Ptolemy VIII Physcon

Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II
Pharaoh
King of the Ptolemaic Kingdom
Reign	170–164 BC with Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra II 145–132/1 BC with Cleopatra II and Cleopatra III 127/6–116 BC with Cleopatra III and (from 124 BC) with Cleopatra II
Predecessor	Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra II
Successor	Ptolemy IX and Cleopatra II and Cleopatra III
Royal titulary Horus name ḥwnw ḥkn.tw-m-Ꜥnḫ.f-ḥr-nst-jt.f mꜤr-zpw ḏsr-msḫꜤw.f-ḥnꜤ-ḥpw-Ꜥnḫ Hunu hekentuemankhefhernesetitef marzepu djesermeskhauefhenahapuankh The youthful one, about whose life on his father’s throne one is joyful, successful of deeds, and whose appearances with the living Apis bull are sacred Second Horus name: ḥwnw ḥkn.tw-ḥr-nst-jt.f tjt-ḏsr(t)-nt-nsw-nṯrw stp-n-jmn-ḏs.f Hunu hekentuhernesutitef titdjeser(et)netnesunetjeru setepenamundjesef The youthful one, about whose father’s throne one is joyful, the sacred image of the king of the gods, chosen by Atum himself Third Horus name: ḥwnw ḥri-tp-pḏt zꜢ-wsjrj msj-n-Ꜣst šzp-n.f-nsyt-rꜤ-mꜤ-jt.f Hunu heryteppedjet zausiry mesyenaset shesepenefnesytramaitef The youthful one, leader of the Nine Bows, the son of Osiris, whom Isis has borne, who has received for himself the kingship of Ra from his father’s hand Nebty name shrw-jb-tꜢwj Seheruibtawy Who has pleased the Two Lands Golden Horus wr-pḥtj nb-ḥbw-sd-mj-jt.f-ptḥ-tꜢ-ṯnn-jt-nṯrw-jty-mj-rꜤ Werpehty nebhabusedmitefptahtatjenenitnetjeruitymire The one great of strength, a possessor of Sed festivals like his father Ptah Tatenen, the father of the gods, and a sovereign like Ra Prenomen  (Praenomen) jwꜤ-n-nṯrwj-prwj stp.n-ptḥ jrj-mꜢꜤt-rꜤ sḫm-Ꜥnḫ-n-jmn Iwaennetjerwyperwy setepenptah irymaatre sekhemankhenamun Heir of the two gods, chosen by Ptah, who has accomplished the Maat (of?) Ra, the living image of Amun Nomen ptwlmjs Ꜥnḫ-ḏt mrj-ptḥ Ptolemys ankhdjet meryptah Ptolemaios, living forever, beloved of Ptah
Consorts	Cleopatra II of Egypt (m. 145 BC) Cleopatra III of Egypt (m. 142 or 141 BC)
Children	Ptolemy Apion, King of Cyrene (illegitimate) Ptolemy Memphites Ptolemy IX, King of Egypt Ptolemy X, King of Egypt Cleopatra IV, Queen of Egypt Tryphaena, Queen of Syria Cleopatra Selene, Queen of Syria
Father	Ptolemy V of Egypt
Mother	Cleopatra I of Egypt
Born	c. 184 BC[1]
Died	28 June 116 BC (aged around 68)[1][2]
Dynasty	Ptolemaic

Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II Tryphon^{[note 1]} (Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Εὐεργέτης Τρύφων, Ptolemaĩos Euergétēs Tryphōn, "Ptolemy the Benefactor, the Opulent"; c. 184 BC – 28 June 116 BC), nicknamed Physcon (Φύσκων, Physkōn, "Fatty"), was a king of the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt.^[3] He was the younger son of King Ptolemy V and Queen Cleopatra I. His reign was characterised by fierce political and military conflict with his older siblings, Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra II.

Ptolemy VIII was originally made co-ruler with his siblings in the run-up to the Sixth Syrian War, in 170 BC. In the course of that war, Ptolemy VI was captured and Ptolemy VIII arguably became sole king of Egypt. When the war ended and Ptolemy VI was restored to the throne in 168 BC, the two brothers continued to quarrel. In 164 BC Ptolemy VIII drove out his brother and became sole king of the Ptolemaic empire, but he was expelled in turn in 163 BC. As a result of Roman intervention, Ptolemy VIII was awarded control of Cyrene. From there he repeatedly tried to capture Cyprus, which had also been promised to him by the Romans, from his brother.

After Ptolemy VI's death in 145 BC, Ptolemy VIII returned to Egypt as co-ruler and spouse of his sister Cleopatra II. His cruel treatment of the opposition and his decision to marry his niece Cleopatra III and promote her to the status of co-regent led to a civil war from 132/1 to 127/6 BC, in which Cleopatra II controlled Alexandria and enjoyed the support of the Greek population of the country, while Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatra III controlled most of the rest of Egypt and were supported by the native Egyptians. During this war, native Egyptians were promoted to the highest echelons of the Ptolemaic government for the first time. Ptolemy VIII was victorious and ruled alongside Cleopatra II and Cleopatra III until his death in 116 BC.

The ancient Greek sources on Ptolemy VIII are extremely hostile, characterising him as cruel and mocking him as fat and degenerate, as part of a contrast with Ptolemy VI, whom they present extremely positively. The historian Günther Hölbl calls him "one of the most brutal and at the same time one of the shrewdest politicians of the Hellenistic Age."^[2]

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