A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

PTOLEMAEUS. PTOLEMAEUS. 5,83
agency of his general Agis, while he deemed it umbrage to Antigonus, who in consequence recalled
necessary to repair in person to Cyprus, with a Demetrius from Greece, and determined to make
large force, with which he quickly reduced the re- a grand effort to wrest that important island from
volted cities, and placed the whole island under the the hands of his rival. It was occupied by
command of Nicocreon of Salamis, on whose fidelity Ptolemy's brother Menelaus with a powerfill fleet
he had full reliance. After this he laid waste with and army, but he was unable to resist the forces
his fleet the adjoining coasts of the main land, took of Demetrius, was defeated, and besieged in the
the towns of Posideum in Syria, and Mallus in city of Salamis, the capital of the island. Ptolemy
Cilicia, and withdrew again to Cyprus before De- himself now hastened to his relief with a fleet of
metrius, who hastened to oppose him, could arrive 140 ships, and a sea-fight ensued between him and
on the spot. But the following spring (B. C. 312) Demetrius —one of the most memorable in ancient
he determined, at the instigation of Seleucus, to history - which terminated, after an obstinate
oppose Demetrius in the field, and invaded Palestine contest, in the total defeat of the Egyptian fleet.
with a large army. He was met by the young ge- Ptolemy was now compelled to withdraw to
neral at Gaza, and a pitched battle ensued, in which Egypt, while his brother Menelaus, with his fleet
Ptolemy and Seleucus were completely victorious, and army and the whole island of Cyprus, fell into
and Demetrius was compelled to evacuate Syria, the hands of the conqueror. Antigonus was so
leaving the whole country open to the Egyptian much elated by this victory as to assume the title
kings, who recovered almost without opposition of king, an example which Ptolemy, notwithstandall the cities of Phoenicia. After this he sent ing his defeat, immediately followed, B. C. 306.
Seleucus at his own request with a small force (Diod. xx. 45 —53; Plut.Demnetr. 15-18; Paus.
against Babylon, where that general succeeded in i. 6. ~ 6; Justin. xv. 2; Appian, Syr. 54.)
establishing a permanent footing. [SELEUCUS.] But the defeat at Salamis not only entailed upon
Meanwhile, Demetrius partly retrieved his disaster the Egyptian king the loss of Cyprus, but left his
by defeating Ptolemy's general Cilles, and soon rival for a time the undisputed master of the sea,
after Antigonus himself advanced into Syria, to an advantage of which Antigonus now determined
support his son. Ptolemy gave way before them, to avail himself to strike a decisive blow against
and withdrew into Egypt, where he prepared for Egypt itself. For this purpose he himself addefence; but Antigonus did not attempt to follow vanced by land through Syria with a powerful
him, and spent his time in operations in Asia. army, while Demetrius supported him with his fleet.
The next year (B.c. 311) hostilities were sus- Ptolemy did not attempt to meet him in the field or
pended by a general peace. (Diod. xix. 57-62, oppose him on the frontiers of Egypt, but contented
64, 69, 79-86, 90, 93, 105; Plut. Demetr. 5, 6; himself with fortifying and guarding the passages
Paus. i. 6. ~ 5; Justin. xv. 1; Appian, Syr. 54.) of the Nile, as he had done against Perdiccas: a
Of the motives which led to this treaty we have manoeuvre which proved equally successful on the
no information, but the probability is that all present occasion. The fleet of Demetrius suffered
parties regarded it as little more than a truce. severely from storm, and his efforts to effect alanding
Ptolemy appears to have been the first to recom- in Lower Egypt were frustrated, while Antigonus
mence hostilities, and, under pretence that Anti- himself was unable to force the passage of the
genus had not, pursuant to the treaty, withdrawn river: his troops began to suffer from hunger: many
his garrisons from the Greek cities in Asia, he sent of them deserted to Ptolemy, whose emissaries were
a fleet to Cilicia under Leonidas, who reduced active with bribes and promises: and the old king
many towns on the coast, but was again compelled at length found himself compelled to abandon the
to withdraw by the arrival of Demetrius. The enterprise and retire into Syria. (Diod. xx. 73next year (B. c. 309) Ptolemy in person sailed 76; Plut. Demetr. 19; Paus. i. 6. ~ 6.) Ptolemy
with a large fleet to Lycia, took the important was well contented to have escaped from so great
city of Xanthus, as well as Caunus and other a danger, and doubtless occupied in recruiting his
places in Caria, and laid siege to Halicarnassus, forces, but we do not learn that he ventured to'which was, however, relieved by the sudden resume the offensive. The next year however
arrival of Demetrius. Ptolemy now withdrew (B. C. 305), Demetrius having turned his arms
to Myndus where he wintered, and the next against the Rhodians, Ptolemy assisted the latter
spring (308) repaired in person to the Peloponnese, with repeated supplies both of troops and prowhere he announced himself as the liberator of visions. So important, indeed, were his succours
Greece, but effected little, beyond the taking pos- on this occasion, that when Demetrius had been at
session of the two strongholds of Corinth and length compelled to raise the siege (304), the
Sicyon, which were yielded to him by Cratesipolis; Ithodians paid divine honours to the Egyptian
and having placed garrisons in these he returned monarch as their saviour and preserver (:ws71 p), a
to Egypt. (Diod. xx. 19, 27, 37; Plut. Demetr. 7.) title which appears to have been now bestowed
This year was, however, marked by a more im- upon Ptolemy for the first time. (Diod. xx. 81portant advantage in the recovery of Cyrene, which 88, 96, 98-100; Paus. i. 6. ~ 6, 8. ~ 6; Athen.
had for some years past shaken off the Egyptian xv. p. 696, f.)
yoke, but was now, after the death of Ophellas, re- During the next two years the king of Egy-pt
duced once more under the subjection of Ptolemy seems to have been a nearly passive spectator of
by the arms of his brother Magas. [MAGAS.] the contest in Greece, though in the course of it
The next season (B. c. 307) Demetrius suc- Corinth and Sicyon were wrested from his power
ceeded in establishing his authority over great by Demetrius: but at length in a. c. 302 the
part of Greece, and drove Demetrius the Phalerean arrogant pretensions of Antigonus once more united
out of Athens, who took refuse at the court of Ptolemy and Seleucus with Cassander and LysiEgypt. - Ptolemy appears to have remained in- macbus in a league against their common foe.
active during these events, but it is probable that Still, however, Ptolemy took comparatively little
his military and nlaval preparations at Cyprus gave part in the contest, which led to the decisive
PP 4