaimed as pharaoh in 144 BC.
Physcon took his revenge on the intellectuals of Alexandria who had opposed him, engaging in mass purges and expulsions that included Aristarchus of Samothrace and Apollodorus, leaving Alexandria a changed city. In 145 BC, "he expelled all intellectuals: philologists, philosophers, professors of geometry, musicians, painters, schoolteachers, physicians and others, with the result that these brought 'education to Greeks and barbarians elsewhere,' as mentioned by an author who may have been one of the king's victims" (Menecles of Barca, FGrHist 270 F 9).
He then seduced and married Cleopatra III (who was his wife's daughter) without divorcing Cleopatra II, who was infuriated, and by 132 BC or 131 BC, the people of Alexandria rioted and set fire to the royal palace. Physcon, Cleopatra III, and their children escaped to Cyprus, while Cleopatra II had their twelve-year-old son Ptolemy Memphitis acclaimed as king. Physcon was however able to get hold of the boy and killed him, sending the dismembered pieces to Cleopatra.
The ensuing civil war pitted Cleopatra's Alexandria against the countryside, who supported Physcon. Cleopatra offered the throne of Egypt to Demetrius II Nicator, but he got no further than Pelusium, and by 127 BC Cleopatra left for Syria, leaving Alexandria to hold out for another year.
After further intrigues, Cleopatra II ended up back in Egypt in 124 BC, and about this time Physcon sent his second daughter by Cleopatra III, Cleopatra Tryphaena, to marry Antiochus VIII Philometor. A formal amnesty decree followed in 118 BC, but it was insufficient to improve government, and the Romans would soon be forced to intervene after his death in 116 BC.
When he died, he left the throne to Cleopatra III and one of her sons, whichever she preferred. She would have chosen her younger son Alexander to have reigned with her. However, the Alexandrians wanted her older son Philometer Soter, governor of Cyprus, to co-reign. She reluctantly complied, with Philometer taking the name Ptolemy IX, though her younger son would also rule at one point.
Ptolemy Apion 116 BC - 96 BC
Ptolemy Apion or simply known as Apion (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Ἀπίων, between 150 BC & 145 BC - 96 BC) was the last Greek Cyrenaean King and was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Ptolemy was Greek Macedonian and native Egyptian in descent. His second name Apion is a name of ancient Egyptian origin and could be a name from his maternal ancestry.
Ptolemy was a son and was the first child among from the children of Egyptian Greek prince, Cyrenaean King and future Pharaoh of Egypt Ptolemy VIII Physcon. Ptolemy’s paternal uncle was the Egyptian Greek Pharaoh Ptolemy VI Philometor and his paternal aunt was the Egyptian Greek princess and queen Cleopatra II of Egypt. His paternal grandparents were Egyptian Greek Pharaoh Ptolemy V Epiphanes and Egyptian Greek Queen who was a Greek princess of the Seleucid Empire Cleopatra I of Egypt.
Ptolemy’s mother was a native Egyptian woman called Eirene (Irene) or according to the Roman Jewish historian Josephus her name was Ithaca. Eirene originated from Cyrenaica and not much is known on her origins. She was a mistress of Physcon’s and was among his concubine. Eirene served as Physcon’s mistress from 150 BC til 127 BC. Eirene accompanied Physcon in 145 BC to Egypt when he became pharaoh and succeeded his brother Ptolemy VI.
Ptolemy was most probably born in Cyrene, the capital of Cyrenaica, however was raised and educated in his father’s court in Egypt. Until 116 BC, he most probably lived in Egypt. Ptolemy never held a royal Egyptian title. In 116 BC, Ptolemy’s father had died. From Physcon’s will, Ptolemy inherited Cyrenaica and in that year, he became king of Cyrenaica. When he became king, Ptolemy succeeded without any political opposition.
Unfortunately, little is recorded of Ptolemy’s reign of Cyrenaica. Ptolemy died in 96 BC and he implemented the terms of his father’s will for Cyrenaica. He never married and had no heirs. In Ptolemy’s will, he left Cyrenaica and his ancestral royal estates to the rule of the Roman Republic. Physcon had planned this for Cyrenaica after Ptolemy’s death.
Ptolemy’s ancestral estates were occupied by locals in the 1st century. The occupiers of the estates, needed assistance from the Roman Emperor Nero to legalise the land title through their occupations, so they could own the estates.
Roman Republic 96 BC - 75 BC
In 75 BC, the city became part of a Roman province, but it was restored to the Ptolemies by Mark Antony in 37 BC. In 34 BC Cleopatra VII and Antony's daughter, Cleopatra Selene II, was made Queen of Cyrene, but the city returned to Rome following Augustus' conquest of Egypt in 30 BC
